Andrew Jackson according to Zinn and Boorstin

For this assignment, you'll need to be familiar with "As Long as the Grass..." by Zinn, and chapter 9, pages 224-245 in your text. We will work and talk about it in class Wednesday.

Because both Zinn and Boorstin thought deeply and broadly about their subject, both historians present Jackson more complexity than the usual golden halo seen in many textbooks.

In a post in the comments compare and contrast how Jackson is portrayed in each text. Is there anything you suspect is missing from both accounts? What else would you like to know?

Also, compare the wishes of Americans who want to feel comfortable "having a beer" with the president have with the popularity of Andrew Jackson as described by Boorstin?

Who in the current GOP race for the presidential nomination do you think is vying for the "having a beer" vote most successfully?

Ron Paul

Rick Santorum

Mitt Romney

Peoples History Discussion Questions

Be prepared to locate and discuss the answers to these questions from 'As Long As Grass Grows...' from APH of US

1. Why did almost every important Indian nation fight on the side of the British during the American Revolutionary War?

2. What was Jefferson’s policy toward the Indians?

3. What prompted Tecumseh’s rebellion?

4. How was the Battle of Horseshoe Bend won?

5. Why would demanding that Indians own private property make them more vulnerable to losing their land than if they continued to use the land in common?

6. What reasons did Jackson give to explain his invasion of Spanish-owned Florida? What resulted from the Seminole War of 1818?

7. How did President Jackson’s Indian policy compare (in practice, rationale, and effect) to his predecessors’?

8. How did Jackson act unconstitutionally?

9. What caused the outbreak of the Second Creek War?

10. How did Speckled Snake describe the history of European-Indian relations? Do you agree with his synopsis? If not, how would you alter it?

11. If you went up to a Creek or Cherokee in the 1830s and asked if you could buy some of his or her land, what would he or she say to you?

[Extra Credit : respond in a three to four paragraph comment. Remember to link to outside sources. Also see 'Persons of Mean and Vile Condition' in APH of US.] 12. Is there any parallel between Bacon’s Rebellion and the Indian Wars preceding the War of 1812 with respect to the dynamics among Indians, poor whites, and rich whites? If so, explain how the situations are parallel. If not, what factors are different enough so that there is no structural parallel?

13. What strategy(ies) did the Cherokees adopt to fight removal?

14. What position did Senator Frelinghuysen take regarding Indian removal? What action did Ralph Waldo Emerson take to oppose the removal of the Cherokees? Does the existence of ineffective white opposition to Indian removal indicate that white Americans were swept away by historical forces? Why or why not?

15. What happened to the Choctaws after they signed their treaty of removal? Were the terms of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek observed by both sides?

16. Why did the Georgia militia arrest Sam Worcester and Elizar Butler? Were the actions of the militia consistent with the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the U.S. Constitution? Why did it not matter whether the Supreme Court ruled in favor of or against the Cherokees?

17. By 1832, how long had the Creeks been defending their lands against the Europeans?

18. Place the following events in the order in which they usually happened:
a. Indians appeal to federal government to enforce treaty that protected the integrity of Indian land.
b. White settlers encroach on/invade Indian land.
c. Federal government does nothing.
d. On Indian land (by federal treaty) whites and Indians attack each other.
e. Federal government orders Indians to move farther west.
f. [Are any steps missing?]
Why did this process repeat itself over and over again?

19. What were the conditions under which the Creeks moved west?

20. How did the Seminoles resist removal? How effective was the Seminole form of resistance?

21. If the Cherokee removal was so dreadful that it was to be known as the Trail of Tears, why did Van Buren feel that it had the “happiest effects?”

22. Draw a map that includes the following: Appalachians, Mississippi River, Rocky Mountains, Florida Territory, Tallapoosa River in Alabama, the state borders of Georgia, Mississippi, and Alabama, the location of the Battle of Horshoe Bend, the Trail of Tears.

23. Debate Resolution: Andrew Jackson’s Indian policy represented a fundamental change from the Indian policies of previous U.S. presidents.

Zinn, Howard (2011-04-10). A People's History of the United States: Abridged Teaching Edition (Kindle Locations 2264-2276). Kindle Edition.

Women and the Workforce

Currently, men and women share the workforce equally. However, on average men are paid more than women for doing the same job. Despite this, women have come a long way from decades past when they were confined to the house and made a quarter to a half of what men made doing the same job. It is encouraging for women, this upward trend, and it should continue especially as labor intensive jobs become less in demand and there is more demand for organizational and office-based work. Also because more women than men attend college and receive degrees, women will be more qualified for those jobs. It will take years for this shift to happen, as women move through college and grow older move up the job ladder. However, I predict that eventually women will surpass men in the workforce and on average hold more jobs and make more money.

For tomorrow...

read page 111 through the end of the chapter in "A Peoples History of the United States," a chapter about the other half of the population.

Leta will make three multiple choice questions and answers for the first third of the assignment; Riley will make three questions and answers from the middle third; and I will write three questions for the last section.

Submit them to me in writing or via Google Docs by class time tomorrow, please.

Linsanity breaks Asian stereotypes

Can Asians play basketball? This is a very new topic wether Asians can play basketball. For a long time now basketball has been know as an African American sport. There has been only one well known NBA player, Yao Ming from China. Athletics is not one of the main stereotypes of Asian people.

Jeremy Lin is a point guard for the New York Knicks. Lin attended Harvard and graduated in 2010 with a degree in economics with a 3.1 grade point average. Lin lead Harvard to their best record of all time. In his senior year he averaged 16.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.1 blocks. Lin finished his collegiate career with 1,450 points and set the record for most points at any Ivy League school. 

Lin began his NBA career as unrestricted free agent and signed with Golden State Warriors in 2010. This is interesting because the best of the best are picked by teams in the first and second rounds of the NBA draft. The rest of the players are unrestricted free agents, meaning if the player are willing, any team can sign them. Lin did not get much playing time for the Warriors. Before the 2011-2012 season Lin was claimed by the Rockets but was dropped the next day and picked up by the New York Knicks as a 3rd string point guard (meaning he would not be expecting much playing time). On February 4, 2012 Lin made his first start in his NBA career; he had 25 points, five rebounds, and seven assists (all career highs). Lin set the NBA record with 109 points in 4 starts. Lin pulled the Knicks out of a slump and got to prove his worth.

Before his first start Lin never had any recognition.

"Players playing that well don't usually come out of nowhere. It seems like they come out of nowhere, but if you can go back and take a look, his skill level was probably there from the beginning. It probably just went unnoticed."

—Kobe Bryant, after Lin scored 38 points on February 10, 2012

I agree with Kobe and I think this will start a movement to recognize Asian players. With Asians as athletic role models there is a chance that the stereotypes Asians have held may change.

Religion+Music

Ah yes, Religion and modern music, two forces that have been forever colliding. "The Music of the Devil", or Rock n' Roll, is the genre of music that is most commonly torn into. Even with the invention of Christian Rock, there are still people who believe that all Rock music is evil.


The jack-ass, I'm sorry, "author", responsible for the article I linked above, is one perfect example of religious intolerance towards Rock music. He says that even Christian Rock is Satan's music, since it is still Rock music, which as a whole is "evil". He says that the artists who perform Christian Rock aren't true christians. "The reason is simply because they are carnal and have no desire to obey the Word of God.  They claim to want God, and to do His will; but, they only obey the Scriptures that are convenient for them." Oh, and that's not all. He uses this argument to also inject his views on Wicca, Abortion, and Gays, saying that they take the "truth of God, and twist it to fit their own purposes. "When we put all these things together, it becomes so OBVIOUS what Satan is trying to do.  Can you imagine a Bible that teaches that it's ok to murder your baby, be a homosexuality, practice witchcraft, and listen to Devilish music?  This is the exact type of crazy thinking the Devil's crowd wants us to accept.  It won't happen!  The carnal man desires to live in sin without any guilt.  The only way to accomplish this is to REDEFINE the Truth of God's Word."

But, it's not only Rock n' Roll that's being attacked by religion, This guy decides to use Skrillex's song, Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites, winning a Grammy, as an excuse to attack someone and something that they are unfamiliar with and scared of. He says that Skrillex uses Satanic and Homosexual influences to win, saying that "As long as Skrillex wins Grammys and is accepted by mainstream media, he will claim souls for Satan and molest our children through his perverse philosophy of futuristic devil machine music." He also says that Skrillex's name translates from Latin into "Homosexual Satan Wasp". What. The actual. F#ck? I checked it out. Skrillex translates, both from English to Latin, and Latin to English, as Skrillex. He says that Dubstep was created to provide a "drop", which is somewhat true, but this guy says that a "drop" is a slang term for obtaining and doing drugs. WRONG. The drop in Dubstep is when a song goes from a more mellow tone, to a more aggressive, in your face beat with a lot more low-end power. Oh, and it STILL gets better! "In addition, the rhythm patterns he employs in his “music” are known to cause seizures to certain people, which provides ample opportunity for other concert-goers to rape said afflicted person(s)." AND "Over 100% of homosexual gays listen to, or have listened to Skrillex in their life — mostly while participating in door-to-door recruitment for sex orgies or attempting to molest children in one of the patented “Rape Vans” used by the gay homo community." Take a look at the link of the article, and look at the picture of Skrillex drinking coffee with an "X3" on the side (which I'm gonna guess stands for 3 shots of espresso), he has a caption under it that says "(Skrillex, shown here drinking “ecstasy”, in particular the potent “X3″ version)".

Now even though the Skrillex article is a satirical article, the saddest part is that there are people out there who actually do believe this sort of thing truly in their hearts, and believe that people like Skrillex are Satan-born terrorists, hell-bent on world domination, as proven by the first article I linked, which is not satirical.


And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the reason I am not a religious person. 

More or less how the Christians seem to operate on these matters

Prejudice Predictions

Write a blog post here that describes in detail you predictions regarding a specific prejudice in the U.S.

So far, Leta is going to comment on women's position. Is it in politics, Leta?

Craig is exploring religious objections to popular music.

Riley will write about the future of our stereotypes about Asians, in particular the phenomenon of Harvard's Jeremy Lin and his success on the New York Knicks team.

Craig's Questions

1. Why look beyond the Great Depression when trying to make sense of our current economic woes?

2. Where are these professors from?
•Michael Bernstein is a professor of History in Economics at Toulain U.

3. What are some of the differences between the 19th century panics and those in the 20th century?
•The 19th century panics were caused by things like bank failure due to agricultural reasons, like failed crops and the loans given out to families. 20th century crashes are caused by consumer welfare, meaning people lose their jobs, and they can't buy things as often as they used to, or for the same price, meaning companies who make said items must raise their prices to make ends meet.

4. Briefly explain the "business cycle."
•Patterns in the ebbs and flows of commerce you can trace quantitatively, lasting from a decade to a dozen years. They follow a periodic pattern: Businesses expand-->hire more workers--> produce more goods-->sell more goods---resource constraints (fuel, materials, labor costs)--> prices go up to make ends meet (the boom)--->"Peak"--> laying off workers---> less income for workers--> buy fewer things-->prices and wages lower, companies can again hire more workers and produce more goods--> (REPEAT)

5. Define hubris. What example does Great Depression expert Michael Bernstein provide?
•Being cocky. Bernstein says that the economists that said they had "tamed the business cycle" were being cocky and over confident about their work.

6. Name the years of five other Panics besides the Great Depression.
•1819, 1857, 1873, 1893, 

7. Why do you think no one has ever paid reparation to those who have lost money in these meltdowns even though laws were broken?
•Because people are greedy.

8. Who made up the Progressive Party?
•Theodore Roosevelt

9. When did they form and what led to the formation?
•1912. They formed because Roosevelt wanted an "honestly elected" convention, one that wasn't controlled by his adversary in the presidential campaign.

Unexpected Connections

In the Panic audio story, we learned about the connections between the Rothschild family's prudent investing before the 1873 Panic, 20th century resentment of Jews in general, and Nazi Germany.

How does that affect the way you think about prejudices Americans have today? In a link-riddled post, trace these prejudices' beginnings and/or predict their futures? You can include "positive" prejudices, too. Feel free to use images, biased information and straight up propaganda in this post. You're looking for extreme views rather than balance. Try to predict some of the logical (maybe illogical) ends, and suggest solutions for preventing any negative projections.

We may want to investigate the rise of fundamental Christianity as a possible connection to economic distress.

Leta's Inside Job Review

When a crisis happens the news is all over it, whether it’s the New York Times or CNN there are publications about what’s going on now. However, sometimes, how we got there is overlooked, the focus is so much in the present, that the path leading up to it is forgotten. This is why I appreciate the movie “Inside Job.” The film goes back to the beginning of the financial crisis of 2008 and walks the viewer through to the present. It allows the viewer to see each contributing aspect and why it effected the economy the way it did. There was a great deal of information and to truly understand the movie I would have to watch it maybe two or three more times. It moved quickly and there were definitely pieces that I missed or didn’t quite understand (although stopping the movie for discussion at some points was definitely helpful in that respect). The interview had a difficult job of talking to these high-up economists and CEOs, I felt uncomfortable at some points when he was asking questions that the interviewee couldn’t respond to or responded rudely. However, I know that this feeling is not necessarily a bad one, and shows me the corruption and covering up that goes on. Overall, it was an interesting film that covered complex concepts and one that I enjoyed and would watch again.

Leta's Panic Response

1. Use the blog to answer or comment on these questions.
   1. Why look beyond the Great Depression when trying to make sense of our current economic woes?
   Looking beyond the Great Depression is important because no “panic” has been exactly same, we cannot make complete sense of our economic woes by only looking at one crisis. The financial crisis we are experiencing now is not exactly like the Great Depression, or any other panic, however by piecing parts of each one together we might be able to better prepare ourselves for the future. In fact, Professor Scot Nelson believes that the panic of the 1870s is most similar to current financial crisis, not the Great Depression. 
   2. Where are these professors from?
   Peter Onuf (18th century guy) is the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Professor of History at the University of Virginia. Ed Ayers (19th century guy) is President of the University of Richmond. Brian Balogh (20th century guy) is a Professor of History at the University of Virginia. Michael Bernstein is a professor at Tulane University and Scott Nelson is a professor at William and Mary College.
   3. What are some of the differences between the 19th century panics and those in the 20th century?
   The 19th century panics were more related to bank failures related to collapses in agriculture, while 20th century panics are more related to consumer welfare and company failure. 
   4. Briefly explain the "business cycle."
   The business cycle is a pattern in commerce that often lasts about a decade. When things are going well in the business cycle, companies are growing. However, as companies get bigger, more resources are required, and therefore costs rise. There is a peak where the company requires more than it can actually make and the cycle turns around. The more difficult part of the business cycle is when companies are downsizing. When companies cannot turn around at the bottom of the business cycle is when things go bad.
   5. Define hubris. What example does Great Depression expert Michael Bernstein provide?
   Hubris is basically excessive pride and over-confidence. Michael Bernstein uses this word describing economists when they think that the business cycle has been solved. 
   6. Name the years of five other Panics besides the Great Depression.
   1819, 1837, 1857, 1873, 1893
   7. Why do you think no one has ever paid reparation to those who have lost money in these meltdowns even though laws were broken?
   No one has ever paid reparation to those who have lost money in these meltdowns because the people in control, who invented the system, and maybe the people with the true power to punish, are the ones committing the offenses. It is also difficult at times to distinguish between incompetence and fraud. 
   8. Who made up the Progressive Party?
   The Progressive Party (also known as the Bull Moose Party) was founded by Theodore Roosevelt and was made up by people who had broken off of the Republican Party. 
   9. When did they form and what led to the formation?
   The part was formed in 1912 after the split of President William Taft and President Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was originally a Republican when he left office in 1909. He selected William Taft to succeed him, however he ended up not agreeing with Taft’s policies and then ran against him as a member of the Progressive Party.

Panic!: A History of Financial Crisis Riley's Response

1. Why look beyond the Great Depression when trying to make sense of our current economic woes?
The great depression was only one event in a series of ups in downs.

2. Where are these professors from?
- Peter Onuf is the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation Professor of History at the University of Virginia.

- Ed Ayers is President of the University of Richmond.
- Brian Balogh is a Professor of History at the University of Virginia.

3. What are some of the differences between the 19th century panics and those in the 20th century?
The panics in the 19th century were more about land. The panics in the 20th century were about stocks.

4. Briefly explain the "business cycle."

Business cycles or Trade cycles usually last from a decade or a dozen years. They usually follow a pattern where business start to expand and higher more people while producing more goods. Over time they start to have to pay more for raw materials and wages. At one point there is a peak where they have to cut back being the down cycle where unemployment happens. When the cycle hits the bottom the cycle starts again.

5. Define hubris. What example does Great Depression expert Michael Bernstein provide?

hu•bris |ˈ(h)yoōbris|

noun

excessive pride or self-confidence.

He comments on the economists of the 1960s taming the business.

6. Name the years of five other Panics besides the Great Depression.

1. The Panic of 1819

2. The Panic of 1837

3. The Panic of 1873

4. The Panic of 1901

5. The Panic of 1907

7. Why do you think no one has ever paid to those who have lost money in these meltdowns even though laws were broken?

It is a risky thing to invest because profits are not guaranteed. Many people say if you don't have it to loose you shouldn't invest it.

8. Who made up the Progressive Party?

The Progressive Party was formed after a spilt in the Republican Party.

9. When did they form and what led to the formation?

The Progressive Party formed in 1912. Theodore Roosevelt left office in 1909 and selected William Howard Taft to succeed him. Roosevelt did not like what Taft was doing so he ran against him with the new Progressive Party.

War of 1812 in Maine

Listen to the podcast of an interview with David Hanna and read the prologue of his book "Knights of the Sea."

In your text, read pages pages 199-209, and 214-220, paying particular attention to Andrew Jackson's rise, New England's opposition to the war, and the growing controversy around slavery.

Also read from digital history's account of the Embargo of 1807 and the War of 1812.

In the comments:

What economic effects did the politics of Europe have on life in the United States? Reflect on whether the War of 1812 worth fighting.

What effect did the Missouri Compromise have on Maine?

Panic! A history of financial crisis

My turn to Panic! I thought I posted this right after class and just saw that I had not. We'll take some time to answer these in class if you've run out of time tonight.

Listen to the Panic podcast and either answer these questions or make up eight or more of your own and post them as a separate "New Post."

Use the blog to answer or comment on these questions.

1. Why look beyond the Great Depression when trying to make sense of our current economic woes?

2. Where are these professors from?

3. What are some of the differences between the 19th century panics and those in the 20th century?

4. Briefly explain the "business cycle."

5. Define hubris. What example does Great Depression expert Michael Bernstein provide?

6. Name the years of five other Panics besides the Great Depression.

7. Why do you think no one has ever paid reparation to those who have lost money in these meltdowns even though laws were broken?

8. Who made up the Progressive Party?

9. When did they form and what led to the formation?

South Park Margaritaville episode

The South Park episode Margaritavile is about the ridiculous state of the economy. Randy Marsh buys a margarita mixer machine on a payment plan. The plan is sold over and over again and his son Stan ends up trying to return it to the Treasury Department. Randy preaches to the town about austerity.

Here is Randy Marsh turning his back on consumerism.

Craig's Continental Breakup

1. What is currency?
•Currency is money. It's what is traded between merchants or between the people and merchants
2. What is the Euro?
•The Euro is the currency used across most of Europe. 
3. As the modern move toward the Eurozone picked up speed, what did German negotiators want that they did not get?
•The German negotiators wanted to have a united government with all of Europe, instead of each country having it's own. They hoped that they would be able to keep inflation down that way.
4. Why does this matter?
•The Germans wanted to avoid inflation at all costs, as they believed the hyperinflation of 1920 is what allowed the Nazi's to take control of Germany, and that's the absolute last thing that the Germans want to repeat itself.
5. Who or what is PIMCO?
•PIMCO is one of the biggest bond fund managers in the world, and one of the biggest money loaners to governments across the world.
6. What is a bond?
•A bond is basically a loan. You lend someone, say $100, and you expect them to pay you back in full, with interest, in a certain amount of time.
7. What other country would be wounded economically if the Greek economy fails?
•Italy.
8. What is today’s unemployment rate in Spain?
•Over 20%
9. What will it take to “bail out” Greece?
•Have the European Central Bank print new euros that the countries in trouble can use to pay off their debts.

Inside Job Review

Inside view is something that the general public needs to see. Everyone in the US knows that they're getting screwed, but this movie will show them exactly how and by who they're getting screwed. If people saw this, it could potentially stop the tyranny of companies like Goldman Sachs, because people will stop investing in their CDS's and that way, they'll stop getting so many funds to gamble with.

It's amazing just how high up the corruption goes. The government has been infiltrated by the same slime bags that run the operations like Goldman Sachs. If everyone could see this video, I think that there would be a lot of change in the way things are run.

Leta's Questions

What were the advantages to the euro?
What is inflation? Why is it significant to a country?
Does unification equal security?
What is "retail banking"?
Where did Greece's extra money come from?
Why did Greece look like a safe bet for PIMCO?
Why does PIMCO lend money to governments?
What is a deficit? Why is it significant?

Riley's Inside Job Review

The movie Inside Job is very important for the public to see what is really going on. Terms like Credit Default Swaps are brought out into the open. Credit Default Swaps are private contracts used as insurance or bets against other financial products. AIG went bankrupt because of Credit Default Swaps. It is legal gambling and a way for the rich to get richer while the poor get ripped off.

It’s nice to know there are companies to avoid like Goldman Sachs. They took cash bonuses and after the collapse participated in Credit Default Swaps using tax payers money. While America was crippled the executives at Goldman Sachs managed to make even more money.

It is eye opening to see how the government and the stock market are intertwined. For example, Henry Paulson was the CEO of Goldman Sacs, and then became the Treasury Secretary of the US. He is one of many who moved from private industry to government positions. This may be a reason why the rich are not equally taxed. It feels like the government is being controlled by private industry.

Riley's Continental Breakup ?’s

Riley's Continental Breakup ?’s

1. Is it dangerous for a Greek banker to not know where the money is coming from? Yes it’s good to know where your money is coming from because you have to pay back the money and it’s good to know who you are dealing with. This could effect the timeline and rates.

2. When Greece finally gets back on track will anyone invest in its economy? Maybe it depends on how much risk is involved.

3. Will the Euro zone cut Greece out of their economic union? Probably that would be a smart decision because Greece is a liability.

4. Will the world ever agree on one currency? Maybe it depends on what it is based on.

5. Will Italy fall to the state that Greece is in? No because Italy started off in better economic health and has greater support.

6. If Italy falls will the world be effected and why? Yes because Italy is an economic powerhouse.

7. Who do you think is the “leader” in the euro league and why? Germany is the euro league leader because they led the euro conversion. 

8. What is the basis for world currency? A mutually agreeable source.

9. Does the Greece situation affect the U.S.? Yes it is a small world when one country is down the rest are affected.

Eurozone Questions

1. What is currency?

2. What is the Euro?

3. As the modern move toward the Eurozone picked up speed, what did German negotiators want that they did not get?

4. Why does this matter?

5. Who or what is PIMCO?

6. What is a bond?

7. What other country would be wounded economically if the Greek economy fails?

8. What is today’s unemployment rate in Spain?

9. What will it take to “bail out” Greece?

Continental BreakUp; Review of Inside Job

Here's the This American Life episode.

Here's the show's transcript, if you want to read along.

While you listen, your mission is to scaffold, i.e. ask and answer nine questions each in the comment section below, as well as answer two I posed, in time for discussion in Monday's class.


Ideally, these questions will go beyond fact-based questions and include a few allusion questions and/or experience-based questions.

Here are my questions:
1. Why should we study anything about modern European economics in an American studies class?

2. How likely is it that you will talk or write anything outside of school regarding to this topic in the next year? Why?


Also:

Take a look at this list of vocabulary from Inside Job. You may use these terms in a brief (three or paragraphs) review of the documentary due any time before next Wednesday. Reviews of a documentary's success could include a combination of analysis of watchability, support for thesis, logic of argument and ability to reach the target audience.