A) Arms and space race

The space race – Was the competition to increase weapon or space technology a cause or effect of the Cold War between the US and USSR?

Directions: follow the links through the website posted below and create a FACT OR FICTION chart or game highlighting THREE aspects of the space and arms race (see my sample) You will be presenting this chart/ game art

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/experience/technology/


B) Cold War Culture: Literature

Read and illustrate a chapter or two from the CNN Cold War novel in a four panel comic strip. Be sure to identify frames that reflect the culture of the Cold War.

Your assessment should answer the question: How could literature be used to spread anti-Soviet or anti-American propaganda in the Cold War?


C) Cold War Culture: Film
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/experience/culture/

Read the article at the link below and create a poster or film review responding to the follwing question:

How was Hollywood affected by the politics of the Cold War?

Watch pieces of these films on You Tube and answer the question


D) Cold War Espionage and spying: Threat or Propaganda?

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/experience/spies/

Explore the resources on the website below and create a chart or four minute debate responding to the question above. Be sure to refer to at least four specific historical details in response to the question.

Swinging Sixties and Seventies mini-project introduction

For your final project of the year you will be composing a two page achievement-focused biography on a prominent figure from the 1960s or 1970s.

In order to get you ready for writing the paper, prepare a blog or creative assessment answering TWO of the questions that you must prep for the interview (answer them in first person in a blog, diary entry, video interview or any creative format you like, must be 200 words):

1. What achievements in your life are you most proud of?
2. Identify one decision or experience from your life that you truly regret.
3. If you could meet anyone from history (fact or fiction), who would it be and why?
(Ms. Francis)
4. What are your views on the a) civil rights b) feminist c) anti-war movement?

CITE YOUR SOURCES!!!

Blog due Saturday, 5/31

Paper/ Project Due Tuesday, 6/3

Paper/ Project Requirements:
A biographical blog, paper or creative assessment (poster, scrapbook, powerpoint, etc.) identifying the key achievements and enduring impact of the person you selected - at least 300 words PLUS three works cited in MLA format. (One must be a primary source.)

Additional notes for speed dating are fine.

This will be a project grade so dress the part. (+10!)

Rubric:
Paper will be worth 40%, graphic organizer 30% and blog/ notes for the dates 30%


Choices for your leader include: (YOU MUST SIGN UP ON MY DOOR SO WE DON'T HAVE DOUBLES)

Civil Rights - Martin Luther King, Jr. Ella Baker, Jim Zwerg, Medgar Evers, John Lewis, Fannie Lou Hamer, Angela Davis, Malcolm X, Jo Ann Gibson Robinson, Rosa Parks

Women's Rights - Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Rachel Carson, Margaret Chase Smith

Political Leaders - John F. Kennedy, Robert "Bobby" Kennedy, "Bull" Connor, Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis, Dwight Eisenhower, Lyndon Johnson, George Wallace, Richard Daley

Latin American and Chicano Rights - Feliepe Luciano, Denise Oliver, Cesar Chavez, David Sanchez

American Indian Movement Leaders- Leonard Peltier, Maxine Hong Kingston

Black Power Leaders- Stokley Carmichael, Hewey P. Newton, Elaine Brown

Counter culture leaders - Abbie Hoffman, Patty Hearst, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell,
Joan Baez, Allen Ginsberg, Tim Leary

Gay Rights Activists - Harvey Milk, Craig Rodwell, Brenda Howard

WWII and modern controversey debate reflection

This week we debated three ethical questions in relationship to their historical context as well as modern current events:

a) Should nuclear weapons be proliferated (destroyed)? Is the use of weapons of mass destruction ever justified?

b) Should the US boycott Olympic games held in nations associated with human rights abuses?

c) Is the detention/ internment of cultural minorities in the interest of national security constitutional?

Your blog assignment OR creative assessment is to respond to one of these questions but NOT the topic you were assigned in class.

Be sure to explain how this topic relates to WWII and modern society. Your assessment must be at least 200 words and include specific historical details and modern-day examples.

Cite any outside research you conduct in MLA format OR provide hyperlinks.

You must respond to at least one other post if you blog.

Regents Practice Essay instead of blog/ creative assessment this week!

Directions: You will write or type a draft of this essay by Monday 5/19 . The draft will be peer edited in Ms. Provosti's class on Monday - students who have Journalism will submit their drafts to me for editing. Revisions will be due next Wednesday, 5/21.

The draft will count as a homework in US History and Lit or Journalism. The revision will be graded on the 5 point Regents rubric and that essay grade (E-F) will count as a major assignment in both US History and English (Lit or Journalism) for the final marking period.

Please bring two printed copies of your work to Lit (or History if you are in Journalism) class on monday. If you handwrite your essay, try to make a photocopy of it before coming to class.

THEMATIC ESSAY QUESTION

Directions: Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, several paragraphs addressing the task below, and a conclusion.

Theme: Equality

Task: You may use any geographic feature from your study of United States history.Some suggestions you might wish to consider include: African Americans, AsianAmericans, Native Americans, Indians, women, and persons with disabilities.You are not limited to these suggestions.In United States history, the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit ofhappiness,” as stated in the Declaration of Independence, have oftenbeen denied to certain groups of Americans.

• Identify one group from your study of United States history.
  
• Use two historical examples to show how the group has beendenied the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
  
• Identify and discuss two efforts that have been made to help thegroup attain “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
  
• Evaluate the extent to which the group has achieved equality today.
  

THEMATIC ESSAYGENERIC SCORING RUBRIC

Score of 5:-
Shows a thorough understanding of the theme
-Addresses all aspects of the task
-Shows an ability to analyze, evaluate, compare, and/or contrast issues and events
-Richly supports essay with relevant facts, examples, and details
-Is a well-developed essay, consistently demonstrating a logical andclear plan of organization
-Introduces the theme or problem by establishing a framework that is beyond a simple restatement of the task and concludes with a summation of the theme or problem

Score of 4:
-Shows a good understanding of the theme
-Addresses all aspects of the task
-Shows an ability to analyze, evaluate, compare, and/or contrast issues and events
-Includes relevant examples and details, but may not support all aspects of the task evenly
-Is a well-developed essay, demonstrating a logical and clear plan of organization
-Introduces the theme or problem by establishing a framework that is beyond a simple restatement of the task and concludes with a summation of the theme or problem

Score of 3:
-Shows a satisfactory understanding of the theme or problem-Addresses most aspects of the task or addresses all aspects in a limited way
-Shows an ability to analyze or evaluate issues and events, but not in any depth
-Includes some facts, examples, and details
-Is a satisfactorily developed essay, demonstrating a general plan of organization
-Introduces the theme or problem by repeating the task and concludes by repeating the theme or problem

Score of 2:
-Shows limited understanding of the theme or problem
-Attempts to address the task-Develops a faulty analysis or evaluation of issues and events
-Includes few facts, examples, and details, and may include information that containsinaccuracies
-Is a poorly organized essay lacking focus
-Fails to introduce or summarize the theme or problem

Score of 1:
-Shows limited understanding of the theme or problem
-Lacks an analysis or evaluation of the issues and events
-Includes little or no accurate or relevant facts, examples, or details
-Attempts to complete the task, but demonstrates a major weakness in organization
-Fails to introduce or summarize the theme or problem

Is it time for a New New Deal? (blog or creative assessment challenge)

Keynesian economics (pronounced /ˈkeɪnziən/, "kane-zeean"), is an economic theory based on the ideas of twentieth-century British economist John Maynard Keynes. This theory became popular in the United States during President Franklin Delano Roosevelt under his New Deal programs that were aimed at helping the nation recover from the Great Depression (1929-1936.) The state, according to Keynesian economics, can help maintain economic growth and stability in a mixed economy, in which both the public and private sectors play important roles. In the United States, this theory became popular during President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal regform programs that required vast government spending in order to restore the economy and help the nation recover from the Great Depression (1929-1936.)

1) Consider what you have learned about the New Deal as well as the positive and negative aspects of government spending to relieve poverty and social programs. Then read the following article:http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/2007/02/01/8398768/index.htm

2) Respond to the author's question "Is it Time for a New New Deal"? Be sure to support your position with facts from class and the article itself.

Your response should be 200 words and must include a response to another post.

CREATIVE ASSESSMENT OPTION
If you prefer, you may create a poster or power point on the New Deal instead.

Your poster or power point must include ALL of the following:

a) a 150 word summary (in your own words, of course) of the New Deal program and how it relates to modern US society.

b) Written analysis and inclusion of TWO primary sources (photos, political cartoons, quotes, etc.) related to the topic. Include at least one visual source. (at least 50 words more of your own analysis, for a total of at least 200 words.)

c) an MLA works cited list of works beyond class materials that helped you create this project.

DUE MONDAY 5/12 AT THE BEGINING OF CLASS

Remember to do something nice for your mom or someone who is like a mom to you on Sunday, which is Mother's Day!

What was life like in the Great Depression?

Using a variety of resources, your group will create a poster reflecting life in the Great Depression. Your poster must include:

A) - quotes from oral histories and a reflection on what they tell you about individual's experiences in this period

http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-17451_18670_18793-53511--,00.html

B) - economic statistics on prices, wages, employment, etc. Explain how these figures compare to tghe standard of living in the U.S. today

http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-15481_19268_20778-52530--,00.html

C) - a summary of how the depression affected different social and economic groups (consider farmers, teenagers, women, immigrants and migrant workers, business owners, labor unions, politicians, etc.)

Please base your summary on photographs http://history1900s.about.com/library/photos/blyindexdepression.htm

http://www.oconee.k12.sc.us/whs2/MJENSEN/www.jensen/webquest.htm

and anecdotal evidence (you may run your own searches on specific social groups)

D) a detailed one-paragraph summary of at least one primary source that is NOT a photograph that helps you respond to the framing question

(you can find your own or use the hyperlinks at the following sites: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/modules/great_depression/links.cfm

http://www.oconee.k12.sc.us/whs2/MJENSEN/www.jensen/webquest.htm)

Include images, symbols and other embelishments to make your poster visually interesting. Remember that the symbols you include should reflect the spirit and context of the era.

We will be presenting these posters in the second half of class tomorrow. Be sure each member of the group takes part in this assessment.

Exploring the Harlem Renaissance: Understaning history though literature, art and music

The Harlem Renaissance refers to an era of written and artistic creativity among African-Americans that occurred after World War I and lasted until the middle of the 1930s Depression.A major factor leading to the rise of the Harlem Renaissance was the migration of African-Americans to the northern cities.

Between 1919 and 1926, large numbers of black Americans left their rural southern states homes to move to urban centers such as New York City, Chicago, and Washington, DC.This black urban migration combined with the experimental trends occurring throughout 1920s American society and the rise of a group of radical black intellectuals all contributed to the particular styles and unprecedented success of black artists. What began as a series of literary discussions in lower Manhattan (Greenwich Village) and upper Manhattan (Harlem) was first known as the 'New Negro Movement.' Later termed the Harlem Renaissance, this movement brought unprecedented creative activity in writing, art, and music and redefined expressions of African-Americans and their heritage.

This week's blog requires that you explore the major works of several figures of the Harlem Reniassance ans consider their achievements in a historical context:

1. Identify two key figures of the Harlem Renaissance and use the research links provided by the libary of congress' website at:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/harlem/harlem.html

2. For each artist/ musician/ writer whose work you explore, identify:
a) his/her major contributions to the period
b) why his/ her work is celebrated and considered signifigant in American history.

3) Then discuss the similarites and differences of each figures' work.

In what ways do their written/musical/ artistic expressions reflect the political, economic and cultural aspects of life in Harlem in the 1920's and 30s? Use historical evidence to support your answer.

Additional sources may be found at: http://www.42explore2.com/harlem.htm

Your blog must be at least 200 words. You may incorporate images, links to music, etc. in your post. Be sure to respond to the work of one of your peers.

Image Credit: "Drawing in Two Colors" Winold Reiss, 1920.

From Prohibition to border walls: Does US immigration policy reflect or disregard the needs of society and immigrants?

Directions:

1) Actively read the Prohibition source located at the link below. Summarize the article and explain how Prohibition (the 18th Amendment) was a related to immigration and nativism in the 1920s.


Prohibition Period: 1920s from http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/article_display.cfm?HHID=441

2A. Read the two or more of the Reader’s Immigration Stories collected by New York Times reporter Julia Preston at : http://news.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/share-your-immigration-story/index.html

OR

2B. Read a recent summary of immigration policy published by the New York Times.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/i/immigration_and_refugees/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier

3. Consider these stories/ articles and what you know about immigration policy in the U.S. throughout history and today. Answer the framing question:

How has US immigration policy changed over time? Does immigration policy reflect or disregard the needs of society and/or immigrant groups in modern day society?

Use specific examples from the articles to support your answer.

Your blog must be at least 200 words.

Respond to at least one other post.

Due Saturday 4/19.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FYI- There will also be a blog to complete over break that will be due Sunday 4/25!

Any student interested in blog extra credit may complete steps 2 A and B.

Extra credit project over break: complete a 2-3 page research paper on an artist, poet, entertainer, sports figure, politician, or organized crime leader of the Roaring Twenties and/or Harlem Renaissance. Must include 2 research sources in MLA format.

Review topics for Tuesday's exam on Suffrage, WWI, the Red Scare and Great Migration

Legislation
13, 14, 15, 18, 19th Amendments
Espionage Act
Conscripton Act
Sedition Act
Shenck v. United States
Plessy v. Ferguson
Klan Act
Jim Crow Laws
Selective Service Act
Poll taxes and literacy tests

Foreign Policy
14 Points
Treaty of Versailles
Roosevelt Corollary to Monroe Doctrine
Key Figures
Susan B. Anthony
Margaret Sanger
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Cary Chapman Catt
Alice Paul
Lucy Stone
Archdude Franz Ferdinand
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Otto Von Bismark
British Prime Minister
A. Mitchell Palmer
Henry Cabot Lodge
Emma Goldman
Langston Hughes
Ida B Wells
Leon Trotsky
Woodrow Wilson
Niccolo Sacco
Bartolomeo Vanzetti
Eugene V. Debbs
Theodore Roosevelt
Booker T Washington
WEB DuBois
Vladimir Lenin
Waren G. Harding
Justice Holmes
Charles Schenck
Triple Entente
Triple Alliance

Key Events
World War I
zimmerman telegram
Sinking of Lusitania
US joins the war
Red Scare
Red Raids/ Palmer Raids
Suffrage Movement
National Women's Party Sentinel Strike
Great Migration
Paris Peace Conference

Terms
consientous objector
civil disobedience
influenza
neutrality
suffrage
communism
anarchy
self determination
non-intervention
blockade
reparations
irreconcilables
munitions
doughboy
Alscase Lorraine
Dardanelles
soverignty
sanctions
inflation
deflation
conscription

Clash of cultures: 1910's vs. 1920's!

The twenties are generally regarded as a “roaring” decade in US History. Gender, race and nationality were all redefined as was the concept of what it meant to be "American." Arts , sports and entertainment transformed society and shaped an American identity of consumerism and leisure. This weeks’ blog asks that you consider how the US in the 1910’s differed from the US a decade later by responding to the question “Did the roaring twenties mark the emergence of a radically different American culture or were they simply a result of political, economic and social progress?”

Read the introductory passage from the “Clash of Cultures, the 1910’s and 1920’s” homepage.

http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/clash/Introduction/Intro.htm

Then, chose two of the following topics to investigate further:

a) Prohibition (18^th Amendment banning the sale and consumption of alcohol)

http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/clash/Prohibition/prohibition-page1.htm

b) Immigration restrictions and the Ku Klux Klan

http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/clash/Imm_KKK/anti-immigrationKKK-page1.htm

c) The “New Woman” and flapper culture

http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/clash/Imm_KKK/anti-immigrationKKK-page1.htm

d) The Scopes Trial – evolution debate/ religious reform and revival

http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/mmh/clash/Scopes/scopes-page1.htm

Summarize the key ideas of the articles and respond to the framing question. Your post should be at least 200 words and include comments on at least one peer’s response.

Are we headed for another Great Depression?

Recent class discussions and the evening news keep alluding to the decline in value of the US dollar and other marks of economic recession which may be signaling a crisis. Our upcoming study of the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression will certainly lead us into discussions on the question which you will focus on for this week's blog: Is the US headed for another Great Depression?

Directions:
1. Read any two of the following articles that offer varied perspectives on this weeks topic:

A) "Depression, You Say? Check Those Safety Nets" By CHARLES DUHIGG, The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/weekinreview/23duhigg.html


B) "A New Great Depression? It's Different This Time", by Michael A. Hiltzik.
LA Times, March 20, 2008.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fi-depression20mar20,1,1097237.story

C)

"Are We Headed for Another Great Depression: Talks with Elaine Meinel Supkis" by MikeWhitney. Dissident Voice Newsletter, May 12th, 2007.

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2007/05/are-we-headed-for-another-great-depression/

then

2) Summarize the key points of both articles and state your opinion on the framing question posted for this assignment, are we headed for another Great Depression? Be sure to refer from facts from the article and class to support your response.

Posts must be at least 200 words and include a response to at least one peer.

Due Friday 3/28

What constitutes a just war? Analyzing the US' involvement in WWI and modern-day Iraq

This week marks the fifth consecutive year that US forces have been at war in Iraq. With all the emphasis we can anticipate the media and politicans will give this commemorative anniversary, it seems logical that we take some time to think together as a class about wars, past and present.

1) Consider what you know about World War I, the current War on Terror and global conflict in general. Then read an article from section I and II (read more if you like.) The hand out entitiled "Why did the US enter WWI" from last week will be helpful as well.

I) WWI
http://teachers.sheboygan.k12.wi.us/tgentine/documents/WWIDebate.pdf
A) bulleted outline of key historical perspectives on the US' role in WWI, requires Acrobat reader

http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/Lesson_75_Notes.htm
b) Describes public opinion and the historical impact of US foreign policy in the Great War

http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US1/REF/germ-ww1.html
) discussion of US public opinion on American involvement in WWI

II) Iraq

D)"Just War or Just a War" by former US President Jimmy Carter, New York Times, 2003
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00EFDE113FF93AA35750C0A9659C8B63
(argues against continued US occupation and war in Iraq)

E) "Fighting a Just War in Iraq" by Joseph Locatone, The Heritage Foundation, 2003http://www.heritage.org/Research/Iraq/wm251.cfm(argues in favor of continued US occupation and war in Iraq)

F) "A War We Just Might Win" by Michael O' Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack, New York Times, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/opinion/30pollack.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2&oref=slogin
(offers analysis of US' effectiveness in Iraq)

2) Respond to the following questions. Include details from the articles and class as evidence of your work:

• What makes a war just?
  
• Was the US justified in it's decision to aid and ultimately join the Allied Powers in the Great War?
• Is the US' involvement in Iraq just? Compare and contrast these conflicts and the US' role in them.

(Note - this assignment is intended to be analytical and maybe controversial, it's OK for us to disagree, but please maintain academic decorum and respect for one another's views.)

200 word minimum

Please respond to at least one other post

Due friday 3/21 by 5:00 p.m. (we don't have school that day.)

In class WWI webquest

http://www.davison.k12.mi.us/DHS/staff/Hewitt/webquests/wwi/WWI.htm

No required blog this week - extra credit optional current event

Locate and summarize an article on US foreign policy. Consider what you learned about the diplomatic policies of Roosevelt (Gunboat and Big Stick diplomacy) Taft (dollar diplomacy) and Wilson (moral diplomacy) In your opinion, which of these policies resembles the US' role in the intenational community today? Use specific examples from our classwork and the article to support your answer.Please post a link to the article.This is an optional assignment worth 10 points extra credit on our last or an upcoming exam.200 words, please.

if (document.body &&
typeof(document.body.unselectable) != 'undefined') {
document.body.unselectable = true;
}

Nationalist Movements in Hawaii and Puerto Rico

This week we are exploring the reasons that the US government sought colonial rule over regions of the Caribbean and South Pacific at the turn of the 20th century. The legitimacy of US authority over commonwealths like Puerto Rico, Guam, Samoa and even the statehood of Hawaii remain controversial issues in modern society. This week's blog asks that you read some articles on contemporary nationalist movements and analyze the call for independence that is becoming a strong political movement among indigenous people in these areas.

Directions:

Actively read the following articles on independence movements in Hawaii and Puerto Rico
A)Hawaii
http://www.hawaii-nation.org/rebuilding-kingdom.html

B) Puerto Rico
http://www.alternet.org/rights/75196/?page=entire

Summarize the articles and explain the reasons why Puerto Rican and Hawaiian nationalists feel their homelands should be granted full independence by the US government.
In your opinion, would autonomy and self-rule benefit the people of Hawaii and Puerto Rico or exacerbate poverty and other problems that exist in these areas today? Explain using support from the article, your knowledge of history and any outside sources that you may use to further research this assignment. If you read other sources, be sure to cite the URL or newssource in your post.

minimum 200 words, please comment on the post of one of your peers.

Due Friday 3/7 before class.

Populism and the Gold Standard: Modern Day Connections

This week we discussed the Wizzard of Oz as an allegory for the Populism, a political movement that promoted an end to the gold standard, increased rights for farmers and industrial workers and a reduction in corporate influence in government structures. For your blog this week, I'd like you to chose one of the following assignments that is thematically related to our current unit. Of course, you may complete both assignments if you're seeking extra credit.
Article A is an editorial by political columnist Terry Slater that questions the effectiveness of political parties in making social changes in modern society using the symbolism in Oz:

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/terrysater/story/8F1FED77C60F2EE4862573E800028D5C?OpenDocument

OR

Article B by New York Times columnist Paul Krugman analyzes how a return to the gold standard would affect modern society:
http://www.pkarchive.org/cranks/goldbug.html

Summarize the article and explain how it relates to the historical information you learned in class. Be sure to reference the author's position on modern political, social and economic issues in the United States. What are your thoughts on his perspective?
This assignment should be at least 200 words and include a response to the post of one or more of your peers.

Due Saturday March 1 by 8:00 pm

Extra time for our last exam and upcoming text-based HW assignment

Extra time for our last exam and upcoming text-based HW assignment

Many students did not finish the required THREE document question responses on our last exam. Students needing more time will have 30 minutes to finish up in class on Wednesday, 2/27. Students who have allready finished or complete that section in under 3o minutes will be completing a homework due for ALL students on Thursday 2/28 (assignment follows below)

Read pp. 548-555 "The Progressive Era: Section 1" in your textTake copious notes to prepare for a reading quiz on 2/28.

Define/ identify the following terms and figures:

Progressivism, muckracker, Lincoln Steffens, Social Gospel, settlement house, Jane Addams, direct primary, initiative, refferendum, recall, Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, John Dewey, Seventeenth Amenment

For those students who are not in the country, keep up with the blog and upcoming Homeworks - feel free to email them to me sooner than later.

Election Study: Comparing turn of the 20th century politics with today's presidential race

1. Check out CNN's "Election Central" resources:
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/candidates

2. Identify and summarize at least three key issues in the upcoming elections. Discuss the positions of any two politicians still in the running for Presidental nomination in the Democratic and Republican parties. What are the major differences in their political views? Who's politics do you support more? Why?

3. Then, read a recent New York Times editorial about the similarties between Senator Hillary Clinton and one of the Presidents covered in out latest unit, Grover Cleveland:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-wiener/nyts-krugman-hillary-_b_70643.html

And an article from US News and World Reports about a scandal that took place in the 1888 election:
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/politics/2008/01/17/phony-letter-helped-unseat-a-president.html

Summarize the scandal of 1888 and explain why the author feels Hilliary Clinton might be "the next Grover Cleveland?" Evaluate his position using evidence from your candidate research.

For optional extra credit you may complete one or both of the following tasks:
a) Research two third party candidates and summarize and compare their views with the other candidates you read about for this blog
AND/OR
b)Identify summarize two "Great Moments in Campaign History" from US News' recent coverstory: http://www.usnews.com/features/news/politics/greatmoments.html

THIS BLOG MUST BE AT LEAST 400 words. Please remember to comment on at least one other post. Extra credits should be 200 words each. Due Monday 2/25 before class.

Immigration and Nativism in the Gilded Age

Read the article posted below (two formats available):

http://www.vanells.com/125-22.pdf (with images, PDF requires Adobe Acrobat)

http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:vJ8_Q9ffkMgJ:www.vanells.com/125-22.pdf+gilded+age+and+immigration,+disease&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=us(HTML/ will work on any computer)
(NOTE: You read pages 3-5 in class on a long handout Friday)

AND Chapter One of Jacub Riis' How the Other Half Lives:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/How_the_Other_Half_Lives/Chapter_I

A) Discuss how health, sanitation and scientific theory affected the lives of "old immigrants" in the Gilded Age.

B) Consider Riis' arguments for social reform and Herbert Spencer's theory of Social Darwinism.

In your opinion, was the government responsible for the health and safety of immigrant communities at the turn of the 20th Century?

Should undocumented (alien) immigrants recieve social services in modern US society?

How do your opinions on these issues relate to the Riis and Spencer's ?

Term 2 Blog Assignment #1: Are we living in a new Gilded Age?

Term 2 Blog Assignment #1: Are we living in another Gilded Age?

The Gilded Age (1865-1900) was the period of rapid economic growth and industrialization in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War. For the first time corporations (not politicians) established themselves as the engines of economic growth and the United States became the most powerful industrial nation in the world. During this time, new technologies, abundant resources and the eager, cheap industrial workforce brought tremendous wealth to individuals like Andrew Carnegie (steel) and John Rockefeller (oil). Meanwhile, the working class suffered harsh working conditions and lived in extreme poverty in overpopulated industrial cities. Social Darwinism emerged as a theory to explain and justify the reasons why the rich got richer and the poor grew poorer, but unions and social reformers called on the government to become more actively involved in preserving worker’s rights.

Progressive economist Marty Jerzer commented recently on the similarities between the US in the Gilded Age and in modern times:

"Abraham Lincoln predicted the Gilded Age and would not be surprised to see how money continues to corrupt our political system. Noting that the North had become an industrial power during the Civil War, he said, "I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed." We live in a new Gilded Age with bought politicians and greedy corporate managers. We no longer have a government by and for the people… we don’t even have honest debate… Honest Abe called it right. The corporate elite has been enriching itself at the expense of the rest of us for a good portion of the past 135 years.”(http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0208-02.htm)

1) Consider these comments and the comments of Democratic Presidential Candidate Barak Obama in the interview posted here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20826221/

2) Compose a summary of the interview with Barak Obama and respond to the following questions:

A)Are we living in a new Gilded Age? (provide evidence to support your answer)

B) Do you think corporations have too much power in modern society?

C) How and when should the government regulate the US economy?

Your post should be at least 200 words and include a response to at least one classmate.If you need further information on the Gilded Age as a historical period in order to thoughtfully respond to these questions, use your text and/or the resources at this site: http://lms.jefferson.k12.ky.us/WebQuests/GildedAge.htm