History 120

post #14: When the world stopped turning...

   

A week before September 11, 2001, I had just started my first week of high school. I was a freshman and my life was going through many difficult changes, or so I thought. This all changed after I lined up in my squad for P.E. class, in my Lake Braddock gym shorts and shirt. As my teacher came out to take roll and get class started, another teacher came running up to him and pulled him aside, he whispered something, which at the time I never could have imagined what it would be. We all sat patiently, like usual some people talked, but that day it was strangely quiet. No one told us anything right away. Class plans had changed, however, and instead of doing our activities outside, we were in the gym, which was odd, because the weather was decent. It was almost as if we all caught on to the sense of tragedy the rest of the class was run by. Somehow a girl in my class found out the information that something had happened to the Twin Towers. She never said anything to the magnitude of what was really going on, because like most people it didn’t register right away. I admit I felt very guilty after discovering what really happened, that I didn’t know what the twin towers were. I had no knowledge of what the World Trade Center was before its demise. After the events, I didn’t know whether to blame myself for being unaware of aspects of the nation I represent or blame my education system. I later realized that blame had no place in my mind, because that’s part of what contributed to this horrific event in the first place. Historical events were also part of it too, but simple feelings of hatred and blame played a great role as well.

    Eventually, the news of what was really happening spread by the time I got to my lunch period. Teachers had turned the televisions on with the footage and all I can remember is chaos and disbelief. Being from this area, many students, including myself, have parents who work close to the Pentagon or in the DC area, everyone was just trying to find a way to be reassured that their loved ones were okay. We were allowed to take our cell phones out and call loved ones. I called my mom, but could never get a hold of her on her cell phone or at work. We sat in awe for a long time just watching the same pictures of a burning building, trying to convince ourselves this can really happen to our nation, our home. Finally, school let out and as I walked out of my sub-school doors on my way to the bus, my mom came running up to me. Although, I knew I was fine, she just needed to be sure that I was okay.

    All of a sudden, people started rethinking what really mattered the most in their lives. I found myself trying to work through emotions that I never thought I would have to face. Did I change my whole routine in the prescence of fear and danger, or go about my day just the same? Does what I do give these people the upper hand or if act like it didn’t happen, am I dishonoring those who fought for our country in any way they could that day? I remember having a discussion with a friend, the day we were back in school, about how I felt bad laughing at a joke when all of these innocent people like myself are living a nightmare. There was a huge sense of American comorodory, but an increasingly powerful sense of vulnerability and suffering, in the atmosphere afterwards. I was proud to be patriotic, as much of the country was. For a while, mainly everyone was more caring, sympathetic and gentler to each other, because we all were in the same situation. Family time became more important and appreciating the little things that mean the most was in top priority in my life as well as many others I knew. I wanted to be closer to the people I loved the most and I wanted them to know how I felt. I felt, I had found the answer to my question. The best thing to do was appreciate how wonderful life is and all the aspects of it, in honor of those who cannot do so anymore and for those who lost people that never got to say how much they loved that person.
I had never been to New York City prior to 9/11, but Spring Break of 2002 I tok a trip with my mom and a friend. I was deeply moved by the Ground Zero memorial and felt honored to take the time to recognize the individuals who risked and lost their lives at the World Trade Center. It was hard seeing the physical objects really there next to a person’s name. These were human beings, it made that event that much more important to me and how I lived my life. Seeing everything laid out right before my eyes was really difficult. The visible picture of the magnitude of loss and pain to so many individuals and families was indescribable. I signed the American flag that was hung up around all the belongings and felt like it was the least I could do to take the time to show them and their families how important the heroes are to America, even if I am just one person.

   

Unfortunately, I think what has ensued as a result of this is dangerously divisive to our nation. I don’t believe the answer to violence is war and to use this sad event as a basis for an Iraq war, is only going to fuel what created such great loss. The events of 9/11 have made become a defining moment in our nation and it is the responsibility of the citizens of this nation to make something meaningful out of it, including educating ourselves and others and most importantly to never forget it.

Post #13: Self-Evaluation

I think I devoted a great deal of effort to each assignment I worked on this semester. My blogs and my grades for them were each reflective of my abilities. I think they improved towards the end. Especially for the 1970’s blog, which I felt put a lot of pressure on certain people as a result of group problems. These problems have been building over the semester and I feel certain members had to do more and make up for things that others weren’t doing. My attendance, however, was not as steady as I would have liked it to be and as I am accustomed to mainly for health reasons. I have been dealing with two cases of mono since May and unfortunately couldn’t do anything about it until this winter break. I also am currently getting CT scans for chronic sinusitis problems. So there was a lot to keep up with in terms of trying to stay physically 100% and maintain a good average taking 16 credits. I missed a couple group meetings as a result of my absences, but I took the responsibility to inform my group of the situations and I was willing to do whatever needed to be done for them and myself. Once our group work was completed I thought the majority of our assignments were a job well done. Our group conditions, on the other hand, were extremely bad. I felt we had no real leadership and it put strain on our ability to accomplish a task efficiently. It seemed that many members simply thought the work would do itself or they wouldn’t have to contribute because they knew others would eventually do it. It was a very frustrating last two assignments and the group situation created very stressful, negative attitudes towards the assignments and others. I may have liked doing some more of the assignments individually because it would have reduced some tension in relation to the assignment and I feel I would have learned and taken more away from certain assignments, had such problems not been occurring. I did feel I learned a great deal and was pleased to learn about events in time periods that are not normally focused on. I think with my previous knowledge and what I know now, I have a more holistic understanding of U.S. History. It is useful that we learned the attitudes and circumstances surrounding certain eras (WWII for example). I think knowing this will make me a more understanding and compassionate citizen as I grow up and enter the workforce.

Post #12: Wall Street

    Wall Street came out in 1987 at the height of the 1980s’ culture. The movie, starring Charlie Sheen and Michael Douglas, features a young stockbroker that is desperate for success and the greedy executive that takes him under his wing. It portrays the conceptions of Wall Street during the eighties, including insider trading and unethical corporate deals. Wall Street accurately reflects the economic culture of the eighties in many ways such as the corruption of business, greed of the generation, and the rise of “Reaganomics.”

    In a scene where Bud Fox (Sheen) and Gordon Gekko (Douglas) are out to lunch, Gekko encourages Bud to take part in insider trading, an illegal activity when an executive buys stock in his company when the rates go up. Bud knows this is illegal, but Gekko ensures him that no one will notice. Gekko, like many of the business people of the eighties, was interested in only himself and his success. His actions and attitude influence Fox to get caught up in the corrupt lifestyle that Gekko is living. This is an example of the status seekers of the eighties.
Known as the “Me!” generation, these men and women were willing to sacrifice their morals and take the risk of conviction and jail time in order to experience success at any cost. Gordon Gekko is the epitome of a big business player in the eighties generation. He is deceitful and immoral. His wealth and success is based on illegal stock transactions from insider tips. By influencing Bud Fox and encouraging him to be the same way in order to live the “great” life he is does, he is only furthering the problem of the greedy businesses and executives. He is a representative of the stereotypical 1980s corporate raider.

    The economic culture of the eighties and Reagan’s presidency introduced “Reaganomics.” “Reaganomics” gave more power to corporate businesses and weakened the United State’s working-class. In turn, this worsened conditions in US inner-cities. The power of the Republican Party gave rise to conservatism. This prevented the turn around of the business corruption and the “Me!” generation. Wall Street focuses on the politics of large, successful businesses and their wealthy executives. Gekko would obviously be a strong supporter of Reaganomics and everything that came with it.

    Unfortunately, Gekko’s behavior was not uncommon in the eighties. Wall Street, Gekko, and Fox are excellent representations of the economic culture of the big businesses, their wealthy executives, and success-starving employees in the 1980s. The main themes of Wall Street can still be seen in today’s corporate world in cases similar to Martha Stewart’s conviction and the Enron situation.

Post #11: Politics of Music and Movies in 1970

    The energy crisis, presidential impeachment proceedings, and the Vietnam War, generally overshadow many other trends in the seventies. These major events caused or influenced much of the context of the time period, including social unrest and realignment. The music and entertainment of the decade gave a great deal of insight into the events of the time period. Many themes of the most popular films and music of the 1970’s can be categorized under either love or war. Although there are slight differences among the themes of the movies and music, both have themes heavily influenced by the politics and trends of the era.
          
     Developments in technology attracted many individuals back to the movies. The top movies of the time period based on box office revenue were:

1. Love Story

2. Airport

3. M*A*S*H

4. Patton

5. The AristoCats

                        6. Woodstock

7. Little Big Man

8. Ryan’s Daughter

9. Tora! Tora! Tora!

10. Catch-22 [1]

     Experiences of the Vietnam War and wars in general and the consequences of them played a large role in the themes of several movies. Tora! Tora! Tora!, a large budget movie, focused on the attack of

Pearl Harbor

by the Japanease. The biopic, Patton, was based upon General George. S Patton, a famous figure involved in World War II. Also regarding WWII is Catch-22, a film that focuses on individualism and insanity along with the horrors of war. The number three film, M*A*S*H, is set during the Korean War, despite being widely accepted as truly about the Vietnam War. The comedic film has the characters going to great lengths to distract themselves from what is happening as a result of war. Many of the most profitable movies, like Patton or M*A*S*H, are those founded in the bleak realities of war. An additional profitable genre included films such as Love Story, The Aristocats, and Ryan’s Daughter, which were considered to be old-fashioned, sincere films dealing with love and romance.

    Many events occurred throughout the seventies which altered the music business to a great extent. The ten most popular songs of the decade were,

1. Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head (B.J. Thomas)

                        2. I Want You Back ( Jackson Five)

3. Venus (by Shocking Blue)

4. Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (Sly and the Family Stone)

5. Bridge Over Troubled Waters (Simon and Garfunkel)

6. Let it Be (Beatles)

7. ABC (Jackson Five)

8. American Woman (Guess Who)

9. Everything is Beautiful (Ray Stevens)

10. Long and Winding Road (Beatles)

 Turmoil between groups such as Simon and Garfunkel as well as the Beatles influenced the content of the music. The lyrical content of the songs by these artists dealt with struggles and troubled times. These troubled times were affected by both personal conflicts and issues related to the Vietnam War. Other songs pertain to the frustrations present in America at the time, for example Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) is about racial harmony and American Woman, which was written about Canada’s frustration with America at the time.[2] Contradicting these hits were upbeat songs of optimism such as Everything is Beautiful, which made religious references and dealt with peace, love and understanding, ABC, a song that simplified love in an upbeat way, and Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head, which supports perseverance in the presence of trouble. These songs could be possible attempts to raise the country’s morale after the hard times of war.

    Although many of the songs and movies related to the overall topics of war or love, they did so in their own unique ways. Nation of Nations states, “The impact of the war fell hardest on the baby-boom generation of the 1950s. As these young people were coming of age, draft calls for the armed services were rising.”[3] Many of the movies dealing with war were portrayed to audiences of people directly involved in the war and the repercussions felt by them. The film portrayals of war at the time were more explanatory or informative of what many Americans were going through or had gone through. At the same time there was a growing movement of heightening concern about American goals causing the social turmoil among the country’s population. The songs dealt greatly with the public’s backlash to the aspirations of the American government. This contributes to the tones of frustration and cynicism throughout many of them.

The top ten movies and songs of 1970 and the way they relate to the current events and morale of the country during that year is only an example of why certain songs top the charts. It is common for

America

’s population to determine which songs and movies will be hits based on their emotions and views concerning the happenings of the time period. People like to interpret their feelings through lyrics and fictional characters because it gives them something to compare and relate to without actually facing the dilemma themselves. When an entire country is concerned with war, racism, and a low morale, the majority will automatically be drawn to forms of entertainment that connect to these issues.

[1] http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1970.shtml

[2] http://www.songfacts.com

[3] Nation of Nations, Pg. 892

Post #10: The Fifties Photo Album

http://history120sm.typepad.com/photos/automobile_advertisements/index.html

Post #9: Commenting

I commented on:

1.) Kathryn Swenson's "We the Jury..." post:

Comment 1

2.) Zane Farooq's "Barrow's Plantation" post:
Comment 2

3.) Eric Perkins "Photo Essay" post:
Comment 3

Post #7: We the jury..

    In the Montana case State vs. Edward Rehburg, the petit jury of Group 3 found Mr. Rehburg not guilty on one count of murder in the second-degree. According to laws in the United States, one must be proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in order to be found guilty of a crime. A murder in the 19th century was not easily solved, as forensic science was limited at the time. This made jury decisions much more difficult because if no one saw the event occur, it was very hard to put the accused at the scene of the crime. There was not ample evidence to support a conviction in this case; on the contrary, the testimonies in the courtroom, including that of the victim herself, support Mr. Rehburg verdict as not guilty.

    During this time period, testimonies made by women were not typically taken as seriously as those made by men. Despite this fact, both Emma and Bertha Rehburg proposed evidence placing Edward away from any possible opportunity to beat his daughter during the day, making it less likely for him to commit the crime. Additionally, Joe Tiebow, a worker for Mr. Rehburg, also supported the statements made by the girls. The prosecutor questioned Mr.Tiebow with simple queries. This might suggest a discrimination against his social classification. First, he states that Clara came out of the house when she first appeared hurt, which helps the defense as he was supposedly on the haystack all day. He also mentions that as soon as Mr. Rehburg saw his daughter’s condition, he asked her about her wounds and took her into town to see a doctor 10 minutes later. This particular deposition shifts a huge amount of blame away from the accused, and also places the inside of the house as the most probable crime scene.

     The majority of the doctor’s statements simply mentioned Clara’s physical condition as being poor. However, those of Dr. Weed and Dr. Steele bring to light the declaration made by the victim on her deathbed. There is a hearsay rule in the procedure of law, which states that a testimony from what one heard will be discounted from the case and will not be used by the jury to apply in their decided verdict. There is an exception to this and that is the death bed declaration, this can be used in the case as concrete evidence. Clara stated that her step mother abused her, and not her father. This clearly shuts out any verdict of Mr. Rehburg being the guilty suspect.

   

The statements made by the three Rehburg daughters, Joe Tiebow, and the doctors provide plenty of evidence for a 19th or 20th century jury to find Mr. Rehburg not guilty, despite any generational differences between the two time periods. Clara’s deathbed declaration was particularly important to the defense because not only did she state the abuser was not her father, but she specifically mentioned that it was her step-mother, Louisa. Along with the depositions from the others involved, it would not be plausible for a panel to find Edward Rehburg guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Post #7: Matthew Brady: A photo Essay

http://history120sm.typepad.com/photos/matthew_brady_a_photo_ess/

Post #5: Barrow's Plantation

  Barrow’s Plantation was a property of the Barrow family in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. In 1860, before Reconstruction it consisted of a gin house, master’s house, and slave quarters. By 1881, there were 26 additional houses, a church, and a school.  The new houses belonged to tenant farmers, as did the church and school. On the 1881 map of Barrow’s Plantation, found in Charles S. Aiken’s 1985 article, “New Settlement Pattern of Rural Blacks in the American South,” there are asterisks located next to several of the tenant farmers’ houses. These asterisks indicate the residents who were former slaves on the plantation. These indicated changes were due to the developments that came with Reconstruction. The plantation was also divided into small farm units, each belonging to a different tenant farmer who worked their section of the plantation for a share of the crops that it yielded.

    We originally found Barrow Plantation by searching for historical maps of Oglethorpe County, Georgia.  The main source of this was the Carl Vinson Institute of Government website, a part of the University of Georgia. The most critical part of the investigation was locating Syl’s Fork on the 1883 and1885 maps of Oglethorpe County. The major error which we discovered on the plantation map was that the maps of Barrow Plantation were  rotated about 90 degrees counter clockwise, in other words, the orientation was skewed. If the original maps provided to us were accurately drawn, the plantation is located extremely close to Philomath and Maxey's, Georgia. This discovery was also helpful in uncovering the major map error.

    Barrow Plantation is located approximately at the coordinates 33.694 North and 82.997 West.  We managed to find the coordinates by searching for Syl’s Fork on TopoZone.com, a topographical map site. Once the coordinates were found, it was easy for us to transfer them to a satellite image, which led us to terraserver.com. The area that was formerly the Barrow Family Plantation is now heavily wooded and no sign of civilization can be seen from the satellite image.

    The map of Barrow’s Plantation originally appeared in an article written by David C. Barrow, Jr. “A Georgia Plantation” was published in March 1881 in the fifth issue of the twenty-first volume of Scriber’s Monthly, a literary journal published by Charles Scribner.  David C. Barrow, Jr. was the younger brother of Middleton Pope Barrow. Middleton Barrow is buried in a private cemetery on the family plantation in Oglethorpe County.  He served in the Senate and was a Confederate soldier during the Civil War. These two Barrows are the great-grandsons of Wilson Lumpkin, who served in Congress for four terms and was elected governor of Georgia for two terms (1831-1835). The Barrow family and its relatives were very active in politics and the welfare of their country. (Original Appearance  )

    Based on the several different maps found during research, we found that the Barrow family plantation changed greatly between 1860 and1881. The map showed the changes that occurred during the Civil War and after Reconstruction.  The abolishment of slavery changed the plantation from a slave-driven farm to several different tenant farms. Remarkably, the satellite image shows a clear shape very similar to the shape of the original maps we have. Such an occurrence showed us that the plantation had had a strong impact on the ecology of the area, and that the plantation could very well still be in use to this day. Whether or not it’s still producing the same crop is debatable, but nonetheless quite impressive that it has withstood the test of time for so long. (Current Satelitte Image ).

Additional Related Pictures: Pope House
Additional Pictures: Barrow's Plantation

Capturing a Glimpse of a Changing Culture

The subject of George Catlin’s painting, Pigeon’s Egg Head, represented the troubles of Native Americans during the time of westward expansion. Much of what was happening in America can be contributed to Catlin’s view of natives. The market revolution and Jackson’s presidency are a couple of the most influencing factors on the movement west and ultimately, the Trail of Tears. Although Catlin has a great amount of passion and admiration for this people, he sees the Native Americans as losing much of their identity as a result of what has happening between 1830 and 1850.

    Many events took place in the early 1800’s resulted in the westward movement. The development of a national economic expansion also resulted in a transportation revolution This made it easier to not only move products, but also allowed for people to move into new regions and continue to be productive. Prior to these new advancements, the only way to transport goods cheaply was by water, therefore in order to make a living a person had to be able to access water rather easily. This allowed for mainly for coastal and international markets. During the times of 1825-1855, however, the cost of land transportation not only fell 95% but the speed increased as well. This allowed for new regions to be incorporated into the market. The initial developments were steamboats and canals, but railroads soon became the key method. They were twice as fast, offered direct routes, and could be run year-round. Along with transportation developments, was the prevalence of land speculators at the time. Speculators purchased most of the public lands sold and redistributed them to others. This practice played a major role in the settlement of the west. As a result of new geographic mobility and available land settlements, the zest for opportunity became one of the most prominent characteristics of the American people. 

    Catlin made his expeditions west during the period known as Jacksonian America. The values and political agenda had much to do with what ensued in relation to Native Americans. Andrew Jackson was said to be a man of action and he vigorously carried out his political agenda, which related to the market economy. At the time America’s economy was expanding as well as the nation’s population in geographic terms. This put great demands on Native American land and a greater amount of pressure on the natives. As a shift in the attitudes of whites toward Native Americans occurred, pressure for removal intensified significantly as well. The desire for access to western lands increased just as the racial attitudes towards Native Americans strengthened. Americans argued that “the Indian was a permanently inferior savage who blocked progress [1].” This is the attitude that eventually led to the passing of a removal bill by Congress in 1830, after Jackson urged them to provide funds for removal efforts.

    Catlin’s painting offers a great deal of insight into the ways the natives handled the changes and pressures now placed upon them.  and also shows how one’s opinions can change after time immersed in a culture. The side portraying this admirable Indian chief on his way to the capital is much more culturally rooted. He is wearing a ceremonial headdress, custom décor on his clothing and accessories that have ceremonial functions. The other side of the photo, on the other hand, suggests that Pigeon’s Egg Head is now a mockery. He no longer has a typical native dress. Catlin depicts a densely colonial attire. His whole appearance, is exaggerated and overdone. By depicting two extremely contrasted portraits of this Indian chief, Catlin, shows the dilemma that faced most every Native American at the time. Native Americans were quick to reject the idea of abandoning their lands, and therefore in an effort to prevent this, accommodated by adopting several ways of the white man.


    Catlin reveals what transpires between the encounter of two starkly different cultures in a an area being exposed to drastic transformations. In the wake of white society’s westward craze, some may see the natives as “selling-out”, this painting goes to show that these are a culture of dignified people merely doing all that it takes to keep their heritage the least bit alive.






[1] pg. 294; Davidson, James W.. "The Rise of Democracy."Nation of Nations. 4th ed. 2006.