"When we think of plagues, we think of AIDS, Ebola, anthrax spores, and, of course, the Black Death. But in 1918 the Great Flu Epidemic killed an estimated 40 million people virtually overnight. If such a plague returned today, taking a comparable percentage of the U.S. population with it, 1.5 million Americans would die."(source)
"In the fall of 1918 the Great War in Europe was winding down and peace was on the horizon. The Americans had joined in the fight, bringing the Allies closer to victory against the Germans. Deep within the trenches these men lived through some of the most brutal conditions of life, which it seemed could not be any worse. Then, in pockets across the globe, something erupted that seemed as benign as the common cold. The influenza of that season, however, was far more than a cold. In the two years that this scourge ravaged the earth, a fifth of the world's population was infected."(source)
"As the world's peoples were celabrating the end of war, the end of dying, and a fresh beginning, the second and most virulent of three waves of a new killer, 'Spanish Influenza', rages with freocity greater than all the killing power of the previous four years of war, killing tens of millions."(source)
"In the ten months between September 1918 and June 1919, 675,000 Americans died of influenza and pneumonia. When compared to the number of Americans killed in combat in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam combined- 423,000- it becomes apparent that the influenza epidemic of 1918-1919 was far more deadly than the war which it accompanied. (Crosby, 206-207) The United States and the rest of the world had been exposed to such epidemics in the past, but never at such a severe cost in human life."(source)
"If you had lived in the early twentieth century, your life expectancy would have been much shorter than it is today. Today, life expectancy for men is 75 years; for women, it is 80 years. In 1918, life expectancy for men was only 53 years. Women’s life expectancy at 54 was only marginally better."(source)
"The plague did not discriminate. It was rampant in urban and rural areas, from the densely populated East coast to the remotest parts of Alaska. Young adults, usually unaffected by these types of infectious diseases, were among the hardest hit groups along with the elderly and young children. The flu afflicted over 25 percent of the U.S. population. In one year, the average life expectancy in the United States dropped by 12 years"(source)
"The impact of this pandemic was not limited to 1918–1919. All influenza A pandemics since that time, and indeed almost all cases of influenza A worldwide (excepting human infections from avian viruses such as H5N1 and H7N7), have been caused by descendants of the 1918 virus, including "drifted" H1N1 viruses and reassorted H2N2 and H3N2 viruses. The latter are composed of key genes from the 1918 virus, updated by subsequently incorporated avian influenza genes that code for novel surface proteins, making the 1918 virus indeed the "mother" of all pandemics."(source)
"Overall the United States was the least affected with some 675,000 deaths. The biological origins of the flu may have been from birds, transmitted to pigs, and as it mutated to humans. It was the most devastating epidemic in recorded history and depressed life expectancy in the United States by ten years. With the close of the war in Europe and the transition to the roaring twenties those who survived tried to move on. The impact was hard to measure at the time but the destabilization in Spain with the death of the King was the precursor to events that would contribute to the unthinkable Second Great War."(source)
Book 1
Book 2
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
WWI
"(1914 – 18) International conflict between the Central Powers — Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey — and the Allied Powers — mainly France, Britain, Russia, Italy, Japan, and (from 1917) the U.S. After a Serbian nationalist assassinated Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria in June 1914, a chain of threats and mobilizations resulted in a general war between the antagonists by mid-August. Prepared to fight a war on two fronts, based on the Schlieffen Plan, Germany first swept through neutral Belgium and invaded France. After the First Battle of the Marne (1914), the Allied defensive lines were stabilized in France, and a war of attrition began."(source)
"The explosive that was World War One had been long in the stockpiling; the spark was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. Ferdinand's death at the hands of the Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist secret society, set in train a mindlessly mechanical series of events that culminated in the world's first global war."(source)
"The causes of World War One are complicated and unlike the causes of World War Two, where the guilty party was plain to all, there is no such clarity. Germany has been blamed because she invaded Belgium in August 1914 when Britain had promised to protect Belgium. However, the street celebrations that accompanied the British and French declaration of war gives historians the impression that the move was popular and politicians tend to go with the popular mood."(source)
"World War 1 became infamous for trench warfare, where troops were confined to trenches because of tight defenses. This was especially true of the Western Front. More than 9 million died on the battlefield, and nearly that many more on the home fronts because of food shortages, genocide, and ground combat. Among other notable events, the first large-scale bombing from the air was undertaken and some of the century's first large-scale civilian massacres took place, as one of the aspects of modern efficient, non-chivalrous warfare."(source)
"Foreign policy was only occassionally an issue of broad concern in the United States in 1914. The country was excited over 'the slendid little war' with Spain, but that war lasted only a few months.The number of people actually involved with national security affairs-such as army and navy personal, diplomats, or colonial administrators-was miniscule. Contemporaies and historians debated the morality of conquering The Philipines and Theodore Roosevelt's methods in acquirering control over Panama. They disagreed over the meaning of the Open Door Policy for Asia and the purposes of dollar diplomacy. But these issues, as important as they were, did not immediatly bring fundamental changes to the character of the nation or the lives of the people. In 1914 an era passed. Foriegn policy suddely determined the nation's future. The ocassion was the outbreak of war in Europe."(source)
"By 1918 there were strikes and demonstrations in Berlin and other cities protesting about the effects of the war on the population. The British naval blockade of German ports meant that thousands of people were starving. Socialists were waiting for the chance to seize Germany as they had in Russia. In October 1918 Ludendorff resigned and the German navy mutinied. The end was near. Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated on November 9th 1918. On 11th November the leaders of both sides held a meeting in Ferdinand Foch's railway carriage headquarters at Compiegne. The Armistice was signed at 6am and came into force five hours later"(source)
"World War One was a milestone in U.S. History.While winners and losers in Europe came out of the war crippled, the United States, in many ways, gained in stature. The nation, at last, had become a world power. With all the pride and hardships that role brought with it."(source)
Book 1
Book 2
"The explosive that was World War One had been long in the stockpiling; the spark was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne, in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. Ferdinand's death at the hands of the Black Hand, a Serbian nationalist secret society, set in train a mindlessly mechanical series of events that culminated in the world's first global war."(source)
"The causes of World War One are complicated and unlike the causes of World War Two, where the guilty party was plain to all, there is no such clarity. Germany has been blamed because she invaded Belgium in August 1914 when Britain had promised to protect Belgium. However, the street celebrations that accompanied the British and French declaration of war gives historians the impression that the move was popular and politicians tend to go with the popular mood."(source)
"World War 1 became infamous for trench warfare, where troops were confined to trenches because of tight defenses. This was especially true of the Western Front. More than 9 million died on the battlefield, and nearly that many more on the home fronts because of food shortages, genocide, and ground combat. Among other notable events, the first large-scale bombing from the air was undertaken and some of the century's first large-scale civilian massacres took place, as one of the aspects of modern efficient, non-chivalrous warfare."(source)
"Foreign policy was only occassionally an issue of broad concern in the United States in 1914. The country was excited over 'the slendid little war' with Spain, but that war lasted only a few months.The number of people actually involved with national security affairs-such as army and navy personal, diplomats, or colonial administrators-was miniscule. Contemporaies and historians debated the morality of conquering The Philipines and Theodore Roosevelt's methods in acquirering control over Panama. They disagreed over the meaning of the Open Door Policy for Asia and the purposes of dollar diplomacy. But these issues, as important as they were, did not immediatly bring fundamental changes to the character of the nation or the lives of the people. In 1914 an era passed. Foriegn policy suddely determined the nation's future. The ocassion was the outbreak of war in Europe."(source)
"By 1918 there were strikes and demonstrations in Berlin and other cities protesting about the effects of the war on the population. The British naval blockade of German ports meant that thousands of people were starving. Socialists were waiting for the chance to seize Germany as they had in Russia. In October 1918 Ludendorff resigned and the German navy mutinied. The end was near. Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated on November 9th 1918. On 11th November the leaders of both sides held a meeting in Ferdinand Foch's railway carriage headquarters at Compiegne. The Armistice was signed at 6am and came into force five hours later"(source)
"World War One was a milestone in U.S. History.While winners and losers in Europe came out of the war crippled, the United States, in many ways, gained in stature. The nation, at last, had become a world power. With all the pride and hardships that role brought with it."(source)
Book 1
Book 2
Monday, October 26, 2009
Panama Canal
"The history of the Panama Canal goes back to 16th century. After realizing the riches of Peru, Ecuador, and Asia, and counting the time it took the gold to reach the ports of Spain, it was suggested c.1524 to Charles V, that by cutting out a piece of land somewhere in Panama, the trips would be made shorter and the risk of taking the treasures through the isthmus would justify such an enterprise. A survey of the isthmus was ordered and subsequently a working plan for a canal was drawn up in 1529. The wars in Europe and the thirsts for the control of kingdoms in the Mediterranean Sea simply put the project on permanent hold."(source)
"The actual building of the Panama Canal which, unknown to many, was carried out in two phases, brought in a whole new series of factors in calculating the cost of building an engineering marvel of the kind that was inaugurated in 1914 in the tiny republic of Panama. The first building phase known as the French Period lasted ten years from 1881-1889. It, as well as the American Period, 1904-1914, will be remembered for its audacity but, more than for its boldness and engineering innovation, it will recall the enormous price paid in human life."(source)
"Ever since the Spaniards landed in the Isthmus of Panama for the first time in 1501, Panama has been a natural transit route for merchandise and people attempting to cross from one ocean to the other.As early as the 1520’s the Spanish Crown explored the possibility of constructing a Canal through the Isthmus, but the idea was later abandoned. In the 19th Century, the United States also saw the opportunity of joining the two oceans, but they had a railroad in mind instead of a Canal.In 1832, Congress sent Col. Charles Biddle to Panama to negotiate a concession for the construction of a railroad. He also inspected the country for the best route. Biddle died shortly afterward, but interest in the project continued. In 1848 a charter was granted to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company to deliver mail between the U.S. and Panama. The incorporators were William H. Aspinwall, his uncle, Gardiner Green Howland, Henry Chauncey, and Edwin Bartlett. Three wooden paddle-wheel steamships were built; the California, the Oregon and the Panama. They would deliver mail between New York, Panama and San Francisco, but the discovery of gold in California in January 1848 took Aspinwall’s attention away from mail delivery".(source)
"The people of Panama had joined their neighbor, Colombia, in a nation known as greater Colombia. In the 1840's, they had fought to win their Independence, but lost. So it was Colombia, not Panama, that controlled the area when a group of Frenchmen decided they wanted to build a canal."(source)
The end of the Panama Canal construction book source.
Book 1
Book 2
"From 1819, Panama was part of the federation and country of Colombia but when Colombia rejected United States plans to build a canal across the Isthmus of Panama, the U.S. supported a revolution that led to the independence of Panama in 1903."(source)
"Groundbreaking on the Panama Canal began in 1881 and was not completed until 1914. The French government was in charge of building the canal until it abandoned it in 1889. The United States took over control of construction at that point and oversaw its completion."(source)"The actual building of the Panama Canal which, unknown to many, was carried out in two phases, brought in a whole new series of factors in calculating the cost of building an engineering marvel of the kind that was inaugurated in 1914 in the tiny republic of Panama. The first building phase known as the French Period lasted ten years from 1881-1889. It, as well as the American Period, 1904-1914, will be remembered for its audacity but, more than for its boldness and engineering innovation, it will recall the enormous price paid in human life."(source)
"Ever since the Spaniards landed in the Isthmus of Panama for the first time in 1501, Panama has been a natural transit route for merchandise and people attempting to cross from one ocean to the other.As early as the 1520’s the Spanish Crown explored the possibility of constructing a Canal through the Isthmus, but the idea was later abandoned. In the 19th Century, the United States also saw the opportunity of joining the two oceans, but they had a railroad in mind instead of a Canal.In 1832, Congress sent Col. Charles Biddle to Panama to negotiate a concession for the construction of a railroad. He also inspected the country for the best route. Biddle died shortly afterward, but interest in the project continued. In 1848 a charter was granted to the Pacific Mail Steamship Company to deliver mail between the U.S. and Panama. The incorporators were William H. Aspinwall, his uncle, Gardiner Green Howland, Henry Chauncey, and Edwin Bartlett. Three wooden paddle-wheel steamships were built; the California, the Oregon and the Panama. They would deliver mail between New York, Panama and San Francisco, but the discovery of gold in California in January 1848 took Aspinwall’s attention away from mail delivery".(source)
"The people of Panama had joined their neighbor, Colombia, in a nation known as greater Colombia. In the 1840's, they had fought to win their Independence, but lost. So it was Colombia, not Panama, that controlled the area when a group of Frenchmen decided they wanted to build a canal."(source)
The end of the Panama Canal construction book source.
Book 1
Book 2
Monday, October 19, 2009
Theodore Roosevelt
"I don't pity any man who does hard work worth doing. I admire him. I pity the creature who does not work, at whichever end of the social scale he may regard himself as being."-Theodore Roosevelt
"Theodore Roosevelt is one of the few Presidents whose life, or at least the public image of his life, is even more important historically than his accomplishments as our chief executive officer."(source)
"Theodore Roosevelt (October 27, 1858–January 6, 1919) was born in New York into one of the old Dutch families which had settled in America in the seventeenth century. At eighteen he entered Harvard College and spent four years there, dividing his time between books and sport and excelling at both. After leaving Harvard he studied in Germany for almost a year and then immediately entered politics. He was elected to the Assembly of New York State, holding office for three years and distinguishing himself as an ardent reformer."(source)
"Theodore Roosevelt is one of the few Presidents whose life, or at least the public image of his life, is even more important historically than his accomplishments as our chief executive officer."(source)
"Theodore Roosevelt (October 27, 1858–January 6, 1919) was born in New York into one of the old Dutch families which had settled in America in the seventeenth century. At eighteen he entered Harvard College and spent four years there, dividing his time between books and sport and excelling at both. After leaving Harvard he studied in Germany for almost a year and then immediately entered politics. He was elected to the Assembly of New York State, holding office for three years and distinguishing himself as an ardent reformer."(source)
"Roosevelt's engaging personality enhanced his popularity. Aided by scores of photographers, cartoonists, and portrait artists, his features became symbols of national recognition; mail addressed only with drawings of teeth and spectacles arrived at the White House without delay. TR continued to be newsworthy in retirement, especially during the historic Bull Moose campaign of 1912, while pursuing an elusive third presidential term. He remains relevant today. This exhibition is a retrospective look at the man and his portraiture, whose progressive ideas about social justice, representative democracy, and America's role as a world leader have significantly shaped our national character."(source)
"All of his childhood life, young Theodore was frequently stricken with severe asthma. Interestingly, and unnoticed by the family and apparently Theodore himself, the illness often struck on Sundays. Theodore would spend the night fighting to breathe or would often be taken into the country for fresh air. It is now believed that the illness was psychosomatic, something not understood at the time. As time went on, he suffered less and less from this ailment, suffering very few attacks by the time he was in college."(source)
"Despite his death at age sixty, Theodore Roosevelt's legacy lives on. His moral integrity and strength of character are models which should be emulated by everyone around the world. Theodore Roosevelt was not only one of the finest presidents the United States has ever elected; Theodore Roosevelt was also a faithful husband, a model parent, an enthusiastic citizen who sought to accomplish something great for his country and the world at large. TR was a prolific writer and tireless campaigner for the protection of basic human rights, a masterful politician who shaped the world around him, always basing his actions on the American concepts of freedom, equal justice under the law, and the pursuit of happiness."(source)
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Spanish American War
"In the summer of 1898, the United States fought Spain in one of the shortest and most pathetically one-sided wars in modern history. The war represented a powerful resurgence of the same doctrine of Manifest Destiny that had led the United States to expand westward by defeating Mexico in 1846-48. This impulse toward imperialism took place as major European nations were establishing colonies throughout Africa. As a result of the Spanish-American War, the United States became a world power that controlled an empire stretching from the Caribbean Sea to the Far East."(source)
"The war originated in the Cuban struggle for independence from Spain, which began in February 1895. Spain’s brutally repressive measures to halt the rebellion were graphically portrayed for the U.S. public by several sensational newspapers, and American sympathy for the rebels rose. The growing popular demand for U.S. intervention became an insistent chorus after the unexplained sinking in Havana harbour of the battleship USS Maine (Feb. 15, 1898; see Maine, destruction of the), which had been sent to protect U.S. citizens and property after anti-Spanish rioting in Havana. Spain announced an armistice on April 9 and speeded up its new program to grant Cuba limited powers of self-government, but the U.S. Congress soon afterward issued resolutions that declared Cuba’s right to independence, demanded the withdrawal of Spain’s armed forces from the island, and authorized the President’s use of force to secure that withdrawal while renouncing any U.S. design for annexing Cuba."(source)
"The Spanish-American War (1898) was fought over the liberation of Cuba from Spain. During the 1870s the Cuban people rebelled against Spanish rule. The Spanish subdued the rebellion, but peace on the Caribbean island could not be maintained. Worsening economic conditions resulted in a revolution in 1895. American leaders feared that the insurrection (rebellion) would neither end in victory for the Cubans nor would the Spanish be strong enough to put down the rebel forces. Meanwhile, the American public had been reading a steady stream of newspaper stories from the island and were increasingly supporting U.S. intervention."(source)
"The Spanish American War lasted from late April (the date varies a few days as to when the 'official' beginning occurred - April 22, 23, or 25) to December 10, 1898 when it ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris between the U.S. and Spain. It only lasted eight months. The Spanish American War was a global war, being fought physically in the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico and Cuba. In addition, it was fought politically in the home countries as well as in diverse places such as Egypt and Hawaii. Particularly important also is that the war was fought between the U.S. and Spain. This may sound obvious, but is a point of confusion. Lastly, the Filipinos served as an active defacto, but unofficial U.S. ally."(source)
"In April of 1897 Roosevelt was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy as a reward for his staunch and tireless campaigning for the newly elected President, William McKinley. Theodore had been greatly affected the logic of Captain (later Rear Admiral) Alfred Thayer Mahan's "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History" since he had reviewed the book for the Atlantic Monthly in 1890. Now he could begin to put Mahan's beliefs into practice. Mahan had indicated that several key points concerning the Navy were revealed by studying the history of various countries and their Navies. First, that the United States ought to develop a strong Navy capable of extending its power across the ocean where it could defend U.S. interests at a safe distance from the home coastline. Neither Roosevelt or Mahan believed in the Isolationist view that the U.S. coastal defense was the sole use of the Navy. Also, if the Navy was going to be a world force, bases would have to be established at various locations, such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii."(source)
The once mighty and far-flung Spanish Empire evaporated with the wisps of smoke that still spiraled into the heavens on the morning of July 4th. The American ships were crowded with defeated Spanish sailors, many of them wounded. Indeed the victorious sailors were conspicuous by their reverent treatment of their captured foes. Later, upon his return home, Admiral Cervera wrote in his official report: 'The Americans clothed and fed our men--giving them anything they needed. The victors suppressed their shouts of joy in order not to increase the suffering of the defeated--and all vied to make our captivity as easy as possible.' One American newspaperman heralded the valiant last gasp of Cervera's squadron when he wrote: 'If Spain was served as well by her statesmen and public officials as she was by her sailors, she might still be a great country.'(source)
"Peace was arranged by the Treaty of Paris signed Dec. 10, 1898 (ratified by the U.S. Senate, Feb. 6, 1899). The Spanish Empire was practically dissolved. Cuba was freed, but under U.S. tutelage by terms of the Platt Amendment (see under Platt, Orville), with Spain assuming the Cuban debt. Puerto Rico and Guam were ceded to the United States as indemnity, and the Philippines were surrendered to the United States for a payment of $20 million. The United States emerged from the war with new international power. In both Latin America and East Asia it had established an imperial foothold. The war tied the United States more closely to the course of events in those areas."(source)
Book 1
Book 2
"The war originated in the Cuban struggle for independence from Spain, which began in February 1895. Spain’s brutally repressive measures to halt the rebellion were graphically portrayed for the U.S. public by several sensational newspapers, and American sympathy for the rebels rose. The growing popular demand for U.S. intervention became an insistent chorus after the unexplained sinking in Havana harbour of the battleship USS Maine (Feb. 15, 1898; see Maine, destruction of the), which had been sent to protect U.S. citizens and property after anti-Spanish rioting in Havana. Spain announced an armistice on April 9 and speeded up its new program to grant Cuba limited powers of self-government, but the U.S. Congress soon afterward issued resolutions that declared Cuba’s right to independence, demanded the withdrawal of Spain’s armed forces from the island, and authorized the President’s use of force to secure that withdrawal while renouncing any U.S. design for annexing Cuba."(source)
"The Spanish-American War (1898) was fought over the liberation of Cuba from Spain. During the 1870s the Cuban people rebelled against Spanish rule. The Spanish subdued the rebellion, but peace on the Caribbean island could not be maintained. Worsening economic conditions resulted in a revolution in 1895. American leaders feared that the insurrection (rebellion) would neither end in victory for the Cubans nor would the Spanish be strong enough to put down the rebel forces. Meanwhile, the American public had been reading a steady stream of newspaper stories from the island and were increasingly supporting U.S. intervention."(source)
"The Spanish American War lasted from late April (the date varies a few days as to when the 'official' beginning occurred - April 22, 23, or 25) to December 10, 1898 when it ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris between the U.S. and Spain. It only lasted eight months. The Spanish American War was a global war, being fought physically in the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico and Cuba. In addition, it was fought politically in the home countries as well as in diverse places such as Egypt and Hawaii. Particularly important also is that the war was fought between the U.S. and Spain. This may sound obvious, but is a point of confusion. Lastly, the Filipinos served as an active defacto, but unofficial U.S. ally."(source)
"In April of 1897 Roosevelt was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy as a reward for his staunch and tireless campaigning for the newly elected President, William McKinley. Theodore had been greatly affected the logic of Captain (later Rear Admiral) Alfred Thayer Mahan's "The Influence of Sea Power Upon History" since he had reviewed the book for the Atlantic Monthly in 1890. Now he could begin to put Mahan's beliefs into practice. Mahan had indicated that several key points concerning the Navy were revealed by studying the history of various countries and their Navies. First, that the United States ought to develop a strong Navy capable of extending its power across the ocean where it could defend U.S. interests at a safe distance from the home coastline. Neither Roosevelt or Mahan believed in the Isolationist view that the U.S. coastal defense was the sole use of the Navy. Also, if the Navy was going to be a world force, bases would have to be established at various locations, such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii."(source)
The once mighty and far-flung Spanish Empire evaporated with the wisps of smoke that still spiraled into the heavens on the morning of July 4th. The American ships were crowded with defeated Spanish sailors, many of them wounded. Indeed the victorious sailors were conspicuous by their reverent treatment of their captured foes. Later, upon his return home, Admiral Cervera wrote in his official report: 'The Americans clothed and fed our men--giving them anything they needed. The victors suppressed their shouts of joy in order not to increase the suffering of the defeated--and all vied to make our captivity as easy as possible.' One American newspaperman heralded the valiant last gasp of Cervera's squadron when he wrote: 'If Spain was served as well by her statesmen and public officials as she was by her sailors, she might still be a great country.'(source)
"Peace was arranged by the Treaty of Paris signed Dec. 10, 1898 (ratified by the U.S. Senate, Feb. 6, 1899). The Spanish Empire was practically dissolved. Cuba was freed, but under U.S. tutelage by terms of the Platt Amendment (see under Platt, Orville), with Spain assuming the Cuban debt. Puerto Rico and Guam were ceded to the United States as indemnity, and the Philippines were surrendered to the United States for a payment of $20 million. The United States emerged from the war with new international power. In both Latin America and East Asia it had established an imperial foothold. The war tied the United States more closely to the course of events in those areas."(source)
Book 1
Book 2
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Radical Reconstruction
"The Reconstruction era was the period after the American Civil War. During this time, the South was in political, social and economic turmoil, and eleven Confederate states had seceded from the Union during the wartime unrest. In response, the Union implemented a controversial reconstruction plan to regain order in the Confederate states."(source)
"It was a peculiarity of 19th century politicsd that more than a year elapsed of a Congress and its initial meeting. The 39th Congress, elected in 1864 inthe midst of war, assembled in December 1865to confront the crucial issues of Reconstruction:Who would control the South? Who wouild rule the nation? What was to be the status of the emancipated slaves? In both houses, Republicans outnumbered Democrats by better then three to one. The interaction between the Republican party's distinctive factions would effectively determine the contours of Congressional policy."(source)
"Both Lincoln and Johnson had foreseen that the Congress would have the right to deny Southern legislators seats in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, under the clause of the Constitution that says 'Each house shall be the judge of the...qualifications of its own members.' This came to pass when, under the leadership of Thaddeus Stevens, those congressmen (called 'Radical Republicans') who sought to punish the South refused to seat its elected senators and representatives. Then, within the next few months, the Congress proceeded to work out a plan for the reconstruction of the South quite different from the one Lincoln had started and Johnson had continued."(source)
"The Radical Republicans believed blacks were entitled to the same political rights and opportunities as whites. They also believed that the Confederate leaders should be punished for their roles in the Civil War. Leaders like Pennsylvania Representative Thaddeus Stevens and Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner vigorously opposed Andrew Johnson's lenient policies."(source)
"Once President Johnson lost control over Reconstruction, it became a battle within the Republican Party. Moderates and Radicals both ultimately wanted to protect the rights of blacks, but political objectives would partly stand in the way. Nevertheless, Radical Reconstruction ushered in the election of black politicians, the Military Reconstruction Acts, and the 14th and 15th Amendments."(source1, source2)
"It was a peculiarity of 19th century politicsd that more than a year elapsed of a Congress and its initial meeting. The 39th Congress, elected in 1864 inthe midst of war, assembled in December 1865to confront the crucial issues of Reconstruction:Who would control the South? Who wouild rule the nation? What was to be the status of the emancipated slaves? In both houses, Republicans outnumbered Democrats by better then three to one. The interaction between the Republican party's distinctive factions would effectively determine the contours of Congressional policy."(source)
"Both Lincoln and Johnson had foreseen that the Congress would have the right to deny Southern legislators seats in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, under the clause of the Constitution that says 'Each house shall be the judge of the...qualifications of its own members.' This came to pass when, under the leadership of Thaddeus Stevens, those congressmen (called 'Radical Republicans') who sought to punish the South refused to seat its elected senators and representatives. Then, within the next few months, the Congress proceeded to work out a plan for the reconstruction of the South quite different from the one Lincoln had started and Johnson had continued."(source)
"The Radical Republicans believed blacks were entitled to the same political rights and opportunities as whites. They also believed that the Confederate leaders should be punished for their roles in the Civil War. Leaders like Pennsylvania Representative Thaddeus Stevens and Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner vigorously opposed Andrew Johnson's lenient policies."(source)
"Once President Johnson lost control over Reconstruction, it became a battle within the Republican Party. Moderates and Radicals both ultimately wanted to protect the rights of blacks, but political objectives would partly stand in the way. Nevertheless, Radical Reconstruction ushered in the election of black politicians, the Military Reconstruction Acts, and the 14th and 15th Amendments."(source1, source2)
Lincoln started a good idea and it was blown out of proportion. Lincoln knew that he couldn't not make everyone happy so his plan tried its best to makes many people happy as possible. Johnson and the Radical Republicans turned the original idea into complete chaos. This affects the future of America. The Radical Reconstruction was in the end a complete disaster.(source)
Book 1
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was born on April 27, 1822 in Point Pleasant, Clermaont County, Ohio. At the age of seventeen he went to West Point. At West Point, Grant was one of 50 cadets that later served in the Civil War. Grant was a average student; he graduated 21st in his class out of 39. His favorite subject was mathematics, he hoped to eventually becaome an instructor at West Point but was sent to join the infantry comany in St. Louis. "When Grant arrived at West Point and discovered that the Academy had him registered under the wrong name, he tried to get the error corrected. He was told that it didn't matter what he or his parents thought his name was, the official government application said his name was 'Ulysses S.' and that application could not be changed. If Hiram U. Grant wanted to attend West Point, he would have to change his name." (source1, source2)
"As tensions mounted between the United States and Mexico, Grant and his regiment participated in the battles of Palo Alto, and Resaca de la Palma as part of the army of Zachary Taylor, an officer he greatly admired. In these fights, Grant learned to not fear combat as well as the importance of sound logistics and adequate supply. Grant and his regiment accompanied the army of General Winfield Scott all the way to Mexico City, where Grant distinguished himself in the battles of Molino del Rey and Chapultepec".(source)
"Grant spent the next six years in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife, Julia Dent Grant. After several short-lived pursuits, including a brief episode as a farmer, he moved to Galena, Illinois to be a clerk in his brother’s store. When the Civil War began in 1861, he jumped at the chance to volunteer for military service in the Union army. His first command was as the colonel of a regiment from Illinois, but he was promoted to brigadier general by September."(source)
"Grant the general had many qualities but he had a thing that's very necessary for a great general. He had what they call 'four o'clock in the morning courage.' You could wake him up at four o'clock in the morning and tell him they had just turned his right flank and he would be as cool as a cucumber. Grant, after that first night in the Wilderness, went to his tent, broke down, and cried very hard. Some of the staff members said they'd never seen a man so unstrung. Well, he didn't cry until the battle was over, and he wasn't crying when it began again the next day. It just shows you the tension that he lived with without letting it affect him... Grant, he's wonderful."(source)
"Grant, dying a painful death from throat cancer, wrote his Personal Memoirs (1885-86) to help support his family. This work is highly regarded by historians for its candor, evenness, and humor."(source)
"Grant showed many admirable and lovable traits. There was a charming side to his trustful simplicity, which was at times almost like that of a sailor set ashore. He abounded in kindliness and generosity, and if there was anything especially difficult for him to endure, it was the sight of human suffering, as was shown on the night at Shiloh, where he lay out of doors in the icy rain rather than stay in a comfortable room where the surgeons were at work. His good sense was strong, as well as his sense of justice, and these qualities stood him in good service as president, especially in his triumphant fight against the greenback monster. Altogether, in spite of some shortcomings Grant was a massive, noble and lovable personality, well fitted to be remembered as one of the heroes of a great nation."(source)
Book 1
Book 2
"As tensions mounted between the United States and Mexico, Grant and his regiment participated in the battles of Palo Alto, and Resaca de la Palma as part of the army of Zachary Taylor, an officer he greatly admired. In these fights, Grant learned to not fear combat as well as the importance of sound logistics and adequate supply. Grant and his regiment accompanied the army of General Winfield Scott all the way to Mexico City, where Grant distinguished himself in the battles of Molino del Rey and Chapultepec".(source)
"Grant spent the next six years in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife, Julia Dent Grant. After several short-lived pursuits, including a brief episode as a farmer, he moved to Galena, Illinois to be a clerk in his brother’s store. When the Civil War began in 1861, he jumped at the chance to volunteer for military service in the Union army. His first command was as the colonel of a regiment from Illinois, but he was promoted to brigadier general by September."(source)
"Grant the general had many qualities but he had a thing that's very necessary for a great general. He had what they call 'four o'clock in the morning courage.' You could wake him up at four o'clock in the morning and tell him they had just turned his right flank and he would be as cool as a cucumber. Grant, after that first night in the Wilderness, went to his tent, broke down, and cried very hard. Some of the staff members said they'd never seen a man so unstrung. Well, he didn't cry until the battle was over, and he wasn't crying when it began again the next day. It just shows you the tension that he lived with without letting it affect him... Grant, he's wonderful."(source)
"Grant, dying a painful death from throat cancer, wrote his Personal Memoirs (1885-86) to help support his family. This work is highly regarded by historians for its candor, evenness, and humor."(source)
"Grant showed many admirable and lovable traits. There was a charming side to his trustful simplicity, which was at times almost like that of a sailor set ashore. He abounded in kindliness and generosity, and if there was anything especially difficult for him to endure, it was the sight of human suffering, as was shown on the night at Shiloh, where he lay out of doors in the icy rain rather than stay in a comfortable room where the surgeons were at work. His good sense was strong, as well as his sense of justice, and these qualities stood him in good service as president, especially in his triumphant fight against the greenback monster. Altogether, in spite of some shortcomings Grant was a massive, noble and lovable personality, well fitted to be remembered as one of the heroes of a great nation."(source)
Book 1
Book 2
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