LAD#21- Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth

Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth 1889
Andrew Carnegie was a wealthy businessman from being successful in the railroad industry. He felt that his wealth should be spent to better the community. This time period of greater wealth is important for society to improve. Without wealth, the economy would not nearly be as well off as it was. Excess wealth that is present can be left to descendants, it can be given to charity, or it can be used for luxuries during the wealthy man's life. Carnegie felt that men of wealth must set an example of modesty and view all excess revenue as trust funds that should be used to benefit the good of the community.

LAD#20- The Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation January 1st, 1863

In the Emancipation Proclamation Lincoln frees all the slaves in the Southern states excluding few counties. He makes it known that these slaves must be freed without resistance or punishment towards them. He also makes sure that the slaves do not try to harm people unless using it as a form of self defense. He also invites these freed slaves to be members of the military.

LAD#19-Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

Saturday March 4th, 1865

When Abraham Lincoln was elected President for his second term, the United States was in the heat of the Civil War. He starts by addressing the fact that four years ago at his first inaugural address, he was solely devoted to saving the Union without engaging in a war. Now his second inaugural address is devoted to discussing the war. He says, "let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."This shows that Lincoln is ready for the war to end. He acknowledges that it has been a good fight over some big sectional issues, but now it is time to end it and become the UNITED States of America once again.

LAD#18- Dred Scott Decision

Dred Scott Decision 1857

In the Dred Scott Case decision, Chief Justice Roger Taney was the man that was required to come to a complete conclusion on the case. He had to take many aspects of the Constitution into consideration including the laws over property rights and freedom of speech. The main issue that came into play was the facts that black slaves were considered property despite the fact that they are indeed human. Because of this Dred Scott should be treated as property of the state so he the state would decide how they wanted to deal with him. And Missouri, being a slave state, took Scott back into slavery. Also according to Taney, blacks were not even citizens of the United States, so Dred Scott had no right to even sue Stanford. Taney, lastly deemed the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional.

LAD#17-"Ain't I a Woman" Speech

"Ain't I a Woman" Speech, Sojourner Truth, 1851

In this speech, Sojourner Truth discusses her views on feminism and slavery. She wonders why men feel like women should be treated so delicately, if women like Sojourner work just as hard as men. She also wonders why she doesn't get treated like a lady due to her slavery. This speech goes along with the belief that all people, men, women, and blacks, should be treated equally.

LAD#16- "5th of July Speech" by Fredrick Douglass

"5th of July" Speech, Rochester, NY 1852

In this speech Fredrick Douglass discusses what the Fourth of July is to him. "The Fourth of July is yours, not mine." This is a very powerful statement. Douglass is basically saying that the whites have this holiday to celebrate their freedom and independence of the United States, but blacks do not get to be included in this celebration due to their lack of freedom. He expresses how all these citizens are celebrating while he only hears the wails of millions of slaves. Douglass even refers to slavery as "the greatest sin in America."

LAD#15- The Gettysburg Address

The Gettysburg Address

In Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address, he discusses the current state of the "United" States of America. The country is fiercely fighting in a Civil War and there are many deaths. Lincoln suggests that the citizens of the United States continue with this fight that the deceases soldiers from the Battle of Gettysburg failed to complete. He expresses his hope that our country can move past this war and become united once again under one government for the people.

LAD#14- Lincoln's First Inaugural Addresss

Lincoln's First Inaugural Address 1861

In Lincoln's first inaugural address, he starts off saying that he understands that some southerners might be apprehensive about Lincoln coming into the presidency due to the fact that he's a Northerner from Illinois. He addresses the slavery issue saying, "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so."Lincoln continues his speech by addressing the current issues of that time. He promises the country that he will follow the ways of the Constitution and allow the people their rights. He promises to follow the ways of a true democracy and not hold supreme authority.

LAD#13-John Calhoun Speech

Summary of John Calhoun's Speech March 4, 1850
The Clay Compromise Measures

In John Calhoun's speech that he was to ill to actually give, he discusses the disunion that is present in the United States. He expresses his feelings that the North has a dominance over the South due to their role in Federal Government that mainly benefits them, and also the division that is present due to the slavery issue. The North is the only area that has territories. The South owns no territories. Because of this, John Calhoun fears that as new states are added they will all go to the North. This will disturb the equilibrium, not only in number of Northern vs. Southern states, but it will also create inequality within the Senate. Calhoun creates a great image, describing the United States as a Union that is bound together by many cords and the disunion that is present must be the work of time only. "It is only through a long process, and successively, that the cords can be snapped until the whole fabric falls asunder." This image that he creates explains that the disunion that is present in the U.S. is not solely based on slavery, it is also made up of other issues that have been brewing over time. He closes by saying that as Senators representing their states, they must come to a conclusion on how to proceed.

LAD#12-Polk's War Message

Summary of President Polk's War Message 1846

The United States wants to have peace with Mexico. In prior attempts to discuss peace with Mexico, they have refused to hear us.  John Slidell was sent to discuss this boundary with General Herrera of Mexico.  But at this point in time General Herrera's government was falling so they were in no position to come to any terms and they also disagreed with making a decision. So during Slidell's time there there was a power change and Mexico was now in the hands of General Paredes. General Paredes also refused to discuss the situation with Slidell. Disputes continued to occur along the border of Texas and Mexico, and right before this address, Mexico crossed into our territory which leaves the U.S. with no other choice but to declare war.

LAD#11- Seneca Falls Declaration

Summary of the Seneca Falls Declaration July 19, 1848

Historically, men have not treated women equally. They have held more power in jobs. They are able to vote. They rule their family. But both men and women are created equally, so they should be treated equally as well. This declaration lists all of the grievances that men have pushed on women. The format of this declaration is very similar, along with the diction, to that of the Declaration of Independence. For example they begin with "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal..." and it also continues with a list of grievances similar to how the colonists had a list of grievances towards Britain. It ends with a resolution, with women asking for equal rights to men. It sums it up saying that women were born equal to men, and God created them just the same, therefore women should not be subordinate to men.

LAD#10 Monroe Doctrine

December 2, 1823:
In his introduction of the Monroe Doctrine, James Monroe states that the United States will not be subject to be colonized by any European powers from then on. He refers back to an effort that was being made to improve the condition of the people of Spain and Portugal which was not working as well as it had been anticipated. The United States has decided that for any country that has been officially acknowledged of their independence, they will not try to oppress them. Specifically, in the Government of Spain, the United States decided to remain neutral and they will stick to their neutrality unless rights are being violated. The events that have occurred in Spain and Portugal lately show that Europe is still unsettled. The United States will never take part in the wars that go on in Europe because it goes against our policies.  The United States has decided to "not interfere in the internal concerns of any of its powers," to keep friendly relationships with those countries and to maintain their relationships with those countries. The new governments in Spain and Portugal may try to expand their political ideologies to other nations, but this would only bring harm. The United States will just leave the governments to themselves to deal out the struggles and hope that other nations decide against getting involved as well.
James Monroe probably choses to hold this view to show that he does not want the United States to be interfered with. During this "Era of Good Feelings" that took place, the United States had a new sense of strong nationalism. Monroe did not want his country to be victimized or interfered with by other countries, which is why he chose to not get involved with the conflicts occurring in Europe.

Columbus Blog #8

Was Christopher Columbus a hero or a villain?
Christopher Columbus was a hero of his time. He sailed all the way from Spain to the West in search for a quicker route to Asia. Although he did not find this route, he discovered new lands. Christopher Columbus was the key to the discovery of the New World. Without him having found the land in the Caribbean, other explorers would not have been inspired as quickly to go West. Columbus plays an important impact on history due to the fact that he was the first of many explorers. He gave a head start to the foundation of new societies.

LAD #9 Jefferson's First Inaugural Address

In Thomas Jefferson's first inaugural address he acknowledges important key take aways. He first talks about how great the Constitution is and how he will honor it and use it as a guideline for his presidency. I found this surprising due to his Anti-Federalist beliefs. He then goes on to talk about how America will flourish now that they have a system to follow with guidelines to help it turn into one of the strongest nations. Jefferson continues by talking about the freedoms that will be granted in relations with other countries, religious justice and peace, and "equal and exact justice to all men." He tries to let the people know that he is here for them and to perform a job where he has their full support. He creates an honest, sincere image of a true leader and founding father to get the people of the United States to support him during his presidency.

LAD #7 Washington's Farewell Address

Summary of Washington's Farewell Address:
In his farewell address, Washington tells American citizens that he does not want to be put into the running pool for another term as president. He wants to make sure that the citizens know that he appreciates their support through his presidency and he wants them to support him as he steps down. He wants to make sure the country won't disapprove of his retirement. He must quit the political scene because of age and exhaustion but not because of patriotism. He is grateful to the United states and all that they have done for him and the awards that he has been given. Washington felt as though he had a successful presidency and that he guided it based on his own moral principles. He is thankful for the support of his country and he hopes that the first president of the United States will have a lasting legacy, which it indeed did.

LAD #6 Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality

Summary of Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality of 1793:
The United States will stay neutral in the war between Austria, Prussia, Sardinia, Great Britain, and the United Netherlands. If any U.S. citizen aids other Powers or commits hostilities towards them, they will not be protected by the United States of America.

LAD #5 The Federalist #10

The Federalist #10

1.  Why are factions so difficult to eliminate?

Factions are difficult to eliminate because abolishing one would be like taking away men's liberty. It also would be taking away their right to opinions, passions and interests. Factions occur due to common interests amongst a group. You can not simply eliminate one's interests and beliefs.

2.  If factions cannot be removed then how can they be controlled?

Factions can be controlled by principles such as if a faction consists of less than a majority, then the majority can defeat the minority. They can also be controlled by reducing the power of them so that they don't overpower a government. Another way to control a faction would to sway members away from bias which could lead to them changing their beliefs.

Republican Motherhood Blog

1.       What role did the Revolutionary War play in the transformation of housewifery to Republican Motherhood?The Revolutionary War contributed to the shift from housewifery to Republican Motherhood because women became more appreciated. Women were able to contribute to the war effort "by training up good citizens, just, humane, and enlightened legislators" (Doc A). The war also proved a necessity for women to teach their sons "the principles of liberty and government"(Doc B). With women rearing their children in this way, they were helping prepare younger generations to lead the country in the future.
2.      What were the consequences of Republican Motherhood on women?Women had little opportunities. They were required to learn specific things to teach their children and care for them properly but else was there? They were stuck in their role as Mothers and they didn't have the opportunities to get other jobs or go to schools themselves. Their lives were solely focused around their children.
3.      What is the significance of the ideology of Republican Motherhood as a stage in the process of women’s socialization? The significance of the idea of Republican Motherhood in the process of women's socialization is that women were valued. Instead of being stuck at home working for their family with little appreciation, they continued this job with a new attitude. Instead of caring for their children, they were shaping the future America by being sure to teach them properly.

Mary Gibson Tilghman and her Sons by Charles Willson Peale (1789)  

1.     Describe the setting. A mother sits with her two sons. It appears that she is sitting in a living room. She and her sons look content.
2.     Who serves at the center of the portrait and why?  How does the woman look?  How is she “republican” rather than aristocratic? The mother serves as the center of the portrait. This is because mothers ruled the family and took care of children. She looks content. Mary Tilghman appear republican rather than aristocratic by the way she is dressed. Everything is very simple and plain from her clothing, to her hair, and even the background. There is no ornate, gold embellishments, everything is plain.
3.     What values do her sons exhibit? Her sons show the value of family. Family is very important to her and her sons are her pride and joy.
4.      Is there a significance to the position of Mrs. Tilgham’s arm? Her arm is holding back her younger son, who is reaching out to the older son. This shows that the mother has control over her children, teaching them to be civil, obedient citizens.

Blog #4: Rethinking the Revolution

Both the Civil War and the War of Independence had a significant legacy on American history:
                      
Original American Flag                                  Confederate Flag

• 47% of prisoners died in the Revolutionary War while only 27% died in the civil war. 
• The War of Independence also had civil war aspects: the Anglo-Americans fought the British and the Tories fought the Whigs
• 100,000 loyalists exiled after the end of the Revolutionary War and 10,000 confederates exiled after the Civil War
• Both wars fought for freedom from a group: The confederates wanted to secede from the Union and the Americans wanted freedom from the British
• More people died overall from warfare in the Civil War due to the fact that it was more of a modern type of warfare. In the Revolutionary War more people died from the cold Winters that they were unable to survive and diseases. 

LAD #3: Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence, 1776

1. Democratic Principles:

The American people wanted a government that was made up of men. They wanted to give these men  the right to alter or abolish a government if it becomes corrupt. They may also institute a new government based on moral principles to ensure the countries security. They wanted to acknowledge the fact that all men are created equal.

2.Grievances: 

The American people felt that their history under the King was one of tyranny. The King would refuse to pass laws for large districts, unless they agreed to give up their representation in the legislature. He had dissolved representative houses due to their opposition. He has neglected to elect other officials. He has discouraged people to migrate to America. He has kept standing armies around in times of peace. He has failed to acknowledge American laws like cutting off trade, imposing taxes without consent, depriving citizens of trial by jury. He has gone to war against Americans. 

3. Conclusion:

After reading the long list of grievances that the King inflicted on Americans, it is not surprising that they wanted freedom and independence. The colonists felt that what the King did to them was wrong and that they had a right to be "free and independent states."In order for them to be free and independent they needed to disregard all allegiance to the British crown and dissolve all political connection to them. By doing this they were able to establish their own system based on the democratic principles they had hoped for as listed in the introduction.

LAD #2 John Peter Zenger

1. Who was John Peter Zenger?

John Peter Zenger was the printer of the New York Weekly Journal. He was accused for libel for criticizing his governor, William Cosby, in his journal.
2. What was the controversy over his charges? Talk about Hamilton's defense.
The government's charged Zenger with libel, a false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation. With this charge, all Hamilton had to do to defend Zenger was prove that the statements were indeed true despite how offensive they seemed. Hamilton was able to prove Zenger's statements about Cosby true, causing Zenger to be deemed not guilty.
3. What influence did his case have on American governmental tradition?
This case set an example against the power of authority for future libel cases. It also lead to the freedom of press in America for future cases.
4. What is the lasting significance of his trial? Explain.
This trial contributed to freedom of press amongst American publications for the future. In a sense Hamilton's defensive skills embarrassed Governor Cosby because Zenger's statements were true even though they were damaging to his reputation. This set a precedent for future authority figures to let people post what they want because they could look like a coward by charging someone falsely.

LAD #1 Mayflower Compact & Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

                                             The Signing of the Mayflower Compact, 1620

1. What concepts are included in the Mayflower Compact?

 The Mayflower Compact states that the people present, as listed in the compact, have planted the first colony in northern Virginia. They hope to combine themselves together to form a political system in accordance with the Church of England and the laws of King James. They set up laws to follow so that there could be order in the colony and they promised to be obedient with these laws.
2. How does the Mayflower Compact reflect an attachment to both the "Old" and "New" worlds?
  The Mayflower Compact reflects an attachment to the Old world by stating, "in the reign of our Sovereign Lord King James." The settlers still showed attachment to their beloved homeland, which is not surprising being in a new place and having to set up their own system of government for the first time alone with no guidance. The compact also showed movement towards a new world by setting up their own "body politik" which is a group system of government, unlike the Parliament system back home in England.
3. How did the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut differ from the Mayflower Compact?
The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut differed from the Mayflower Compact in that it was more complex and advanced, shifting more towards a "New" world rather than sticking to the same ideas as England. Connecticut came up with a system of electing a governor and others to office rather than having a group, self-governing government like the Mayflower Compact. Connecticut's Orders gave more of a strict constitution having specific plans for how things will play out rather than the vagueness of the Mayflower compact's rules.

The Connecticut Colony, 1639

4. What prompted the colonists of Connecticut to take this approach to government; i.e. use of a written constitution?

The colonists of Connecticut took this approach to government because they were able to learn from the mistakes of the early colonists at Plymouth. They knew that they needed a more strict and orderly system of government which prompted them to write a specific constitution. This constitution also protected them if any questions arose about how to proceed with law passing, voting and ruling. 

5. In what significant way(s) does the Fundamental Orders reflect a fear of and safeguard against the usurping of power by one person or a chosen few?

The Fundamental Orders tries to not give one person ultimate power, this is shown when talking about the Court Governor: " The Governor or Moderator shall have power to order the Court, to give liberty of speech, and silence unseasonable and disorderly speakings...But none of these Courts shall be adjourned or dissolved without the consent of the major part of the Court." This decree shows that the Connecticut settlers feared putting power in one person, like back home in England, which is not surprising due to the corruption occurring in England with Charles I trying to take control over Parliament.