Sunday, December 9, 2007

LAD #17: Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth

In Andrew Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth, the scottish-born millionare talked about how the rich should behave and how their wealth should be taken care of.

First of all, Carnegie believed that it would benefit the society more if some of the people were wealthy and others were not. Carnegie believed that in order for society to evolve, their needed to be a higher class of rich people in order to benefit the growth of society. He believed that to have a small percent of the population be rich would be better than having the entire population be poor.

Carnegie also believed that the rich people in society needed to distribute their money in some kind of way. He stated that this could be done in three ways. The first way was to distribute the money to your heirs when you died, in order to keep the money in the family. Carnegie didn't support this method because he believed that this would not help the greater good of society. Carnegie also believed that the burden of controlling all of that money should not be placed on the heirs of the deceased. The second way that Carnegie believed money could be distributed was it would be given away after the millionaire has died. He believed that they should give it away during their lifetime, which was his third method.

Carnegie also believed in a public death tax, which would tax the deceased wealth after they died. Carnegie liked this method because it would make sure that the money would go towards public funds such as building libraries and other buildings that everyone could use. he believed that was more effective than giving out small sums to every family, since the buildings would be there for hundreds of years.

Monday, November 19, 2007

LAD #16: Emancipation Proclamation

In the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln stated that as of January 1, 1863, all slaves in rebelling states are to be totally free. However, this did not include any bumper states. Lincoln stated that the government and the military will protect this new freedom at any expense. All of the slaves in the Southern States such as Arkansas, South Carolina, Virginia, etc are to be freed of slavery forever. He further stated that the newly freed slaves could serve in the union army if they wanted to.

LAD #15: Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

In his second Inaugural address, Lincoln stated that it wasn't nearly as important as the first inaugural address he made four years previous. The civil war had already begun and Lincoln began to talk about it. He stated that both sides wanted to avoid war but it was necessary in preserving the union. Lincoln also stated that the argument over slavery had been a direct cause of the Civil War. The North had pushed to abolish it while the South had pushed to spread it. Lincoln vowed that the Union army must fight until the Country is once again united and there is no more sectionalism.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

LAD #14: Dred Scott Decision

The Dred Scott decision, also known as Scott vs. Sanford, was a court case where a runaway slave Dred Scott escaped from Missouri to Illinois in order to become free. Scott tried to purchase his slavery from his owner, who refused. He then sued them in court

In the Court case, Chief Justice Taney concluded that no African-Americans were United States Citizens, whether free or slave. Therefore, African-Americans could not sue in federal courts. Taney also ruled that the Missouri Compromise was illegal since it forbade right of property to would-be slave owners above the southern border of Missouri since slaves were considered property. Therefore, the Missouri Compromise was illegal because it forbade the right to property, which was promised in the Constitution. Taney ruled that the case be decided in a lower court.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

LAD #13: Gettysburg Address

In His Gettysburg Address, Lincoln commemorates all of the good Americans that died in the battle. He stated that "Fourscore ans Seven Years ago" the country had been established. However, it was now engulfed in civil war due to disputes over slavery, economics, and the tariff. Sectionalism had grown and the South seceded from the North. Lincoln commemorated the heroes and stated that their actions would be remembered more than his speech. He blessed the soldiers in their final resting place.

LAD #12: Lincoln's First Inaugural Adress

In His first Inaugural address, Lincoln made it clear that he did not intend to end slavery where it already existed. He recognized that the southerners were fearful that he would get rid of slavery, however he reassured them that he intended on keeping slavery where it already exists. Lincoln also mentioned that he intended to protect states rights and to make America a nationalistic country once again. He stated that he would keep the fugitive slave act in place, which required a runaway slave to be returned to their masters if they escape into another state. This and other acts made sure that state rights were protected.

However, Lincoln's main objective was to keep the Union together. He stated that the union had been around for a very long time and that it must be preserved. He argued that it is unconstitutional for a state to try to secede from the union. He stated that this is a touchy topic because events such as this were not written in the Constitution. It doesn't state whether to prohibit or allow slavery and it does not say if a state can secede or not. However, Lincoln stressed that he would do whatever it takes to keep the union together. He stated that civil war must be avoided in order to maintain the prosperity that America had achieved.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

LAD #11: John Calhoun Speech

It was 1850 when someone had finally realized that the Union was in danger of splitting. This realization came when John C. Calhoun made his famous speech to the Senate. He stated that the argument over slavery could no longer be avoided and it could have ended in disunion. He believed that it was top priority to preserve the union.

Calhoun stated that the disunity was caused by the discontent of the South ever since the argument over slavery had occurred. Another cause for disunity was intense political sides such as the democrats and whigs, which split the nation into two. Another cause of the disunity was the uneven sectional balance in government. New England had been in control of the Government for quite some time and have been prospering from institutions such as the National bank. Yet another cause included the future annexation of five northern States including Maine and Oregon. The South was angry because there were no new southern territories being added to the union. These new northern territories would result in a northern advantage in the House, The Senate, and in the Electoral college. The south was also discontent because they were being taxed more heavily than the north even though the north consisted of wealthy aristocrats. If all of the new territories go through and are annexed, the North will have had control over 3/4 of the territories, leaving the balance even more lopsided. Tariffs were another reason that the Southern states had become discontent. High taxes on imports such as the Abominable Tariff infuriated the south because it hurt their trade with other countries. Finally, the issue over slavery was the final straw in the discontent. The north thought slavery was unjust and wrong. However, the south believed that it was necessary for their economy to succeed. The end result was either abolition or secession.

Calhoun stated that in order to preserve the union is to appease the southern states and to make them happy. If the federal government failed to do so, it would lead to the break in the union.

LAD #10: Polk's War Message

In President Polk's war message to congress in 1846, he addressed congress about the diplomatic relations with Mexico. The United states was currently fighting mexico. However, the United States had made many attempts at diplomatic resolutions. When the American diplomats came to Mexico, the new leader, General Paredes would not recieve him. The American trading industry had once flourished by trading with Mexico. However, after Mexican hostilities, the U.S. trade and Mexican trade both suffered.
The whole dispute had started over the land that the Texas territoy occupied. Both Mexican and Texan governments had claims to the land and often fought over boundaries. It became a problem between Mexico and America when Texas was annexed as a state in 1845. Mexican troops were now entering U.S. soil and killing American citizens. The U.S. had to defend itself and its newest state by fighting, since diplomacy had not worked. Under the leadership of General Taylor, the troops had set up camp at Corpus Christi as well as just beyond the Nueces River. Taylor was also given the President's permission to use volunteers from states such as Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky.
Polk asked congress to prosecute the war and to aid the support for it, in order to get it over with more promptly. Polk believed that the more volunteers that fought, the better.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

LAD #9: Seneca Falls Declaration

The Seneca Falls convention was held in Seneca Falls, NY in 1848. This convention supported the expansion of women's rights and helped the women's rights movement throughout America. During the convention, delegates wrote a document called the Seneca Falls Delaration.
The Declaration stated that the men had prevented the women from exercising their right to vote for office, thereby giving them no voice in government since they were not allowed to elect officials. Men have also taken away the women's right to property and wages by claiming her wages from working and having all the power over property. In addition, men have taken away the women's right to happiness because if they ever got divorced, the man would get the money and the children, restricting the happiness of mothers and wives. Men have restricted women's liberties by giving them lesser positions in church and state and reserving the higher positions to men.
The women and men at this convention came up with a set of resolutions. They stated that women are equal to men and that they should get equal positions and equal wages. They should be given equal liberty and equal happiness that their creator has given them.

Monday, October 22, 2007

LAD #8: The Monroe Doctrine

In this Doctrine, which went into effect on December 2, 1823, was a statement made by the United States to all of the European powers. In this statement, the Untied States said that none of the European powers were to try and colonize any far of the New World from here on in. The United States, along with Russia and Great Britain believed that it was time for the European powers to end their colonial ventures in the new world and to keep their affairs domestic. The U.S urged that an attempt to colonize nations in the New World would present a threat to American security and the Americans would take appropriate action. The United States recognized many nations such as Mexico and Chile and bolstered a new era of Independence in the New World

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

LAD #7: Jefferson's Inaugural Address

In the first paragraph, Jefferson stated that America was a young emerging nation in which he is proud to be the new ruler of. He hopes to continue this path to prosperity as America moves into the nineteenth century.

In the second paragraph, Thomas Jefferson urges that the nation must remain united through this whole ordeal. He states that political parties do not divide our principles. He Urges that we must unite against evils such as slavery and lack of religious tolerance.

In the third paragraph, He wanted to keep the government pure and powerful, avoiding war with European nations and by remaining neutral. He also urged that we must maintain our good values and not turn to bad ones.

In the fourth paragraph, he states all of the things that he will do while he is in office such as keeping equal justice for everyone, maintaining neutrality, supporting the state AND federal government, and encouraging agriculture and trade.

In the last two paragraphs, he states that he will do his duties to the best of his abilities and will do the best for the nation.

Monday, October 8, 2007

Christopher Columbus - Hero or Villain

As we all sit down and enjoy the day off from our duties, we often think of Christopher Columbus and thank him for his accomplishments and contributions. Columbus had found the new world in an attempt to find Asia and had sent many expeditions to explore the area heroically. That is what the majority of people think about when they think of Christopher Columbus. Little do they know, Christopher Columbus had a dark side. He was deceitful and merciless, and would stop at nothing to obtain what he wanted , much like a villain. I would classify Columbus as a villain do to his horrible ethical treatment of others as well as his deceitful ways.

Christopher Columbus was not only a good explorer, he was a deceitful one at that, stopping at nothing to get his way or convince people that he is right. one example of this occurred when one of his crewmen spotted the land that is now known as the Bahamas. At the time, the Spanish government had promised a large sum of money to the first person who spotted land. The crewman should have received the prize. However, Columbus' deceitful antics persuaded the king and queen that he himself was the one that spotted land and he received the money. In addition to this, when Columbus reported back to Spain, he exaggerated the treasures that he had found there. he reported that the was gold all around when in reality, there was very little gold, only scarce amounts in rivers to be exact.

Perhaps more terrifying than his deceitfulness was the unethical treatment of the native Arawak Indians by the Spaniards under his command. His men had rounded up many of the Indians to transport as slaves to Spain, since Columbus had to send something in replacement of all the nonexistent gold. He also traded with the Indians unfairly, making they trade lopsided and bad for the Arawaks. This unethical treatment began to worsen more and more as the Spaniards under his command were at the island longer. The Europeans had taken many Arawaks as slaves and made them work on plantations called encomiendas. They also used the Arawaks for free labor forcing them to work in mines and separating families. However, the most unethical treatment of the Arawaks came when the Europeans became very interested in gold. Each Arawak was responsible for collecting a certain amount of gold in a couple months time. When they collected the gold, they would receive a medal from the Spanish. If an Arawak did not collect enough gold, they would be killed. These killings led to more and more. Eventually, the Spanish would kill the Arawaks just for fun, or to try out weapons. This led to a rapid decrease in the Arawak population due to death, disease, and suicide. Eventually, there were no Arawak Indians left in the area.

Next time you think of Columbus and his accomplishments, keep in mind what he had to do in order to fulfill those accomplishments. He lied, he tortured, he abused, and he killed many native people of the time.

Monday, October 1, 2007

LAD #6: Washington's Farewell Address

After Washington served for two terms as the United States' first President, he decided to return to retirement as soon as his second term had expired. He stated that he missed retirement and wished to return to a life with little worries and less stress. He stated that he would have retired after his first term but due to the conditions that the country was in, he had to stay in office. He stated that he is thankful for the United States and that the Constitution will continue to be influential to the country.
Washington then goes on to explain how great the new Government is, one that the people established, one that will continue to flourish. Washington states that the different areas of the nation are flourishing and complementing each other. The north and south are feeding off of each other in trade and agriculture while the east and west help each other with supplies that each area needs. This union between the states helps aid them in security, strength, and other perks.
Washington stressed that unity in the new government must remain for it to flourish. No matter what the outside affairs happen to be, the states must not let it affect their unity. He also stressed that the Constitution is the most important thing in the new government and he urged people to respect and abide by the rules that were written in it. It is a terrible thing to brake one of the laws of the Constitution and that one who does is a threat to society.
Washington also warned against the formation of political parties. He wanted the nation to be united, not ideologically divided. Parties not only divide people, they can also lead to extremists and people who believe so much in their party that they are willing to riot for the cause.
In his farewell address, Washington stated that the American people must maintain their virtues and good morals in order to create a peaceful society. People that owe money should pay their debt and people should be honest. In addition, he stated that the United States must remain neutral and not make allies or enemies. He also believed that the U.S. should remain out of foreign affairs. He stated that the United States should trade with other nations but they should keep their trade strictly economic, not political.

George Washington's Farewell address was an excellent article that addressed many important issues of the time. It not only set up guidelines for the next Presidents, it also set the stage for the future of America

LAD #5: Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality

In George Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality, he stated that the United States would not intervene in the warfare that was present in Europe. he stated that the United States would not choose a side in the war as well as the United States would not aid any side in the war. Washington also stated that any citizen that disobeyed these rules would not be protected by the United States and would also be punished for their crimes.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

LAD #4: The Federalist #10

1. Why are factions so difficult to eliminate?

Factions are so difficult to eliminate because in order to do so, one must either relinquish the liberty that allows the faction to be formed or to instill the same opinions into each citizen. Relinquishing the liberties of the faction would be difficult because liberty is the basis of democratic politics, and to take away that liberty would be going against the beliefs of the American Government. It would be hard to eliminate factions using the second method because everyone is prone to make different opinions of everything based on their outlook and their past. People will never see eye to eye and it would be impossible to make people do that in order to stop a faction.

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

There are a few ways of controlling a faction. The first way can only occur if the faction makes up a minority of the population. In that case, one could turn to the principal of majority rules, in order to overrule the faction democratically. This allows the majority to override the faction by voting. Another way over controlling a faction can occur only when the faction contains the majority of the population. In order to do this, one must have the interests of the public good in mind. In addition, one must attempt to make the people hold different interests and opinions so they do not always agree so easily. Factions may also be controlled by introducing certain Republican ideas into the government such as choosing representatives for certain areas as well as having the different states unite like they did. The republican form of government prevents factions from spreading because one faction may influence a certain area, but it will be unable to spread to certain areas because the states have different representatives and different ideals.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Rethinking the Revolution

After read the article "Rethinking the Revolution" by John Ferling, i discovered many things about the Revolutionary and Civil War that i did not know before.

1. One of the rather interesting things that i found out about the Civil War from reading this article is that there were cameras present during the time of the civil war. This allowed battlefield pictorials to be taken and caused many to consider this war as the first modern war.

2. Another interesting fact that I came across while reading the article is that before the 1820's, Independence day celebrated the military aspect of the Revolutionary war. However, after the people who lived during the war died, the holiday turned its focus on the political aspects of the Revolution.

3. By reading this article, I learned that the American Revolution was thought of as less of a bloody and difficult war simply because it had 6 times as less casualties as the Civil War. However, the American Revolution was still a gruesome war where soldiers were forced to steal the clothes off their enemy and boil their shoes for dinner as well as march in formation into battle, leaving them with a greater chance of dying.

4. I also learned that during the Revolutionary War, a soldier had a higher chance of dying while they were captured then being killed in battle. Nearly 50% of captured soldiers died while in captivity. On the other hand, only 10% of the soldiers in combat died.

5. Another thing that I learned from reading this article is that the American civilians were heavily affected by this war. Many of the civilians died of diseases brought to their town by soldiers. In addition, civilians often took violent measures against each other if they took different sides in the war. Tories and Patriots would often clash in violence.

Overall, this article was very informative and contained information that I have never known before. It supplied me with additional information about the Revolution that I would not have known otherwise.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

LAD #3: Declaration of Independence

There are many democratic principles that Thomas Jefferson included when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. One of them was the three unalienable rights - life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. the Americans believed that these unalienable rights were necessary for everyone to have. the designers of the Declaration also believed that the government should be established in order to benefit the people, not to benefit themselves. This is one of the most important of the democratic principles because democracy is based on the needs of the people.
As well as including some democratic principles, the creators of the Declaration also included a long list of grievances, or complaints against the British Government that stated and explained all of the wrongdoings. Some of these wrongdoings include King George III's refusal to pass laws benefiting the people unless they benefited him as well. In addition, George III also dissolved Representative Houses that did not agree with his opinions as well as threatening to fire judges who did not execute his will. King George III also kept troops in the colonies even when fighting was absent from the scene as well as forcing the colonists to house the soldiers in their homes. He had also started enforcing the navigation acts, which made it mandatory for the colonies to only trade with Britain. He has put heavy taxes on the colonies that their local governments did not agree on. King George II also abolished the right to trial by jury in the Colonies. One of the most influential things he did to the colonial people was to impress them to the British Navy, forcing some to fight against their own countrymen in war.
On July 4, 1776, the American colonies signed the Declaration of Independence and officially declared themselves independent of the British. Although the colonists were not officially politically independent of the British until the end of the Revolution in 1783, they were ideologically free of British control. The colonies announced that they were now their own country, able to declare war, form alliances with other countries, and manage themselves from here on in.

Friday, September 7, 2007

LAD #2: John Peter Zenger

1. Who was John Peter Zenger?

John Peter Zenger was a German immigrant who came to America and became the printer and editor of the New York Weekly Journal. Zenger criticized New York Governor William Cosby for corruption in government including the prosecution of the Interim Governor Rip Van Dam as well as the removal of the Chief Court Justice Lewis Morris. The Governor was infuriated by the negative press put out by Zenger and he had him arrested for "Seditious Libel."

2. What was the controversy over his charges? Talk about Hamilton's defense.

The controversy over Zenger's charges were that the people believed that his claims were not slanderous if they were in fact true. During the trial, Hamilton spoke directly at the jury, urging them to understand that if a statement is true, it is impossible to be libelous because it is simply stating the fact of the matter. This approach in trial ultimately led to Zenger's freedom.

3. What influence did his case have on American governmental tradition?

This case initiated a new outcome in libel suits. Lawyers could now preach that if a statement is in fact true, that it is not libelous at all. It also resulted in judges seeing libel cases in a new light and resulted in different outcomes in libel cases.

4. What is the lasting significance of his trial? Explain.

The lasting significance of the trial of the John Peter Zenger trial was the major advancement of the freedom of the press. This trial also set a new standard in how to go about libel trials. Due to the outcome of his trial, newspapers were now allowed to print articles that were allowed to criticize things as long as the article was true. In addition, newspapers no longer had to worry about going to court over their article as long as the information in the articles was true.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

LAD #1: Mayflower Compact and the Fundamental orders of Connecticut

1. What concepts are included in the Mayflower Compact?

Some of the concepts that were included in the Mayflower compact were the establishment of some form of government as well as the concept of a majority rule in the new settlement.

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 and new world because the settlers at Plymouth Rock based their governmental ideals on some of the ideals taken from the "Old World" British laws. The settlers also pledged allegiance to the king. However, the settlers also incorporated their own ideals into the compact that would be characteristic of "New World" ideals such as some democratic ideals as well as forming their own local government.

3. How did the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut differ from the Mayflower Compact?

They differed because the mayflower compact was not intended to set up a firm, permanent government. It was established to form some sort of government in order to keep the settlers from becoming reckless as well as making sure they would abide to the laws that they managed to establish. However, the Fundamental orders of Connecticut were established to form a permanent form of government, one that would be democratic and would involve the people as well as provide a strong local government. In addition, the Fundamental orders set up precedents for later constitutions because of the democratic ideals included in the Fundamental Orders.

4. What prompted the colonists of Connecticut to take this approach to government, i.e.: use of a written Constitution?

They took this approach because they needed a stronger government. The Fundamental orders combined several towns into one unified body. This required more laws and a stronger government in order to do this. The colonists also desired a permanent, unified form of government.

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?

In response to a fear that one person would seize power, the Fundamental orders set up their government on a democratic basis. The officials were elected by the people in elections. In addition, the Fundamental Orders made it impossible for one person or a limited few to seize total control of the government because it partially limited the powers of government.