This is a picture of the floor of the New York Stock Exchange right after the crash, where millions of dollars apparently disappeared. This relates to something I said about how government involvement in industry is so necessary due to the fact that money is almost hypothetical these days. Even back then money was no longer based on the gold standard. People just did things, bought things and sold things, like they do things today, on credit or with bank loans. Banks gave out more money than they actually had. Because the government was not involved, then and today, people lost track of how much they owed or lent out, and people were able to use the lack of physical money to manipulate people into debt. For me this picture represents the need for people to be educated in economics, those who control large portions of our economy to have incentive to operate more ethically and for the government to ensure that manipulation and corruption are not taking place.

The Great Depression

“The Great Depression had important consequences in the political sphere. In the United States, economic distress led to the election of the Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt to the presidency in late 1932. Roosevelt introduced a number of major changes in the structure of the American economy, using increased government regulation and massive public-works projects to promote a recovery. But despite this active intervention, mass unemployment and economic stagnation continued, though on a somewhat reduced scale, with about 15 percent of the work force still unemployed in 1939 at the outbreak of World War II. After that, unemployment dropped rapidly as American factories were flooded with orders from overseas for armaments and munitions.”

I chose this passage because it addresses two issues related to class. One it touches on something mentioned in the lecture, how we are in a similar situation today as we were during the great depression. Just like the depression led to electing a leader who they knew would bring change, many say Obama was elected because he was the furthest thing from George W. Bush. Also, when Obama was elected, the question was again raised about how involved government should be in regulating business. This last crash was in large part due to a lack of regulations over finance companies, banks and investment companies, just like the first crash which led to the Great Depression. One big difference between our time and the time of Roosevelt is that back then, war seemed to help us get out of the depression. This time many people blamed the crash in part on the fact that we spent so much money on a war that so many people disagreed with. I think one reason World War II helped to pull us out of the depression is because it was so obvious that fighting a man trying to take over the world was necessary. Everyone came together and played a role and our economy improved as a result. This time around this country is so divided on whether or not involvement in the Middle East is necessary or even ethical. Now so much time and energy is wasted on arguing that nothing is getting done. A lot more would be accomplished if this country had the same common goal like we had 70 years ago.

Woodrow Wilson

“Similarly, it was no business of the law in the time of Jefferson to come into my house and see how I kept house. But when my house, when my property, when my so-called private property became a great mine, and men went along dark corridors amidst every kind of danger to dig out of the bowels of the earth things necessary  for the industries of a whole nation and when it was known that no individual owned those mines, that they were owned  by great stock companies, then all the old analogies absolutely collapsed and it became the right of the government to go  down into those mines and see whether human beings were being properly treated in them or not…”

Wilson is saying that when the government of this nation was first formed things were very different. The laws made regarding business and industry do not apply anymore because business and industry were had become more complicated and was in Wilson’s time playing a much bigger role in the everyday lives of every American. At the beginning of this country’s existence, businesses were much more independent of each other and were much smaller. This meant that the community was not nearly as dependent on the success of one single company but rather people had more options and therefore businesses were much more inclined to do things ethically. It is also harder for an employer to get away with unfair conditions or maltreatment when a company is much smaller because the relationship with the employees is much more intimate. However, when companies grew to be so big that those running it and making decisions on how employees are being treated grows to be a whole community in itself, then it becomes much easier to overlook bad conditions, abuse of laborers and unfair wages. In part it is because when a company is so big and employs a substantial portion of a community, that community becomes dependent on its existence and becomes less likely to question things or protest unfairness. This is why it has then become necessary for the laws to change and for government to get more involved. So much more is at stake because so many more people are involved and have so little to do with how things are carried out. There are only a few owners of a mine but hundreds or thousands of workers who are the victim of every over sight and neglect. This means an entire town can suffer because of the way a small group of people decide to run a company and that it is easier to get away with willingly making those decisions.

I definitely agree that government should be involved in business. Especially these days when economics is so complicated and most people including myself have very little understanding of how it actually works. Sometimes it feels intentionally designed that way. It seems like it is very easy, even more so today than Wilson’s day, for companies to get away with corruption or illegal activity. Especially now that money is barely even real anymore. Everything is hypothetical numbers on a computer screen. Also, so much is accomplished on credit so people are getting paid with money that no one even has yet. Over all what I am trying to say is that things were so complicated in Wilson’s time compared to Jefferson’s time just like our time is way more complicated than Wilson’s time and the more complicated things get, the more regulations we need because there is that much more opportunity and ability to manipulate people through business and industry. I also like how Wilson discusses the lack of intimacy between employers and employees. This is another factor that makes corruption, neglect and abuse of employees easier because not only is it harder to complain to a man you have never met but also it leaves the employers out of touch with how things actually work on the front lines of any industry making it harder to properly run that industry even if they wanted to. This is another reason government should get involved. Maybe even those trying to run their company as honestly and efficiently as possible need some government involvement just as assistance.

The Gettysburg Address

“Now we are engaged in a great civil war; testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure… and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”

What Lincoln is saying here is that he is wondering whether or not it is possible for a country like the United States to exist any longer than it already has. This country was unique at the time, in that it was very diverse, very big and founded on the idea that everyone should have as many rights as possible. I have always thought that one of this country’s biggest problems is that we have too many people to please everyone at once all the time. The way of life varies so much that one man delegating over everything can be very challenging. A good example of this is the fact that there were several different opinions on slavery. It seems obvious today that it was very wrong and a big regrettable part of our past, but even back then it wasn’t as simple as pro-slavery versus anti-slavery. There were also moderates like Lincoln who were against the expansion of slavery but not trying to abolish it all together. Today we see him as being on the same side as men like Frederick Douglas but back then Douglas was very outspoken about being opposed to Lincoln’s views. These different views existed because life in the north was very different and did not rely so heavily on free manual labor because they were so industrialized. The south however was still very agricultural and while it did not actually need free manual labor to survive, they had been using it for so long that suddenly taking it away would change things drastically forever against the will of many. One problem with giving everyone rights is that everyone has an opinion that they can be open about and can take steps to try and change people’s minds. I agree that should be the case but in a country this big it tends to result in very strong polar opposite views on man key issues. I think Lincolns question is still relevant today. We are still very torn on most issues and always working against each other instead of getting things done. When it comes to going to war over seas, gay marriage, the right for a woman to choose, the death penalty, the teaching of intelligent design, universal healthcare and many other issues, this country is extremely torn. People tend to feel very strong one way or the other with very little middle ground and it reminds us the challenge of keeping such a large diverse country alive. Technically to this day, the people still have the right to lobby to have the laws changed to establish slavery provided the right people are elected to various offices. Obviously there are way too many people who oppose slavery to ever allow that to happen but because we have the freedoms we have, that path still does exist. This is one of the reasons some people feel the states should have more self-governing abilities and the federal government should go back to the more specific roles it had in the first place. Because there are so many different beliefs that stem from the different ways people live there day to day lives due to both cultural and geographic differences. Everyone having to freedom to work towards their own agendas based on those beliefs is what makes remaining united so challenging.

"...but he and Judge Douglas argue that the authors of that instrument did not intend to include negroes, by the fact that they did not at once, actually place them on an equality with the whites. Now this grave argument comes to just nothing at all, by the other fact, that they did not at once, or ever afterwards, actually place all white people on an equality with one or another. And this is the staple argument of both the Chief Justice and the Senator, for doing this obvious violence to the plain unmistakable language of the Declaration. I think the authors of that notable instrument  intended to include all men."

What Abraham Lincoln is saying, is that Chief Justice Taney and Judge Douglas are arguing that the authors of the Declaration of Independence had never intended to consider all men created equal. They only intended to express that idea in regards to white people. They are basing that argument on the claim that the authors of that Declaration themselves, obviously did not feel that way in their own time when they were writing the document. Lincoln is saying however that even if you could make that argument it is still a bad argument because it is apparent in everyday life at that time that not all white men truly have equality among each other. He goes on to point out that the language of the Declaration is purposely plain and vague in order to include as much as possible. They say "all men" and do not specify any race because they must mean all men. He also calls what they are doing to these words is violence. What he means is that twisting words in this very important document in order to make a point for the sake of a certain agenda in nothing short of maliciously disgracing the ideas that make this country great. Those words were written to explain why one group people has no right to tyrannically rule over another group of people, and to justify why they have the right to govern themselves as their own nation. Using those same words to explain how blacks and white are in fact not equal, Lincoln saw as an act of violence to the Declaration.

I chose this quote because something in the lecture that stood out to me was the fact that all elected officials in higher levels of office came from middle and upper classes. This meant that many needs of the lower classes were not being met because politicians were first taking care of those in the same circle as them and were out of touch with what life in America was truly like for the masses. This relates to what Lincoln said about how even different groups of white people in this country don't truly have equality. There was a class system even among people of the same race which arguably still exists today.

Contrabands of War

Contrabands of war were escaped slaves that fled to Union camps after the Union had moved into the southern states. Many slaves were returned to their masters because the war was not yet over and slavery was not yet made illegal meaning these people were still technically the private property of American citizens. However, many escaped slaves were permitted to stay at the camp and were used mostly for manual labor. They used the word “contraband” as a term to show that they were taking these people away from southerners as an act of war and using them as a resource against their enemies. Many of the “Contrabands of war” proved to be very useful and effective. Calling them contraband, however, still refers to them as property and makes it seem like they are being treated as less than human all over again.

Soon these escaped slaves started setting up camps of their own near the union camps and soldiers began educating adult and children. In 1863 the government began enlisting African Americans as soldiers, and many of these contrabands of war enlisted in the United States Colored Troops. By the end of the war, more than one hundred of these camps existed in Union patrolled areas of the south including one on Roanoke Island where more than 3000 former slaves established a self-sustaining community.

Alfred R. Waud. Contrabands Coming into Camp. Drawing. Chinese white on brown paper. Published in Harper's Weekly, January 31, 1863. Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction Number: LC-USZC4-6173/LC-USZ62-14189 (4-1)

Timothy O'Sullivan. Fugitive African Americans Fording the Rappahannock River. Rappahannock, Virginia, August 1862. Copyprint. Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction Number: LC-B8171-518 (4-4)

Contrabands, Camp Brightwood.
Washington, D.C., ca. 1863. Carte de visite.
Gladstone Collection, Prints and Photographs Division.
Reproduction Number: LC-USZC4-6158 (4-9)

 

Fighting For Freedom

Christian A. Fleetwood was one of fourteen black soldiers who fought in the Civil War and received a Congressional Medal of Honor for his service. Details of his actions that led to him earning that medal can be found in his journal he kept during his time at war. His journal also includes details about President Lincoln visiting the front lines in 1864.

Many African American troops did not see nearly as much action as they wanted to because much of the time they were used for manual labor supporting the white regiments. However they still participated in many skirmishes and major battles. When wounded in battle they were often treated in areas where supplies were stored instead of being allowed to rest next to wounded white soldiers. Even though they had a hard time getting the pay they were promised and that pay was less than what a white soldier received, these black troops still displayed great loyalty to the Union Army and the cause. Their actions also went underappreciate as only white soldiers received promotions to high ranking positions despite the commendable performances of many black soldiers.

There were also thousands of soldiers that served at sea in the navy during the Civil War. The most famous was named Robert Smalls. He was able to take over a Confederate ship and sail back into Union territory becoming captain of that vessel. He was later elected as a Reconstruction Congressman.

In 1862 the United States government abolished slavery in Washington D.C. with the Emancipation Act. Slave owners were compensated with $300 for each slave they were forced to set free. On the fourth anniversary of the holiday which became known as Emancipation Day, over 5,000 African Americans marched past over 10,000 sheering spectators into Franklin Square where the parade was concluded with ceremonial services. Soon after, the Emancipation Proclamation was passed and all slaves in the Confederate States were declared forever free, even though during the slavery era of this country, free blacks were already forming communites and owned homes and businesses.

First African Church, Broad Street.
Richmond, Virginia, 1865.
Copyprint.
Prints and Photographs Division.
Reproduction Number: LC-B8171-3368 (4-3)

F. Deilman.
Celebration of the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, by the colored people in Washington, April 19, 1866.
Wood engraving.
From Harper's Weekly, May 12, 1866. Copyprint.
Prints and Photographs Division.
Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-33937 (4-11)

Unidentified sailor.
Carte de visite.
Gladstone Collection, Prints and Photographs Division.
Reproduction Number: LC-USZC4-6159 (4-10)

Wounded Colored Troops at Aikens Landing.
Stereograph.
Gladstone Collection, Prints and Photographs Division.
Reproduction Number: LC-USZC4-6157 (4-8)

Frederick Douglas

“When they are dragged from their houses and hung upon lamp-posts: when their children are torn from their arms, and their brains dashed out upon the pavement; when they are objects of insult and outrage at every turn; when they are in danger of having their homes burnt down over their heads; when their children are not allowed to enter schools; then they will have an urgency to obtain the ballot equal to our own.”

In this quote, Douglas is saying that it is more urgent for black Americans to obtain equal rights than it is for women and that the issue needs to be addressed first for blacks before it is addressed for women. He feels this way because he sees the everyday life of a black person as being more much more dangerous than the everyday life of a woman but society targets black people, inflicts more violence on them and has fewer reservations with doing so because blacks have fewer rights protecting their safety. Two examples he gives are the fact that black children are kept out of schools and the fact that black people are often pulled out of their homes and hung until dead for many reasons. He points these two things out among other things as examples of fears not faced by white women but are faced by all black citizens every day. Black children were denied an education and therefore had to work much harder to achieve a lower standard of living because not having equal rights meant they could be kept out of school simply because a particular community decided white people are better than black people. Blacks also had so few rights at the time that if black person committed a crime, was accused of committing a crime are just offended the wrong person for whatever reason, that person could be hung without a trial with little if any consequences to those committing the violent act. He recognizes the importance of women’s suffrage and agrees that it is necessary for women to gain equality, but also feels that the issue should be addressed for black people because in the meantime, blacks are fearing for their physical safety at any given moment and need these rights simply to survive where as women need these rights just to improve the quality of their lives.

I chose this quote because it illustrates just how difficult it was to be a black person I this time period with very clear cut examples. We have been talking about civil disobedience as a method to getting a point across and for a suppressed group that is sometimes the only way to be heard, however it was inspiring to read a passage where a black man was simply stating these horrifying fact to an audience and being heard without having to do something drastic to get their attention and get arrested in the process. It also relates to this week’s material because in the lecture it was said that blacks gained freedom and more rights long before women achieved the right to vote, however we all know that equal rights for all were not officially instated until the 60’s and even arguably to this day, some people and communities don’t recognize equal rights. I agreed while reading the passage that the group that was more in danger should get the political attention first but it would have more productive I think if the two groups stayed united throughout the whole movement as a campaign for equal rights for all citizens regardless of gender or race. They movement started off that way but for several reasons split into two more specialized organizations.

Susan B. Anthony

“And had your honor submitted my case to the jury, as was clearly your duty, even when I should have had just cause of protest, for not one of those men was my peer; but, native or foreign, white or black, rich or poor, educated or ignorant, awake or asleep, sober or drunk, each and every man of them was my political superior; hence, in no sense, my peer.”

What she is saying in this passage is that her trial was unfair and the way it was conducted was inconsistent with the principals governing how a trial should be run. She admits she has broken a law but has done so because it is an unfair law and the only way to show people how unfair it was as a law, was by intentionally and willingly getting arrested for breaking. But even when guilty, someone is supposed to get a trial by a jury of his or her peers. However because the people on her jury had more rights than she, they were by definition not her peers. The benefit of a jury of your own peers is to help ensure that there will be as little bias as possible because it is that much easier to be bias against someone who you hold yourself above. It is easier to discriminate against someone when society has rules in place that encourage discrimination. Having a group of men decide your verdict after being arrested for a crime that is only a crime in the first place because you are a woman seems unfair by design. At another point in the passage she talks about how her closing statement was the very first time through the course of this trial she has been given the right to speak for herself. In fact, during the closing statement the judge continuously interrupted her saying that the court could not allow her to continue, when giving a closing statement is another right that she is supposed to have. So even continuing to talk at her own trial was another form of civil disobedience because she was doing the opposite of what an authority figure was telling her to do and making a point of injustice in doing so.

I think it is a shame how unfair our so called sophisticated judicial system can be even to this day. Truly having a jury of your peers is something extremely difficult to pull off. It is hard enough getting a full twelve person jury of people who actually want to participate, let alone who want to be objective and fair at the same time. If I were on trial for something, I would want a jury of people who do not feel socially or politically separate from me. I want a jury of people whose verdict could affect their lives as well. Men convicting a woman for voting has no impact on their lives because it means nothing changes and they remain in the higher position on an uneven playing field. However, if a man was on trial for an act of civil disobedience, a lot more thought would have gone into that verdict for declaring him guilty could set a president and have an impact on the freedom of all other men, including the men on the jury.