Third-Party Candidates

Throughout American elections, tracing back to the early 1800's, third-party candidates for the presidential elections have always been present. For most of our history, two main parties (Republican and Democrat in modern times) have existed, barring the ability for third-party candidates from being involved in elections. And for this reason, a third-party candidate for president have never been successful in securing an election.

Various "extraneous" parties have been president in American History: the Anti-Masonic party, the Know-Nothing Party, the Green Party, and much more. This week we are learning about Theodore Roosevelt and his formation of the Bull-Moose Party during the 1912 election.

The Bull-Moose Party essentially lasted for one election cycle was derived from Roosevelt and his supporter's anger at the political machine present in the Republican party. The Bull-Moose platform was extremely progressive and rallied for various social causes ranging from women's suffrage to labor laws. Moreover, the importance of the Bull-Moose Party is not rooted in their victories (or lack there of) but the fact that a minor party was not only able to beat a major party, but also split it. The Republican Party heavily suffered because of the Bull-Moose Party.

And thus, at least so far in American history, third party candidate's success lies not in victory but in the successive path to victory. For instance, the fact that Gary Johnson could poll higher than 5% in certain states was met with media frenzy because he was a third-party candidate. We also see that many Americans feared that if a "third-party" candidate such as Michael Bloomberg ran, he would not necessarily win, but just work to split up the Democratic Party much like Roosevelt did in 1812. Thus, we clearly see that as of now, we should watch third-party candidates with a weary eye, as 5% polling in Nevada for a third-party candidate means 5% fewer votes for a major party candidate.

The Election of 1896

In 1892 James Weaver began to spread populists ideas throughout the nation. It was not until the biggest economic crisis hit,  known as the Panic of 1893, that people began to realize that they did not approve of their current government system. People began to want a change in their system and it was not until Jacob S. Coxey came into the picture, that a revolution began. Coxey marched 200 populists supporters to the capital in demand for reforms. This led many of the people of America to support populist ideas and  want a populist leader to win the election of 1896. 
William Jennings Bryan later came involved in the election of 1896 as a nominee of the Democratic party. He was one of Lincoln's attorneys and was known as the "Great Commoner" because of his amazing speaking skills. He was nominated  to be a candidate by both democrats and populists after his "free coinage of silver speech" in 1896.
 His rival, William Mckinley of the Republican party,   believed that Bryan's idea of "free coinage of silver" would only bring America to a fall. Mckinley was very wealthy and powerful and he used it to start a campaign from home which allowed him to be seen through posters instead of in person and made people see him as the best candidate for presidency. He launched many speeches that persuaded people to fear Bryan's idea as well. As a result of Mckinley making people fear Bryan's idea, Mckinley had taken the win for presidency in 1869 (271-216 electoral votes).  

Source: http://www.ushistory.org/us/41e.asp 

A look at the Other Journalist: William Randolph Hearst

By the late nineteenth century to early twentieth, the attention of the common people had progressively waned. There was a growing need for entertainment, something that could catch the attention and mind of the people. The solution? Sensationalism, or using shocking, possibly inaccurate stories, to capture the attention of the audience. This practice was abused and perfected by two men who would transform the media we see today. One of the men, Joseph Pulitzer is very well known today, at least by his name. In his will, he donated to the university of Columbia to award an honor in journalism in his name. This award was the Pulitzer Prize, one of the most recognizable achievements today.  But who was the other man, his competitor? What did he do and why is his legacy not as remembered?


William Randolph Hearst:

His father had made a fortune in the mining industry and became a senator in California. William would inherit the San Francisco Examiner from his father. He would use this to become a newspaper tycoon. Hearst targeted urban workers- especially immigrants- favoring labor unions, municipal ownership of utilities, and taxation. He was able to pander to Irish and German readers by criticizing the British and Asian immigration. In 1898, when the American Naval Ship, Maine, blew up in an expedition to Cuba, Hearst was quick to accuse the Spaniards, sending outrage throughout America even though evidence decades later overwhelmingly shows it was a simple malfunction in the ship. In his later years, Hearst decided to pursue a career in politics. In 1903, he was elected to the House of Representatives and later narrowly missed out on being Mayor of New York City, and later governor of New York. In the 1930s, his views took a complete turnaround as he would become ultraconservative, nationalist, and anti-communist. He would speak out loudly against Franklin Roosevelt. Nearing the end of his life, Hearst's empire fell out of control. He spent lavishly on art and real estate, while failing to keep his newspapers running. By 1940, only seventeen out of forty-two remained in circulation. In 1941, the classic film Citizen Kane was released. Believing that the movie was based on him and portrayed him in a very bad manor, Hearst used his influence to limit the release of the film, ruining director Orson Welles' career. Overall, Hearst's legacy has been tarnished and is remembered as one who always tried any means necessary to grab the audience, as well as maintain his image.









Sources:
http://www.history.com/topics/william-randolph-hearst

Booker T. Washington vs. W.E.B. Du Bois: Who Was "Right"?

The late 1800s brought many demands for social reform in America, such as woman's suffrage, alcohol abolitionism, improvements for working conditions, etc. However, one of the most important reforms came from one of the longest-suppressed groups in American history: the African-Americans. Though often eclipsed by worker union strikes and the industrial revolution, the late 19th century marked the years in which the cries for African-American equality began to rise up in the throats of many across the country. The path to achieving this goal would be paved by two important, yet clashing figures: Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois.

In 1856, Booker T. Washington was born a slave in Virginia to an enslaved mother and unknown white father. He had always harbored a fascination for learning and reading, but being born African-American, he was forced to spend most of his time carrying sacks of grain. However, when he got a job as a houseboy in 1866, his employer was so impressed by his intelligence that she sent him to school for one hour a day. Washington loved education so much that by 1872, he walked 500 miles to earn a scholarship to Hampton Normal Agricultural Institute in Virginia. He graduated with high honors.

Washington was later recommended by one of his teachers at Hampton to run the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, a newly founded "colored" school. He soon developed the curriculum and environment to become one of the leading schools in the country.

It was at Tuskegee where Washington began to preach his views on civil rights. He openly, yet reluctantly, accepted racial segregation, believing that blacks were not equal to whites until they built themselves up to be politically, socially, and economically equal. His most famous speech supporting his point was the "Atlanta Compromise". In it, Washington declared, “In all things that are purely social, we can be as separate as the fingers, yet one as the hand in all things essential to mutual progress.”

In 1868, William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born a "mulatto" in Massachusetts. There, he was warmly supported by his peers and educators in his studies. However, when he left for college at Fisk University located in Tennessee, he began to first experience discrimination as well as the resentful effects of Jim Crow laws. After graduating Fisk, he went on to become the first African-American to achieve a Ph. D. from Harvard University in 1895.

He went on to work at Atlanta University as well as publish his book The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study in 1899. In this case study, he brought public attention to the term "talented tenth", which emphasized the view that a tenth of the African-American population will rise up and lead the rest of the race to glory.

Du Bois strongly opposed Washington after listening to his famous "Atlanta Compromise" speech. Rising in national popularity, he publicly argued that blacks deserved the same political, social, and economic rights as whites did, and Washington was therefore betraying his race by not believing that they were equal. Du Bois argued, "One hesitates, therefore, to criticize a life which beginning with so little, has done so much. And yet the time is come when one may speak in all sincerity and utter courtesy of the mistakes and shortcomings of Mr. Washington's career as well as of his triumphs, without being captious or envious, and without forgetting that it is easier to do ill than well in the world."

It is evident that these opposing opinions on this issue stemmed from the environments in which both men were raised. Because Du Bois was raised in a non-discriminatory, educationally nurturing environment, he was taught to believe that blacks were always intelligently equal to whites. Contrastingly, Washington was raised in an environment where he had to work around lack of resources, discrimination, and caucasian power to achieve his success, so he inferred from his own methods that it was easier to independently build himself up before heading out into the world.

Both men were of extreme importance to the culture of the civil rights movement. While this movement would not truly begin to take off until 1954, these contrasting viewpoints contributed to the strategies African-Americans would use for the next century to gain full citizen rights. Washington encouraged a more cautious method, avoiding possible risks of conflict.  Du Bois, however, commanded a more aggressive stance, demanding immediate full citizen rights to blacks. In a sense, both of these methods were used to achieve the ultimate goal. Following Washington's argument, African-Americans over the first half of the 20th century would socially, economically, and politically build themselves up as a group in America and achieve enough power to truly propel the Civil Rights Movement. Similarly, those of the 1950-1960s Civil Rights Movement also imitated Du Bois' demands for immediate equality.

Though they spent the rest of their lives arguing over the solution to this issue, both Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois ultimately worked together to lay the foundation for African-American equality in America.


WEB Du Bois and Booker T. Washington.

Sources
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/39/
http://www.biography.com/people/web-du-bois-9279924
http://www.biography.com/people/booker-t-washington-9524663
http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/booker-t-washington

The Hull House

The Hull House

Introduction:

Settlement houses were being created during the late 19th century, with the primary purpose of helping immigrants who had recently arrived in America. These houses, usually named after their architects, provided help in English, could act as daycares, and provided basic level education classes. After reading about them in past chapters, I grew interested in the Hull House specifically, and its history.

The Hull House:

Founded by Jane Addams and less notably, Ellen Gates Starr, the Hull House was founded in the year 1889, in Chicago, Illinois. Addams was inspired after visiting a social reform institute, similar to the early day Hull House, and rented out part of the Hull Mansion to launch her creation. Originally serving as a kindergarten school, which grew in popularity around this time period as well, the Hull House soon grew to include a nursery and daycare center, primarily for working mothers. As time progressed, Hull House grew in both size and prestige, eventually able to provide college level curriculum to people of all backgrounds, but still notably those who had recently emigrated to Chicago.

Legacy:

Today, the Hull House is still open and can be visited in Chicago. Now a museum, the house serves as a reminder of important social reformists, dedicated to helping immigrants. The Hull House, specifically its founders, were able to champion state child labor reforms, preventing the exploitation of child labor, and allowed for the creation of establishments and government agencies to regulate and protect underage children and minors. Additionally, the Hull House would have never garnered as much attention as it did, if it were not for pieces of literature that spread its ideals. Alice Hamilton and Florence Kelley’s novels all spread positive news about Hull House, helping the house and its attendants.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the Hull House served as a notable American social reform institution, that inspired many other settlement houses to follow in its example. These houses further spread knowledge, and assisted immigrants among others, allowing American literacy rates to be increased, and spread word of needed reforms to the American public. It is apparent that settlement houses, like the Hull House, greatly influenced American education, and without them, our country and its people would be at great danger for illiteracy.

Source:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hull-House

McKinley's Assassin

Although as a class, we didn't go in depth to discuss McKinley's assassination, understanding the motives of the man that killed him is helpful in diagnosing the social tensions of the late 19th century.

His name was Leon Czolgosz.

Like many other immigrants, he worked since childhood, and, as an adult, worked long hours in a steel mill.

  His justification for the murder was that the government was corrupt.  And he wasn't wrong (in saying that the government was a little bit corrupt).  The government under McKinley's watch had aligned itself with big business.  Before the Pendleton act, which had civil service members take exams based on merit, the government was less sound.  The Act was introduced mainly because former-President Grover Cleveland had a corrupt cabinet and was responsible for the Credit Mobiliér scandal and the whiskey ring.  After the Pendleton Act, politicians sought money from the corporations and were susceptible to cases of bribery.  The impoverished's chances of survival fell dramatically in the event of a panic.  The American dream, for many americans, was never really a possibility.

Rockefeller, one of a handful of business giants of the age, is depicted having direct control of the government.  In the background, the congress building is framed around some coal pipes.

Although McKinley was popular, he represented corporate america, which was enough to get him assassinated.  The republicans had underestimated the tension among the laboring classes, and gotten in serious trouble for it (though it wasn't directly their fault).

Today, McKinley is remembered for having helped America reach its industrial height.

Sources:

http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/william-mckinley
http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1879648_1879646_1879695,00.html 
http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=william_mckinley_1

Ragtime in the Gilded Age

The gilded age saw the emergence of very recognizable forms of music in America. As a result of slavery, African American music developed as its own genre, influenced by African rhythms and traditions. The combination of this genre with Western classical music, particularly marches, such as those composed by John Philip Sousa, led to a genre of music, known as ragtime.

Ragtime is characterized by syncopated rhythms. Put simply, this means that the notes fall on the offbeats, giving the music a light feel, well-suited for dancing. In contrast with early jazz music, ragtime was primarily spread by the sale of sheet music. whereas early jazz spread primarily through performances.

Perhaps the most famous ragtime musician was Scott Joplin. Joplin was born in 1868 in Texas into a family of railway laborers. Details around his early life are hazy, but it is known that his mother was a free black from Kentucky, while his father was a freed slave from North Carolina. While most Americans nowadays might not recognize Joplin's name, his music is recognizable to almost everybody. His most popular piece nowadays is probably "The Entertainer".  The defining characteristics of ragtime are easily identifiable in this piece, with its offbeats and light dance feel.

Ragtime was a predecessor to jazz, which grew out of New Orleans in the early 20th century. However, more surprisingly, ragtime had an influence on European classical composers of the time. Composers such as Claude Debussy and Antonín Dvořák were influenced by American ragtime music and wrote pieces of their own that copied elements from ragtime. Again, while most Americans would not be able to identify it by name, many have heard (at least the intro of) Debussy's "Golliwogg's Cakewalk".

The increasing urbanization of the United States and the emergence of a need for distraction from city life allowed forms of music such as ragtime and later jazz to take off during the gilded age. There is no doubt that ragtime and early jazz paved the way for truly American music to make its way into the world, and define the American culture on the musical scene, differentiating itself from Europe in this sense.

'
Scott Joplin

Sources:
http://www.biography.com/people/scott-joplin-9357953
http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200035811/default.html
http://jazz.about.com/od/historyjazztimeline/a/ragtime.htm

Life during the Gilded Age: Tenement Systems

During class, we talked about city life during the Gilded Age (the late 19th century). During this time period, the nation's population was growing rapidly with increasing amounts of people going from the rural to urban areas. One prominent aspect of this time period was housing. With so many people, the number of spaces that was suitable before couldn't fit everyone that was coming in now. For those who weren't rich enough to afford their own homes or pay much rent, they had to resort to less desirable accommodations. One of such areas was the tenement system.

The perfect solution to the ever growing city population was the creation of the Dumbbell Tenement: a cheap lot that is stacked vertically instead of horizontally, capable of fitting as many people as possible in as little area as possible. Built on a 25 square foot lot, the tenements were typically 5 to 8 stories high, with not much ventilation, and few air shafts. There was normally only one or two toilet. Diseases spread because they lived in close quarters. Bad sewage systems. There was little light and the air quality was very bad. In Chicago, the Fire of 1871 spread because the houses, made of wood, were so closely stacked together. The main reason they were successful was because they were cheap, so poor people could afford the dreadful houses.

The biggest response to the tenement system was the New York State Tenement  House Act of 1901. It banned poorly ventilated tenements due to health concerns, effectively ending the practice for owners unwilling to make the housing more bearable. In the 1920s, apartments would be the more interesting topic and would scrape many of the tenements. Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal Plan would implement government supported public housing. These actions would make a great step in achieving rights for the poor.

Sources:
http://ci.columbia.edu/0240s/0243_2/0243_2_s1_2_text.html
http://www.history.com/topics/tenements

Mexican American War; Military Technology of the United States and Mexican Army

the Mexican American War was a two year conflict between the United States Government and the Mexican Government. This war happened because of the problem with the annexation of Texas. Back in the 1830's American settlers had disputes with the mexican citizens who were living in Texas. Most of the American settlers wanted the United States to intervene into this conflict, however since including these states would escalate tension politically over the issue of slavery, the Jackson and Van Buren ignored this issue.

However during the 1848 the democrats especially President James K Polk's persistence to acquire new territory. In the american perspective this event was all a part of the concept called Manifest Destiny which is the term used for the United States expansion into Western Territory. Also this expansion that James K Polk allowed for slavery to be spread to Texas and other western territories.

Today, I want to specifically talk about the technological and weaponry innovations of the United States compared to that of Mexico.

During the Mexican American war the United States had an advantage over the Mexican army who were just starting to establish a nation after officially becoming independent from the Spanish Empire in 1821. Mexico was a government had only survived 20 to 25 years after their successful independence when they got into a military conflict with the United States. This meant that the Mexican military wasn't as capable of making advanced technology compared to the United States  that has survived as a nation for 65 years after their independence.

Mexican American War: United States and Mexican Military Technology

With that being said, the United States had already started to establish railroads allowing for resources to travel rapidly across North America, and steamboats were established in the United States in 1807. These new transportation innovations were able to help the soldiers who were fighting wars especially during the Mexican American war.

Also the United States had advanced communication technology such as the telegraph and this technology was able to help get messages across to the soldiers fighting in the Mexican american war. Basically, the United States was able to effectively progress their war efforts since important information could be passed on in a rapid pace.

Also the United States was able to process weapons such as muskets, rifles, pistols, colt revolvers, bayonets, swords and artillery pieces. However the most significant weapon that was able to determine the fate of the United States victory was the 0.69 caliber shotgun that was able to accurately hit targets which were 100 feet away. Cannon and cannonball shells were effective at targeting soldiers 300 feet away.

The frequent use of these weapons were able to decide who was stronger and who was weaker during this war. The weapons made by the United States were most likely able to work since the United States factories were efficient at producing weapons needed for the war efforts.

On the other hand the mexicans had at least some capability to stand up to the United States as regards to technology and weaponry. Similar to the United States they too had weapons such as cannons, muskets, pistols, swords and rifles. However other than that they lacked in resources which meant that even though they had tremendous amounts of soldiers, it was nearly impossible to achieve a complete victory against the United States. The Mexicans also had a disadvantage because the Mexicans were not able to make canons that could shot accurately from 300 feet away meaning that they had no long range weapons that could possibly protect them from man to man combat. The mexicans throughout this war needed to use military tactics to outmaneuver the United States rather than to continuously have direct confrontation with them. These weapons are significant because it somewhat reflects on the economic progress of the United States and it also does show the bold truth behind the fate of the United states military during the Mexican American War.


0.69 Caliber Shotgun bullets discovered

German Immigrants and the United States

The United States is the country that has the most immigrants compared to the other countries in the world, so basically this country is sometimes called "a heaven for immigrants". If we hear the word "immigrant" inside of the United States,  we might think immediately about Chinese, Indian, or Mexicans. In the news today we sometimes hear pessimistic comments or racial slurs towards immigrants or we can hear immigrants being praised for their dedication to improve the United States.

Personally, I am a immigrant from Japan who moved to the United States when I was three years old. I believe that the United States is amazing since it has provided me the opportunity to be proficient in two languages Japanese and English. 

Recently, as I have been trying to catch up on this  blog post assignments for this class, I thought that it would be interesting to research the immigrants to the United States during the pre civil war period. I wanted to research this since it is personally an interesting topic for me.

So, I've been trying to research this topic about "immigrants before the civil war period". First, all I stumbled across was articles that talked briefly about the Potato Famine and the mistreatment of the Irish Immigrants when they moved to the United States. I didn't want this article to be redundant. So, I took more time to research about this topic.

The next interesting and educational article that I discovered described the German, Irish and Chinese immigrants, and it went into some detail about how the citizens of the United States reacted. However there were many facts that were a repeat of what we already went over in class!

As I kept on researching finally I found an article that went into tremendous detail about a certain topic, and this was particularly unique. This concept was the German immigrants who moved to the United States. The Germans are very special since most of them are not suffering from poverty, such as the Irish or the Chinese immigrants. Most of them were actually very wealthy when they stepping foot onto the United States soil, and thus a large portion of them could have the fortune to move out to the west. 

Also, there was another reason that this concept caught my attention. There are still many German speaking cities and societies across the United States. And, I felt that it was impressive that the German immigrants were still able to maintain their culture, tradition and culture throughout the many years of being a resident in a highly English dominant country.

These reasons motivated me to read this article about the German immigrants and it had an abundance of information since it described the German immigrants from the colonial era all the way until the present day. As I started reading this article I concentrated mostly on the German immigrants of the Colonial Era, the Jacksonian Era, and the Pre Civil War. I took note of what sections of the article where this was discussed. As I did this two questions popped up into my mind. These two questions were these. What was the motivation for the German to move to the United States. The other question I had was, what religion, custom, or culture did these German immigrants have. In this article I will answer both of these questions while focusing on the three topics.

German Immigrants in the United States (Colonial Era to the Civil War)

Part 1: Colonial America and German Immigrants 

   First of all the most important thing to keep in mind is that the German immigrants who moved to the United States are mostly protestant since Martin Luther, the founder of the protestant sect, is from Germany. There are some exceptions to this. Some of the German immigrants are Jewish or Catholic. The German immigrants who were Catholic or Jewish will face discrimination from the Protestant Germans and this will continue up to the Civil War era. Because the German citizens wanted to avoid further political turmoil inside of their own country, their main motivation became to set sail for the United States (which was known as the "Thirteen Colonies" during the colonial era). At the same time this happened, Germany was divided into many different autonomous territories which only worsened the political tension. Also, the European monarch from other countries persistently tried to invade Germany. As this happened conservative protestant groups who were concerned with the war became the first ones to move to the United States.

The first group of Germans who came into the United States was a group called the Mennonites. Then followed the Amish, the Society of Friends, German Brethen, Quakers, and the Dunkards who just started to establish a life in the United States between 1650 and 1776.  All of these groups might be unfamiliar, so to make you have a better understanding about them I will give you a big hint about these immigrants. They all lived in Pennsylvania. These german immigrants had little to no loyalty for the British Empire. Because of this they were able to establish relatively isolated communities from the rest of the colonies which was one of the ways these German immigrants were able to preserve their culture, language, and heritage.

Some of these groups of German immigrants were Anti Baptists which meant that some of these communities of people  were completely opposed to baptizing children.

One of the most famous well known groups of these German immigrants that are still known of today are the Amish and the Quakers. So first, let's understand and learn more about the Quakers or the so called the "Society of Friends". This group was founded at the end of the Protestant Reformation which took place in Europe (especially in Germany) during the 16th and 17th century. One of the main reasons for them to immigrate to the United States was because they were confident that they could convert many people in the 13 colonies to become protestant. Even though this was originally their mission, these Quakers settled down in the Pennsylvania starting from the 1750's and they dominated the politics of this region. Some other protestants immigrated to the elsewhere (by that I mean other British Colonies), but the British in the other colonies suspected that the Germans were threatening the Authority of the Church of England. The church of England was Anglican, and they thought that protestants were a threat.

So let me get more into who the quakers were. So first let's start off with talking about the first Quaker mission who made it to the United States. The first Quaker mission led by Mary Fisher and Ann Austin landed in Boston in 1656. Even though these quakers just wanted to settle down peacefully and establish a suitable life, already the Puritans lived there. The puritans were not welcoming to the new German settlers, since they didn't want to share the rights to these new settlers. Since the Puritans who had already settled down in Boston were hostile, this lead to the German settlers to leave this colony. Many Puritans burned the books that the Quakers read, and they also tried to defend their shores from further settlers setting foot on the colony. The pilgrim farmers also decided that it would be the best to confiscate the items of the items of that the Quakers brought with them.

The second Quaker mission was sent out to the Massachusetts Bay Colony which was lead by George Fox. However it completely failed since the other religious white settlers who were already in the Massachusetts Bay Colony prosecuted and banished these Quakers. The Quakers then decided that it would be wise to set up their own colony next to Massachusetts (on Rhode Island) and establish their own community there so that they would be completely free from religious prosecution.

There was an overwhelming amounts of Puritans (Quakers) started to pour into Rhode Colony seeking their own freedom, so that they wouldn't be controlled by the Massachusetts government. The Quakers had another escape place from the Massachusetts Bay Colonies and Boston. This was Maryland. Maryland as the textbook mentioned was lead by Lord Baltimore who continuously accepted the refugees who were Quakers into his society and the quakers blended into society. All of these events of independence and taking away the land owned by the British became a problem. However this all settled down when William Penn came along and established a small society where all of the kids, woman and men who were protestant and were a part of the Quakers members. So the Germans felt that the only safe place for them to actually safe hevan for them such as Pennsylvania. When Pennsylvania was built, it was dominated by puritans and they controlled the laws. This is why most of the Quakers were able to opposed to other realizations since everybody who was a threat.

Quakers enjoyed the complementary reform of the bible. One of the most famous people is William Penn who was able to establish a Pennsylvanian government which spread freedom, justice, and equality to all of the protestant German followers. Surprisingly the Quakers did the same with the Native Americans who they made peace with. A majority of the quakers were ambitious to establish an isolated society with the rest of the world which they thought opposed their views. The Quakers were able to govern their own colony and society in Pennsylvania for thirty years, and they for that amount of time the Quakers were able to carry out their views. However after these peaceful 30 years, the British Empire kept on sending people and immigrants to the 13 American Colonies continuously which meant that the Quakers views and ideals were challenged. As more immigrants arrived in Pennsylvania the quaker government in the colony started to deteriorate.

 Even though the Quaker government was deteriorated due to the changing society in the colonies, many groups of Quakers still existed. These Quakers will continuously endure more struggle in the upcoming century. As the Quakers were trying to isolate themselves during this new time period they experience two struggles. First is the [french and indian war] the thirteen colonies (United States) and England started getting into conflict with each other which eventually escalated to what we know as the Revolutionary War.  

The first struggle that the Quakers faced was the French and Indian War (a conflict between the British Empire and the French Empire). The people who were Loyalists of the British Empire urged these quakers to serve the war, but most Quakers refused to do so. This plan worked successfully for the Quakers. Next the thirteen colonies (United States) and England started getting into conflict with each other which eventually escalated to what we know as the Revolutionary War. The Quakers who were pacifists initially thought that fighting this war wasn't such a great idea. However they felt that this was the opportunity to ban slavery. They Quakers eventually made their way into federal politics and they urged the United States Government to abolish slavery. Furthermore, the Quakers wished that the blacks could be allowed equal freedom such as the whites, and they strongly believed that the blacks should have equal citizenship to others in the country. Because of this action the Quakers are the first known people who have stood up to the injustices of slavery in United States history. They also urged the United States Government to give back the native Americans land that they lost and to treat them as foreign nations. They claimed that if the United states was to kick out the Native Americans then they would be doing something unconstitutional. However the Quakers didn't support woman's rights since they believed that a woman should have a traditional housing role.

The Amish were a little bit different but they were mostly the same people who tried to live traditional lives such as the Quakers. Like the Quakers they believed that Non Violence and Pacifism was essential to truly uphold the Protestant Religion. One of the most unique aspects about them is that they actually maintained their own culture and language. The Amish people invented something called “Pensylvanian Deutsch” or “Pensylvanian Dutch”. The Amish people don’t speak Dutch, the national language of the Netherlands, but the they speak German. The Amish people speak a dialect of German. This dialect of German that they have created has many english lonewords meaning that there are more English words that are integrated into this German dialect. 

These Amish people still live today in isolated communities inside of the United States and they are mostly in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and  Indiana. Unlike the Quakers they believe that a teenager or a adult should be baptized before they get married. These Amish people started immigrating into the United States since when they integrated with the Quakers. The Amish people were able to immigrate into the United States and they were able to establish a city called Germantown. Many more amish continuously moved to the United states even during the revolutionary war and they enlarged the Pensylvanian protestant population. During the napoleonic wars Germany was invaded by France and Napoleon’s army declared that all of the population serve in his army. The Amish wanted to avoid joining or participating in the French Military, so they decided that they will move in large numbers to pennsylvania. This eventually lead up to a massive immigration into the United States during the early 19th Century. During the mid 19th Century the Amish start establishing communities out in Ohio and Indiana. These conservative groups were faced with tremendous difficulties as the society inside of the United States continuously became liberalized due to the rapid advancement in technology and other innovations. However the Amish continue to exist today.

Part 3 Immigrants After the Colonial Era    

In 1836 when the United States was becoming a protestant dominated country, the German immigrant who was catholic named John Nepomucene Neumann moved to the United States establishing a catholic majority inside of the United States. He was a priest and he was able to create a German speaking Catholic community within the United States. During 1848 just 12 years before the American Civil War the German monarch failed to unite and political turmoil began which prevented democracy from being spread to the Germans who were hopeful. These Germans immigrated to the United States, and they started to enlarge the German speaking communities across in the United States. Most of the Germans maintained their tradition, religion and culture. These German immigrants were more liberal and they were rich as they purchased territory and land out in the west away from the major cities. In the 1860’s the United States became populated with German speaking citizens, and 1.3 German Born immigrants came into the United States. AS this happened 200 newspapers, articles and magazines companies published everything in German. As this happened the German language became popular within the United States and the German Language became as dominant as the English Language.

 

    So to summarize, the German immigrants who came into the United States during colonial america were the conservative and mostly protestant, They established Pennsylvanian community just for them, and they dominated the politics in Pennsylvania during  Colonial America. The Influx of German religious refugees especially the Amish immigrated to the United States and integrated with the protestant religions that were there. Then, in 1839 when the majority of protestant americans and Catholic immigrants were in conflict, the First German Catholic community was created. In 1848 Germans who were more liberal came into the United States escaping political turmoil inside of Germany. Then in 1860’s the German influence in the United States thrived and German also became a dominant language besides English. Even though, I am not personally religious it is interesting how there are many different reasons other than poverty that can drive an immigrant to come to the United States. It could be social or political reasons rather than economic or financial problems. Also I believe that this topic shows a lot how powerful immigrants are, especially those who are able to maintain their own religion, tradition or culture. I believe that it is important to share this knowledge since it is important to understand who the truth about immigrants.

Stand Wattie and Ely Parker: Native American Leaders of the Civil War

Native Americans played a significant role in the Civil War, on both sides of the fighting, and this can be seen in the characters of two important leaders, Ely Parker and Stand Wattie.

Ely Parker was a military leader who supported the Union during the era of the Civil War. He was a Native American from the Seneca tribe, born in New York in 1828, and he studied his grandfather’s Iroquois religion. He also committed to the Baptist religion, which brought him closer to the society of the white men.

He maintained two cultures so this allowed him to support peaceful relationships with the United States Government and the Native American Tribes, especially the Iroquois. Early in his career, Parker was the captain of engineers for the New York State Militia, and then served as an attorney. After the Civil War began, Parker became a lieutenant colonel then was promoted by General Ulysses S. Grant to serve him as an adjutant, or a senior advisor, in 1863. According to the book, “The Life of General Ely S. Parker” written by Arthur C. Parker, General Robert E. Lee said that he was “glad to see one real American here” at the moment he saw Ely Parker at the Confederate surrender in Appomattox. Parker responded by saying, “We are all Americans,” while gladly shaking the Confederate General’s hand.  After the war, in 1869, Parker was commissioned by Ulysses S. Grant’s presidential administration to become the Commissioner of Native American Affairs. When Parker was given this position, he set out to advance the Fort Laramie Treaty with the help of the President and the Oglala Sioux chief named Red Cloud, though the treaty was a failure. Furthermore, the religious leaders of Congress continued to refuse to allow him to support the presidential administration and he was basically attacked by many people for this position.  The House of Representatives conducted an investigation on Ulysses S Grant, and accused Parker of fraud, illegal contracts, and violations of the law forcing him to resign  because of his ruined reputation. After this unfortunate failure, Parker went on to spend the rest of his life in poverty.

Although many northern Native Americans like Ely Parker supported the Union, many Native Americans from the South, such as the Cherokees, supported the Confederacy.

Stand Watie was a Native American of the Cherokee tribe who was born in 1806 in Georgia. He invested much of his time in learning more about the white American ways than developing his own Native American culture.  Watie had to suffer from the Indian Removal Act of 1831, where Native Americans were forced by the United States Military to move to Oklahoma.  The United States Federal Troops were placed around the reservations so that the Cherokee Tribe would stay on the reservation in Oklahoma, which was a success. When this happened, his uncle and brother were put on trial and then executed by the Cherokee tribal government as punishment for giving up their tribal lands.Most of the citizens of the Cherokee Nation supported Stand Wattie’s uncle and brother since they were infuriated by this removal. Wattie plotted revenge as he attempted to murder James Foreman, one of the people who killed his uncle, but he was acquitted for this murder. After that incident, in Oklahoma, Watie became a court attorney for the Cherokee Supreme Court and used slaves to create a large and successful plantation.

 

In 1862, he became the chief of the Cherokee Nation.  During the turmoil and political change of the Civil War, Watie took advantage in order to rise to power militarily, supporting the Southern Confederate army. He was a tremendously skilled cavalry rider, so he instantaneously caught the attention of the Confederates. He was promoted to general during the civil war, and he was able to organize a Cherokee Native American Regiment.

   Even though the Confederate military and the Confederate government officially surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9th, 1865, Watie continued to fight for the Confederate cause, but two months later he became the last Confederate general who surrendered. After the war, he was majorly criticized by his people since he has sent out many Cherokee Native Americans to death in battle.

Watie eventually gave up his leadership of the Cherokees and moved to his home in Honey Creek, Oklahoma.There he grew tobacco and made profits with his nephew.  However, a federal tax was imposed on his tobacco, and he refused to pay, which led him to suffer from a debt. He died in 1871 in Oklahoma as part of the Cherokee Nation.

Ely Parker (Picture Below)

Stand Wattie (Picture Below)

city stress relievers

           Around the late 1800s, cities began growing immensely in population. More additions of innovative and extremely efficient technologies, such as George Eastman's camera and Jan Matzelinger's automatic shoe making machine, simplified people's daily tasks. Despite this, urban lifestyles were often stressful for many people. Families were being separated due to having to work long hours in their jobs; the difficulty of being to be with family due to individual differences in job shift hours led to divorces in many city families. 

          Cities realized that the larger they grew, they would more easily be able to support a larger amount of entertainment for their citizens who were often feeling overwhelmed from their hectic lifestyles and jobs. The more people that moved into the city, the demand for people who wanted to have leisurely opportunities increased. Soon, various entertainment businesses began popping up in cities.  Because more products had to be manufactured in order to keep up with the growing population of people in the cities, small stores began combining into large department stores, such as Marshalls and Macys, where they offered shoppers all their necessities in one place. For instance, Albert Spaulding's opening of sports stores showed the increasing interest of people wanting to participate in recreational activities as a way to relieve stress from their busy city lives. 

           Since cities were so large, this allowed them to be able to establish professional sports organizations such as the Major League Baseball association. In fact, baseball was becoming more popular that during the early 1900s, baseball became America's main pastime. Not only were people watching sports, but also more people saw sports as a recreational activity. The YMCA, for example, provided an outlet where everyone could come to learn how to play sports- the enjoyment that participants experienced from playing sports with others in their community positively influenced them; people began to realize the many benefits of exercising, including an increased sense of discipline that would play an important role in running businesses. Additionally, bachelor sports, which included boxing and pool, became a new way for young single men to meet others.

    From this, it can be seen that not only were these activities a source of entertainment for busy city individuals, but also they played an important role in growing their relationships, therefore adding more pleasure into their lives.

Sports and SImple Entertainment In the Late 19th Century

Introduction:
During the late 19th century, as city populations rose, there was an improvement in culture and entertainment. The biggest form of entertainment during this time were sports. Although people during this time were very busy, they used their limited free time to participate in leisure activities. There was a national "sports craze", where more and more people became interested in watching sports like boxing, baseball, basketball, and football.

Baseball:
Baseball started off as a casual gentlemen's game and ended up becoming a big form of entertainment in the US in the late 19th century. The National League was established in 1876, with different teams touring the country. Lots of playing fields and stadiums were made in cities, most notably Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. There were some racial divides in baseball during this time, African Americans were not allowed to play professional baseball, yet Moses Fleetwood Walker, an African-American man, joined the MLB in 1884.

Other Sports:
Intended to be a revised version of popular European sport Rugby, American Football became popular mostly at the college level, but it didn't draw in a crowd from the common folk. Boxing, adopted from England, became popular as a late night sport for workers, where they would often gamble. Basketball was established in 1891 as a less injury-inducing sport than football. It was a popular activity during the wintertime.

Vaudeville Shows:
The Vaudeville show was a popular circus-like event that provided a variety of entertainment for the common folk. It was made up of different acts, from singing to acrobatics. It traveled the country and became massively popular. They were meant to be "clean" and "family friendly", so no liquor was allowed in the show.

The Bicycle:
In 1885, the bicycle became a hit as a good way to get exercise and have fun. The high wheel bicycle was also a preferred version of the bike since it became a part of women's fashion. It ended up becoming an everyday tool for people to get around places who couldn't afford a car.

Sources:
http://www.ushistory.org/us/39b.asp
http://amhistory.si.edu/onthemove/themes/story_69_2.html
http://www.kansasheritage.org/people/naismith.html
http://www.tucsonweekly.com/tucson/a-brief-history-of-boxing/Content?oid=1083475
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/vaudeville-about-vaudeville/721/

William Magear Tweed: The Boss

William Magear Tweed: The Boss

Introduction:

The political machine system, also known as the “boss” system, was dominant during the late 19th century, and is still present today. These political machines were able to wield an enormous amount of power, in some cases even reaching the national level. However, most bosses were content to control their local domain through various tactics and methods, including corruption. Yet, despite all of this, one of the “bosses,” stood out among the rest. Saying, “I don’t care who does the electing, so long as I get to do the nominating,” and “As long as I count the votes, what are you going to do about it,” Boss Tweed was notorious. William Magear Tweed controlled Tammany Hall of New York, and would become the most caricatured and infamous “boss” in American history.

Early Political History:

William Magear Tweed, soon to be known as Boss Tweed, was elected to his first government position in 1851. In 1852, he was elected to Congress, and in 1856, he managed to consolidate his position in Tammany Hall. Tammany Hall was an executive committee under the Democratic Party in New York, and would be influential and a necessity in Boss Tweed’s domination. Through his numerous political offices, the boss was able to place his friends in important offices, creating the legendary Tweed Ring. In 1860, Tweed wielded an immense amount of power, then being the head of Tammany Hall, thereby controlling the party’s city nominations. He was able to place friends and other individuals in vast positions of power, such as in the Senate and House of Representatives. Tweed was later able to control the entire government of New York, creating a cycle of money flowing directly to him. Recall that bosses used their influence to get into positions of political power, use that political power to gain inside secrets and other valuable knowledge, eventually extorting it for financial gain, all being distributed back to the boss and politicians, creating a vicious cycle. Boss Tweed used this system, with minor changes, and instead of focusing on insider information, he funneled through the city legislature numerous overpriced bids, all leading to the city overcompensating him drastically.

Conclusion:

Despite the tremendous power and influence Tweed had over New York, he was eventually arrested, and the movement to take him down became a key focus of many reformers. He eventually died in prison, but served as a symbol to all as the epitome of the political machine system. Boss Tweed was able to receive amounts ranging from 30-200 million dollars from New York through his illegal methods, and was able to avoid prison time for a ridiculously long period of time. It is also important to note that the boss, despite only reaching power through illegal means, is still regarded as an “American politician” today.

Source:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Magear-Tweed