Chapter 3

         The chapter 3 of the book is related to the rise of colonial America and the expansion and diversity which the American society faced when English expanded in the lands of North America. It was very important for me to learn how colonies at Chesapeake established themselves while relying on the basis of one single cash crop of tobacco. It was interesting to analyze that how the cultivation of tobacco helped and shaped up the Chesapeake region in a big plantation system along with their dependence on the institution of slavery where African slaves worked for them under harshly intense living conditions.

            The establishment of a ‘city upon a hill’ in Massachusetts Bay by the Puritans in order to serve as a model to the world is something that raised my level of interest in reading of the chapter. Their religious society of New England was threatened and challenged by Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson. The expansion of the White people steadily affected the existence of the Native Americans which led to the conflicts like the Pequot War and King Philips War. Both wars proved to be bitter and costly. The establishment of the Half Way Covenant relaxed the standards that were related to the church membership.  This resulted in the end of New England way and the Salem witchcraft trials served as an event which made visible the deep existing divisions within the society.

            It was also very knowledgeable for me to read about how the agriculture and plantation resulted in the shaping up of slavery in both the Caribbean and Carolina. The Caribbean colonies which were largely dependent on the cultivation of the crop of sugar cane evolved a very harsh version of plantation slavery. Similar was the case in Carolina where planation of rice crops and the existence of severe form of slavery emerged. In my view it was unfortunate for the black majority of population who had to face cruel situations in the form of slavery. The enslavement of tens of thousands of Indians by the Carolinians is something that visibly reveals the cruelty of the White American population of the era.

            The reading of the chapter also provided me with much information about the Middle Colonies where the New Netherland Colony which was conquered by the English gave rise to an historic religious and ethnic diversity and how by the end of seventeenth century, the Middle Colonies emerged as the fastest growing region of America. The analysis and learning about the development of the French and Spanish empires in seventeenth century and their dependence on trade and sharing of good relations with Native Americans was also an informative read for me. The efforts of Spanish for their presence in Florida, Texas, and New Mexico and the resistance they faced because of Pueblo Revolt have been really revealing. The outnumbering of English rivals in early eighteenth century by the non-native population of England’s North American colonies has been a source of much information for me as well. 

Chapter 5

The reading of the chapter 5 has enlightened me on various significant events of the mid eighteenth century. I learned a lot about the time when most of the Anglo Americans considered it as their duty to assist Great Britain against its enemies. I was not aware that French people were also one of the ones who could threaten the American colonies because of their stronghold in Canada. The victory of Great Britain in Seven Years War and France ceded a larger part of its empire to British is an important event about which now I realize  became a major work of friction between Britain and its colonies.

I also learned a great deal about how Britain took up steps for its imperial reorganization. The way Britain attempted to increase revenues from colonies during 1760’s through Sugar and Stamp Acts was surely something that could raise hatred for the British by the Native Americans. I believe the open resistance which the colonists showed after the crisis of Stamp Act was a major move by them and proved to be a stepping stone to make British aware of the hatred that was present for them among the colonists. The increasing of tensions between both British and the colonists became more visible after the Quartering and the Townshend Acts. I was not aware about the creation of British board of Customs Commissioners and the corruption of the commissioners. The reading of the chapter really gave me a clear insight that how dishonest activities in the board became the target of the growing anger of the colonists.

The major event like that of Boston Massacre added much to the conflict. The British attempt to aid East India Company with regard to merchandising of tea led colonists to examine the imperial relationship and alarmed the Americans on a much wider level. The colonists who defied Britain’s continuous steps for raising revenue on behalf of imposed taxes showed their strong opposition through Boston Tea Party. It was interesting for me to see how colonists showed their anger towards British Parliamentary acts and how the Coercive Acts that were approved by Parliament in their response to Tea Party, triggered the action of  First Continental Congress which revealed the final coordinated start of action against the continuous colonial resistance. I also understood well that how the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775 transformed the conflict on both sides into a big armed resistance. The convening of the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia and the efforts of Americans for reconciliation with King George III raised my interest to learn more. I discovered that the Battle of Bunker Hill and the establishment of the Continental Army was enough to convince British that Americans do not want any reconciliation. The “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine was a direct attack on the British dominion. I believe the Declaration of Independence in July really came as a significant turning point for the future of American generations to come.

Extra Credit Chapter 19

      The reading of Chapter 19 of the book has been very helpful for providing me a clear understanding of how the effects of Immigration during the late 19^th century confronted the Native Americans with the ethnic and class differences. I was not very much aware about how a flood of immigrants crowded in ghettos was not appreciated by the local Americans. It was interesting for me to learn that the wealthy and class conscious Americans created fashionable enclaves and the middle class shifted to suburbs branding the immigrants as people who were racially inferior.  The native born Americans stress for their commitment to the  Victorian moral ideals, applying new standards of living within the society by developing  lavish departmental stores and aesthetically designed houses has been something that made clear to me the general sense of the separation between two classes existing in the society of the times. The creation of new educational institutions and expansion of number of high schools is something that truly reflected for me the prevalent Victorian morality which emphasized in manners and decorum.

            In addition to that, I noticed a sharp contrast among the newly immigrated people who developed their own political machines for their acquisition of work. The efforts of the corrupt political bosses who handed out jobs to the immigrants were outshined by the reformers blaming the immigrants for their own problems. I noticed that efforts of people like Jacob Riss, Jane Adamms who worked for the improvement of the urban conditions were attacked by Anthony Comstock who tried to attack the immigrant cultures and values in their effort to Americanize them.

            While reading the chapter I also observed a stark difference of class conflict in each and everything. There is an element of controversy in sports which became a big business and a significant part of the consumerism. The Upper and Middle American class fought what they perceived as indecent lower class recreation and mostly held an upper hand in these clashes. I was amazed to learn that despite the fact of having superior hand significant conflicts emerged among their own ranks concerning the moral standards.

            The partial resolution in 1900 as a result of the contest between the large immigrant working class and the elite is something that I deem significant. The erosion of Victorian morality and emergence of new standards that resulted in blending of new rules and regulations like behavior and approach in boxing ring and on the field of baseball has been a vital thing for me to study. It was important for me to discover as well that how sports became a lucrative business where mostly the working class immigrants were raised to the levels of being as heroes. I also discovered that the same kind of compromises also occurred in other fields of theaters and music and also the women struggled to escape the bonds of Victorian styles. In my view the disgraceful reputation associated with the working class culture gave rise to the ideas related to the 20^th century mass culture.

Perceptions about the U.S

For much of the 20^th and early twentieth century, United States has been facing many challenges with regard to its strategic relations with other nations of the world. The article explains that how United States has been perceived as a symbol of “Western vision of modernity”. But the changes with the political system in the late 20^th and the early 21^st century have brought America an increased focus on its political life where a growing gap between presidency and electorate is very much evident. In addition to that the credibility of American policies has not only been affected within United States but all across the globe various perceptions of people have also been formed. America’s military misadventures since 1960 and its own financial weaknesses at home have emerged as a fundamental challenge for the nation. The events in the form of 9/11 have changed the ideas of people belonging to other nations and they perceive America in various lights. They are increasingly concerned and overwhelmed at the uncertainty with which America political polarization is shaping up. The weaker societies like that of in Asia are more fearful regarding their future economic and security disparities as America has been facing its own political challenges since the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries which are affecting the global socio economic system at its extremes.  

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/2577:an-unending-crisis-america-in-the-21st-century

Chapter 30

The reading of Chapter 30 of the book has been significant for me in giving me a better understanding about how the social activism in the society of 1960’s gave rise to new changes in the political trends. It was imperative for me to discover that the economic policies of President Reagan led to steep deficits and the strategy of deregulation made the Reagan administration lose sight of the business giving out varied results. I was surprised to learn that besides Reagan’s intense military spending and his second term scandals like Iran –contra, Reagan maintained a high popularity level among the public. I also learned a great deal about how President Reagan met Mikhail Gorbachev of Russia as the Cold War ended, and the situations in the Middle East started to decline with an emerging intense conflict and violence between Palestine and Israel along with an increase over the attacks involving both America and other Western nations.

            I think after the end of Cold War the emergence of new kind of issues like Saddam Husain invading Kuwait and United States and its allies objective to move him out of Kuwait was a major event in the political history of the world as it visibly changed the political scenarios existing in the Middle East. For United States as well, major changes occurred that came in the form of bad recession days to the increased racial tensions. Consequently President Bush paid a heavy price because of ignoring the domestic issues as the people of America elected Bill Clinton as their President in the year 1992.

            In my view the policies which were introduced by Clinton and his concentration on domestic issues along with his economic reform package played a vital role in bringing back America on a much better footing. Clinton’s stance on dismantling of Cold War nuclear arsenals and the proliferation of nuclear weapons are one of the major moves that I would appreciate by him. The reelection of Clinton and his support for tax cuts and presenting a balanced budget really helped achieve America a budget surplus. But the scandal of Monica Lewinsky proved to be of much harm to the overall reputation of the president resulting in his impeachment. It was also another major turning point for American political history as after Clinton’s impeachment President George W Bush got elected.

It was interesting to learn that during 1990’s America also saw rise in stock market numbers and for the time being the factor of unemployment declined. However I think the increase in income inequality is something which affected America and economic trends of the country. On the other hand it was really important for me to discover the cultural changes that were brought about in the 1990 and the rise of media and internet began as a major technological revolution. In fact to me the 1990’s was a decade where not only America but the overall world saw many significant changes that provided firm base for the innovations concerning the future of the world.

“The Americans with Disabilities Act 1990”

Source: Newspaper Article on “The Americans with Disabilities Act 1990” 

In this particular article from 1994, an employee who had been a subject of discrimination for her disability was interviewed. Staff writer Doug Smith from Los Angeles Times interviewed Linda S. Sirlin who is disabled with multiple sclerosis which restrains her from walking properly and even makes her use the wheel chair in times of need.  The interview was conducted in order to find her perspective on whether the Act of 1990 had changed the working environment for people with disabilities.  She mentioned that she had been discriminated against before and after the implement of this law.  She discusses the fact that she has been called to numerous interviews only to find out that she would not be selected due to her disability.  She did some investigation on her own as well, she insists that a loop hole exists in this law because it does not apply to firms which have less than 25 employees.  Upon further research, this law was altered in 1994 to including companies which had 15 or more employees.  But still the fact remains that companies with less than 15 employees will have their way with discrimination and are allowed to discriminate within this law because they don’t have enough employees to be acting under this particular law.  Linda believes that this law has made it harder for her to find a job because small firm employers are afraid to hire employees which might become a liability for them. 

Violla Luizzo

Violla Luizzo

Civil Rights Movements rings a bell of African Americans fighting for their rights in the 1960s but African Americans weren’t the only ones who were fighting for their justice.  There were some key Caucasians involved in the fight as well, hence I have chosen Violla Luizzo for this piece of writing.  She was involved in the memorable and moving march from Selma to Montgomery, this march was being held because hundreds of voters were not allowed to register at Selma courthouse.  In response to this Martin Luther King called people from across the U.S to march from Selma to Montgomery in order to fight for justice.  Violla answered this call and drove by herself from Michigan to Alabama to be a part of this piece of history.

She would go on to Selma watch Dr. King’s speech and drive people back and forth between Selma and Montgomery.  She had dropped off a load of passengers in Selma and was headed back for another round, it was then that she had been pursued by KKK men, she didn’t stop but kept going singing the songs of freedom and chanting “We Shall Overcome” until the pursuers caught up to her car and shot her twice in the head.  An immediate action was taken President Johnson, calling for the arrest of men who had shot Violla.  This is a significant event because a white woman had been killed by KKK and the arrest for these men and charges were filed.  It was rather significant in my eyes because of the fact that this woman had come all the way from Michigan to Alabama just to help the Civil Rights Movement although she wasn’t black, she felt the need to correct this system and bring justice for everyone. 

Chapter 28

            The reading of Chapter 28 of book has been very enlightening for me and cleared many points in my mind about the election and presidency of President John F Kennedy. I have always been very interested in learning about President Kennedy and his life events. Therefore the chapter reading gave me a clear insight about how Kennedy won the 1960’s election by a narrow margin. I clearly understood how the conservative strength in Congress hindered Kennedy’s agenda for reform i.e., “New Frontier” and he had to focus instead on the new economic policies. While reading it was significant to note for me that how the Nation Defense of America was improved by increase of the conventional arms. The growth of economy in Kennedy days because of his plans of lowering taxes on businesses, depreciation allowances and downgrading credits provided me with a deep understanding that how Presidents economic policies affected the nation for good.

To learn about the Civil Rights Movement and how Kennedy tried to avoid dealing with civil rights but was drawn into as a result of an overwhelming violence against the Black protestors also proved to be important for me.  From the effects of Martin Luther King Jr. “I have a Dream” speech and how Civil Rights Acts of 1964 to Voting Right Acts of 1965 revolutionized the Southern polices, it was a good knowledge gaining experience for me.

The chapter also gave me a clear idea about how Kennedy shaped up his foreign policy and how important he considered it for the country. I believe foreign policy for any nation should always be built on more strong grounds as it helps promote mutual cooperation with countries that exist around the globe which ultimately benefits any country in the long run. Through my reading I discovered that Kennedy’s formation of Peace Corps in 1961 and how the crisis in Laos strengthened his idea of limiting Communism.

The unfortunate assassination of Kennedy and later how the election of President Lyndon B Johnson brought the most sweeping reforms since the time of New Deal was something that I was not much aware of before. I really appreciate how his introduction of Great Society legislation helped in promotion of health, education, urban renewal, voting rights, immigration reforms and especially War against poverty started contributing well the overall benefit of America. However race riots that went around the country and America’s involvement in Vietnam War really affected the great programs which were introduced by administration of the time. I believe that it would not be wrong to say that President faced a dilemma in Vietnam where it was really difficult to decide whether to continue with the war which had brighter chances of leading the world to World War III and leaving of the war might have contributed in further fuelling the idea of Communism. I also understood how the dragging of War for four more years under President Nixon also affected US power till he announced the withdrawal of American forces in 1973.

Chapter 23

      The Chapter 23 of the book related to prosperity decade of the 1920’s gave me a deep understanding about an era which saw considerable economic development. The reading of chapter shows that the period began with the effects of limited post war recession but the mass development of consumer products, flourishing advertising, and innovative expansion and development of new technology especially in the field of electrical appliances and automobile industry led to a considerable change in America. I was amazed to learn about how the new assembly line techniques played a significant role in raising per capita industrial output. I was not aware that how through corporate consolidation and the creation of trade associations can enable cooperation in matters like that of pricing, standardizing, and division of markets.

            The chapter also made me understand that capitalists of the time realized about the advantages of increasing purchasing power of workers which in my view was a good move by the capitalists as it promises productive and efficient levels of work which workers provide in return. Before reading of the chapter I was not very much aware about how the idea of consumerism can be best generated. The reading of the chapter made it clear for me that how in 1920’s the mass distribution of goods, buying on installments, and advertising through the mediums of radio and mass circulation magazines generated the interest of consumers leading to increased development and production.

            While reading the chapter I found it quite strange that during 1920’s the field of agriculture failed to see much progress. It must be difficult for farmers whose wartime prosperity resulted in hard times where European agriculture revived and high tariffs in America led to decline in the export of agricultural goods. The era where there was increase in both production and productivity levels, it is really unfortunate for those who were involved with the field of agriculture.

            A very interesting and notable thing which I discovered through reading of the chapter is that 1920’s was a revolutionary era for the women. Many women received education and managed to enter the work place despite facing the wage discrimination and male domination, they worked outside of their homes. I learned how the reformers through women suffrage looked for the right of women to vote. I find it very encouraging for women as they finally got rid of the general notions associated with them and received more chances of grooming themselves in every way to become more contributive members of the era of economic development.

            Learning about politics of times is also a very interesting thing for me as the chapter reflects on how voters were inspired by the decade’s business orientation where they preferred those candidates who represented traditional values. From corrupt Harding administration to  government of Coolidge, and the pursuance of own national interest by US through the policy of independent nationalism are the realities which in my view left a major impact in shaping the future polices of America.

Responses to Industrialization

         The reading that we had to analyze discussed the various responses to industrialization in regards to Catholic Social Teaching. Chapter 6 talks about the statements made by Leo and subsequent popes in regards to workers rights’, inequality, private property, gender roles, medical care, disabilities, unemployment, and labor unions. The Industrial Revolution brought about social classes that had not existed before. The more resources people had, the better off they were, which meant they were higher up on the social ladder. Many people went from living in rural areas to moving into urban areas. Owning property and various things became a really big deal. This can be seen when it says, “And, these scholars argue, just as the agricultural revolution ushered in major changes to human relations, including the very concepts of inequality, social hierarchy, slavery and private property, so did the industrial revolution introduce new social classes based on the control of productive resources, widespread movements of people from rural to urban areas, an unabashed glorification of ownership…”

            I remember that we learned about how the Native Americans were kicked out when the Europeans came. I also remember that the Europeans brought many diseases, which wiped out a large portion of Native Americans because they had never been exposed to these sicknesses and didn’t know how to cure their people. Although this had happened, I believe that we can learn from this and understand how things came to be. Industrialization benefited the economy a great deal, along with the technological advances such as the railroad and the cotton gin. People became were effective and efficient in their work, which led to an increase in production.

            We also discussed how workers were treated unfairly and had to endure poor working conditions. They were forced to work long hours for little pay. A quote that appealed to me was, “A society in which this right is systematically denied, in which economic policies do not allow workers to reach satisfactory levels of employment, cannot be justified from an ethical point of view, nor can society attain social peace.” My interpretation of this quote is that if the right to work is denied, society, as a whole is affected and will immediately feel its effects. If workers are not treated properly, as they deserve to be treated for all of their hard work, you cannot expect them to be successful. If they are not happy, production will decline, as will the economy.

            I really liked the way that this quote was worded, “The true advancement of women requires that labor should be structured in such a way that women do not have to pay for their advancement by abandoning what is specific to them and at the expense of the family, in which women as mothers have an irreplaceable role.” Although I would want this to refer to both the mother and the father because it takes both to care for a child otherwise there is always something deficient or missing that the child needs in order to survive. This quote is important because it shows their ways of thinking and that they did not believe in preventing women from working. This is a fear that I personally have, about abandoning my child if I am given the opportunity to work a good job. But I am not the only one raising a child; it takes a mother and a father to raise a child and I feel as if people forget this.

Chapter 15

            Something I found to be interesting in chapter 15 was when it spoke about recruitment. The book says. “Southern cavalrymen provided their own horses, and uniforms were left to local option.” I never knew that before. I mean it makes sense to me. They went to war, but they really were not prepared at all. I think that especially if you are going to do something like go to war, you should be as well prepared as you could ever be for anything because your life and the lives of others are on the line. I think it was a huge triumph when Abraham Lincoln showed that he was much better at leading the country during wartime as compared to Jefferson Davis.

            I now understand why they also call the Civil War the first modern war. It was because of all the technology that had been invented like the railroad and better weapons. I do think it was somewhat troublesome because these weapons and inventions had just been created for the first time. It’s not like they were perfected. I’m sure they were very heavy and not nearly as efficient as they probably are today. Regardless, it was still a huge step in the right direction in becoming more technologically advanced.

            It was interesting how even though the North had way more people and the majority of the railroads, it was still not enough to be easily successful in fighting against the South.  I had always thought that the Civil War was one big battle, but now I understand that it was actually a series of mini battles, some bigger and stronger than the others, but smaller battles nonetheless. The book states, “Armies gained in efficiency in battle through experience, and only late in the war.” I feel like this is a bit unfortunate, but the only way it could have happened other than being better trained and more knowledgeable. I think that some of the pain they went through could have been avoided if they had been prepared for it.

            It was strange how some of the new laws that were made concerning property and slaves, allowed slaves to be both free in some areas, but slaves again in other areas. But this soon led to the enrollment of African-American soldiers in the war. This was the turning point in ending slavery. How can African-Americans fight for freedom for the country when they’re not considered free otherwise? If they’re willing to fight for the country, they should be given the utmost respect and freedoms as anybody else. But African-Americans were able to show how valuable they could be as a result of becoming a soldier. I learned that in a way, slaves went on strike by refusing to work or working inefficiently while the slaveholders went to war.

            It was unfortunate that the war had different effects on the economy. I think this was both good and bad. For example, the cotton textile industries suffered, but based on what I know, there was a lot of child labor and unsafe working conditions. So I would rather have something better come out of the situation, rather than to continue doing something dangerous and unethical.

Chapter 13

            This chapter was very interesting to me because of how quickly the United States expanded in just four years during James K. Polk’s administration. I feel like they were very aggressive and wanted to conquer as much as they could as quickly as they could. It also made a lot more sense to me about how and why there are so many Caucasians here. By 1860, three-fourths of foreign-born Americans were Irish or German.

            I feel like everyone comes to the United States for the same reasons, to improve themselves or their family one way or another. But even though people came for a better life and more opportunities, they still faced hardships; the same way people do today. The only difference is that the world is much more different now than it was before.

            The whole idea of the individual, I think that’s a very American type concept because in many other parts of the world, it is not about the individual; it’s about the entire family. I liked learning about how Levi jeans first started. I think he was a very fortunate man who made it big in San Francisco.

            I found this sentence intriguing, “Native-born Americans simultaneously admired German industriousness and resented German self-sufficiency, which they interpreted as clannishness.” This tells me that Americans both appreciated and had hatred toward Germans for their ways of life. I think that Native-born Americans were mad because they had not been able to be self-sufficient first.

            I think it was perfect how “Californians were as eager to buy as the traders were to sell.” This meant that business would be booming because there was a demand to meet the supply at an equal level. I also feel like both the Americans and the Mexicans used each other to their benefit. I did not know that Mexico had its’ own slaves, who became free in 1829.

            It is strange to me that the treaty that Santa Anna was forced to sign as a result of The Texas Revolution in 1836 was never ratified. I know this was a treaty that recognized the independence of Texas so would that mean that nothing has changed since then about that?

            I do not understand exactly why in the Mexican-American War, the Mexican forces were unable to defeat the Americans even though their army was four times as large.

            The fact that Americans still hired Chinese workers, ever with all the prejudice was interesting because that means that the Americans knew they needed the Chinese. So the Gold Rush is one of the reasons as to how San Francisco became so diverse. It was because people from all different parts of the world came for the gold. Racial and ethnic tensions increased during this time period because various cultures were now coming into contact with one another. Eventually, over time, they had to learn to get along or at least tolerate each other. There was much violence, but we have come a long way since then.

Chapter 11

I think the technological improvements that happened during 1840 to 1860, were extremely important and necessary for the United States to move further economically. For example, the steam engine, the cotton gin, the reaper, the sewing machine, and the telegraph all helped to make life for Americans easier. It also helped them to be more efficient in their work. This also increased production, which raised the standard of living. This was also the time when more efficient cultivation and fertilization methods improved. This was important because it meant that less repetition was necessary and that more work could be done at a faster pace. This meant that there was more money that could be made as well.

Not to mention the railroad; the railroad changed everything. It changed the way people traveled and it was much faster than taking a horse. People living in both the east and the west were now connected because of the rail lines. This had not been possible before and I’m sure it was a lot more difficult to travel far distances by horse. Even though the railroad was not even close to perfection in its’ earliest stages, it was a major upgrade nonetheless from horse buggies. This also changed the import and export system. The ways in which products were brought into or left the United States, changed a great deal because now there was a reduction in the use of canals. Railroads helped cities thrive and become quite prosperous because of the influx of people coming and going. This also increased the population, as well as the value of farmland.

Another reason why this chapter was so important is because technology helped improve people’s lives by lowering prices and increasing workers’ incomes. Although some areas noticed greater increases than others, everything was affected as a result. Women and children were now being given opportunities to work for money and could help contribute to their household income. Men were no longer the sole breadwinners of the family.

Machine-made furniture made living at home more comfortable and stoves helped speed the process of cooking, as well as attaining different tastes and types of foods. More people had access to luxuries that only the rich had been able to afford. But at the same time, the poor only got poorer. Their situation only worsened and their counterparts became richer. There was an improvement in houses, where they became larger and more elaborate.

What worried me was when I read that some people barely took even one bath in a whole year. No wonder they had so many diseases and health problems. It was because of uncleanliness and how dirty their living situation was. I was somewhat shocked to hear how the transportation revolution increases the danger of diseases. I understand now, how quickly this could happen especially when so many people used to live in such tight spaces, in addition to the filth everywhere.

Although the discovery of anesthesia was a major benefit, the fact that surgeons and doctors didn’t wash their hands defeated the whole purpose of anesthesia. This was also the time when they realized that eating healthy played a major role in your health and well-being. Although I don’t think that everyone caught on because people today, still don’t even understand how important it is to eat healthy and exercise.

Americans could now spend time enjoying themselves by playing games and sports, instead of doing the mundane activities in their life. Theaters were now very popular, but they had a very bad reputation; not at all how things are today.

The American Renaissance was the movement that got Americans more interested in books and literary works. This was a time when people started to create stories and try to understand the human mind, instead of just focusing on social relationships. Poetry started to bloom at this time as well.   

Chapter 8 - The War of 1812

The War of 1812 began in the summer of 1812, when the Americans launched a series of unsuccessful attacks on Canada and ended in the spring of 1814. In July of 1812, General William Hull led an American army from Detroit into Canada, but quickly returned when Tecumseh cut his supply line. He surrendered Detroit and 2,000 men to 1,300 British and Indian troops.

         At the fall of 1812, the Battle of Queenston, the 2^nd battle by Americans turned out to be unsuccessful. The 3^rd attack fell apart when the Americans again refused to enter into Canada, at Montreal. Americans realized they could not retake Detroit while the British still had control of Lake Erie.

On September 10th, 1813, a homemade American fleet destroyed British aircrafts near Lake Erie. The British then pulled out of Detroit, but American forces under General William Henry Harrison overtook and defeated a combined British-Indian force at the Battle of the Thames on October 5^th. 

British received reinforcements from Europe in the summer of 1814. 10,000 British soldiers were led by General Sir George Prevost in an attempt to split New England from the rest of the country. The British met American forces at Plattsburgh on September 11th and were defeated.

On August 24th, 1814, the British army met a larger American force at Bladensburg, Maryland. American troops fled and the British went into Washington. British troops burned the presidential mansion and other public buildings in the capital. A few weeks later, the British tried to attack Baltimore, but failed to get through its defenses and gave up as a result.

The Treaty of Ghent on Christmas Eve in 1814, ended the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States. It restored the status quo, the existing state of affairs, so the United States neither gained nor lost territory. 2 weeks after the Treaty of Ghent was signed, Andrew Jackson’s troops defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans, not knowing that a peace treaty had already been signed. The Federalists wanted to secede from the Union, but not all of them agreed on this. The Hartford Convention was seen as unpatriotic and led to an end to Federalists.

Chapter 7

It was very unfortunate and sad to read about how the Native Americans, the Cherokees, kept getting their land taken away from them and how their population continued to decrease. If I was alive in the 1780’s, I probably would have been afraid of the president having too much power as well. Now I have a better understanding of why there is a Senate and Congress, which is separate from the President.

I also learned about the Bill of Rights, which gives people the most basic and necessary freedoms. I think we are very lucky and fortunate to have the Bill of Rights in this country so that we can do as we please, more or less, without being afraid of what might happen to us. I think 1790 was the beginning of when the United States started to accumulate debt, but little could they have predicted that it would still exist today, but to a much greater degree.

This sentence was particularly interesting to me, “Hamilton advocated a perpetual debt as a lasting means of uniting the economic fortunes of the nation’s creditors to the United States. This meant that there would continuously be debt and that it would never really get paid off. I thought this was very strange because I would want to get any debt paid off as soon as possible.

I agree with this sentence, “Madison and others maintained that to allow residents of the laggard states to escape heavy taxes was to reward irresponsibility.” I agree because it’s not fair to let states that owe money, get off easy without having to pay what they owe. Their irresponsibility is rewarded, which would make them think that it’s okay to be dishonest.

I was so shocked when I read that Americans drank “an average of six gallons of hard liquor per adult per year.” This is a lot of alcohol. I don’t know how people could function properly if they were drinking this much. Then I read about the Whiskey Rebellion, where people didn’t want to be taxed on their liquor so they burned buildings and attacked tax collectors.

This sentence made me feel somewhat upset and angry, ”Elected officials, they maintained, should rule in the people’s name but be independent of direct popular influence.” My understanding of this sentence is that Federalists believed that elected officials should not be affected by how popular they were among the general public. Why would you want someone to represent you or your city or state, if you don’t feel like they’re doing a good job in advocating for what you want?

I think that the Alien and Sedition Acts were very important because it meant that you had to “respect the rights of enemy citizens.” But this makes me think of Guantanamo Bay, which is very controversial. I think it’s could to keep enemies in a place separate from their homeland, if it is too dangerous for them to stay there. However, I don’t think that anybody should be tortured no matter what crime they may have committed. I do believe they should receive their fair punishment, but it should be humane and it’s important to not commit the same crimes that they may have committed otherwise, you are equal to them.

Chapter 6

Chapter 6 was a very informative chapter for me because I never knew about the Articles of Confederation and what it meant.  It was good for me to learn how a government is created, from the very early stages because it takes a lot of time and energy to try to make as many people happy as possible. I also didn’t know what the original 13 colonies were, but now I understand what it means.

I was sad to hear that the Revolution neither ended slavery nor brought equality to free blacks. I know more and more people were opposing slavery so I assumed that at least one of those would have happened as a result. I was reading about Phillis Wheatley and her poems. I think she made a very good connection between the freedoms that White Americans wanted and the liberty of slaves.

I was reading about the Native Americans and I didn’t like how in the chapter, they said, “Thus, Native Americans did not hold stubbornly to traditional ways, but they did insist on retaining control of their communities and ways of life. “ (pg.133) When they say stubborn, that is more of an opinion. Why would someone want to leave their traditional ways if that’s what they’ve been doing for a very long time? The author makes it seem like it was bad for them to want to hold on to their traditions and their people.

I also think that because of slavery, African Americans were not able to learn some of the things that White Americans did because they weren’t given the opportunity. This is quite unfortunate because I know that multi racial groups today, are the ones that are most affected in the educational system. I was wondering if there is a correlation between this and any other discrimination that people may have faced in the past, not just during the Revolution.

Thomas Paine Quote

“Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries by a government, which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer...”

― Thomas Paine, Common Sense

 

I felt like this quote best represents Chapter 6 because this was the time when the Constitution was being created from the Articles of Confederation. The original 13 colonies wanted a government, but they all had different ideas of what they had wanted. It is because they went through so many trials and errors, that the United States has its’ government today. It took a long time to get this far, but even though it is still not perfect, I’m sure it is much better than what is was back then.

This new government brought war and people were dying, which is why it is evil, according to Thomas Paine’s quote above. This quote to me, is saying that the countries that don’t have a government have the same problems as countries that do have a government. I think that all countries start at the same place. No single country is ahead of any other country. We all want the same thing. We all want to be happy and live in peace. By fighting and going to war, we are doing harm to ourselves. That is what the last part of the quote is trying to help us to understand.

I also learned that more and more people started to oppose slavery. I think the creation of a new government is what was mainly responsible for the antislavery movement being so successful. If the original 13 colonies hadn’t fought and tried to create a government, what would have happened to the slaves? I always think that everything happens for a reason.

Yay-I`m done :D