You should watch clips of a Hollywood western of your choice and prepare a report that contrasts the romanticized Hollywood version with the reality presented in your textbook. You should do this on your blog and comment on three of your classmates' blogs.
I watched the movie Hondo featuring John Wayne. In Hondo, Hondo is a cowboy by the name of Hondo Lane. Hondo is mysterious, strong and powerful. Hondo is looked up to because he lived with the Apache Indians for 5 years. Hondo also seems to have a lot of wisdom because he has many deep conversations with Angie (another main character in the movie). Hondo came to Angie in the beginning of the movie wanting to buy a horse because his had run away. In reality, a cowboy would not have been able to afford a horse. Also, the westerner was very smart and he knew how to do many things around the homestead such as take care of horses and sharpen axes. Hondo is seen as very brave because he has a very bad temper so he defends himself regularly. In the movie Hondo, the cowboy is pictured as being happy and his fights with the Indians are always turning out for the better. However, the western myth is not always what the movies display them to be. The Western Myth as described in this movie was created by the numerous legends of westerners such as Buffalo Bill, Jesse James, Billy the Kid, and Calamity Jane. In reality, the western life was not as glorious as the “Western Myth” made it out to be. The inhabitants of the West experienced the same amount of hardships as the inhabitants of the East. The western life was not anything to be romanticized. Rather than being an aristocrat, the cowboy was usually lowly paid. Majority of Americans did not consider the real aspects of the cowboy life such as the tedium, the loneliness, the physical discomforts, and the few opportunities for advancement (Brinkley 456). Also, the inhabitants of the West did not usually have a good education. The West was seen as the “last frontier” and the last opportunity to start anew. However, the West was not the “last frontier,” America would continue to explore and find new places to start anew even though the Western lands had been settled.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Do you consider Reconstruction (1865-1877) to have been a success or failure? Why? Answer this question before Sunday, Nov. 22, and comment on two other students' blogs by Wednesday, Nov. 25.
I believe that the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War was a failure because it resulted mainly in corruption and it did not reach its goal of uniting the Conferderacy and the Union. President Lincoln along with President Johnson tried to create reconstruction plans, but they both failed. The Radicals refused to recognize both the Johnson and Lincoln governments because they did not include any of the "radical" ideas. Also the Reconstruction Era resulted in the Crop-Lien System, the Whiskey Ring, the Panic of 1873, and the Ku Klux Klan. Although the Reconstruction Era did have some positive aspects such as the addition of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment, the reconstruction still resulted with the Conferderates "redeeming " seven of their former confederate governments. The Reconstruction Era was a failure because even when the Union and the Confederacy united for a short amount of time, they still had many conflicts and disputes over matters such as slavery. Also, the Reconstructon Era cause the creation of the Jim Crow Laws, poll taxes, and literacy tests; the reconstruction caused an increase in African-American discrimination. If the Reconstruction Era was a success, then the Confederate governments would not have been redeemed and the Nation would have been able to solve their differences and make compromises in shorter periods of time.
I believe that the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War was a failure because it resulted mainly in corruption and it did not reach its goal of uniting the Conferderacy and the Union. President Lincoln along with President Johnson tried to create reconstruction plans, but they both failed. The Radicals refused to recognize both the Johnson and Lincoln governments because they did not include any of the "radical" ideas. Also the Reconstruction Era resulted in the Crop-Lien System, the Whiskey Ring, the Panic of 1873, and the Ku Klux Klan. Although the Reconstruction Era did have some positive aspects such as the addition of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment, the reconstruction still resulted with the Conferderates "redeeming " seven of their former confederate governments. The Reconstruction Era was a failure because even when the Union and the Confederacy united for a short amount of time, they still had many conflicts and disputes over matters such as slavery. Also, the Reconstructon Era cause the creation of the Jim Crow Laws, poll taxes, and literacy tests; the reconstruction caused an increase in African-American discrimination. If the Reconstruction Era was a success, then the Confederate governments would not have been redeemed and the Nation would have been able to solve their differences and make compromises in shorter periods of time.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Andrew Jackson
Was Andrew Jackson a "champion of the common man" or "King" Andrew?
Andrew Jackson was not a "champion of the common man" as he liked to perceive. Instead, he was "King" Andrew. In some ways Jackson may have seemed like a "champion of the common man" because he was against the rising aristrocracy and supported an egalitarian society, but do not let these aspects be deceiving. Andrew Jackson was a very demanding presedent. He was not open minded and did not accept the opinions of others. He was known for firing his cabinet and other members of congress when things did not go his way. In order to make things happen his way, Andrew Jackson introduced the spoils syestem to the national government- basing appoints in government on political support. Therefore everything he supported was also supported by his cabinet and anyone else he appointed. Andrew Jackson vetoed more bills in his term in office than anyother presedent. If he was a presedent of the "common man" then he would have considered passing more of the bills that were presented to him. He found ways around government establishments such as the national bank. In order to avoid using the national bank he divided all of the federal money into various state banks. Andrew Jackson was not worthy of being the presedent of the United States because he acted more like a king. The government was made for and by the people and during the Jackson Era it was all about him, "King Jackson," not the people.
Andrew Jackson was not a "champion of the common man" as he liked to perceive. Instead, he was "King" Andrew. In some ways Jackson may have seemed like a "champion of the common man" because he was against the rising aristrocracy and supported an egalitarian society, but do not let these aspects be deceiving. Andrew Jackson was a very demanding presedent. He was not open minded and did not accept the opinions of others. He was known for firing his cabinet and other members of congress when things did not go his way. In order to make things happen his way, Andrew Jackson introduced the spoils syestem to the national government- basing appoints in government on political support. Therefore everything he supported was also supported by his cabinet and anyone else he appointed. Andrew Jackson vetoed more bills in his term in office than anyother presedent. If he was a presedent of the "common man" then he would have considered passing more of the bills that were presented to him. He found ways around government establishments such as the national bank. In order to avoid using the national bank he divided all of the federal money into various state banks. Andrew Jackson was not worthy of being the presedent of the United States because he acted more like a king. The government was made for and by the people and during the Jackson Era it was all about him, "King Jackson," not the people.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
To what extent was the Jeffersonian Era (1800-1828) consistent with the vision of Thomas Jefferson?
Thomas Jefferson's vision on the future American government and society greatly contradicted the visions of the federalist. Unlike Alexander Hamilton, Jefferson believed in a government where majority of the power was held within the state governments. Jefferson and his followers, the anti-federalist, wanted a government that was mainly held together by independent farmers. Jefferson did not like the idea of industries and commerce, he supported the idea of an agrarian society. The anti-federalist feared a too powerful centralized government, so Thomas Jefferson wanted a federal government that was greatly limited. He believed that all Americans should be exposed to the scientific rationalism of the Enlightment which was a part of the proposal of universal education. During Jefferson's years as president, many of his visions did not come true. Instead of keeping an agrarian society with many farmers, industrialization began to increase. With increasing numbers of industries, commerce also increased. Unfortunately education continued to be something the select "elites" got to participate in. The American society during the Jeffersonian Era was far from the simple society that Jefferson had in mind. Although some of Jefferson's ideals became true during the Jeffersonian Era, most did not. Thomas Jefferson's vision of the government was very inconsistent with the actual government during the Jeffersonian Era.
Thomas Jefferson's vision on the future American government and society greatly contradicted the visions of the federalist. Unlike Alexander Hamilton, Jefferson believed in a government where majority of the power was held within the state governments. Jefferson and his followers, the anti-federalist, wanted a government that was mainly held together by independent farmers. Jefferson did not like the idea of industries and commerce, he supported the idea of an agrarian society. The anti-federalist feared a too powerful centralized government, so Thomas Jefferson wanted a federal government that was greatly limited. He believed that all Americans should be exposed to the scientific rationalism of the Enlightment which was a part of the proposal of universal education. During Jefferson's years as president, many of his visions did not come true. Instead of keeping an agrarian society with many farmers, industrialization began to increase. With increasing numbers of industries, commerce also increased. Unfortunately education continued to be something the select "elites" got to participate in. The American society during the Jeffersonian Era was far from the simple society that Jefferson had in mind. Although some of Jefferson's ideals became true during the Jeffersonian Era, most did not. Thomas Jefferson's vision of the government was very inconsistent with the actual government during the Jeffersonian Era.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
How radical was the American Revolution?
Since the Americans were so used to controlling their own affairs, it caused a huge controversey when Britain started to try to get more power in the colonies by taxing them. The tension between Britain and the Colonies had already been growing since the French and Indian war and this "taxation without representation" was the last straw. The colonies had considered themsleves completely English all the way up to this point, now the colonies were doing everything they could to seperate from them. I think that the American Revolution was extremely radical because the colonies risked everything by going against Britain. There was a very good chance that we could have lost that war and lost sight of the dream of ever becoming independent.
Since the Americans were so used to controlling their own affairs, it caused a huge controversey when Britain started to try to get more power in the colonies by taxing them. The tension between Britain and the Colonies had already been growing since the French and Indian war and this "taxation without representation" was the last straw. The colonies had considered themsleves completely English all the way up to this point, now the colonies were doing everything they could to seperate from them. I think that the American Revolution was extremely radical because the colonies risked everything by going against Britain. There was a very good chance that we could have lost that war and lost sight of the dream of ever becoming independent.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Columbus Day
Should we celebrate Columbus day? (meaning is Christopher Columbus a hero or a villain?)
It is fact that Columbus was not the first person to discover the Americas. It is known that the vikings previously discovered the Americas and when Columbus arrived he was greeted by Native Americans already living there. Although Columbus did not actually discover the Americas he is still the icon of the Americas. Whenever someone thinks about the discovery of the Americas Christopher Columbus always comes to mind. He may not have discovered the Americas but he did play a significant role in establishing the Americas and making it what it is today, because of this I think that he is a hero and that we should celebrate Columbus day.
It is fact that Columbus was not the first person to discover the Americas. It is known that the vikings previously discovered the Americas and when Columbus arrived he was greeted by Native Americans already living there. Although Columbus did not actually discover the Americas he is still the icon of the Americas. Whenever someone thinks about the discovery of the Americas Christopher Columbus always comes to mind. He may not have discovered the Americas but he did play a significant role in establishing the Americas and making it what it is today, because of this I think that he is a hero and that we should celebrate Columbus day.
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