Forty Acres and A Mule

I suspect that I will not be able to cover all of the content that I would like to cover tomorrow - I'm very much looking forward to your presentations, though!  I thought that instead of trying to fit it in tomorrow I would use the blog to answer the other question that was raised at the end of class last week.  This had to do with the passage in section III,

"Many freedmen erroneously thought each family would be given 'forty acres and a mule' to begin new lives as independent farmers.  Instead teh Freedmen's Bureau tried with varying success to persuade black agricultural workers to return to the fields in return for reasonable wages.  In trying to help the freedmen, the bureau often found itself also trying to aid cash-strapped white Southern farmers.

This might have been the formula for a Southern renaissance.  A federal government plan to help both white and black Southerners might have been an earlier Marshall Plan.  But it was tragically not to be."

I'm going to do my best to make this clearer.  Bennett, as he often does, assumes that the reader has more background information than most of us really do!  The term 'Fortry Acres and a Mule' (according to Wikipedia) originated during the last stages of the war as a part of Sherman's March to the Sea campaign.  Sherman's Special Field Orders No. 15 provided arable land and the army also sometimes provided a mule to former slaves as the Union front advanced south.  According to Wikipedia this was never supposed to be an official US political policy that would extend to all emancipated slaves, but was a strategic policy used to during Sherman's campaign.  After Lincoln's assasination, Johnson revoked the land grants and returned the land to the original owners.

It seems that many people assumed that the Freedman's Bureau was set up to establish the Fortry Acres and a Mule Policy, but this was never the case.  The Freedmen's Bureau was started by Lincoln and was supposed to be in effect for one year after the war.  It was supposed to help emancipated slaves find food, healthcare, housing and jobs.  It also helped reunite families.  Even though Johnson vetoed the Bureau, Congress overrode his veto and the Bureau was in place for six years.  It was disbanded during Grant's administration.

My source for the remaining piece of the puzzle (other than Bennett and his references) is a website called Teaching US History.  I think their lesson on Reconstruction is a bit easier to understand than Bennett.  The Southern economy depended on agriculture and particularly on large scale plantations for which the most needed resource was labor.  Without labor the entire Southern economy was broken.  Slaves were emancipated and given their freedom and were no longer required to work on the plantations but they were not provided with another way to earn any income.  So you have large farms idle and a large labor population idle - a sure recipe for disaster.  The Freedmen's Bureau was used as a labor contractor so that former slaves could find work on plantations.  I am assuming here for the moment, but it seems likely that they helped establish wages and work hours and such.  Operating in this fashion - in aiding the emancipated slaves - the Freedmen's Bureau was also helping the southern plantation owner.

This is why Bennett compares it to the Marshall plan, but since we haven't reached that point in history most of you probably have no idea what the Marshall plan is.  Very simply the Marshall plan was an economic policy/plan that the US put in place after WWII which worked to rebuild European economies to make it less likely for communism to spread into Europe.

I hope I have answered questions rather than raising more, but if you still have questions let me know!

Faces of War



Photos from the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution referenced from 'Reconsidering the Man from Illinois' by Rothstein in the NY Times, 2008.

 On the Life-Mask of Abraham Lincoln
This bronze doth keep the very forma d mold
Of our great martyr's face.  Yes, this is he:
That brow of all wisdom, all benigity;
That human, humorous mouth; those cheeks that hold
Like some harsh landscape all the summer's gold;
That spirit fit for sorrow, as the sea
For storms to beat on; the lone agony
Those silent, patient lips too well foretold.
Yes, this is he who ruled a world of men
As might some prophet of the elder day, --
Brooding above the tempest and the fray
With deep-eyed thought and more than mortal ken.
A power was his beyond the touch of art
Or armed strength:  It was his mighty heart.
Richard Watson Gilder, 1886

Chapter 10 Week 1 Homework

This week we begin a new chapter and begin the end of the Civil War.  Looking forward to our time next week.  Below is an assignment checklist for you this week:

___at least 30 Minutes studying for Final
___at least 30 Minutes working on Oral Family History
___Listen to Bennett's Introduction under 'Chapter Media'
___Read Chapter 10
___6 Flashcards:  Alexander Stephens, Ambrose Burnside, Charles Wilkes, David Glasgow Farragut, Edwin Stanton, Mattew Brady

Race and Conscription: The NYC Draft Riots of 1863

Source G of the Role of Racism assignment refers to the NY Draft Riot of 1863.  Mrs. Newton briefly discussed this two weeks ago.  Below is a very good video that tells the story of this event.  It's just over 9 minutes long.  If you don't want to hear any graphic descriptions of the violence mute the video at 6:25 and turn the volume back on at 7:30.  As you watch the video you will see some of the stereotyping in the drawings and posters.  You will also see evidence of discrimination against the Irish (Irish need not apply).  This is a very good example of NATIVISM that Mrs. Newton discussed. 



Role of Racism

Some of you have started on the Role of Racism lesson already.  I'm going to try and help you through the first two stereotypes to see if you can get the hang of how this works. 

First of all a stereotype is when we define or label an entire group based on simplified, generalized, and or exaggerated characteristics.  Often times exaggeration is at play.  Remember our lesson with the political cartoons?  Ask yourself what is being exaggerated in the description.  What is implied by that exaggeration? 

For Sambo take a look at the words used to describe him.  What is being exaggerated in this description and post your ideas in the comment box.

For Uncle Ned you may want to look up and read through all of the lyrics of 'Uncle Ned' HERE.  What is the action, what's happening in this song?  What might it mean?

Please don't stress about this assignment, there isn't one right answer.  We will use it to guide class discussion and it will be 'graded' for completion and effort!

Homework for February 21st

TIMELINE
We will begin class with a short review of the timeline of Civil War up to the Emancipation Proclomation.  To that end please review the timeline from two weeks ago.  To this timeline we will be adding a few events taking us to the Gettysburg Address and the beginning of Chapter 10.  Below is  a list of additional battles (I have assigned one to each  of you).  Prepare a short description of your battle (include the date of battle, who was in command, what happened there,  why it was important to the war) so that it can be printed and placed on an index card.  Email these to the class (including me) by Friday evening.

Vicksburg --  Nick
Fredericksburg --  Kaela
Antietam --  Hope
7 Days Battle -- Caleb
McLellan at Yorktown and Richmond advance -- Jonathan
Shiloh -- Julia
2nd Bull Run --Trey

HOW BAD WAS IT?
I will emailing you a follow up to this assignment.  Please read the handout and answer the three questions that accompany it.  Have them ready to turn in at the beginning of class.

VOICE OF SLAVERY & ROLE OF RACISIM
This week we will begin a deeper discussion about Racism in the United States.  This theme is something that we will follow all the way through the end of next year's class.  It's difficult to talk about - the words themselves are offensive to us.  In your reading you will see the 'n' word and other offensive, derogatory terms.  This assignment isn't given to shock you, but to help us all face some hard truths about our history.  I think if we use it wisely it can equip us to talk about and even to minister to the residue of these events and attitudes in our own time and culture.  If it makes you feel uncomfortable please talk about it with your parents - share with them what you are reading.  Unfortunately much of history is ugly.

There are two venues that we will use to begin this conversation.  One is the 'My Folks' book, the other is a handout I emailed to you about the role of racism during the Civil War.  If you follow the checklist below it will guide you to completing the racism handout with much less stress.  If you wait to Monday to start this you won't be able to do a very thorough job.  Below are the chapters I would like you to choose from in the My Folks book.  Email me which interview you would like to read.  If you do not have the book let me know so that I can email you a chapter.

Ann Parker (a103?)
Henry James Trentham (age 92)
Elias Thomas (age 9)
Mary Barbour (age 81)
Hannah Crasson (age 84)
Isaac Johnson (age 82)
Mary Anderson (age 86)

Answer the following questions about your reading and be prepared to share in class:

What can you learn about the Civil War from your interview?
About Slavery?
What evidence to you find about whether the slaves were treated with dignity or not - was their humanity recognized?  (In other words what things were they allowed to do/not to do and did that recognize that they were a person created in the image of God?)
Do you see prejudice or racism in your interview?  (Look up definitions of these words.)

___Prepare Battle Card
___Email Class Battle Card
___Make cards and bring all to class
___How Bad Was It?
___Read My Folks Interview & Answer Accompanying Questions. 
___Racisim Part I Completed by Thursday
___Racisim Part II Reading of Sources A-H and complete #7 the Causes of the Racism by Friday evening
___Racisim #'s 8-11 by Monday evening
___Email me your Oral Family History idea by the 21st
___Spend 20-30 minutes reviewing for Final  (suggested)
___Spend 20-30 minutes working on Oral History Project (suggested)

'High-Tech' Oral Family History Project

For a 'high-tech' project example go to my Mom's blog HERE and read this entry and watch the accompanying video .  This video was made by a HS student using a free software, Photo Story 3 which you can download HERE.  She says it's very easy to use, it really just creates a slide show and you can layer music and voice over the 'movie' of your slides.  I'm sure she would be available to answer questions (or one of her students would) if anyone wants to try this and has a question.

Other software such as Power Point and other photo management software will work, too, or it's ok to just just create a digital film.  If you decide to do a 'high-tech' project be sure that we work out compatability issues well in advance of presentation day.

Tomorrow I will post a couple of 'low-tech' examples.  I hope these will help get your wheels turning!

Across Five Aprils

I know that many of you have younger siblings who are reading this book in literature. If this is being read aloud I urge you to make every effort to sit close by and listen!  This book which is set in the Civil War is based on real events.  Irene Hunt, the author, wrote the book based on stories told to her by her grandfather.  I have not read it before myself, but am reading it aloud in our home and it covers many issues we have been talking about in class!

Despot

This word keeps coming up in all of my reading in and around the Civil War.  Have you noticed it, too?  Do you know what it means?  I felt I understood it, but when I tried to explain it I had a harder time than I thought I would - a sure sign that I didn't have a really good grasp on the meaning.  So...

Despot:  Despotism is a form of government in which someone (it can be on person or a group of people) whole rule with absolute power.  So to go back to your studies last year and two examples would be Robespierre and Cromwell.  The word has a Greek origin which means 'master' or 'the one with the power'. 

This word has a negative meaning, or at least we use it in a negative way.  I don't think it would be a compliment to say, "Your such a great despot!"  Two words which mean the same thing that you are probably more familiar with are tyrant and dictator.

In this time period this word was being batted back and forth accusingly by both sides.  As you continue to read over the next few weeks look out for it.  Would you say that there was anyone acting as a despot in the United States during this time?  Why would this be such a common word in the writing from and about this time period?

As the semester has gone on I have not kept up with vocabulary very well.  Be on the look out for interesting words - especially those that seem to turn up often in different places!  Email them or bring them up in class, especially words you don't understand.

Fugitive Slave Act Debate

Students,

 

Below are some materials on the internet which I hope you may find useful to you in your preparations.  There are materials that support both sides of the debate included.  In addition to these materials I suggest that you discuss/recall/research more into our discussion earlier in the year as regards to Natural Law.  There are two aspects in particular that you might apply:  1) The appeal to heaven (this was how the founding fathers justified their 'rebellion' - their fight for independence from Brittain.  2)  The rights of ownership of property according to John Locke.

 

You might also think carefully of 'states rights'.  Southern states were very noisy about states rights, but look and think carefully about how the Fugitive Slave Act as a federal law is applied in states.

 

 

This first site is a teacher resource site, but it gives a good summary of some questions that should be considered when thinking of the Fugitive Slave Act.  It also gives a summary of some of the materials that you can use to support your arguments.  There is material for both sides here. 

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/connections/slavery/history5.html

 

Here is the collection of articles/sources that the above site refers to:

 http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/rbaapcbib:@field%28SUBJ+@band%28Fugitive+slave+law+of+1850+%29%29

 

Here is another general/overview site.  I think it does a good job of explaining how the Fugitive Slave law worked.  At the end of this article there is a collection of facts which could prove useful:

http://www.classroomelectric.org/volume2/folsom/fugitive/index-critintro.html

 

Here is a sermon by Ichabod Spencer on the duty to obey the law (this may also be included in the collection on the teachers site I can't recall):

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/ACK4054.0001.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext

 

Here is a sermon by Jermain Loquen, a former slave, on resistance to the law.  (In this one Syracuse, NY actually votes to be a sanctuary and agrees as a city to disobey) 

http://www.blackpast.org/?q=1850-rev-jermain-wesley-loguen-i-wont-obey-fugitive-slave-law

 

Here is a poster warning slaves to be careful of police in Boston: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Slave_kidnap_post_1851_boston.jpg

 

Here is a poster warning the citizens of Boston to be aware of the 'kidnappers'

 

 

You may also look for some reward posters online - there are many.

 

I look forward to listening to your ideas!

 

Mrs. Amber

Class on Jan 10th

I want to start by saying how proud I am of all of you with the questions that you wrote in reference to 'We Shall Remain'.  They were excellent questions! 

I also wanted to correct and clarify my comments about the Presidential pollitical parties.  I stated that the President from the time of Andrew Jackson to Lincoln was Democratic and that was not accurate.  There were a couple of exceptions that I will explain below.  It was true, however, that the Democratic party beginning with Jefferson, and strengthened by the popularity of Jackson with the general public had developed a strategy for winning the Executive office that was almost unstoppable.  This strategy consisted of keeping the southern states together and behind the same candidate as one voting block and pursuing an alliance with the northern Democrats (usually in NY and often with the selection of a northern V.P.) to gain the number of electoral votes necessary to win the election.

The first exception was William Henry Harrison (he was a Whig) in the election of 1840.  Martin Van Buren was running for re-election (remember he was Jackson's Vice President and was elected after Jackson's second term).  Jackson's 'war on the banks' set in motion a national economic depression for which Van Buren  suffered the consequences.  It was this depression which lost the Democrats the election.  Harrison won the election based on his military career as a general at the Battle of Tippecanoe and in the War of 1812.  He died after only one month in office and thus his Vice President, John Tyler, became the second Whig President, finishing Harrison's office.

James K. Polk (Democrat) was elected the next election after Tyler.  He ran on the idea of expansion (Manifest Destiny) and brought about the Mexican American War in pursuit of making this a nation that spanned from 'sea to shining sea'.  Polk had promised to serve only one term and kept that promise.  His one fear was that the Mexican American War would provide a platform for another Whig military hero President.  He allowed the Mexican War to go on longer than necessary in his efforts to keep from creating such a hero, but it was to no avail.  Zachary Taylor who did indeed become such a hero was elected President in 1848.  He too died in office just after his first year (Whig Presidents did not have much success in keeping their office it seemed) and his Vice President, Millard Fillmore, also a Whig, finished out his term.

Here is a list of Presidents and their political parties for your reference:

George Washington (no party) 2 terms
John Adams (Federalist) 1 term
Thomas Jefferson (Democratic Republican) 2 terms
James Madison (Democratic Republican) 2 terms    
 James Monroe (Democratic Repulican) 2 terms
John Quincy Adams (Democratic Republican, but his ideas were seen as more Federalist) 1 term
Andrew Jackson (Democrat) 2 terms
Martin Van Buren (Democrat) 1 term -- economic depression
William Henry Harrison (Whig) - 1 month -- military hero
John Tyler (Whig) 1 term (finished out Harrison's term)
James K. Polk (Democrat) 1 term (he did not run for re-election)
Zachary Taylor (Whig) - just over one year -- military hero
Millard Fillmore (Whig) 1 term (finished out Taylor's term)
Franklin Pierce (Democrat) 1 term
James Buchanan (Democrat) 1 term
Abraham Lincoln (Republican) 1 term -- assassinated

The Democratic-Republican Presidents are known as 'The Jeffersonians'.  The Democrats are known as 'Jacksonians'.

Assignment for Jan 17th

#1  I have decided that we will not have class this Friday after all.  I would like about two weeks more to settle in with Elijah and make sure I know what naptimes are going to be before resuming that schedule.

#2  Chapter Eight - The Rising Storm Reading

• Introduction p 269
• Section II Railroads and Reform pp 278-286 (I want you to focus on Frederick Douglass, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and William Lloyd Garrison.)
• Section VI  John Brown and Harper's Ferry pp 301-303

#3  Frederick Douglass on the Constitution:

• Read this speech that Douglass gave in Scottland HERE.  Make sure to print it out and bring to class.

#4  Written Narration on John Brown.

#5  Print and bring these materials to class.

• Letter to Garrison From Frederick Douglass
• The American Union by William Lloyd Garrison
• Letter to Garrison from Harriet Beecher Stowe

Changes in Class Structure

Dear students,

As I spoke about briefly before I am making some changes in the structure of the class for this semester.  The main change is that I will no longer assign to you the reading of the entire chapter of Bennett.  Instead I will assign portions and excerpts that deal with specific topics that I want you to focus on.  This does not mean that I don't encourage you to read the entire chapter (or at least listen to it) - I do, it's just that I will not try to cover all the material in class.

The second change is that I will take the first portion of class at the beginning of each new chapter and we will together go over the timeline and key people for this chapter.  You may have some things to look up afterwards, but you will not be assigned these as a pre-class assignment.

The third change is that each week you will turn in to me a one page narration from your week's reading assignments.  Some weeks the topic will be assigned and some weeks the choice will be yours.  Eighth and ninth grade narrations should be typed and at least one page double spaced in length. 

The fourth change is in the 'extra' requirements for the class.  For the remainder of this year I will be discontinuing the current events requirement.  We will return to this requirement the beginning of next year but with a bit of a different approach and more guided instruction.  I will also be offering another option for meeting the literature requirement for the remainder of this semester.  I'll post details for this very soon.

Trail of Tears

Students,

You can find the documentary I want you to view HERE.  It is just over an hour long.  It is the 3rd of a 5 part series from PBS titled 'We Shall Remain'.  This episode deals solely with the Cherokee and the Trail of Tears. 

Your assignment is to come to class with a short description (a few sentences) of the following people:  The Ridge, John Ross, John Ridge, Elias Boudinot, Sequoyah, and Samuel Worcester.  Your descriptions should be based on watching the documentary.
Pay attention during the documentary to these issues - we will discuss them in class:  The Policy of Civilization, Cherokee view of land ownership, Cherokee Blood Law, Indian Removal Bill, Worcester v. Georgia.

Write 5 essay questions which you will turn in with your biographical descriptions.  As a hint some of your questions may deal with the issues I just laid out above.  These will be shared out loud in class as we compile a list of questions together before our discussion.  It's not a bad idea to make the pause button your friend!

On a separate piece of paper you are to write a short essay (two or three paragraphs) in which you give an emotional response to an event or scene from the documentary.  This just means to tell me what you think about something that happened.