A Civil War Is Brewing: Missouri Compromise

I'm back! Thanks to Ms. Harrison for carrying on the blog the past few weeks.  She did a great job keeping this site hopping.  Once again, this blog only works well because you guys take it seriously.  I really appreciate the effort you put in each week.

So, as we look forward to the close of the school year we begin our study of the Civil War.  Over the past few blogs you've discussed slavery in the south, wage-slavery in the north, utopians, Manifest Destiny and various other topics.  This week we will look at the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and its impact on the growing division of America in the early 19th century.

To begin, visit here and here for a brief overview of this legislation.

Now examine the map below.  Consider the following questions before writing your comment this week.     -What was the overall rationale/reasoning for this compromise?
-Was this "geographical solution" the only solution to admitting new states as either slave or free?  If not, what suggestions do you have?
-What is strange about Missouri in relation to this compromise and its location on the map?

Comments: After giving a brief description of the Missouri Compromise, discuss whether or not you think the MC was an effective solution to America's problem of adding new states.  What would have done differently?  Did the MC lead to the Civil War or hold the country together until the Civil War erupted?  In other words, was the Civil War going to happen no matter what, or did the MC help cause the Civil War?

Utopia: Achievable?

The Age of Reform was a time of great societal change,  partially a result of the Second Great Awakening. Through this movement, not only were people called once again to religious fever, but also many radical religious groups formed. In these "Utopian Communities," perfection was sought after. All parts of men and women's lives were governed by their faith; all parts of life were communal and equal. Two examples of these communities were New Harmony, PA and  Oneida, NY. Read about each community. Then, compare and contrast the two settings. Do you think that one community would have been more successful implementing a Utopian Society than the other? How do you think these communities were received by the surrounding population? How do you think  they would be received today?

The Tale of a Forty-Niner

The Gold Rush changed the course of American history. As people flooded West, they had high hopes of striking a gold mine; their spirits were high during the lengthy, treacherous journey across the nation, or by sea. When they reached California, however, their lives in the boom-towns didn't exactly meet their expectations. Read this article to read a personal account of one of the many forty-niners. After you read, summarize the account and then take a minute to reflect on what life must have looked like for Mr. Sheldon Shufelt. Why do you think that Shufelt didn't stay in California? Hypothesize about how he kept his spirits high despite a disappointing season in California.

To Fight or Not to Fight: That is the Question

As you know, we have been talking about Manifest Destiny this week in class. On Thursday we are going to start talking about Texas Independence, and soon after the Mexican American War. Familiarize yourself with this **map and brief summary article so that you have a larger context to understand the war in. Then, spend a few minutes perusing this website. Figure out how the War began. Do you think that the actions that one certain president took were right? Why or why not?

**EDIT: Don't worry about the map. I have copied the summary article into a comment box (comment #3).  Since I am just getting to this change, you will have until Tuesday to complete this blog! - Ms. H

Presidents: Fill in the Blank

In the last section of Chapter 11, four different presidents and their terms are discussed in less than three pages!  Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler and James Polk's presidencies are all briefly touched on, but much is left to the imagination. Your blog assignment this week is to fill in some of these gaps.

Spend 20-30 minutes researching one of these Presidents online. Here is the White House Website which I have found helpful, but feel free to use other text and online sources! Then, write a paragraph about the President that you research which includes his education and what prompted him to run for President (don't forget to include his running mate and party!). Discuss any key events or decisions that are happened during his presidency.

For your final paragraph, try to draw a connection from the legacy of  President you choose to research to our present day government, views on the presidency or way we look at life.

Jackson

Considered common man, Andrew Jackson faced many challenges during his eight years in office, Jackson juggled the Nullification Crisis, the Indian Removal Act, the Spoils System and countless other affairs. Below, there are several videos for you to watch and learn more about this esteemed man. Pick three videos to watch and take brief notes about what you learn (this will be first half of your post).

Then, critique Jackson's presidency in light of what you have seen and read. Do you agree with his decisions? Some of them? Which ones? Why or why not? Do you think that Jackson would be elected in this day and age? Be sure to include specific reasons to justify your critique.

The Corporations 

Indian Removal

Reinventing the Presidency, Part 1 

Reinventing the Presidency, Part 2 

Was Andrew Jackson a Great President? 

What Does America Owe the Slaves? 

Just How Different Were They?: North & South in the 1800s

In Chapter 13, we will be talking about differences between the Northern and Southern States in the 1800's. In the Northern states, the nineteenth century was a time of immigration, industrialization and growth. Many immigrants, women and children worked long hours in factories trying to make enough money to make ends meet while others were climbing up the social ladder of wealth and prosperity. Watch this video to hear more about the tenements that people called home and learn "How the Other Half Lives." What surprises you about this video?

Now, I'm sure you recall that in the 1800's slavery was commonplace in the South. Even though the living conditions of slaves heavily depended on the hearts of their Slave-Master, all of the slaves experienced a rough journey to the Americas. Read this article to discover what the journey to the Americas was like for captured slaves.

For your comment this week, post about the similarities and differences between the experiences of the slaves in the South and the poor living conditions of many in Northern cities. What were the attitudes of the people "above" them?