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!