Astronomy

There are many amazing things that I have discovered in the Astronomy section of my Science class. While studying the Earth, the Moon, and solar system, I have learned interesting facts that I had not even thought about before.

In lesson 73 we discussed the solar system and the different sections of the solar system. There are eight planets circulating the sun. The closes is Mercury, followed by Venus, then Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and lastly, Neptune. Pluto was ruled out as a dwarf planet, so it is no longer included with the main planets of this solar system. Each of the planets are put into groups. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are the four planets that make up the Inner Planets. They are also known as the Terrestrial Planets. The Outer Planets, also known as the Jovian Planets, consist of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The solar system is an amazing creation.

For Science lesson 74, we talked about the origin of the solar system. There are two main theories on how the solar system came to be. They are the Genesis Board and the Big Band Theory. The Genesis Board is the theory that the universe was created by God, with a purpose. It was written in the Bible, in Genesis 1:1. The Big Bang Theory suggests that the universe was created by a huge accident, that there was no reason for the solar system except a solar mishap. These two theories are the most popular solar theories, and both are extremely interesting.

We have studied many other wonderful things for science astronomy, including solar and lunar eclipses, the movement and phases of the moon, and the materials that make up the planets. The solar system is a great creation, and I have learned so much about it while going through the astronomy course.

President James Madison

James Madison was born on March 16, 1751, in Virginia. He attended the College of New Jersey, and became a very successful man. He wrote the first drafts of the U.S Constitution, co-wrote the Federalist Papers, and sponsored the Bill of Rights. He went on to become the president of the Union in the year 1808. He served two terms in the White House, then died on June 28, 1836.

James Madison’s father built up a successful business that allowed James to live off the income for much of his life. He learned about government and tax this way, and it enabled him to dedicate his life to politics. He continued his education by attending the Collage of New Jersey. After completing his education there, he continued to study by reading the great books that Thomas Jefferson has sent him from France.

James Madison helped draft a few very important documents and had several important titles. One of the documents that he drafted was the Virginia Plan that he brought to the Constitutional Convention. His titles included the Father of the U.S. Constitution and as the Father of the Bill of Rights.

During the two terms that James Madison serves as president, two new stated were added to the Union. Those two states were Louisiana and Indiana. Leaving the presidential office in the year 1817, James Madison and his wife retired. He later died on June 28, in the year 1836.

James Madison was a great man. He drafted the Virginia Plan, co-wrote the Federalists Papers, and sponsored the Bill of Rights. He became a very successful man, going as far as becoming the President of the Union.

The Great Exploration

The Louisiana Purchase was a desperate move by Napoleon Bonaparte to try and finance his bankrupt kingdom. He wanted to expand France’s holdings on the New World, but seeing that fail, he sold his last major piece of land.

Napoleon Bonaparte made an offer to sell the Louisiana Territory to the United States. He gain the land at no cost, so he sold it to make a profit. At $0.03 per acre, Livingston and Monroe agreed to purchase the Louisiana Territory, doubling the size of the United States. The total price of the territory came out to be about %15,000,000.

Even before the Louisiana Purchase was made, the United States funded for an expedition to explore the West and report on the potential resources. After Louisiana was bought, the expedition because more important as the United Stated now had more land within their borders. They had no complete maps or information of the land.

Thomas Jefferson selected a man named Meriwether Louis, a great friend of his, to lead the Corps of Discovery to the Pacific Ocean. The main goal of the mission was to find a continuous waterway to the Pacific Ocean.

Meriwether Louis chose William Clark, an old military friend, to be his co-captain in the expedition. The two then worked together to choose a crew of 31 men to accompany them on the trip. The group gathered their supplies in Wood River, Illinois and left to explore the West in May, 1804. The journey was made my boats for the majority of the time, except when walking was necessary to reach the next river.

The expedition traveled west by the Missouri River until they reached its source. They then had to travel across the Rocky Mountains to reach the Colombian River. In the year 1805, they reached the Pacific just in time for a cold, harsh winter. For part of the return trip, the group split into two groups, Louis and Clark each leading one. They split up to cover more ground and explore more of the territory.

Along the way, Louis and Clark came across many Indian tribes. Some tribes were immediately hostile, while over two dozen of the tribes were open to trading and friendly with the explorers. One of the most important encounters were with the Mandan Indians, where they met a former Shoshone girl Sacagawea and here infant son. Sacagawea, her son, and her French husband accompanied the explorers during the rest of their journey.

The mission came to an end in the year 1806 by returning to Saint Louis. They suffered only one death along the way. Sergeant Charles Floyd died of a burst appendix. Even though they were unsuccessful in finding a continuous waterway to the Pacific, they accomplished many other great things. They made peaceful relationships with two dozen Native American tribes, and made maps and journals of the territory that they covered.

The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States by adding 15 states. Those 15 states were Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Louisiana, Kansas, Montana, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, New Mexico, and Texas.

The Louisiana Purchase added a large about of land to the United States, and most people thought the exploration was impossible. When the men returned, they were heroes. The completion of the exploration had the same great effect on the people as walking on the moon does today.