American History 121 -- Fall 2009

Valley of the Shadow

Post your findings here on the Valley of the Shadow project as discussed in class. Pay particular attention to what people in the North and South are saying before and during the war. Have attitudes changed at all?

Fugitive Slave Act

When you read the Fugitive Slave Act, what does it tell you about the political climate in conuntry -- both the North and the South -- concerning slavery. Remember, this act becomes law in 1850 and the Civil War is 11 years away. Do you think it may have made things worse concerning the push towards war? Do you think it's an attempt by the North to appease the South or is it a vain attempt to postpone the inevitable -- Civil War? How would you feel about this act if you lived in the North? AND, do you see any correlation between this act and current events?

Manifest Destiny!

Do you think concept of Manifest Destiny as the United States applied it in the 19th century was valid? After all, it added what is now Texas, New Mexico, and California to the U.S. Do you belive the attitude (rather than the practice) of Manifest Destiny is alive in the United States today? If so, is it good or bad?

Interesting bumper sticker....what do you think?

I'm asking you to think back a few weeks in our studies on this question, but on my way to work one morning, I got behind a woman with two bumper stickers on her car. One said: "Since when is dissent patriotic?" It was next to a bumper sticker that said "NO Socialism."

Knowing what you now know so far about American history, particularly about the American Revolution and the rhetoric the colonists engaged in against the government of Great Britain, is it fair to say dissent -- defined here, and seemingly by the bumper sticker, as disagreement with the government and the "established" agenda -- is unpatriotic? I would argue that dissent is the very manifestation of patriotism. What do you think? (You don't have to agree).  What about the "NO Socialism" bumper sticker? To answer this, you'll need to know something about socialism, especially its attitudes toward public dissent (google it). How might the two bumper stickers contradict each other?

Do you think the person who owned the car would be more of a Jacksonian Democrat or Hamiltonian Federalist/Whig?

Knowing what you now know so far about American history, particularly about the American Revolution and the rhetoric the colonists engaged in against the government of Great Britain, is it fair to say dissent -- defined here, and seemingly by the bumper sticker, as disagreement with the government and the "established" agenda -- is unpatriotic? I would argue that dissent is the very manifestation of patriotism. What do you think? (You don't have to agree).  What about the "NO Socialism" bumper sticker? To answer this, you'll need to know something about socialism, especially its attitudes toward public dissent (google it). How might the two bumper stickers contradict each other?

Do you think the person who owned the car would be more of a Jacksonian Democrat or Hamiltonian Federalist/Whig?

Questions about the test??

If you have any questions about test material post them here. Also, Cynthia suggested a study group meeting Friday at 7:00 at NOVA. Email her directly if interested: cda2995@email.vccs.edu.

I haven' posted any blog questions this week so you could concentrate on the test.

Slave Narratives From Born into Slavery

As I mentioned in class, I want you to read one of the listed slave narratives at the Library of Congress's, Born into Slavery, and describe it here. I want you to pay particular attention to how the slave you pick describes his/her experience with slavery. Was it a good experience or bad one?  How were they treated? What did they think of emancipation? What else did you notice?

ALSO, After reading the three slave spirituals posted on the course calendar for Week 10, is there any single theme or message that runs throuhout them all? Why do you think they have a more "Old Testement" feel to them?

As I mentioned in class, I want you to read one of the listed slave narratives at the Library of Congress's, Born into Slavery, and describe it here. I want you to pay particular attention to how the slave you pick describes his/her experience with slavery. Was it a good experience or bad one?  How were they treated? What did they think of emancipation? What else did you notice?

ALSO, After reading the three slave spirituals posted on the course calendar for Week 10, is there any single theme or message that runs throuhout them all? Why do you think they have a more "Old Testement" feel to them?

Political Parties

George Washington believed that political parties, such as the Federalists and the Jeffersonian Republicans, would be bad for the country, that they had the potential to rip the country appart and should be avoided. However, despite the political tensions between the Federalists (Hamilton) and the Republicans (Jefferson) that we discussed in class, how could it be argued that political parties actually saved the country? Do you see them as beneficial to the political process today? Do you agree or disagree with our brief discussion in class that a "third-party" (some party other than the Democrats or Republicans) could not take hold in this country?

Electoral College....What do you think?

As promised, here is the link to the electoral college web site. Do you think we should get rid of the Electoral College or keep it?

>>>ELECTORAL COLLEGE LINK<<<

TEST QUESTIONS

Post any questions you may have related to the test and material here. If you have a question, chances are other people in the class do as well. And it's also a chance for you to help one another.

Articles of Confederation vs. the Constitution of the U.S.

After reading the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution of the U.S., what is the most obvious difference between these two documents?

Considering the Constitution itself, what does the Constitution say about slavery? What does it say about political parties? What is the only crime mentioned in the Constitution and why do you think it’s in there?  

 

Lastly, when you read the Constitution and then the Bill of Rights (the first 10 amendments to the Constitution) what does each one accomplish in your view?

Did the British have a point?

Based on what we've discussed in class so far and what you've read in your book, do you think the British had good reason to tax the colonies and assert the power of the British government? Were they "right"? Why/why not.  At what point do you think the whole "crisis" could have been stopped? There's no right or wrong answer here.