New Year’s 2015

Happy New Year’s!

James Monroe

James Monroe was born in 1758 in Virginia. He was tutored by his mother for the first ten years of his life, but then went on to the Campbell town Academy. He later attended the College of William and Mary, but dropped out to join the Continental Army in 1775. James Monroe ran for president and won, lasting only one term, from 1817 to 1825. When he died in the year 1831, he was known as the last founding father of the United States.

James Monroe was born in the year 1758 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He and his family lived in the area since his great-grandfather settled on the land in 1650. Unlike other boys, James didn’t go to a public school. He was tutored by his mother at home up until he was 10 years old, they attended the Campbell town Academy until he was 16. While at the Academy, James Monroe studies alongside John Marshall, the future Chief Justice of the United States.

In 1774, James enrolled in the College of William and Mary, and joined in the rising excitement of the possibility of rebellion against Britain. In the excitement, James Monroe dropped out of college to join the Continental Army in the year 1775. He never returned to school after that.

James Monroe was wounded in the famous Battle of Trenton, but recovered enough to continue to serve in the army. He later gained the rank of lieutenant colonel, and stayed with his troops until the end of the war in 1783. During the last three years of the war, Monroe began studying law under the teachings of Thomas Jefferson. He continued practicing law in Fredericksburg, Virginia. His political career in the United States started with his election to the Virginia House of Delegates.

Monroe served as an anti-federalist delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He recognized that the Constitution would grand much more power to the central government and did not approve of the idea. He was soon elected to the Senate in the year 1790. He then served as the Secretary of State and Secretary of War under James Madison during the War of 1812.

In 1816, Monroe won over 80% of the electoral votes and became the 5th president of the United States. He became a very popular president following his election, and he was able to purchase the state of Florida for Spain. As president, Mr. Monroe had to deal with the economic Panic of 1819 that didn’t end until around 1821. This was one of the first economic downturns that the government had to deal with. Monroe also signed the Missouri Compromise. He later instated the Monroe Doctrine in the year 1823 to govern American foreign policy.

President James Monroe was a great leader. He fought many wars for our country, as well as signing contracts to prevent wars. He died on July 4, 1831, and he is still know very well today.

My Favorite Birthday Gift

My favorite and most memorable gift that I received for my birthday was a second ear piercing. I went with my friend Reagan for my 13th birthday and we both got new piercings. I wanted to get them because I can wear two different pairs of earrings; A pair of studs and a set of dangles. I chose a pair of beautiful glass diamond studs for my new ear piercing. They are my favorite and most memorable gift because I will have them with me my entire life.

My Favorite Color

Although black is often associated with death, depression, darkness, and evil, it is my favorite color. Black is the beautiful backdrop for a star-filled sky. Black is the charred burnt logs of a ceasing fire. Black is the dark inside of a deep cave. Black is the leather jackets of the tough motorcycle riders. It is a dark and mysterious color, and I love it.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Jules Verne was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. He was best known for his adventure novels and his great influence on the literary genre of science fiction. He was born on February 8, 1828 in the French city of Nantes. The young Jules Verne was raised at his birthplace, attending school at Lycée Georges Clemenceau in France. Jules Verne led a wonderful life, and he died of old age at 77 years old. He died in Amiens, France, on March 24, 1905.

Jules Verne wrote many award winning books, including Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Around the World in Eighty Days, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. 20,000 Leagues is a tale about three friends who accidentally discover a secret submarine, the Nautilus. They explore the underwater world with Captain Nemo, the captain of the Nautilus. They even get into some trouble.
The underwater hunting trip was a very interesting section of the book. It showed Captain Nemo enjoying the company of Professor Aronnax by taking him on a hunting adventure to a deep sea forest. They took with them the necessary equipment to hunt, which included an electric gun. This gun shot a bolt of electricity as opposed to an actual bullet. It killed the animal, and even sustained enough volts to take down especially large species. The new gun was thought to kill the animal more humanly than a traditional gun. They traveled down along the ocean floor in their protective water suits towards the forest. Once they reached their destination, they marveled at the forest for a while, then returned in the direction of the Nautilus.

They were in view of the submarine when one of the men yelled at them through his water mask to get down. Once the men were lying on the sea floor, they saw the sharks. Three huge sharks were swimming in circles above them, hunting for food. They were not close enough to the sharks to use their shock guns to take down the giant beasts, so they waited on the sand as still as possible. Once the sharks had dispersed, they men were able to safely board the submarine.

The submarine Nautilus traveled on a tour around the world, for Captain Nemo intended to show his new passengers all the underwater wonders. They traveled for a long time, and eventually reached the North Pole. The waters of the North Pole were extremely cold, creating large ice walls. The submarine was driven far into the freezing ice maze, and it was too late to go back. They were stuck in the ice, with only enough air in the supply to last two days. The men slipped into their water suits and left the submarine in to the freezing waters of the North Pole. They examined and measured the width of the ice walls with a drill measure to see if escape was a possible option. The thinnest wall, being 10 meters in depth, was the one that the submarine was resting on. They began work immediately, chopping the ice around the Nautilus with heavy pickaxes.

They were nearly completed with the dangerous tiring task when the air supply ran extremely low. The workers boarded the Nautilus and waited to suffocate underwater in their submarine. Suddenly, the submarine shook. The weight of the submarine combined with the trench dug in the ice, the ice fell through and the Nautilus was free. With his last breaths, Captain Nemo guided the sub underneath the giant iceberg maze and up to the surface. In his last effort to serve his master, Conceal gave up his air tube to Professor Aronnax. The professor closed his eyes, preparing to die, when suddenly air filled his lungs. He was breathing! The air hatch had been opened, letting in a fresh wave of air. They were saved.

The Nautilus was continuing its tour around the underwater world when the submarine shook and tipped. Looking out one of the many windows, Conceal saw the devilfish. The devilfish was a giant black squid, with many more than eight tentacles. It had wrapped itself around the submarine, as if it were a sperm whale that it was hunting. As time went on, more devilfish began to appear. Their tight grip was beginning to dent and destroy the submarine. A few of the men quickly put on their water suits and began attacking the devilfish. One of the devilfish reached out its tentacle and wrapped it around one of the men, a close friend of Captain Nemo.

Astonished, the other men began chopping ferociously at the tentacles of the devilfish, attempting to free their friend. But with no luck. The devilfish had a tight hold on the man, and didn’t intend on letting go. They were able to chop a few of the tentacles off the giant squid, but not quickly enough to free their friend. Once the devilfish left the Nautilus, the submarine crew gave the man a proper underwater burial. They has escaped the strong grip of the devilfish and continued on their way.

Jules Verne is a wonderful novelist. He lived from February 8, 1828 to March 24, 1905, spending most of his days at his birthplace, in the French city of Nantes. Jules Verne has written many award winning books, including 20,000 Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. His writing had a great influence on the literary genre of science fiction.