what it means to be an american

Tuesday in class we worked on our Oregon Trail Guides. I am doing a Czech pioneer that has come to American for the first time. Wednesday in class we worked on our 16% projects (we have a lot of projects). I earned a badge for water. It was very interesting to see how water affects everything and how much water it really takes to eat foods or run household items. I believe it is important to conserve our water, especially after doing this program.

There was no class today because of a half day. On Friday we worked on our guide books for the Oregon Trail project. 

U.S. Intervention in Haiti News Article

The Americans based in Haiti believe that they are all lazy, dirty, ignorant, degraded and generally, stupid. However, through extensive research, and while living in Haiti, I found the opposite to be true. In my time here, I have never found a Haitian that is "lazy," in fact, I have never seen one laying around at all. The Haitians are a busy people, they are always working and keeping a clean environment. The Haitians are not dirty, but they are rather clean. Americans here will burn down their buildings and then tell them they cannot rebuild out of the one material they have; lumber. They simply cannot because their wood buildings are too "ugly." The Haitian people are not ignorant, but have not yet developed a system for written word. They are able to speak a very complicated language, but do not have the resources to write it down. The Haitians are resourceful and simplistic, and the Americans have not yet learned to admire this quality, instead of trying to demolish it.

The treatment of the Americans to the Haitians is terrible. It is as if they are not humans, but simply there to give Americans anything they desire. One account of a man's story had him hanging by a chain from a metal pole for twenty-four days. The reason for this hanging was simply because he did not lend his horse to an American lieutenant, after voicing to the lieutenant that his horse had just traveled seven leagues. When the court could not find him faulty of any lawbreaking, the lieutenant took it upon himself to produce the punishment.

Another account was of a woman whose mule was taken from her yard. When she went to find her stolen mule, an American Captain forced her to pay 130 gourds for it. When returned from getting the payment, the captain locked her up, for not just cause. She was released a day later and returned to her home. There she found her husband hanging from the rafters and her house set fire.

The treatment of Americans to Haitians is truly heinous and is worse than what they imagine their traits to be. I have found the Haitians to be very loving and caring people, all of which are hardworking and respectable. The Americans stationed here in Haiti are unreasonably cruel and hurtful towards the Haitians, and it is difficult to differentiate if we are helping them or taking them over.

Yesterday in class we looked at Yellow Journalism. Yellow Journalism is a type of journalism that journalists used in order to sell more copies. The information is poorly researched and is mostly targeted on gaining the readers attention, and future purchase. We created our own headlines for news topics around that time "Yellow Journalist" style. The day before yesterday we worked on our Smithsonian Quests which don't make sense to me and I think are pointless.

Oregon Trail Game

Cherokee's Burden

Take up the Cherokee's Burden
Let the headaches and torture begin
Watch all your land be taken away
At the change of a white man's whim

Take up the Cherokee's Burden
Travel miles and miles on end
Watch as your women and children starve
And remember how your life was beforehand

Take up the Cherokee's Burden
Fight legally with the nasty whites
Who promised you your land unconditionally
Then took it back and made you flight

Poem

Pile on the folks' burden
Give him honor and glory
Give him joy and laughter
For he will be your living

Pile on the folks' burden
You brook death and oppression
With your pride and greed
Defend the man, not fight him

Journal Entry-Pioneer

May 6, 1854

Today my family and I stopped at a lock town and met a lot of new people. We saw Russians, and Irish, and Bohemians. We also ran into our neighbors from a while back; they decided to settle in the lock town, but I want to move west--towards where Ohio is. I want to be able to thrive and not live a mediocre life like the one I lived back in New Hampshire. I'm very worried about this cholera epidemic that seems to be going around. Already, we have had to leave four families behind, and even more have died. I ma scared that it will hit my family, and pray that it won't. That is the last thing we need on our journey west.

Snap Debate

Today in class we had a snap debate on what we thought was the cause of the War of 1812. We were supposed to watch a video on the prelude to the war, but i was unaware of this. Of the four groups (Impressment, Chesapeake Affair, Orders in Consul, and Incitement) I was put in the Impressment group, and argued why impressment was the cause of the war. Impressment is when Great Britain forced people from other countries into their navy. They targeted Americans since they believed that "Once a British citizen, always a British citizen." Even though America had supposedly won their freedom from Great Britain, they were still forced into the navy. The only way someone was safe was if they were an apprentice or worked at sea, and even then you had to have proof as to your occupation. A vast majority of the impressed people were not British, and only 23 British were impressed of the 697 between 1806 and 1808. However, after hearing other cases, I believe that the real cause o the War of 1812 was the Order of the Consul. The Consul in Britain made a law that forbade America from trading with France, even though it was during a time of peace. They are trying to rule over a country that has recently claimed its independence. I do not understand how Britain can make a law for another country . That would be like France saying that Britain cannot trade with America (not that America would want to trade with them, anyways). Great Britain kept America from establishing relations between countries.

Personally, I did not like this activity. It was hard to gather information from the people talking, and I felt like I was missing pieces to the equation. It's hard for me to learn without seeing all of the facts and information in front of me, and this activity made it difficult to understand what was going on. Then again, I did not watch the video, so that could have helped.

diary of the corps of discovery

https://docs.google.com/document/d/142P5PjByMCxG8BvQ5Uhek26r6KVxmAlRaf2kN5Npm-E/edit?usp=sharing

Can't figure out how to embed it.
http://www.myebook.com/ebook_viewer.php?ebookId=204337

Link to story.

Muhammad Ali

Finally found a software that worked. Still very frustrated. Finished though!

Monday in class we talked about segregation in schools and whether or not it existed today. In California, there was a racial incident. A few white students hung nooses from the trees. As a result a few African American students beat up the white kids and were sent to jail on attempted murder. There was controversy about how a schoolyard beating could turn into attempted murder. Friday we didn't have class because of a snow day. My last post should have been about Wednesday and Thursday.

Thursday in class we watched a video about Emmett Till. He was a twelve year old boy that was from the north. He was murdered during a summer he spent at his uncle's down south. His body was thrown in a river. His mother decided to have an open casket to show that it was still happening. It sparked Civil Rights movements. Friday in class we learned about the bus boycotts. A number of African Americans protested about the unfair bus rules in hopes of putting them out of business. From these people, Rosa Parks emerged as a favorite rebel. She refused her seat to a white man and was arrested. Thousands, even millions of African Americans refused to give their seats up or even take the bus as a way to show their beliefs.

Yesterday in class we talked about the Scottsborough Boys trials. They were a group of African American boys that were accused of assaulting and raping two white women at a train station. We wrote diary entries from different people's in the case perspective such as the two women raped, two boys on trial, and the jury members. Today in class we talked aboiut segregation in schools. We read differenmt documents and talked about the Brown v. Board of Education of Topequa. He wanted equality in the school systems and for the segregation to be eliminated.

Yesterday in class we learned about Marcus Garvey. He founded the UNIA and was for segregation. He wanted all African Americans to return to the motherland of Africa. This created muchg upset in the community. He believed that both the white and black races were pure and integration would make them both impure. Today in class we read poems and listened to music as well as looking at paintings. It was about the Great Migration. Many blacks decided the only way to escape the South was to leave the south. Millions of African Americans went North to look for freedom, jobs, and a place to raise their kids.

Yesterday in class there was an assembly. Therefore, we only had ten minutes of class. Today in class, we learned about Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois. Washington was a former slave that believed that African Americans would have to earn the right to be equal. He believed that there should not be equal education or voting rights and that African Americans should go to trade school and earn their equality by hard work and then respect. DuBois was a rich freemen that graduated from Harvard. He believed that African Americans and whites should be equal before the law in all aspects. They should have equal education, voting rights, and there should be African Americans in power.

Yesterday in class there was no school, so we didn't do anything.

Today in class we worked on our projects and drawing them so that we can record them on Thursday. My group decided that Reconstruction was a failure, because the South still remained separate from the South in some way.

Timeline

In class on Wednesday, we watched a video on Jim Crow Laws. These were laws that help back blacks from having the same rights as whites. They could not ride the same trains, live in the same areas, use the same restaurants or bathrooms, and even limited schools and jobs. These laws held back African Americans from practicing the rights they just obtained. They were used to keep whites in control. In class on Thursday, we learned about sharecropping. Wealthy farm owners would hire people to work on their plantations. In return, they gave them food, shelter in clothing. Most of the time, it was former slaves that had no other option but to work on these farms. Many of these workers were in debt to their planters and signed unfair contracts. As a result, the workers were often forced to stay at these plantations, working forever for their planters. This was much like slavery.

Today in class we read a really long obituary on Andrew JOhnson. He was the vice president to Lincoln, and then after Lincoln's assassination he became president. He was a Southern democrat that sympathized with the South after the Civil war. He was very forgiving to the South, which the Radical Republicans did not agree with. Yesterday in class we learned about the different plans for reconstruction. Lincoln's plan was forgiving to the South, but punishing at the same time. People had to pedge their allegiance to the Union before they got a pardon. In Johnson's plan, he was even more forgiving to the South. He gave almost everyone a pardon that asked, and alowed them to enter the Union easily. The Radial Republican's plan was the most punishing. It did not give pardons, and the South was under military rule. It didn't allow Confederate leaders to vote for a period of time, and madethem give equal rights to all.

Yesterday in class we went to the computer lab. We did two worksheets on black codes in the South. Because the slaves were now free, the south tried to punish them and segregate them as much as possible. There were different schools, bathrooms, restaurants, and many laws preventing African Americans from going into towns, owning property, and starting businesses.

Today in class, we learned about the 14th Ammendment, which got rid of all these black codes. It basically said that anyone born or naturalized is a US citizen, and that they have the rights to life, liverty, and property. They said that blacks could own property, and could own businesses, and could get married. The 14th Ammendment ensured African Americans the rights to live their life equal to whites.

Winnie the Pooh I believe that I am Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. I may not be happy all the time, but I am loyal to the peopole I trust and that loyalty can go a long way. Also, I am constantly losing things and it often takes a while for me to find them. I want the best for my friends, even if it means sacrificing my own happiness. Results: Tie: Winnie the Pooh: You are part Winnie the Pooh. Oh, bother. You are sweet, simple, and popular for your honesty and goodwill. Though you may be the biggest personality in the woods, you sometimes need the help of others in the brains department! Piglet: You are part Piglet. You are timid, quiet, and like to stay in others' shadows. Though your shyness can irritate some, you are courageous when it counts and are always loyal to your friends. The quiz decided I was a different character; well, two different characters. I actually kind of hate that I'm Winnie the Pooh because I feel like he is a moron and completely full of himself, which I don;t really think I am. I guess I'm okay with Piglet, because I do kind of lurk in the shadows of everyone else. I kind of am only there when someone needs me, which I feel Piglet is like.

Today in class we talked about the Civil War and about the first all African-American Regiment ever. Robert Gould Shaw led this Regiment, and they made history. The Emancipation Proclamation is what made this possible.