Outside views of the U.S.

This Picture here is the Kardashians in front of the White House. I think this is funny because the Kardashians have a huge impact on society. If you havent heard of them they are reality stars that have their own "reality" tv show. They are famous for no reason but have caught several people's attention. This to me symbolizes the power they influence in society. Like they are as important as the white house, they have that power. I am pretty sure if we show this picture to people they would automatically know who the Kardash are and maybe start naming them. (especially Kim)


This picture basically depicts the obesity in America. How we sell unhealthy foods. What is ironic is that the sign with the list of very unhealthy foods has a picture of vegetables in the back ground however there is not one health food listed in the directory.I believe its stating that we know that vegetables are there, we clearly see them but we choose the fatty foods, the foods with lots of sugar or grease.


Culture:
Stanislaw, Bulgaria
They promote this idea of having a career and making a lot of money. But many times what causes those divorces are that both parents did, they have like different paths. Their careers are not crossing each other, and they separate, and the kids are the ones that suffer from this, you know, but nobody realize it since the primary aim is money, you know, having the big career. And, I think you should know where to stop, you know, and where to spend more time with family.

So, I guess that surprised me. I realized that here. I wasn't aware before I came here that, that this is going on, and those are the causes for all those things. 

In my country, people get married at very early age, most of the time they're still students. But people believe and I believe, too, that struggle is a good thing. They are poor, there are a lot of jobless, but, and they get married and they eventually have kids, and they go through this struggle to support a family, which unites them. So some struggle is good. And even though they're so poor, more of them survive as a married couple and to the end

Media:
Mia, Finland
I think they are very unworldly. They kind of it's all about America, American people, American everything. But they don't really know about the rest of the world at all. They tend to think everybody likes America. I also think that Americans feel like they are not as vulnerable as anybody else in the world. There are people who been living for tens of years under bomb threats and in war, and they don't even seem to realize that. That is like every day life for people in other countries. Even if it's they don't have enough food. They are starving. Or bombing. Or war. But most Americans just are not aware of it.

Chapter 29

In this chapter what caught my attention was the Watergate scandal. Nixon was a very paranoid president because he wanted to win the elections. (his paranoia was so extreme because he lost to Kennedy 1960's elections) He was very camera shy, not good in public settings, and a very nervous guy. People can tell he was very anxious. The Watergate scandal led Nixon to resign. Nixon hired 5 men McCord and four other men who were in the creep group broke into the Democratic party's headquarters in the Watergate. (a hotel office building  in Washington, DC. They got caught going through private files and trying to plant listening devices in the offices. McCord was the one that basically rated out president Nixon, he wrote a letter to the judge stating that high republicans and white house officials knew about the break in and paid the robbers to stay quiet during the trials. After that confession many things unraveled.  For example the enemies list, documents linking Nixon to cover up the break in and his reelection committee ran a dirty tricks campaign. If that wasn't enough evidence Nixon had secrete tapes recorded that clearly showed he was involved in the break-in. The supreme court ruled that Nixon must release the taped conversations (rather than be impeached) but Nixon than resigned from office. I like hearing about scandals that involves the government because I like to hear how the government tries to cover up their mistakes. This happen today when the guy released important, top secret files that involved the government. of course he was punished. I don't agree with the verdict. He didn't physically harm anyone. He tried to show what is truly happening in the government system. I believe that the government is hiding so many details from society. So I believe he did the right thing. Yes, it may have out the government in jeopardy but helped society. Isn't the government suppose to protect America? be all for the people?

Extra Credit;12 Years a Slave Movie

Over the weekend I watched the movie 12 Years a Slave, an autobiography by Solomon Northup. This movie is during the Pre-Civil war in the US. Solomon was one of the lucky African American people because he was a free slave. He was from New York (upstate) where he lived with his family; 2 kids and his wife. He was well off , a nice home, middle class family living among white families. He played the violin for a living.The movie shows us how Solomon ( a free slave) was abducted and sold into slavery. A brutal, intense and terrifying story. No words can express what he went through.
The film began with flashbacks he encountered in different plantations. It all started when he was offered to travel in a circus to play in their band. Two white men approached him (since he was known in his town for his talents) of course they explained the cost per day (which was a dollar a day) and he decided to take their offer. All three went to dinner, started drinking however they poisoned his drink and went down hill from there. Once he woke up he found himself hand cuffed and his feet cuffed in a dungeon.He could not move and was very confused. This is when he tells us his journey of being a slave. He went on the middle passage (a ship full of slaves, not enough space, females being raped, and the slaves are being beaten for no reason. He was given a new identity ( given a new name) when he tried to correct the white people, they would beat him. He was taken to get sold to wealthy white people. The slaves are stripped down naked and are put on display for the white people to choose. The head master (the person in charge of selling the slaves) basically advertises the men/woman's abilities for example what they are capable of doing. I was shocked, they were being treated like a piece of meat. The details presented in the film is very gruesome like beating the slaves for instance, tying the slaves to a pole and whipping their backs until blood is gushing out, hanging them and just torturing them. Northup was a free man, he knew how to read and write and his vocab level was higher than most slaves.He worked with 3 different slave owners.
The movie was portrayed very well, the actors brought emotion and pain to the film. I honestly cried watching the movie. It was very hard to see the pain the slaves had to go through, the struggle just to survive.This movie is nothing compare to other terrifying stories. It was very hard to swallow the thought of what these slaves had to go through. Solomon was a free black man, he was born free. but that all changed in a matter of seconds. I couldn't imagine what non free African Americans had to go through. I do recommend to watch this movie, it truly captures the intense world of slavery and how a born free man cant escape the world of slavery.


The 2 men that abducted him;                                  


    
Cotton plantations
His family;                
         
                                                           Getting off the ship. Getting ready to be sold.

Primary Source; Today

Civil rights activist Rev. William Owens, who is founder and president of the Coalition of African-American Pastors, said "there is no comparison between the civil rights movement and the gay community’s fight for same-sex marriage." In his video he expresses how the gay community cannot relate there discrimination to the African Americans discrimination. He states;  “I marched and many other thousands of people marched in this same location years ago on the claim that we were being discriminated against, and today the other community is trying to say that they are suffering the same thing that we suffered, but I tell you they are not." He is against gay marriage and marched to defend the sacred institution of marriage. Owen expresses how gay marriage movement cannot compare the struggles Blacks had to face to fight for discrimination.He states that homosexuals choose the gay lifestyle, He points out that " there is absolutely nothing I can do to change the color of my skin." He says (referring to the gay community) " they are not suffering what we suffered, and I sympathize with people who face discrimination. Every person should be treated with dignity and respect, but what they're going through does not compare to what we went through." He strongly believes that he gay community trying to change the definition of marriage will be "devastating to all of our families." 

Link:
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/civil-rights-activist-no-comparison-between-civil-rights-gay-rights-movement

Primary Source; The problem is still here.

My primary source is a video of Malcolm X talking about solving the race problem. He describes how white liberals try to solve the race problem but it is still occurring. (basically failing ) Although the video is only couple minutes long  he expresses his concerns and his opinion about the white liberals. He explains how Lincoln  supposedly fought the civil war to solve the race problem but "the problem still here." He then continues to say Lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation  to solve the race problem but " the problem is still here." He states " more white liberals came along with the 13th, 14th and 5th Amendment which were suppose to solve the race problem, the problem is still here." 9 years later more white liberals came along and came up with supreme court desegregation decision and the problem still here. Kennedy  came along running for president and told Negros what he was going to do for them if they voted for him and they of course voted for him (80% of them) he been in office for 3 years and the problem still here!He explains what is happening in Alabama; Police dogs fighting black women, black children, and black babies. Kennedy talked about what he couldn't do because no federal law had been violated and as soon as Negros exploded and began to protect themselves and got the best crackers then president Kennedy started to bring in the troops. He didn't have any new law when he sent the troops when the Negros erupted then he had at the time when the whites erupted. He ends his speech by stating, " We are within our rights and with justice with justification when we express doubt concerning the ability of the white man to solve our problems and also when we express doubt concerning his sincerity because you have to confess that the problem has been around for a long time and whites have been saying the same thing for about the past 100 years and no where near our solution than it was 100 years ago."
When viewing the video you can see his emotion and determination for change, his frustration comes out at the end of the video. He is basically criticizing the white people and voicing how they are not making no type of change,they are all talk and no action. But when action is made it is against the blacks. I enjoyed researching primary sources and reading/watching what the Africans Americans had to go through. I like to see their emotions  and what they have to say especially the inspirational leaders trying to make a difference.

 link:

http://www.besthistorysites.net/index.php/american-history/1900/civil-rights

chapter 28

John. F. Kennedy was the president during this era. He focused on liberal economic policies. The economy also grew mostly because of business. It helped by lowering taxes, investment credits and depreciation allowances. The civil rights movement created hostility in society but also promoted progress and change. African Americans were affected by this movement. Jim Crow laws was created and basically set restrictions and limitations on Blacks. Blacks had the ability to do what whites did but had to be separate from them. For example separate doors to enter a building, separate sitting areas and separate drinking fountains. etc The main focus of civil rights was voting rights. Blacks wanted the opportunity to vote. The Mississippi summer project was a campaign to register African Americans to vote. The blacks were not the only group looked down upon. The Native Americans and Hispanics. There were several leaders in this area standing up and fighting (non violent) for equal rights. This is what I enjoy reading; non violent leaders in America who actually made a difference. It is possible to see change without being violent. ( now and days we see a lot of violent acts for no reason) Some non violent leaders were Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X and Cesar Chavez. Cesar Chavez organized a nationwide boycott to assist farm workers  in California. Feminist movement formed creating the National Organization for Women. This movement established health collectives, day care centers, founded birth control and abortion counseling. ( It looked out for the women and their needs) The Civil rights movement re creating society and redirected it.

Chapter 27

In chapter 27 the government had a great impact on re-establishing the new nation. For example government expenditures were a major source of the nations growth and economic well being. They government also sponsored technical and scientific research, big businesses increased and overseas facilities created "multinational" enterprises.The farming industry also changed due to the mechanical and chemical techniques and the small farms decreased (farm families moved to the cities) The creation of the Brettan Law created the IMF, GATT and the world bank which secured US dominance in the world finance. Reading about the debt and how it all started was shocking to me because this when it all started. The use of credit card increased the debt in society. The media was popular as well. It thrived on juvenile delinquency. The young generation exploded with the new music (rock and roll) Woman's  roles also increased, they became more independent most were bale to become teachers, nurses, or librarians and they had the opportunity to attend college! This era was a turning point for society and how society transformed into what it is today. (However we are still growing and making advancements)   

Chapter 25

This chapter talked about War World 11. The United States didnt suffer no invasion, no bombings, and no massive killings. It actually lifted the US out of the great depression and many went into the middle class. ( I was shocked when I read this) Yes, the US was doing good and prospered but the "good war" had negative effects on the South Pacific. The E.B Sledge experience  was brutal, the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa was fatal and a war without mercy. This chapter also mentions how Roosevelt committed himself to an internationalist in Latin America. Troops were taken out from Haiti and lowered its profile in Panama. However they did put pressure on the government of Cuba and wanted to change Mexico's oil policy. 

This chapter describes the rise of dictators in Germany, Italy, and Japan. The biggest dictator was Adolf Hitler in Germany creating the Nazi party. The creation of Neutrality Acts passed in the 1930s to keep the US out of any European wars. (I would be all for this act because the US could not afford to be in any wars)  Americans generally remained isolationist, they didnt approve of the war. When the war did start in Europe, FDR increased military funding. What really gets me upset is how the American people and government basically ignored the cries for help from the Jews trying to escape Germany. (How can we not interfere and at least try to help them out?) Although the Americans didn't want to be involved in the War, FDR persuade congress to amend the Neutrality Acts to allow the belligerents to purchase weapons from the US. (only if they paid cash and carried the weapons in their own ships) He basically went behind his countries back and took matter into his own hands. All these wars happening all at once should have warned the US that something big was about to happen. The US tries to be neutral be somehow never conquers. The Pearl Harbor attack surprised the US and that is what drew the US into the war. 

Too much war happening but for some reason the US gains from wars! 

Chapter 24

This section talks about 2 main important events; 1. government role in promoting economic and social welfare. 2. Society response to the Depression.  what caused the depression was the crash of wall street and deeper economic problems. (stock-market speculation) Hoovers response to the depression was voluntarism and the set of the reconstruction finance corporation. Congress set this to make loans to banks and insurance companies. The depression effected many people, every single person. For example, jobless men loved in boxes, suicide rate increased , many farmers lost their land, and many veterans were left with nothing. The election of 1932 was a big event because Americans rejected Hoover (lost hope in him) and basically voted for Roosevelt and the democrats. Once he came into power their was a positive light shining on the people. His ability to convey his optimism led the American people to trust him. Major goals of the new deal was industrial/agricultural  recovery and short term relief. People were relieved with his new ideas. The Hundred Days was an important event, it created several acts to help the economy for example Federal emergency relief act, National Industrial recovery act, and Agricultural justment Act. etc President Roosevelts wife also played a role in the economy. She redefined the role of first lady. (she wanted to be involved in helping society) she was hands on and influenced social policy. She helped introduce FDR to reformers,social workers, advocates. Now she was a very strong independent female. She truly wanted to help and improve society. She genuinely cared. The great depression took a tole on people. Not only physically but also mentally. It affected women in the workforce, migrant workers were affected, blacks still continued to face discrimination and violence. Families struggled economically and psychologically however New deal legislation restored tribes legal status. ( so it helped out Native Americans)  This era was very hard for society and we were almost at this point in today's society. (recession) If we ever do manage to fall into a depression it will break us and I do not know if we would be able to recover from it. Just reading about the Depression gives me chills because history does have a way of repeating itself.

Chapter 23

This chapter was very exciting to explore. This chapter contained new technology like the automobile, musical entertainment like the Jazz era, and immigration. This era resembled today's society. (well it had a lot of similarities) The invention of automobile had a great impact in this society. It helped to distribute goods, transport civilians and help women in this era. For example they were able to work outside of their home, they were able to drive go to work and come back on time for preparation for dinner. They also had the opportunity to go to school! (huge stepping stone) In this era there was also the increase of urban population rather than rural population. The Jazz era was very exciting to read, I pictured mardi gras; reading about the music, alcohol, and "flappers". Then media took over and let me tell you changed technology forever. Mass media influenced society and had social effects. It basically created high standards for society. The development of radio networks and production of magazines and movies also increased. They era basically created what we have today; internet, radio, and movies. Mass media is very popular today and advertising and marking.  Even in the era they were struggling with post war dilemma they seemed to have everything under control and seemed to gain positive outcomes rather than negative ones. They bounced back pretty fast!

Chapter 22 extra credit

In this chapter the U.S. was determined to establish its presence on the world. For example in Spanish America the US built the Panama Canal. That was a major accomplishment for the US  and a symbol of American imperialism. The U.S.became very powerful in Latin America in the 20th century and when Roosevelt declared that "chronic wrongdoing" in Latin America and the Caribbean they dispatched troops to the region. This was then called the Roosevelt Corollary which warned European powers to stay away from Latin America. Roosevelt wanted all Latin America to himself; he then went into the Caribbean to take over Dominican Republican. (to manage their customs service and managed their debt)

What confused me was why War World 1 started, I believed because of events just escalating. Wilson asked the U.S. to be neutral in both thought and action of course there was disputes from Great Britain and Germany. The U.S. then got involved and actually loaned billions to the allies and only millions to the central powers. ( to be the U.S. still remained neutral because they were helping both parties) but the U.S. was dragged into the war in the end. Now the U.S. have the duty to organize their economy for war. The war actually helped the US for example; expansion of government role in the economy, growth of new professional and managerial elites and spread of mass production. The establishment of War Industries Board was a major federal agency created to regular wartime production and to coordinate military purchase.(establishing this was a good idea because then they can manage their spending) not only did the war help manage money but for African Americans they moved from the south to the northern cities. Women advanced in the work force. The progressive goals were accomplished (government regulation, women suffrage, and labor laws) Last but not least Wilson was determined to spread democracy and reforming international political system. (His goal was to Americanize the world) but he didn't accomplish all his goals.

Chapter 21

This section also talks about immigrants and how cities are being popular. More than half the populations lived in cities and were often crowded. The city was over populated and unhealthful. What shocked me was during this era the native born middle class increased. In this era African Americans had migrated to southern cities where they were governed by the Jim Crow law. African Americans were treated with no respect; they were treated separately from the Whites. The Northern African Americans their situation were slightly better. Real wages rose in the economy but people still couldn't support their family. However workers wanted to be treated better and finally decided to form union groups. They wanted to improve working conditions and increase pay roll. Progressivism became really popular it urged a diverse collection of reform activities, some emphasizing social and economic justice. Others focused on reforming the government structure and restricting immigration. Citizens wanted the government to oversee economic enterprises because businesses were getting out of control. Some progressives focused on problems such as child labor, and improve industrial safety, and corporate regulation (good things to be focused on especially in today's society) However others emphasized on personal behavior and morality. Also during this era women movements was pushing through. This era I believed to be an era of progress and open many doors for citizens to improve their life style. It was an era of change and to push the barriers that the government was trying to build. Very interesting and exciting to read!

Responses for Industrialization

This section talked about the responses to Industrialization. In chapter 6 it talked about statements by Leo and subsequent popes. They discussed the topics of rights of workers, dignity of labor, economic systems and limitations relating to wealth and property. They believe that there are three major eras that occurred in human society which are; the paleolithic (old stone age), the agricultural, and the industrial. I agree that these eras are very important and had a great impact on society however there are several sub events that they need to acknowledge. They also argue that the industrial revolution "introduce new social classes based on control of productive resources, widespread movements of people from rural to urban areas, an unabashed glorification of ownership, and the reification of human labor as a mere element of the process of production." In class we discussed how the industrialization improved society and how the Europeans forced the Natives Americans our own homeland. We also discussed how marketing and advertisement improved businesses and ownership of properties. It then discusses how work is sacred, it enhances man’s humanity and there is a section of human rights. In class and in reading we discussed the poor treatment that workers face when working in factories. Section 83 it states, " their sense of responsibility is weakened, or their freedom of action is removed, then we judge such an economic order to be unjust, even though it produces a vast amount of goods " I took this statement and related it to the Natives, their freedom was taken away and in a way their responsibility was weaken or looked down upon by the Europeans. Therefore the Europeans felt the need to "civilize" the natives. This section explains how work both affects humans and society. How it helps and advances people and their hometown. It basically implies that work defines who you are however when talking about the rights of people. This section does not really emphasize the respect and proper work environment people need to work in. It basically describes how owning work is a privilege. When describing medical care I agree because people working in factories (especially children) have the right to medical care. However when reading our text book there was no medical care for women in factories. This reading brought up many good points and can relate in today's society. 

chapter 18

In the 1900's the US produced 35 percent of the world's manufactured goods.  The keys points are based on the rise of Industrial in America. New enterprises was increasing in this era. by the 1900'w enterprises both small and large supported by investment bankers and using a nationwide railroad system offered a vast variety of goods. Manufacturing processes transformed the nature work (farming), skilled labor, and created assembly-line routines. The coal deposit, technology, and the spread of the factory system gave rise to modern industrial America. Of course the railroad lines connected ever state Union and it opened up a new internal market. The railroad also brought a lot of baggage with it. For example putting the U.S. in debt of about 5.1 billion dollars.
Andrew Carnegie is an important name because learning lessons from the railroad lines. He opened his own steel mill and  discovered the benefits of vertical integration. It consisted of controlling aspects of manufacturing, from extracting raw materials to selling the finished product. Another important name is John D. Rockefeller he was the inventor of Standard Oil which was an organization of 40 companies that controlled the U.S. oil industry. Technology helped create new forms of manufacturing. The invention of telephone and electric light had a hugh impact on daily life. Advertising and marketing increased and when companies developed brand-name products advertisment took full affect.
The South entered the new industrialization late or slowly. Reasons for which the South blossomed late was because of the civil war. (the after effect). The physical devastation, lack of capital, illiteracy, and northern control of financial markets, and low rate of technological innovation were the reasons for the slow growth of industrialization in the south.
Lastly the harsh treatment of labors in factories dominated over the U.S. Factory work was no place for unskilled workers. (which majority were) Unskilled workers received low pay for long hours, unsafe work conditions, children looked in both factories and coal mines. For immigrants it was worse because they did most of the industrial labor force and barely got paid. Women also worked in factories instead of working a home ( being a house wife) and many after factory work entered into office jobs.
Very interesting in learning the development of technology, factories, and labor unions because we use all these developments in today's society!

Chapter 17

This chapter talks about the transformation of the Trans-Mississippi West. The Native Americas had a great role in this section. The transformation of the West had a great impact on the Indians and their way of life. Some changes of the west consisted of mines, settlers who took the Natives land and the federal government forced them onto reservations. The Natives tried to fight back but failed. The white families benefited on the High Plains, the development of the land and its resources threatened the environment and sometimes the settlers themselves. Hunters killed millions of bison, miners search for minerals in the mountainsides and farmers plowed up the prairie sod to build farms. The government sent troops to subjugate the Indians, promoted  the acquisition of farmland through the Homestead Act and subsidized the transcontinental railroad lines. Basically the government controls everything and the trans-Mississippi West depended  on them.  

Another key point was The Dawes Severalty Act, it sought to "civilize" Plains Indians by taking away their customs/traditions and distributing tribal lands among individual Indians. The Indians were taken advantage of and their homelands were taken from them. 

The completion of the trans-continental railroad opened the Great Plains for white settlement. The railroad brought in positive aspects to the West. It encouraged settlement in the Plains and offered loans and free transportation. The Homestead Act offered free land to people who would farm it ( i found that surprising ) however when I continued to read there were negatives to the lands. For example; they faced isolation, drought, and the perils of the commercial market. 

Reading about the Southwestern Borderlands was very interesting because it can relate to today's events. For example the violence between Anglos and Mexicans in Texas and California occurred back then and has happened today. (Immigration) Also when talking about the Spanish-speaking population. It describes how they adapt in New Mexico and Arizona. They lost their land so many became laborers. In today's society there are a wide majority of Latins who are laborers and try to make a living for themselves. Its as if History is repeating itself. 

Chapter 14,15,16

Some important key points in Chapter 14  is the compromise of 1850 which brought California into the Union. The Union are anti-slavery group and the Confederates are for slavery.  When the war ended in 1848 the U.S. had an equal number of free and slaves states however controversy has risen with the free soil policy, the Missouri Compromise line and popular sovereignty. The free soil angered southerners because this group didn't want to free the slaves. Popular sovereignty shed a positive light to the compromise by taking the question of slavery  out of national politics and letting each territory handle slavery in their own way.
chapter 15 Bleeding Kansas was a battle between free state and slave state. The question was whether Kansas would be with the union (free state) or not. Another popular event was the Uncle Tom's Cabin, this was a play based on slavery. What surprised me was reading how 2 million people converted to abolitionism after watching the play. I enjoyed reading that people actually had feelings and emotions towards a play. It is a different outlook because a couple chapters ago we read about minstrel shows and they had the complete opposite effect on people.
When reading about the Civil war i learned that most soldiers were volunteers. However the North had an advantage because of industrial advantages and man power. The Union was more successful than the Confederacy in raising money for the war.
chapter 16 main key points: The Republican party dominated the South. In this chapter it mainly focused on the reconstruction of the Government. There was a new electorate meaning colored people were officeholders! many black officeholders were literate  and been freed before the civil war. When I read that color differences were evident it surprised me. Another thing that surprised me was the differences between black officials and black voters because they had different priorities.

Chapter 13

1840 was a decade that the United States grew by several million immigrants. Not only did the US increase in population but geographically. For example, the US expanded into California, México, Texas and Oregon. The reasons in coming to the US were to improve economic conditions and for some they came for political and or religious reasons. What surprised me is the amount of Irish immigrants coming to the US. The increase of Irish immigrants happened after the great potato famine. They provided a source of labor (which was useful and helpful) for building canals and railroads. (Which at the time connected the nation cities) however they had to basically compete with the blacks for labor jobs. Both the poor freed blacks and Irish immigrants were at the bottom of society. Another popular issue was Nativism which states a policy of favoring native inhabitants as opposed to immigrants.

Both the Irish and German identified with the Democratic Party because it introduced them to national issues and basically convinced immigrants that national expansion was good and in their interest. The Irish were on the bottom of the pyramid and so they would not go against higher authority. (or a superior group) A big name in this era was David Wilmot. He aimed to ban slavery in any territory gained by Mexico. This surprised me because for the pass chapters we only were reading about the increase of slavery, the mistreatment of blacks or minority people. So reading about Wilmot was a positive light to this dark side era. Of course many people argued against him because they wanted to bring their slaves into México. They believed since slaves (were their property) they could be carried into whatever territory they please to take them.  Although many northerners believed the issue of slavery couldnt be resolved because some opposed slavery on moral grounds. ( about time I read about people listening to their morals and knowing bad from good) Also the Gold Rush was very important in this era. The Gold Rush basically brought diversity into California because people from all over traveled to California for the gold. Hence rational and ethnic backgrounds increased because people experienced different cultures and backgrounds. And it is safe to say this is when the "melting pot" started to cook!

Federalist Paper #10

This paper was very difficult to comprehend or fully understand. I caught myself re-reading just the first few sentences. I tried breaking down each sentence. What I understood from the first couple sentences was even with a well-constructed union there is bound to have a breakdown point however they (meaning congress or the union) should be able to control the breakdown. Basically be able to control the system. "The instability, injustice, and confusion introduced into the public councils, have, in truth, been the mortal diseases under which popular governments have everywhere perished" this basically is saying that the government is unstable and has failed. Another phrase that caught my attention was, “that measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority." This I can somewhat agree to an extent. Yes some decisions are made for the people but superior people have the power to make decisions they want and since they have that power they take control. 

The second part talks about removing mischief of faction. I think its talking about the mischief of the government. It states we remove the causes and we need to control the effects. If that were the case I think the government may run smoothly. But of course it isn't that simple to do. (Which was stated in bold in the article) we cannot fully remove the causes so we need to look at the effects and somehow resolve them. It also talks about how the factions have different opinions about religion, government and other points have divided mankind into parties. That makes perfect sense because we have two different parties that society fall into; Democratic & Republican. Both believe the government system should run in a certain way. I see it as many “influences" do have an impact on factions. Factions have a big part in dealing with the government system. They have deal with what you think is right versus what others believe is right and some how compromise with themselves and need to decide whats best. 

I did not I fully understand the federalist papers. I tried to break it down but it was very difficult and puzzling to translate or wrap my mind around it. I hope I wasn't completely off. But it would sure help if we went over it in class. 

Chapter 12 Extra Credit

Nat Turner rebellion was one of many events that caught my interested. I do not recall reading or studying this rebellion before. He was a religious African American man who was a Baptist minister. On the night of August 21^st Turner and about 70 slaves (the people who joined the rebellion) killed approximately 60 slaves. I looked into it more and found out that the rebellion was one of the bloodiest and most effective in American history. This did bring fear throughout the white community in Virginia however many Southern States (including N. Carolina) tightened restrictions on African Americans. (Many states emancipated slaves.) Militia and vigilantes were able to retaliate and killed slaves. The south was then divided into 2 sections; the upper south and the lower south. Around this time the cotton and corn were in high demand. Also the separation between the south and north came to be. The South was rural but the North was urban (completely different.) The south lacked industrialization. There was a man who wanted to improve the south he goes by the name of William Gregg. He created a company of textile town. The slaves actually caused problems for the southern industrialization. Slaves were employed, worked over time and since they were working in factories their attitudes changed. The southern did not want the slaves to gain any education. For example, law makers made it a crime to teach slaves how to read.  When I read that I couldn’t believe my eyes. They took it to the extreme.  Another section that caught my interest was the social groups of the White South. I read that there was diversity in the south between slave holding class and non-slave holding class. ( they were more diverse) Back then the wealth was based off of the value of the slaves. There was a term “mulatto” which refereed to mixed children. (Mixed with African Americans & whites) What I do not seem to understand is the whites were disgusted of the slaves, treated them unequal as if they weren't human however the whites would let the blacks raise their children or look after them. I also found interesting the “logic of slavery” which states “invest in slaves and have them work on profitable crops. Basically you should buy slaves to do work for your convenience.

There was a difference between the north and south in terms of treatment of slaves. George Fitzhugh compared the northern and southern treatments. He concluded; Northerners would get rid of their slaves who were ill or too old to work whereas the southerners could care and tend towards their slaves health and clothing. You can clearly see the distinction between the two.  This chapter had too many sections to talk about them all. I found myself just reading one section after the other. Each section was very interesting and very informative.  But in the end the author closes with the development of African American Culture, which is still expressed today. 

Chapter 11

This chapter discussed the technological and cultural advances. This era was very prosperous and it helped shape the development of everyday life. I found the chapter very interesting to read and how they invented certain tools like the sewing machine, interchangeable parts,mechanical reaper and improvement of the railroad. All these inventions helped evolve society today. Learning/ reading how this these inventions originated is fascinating because it shows how society has changed and how we came up with these simple tools we use each day. Another fact I found interesting was quality of life back then and how it can relate to today's society. For example class distinctions  between people and their living conditions. The people with more money had the advantage of running water and stoves and they had fancy decorations. In today's society we do have class distinctions between upper class, middle and lower class. We do take similar actions from the past. Another thing that surprised me was the disease and health section because back then they didn't have the high technology to know exactly why and how the diseases spread. They had no knowledge in bacteria and how quickly it spread. what I found interesting was the :water cure" and "Graham bread". I also liked the simplicity of free time back then. They either read the newspaper (penny press) or were entertained with the Minstrel shows. I found that to be very judgmental towards the African culture. i find that to be very ignorant and disrespectful. I don't understand how white people can find that entertaining but back in those days that was their form of entertainment. A famous name in the entertainment business was P.T. Barnum. He basically ripped people off to gain money. He entertained people ( exhibiting different looking people) by lying to them. To be honest that probably happens in today's society as well. People will pay to see something/someone extraordinary or just because they are curious.
Literature also became popular in these days, one popular writer was Walt Whitman.He was a democratic writer who expressed and wrote what he wanted. He was a very blunt and courageous writer. He wasn't the only popular writer during this century there were 3 others (Hawthorne, Melville, and Poe) they wrote about fiction and psychology interested them. Humans minds (to them) were very fascinating. This subject also interested many people in today's society. I really enjoyed reading this section, I found myself wanting to read more and learn more on how America evolved throughout time.

Chapter 9

In this chapter we are reading about the westward Expansion is beginning to increase. After the war of 1812 the Americans developed western culture. They came to the west for a better lifestyle. The west was growing power for many reasons for example the growing power of the federal government, the removal of Indians and increase prices of agricultural commodities. The west was booming and if I had a choice I would have chosen to live in this era. What I found interesting was how the western society developed and how different people from different areas brought their own customs.  They all formed a society among each other.  This chapter you can see the change within societies, they all coming together as one (in away) For example rural families join together for sports and festivities (men) and women also combining work with play. The west was developing its own character. Of course the Eastern didn't like the structure of the West. They state, “Western lack of refinement”. So obviously both Western and Eastern had different views. The section I found interesting to read was the removal of Indians. I learned about the “five civilized tribes” (Cherokees, Choctaws, Creeks, Chickasaws and Seminoles.)Whites had mixed within these tribes creating mixed bloods who embraced Christianity, practiced agriculture and they even owned slaves. That surprised me because the Indians knew how slaves were treated because they were slaves themselves. So hearing that they owned slaves was shocking. But that shows how the Indians assimilated into the Western culture very quickly. I liked how the book or author acknowledged the Cherokees civilization, how they formed their own language and built their own bilingual newspaper. A lot of history books never really go into depth to how civilized the Natives were. The Americans did civilized them, the Natives had their own way in forming a society but since it wasn't the same as the Americans it was seen as “uncivilized”. In 1827 the Cherokee adopted a written constitution declaring themselves to be a sovereign nation. They based this on United States policy; in former treaties, Indian nations had been declared sovereign so they would be legally capable of giving their lands. They also went to the Supreme Court. (Now tell me that they were “uncivilized people) The Cherokee people knew what they were doing, and knew how to go about saving their lands. In doing so the court was on their said and able them the right to self-government.  Once Jackson came to office he couldn't stand Indians having their lands he believed it was “ridiculous to treat the Indians as independent nations. So he decided to come up with the “Indian removal act” which gave power to the president to remove treaties with Indian tribes living east of Mississippi. This is what I dislike about history because it is unfair. Learning how the Americans basically took lands that weren't theirs makes me question their actions. What gives them the right to confiscate land that was already owned? What makes them think it was acceptable to do that? I will always have questions for Jackson and the people involved. 

War of 1812

As I was reading my section my first thought was "How did this war even start?" I could not find an exact answer in my section. So I read the previous section to get more information. I found several reasons why the War of 1812 started. The reasons all escalated and in the end President Madison (at the time) declared war. Some reasons were 1. The US was trading with France, the British did not like that because they didn't have no one to sale goods. So product price lowered. 2 France and Britain were seizing American ships they believed US was trading with both countries. Then the whole Impressement happen and pirating occurred. There were too many events in the previous section. That section broke down the reasons for this War. The countries involved were France, Britain and the US. The Americans had "Sunday soldiers" in other words unprofessional soldiers.( just like militias) The British is still in war with France so they decided to make alliance with the natives to scare the US. One of Britain's biggest successes was when they marched into Washington and burned the presidential mansion. The British was doing good at the time and they also defeated Napoleon. The US also had their victory against Britain. The US took control over Detroit, the British ended up pulling out. The treaty of Ghent was then created, from what I understood the US neither gained/loss territory and there was no decision on impressment. There was a major victory 2 weeks after the treaty; a British force landed in New Orleans and Jackson stood up against the British (very brave to do) and killed 2,000 English men and only lost 13 men. Jackson defeated the British. The only unclear or difficult to understand was the last section of the War of 1812, The Hartford Convention. I didn’t understand the context. I did some research and I read that it had to deal with New England Federalist. They were dissatisfied with the war, they thought that it was still possible that the British could win or at least drag the war a little longer. I learned that after 3 weeks of discussing the Hartford Convention decided to ask the federal government to supply financial aid to help New England's trade economy and new Constitutional amendment.

Chapter 7

Alexander Hamilton had a very big role in stabilizing the nation’s economy and national security. His ideas of the government led him to the republic form of government. He also was an advocate of ratifying the Constitution and also helped write more over half of the Federalist papers. Another big role he played was creating the first national bank (bank of the United States) due to the bad financial situation after the revolution. He also urged protective tariffs ( tax) on foreign imports. He wanted to make a change and help the US out of their debt. His financial program did rescue the nation’s credit but it also had a downfall to it for example for southerners and westerners it alienated commercial expansion and industrial development. Hamilton did his best to help the US if only transformation can happen that fast in the US today. Hamilton made moves and the nation did see improvement. Not only was the government system changing but economic transformation was occurring  It was transforming the working class (farm families) it  began to direct more of their surplus (excess of ) production towards a growing urban market. However for the Natives and Blacks it was a different story. It didn't change for them. The Native Americans population and territory decrease and trying to cling onto their traditions made the Whites think the natives were incapable of change. I also liked reading about the upraising of women in this era. Learning about the new ideology of "Republic Motherhood" Women educated themselves in the principles of Independence, liberty and democracy so they can teach the next generation. This did spark a debate over the role of women in the new republic and which led a great struggle for female equality in the 19th century. ( can’t wait to read more into that)

Constitution

As soon as I clicked onto the Constitution website, I was over whelmed.  I automatically scrolled all the way down the page to see how long it was. Then I started to read the intro and saw how the website was formed. I liked how it gave the readers the original text and then on the other side of it was the explanation of the text. The explanations helped me understand the sections. I must admit I didn't exactly know what the Constitution consist of. I knew it had to deal with our laws and executive branch. When reading the intro, it described the constitution in many ways but one descriptive detail I found interesting was, “More a concise statement of national principles than a detailed plan of governmental operation”. What I got out of this is the Constitution is more of guidelines to help or stable the government. There are no instructions on running a successful government hence today’s government system is far from perfect. In the Preamble it uses the word “perfect” I found that surprising and I think they should have used a different word because in the explanation it states how the preamble explains “the purpose of the Constitution.” If people believe that the constitution’s purpose is to aim for perfection they will be let down. They have high expectations that will not be met. I also notice there are lots of rules and requirements in order to be a congressman/woman or representative. I read a couple sections referring to the 17 amendment, I looked up the meaning and it states that “the US is composed of 2 senators from each state elected by the people”. What I liked reading is how everything the branch does involves voting. If they want to impeach the president, new senators/congress, or speaker they have a voting system and they all have a say in the matter just like the people get to vote for our president and propositions.

Section 2 talks about the president and his position regarding controlling military forces. This reminds me of what is happening today with the war situation. The president has to make rational decisions that are best for our safety and the states safety. However it can get complicated and it all comes down to what the president needs to do. Also reading the constitution I got confused and questioned myself the difference between Senates, House of Representatives, and congress since they all function in a different way. I looked up the difference and came to found out that Congress is divided into 2 parts (Senate and House of Representatives.) This makes it clear; the 2 subparts make up the congress. This websites also talks about the Amendments; over 10 of them. I know nothing of the Amendments (besides the most used ones) so when reading I did learn interesting facts and rules. For example, the first 10 Amendments comprise the Bill of Rights, the voting age (18) came to be during the Vietnam War, and basically talks about the rights of society (we, the people). I liked reading what rights we have in courts, taxes, and rules/violations.

To sum it up the constitution, it breaks down what is happening in our government system. I never really went into depth about the Constitution but this website did help me learn what kind of duties our government system has to carry out. Very eye-catching topic!

Common Sense Quotes

I searched up who Thomas Paine was and he published a book called "Common Sense" and in doing so it made the people want to fight for their independence from Great Britain. In reading the quotes it caught my attention. Not only do these quotes relate to their era back then but it can also relate in today's society. In one quote it states, " Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil" This is very true because the government is so corrupted and hides so many things from society it makes you wonder what kind of things they are capable of doing. The government has too much power and I believe they over use that power. Another related quotes to this one is " Society is produced by our wants, and government by wickedness." The quotes talking about the government makes you wonder and question what the government has to hide and what mischief they are planning to do. I know the government was built to help and speak for the people but at one point that went down the drain. The government has always been sneaky and I don't think it will ever truly be honest with its people. 

I enjoyed reading these quotes because at of them brought up good points and I understand now why it brought people to fight for their independence. These quotes have real good messages and brought ideas to the public. 

Chapter 5

My interest in Chapter 5 was reading about the Seven Years' war in America. I am confused on how and why it started I know it had to deal with many factors escalating but in reading it was hard to understand. However what caught my interest was during the war British officers complained that colonial troops didn't fight well and they tended to go home while the war was happening. But the colonial troops also complained about the British officers stating that the officers treated their troops a "little better than slaves".  To me I find that ironic and uncalled for. It is a very powerful quote to say because the troops are relating themselves to the slaves. The soldiers have no idea what the slaves had to go through. I am pretty sure they were not being treated a little better than the slaves. But at least they have a little knowledge of how it feels like being mistreat and unfairly. 

There was also tension within British officers and the colonial civilians. The officers complained how the colonial people were unwilling to provide them food or shelter and of course the colonial people did not like their arrogance. The war had its positive side to it; it brought profits to the farmers, artisans, and merchants. Of course there was a negative side to this war (not for the obvious reason) but money problems specially debt problems.  Another interest was passing the sugar act. This act caused lots of tension and change. The British Parliament placed new taxes and restrictions on colonist trade. They wanted to control trade by forcing the colonist to export certain raw materials through Britain instead of going directly to foreign ports. Of course there were people against this act and therefore had to take action. I like reading about the people who rebelled and went against a movement. John Locke believed in "natural rights” of life, liberty, and property. I agree with his belief and if I lived in this era I would have followed his beliefs.  The Parliament wanted control over everything; again this brings up the topic of greed. Greed is the major component in life a long side with money. The rich wanted to get richer and they will do anything to get to the top and have no worries. Little do they know they will be climbing the latter of success for a while. (People are still climbing as we speak).  

Chapter 4

In this chapter I read about the rise of Colonial Elites. In this era the Elites were of course white males who were large planters, farmers, attorneys, or clergy men. What caught my attention was in the 1700’s class structure was invisible because usually in society class structure is what define and categorized the rich from the poor. However after 1720 the display of wealth increased (didn’t surprise me). The wealthy men displayed their wealth by their fashion (happens today), carriages, books and furniture. What surprised me was the “less fortunate” weren’t that less fortunate. They had modest homes and wood frame houses. Unlike today the less fortunate barely owned their own houses let alone can pay their bills. The colonial politics was another interesting event to read because they had many rules to live by. In order to “qualify” to vote they had to be white males women, blacks and Indians weren’t allowed to vote. (of course the minority ) what I found shocking was in 7 colonies voters had to own land and when voting did happen the Governors called elections randomly. That to me is unfair and is very sneaky because the people who weren’t notified to vote are the people who lived in rural areas because the voting place took place in the county seat. (Long distance to travel for those who lived far out) the whole process of votes and running election was very different than today’s society. For example the voters stated their votes face to face often with the candidates. Today it is very private and inclusive. Also the people running nominated themselves and usually ran based on their reputation not on the issues. This is very different from our society today and I am glad it changed because back then it was very unfair and surreal to believe that the candidates basically had all the power. What was the purpose of voters (back then) anyway?

The Enlightenment era was fascinating to read about because it encouraged people to search for answers. Ask questions and be involved in the natural world. Of course it raised a red flag for the church. People challenged the beliefs of the church and questioned the church. This is when the Deists came to be. I have never heard of this group before but they believed that the universe operated by natural law. In this section the women gained more freedom, they gained religious freedom. They were able (or had the right) to vote and speak in church meetings. This was a big step for women since we all know they were seen as little minded people. 

Chapter 3

In chapter 3 there were several sections that were discussed, it was very over whelming and a lot of information to take in.  However it was very interesting to read about the development of colonies. What was very interesting was learning about the Puritans and their beliefs of being a “saint” and the creation of congregationalism. What I found interesting was the privileges of being a “saint”. Saints were the only ones who could take communion and baptized their children. However you can be seen as “halfway”; members who could not take communion or vote in church events but were permitted to be baptized. I just find it weird how the church had many strict rules I always question myself why would these church members come up with certain rules like these?  Another fun fact I found interesting was reading about Anne Hutchinson. I have taken several history courses throughout my years of schooling but I do not recall learning about her. She was living under Puritan rule basically for women it was very unequal. I would not like to live in this era; it was a time where women were seen as inferior and very much look down upon. She was seen as a threat to the clergy because she was challenging them. She was not intimidated by them and wanted to bring change. She challenged the church (which at that time was the unthinkable) preaching in her own home and believing that faith alone was enough to achieve salvation. She wanted freedom of religion and help women’s rights. I love reading about the people who challenge the system or thinks outside the box but it is more exciting when that person is a female. I went to an all-girls high school so we were very encouraged to know our power and worth as young females in this society. Back then women weren't seen as higher authority or people looking up to them so in reading about the females who stood up and used their voices as weapons is very exciting and remarkable. It grabs my attention when reading and that’s what makes it even more alluring.