james madison is considered the father of our country.
who is considered the father of our country?
james madison
some members of the confederation congress opposed the establishment of a peacetime army, and also opposed the establishment of a military academy (one of knox's key proposals) on the basis that it would establish an egalitarian military class capable of dominating society. knox first proposed an army mainly composed of state militia, specifically seeking to change attitudes in congress about a democratically managed military. although the plan was initially rejected, many of its details were eventually adopted in the formation and administration of the united states army. the need for an enhanced military role took on some urgency in 1786 when shays' rebellion broke out in massachusetts, threatening the springfield armory. knox personally went to springfield to see to its defense. although benjamin lincoln raised a militia force and put down the rebellion, it highlighted the weakness of both the military and defects in the articles of confederation that hampered congressional ability to act on the matter. in the rebellion's aftermath congress called what became known as the constitutional convention, in which the current united states constitution was drafted. knox in early 1787 sent george washington a draft proposal for a government that bears significant resemblance to what was eventually adopted. when washington asked knox if he should attend the convention, knox urged him to do so: "it would be circumstance highly honorable to your fame, in the judgment of the present and future ages, and double entitle you to the glorious epithet — father of your country." this is possibly the earliest documented application of the phrase "father of his country" to washington. knox actively promoted the adoption of the new constitution, engaging correspondents in many colonies on the subject, but especially concentrating on achieving its adoption by massachusetts, where its support was seen as weak. after its adoption he was considered by some to be a viable candidate for vice president, but he preferred to remain the war office, and the office went to john adams. with the adoption of the new constitution and the establishment of the war department, knox's title changed to secretary of war.
henry knox
"what took place in 1861? i had made my home here with my people and i was living well out here with my people. we were all prospering. we had a great deal of property here, all over this country. we had come here and taken possession of it under our treaty. we had laws that were living laws and i was living here under then laws. you are my fathers and i tell you that in 1861, i was living here in peace and plenty with my people and we were happy; and then my white fathers rose in arms against each other to, fight each other. they did fight each other. at that day abraham lincoln was president of the united states and our great father. he was in washington and i was away off down here. my white brothers divided into factions and went to war. when the white people raised in arms and tried to destroy one another, it was not for the purpose of destroying my people at all. it was not for the purpose of destroying treaties with the indians. they did not think of that and the indian was not the cause of that great war at all. the cause of that war was because there was a people that were black in skin and color who had always been in slavery. in my old home in alabama and all through the south part of the nation and out in this country, these black people were held in slavery and up in the north there were no slaves. the people of that part of the united states determined to set the black man free and the people in the south determined that they should not and they went to war about it. in that war the indians had not any part. it was not their war at all. the purpose of the war was to set these black people at liberty and i had nothing to, do with it. he told me to come out here and have my laws back, and i came out here with my people and had my own laws and was living under them. on account of some of your own sons—the ancient brothers of mine—they came over here and caused me to enroll along with my people on your side. i left my home and my country and everything i had in the world and went rolling on toward the federal army. i left my laws and my government; i left my people and my country and my home; i left everything and went with the federal army for my father in washington. i left them in order to stand by my treaties. i left everything and i arrived in kansas—i mean it was at leavenworth where i arrived. it was a town away up in kansas on the missouri river. i arrived at fort leavenworth to do what i could for my father's country and stand by my treaties. there at fort leavenworth was the orator of the federal army and i went and fell before the orator of the federal army. it was terrible hard times with me then. in that day i was under the sons of my father in washington. i was with the federal soldiers. "i am speaking now of this orator in the federal army. i went and fell before him and i and my people joined the federal army because we wanted to, keep our treaties with the father in washington. things should not have been that way but that is the way they were. the father at washington was not able to keep his treaty with me and i had to leave my country, as i have stated, and go into the federal army. i went in as a union soldier. when i took the oath, i raised my hand and called god to witness that i was ready to die in the cause that was right and to help my father defend his treaties. all this time the fire was going on and the war and the battles were going on, and today i have conquered all and regained these treaties that i have with the government. i believe that everything wholly and fully came back to me on account of the position i took in that war. i think that. i thought then and i think today that is the way to do—to stand up and be a man that keeps his word all the time and under all circumstances. that is what i did and i know that in doing so i regained again all my old treaties for the father at washington conquered in that war and he promised me that if i was faithful to, my treaties, i should have them all back again. i was faithful to my treaties and i got them all back again and today i am living under them and with them. i never agreed to the exchanging of lands and i never agreed to the allotting of my lands. i knew it would never do for my people and i never could say a b c so far as that is concerned. i never knew anything about english. i can't speak the tongue. i can't read it. i can't write it. i and my people, great masses of them, are unenlightened and uneducated. i am notifying you of these things because your government officials have told me and my people that they would take care of my relations with the government and i think they ought to be taking care of them as they promised. he said that if anyone trespassed on my rights or questioned them to let him know and he would take care of them and protect them. i always thought that this would be done. i believe yet it will be done. i don't know what the trouble is now. i don't know anything about it. i think my lands are all cut up. i have never asked that be done but i understand it has been done. i don't know why it was done. my treaty said that it never would be done unless i wanted it done. that anything i did not want to be done contrary to that treaty would not be done. i never made these requests. i went through death for this cause and i now hold the release this government gave me. i served the father faithfully and as a reward, i regained my country back again and i and my children will remain on it and live upon it as we did in the old time. i believe it. i know it is right. i know it is justice.
chitto harjo