LAD #21: Canegie's Gospel of Wealth

Carnegie discusses the growing gap in wealth of the day. He states how there is a growing gap in wealth, but that this should not be deplored, but instead seen as beneficial. There can be no patrons without the wealthy, and that the wealthy conserve all that is great with society. He then goes on to describe how to dispose of one's wealth, and that leaving it until one is dead or passing it on to one's son are not ways to do so. Rather, it should be spent on public services and that even the poor can see the benefit of this.

LAD #20: The Emancipation Proclamation

Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was a document that declared that slaves would be freed in the states that were in rebellion. In addition, he states that the United States government will recognize and maintain the freedom of these slaves and that he hopes that they will not resort to violence.

LAAD #19: Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address

Lincoln's second inaugural address summarizes what has happened in the past four years, stating that at the time he gave his first inaugural address, there were people who would rather go to war than to preserve the Union, and there were people who would go to war in order to preserve the Union. He states how although one eighth of the population was constituted of colored slaves, this group of people has generated a great deal of interest, so much so that a war was being fought in part because of this group of people. Lincoln ends by stating how he hopes to finish the job he has started and to see this through until the end.

LAD #18: Dred Scott Decision

This Supreme Court ruling describes the setting with which this decision was made, discussing the context of the reconsideration of the early decision made. The ruling then states that the Constitution made no distinction between slaves and property, and that because Dred Scott was considered property, he could not make his case to the Supreme Court. Because of this, the case was to be sent down to a lower court for further ruling.

LAD #17: Sojourner Truth's Speech

Sojourner's speech talks about how women are calling for equal rights, but people don't recognize the rights of black women. She discusses how although men state that women should be helped into carriages and such, she has never experienced that, even though she is a women. From her tone it appears as though she has interrupted a convention of some sort.

LAD #16: Frederick Douglass' "5th of July"

Frederick Douglass discusses how the 4th of July represents the independence of the white American, but not of the black American. He states as those that are celebrating the holiday are rejoicing, there are people who are suffering due to a lack of freedom. The freedoms that are enjoyed by the whites are not enjoyed by the blacks, and stating that the 4th of July only serves to greater emphasize the distance between blacks and whites. This distance also emphasizes the hypocrisy of the nation, stating that the celebration is but "a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages."

LAD #15: Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address opens with the famous "Fourscore and seven years ago," stating how the nation was one birthed in liberty with the idea that all men are equal. He addresses where he is giving the speech (Gettysburg), a battlefield with the dead men who had fought the recent battle. He promises that these men will not have died in vain, and that they will be remembered. These deaths increase the vigor with which the nation will continue the task with which these men have died for.

LAD #14: Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

Lincoln opens his speech stating how he does not plan to interfere with slavery, as those who elected him know. He then discusses runaway slaves and how they should be dealt with, but as before, reassures the South that his main goal is to keep the Union together. Lincoln describes the United States as it was under the Articles of Confederation, stating that if secession was legal, than the "Union is less perfect than before the Constitution." Lincoln then urges the nation to abide by the rules of the Union in order to maintain its preservation. He condemns the thought of secession and deems it as anarchy. He closes by stating how the Union must be preserved, and that although the issue of civil war is at hand, the divided people must not become enemies.

LAD #13: John C. Calhoun's Speech

Calhoun opens by saying that there is in fact a division due to slavery, in part due to the two political parties. Calhoun continues by stating how this would not have been a problem if not for the government/North agitating the Southerners about their slaves. He states that if the abolition of slavery is passed, then the South will have no choice but to either give in and accept the abolition or secede from the Union all together. He provides an answer to this problem, one that states that the only way to rid the Union of the problem of slavery is to not abolish slavery and by "removing the causes by which this belief has been produced." However, the only party strong enough to make such a change is the North.

John C. Calhoun

LAD #12: Polk's War Message

Polk opens his message stating how the U.S has been trying to negotiate and establish peace between the United States and Mexico, but then continues stating how that attempt has failed. Because of a revolution that prevented a peaceful negotiation between the two nations, Mexico failed to deliver on their promise and that the U.S could not be accused of giving unreasonable demands or not following reasonable demands from Mexico. Polk closes by stating how Texas had wanted to annex herself to the United States, but Mexico has prevented her from doing so. This was unacceptable and therefore action had to be taken.

James K. Polk

LAD #11: Seneca Falls Declaration

Structured almost identically to the Declaration of Independence from the Revolution, this document lists women's grievances about men, similarly to how Americans listed their grievances about the king of Britain. These grievances include women not being able to vote, follow laws that women have had no say in, and being exempt from law as long as the immoral actions are in the presence of her husband. Afterwards, the women who wrote the document list their demands, stating that women should be treated equal to men, that the expectancy of behavior be equal among both genders, that women should have the right to vote, and that efforts to receive these benefits must be seen through by both men and women.

LAD #10 - Monroe Doctrine

1.  What did the issuing of the Monroe Doctrine express from an American perspective post War of 1812?

The Monroe Doctrine expressed isolationist policies and stated that new colonies could not be settled in the United States by foreign powers. Doing so would be seen as an act of aggression towards the United States. By doing so, this doctrine would help to prevent the United States from being caught in another European conflict as it did during the War of 1812.

2.  What was Secretary of State Adams' hope when he wrote the Monroe Doctrine?

Adams hoped that the United States would be taken more seriously after the Monroe Doctrine. He believed that if the United States defined the consequences of treading on our ground and disrespecting our borders, foreign powers such as Europe would take us much more seriously than before.

3.  What is the key phrase in the entire document that you need to remember as the cornerstone or American Foreign Policy?

"...the American continents, by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintain, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers."

Columbus Blog

Christopher Columbus, although considered to be an excellent navigator and may have faced some odds when it came to traversing the Atlantic Ocean, is not all that we celebrate him to be. He never truly "discovered" the New World, merely stumbled upon it on his search for a more efficient trade route to Asia. Columbus' original intent for the journey was for gold, not to discover whether or not the Earth was round (most people of that time didn't even believe that the Earth was flat). His opinions of the natives? They were weak and he could "could conquer the whole of them with fifty men, and govern them as [he] pleased." His treatment of the natives in the New World was even worse. Columbus enslaved the natives, taking some back, and a great deal of them died on their way to Europe. The only reason he is "celebrated" and has become a federal holiday is because of lobbying from a group called the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic group during Roosevelt's administration, all because they wanted a celebrated Catholic figure. Before that, Columbus Day had been celebrated since 1892 as the 400th anniversary of Columbus' arrival because of President Benjamin Harrison.

And so every second Monday of in October we dedicate an entire 24 hours to a man who mistreated an entire group of people and cared only for the potential gold that lay beneath the surface of the New World.

LAD #9

In Jefferson's Inaugural Address, Jefferson begins by celebrating and thanking the people for electing him as president. He continues by stating how the country should continue to provide for the individual rights of the people through the Constitution. Jefferson additionally states how it is important to consider the opinions of the minority, even though they may not be reasonable. He believes that in this country, "every man, at the call of the law, would fly to the standard of the law, and would meet invasions of the public order as his own personal concern." In the next paragraph, Jefferson lists and emphasizes the parts that make the "sum of good government," such as practicing a "benign religion" that inculcates "honesty, truth, temperance, gratitude, and the love of man." Jefferson also lists the principles by which he will lead the country, such as treating his citizens with equality, "honest friendship with all nations," and avoiding alliances. Jefferson ends his inaugural address by acknowledging the fact that not all of his policies and ideas will be met with complete acceptance, but he asks for his citizens' "indulgence for [his] own errors."

LAD #7: Washington's Farewell Address

Washington's farewell address starts off with an explanation of why he is not running for a third term. He states how he wanted to step down after his first term, he saw how the country was still in need of his assistance and so stayed for another term. Now that the country is in a relatively ok situation, he feels that it is right to allow someone else to run as president. He thanks the country for its support and adoration, and also has some advice for the country. He states how a unified country is very important, and that other people or nations will try to tear it apart. The South relies on the North, the North on the South, the East on the West, and the West on the East. Thus, it is important to always be aware of this and make sure not to become torn apart. He also states the danger of political parties and how they can harm the unity of the country. One party may gain more power and eventually create tyranny in the country. Because of this, people need to be aware of this, even when parties are supporting popular causes. In addition, he talks about alliances and peace. Alliances should be made only in times of emergency during a defensive war, and on all other occasions the country should not make any alliances, especially when it comes to conflicts in Europe. Peace should be maintained with other countries, and in the end will be the best for the future of the United States.

Washington's Farewell Address

LAD #6: Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality

In Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality, Washington acknowledges the fact that there is conflict between Austria, Prussia, Sardinia, Great Britain, the United Netherlands, and France. However, Washington also states that the U.S will be neutral during this conflict and that any citizen that is caught assisting these nations would not be protected by the U.S government and will be punished if caught.

Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality

LAD #5: Federalist #10

1. Why are factions so difficult to eliminate?
Factions are difficult to eliminate because man will always have differing opinions when he has the right to do so. Thus, factions can never be truly eliminated unless the right to do so is revoked. The second option is to give everyone the same opinion, but then that would be contradicting to the rights that the U.S fought for in the Revolutionary War.

2. If factions cannot be removed, then how can they be controlled?
Balancing the powers of the factions and keeping them in check through voting. Although one faction in a state may spark some kind of commotion, keeping the factions in balance would prevent the commotion from spreading to the rest of the state because a minority would not gain any beneficial power due to the election process.

Federalist Papers

Republican Motherhood Blog

1. What role did the Revolutionary War play in the transformation of housewifery to Republican Motherhood?
The Revolutionary War affected the role of women by giving them more rights, such as better education, on the premise that they would be teaching future generations of Americans in order to preserve the republic. As Benjamin Rush states, "This cannot be done without the assistance of the female members of the community" (Document B). Mrs. A.J Graves also emphasizes this notion, stating, "Let her employ it, then, in leading those young, inquiring minds, which look up to her for guidance, along the pleasant paths of knowledge" (Document A).

2.  What were the consequences of Republican Motherhood on women?

Women were still expected to stay at home and serve as a maternal figure in the household, and the common consensus was that "home is [women's] appropriate sphere of action; and whenever she neglects these duties, or goes out of this sphere of action to mingle in any great public movements of the day, she is deserting the station which God and nature have assigned to her" (Document A). However, as Jonathan F. Steams states, women are responsible for "the destiny of our country" (Document D), which implies that some "respect" was present towards women of the house. 

3. What is the significance of the ideology of Republican Motherhood as a stage in the process of women’s socialization?

This ideology can be seen as a stepping stone towards the larger feminism movement that would take shape later in American history. A more respected view of women could be seen to emerge from this, as people are depending on women to educate and care for the future of the United States of America. As Mary Morris states, "While you thus keep our country virtuous, you maintain its independence" (Document C).

A portrait of Mary Gibson Tilghman and her sons by Charles Willson Peale (1789) 

1. Describe the setting.

The portrait depicts a mother (Mary Gibson Tilghman) with her two sons sitting on a coach, one on her lap and the other next to her. 

2. Who serves at the center of the portrait and why?  How does the woman look?  How is she “republican” rather than aristocratic?

The center of the portrait appears to be Mary Gibson Tilghman, the mother of the two sons. This is most likely done in order to promote the idea of republican motherhood. The woman appears to be dressed plainly, with little extravagance. She is more "republican" than aristocratic because of this. The plainness and "everyday-ness" of her attire support that she is, in fact, a woman of a middle class and not of a higher, upper class of the aristocracy. 

3. What values do her sons exhibit?

Her sons seem to be depicted as rather innocent, and dressed rather modestly. The older son's attentive look shows that he is relatively well raised, while the younger one, with his hand outstretched towards the older son, seems to still exhibit the traits characteristic of younger children. 

4. Is there a significance to the position of Mrs. Tilghman's arm?

Mrs. Tilghman's arm, holding the younger child in place, seems to represent the power she has over her children. The younger child, not yet developed in behavior, must be taught how to properly behave, which the mother is to teach to the child, hence the position of the arm. However, the seemingly older child, who is most likely more behaved than the younger child, does not need the same guidance, and therefore Mrs. Tilghman's arm is not on the older child. This most likely meant to show the perceived role of women at the time, in which women were meant to be the head of the household and raise children.