Great Depression: Causes & Facts

I'm going to let you do some independent research for this blog.

"The Great Depression" is one of the most famous eras in American History, but as with most things, it is more complicated than at first glance.

For this week's blog, research "The Great Depression" and answer the following four questions (50 words each).

1) What exactly does the 1929 "stock market crash" mean?

2) What role did banks play in the Great Depression?

3) What types of people did not suffer during the Great Depression?

4) Do a Google Image Search on "The Great Depression" and describe the photo/image that makes the greatest impact on you.

World War One: Two Perspectives

We are doing another blog on World War One this week because one week was not enough!

Last week you chose specialized articles relating to interesting subtopics of this war.

This week I want you to get the bigger picture.

You are going to watch two crash course episodes this week. One from "US History" and one from "World History". 

For the comment sections, write a 100 word summary for EACH video. Be sure to write about both perspectives of this war-the American side (US History video) and the "world side" (World History video).

Crash Course World History Video-World War One

Crash Course US History Video-World War One

Note-Some information in both videos may be the same, considering the overall topic is the same. But...there should be a different focus from each video. Certainly enough to write two separate summaries.

World War One: The War To End All Wars...

As this week's title suggests, after World War One was completed people across the globe thought we would never have a conflict of that magnitude again. In fact, maybe somewhat obviously, World War One was not called that until we had World War Two. Up until that point, it was referred to as "The Great War".

There are so many different directions the blog can take this week. This is what I've decided...

At this website you'll find twenty-four different "eye witness accounts" of various aspects of World War One. Read the titles to find what sounds interesting and then read the article. You only have to choose ONE for this week's blog.

For the comment section, simply discuss the article you chose. What was the main point? What did you learn about World War One that you did not know? What was interesting/scary/funny/sad etc. about your article. (Make sure your comments are at least 200 words)

The Progressive Era: A Preventable Tragedy

The first years of the 20th century, before we entered World War One, are known as the "Progressive Era". Essentially, as the country modernized there were several movements to improve, or progress, our society. Naturally, everyone had their own ideas about what should be changed, how it should be changed and who was responsible for the change. Those debates continue today.

A sad legacy of this era is the preventable tragedy at the Triangle Shirt Factory in 1911. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll leave it at that for now.

For this week's blog, spend some time exploring this website. Once you have a good feel for this story, respond to these questions:

1) How could this tragedy have been prevented? (50 words)
2) Why does this story fit into the "Progressive Era"? (50 words)
3) In your opinion, is the government or citizens responsible for making changes in society? (100 words)

Teddy Roosevelt: The Most Interesting Man in the World

Probably the most incredible person to ever live in America is Teddy Roosevelt. The more you learn about his life and exploits, the more he seems like a superhero. He is placed securely in my list of "Top 5 Favorite Americans".

For this week's blog, I am going to list different aspects of Teddy's life. Choose ONE of them to research and write a 200 word blog response about what you learned. I think you'll find, no matter which topic you choose, he is the most interesting man in the world.

Topic Choices:
-Life as a child
-His time at Harvard as a student
-Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War
-Teddy Roosevelt & College Football
-His land conservation efforts (National Parks System)
-Panama Canal
-Shot and still gave a speech during the 1912 Election
-Trip on unchartered waters in the Amazon Rain Forest

Presidential Assassination: McKinley Killed in 1901

To begin our second quarter in the blog-o-sphere, you are going to examine America's third presidential assassination: William McKinley.

He was Republican who became president in 1896 and was re-elected in 1900. McKinley had successfully led America through the Spanish-American War (it took less than a year to win) and was traveling to Buffalo, New York for the Pan-American Exposition.

That's all the scene-setting I'll do. Watch this video and read this primary source to get a better handle on the events surrounding this murder.

For the comment section...

1) Write 100 words telling the story of what happened to McKinley once he arrived in Buffalo.

2) Write 100 words considering the following...
Should this "Gilded Age" era be remembered most for its successes (industrialization, urbanization, civil service reform etc.) or for its failures (corruption in politics, Native American conflicts, all the negative aspects of the immigration boom, Jim Crow era etc.)?

Gilded Age: Important Court Case

This chapter is full of interesting major and minor events falling into what we call the "Gilded Age".

One of the most important events is a court case, settled in the 1890s, called Plessy v. Ferguson. I do not want to give too much away, so let me just say the decision in this case negatively affected African Americans for the next 70+ years.

For this week's blog, do your own research on Plessy v. Ferguson. In the comment section, answer the following...
1) What is the "basic story" of the case?
2) The phrase "separate but equal" comes from this case. What does this phrase mean? How did it affect African Americans?

What About The Workers?: Employees of the Industrialization Era

Last week you all did an excellent job of profiling those men who amassed prolific wealth during this Second Industrial Revolution. For this week, you will profile the people on the other end of the spectrum.

As you saw in class last week, the fortunes of these industries were built (often) using harsh/unfair businesses practices. Unionizing soon became the best option for workers to have their rights heard. Unions differed in tactics, who they represented, who they allowed to join and how "radical" they were; but, all of these groups essentially wanted the same thing---a fair piece of the pie.

For this week, please profile ONE of the following labor leaders/unions. Write a 100 paragraph to summarize the main points and then a Top Ten List of interesting facts.

Choices
-Mother Jones
-Terrence Powederly
-Samuel Gompers
-Eugene V. Debs
-"Big" Bill Haywood
-American Federation of Labor
-Knights of Labor

Post Civil War Industrialization: A New Class of Americans

This time period is intriguing for two main reasons:
1) Certain men were able to use loopholes in the laws, as well as their own hard work, to make vast fortunes in new industrial areas

AND

2) Oftentimes, these "titans of industry" used shady business dealings and unfair treatment of their employees to make these fortunes.

For this week's blog, we will focus on the first point.

Spend some time doing your own research on ONE of the following people:
John D. Rockefeller, JP Morgan, Leland Stanford, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Cyrus Field, Jay Gould, Andrew Carnegie, John Jacob Astor, Marshall Field, John Warne Gates, Charles Schwab or Andrew Mellon.

For the comment section
A) Write a 100 word paragraph explaining how this man made his fortune.

B) Write a "Top Ten List" of the most interesting facts you learned about him during your research.

Remember, the total word count must be at least 200 words.

***You may choose the same person as another classmate, but I would like to see each guy covered at least once.***

Native American Assimilation: Kill The Indian, Save The Man

As we saw last week, not every armed conflict went the way of the US Army. At Little Bighorn, we are reminded the natives we fought against were as trained as our soldiers...perhaps more so.

As it became clear the "native problem" needed creative solutions, one phrase came to the forefront that changed the game forever.

Kill the Indian...Save The Man.

For this week's blog, read Website A and Website B for context and basic information. Then, watch this clip for more information about the Native American Assimilation program.

For the comment section, give me 50 words each for these four questions:

1) What does the phrase Kill the Indian...Save the Man mean?

2) How did we try to "Americanize" (or..."make the natives more like us") the natives?

3) What was the Carlisle Boarding School in Pennsylvania?

4) Was this system of assimilation better or worse than the wars we fought with the natives?

Western Conflicts: Battle of Little Bighorn

The Battle of Little Bighorn, in Montana, is one of the most famous "non-Civil War encounters" of the 19th century. In class post-Civil War fashion, the US Army was fighting native groups in an effort to take their land/suppress their resistance movements.

The intriguing part of Little Bighorn is the final result. It is one of the rare cases where the natives prevailed and slaughtered the Americans. Usually it was the other way.

For this week's blog, watch this video and this video. Also, read this Arapaho primary source of the event.

For the comment section...
1) What is the basic story of the Battle of Little Bighorn/Custer's Last Stand?
2) Whose side are you most sympathetic towards...the natives or the US Army? Why?

Reconstruction Stories

Welcome to the first blog post of the year. I hope you will find these weekly assignments enlightening and interesting. As with most things in school/life, you get out what you put in.

The Reconstruction Era, as you know, refers to the ten years of American History after the Civil War ended. I cannot help but note the entire period would have looked much different if Lincoln had not been assassinated in April 1865.

We will cover the main ideas of Reconstruction in class. So, for this blog, I want you to dive into some of the personal accounts of how Reconstruction affected "everyday people".  The study of history is most interesting when seen through the eyes of those who experienced the events first hand.

Please visit this website. Read the account of a first-hand experience with the KKK.

For the comment section, please complete the following tasks.
1) Summarize what you read.
2) Discuss why you think many southern whites resorted to violence against former slaves during the Reconstruction Era?

Remember, your blog must be at least 200 words and include the word count.

Major Moments: 1990s

We'll give this one more try.

For our final blog of the year (Yay!), please describe one significant political event and one significant cultural event from this decade. As always, do not post about an event someone else has taken!

Minimum: 200 words

Major Moments: 1980s

We will stick with the same theme for this week's blog. Research both important political and cultural events from the 1980s. Choose one from each category and write 100 words on their significance (200 words total).

Please remember, you will not get credit for writing about a political and/or cultural event that another classmate has already posted about in the blog. So, the sooner you "claim" yours, the better.

Major Moments From The 1970s

For this week's blog, research one important political event and one important cultural event (music, sports, movies, entertainment etc.) from the 1970s. Write a 100 word paragraph about the significance of each (200 words total).

You cannot write about an event someone else has already posted about, so the sooner you "claim" your two events, the better.

Sixties Culture: Age of Aquarius

Often, when people hear the phrase "the sixties" they think of Hippies!

Certainly one of the most commemorated and analyzed aspects of the decade, the Hippies (or counterculture movement) have become a part of the American lexicon.

This week, please listen to this song. Do some research on the history of the song.

For the comment section, answer the following questions...

1) Which phrase (or phrases) from the lyrics best represent the hippie culture to you?

2) Why could this song be considered the Hippie Anthem?

Vietnam War: A Divided Nation

This week's blog will be in four parts. Each part will cover a different aspect of the Vietnam Conflict. For each part, write 100 words for the comment section. Please don't post your comments separately. Post all four parts as one large comment. This blog is worth 100 points.

Conduct your own Google/YouTube Searches for the following topics. 

Part One: Basic Facts
-Write ten interesting facts about the Vietnam War (100 words minimum)

Part Two: Difficulties Fighting
-Describe the difficulty the U.S. Troops faced fighting "inferior troops" in the landscape of Vietnam. (100 words minimum)

Part Three: Governmental Deception
-How did the U.S. Government (LBJ Administration) cover-up/hide certain details of the Vietnam War? (100 words minimum)

Part Four: Protests At Home
-Why was there such a backlash at home, manifesting in protests and draft-dodging, regarding the Vietnam War? (100 words minimum)

Civil Rights Era: Letters From A Birmingham Jail

We all are aware of Dr. King and his legacy. Famously known for his powerful presence while giving speeches, one of his most famous moments in the civil rights movement came via the written word.

Imprisoned in 1963 for leading nonviolent protests in Birmingham, AL, MLK Jr. wrote an incredible response to eight local white ministers who thought he should "cool it".  The eight ministers took out a full page ad in the local newspaper advocating for a "Call for Unity". The group called the MLK-led protests "unwise and untimely".

Although imprisoned, King wrote a response on scraps of paper and the margins of newspaper. His "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" has become a seminal document in the defense of his cause and methods.

Please read the full text of his letter here. In the comment section, discuss what struck you the most after reading his letter.

The Stormy Sixties: 60 Iconic Moments

For a myriad of reasons, the 1960s have fascinated Americans since the decade closed almost fifty years ago. So many major political, cultural and global events occurred during those ten years it is difficult to keep them all straight.

This website provides sixty images of sixty important events (people etc.) from the decade.

For this week's blog, scroll through the sixty images. (Some are more serious than others).
Choose two of the images to further research. Then, write 100 words for each of the images you chose. (Total of 200 words)

This is a first-come-first-served type assignment. So, be sure to post your blog quickly in order to get the images you want.

This blog is due by Sunday 11:59PM on March 19th.

The First Two Postwar Presidents: Truman vs. Eisenhower

Truman and Eisenhower served as president during a very critical time during our nation's history. We had helped the Allies defeat Germany/Italy/Japan but were now faced with a new threat: the Soviet Union.

The late 1940s and the decade of the 1950s was a time of extreme economic growth in America coupled with extreme anxiety about the nuclear age. And of course, Truman and Eisenhower dealt with both in different ways.

For this week's blog, visit this website. This site is an incredible resource as we seek to compare the presidencies of Truman and Eisenhower.

Take your time and sift through the information, tables and graphs of each man. Then, in the comment section, make your case for which president you think "did a better job" in office. Be sure your response is at least 200 words.

Due to the end of the nine weeks happening on Friday, this blog is due by 11:59PM on Thursday of this week.

The Soviets Are Coming!: Premier Nikita Khrushchev Visits America

It may seem strange to you (or maybe not), but in 1959 the leader of the Soviet Union (Premier Nikita Khrushchev) visited America for almost two weeks. He visited farms, traveled to California and generally soaked up American culture.

President Eisenhower was hopeful the talks he would have with Khrushchev would ease tensions with the Soviets. Also, Americans were hopeful that the leading communist in the world would get a "taste of American freedom" and want to develop our philosophy in his country.

Well, none of those things happened. His trip to America is an interesting footnote of the Eisenhower era and marks the first time the leader of the Soviets came to America.

For this week's blog...
1.Please visit this website to view Khrushchev's itinerary from the trip.

2. Read this interview with Richard Davies from 1979. Davies was in charge of managing the press (media) when Khrushchev visited Los Angeles during his trip.

3. Finally, read part two from Davies about the Premier's interest in the American corn industry.

For the comments section, discuss what you learned from the three readings. What strikes you as interesting about this odd episode in American history?

Remember, you entry this week must be at least 400 words.

World War Two: First Hand Accounts

As we have stated many times, the best way to really connect with history is to see it/hear it/watch it/experience it from the perspective of those who lived it.

Using this website, choose ONE story from the list of eyewitness accounts from the World War II era. After you choose your story, read it and summarize what happened in the comments.

Once a story is posted about, no one else can choose that story. So, act quickly!

World War II: Propaganda Posters

As we have noticed in the past, wars are a great time to examine the "government's artwork" of the era.

For this week's blog, find an interesting WWII (be sure it is WWII and not WWI) propaganda poster and post the link to it in the comment section. Then, write 200 words about the meaning/message of the poster.

Remember, this type of blog is a first-come-first-served affair. So, if your blog post is a repeat of someone else's poster, you will not get credit. So...act fast!

The Holocaust: As The World Watched...

The Holocaust is often a topic we think we know a lot about (and maybe you do!) because it is a part of our "cultural knowledge". That is, Americans of all ages are introduced to this horrible event through movies, books and other outlets. We have a national museum in D.C. and a day every year where we remember the victims.

This week in class we will be talking about the events leading to our involvement in World War Two. The Holocaust, unfortunately, did not compel America to get involved. But of course, the Allies victory over the Axis Powers did liberate the concentration camps.

For this week, you will be visiting this website. Notice there are three sections: 1933-1938, 1939-1945 and After 1945. Each section has different article to read.

For the comment section, choose ONE article from EACH section (so, a total of three articles) and write a summary paragraph for EACH article (so, a total of three paragraphs).

The Holocaust can be a difficult topic but it is important to be reminded on a regular basis of how evil the human heart is and what it can do if left unchecked.

The (First) Great Communicator: FDR's Fireside Chats

As I mentioned in class, one of the best parts of FDR's political life was his ability to connect with people. During the Great Depression, what people really need was to be reassured. Reassured that the government knew their plight and was eager to help.

FDR used the radio (remember from Chapter 8 how many homes in America now had radios?) to speak to the nation. Here is a link to his first "fireside chat".

For the comment section, listen to the entire audio on this link. Discuss what he was talking about and how he sounded. Why do you think his fireside chats were so effective?

Inner Strength: Stories From The Great Depression

History becomes the most "alive" to us when we can connect with it. When we feel it.

One of the best ways to get into that mindset is to read stories from people who experienced major events of our time.

This week, visit this website. This site is filled with quotes from survivors of the Great Depression.

Read through all the quotes. For the comment section. discuss the quotes/stories that stood out to you the most? Can you relate to these people, or do we have it so much better than they did?

Remember, you lose points if the blog is not at least 200 words.

1929 Stock Market Crash: The Signal Of The Great Depression

It's true...the stock market crash in October 1929 did not cause the Great Depression. There were various factors leading up to the difficulty of the 1930s. The "Crash" does, however, provide us with a moment in time where the confidence in America's economy that had been building since 1920 was dissipating.

For an excellent explanation of these events, visit this website. Be sure to watch the video that pops up (it's about 3 minutes long) and read the article.

For the comments section, in your own words detail what caused the "crash" AND discuss what actions President Roosevelt took to restore confidence in American banks.

Post World War One America: The "Roaring Twenties"

The years following World War One brought several changes to America. In fact, what we now consider as "normal and modern America" began around 1920. This decade saw the rise of the automobile, radio usage, consumer credit (and debt) and popular entertainment. We also experienced continued growth in labor unrest, racial violence and anti-immigrant policies.

This website has a myriad of resources on the various aspects of this fascinating decade. For the comments section, choose any four of the categories on the left-hand side of the page. Summarize what you learned from each category with fifty words (for a total of 200).