All these statements describe King Louis XIV of France.
- <em>He called himself the Sun King because he considered himself as important as the sun itself.</em> Louis XIV is known to have had a very high opinion of himself. This is why he chose the sun as his symbol. Le Roi Soleil (the Sun King) was a way to present himself as a ruler who knew and saw everything (like the sun) and could not fail. He also felt a strong connection to the Greek Sun God, Apollo.
- <em>During his seventy-two year reign he claimed the divine rights of kings.</em> 72 years is the longest time any monarch has ruled over a European kingdom in history. Louis XIV believed he was the representative of God on earth, and therefore decided that the absolute powers of kingship were a sacred, god-given right.
- <em>He moved his court from Paris to Versailles, where he and his courtiers lived in splendor and excess.</em> Louis XIV frequently changed residences, but in 1682 he settled with his court in the Palace of Versailles, making it a symbol of French riches and prestige.
- <em>He did little or nothing to help the working people with everyday struggles. </em>Many of his subjects thought that Louis XIV put his personal interests before the country's. During the War of Spanish Succession for example (1701-14), he kept France at war to make sure his grandson, Philip V, would gain control over the Spanish Empire, while the cost of war caused famine among the people.
On this day in 1775, George Washington, who would one day become the first American president, accepts an assignment to lead the Continental Army.
Washington had been managing his family’s plantation and serving in the Virginia House of Burgesses when the second Continental Congress unanimously voted to have him lead the revolutionary army. He had earlier distinguished himself, in the eyes of his contemporaries, as a commander for the British army in the French and Indian War of 1754.
Born a British citizen and a former Redcoat, Washington had, by the 1770s, joined the growing ranks of colonists who were dismayed by what they considered to be Britain’s exploitative policies in North America. In 1774, Washington joined the Continental Congress as a delegate from Virginia. The next year, the Congress offered Washington the role of commander in chief of the Continental Army.
After accepting the position, Washington sat down and wrote a letter to his wife, Martha, in which he revealed his concerns about his new role. He admitted to his “dear Patcy” that he had not sought the post but felt “it was utterly out of my power to refuse this appointment without exposing my Character to such censures as would have reflected dishonour upon myself, and given pain to my friends.” He expressed uneasiness at leaving her alone, told her he had updated his will and hoped that he would be home by the fall. He closed the letter with a postscript, saying he had found some of “the prettiest muslin” but did not indicate whether it was intended for her or for himself.
On July 3, 1775, Washington officially took command of the poorly trained and under-supplied Continental Army. After six years of struggle and despite frequent setbacks, Washington managed to lead the army to key victories and Great Britain eventually surrendered in 1781. Due largely to his military fame and humble personality, Americans overwhelmingly elected Washington their first president in 1789.
Pickett's charge
This was an infantry assault ordered by confederate general Lee against union General Maj. Gen. George G. Meade's Union positions on July 3, 1863, which was the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg.The battle resulted to a major victory for the union soldiers and after the battle,the confederate had lost both politically and militarily.
