Southwestern Louisiana Institute - Lacadien Yearbook (Lafayette, LA)

Page 14 text:

SH.MNl. TIIK DEC ' LVKATION OK IS DKrENUKNC K. THE BECKONING OF A NEW NA TION E Pluribus Unum was proposed as the motto of the United States in 1776 by John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin FrankHn. It took six years to agree on the motto. In the early 1600 ' s the North American shore was invaded by a host of European peoples as well as enslaved Africans. These immigrants displaced the Indians along the seaboard. Throughout the years the settlers established small communities along the east- ern coast of the North American shore. By 1773 the people, still faithful to English customs and institu- tions, were starting to regard themselves as a distinct people. The British, feeling that the Americans were straying from their authority, tried to tighten controls but this only led to a split between the Mother Country and the TTiirteen Colonies. Thus in 1776 the Americans proclaimed their independence.

Page 13 text:

This year, 1976. the United States of America is observing its two hundredth birthday. Looking back over two hundred years, the history presents a colorful array of events which drastically altered the course of this country. It all started on July 4, 1776, when a new nation was founded. This Nation set up a new system of government, which many Europeans thought would never last. The Americans, then, as now, thought of themselves as a new strain of people in a fast growing but young country. These first Americans were intent on proving to the rest of the world that they could carry out their plan of having elected officials govern the new nation. They also advocated equal opportunity for all men and a system to protect and extend personal liberties. The goals of the new nation were documented in The Declaration of Inde- pendence. This document contained two earth-shaking propositions: that all men are created equal and that government must not exist without the consent of the governed. Thus the country was an independent nation and no longer considered The Thirteen Colonies.

Page 15 text:

The principal fire- arm used during the revolution was the musket, a shoulder gun weighing about 10 pounds. It wasn ' t very accurate, and it had a terrific ability to recoil. It may have knocked down more of its owners than the soldiers at which it was aimed. After 1776 a long war was fought in order that the United States of America would be recognized as a free country, sep- arate from England and her power. The day in the life of a soldier was not a very glamorous story. The American ' roops were not trained in war strategies, and they lacked the disci- pline of the British troops. When French and Spanish troops came to the aid of the Americans, the tide seemed to turn and the Americans were the victors. After this decided victory, the demo- cratic republic forged forward in an effort to strengthen their union and later to gain material wealth and power. n