Banging my head against the wall…

Yes, it’s that time of the semester…time to grade exams.  Once again, some of my students have astounded me with their grasp of information and their ability to convey their thoughts when responding to the exam questions.  From one student in the online course choosing to answer a question that was on the on campus exam (but not on the online course exam) to some instances in which spell check was not a students’ friend, this batch of exams definitely was insightful.

From United States History since 1877 (on campus):

Prior to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 presidential campaign, the United States was going through a period called the “modern times.”

As World War II was getting closer, the Good Neighbor Policy became more effective.  United States offered a measure of relief with Germany.  Charles Dawes, a banker, gave Germany with an American Loan.  Since Germany was poor, this allowed Hitler to take over, resulting in World War II.

Since the Good Neighbor Policy was in affect the U.S. was not physically allowed to get involved in any attempts of stopping Germany from taking over other countries.  This would include the attacks on Dane, Norway, as well as Poland.  Even when Britain and France declared war the U.S. was not able to be involved.  However, slowly President Roosevelt found ways to be involved even though the U.S. was declared “neutral” one of those ways was by sending masses of ammo, planes, and guns.

During World War I, Hoover created a program in which Americans rationalized their meals.

From United States History since 1877 (online):

National Origins Act of 1924- There was an annual immigration quota of 2 percent of every natural group that was ever counted in the year 1980.

The U.S under the Truman Doctrine sent aid to Turkey and Greece to take the Burden of the British.

The bold decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan didn’t necessarily have to happen because it is believed that a demonstration of the bombs ability would have led the Japanese to surrender. But it is believed that the decision that was made to drop the bomb was to scare the Soviet Union before the Red Army was able to enter into China.

Reconstruction Finance Corporation: Was created under president Hoover to lend money to help out the railroads and other industries after World War One. It helped the economy after the war and the great depression get back on it’s feet.

The Power Works Administration was the first major program to fight unemployment by giving people money to spend on industrial products. The PWA built several projects but not enough to greatly impact unemployment.

The Ohio Gang was comprised of Herbert Hoover’s friends and associations who asked Hoover to provide them with government jobs, which plummeted his administration to disgrace by involving scandals of bribery and kickbacks. For example, The Teapot Dome Scandal involved Albert Fall and his conviction of accepting bribes. He was the first cabinet member in American history to be convicted of a crime.

Scopes was found guilty of the teachings of evolution and was convicted. Scopes had openly admitted to this but judge, William Jennings Bryan, and voluntary lawyer, Clarence Darrow, had many different opinions on the issue which led to arguments and made the trial more than it probably had to be.

Scopes Monkey Trial:  Due to fear and ignorance regarding immigrants Sacco and Vanzetti were put on trial for killing and robbing a messenger carrying money from a factory. The eye witness accounts were inconclusive. They swore they were innocent but due to their political views they were made an example of.  They were convicted and were put to death.

Scopes Trial, or should I say Bible vs. Science; this was a trial that was about a teacher teaching about evolution which was against the law and the Bible. The historical significance was the first trail to ever be on the radio, putting Dayton Tennessee on the map and some believe opening the door to free curriculum.  The trail brought in lots of spectators that would spend money on hotels and food.  It was great for the economy.

From History of Pennsylvania:

Brandywine Battlefield and Gettysburg National Military Park are the two in common because they both deal with battlefields from the American Revolution.

Brandywine and the David Bradford House (being home to whiskey rebellion) happened when George Washington was in office and Gettysburg happened when he wasn’t in office and at a much later period in the 1860s.

Brandywine Battlefield:  Site of the last battle fought in the Civil War

Wheatland—Location of Carnegie’s steel plant

Other acts like the Towns and Duties Act and the Tea Act led to further discontent between Britain and Pennsylvania.

The Yankee-Pennamite War was a conflict that didn’t claim many casualties between settlers of Connecticut (Yankees) and Pennsylvania (Pennamites) in the late 1700s, who argued over the land along the Susquehanna River in Wyoming Valley.  Following the American Revoltuion the land was granted by the Continental Congress to Pennamites regardless of the fact that King George III claimed the land for the Yankees years earlier.

Carpenters’ Hall was home to the First Continental Congress during the American Civil War.

As political factions like those of the Deutsch, Lutherans, and Protestants began to make their way into the colony’s parliament, new things began to get done, including the building of an army.

And the first grading frenzy has ended…

This semester, I’m teaching four classes that had exams in the past couple of weeks.  As usual, the students continue to amaze me with their grasp of historical knowledge–or, occasionally, their revisionist interpretations of the past.  These selections are from HST 4401 (History of Pennsylvania) and HST 2202 (United States History Since 1877–both online and on campus sections). 

From HST 4401 (History of Pennsylvania)

The Pennsylvanian Quakers mostly feared the growing amount of Anglicans in the colony.  This is because they began to realize that the Quakers that still lived in England were not so willing to leave the old world and come to the new world.  The colony also included Protestants, which brought about the Protestant Reformation.  The Protestant reformation wanted to translate the bible into many languages, and the separation in the church between Catholics and Protestants to be over.

In 1753 the French and Indian war broke out.  This caused people of all religions to ban together and fight.

From HST 2202 (United States History Since 1877)

Essays:

Rockefellers Company expanded so much it started to develop kerosene.

Cleveland pushed hard for foreign policy when he attacked Soma, to get rights to a naval station.

You fall asleep and you wake up and realize its 1900, time flew by way to fast. You look around and everything has changed, the nation is in a better place economically there is no more farmers being over productive.

Another important event would be the implementation of the Chinese Exclusion Act.  This act was put in place to suspend Chinese.  It was originally supposed to be a ten year plan however congress decided to add on another ten years making it go from 1882-1992.

Business in the late nineteenth century was just begging to find its place in America.

The rise of big business and industry had impacted the labor force by creating jobs with the introduction of mass assembly, mass marketing, and mass production.  The American Indians had thought they were going to keep the land they owned forever.  This changed once the value of the land was learned.  The federal government did not care about labor laws, or management, as long as they got what they wanted.  Then the civil war had came, and they needed to change their attitude towards slavery. 

The Spanish American war was the most crucial change in this time period in my opinion.  It gave Teddy Roosevelt the notoriety that he needed to eventually become the president of the United States.  It also let the U.S. purchase the Philippians and gave Puerto Rico, Guam and Cuba their independence.  Without this war, the U.S. might not have gotten control of the Phiippians which would prove as a vital navy yard for their trade markets.

Andrew Carnegie was an immigrant from Scotland who was a telegraph clerk for Thomas Scott.  He was also worked on the PA railroad as a right-hand man.

Rockefeller made his fortune in the oil industry.  He started to use rates, which are discounts given by the railroad company on shipments, and pools, which were agreements with the railroad administrators to divide the volume of freight in order to raise prices, in order to get ahead of his competitors.  He also convinced the railroad company to buy rebates and therefor was able to obtain rebates not only on his shipments but also on his rivals’ shipments as well.

In most cases the federal government sided with the employers as they told them not to employ anyone involved with unions or strikes because they would only cause them more problems down the road.

Steel mining was also important during this time seeing that it was the most efficient metal to use for the construction and expansion of railroads, seeing that it was stronger and lasted longer.

Men such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and other magnets of their era rose up from the social Darwin world they lived in where “survival of the fittest” was the common belief.

James McParlan:

James McParlan corrupted the Mollies and the WBA, and ended the WBA strike through the Pinkerton Agency. 

James McParlan was a secret agent for the Irish.  H was part of the Molly Maguires.  He was hired by mine owners to report about the Pinkerton agency.  Because of this hey went on strike.  This was the start of getting control of workers unions and better working laws.

Pendleton Act:

The Pendelton Act passed in 1883 to help end political corruption forever changed the face of the federal government, before it was the biggest contributors that got the high ranking positions in government, many of which were in the U.S postal service. Now it was the most qualified instead and this made the government more honest and functional since the previous employees were incompetent.

Pendleton Act The Pendleton act came about due to politics being corrupt. This corruption of government jobs seemed to be based on politicians paying voters with incentives. It seemed you really didn’t have to have any qualifications as a public leader to be voted in to government jobs.

The Pendleton act than outlawed any political positions to give incentives for votes.

The Pendleton Act outlawed political corruption and contributions by office holders.  This made politics more genuine and for the people.  This caused people to have the right to vote on who they wanted in office.

The Pendleton Act is significant to this time period because it stopped the act of political contributions which meant that no candidate could pay to rig and win the election.  This allowed the candidates to stand on issues that were on hand and allowed the government to start resolving important issues within society.

Sherman Antitrust Act:

The Sherman Antitrust Act provided the people with destroying trusts which allowed the government to stay involved within business and try and regulate them a little without them getting too big and trying to take over.

Sherman Antitrust Act- Congress created the Sherman Antitrust Act on a Federal Level in 1890 because the American public was upset and disgusted with the high tariffs and trusts. This was brought on by big business… during the election the democrats promised a tariff reduction if their candidate won. The Republicans didn’t want lower tariffs so this just caused a dirty election. This Sherman Antitrust Act started out on a state level where states could control the tariffs but big businesses just moved to other states hat didn’t really enforce the law on the tariffs so therefore this is why congress had to step in. The Act kept big businesses from getting away from not having to pay tariffs.

Due to workers having poor working conditions and their wages being cut violent outbreaks of strikes took place. The government tried to step in with the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, which was to try to break the current strike that was occurring as well as any future strikes.

Sherman Anti-trust Act:  This was initially supposed to dissolve the trusts.  It was put in place because states had already begun enforcing their own anti-trust rules because tariffs and trusts were unfavorable.  The Sherman Anti-trust Act was put into place by congress to help the states because their actions were mostly unsuccessful.  In the end, it led to the Sherman Silver Purchase Act which made the United States government purchase 4.5 million ounces of silver every month at 16 to 1.  This was very important because it kept inflation down.

Sherman Antitrust Act – The Sherman Antitrust Act was vital in the development of the United States.  As a result of its passing, the United States was more opened up to foreign trade, which is one of the major bases of our economy;  this lead to our economy flourishing over time.

Sherman Antitrust Act – Enacted in 1890, by Congress it was to stop high tariffs and trusts on trade. This act was ineffective with most large companies; however it broke up labor strikes by the courts getting involved.

Battle of Homestead:

The Battle of Homestead was the strike that the factory workers at Carnegies Steel Factory had done.  This strike caused much tension between the workers and the employers.  The employers tried to send in the Pinkertons to break the strike up, but it backfired and caused a small war between the strikers and the Pinkertons, in which casualties from both sides occurred.  The Pinkertons retreated.  The strike ended with the Federal Government recognizing labor unions.

Omaha Platform:

Ohmaha Platform-a set of items conveyed into a platform of what the government (also the Knights of Labor) wanted to happen to essentially return power to the “small man” or the normal guy regarding working conditions, and the way farms run. (not sure that I understood this accurately?)

Pullman Strike:

The Pullman Strike of 1894 was important in that it allowed Eugene V. Debbs to make socialism more respectable than it was previously. The government’s action in favor of the management inspired Debbs to preach socialism with American values, making the party stronger.

The Pullman strike has important historical significance. Leading up to the Pullman Strike, wages were cut due to an economic depression and negotiation wasn’t an option.  There was a railroad boycott and this affected the railways. After the Pullman Strike, a man, Debs, was imprisoned and he came out socialist and made a socialist movement more affective.   He repaired the damage done by the Pullman Strike.

Cross of Gold Speech:

The Cross of Gold speech was William Bryan’s speech that won his nomination for the Democratic candidate for the election of 1896.  This was significant because this speech spoke for those in the south.  He spoke about silver, appealing to farmers, and comforting the people about inflammation.

Ida Tarbell:

Ida Tarbell was the daughter of Rockefeller (owner of Standard Oil Company).  She would document how the Standard Oil Company would operate and why they shouldn’t be a monopoly.  She was a Muckraker because she dug up dirt that she then published to the middle and working class.

Ida Tarbell- Ida Tarbell was the daughter of the “PA Oilman,” John Rockefeller and a well known muckraker. She used facts and figures in her articles.  She was known to bring down the big guy, who was her father.

Ida Tarbell:  She was a yellow journalist who wrote the book “History of Standard Oil Corporation.”  In this book she would go on to explain why Standard Oil was a bad and corrupt company.  The historical significance she had was rather small, because she was known as a pest just like other yellow journalists.

Ida Tarbell, a Muckraker, was a women journalist who wanted to expose the dangers of hard and unfair labor in the late nineteenth century.  Tarbell, a well known journalist during the Progressive Era, published History of Standard Oil Corporation.  Tarbell published many pieces that would expose the dangers of factory life.

Ida Tarbell was significant because she wrote about the standard Oil Company and how it was a big conspiracy.  She wrote to inform the public of how things needed to change and this was all a big hoax to get the union destroyed.

 

Tales of the one-armed professor

As I recover from surgery on my left shoulder, I think back to Spring 1984.  That semester, I was a doctoral student at the University of Connecticut, and one of my classes involved processing collections in the university archives.  One of the collections was the Handicapped Homemaker Project, which ran from 1956-1960 (the finding aid can be found at http://doddcenter.uconn.edu/asc/findaids/HHP/MSS19800005.html).  Functioning with one arm strapped to my chest for the next couple of weeks, which will include the beginning of spring semester, will definitely present some challenges that might resemble what those homemakers faced in the late 1950s.

First, this is just a temporary inconvenience while I recover from surgery that involved repairing the rotator cuff and labrum, shaving a bone spur, and putting my shoulder back in the socket (it’s still a mystery how my shoulder was injured; the only fall I can recall was when I was knocked flying in April 1980 when taken out on a double play and landed on the left shoulder—but I did hold on to the ball and make the out).  I should be somewhat functional in a couple of weeks (somewhat meaning that the sling will be worn on the outside of my clothing instead of under it) and out of the sling by April.  In fact, light physical therapy started the day after the surgery with range of motion exercises for the fingers, wrist, and elbow that are in the sling.

Second, I am fortunate in that the surgery was on my left shoulder and I am right-handed, so I’m not as disabled as some of those homemakers were (or as I was when I had surgery on my right elbow in July 1980).  I also am able to drive, although fastening the seat belt is a challenge.  I am able to handle most of my personal needs, but I am extremely grateful that my mother lives with me and is helping me with some things I just can’t do with one hand.

So below is a “top ten” list of things that will be a bit cumbersome for the next few weeks:

1)     Taking my blood sugar counts

2)     Brushing my teeth

3)     Injecting insulin.  Ever try to attach a needle to an insulin pen using only one hand?

4)     Opening child proof medicine caps

5)     Getting dressed.  It’s not easy trying to put on a top with one arm strapped to your body.

6)     Cutting meat

7)     Trimming fingernails

8)     Putting on gloves (hey, it’s winter here in north central Pennsylvania)

9)     Putting paper in the printer

10) Washing hands…or, rather, hand

I am grateful that I have health insurance that will cover the cost of surgery (and the subsequent physical therapy).  Surprisingly, the pain really isn’t a problem…although I do wish the sling strap had padding instead of Velcro where it rubs against the right side of my neck.

And, on the bright side…the spring semester doesn’t start until the 28^th.  I will be wearing baggy sweaters over the sling, but I will be capable of teaching class, even if it’s just reviewing the syllabus and showing documentaries during the first week of classes.  I just have to make sure I don’t get knocked off balance—or at least more off-kilter than I usually am.

Warning! Do Not Have Liquid in Your Mouth!

One more sticker added to the board because of the work of a student who decided that an exam that earned a 72 last year was better than anything he could have written…despite the requirement that students answer the questions “in their own words.” Still, the students continued to be creative in their responses, often causing me to burst out in laughter when reading their answers. Again, the responses have not been edited for grammar or spelling.

First, the slaves were needed to help bring in money to support the economics because the North on one side of it needed the slaves for industrial jobs, while the south needed them to work on the plantations and be farmers to grow crops that could be sold for profit.  Without either of these two jobs being completed by the slaves many peoples lively hoods would of changed drastically because there would be no income or money to support their families.

John B. Cannon felt like he did not have the power to do anything to help the South, so South Carolina succeeded.  This then led to the No Experience Compromise on the political side.

Slavery was the main reason why Reconstruction ended.

The Mexican War happened between Texas and the Spanish (who currently controlled Texas at this time).

A third event that caused the collapse were the cultural differences between the sections because the North wanted to be free and celebrate things in their own ways with their own songs and traditions, while the South also wanted to be free, but they weren’t and they had celebrated with their own songs and traditions and also tried to escape to the North at night by following the North Star.

As a disarray of stress, the fusion of slave law allowed African Americans to be sent solely on evidence of being their owners.

There were many people who were involved with the freedom of slaves such as Martin Luther King, Abraham Lincoln, and many others who helped the slaves by having a safe house.

Since everyone was buying slaves in the south and using them on their plantations, it didn’t give any of them initiative to go out and get a job.

Finally, the westward expansion had a great impact on the 1840’s.  President Thomas Jefferson declared his two personal secretaries Lewis and Clark to explore the rivers as far as the Pacific Ocean.  In the year 1803, Lewis and Clark explored as far as the Missouri and Columbus rivers to the Pacific Ocean.  In 1806, both returned from their expedition to the southern border of the Louisiana territory.  Most importantly, Zebulon Pike, a friend of Lewis and Clark decided to depart from the two.  He realized from a report in 1810, that the Great Plains was an inhabitable place.  Due to these factors, it impacted the Civil war greatly.

Slavery is ranked a close second because it was in fact the needle that broke the camel’s back, but not the true goal.

The Cavaliers, who were the Northern people, and the Puritans, who were the Southern people did not agree on the same culture.  The Southern people were Mormons.  The Mormons were found by a guy named Joseph Smith Jr., who had a vision while in the woods that told him that all the other religions were evil.

Emancipation Proclamation- Lincoln wanted to free all slaves. Which lead to states leaving the union, so that they could keep slavery. It leads to Lincoln being shot.

Harriet Beecher Stowe was the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and a slave herself who tried to escape to the North and did.  She wrote in the book about how bad the slaves were treated and that most of them tried to escape to the north to start a better life and many did escape, but some of them got caught and had to be returned to the South for punishment from their masters.

Harriet Beecher Stowe- She was a highly respective teacher. She also wrote a book about, women were suited for teaching children. Because of her they are women school teachers today.  (actually, this was Catharine Beecher, Harriet’s sister)

Harriet Beecher Stowe:  She was attacked by the Fugitive Slave Law when she was forty-one years of age.  She was a slaveholder in Ohio, where she learned about the different elements of slavery.

Harriet Beecher Stowe:  Harriet was the author of prolific book Uncle Tom’s Kitchen.

The anaconda plan was designed by the General in Chief Winfield Scott and was put into place by President Lincoln. The goal of the plan was to squeeze the Confederacy into submission like the anaconda does it’s pray. The design of the plan had three main coils. The first of them was to block all of the nasal passages throughout the south so that foreign aid would not be a factor in the war.

Another part of the compromise of 1850 for the South was Popular Sovereignty in the New Mexico and Utah territories, by Steven Douglas and Milord Fillmore.

The Compromise of 1850 was trying to figure out if slaves in California and Mexico should be legal or not.  Slave trade was over in Columbia they paid Texas for the land, and Texas took the money and gave up the land.

Compromise of 1850:  The compromise was split into things for the North and things for the South.  When it comes to the North, Tyler said that each portion, the North and the South, should develop their own rules when it came to slavery.  This is because Tyler knew that slavery wouldn’t be able to survive because the land was not suitable enough to grow crops that slavery would be needed; this happened in 1849.  In 1850, California tried to declare themselves as a free state.  However, they were denied this because in order to add a free state you must also add a slave state.  D.C. had already declared themselves as a free state.

Donner-Reed Party:  Group of settlers that traveled along the Oregon Trail to reach California.  They faced hardships that killed almost half of the people that traveled along the way.  The significance of this was that it promoted western expansion to several others in the US.

The Donor Reed party would of never happen if there was no expansion.

Donner-Reed Party – This is the Donner family and the Reed family who are both setting out to make their way to California and be part of the westward expansion.  These two parties, however, experience far more than any other families.  Not only are they forced to go through worse conditions, but they do not make it out of the mountains before the snow hits.  I will not go into great detail because it makes me sick thinking about it, but this party is an example of what it was like to move their lives somewhere else.  Today, we can just get in our vehicles and drive.  We do not have to stop and rest oxen and we are not openly subjected to rain, snow, wind, or any other harsh weather conditions.  What they thought was going to be better for their families turned out to be the complete opposite.

The Donner party isn’t a very good example of happy travel.

The Dred Scott decision demanded the reconstruction of state laws after the civil war because so many questions were raised about rights and morality of laws post-war.  It also denied citizenship to African Americans.  This denial of citizenship to the now free blacks in America set the stage for future revolt from the blacks about equal rights.

Ku Klux Klan:  It is a social club that was developed by white southern people that resisted the reconstruction of slavery.  They wanted to intimate the republicans who that they would allow the democrats to hold political positions again.

The Ku Klux Klan also was started in the South before the Civil War.

Ku Klux Klan:  The historical significance of this group is that they created a more organized opposition to the anti-slavery movement.  This also indirectly strengthened the anti-slavery movement through people’s dislike for the KKK themselves.

Charles Sumner gave a speech regarding a possibility he had heard that Kansas becoming a slave state.  In which, Andrew Butler disagreed.  Much conflict resulted over this, even violence.

Charles Sumner:  The historical significance of Charles Sumner is that he was an anti-slavery advocate even before the civil war.  Historically, he became an important political figure, through his advocacy and that he had an important voice in the impeachment of Andrew Jackson.

American Colonization Society:  This was established for the two groups.  Each group had their own opinion on slavery one wanted to abolish it and free the slaves and the other wanted to send them back to Africa.  They wanted to get rid of the slaves because they felt that blacks would never be able to live with the white people.

Homestead Act:  In 1862, the Confederate Congress created an act that provided any citizen who never fought in war could receive land from the government.  Those who received the land had to improve the land and make it profitable.  After five years, the land was theirs.  The act did not help the poor because they often could not afford to provide equipment for farming and the upkeep.  Citizens began to claim that the rich were safe from war and poverty while the poor risked their lives with no money, war, and poverty.

The Homestead Act was the result of the War Between the States and it was where Congress passed a law that said that slaves could be free and that African American men were allowed to vote, even if they were previously enslaved or not.

The Wilmot Proviso ended slavery in any areas that Mexico gained during the war.

Wilmot Proviso:  was an amendment that forbade slavery in any territory owned by Mexico.  Didn’t want Mexico getting involved with the American problems.

David Proviso a Pennsylvania democrat Introduced a amendment called the William Proviso, to a war appropriations bill.  This amendment would for bade any territory acquired from Mexico.  Only thing wrong was that people didn’t think that free labor could out perform slave labor and the presence of a slave would make it easier on the white man because they wouldn’t have to do the work.  But this amendment wasn’t passed of course because southerners thought the opposed amendment was treason to the U.S. constitution.

Harpers Ferry:  James Brown went to Blue Ridge Mountains in hopes to return there after freeing many slaves, in short he lost his life by being sentences as guilty, with murder and treason charges.

And finally, one from Historical Methods:

Question on Exam: When was this law passed by the State Assembly?

Student Answer: Yes.

Five More Stickers on the Board…

The second exams for United States History to 1877 have been graded, and once more my students have enlightened, entertained, and frustrated me. Despite repeated warnings, several students chose to violate the university’s academic dishonesty policy with their submissions, including two essays that were identical, one short answer that was identical to one submitted in November 2011, one with several short answer responses that were plagiarized from the Internet (and were incorrect), and one that included multiple quotations without citations.

And, of course, I also received more entries that qualify as historical revisionism. My mother keeps badgering me to compile these into a book, but I really don’t want to profit from the mistakes my students make (especially since sometimes they make me question how effective I am as a teacher). At least enough students earned A’s and B’s to let me know that it was a valid assessment and that I can teach. Incidentally, on twelve of the exams (26%) students confused the Sedition Act that was part of the Alien and Sedition Acts with the Sedition Act of 1918, not realizing that the latter would not have been discussed in a course that chronologically ends in 1877.

The following are some of the “revisionist” answers on the most recent exam.  The spelling, grammar, and punctuation are the same as what the students wrote.

Three-Fifths Compromise: this was created by the Northern and Southern states agreeing to only counting 3/5ths of the slave population so that neither the North or the South would have more control of the government based on the number of slaves. If this agreement wasn’t reached slavery would have never ended in the United States. The South would have had way more slaves and this would result in the South having all the power and if this happened slavery would have never ended. But they agreed and slavery ended because of the three-fifths compromise.

Three-Fifths Compromise: Slaves was counted for not even a full person but less than half a person. This was the result for taxation and representation.

Three-Fifths Compromise: The significance of the three-fifths compromise is that political officials needed to have a 3/5ths majority vote in order to pass a law.

Three-Fifths Compromise: Slaves counted as three fifths of a white person. This was created and called the Compromise of 1820 an 1850. Slaves counted as three fifths of a white man for population purposes during an election. The significance of this is that it would give the state more population to increase the number of Electoral College votes each state would receive. African Americans were also moving up in the US one step at a time and this was the first.

Three-Fifths Compromise: Even though I don’t know what they were thinking having this kind of compromise. It stated that in a State a slave would be counted as 3/5 a person for taxation and representation. But this compromise didn’t last very long or fix really anything.

Pickney’s Treaty: Americans bought land from France; the treaty secured free travel in the Mississippi river thus, helping trade. (Note: Pinckney’s Treaty was negotiated with Spain).

The Sedition Act was a key issue in the election of 1800, it was also a part of the Newspaper War and the Naturalization Act. The Sedition Act later became a part of the 12th Amendment, which is where everyone has the right to vote.

Hopewell Furnace was founded in 1770 and the peak period was 1820-1840 and it mainly produced stoves, pots, and pig iron farrier.

Corrupt Bargain: Adams obtained office as a result of the Corrupt Bargain, which means he allegedly used public funds to buy personal luxuries and installed gaming tables in the white house.

The Federalists such as Alexander Hamilton were covertly supporting the British Monarchy and the new French republic.

The Democratic-Republicans wanted to keep taxes lower to prevent more frugal spending within the government.

During this election Adams and Jackson kept spreading rumors about one another. Jackson was said to have killed twelve men in duels. While Adams was said to have moved in with his wife before she was legally divorced.

In 1828, when Jackson was president he had an Indian policy where he taught them the practices of white Americans because he didn’t want to get rid of them. But then they came up with this Indian removal policy, which is mean, but they wanted to did it where it is voluntary and they would migrate west all so the whites could have more farm land.

In 1828 the removal of Native American’s demonstrated Jackson’s enforcement of the Jeffersonian way. He also sought to remove Native Americans but at the same time legislation was passing things such as the Northwest Ordinance Act allowing for slaves to be free unless they were slaves as punishment.

I do not support free labor also known as slavery which so many Democrats back then did.

Each election made a change in how candidates were selected in there own way. In 1824 none of the candidates got to 270 electoral votes. This caused the house to simply select who they wanted, causing John Quincy Adams to win over Andrew Jackson.

In John Adam’s presidency, the quasi war with France happened. Even though Adams had a Navy ready to fight with George Washington in command and Alexander Hamilton second in command, he still made the effort to establish a peace treaty with France.

Things I am learning from grading exams…

Now that I have finished grading the first set of exams for the United States History to 1877 survey classes, it is time to blog again.  Overall, I was pleased with how well some students did (and can confirm there is a direct correlation between success on the exam and sharing a draft with me in advance), although the grades did range from 35 to 99 (the student who earned a 35 didn’t have to worry about using a staple on his exam, since his essay and five short answer responses fit onto one page with room left over for my comments).  But I did learn that, for some students, apparently there are some issues between understanding what I am saying in class (and what the textbook says) and how they interpret or explain the information on exams, as these gems will demonstrate.

Governor Ralph Lane and his men chased down and attacked a fleeing Indian tribe known as the Croatians.

White, however had to sail back to England to retrieve supplies for the colony, but when he returned, he found nothing except for the word CROATIAN carved on a tree.

Up to 1619 in Jamestown many colonists had died from disease, famine, arrow, and other miscellaneous ways to die.  They had a strong leader named John Smith who buried the hatchet with the Indians by offering jewels of many sorts and also catching the eye of a young female Indian named pocahontas.

Jamestown was made possible by joint-stock companies, such as the Muscovy Company and the East Indian Company.

Without the creation of the House of Burgesses, life in Jamestown would have been always a colonial feeling, a place without any structure.  This really set Jamestown above many; it made them more modern, and gave Jamestown a more city-like feeling.

Navigation Acts it is a series of acts of Parliament, which tried to restrict the England ships from the right to carry goods to and from England and its colonies.  This act helped because of the outcome of War of American Independence.

The navigation acts where a group of laws passed by Britain such as establishing the vice admiralty courts to force the colonies to trade only with them and to cut off or severely hamper the colonies ability to trade with other nations.  In essence it was England’s way of telling the colonies they were its own private piggy bank.  These acts along with a few others were part of the tipping point which drove the colonies to rebellion.  If it hadn’t been for these acts the colonies may not have rebelled and America may not have formed as we know it today.

The Navigation Acts were a set of regulations which began under puritans who lived in the Americas.

Squanto (Tisquantum):  Americans now remember him as the Native American associated with Thanks Giving.  He went to Europe in 1617 to learn the native tongue.  When he returned nothing remained of his village.

Squanto (Tisquantum):  He was one of 20 Indians that was lured on the ship to be taken for slave trade by Columbus’s men.  He managed to avoid slavery and learned English.

There was a stamp act congress but most of them if not all of them ended up being tarred and feathered by the colonist.

The Stamp Act was the first time that the colonists did not pay taxes to their local legislatures, and instead paid them directly to England.  As one could imagine, the colonies did not think too highly of this new tax, so it could be safe to guess that the colonists rioted in the streets or something, but they did not do that.

By November first the stamp act had been lifted and the community had passed taxation without representation through parliament.

Proclamation of 1763 broke up the land between settlers and Indians.  The Appalachian Mountains were a dividing line between them.  The 3 new provinces were created Quebec, West Florida, and East Florida.  This proclamation protected the Indians from becoming extinct and also the settlers from being killed by the Indians.

Queen Elizabeth did not feel the need to give money towards possible expansion, therefore England had to use Ireland in hopes of starting a colony in America.

Sieur de La Salle made another French colonization effort in 1682 he claimed an area around the mouth of the Mississippi River.  The river eventually leads him to the colony of Pennsylvania.

Treaty of Paris (1763):  [as part of the treaty] The Spanish received that sliver of land near New Orleans, all the French Territory west of the Mississippi, Cuba, and the Philippians.

Their perceptions of the new world were that it was a fresh start for them.  They colonists wanted to set free from their mother countries because of the way things were ran.  They either did not see much opportunity for themselves, or they were sick of the way religion was, or they were in search of delicacy’s to make them wealthy.

The Spanish showed up to the new world way earlier than anyone else with the trip Christopher Columbus took in 1492.  They were the first to take advantage of slavery out of the colonies.

Spain wanted Mexico to spread Christianity to the natives.

The Townshend Duties were a set of acts set to raise revenue in the colonies.  The reason why Parliament wanted to raise revenue in the colonies was to pay the salaries of governors so that the colonies could be more independent of British rule.  These taxes were unfair to the colonists because it should not have been their duty to pay the salaries of those running the colonies.  In reaction to this set of acts, in Boston there was a very historical massacre which caused Parliament to repeal most of the taxes but the tax on tea remained in effect.

The Currency Act was the first act that standardized all currency in the colonies.  This act was put into effect to help keep everything in order, if this act did not go into effect people today might still be using livestock as forms of payment for their groceries.

Tea Act (1773):  They took jobs away from people.  It was not valid because people were upset that it had happened to them.

The good old summertime…

Let’s start with a simple statement.  Anyone who thinks that a college professor doesn’t work during the summer should spend a summer in my shoes (currently Dr. Scholl’s…).

View of United Flight 93 crash site from the Memorial Plaza.

So far, I have traveled to several historic sites and museums (Gettysburg, Valley Forge, National Constitution Center, Flight 93 National Memorial), both sightseeing and gathering information to use when I teach Introduction to Public History this fall.  I’m quite confident, in fact, that the students will love the photos—especially the ones I have taken of signage.  Then there were the days spent researching at the Evangelical & Reformed Historical Society, reading German Synod records (fortunately, it’s a lot easier to scan for the word “Reading” in German documents than in English ones, even if it means that I will have to translate the information later).  Some of that information I will be using when I teach Historical Methods this fall and, of course, when writing the paper I will be presenting at the Pennsylvania Historical Association Annual Meeting in November.

Pages from the original church records (in German).

  This summer is a bit different, too, as I am only teaching one class (for the first time this century/millennium), as I have compensated release time to prepare the accreditation report for the National Council for the Social Studies.  Mansfield University has a nationally-recognized Social Studies Education program, and I fully intend to do what I can to maintain that status (especially since I was the person who prepared the report that enabled us to achieve that distinction).  So, part of the time I have been involved with gathering data, and in the next couple of weeks I will be interpreting it and writing up the results.  We have made some improvements since the last report (some of which were implemented when I started teaching the Social Studies Teaching Methods course), and I know we need to continue modifying the program in the future (which will be one of my goals this fall).  Last week, I finished the Annual Report for the Social Studies Education program, and I am proud to say that our History Education majors perform well in the classroom, which I presume means that they will be effective teachers of content when they have classrooms of their own.

This fall, student teachers will get to teach about the presidential election–just like I did back in 1980.

Finally, Summer II began this past Monday, and with it a new course:  History of Women and Sports in America.   I have previously offered History of Sports and American Culture and History of Baseball in the sports field and History of American Women on Film for Women’s Studies, and at least one student has expressed excitement at the opportunity to take this class.  This time, I’m expanding on something I started last summer.  Then, I filmed the “syllabus review” for the Sports History class, and it was well-received; in fact, several students mentioned in the course evaluations that they appreciated the opportunity to hear and see the person who was teaching their online course.  I filmed a course introduction again, but this summer the students also get video lectures to accompany the PowerPoint outlines.  The PowerPoint presentations are interactive (I have figured out how to embed hyperlinks in the PowerPoint slides), but the videos aren’t.  So far, only one student has dropped the class; typically I lose a few when they find out that I expect them to read and write in my classes, at least based upon complaints I have received in the past.

Camera ready to roll in the classroom

Overall, then, May/June/first week of July have been busy with travel, research, data collection, course preparation…in other words, more or less a typical summer.  All but two of the lectures have been filmed, and the rest of the course materials have been posted on the course site.  There will be at least one more “big trip” this summer to gather more materials for the public history class, and, unlike the last two summers, none of the historic site excursions will include seeing a play.  Still, it definitely is turning out to be a different type of adventure than I anticipated six months ago, and one that is proving to be almost as memorable as recent years.

The interpretation at Valley Forge includes more than the traditional “George Washington Slept Here…”