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William Ladd Leader in the Peace Movement

William Ladd was born on May 10, 1778, which was right around the time that America was at war with Britain. This as well as several other wars, including the Quasi-War, the First Seminole War, and the War of 1812. These wars shaped Ladd's peaceful thinking. In order to end all war, Ladd created the American Peace Society in 1828. He was the first president of this society, and led it until his death in 1841. During the time period that Ladd was alive, Americans were very violent and prejudiced people, due to differences in religions, heavy drinking, or just plain ignorance. William Ladd and his supporters were very hopeful of social reform, with their biggest goal in the form of world peace. Ladd's biggest complaint was that the world would look back to this part of time and think about how it was a "monument of the barbarism and anti-Christian spirit of our age." Ladd and his followers were very supportive of peace. Their actions to be peaceful could be described as pacifist, because they practiced ideals such as peaceful protest and civil disobedience. In addition, Ladd was also a writer of peace related essays; thirty two to be exact. Although world peace was not achieved during the time period that Ladd was alive, he was able to sucessfully promote peace. A very good example of this would be the United Nations, which was an idea suggested by Ladd. Ladd wanted a world organization that would work together to solve the world's problems. His ideas brought more and more people to join in this movement, which overall improved and enhanced the ideas of peace in the world. Ladd's goals and methods were practical to a medium extent in his time period. His preaching of love and peace was influential to the people who later followed in his footsteps. In addition, Ladd's method of pacifism was also a very practical method, because Americans were also starting to adopt his ideas. His least practical goal was the hope of world peace, because even though peace is very possible, the world showed too much division to be able to be peaceful alongside each other. The government would be very beneficial in assisting in Ladd's goals. For example, the government could supply funding so that the American Peace Society can start an advertising campaign broadcasting peace. The government could also assist in passing legislation such as the abolition of slavery. If slavery is eradicated, then the American Peace society can start working on releasing racial tensions. Finally, the government could also show support for the American Peace Society by resounding their message in peace.

Reference 1: Jesse Appleton- Jesse Appleton was the second president of Bowdoin College, and a Congregational minister and Christian preacher. Appleton was one of the people who worked with Ladd in Maine when Ladd lived there. Both men wanted world peace, and detested violence because war was very sinful. Just as well, Ladd further ignited the burning flame of peace within Appleton, as he was later quoted as wanting "to promote the cause of peace on Earth and good-will to man." Reference 2: David Low Dodge- Dodge was another advocator of world peace. Dodge himself created the New York Peace Society, which was the first peace society in America. Dodge can attest to Ladd's peaceful wishes, because Ladd modeled the American Peace Society after Dodge's. Both men were pacifists, who used their Christian virtues as model for the virtues of their societies.

Works Cited William Ladd " International Organizations to Keep the Peace," //Annals of American History.// <__ [] __> [Accessed October 3, 2011]. Wing, George C., and John Hemenway. "WIlliam Ladd THE APOSTLE OF PEACE1778-1841." //RootsWeb Genealogical Data Cooperative//. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Oct. 2011. .