Voting Rights

When the United States was a young and newly independent nation, voting rights were much more limited than they are today. During the late 1700s and early 1800s, only male property owners could vote, most of these being white. Some states extended the right to vote to free African-Americans.

On February 26, 1869 Congress passed the 15th amendment, which extended suffrage to African-Americans. The amendment was ratified a year later, on February 3, 1870. While this amendment stated that the right of United States citizens "to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." (US Constitution, 15th amendment). However, African-American males were often kept from voting through use of Poll Taxes (outlawed in 24th amendment of 1964) and literacy tests (outlawed in the Voting Rights Act of 1965)

Woman's Suffrage was finally achieved in 1920, with the ratification of the 19th amendment, which granted voting rights to women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony both fought hard for woman's suffrage, and finally achieved it. In 1971, the 26th amendment was ratified, granting citizens over the age of 18 the right to vote. Many people questioned the fact that citizens at the age of 18 could be drafted into the Vietnam War, but could not vote.

The Growth of Our Country

In 1840 expansion west increased tremendously. People believed that it is predestine by God that America would expand to the Pacific Ocean. This belief was referred to as manifest destiny. Most people moved because of the large amount of land. Later merchants and manufactures fallowed to take advantage of the new market. Also the Mormons moved west to escape persecution. They had been founded by Joseph Smith in New York but after moving the community several times to avoid persecution they decided to move west. They travelled threw Nebraska, and Wyoming and stopped near the Great Salt Lake in what is now Utah.

Settlers fallowed Native American trails as well as making their own. The Oregon Trail took travelers from Independence Missouri to Oregon City, Oregon. A smooth trip could till take months.

Texas won its independence from Spain in the 1820’s. They then allowed Americans to settle there to get more people to live there. The amount of English speaking people soon exceeded the amount of Spanish speakers. The English Anglos were primarily from the south and had brought slaves with them, but Mexico had abolished slavery. Also Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Mexico’s president suspended local powers, which started the Texas Revolution. The Anglo troops gathered in the Alamo, a mission and fort. Santa Anna and his troops attacked the Alamo, and Texas declared its independence. After 13 days of fighting the Anglos won there independence, and on December 29, 1845 Texas joined the United States.

Spencer

Life During the Civil War

Life During the Civil War

During the time of civil war in the United States, there was much political unrest in the North and the South. Due to the heavy casualties and desertions in the war, a conscription or draft was enforced to make men go to war. However, there were large riots in the North over the draft and a huge amount of violence in New York City.
African Americans made up 1% of the North population, but 180,000 of them went to war in the Union Army. They made up about 10% of the Northern forces. However, they suffered intense discrimination, were put into separate regiments led by white men, and earned lower wages.
Soldiers in both the North and South believed that they would march off to a glorious battlefield and were in for a big shock. Not only were there many casualties but the conditions they had to live in were terrible. They had filthy surroundings, a limited diet, and inadequate medical care. By the 1860’s the technology to kill was growing far faster than the technology to heal. When the soldiers weren’t fighting they were prone to body lice, dysentery, and diarrhea. The Confederate camps were even worse. They were overcrowded and unsanitary. There was a lack of food and shelter. The Northern prison camps were only a little bit better with more room and adequate food portions. Thousands of Confederate prisoners still died of pneumonia.
During the war, women were not allowed to fight but helped out as nurses. There were about 3,000 women as nurses in the civil war. For example, Clara Barton felt she was inclined to care to the sick and wounded, even if it meant going to the front lines of battle. She eventually founded the American Red Cross to aid people all over the world.
The economies of both sides were very different. The North flourished with the demand for supplies helping industry to grow. The South was crushed due to a food shortage, union occupation, and loss of enslaved workers. In order for the government to pay for the war, they looked to the North to provide income taxes.
Life during the civil war was very tough with the loss and the pain. Our only hope now is that it never happens again.

By: Kellie

9.18.2009

The Road to Revolution

The American Revolution of 1775 did not, in fact, happen spontaneously, but was the result of several skirmishes between the colonists and British leading up to this event. The fighting at Lexington and Concord, the Second Continental Congress, and the Battle of Bunker Hill, were primary instigators in bringing about the war.

The first event to bring about a chain of events leading to the war was the fighting at Lexington and Concord. British general Thomas Gage marched his troops to Concord upon hearing that illegal weapons were supposedly stored there. Colonial troops, the minutemen, vowed to fight when the British arrived. Their need came sooner than expected. On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere rode out on his well-known journey to warn the colonists that 700 British were marching for Concord. Although the British were briefly stopped on their march in Lexington, the British plowed through the minutemen that stood in their way and continued their march to Concord. When the British arrived at Concord, they discovered that the arsenal was empty. The British decided to march back to Boston but were set upon by several thousand minutemen who slaughtered a majority of the British soldiers. The few that survived this onslaught ducked back into Boston, now under siege by the colonists. This event strained the relationship between the Americans and British, to say the least.

In May of 1775, colonial leaders met up in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress. Despite debates about whether to be independent or reunite with the British, the Congress decided to appoint the militia as the Continental Army in case of war, and also elected George Washington to lead this army.

On June of 1775, General Thomas Gage, tired of being under siege in Boston, decided to strike against the militia, sending 2400 British troops on Breed’s Hill. The militia retaliated by shooting the advancing wave at close range before retreating. The Battle of Bunker Hill resulted in 1000 British casualties and 450 colonial deaths. Despite this event, some delegates from Congress as well as some colonists still felt loyalty to King George III and blamed his ministers for these unfortunate events. Congress sent out a peace petition, the Olive Branch Petition, to King George III. As a result of this latest outrage, King George III finally snapped and rejected the petition, proclaiming that the colonists were rebels.

As a result of this chain of events, the American Revolution was soon under way.

by Andy and Jonathan

Voting Rights in the U.S.

Voting Rights:

            In 1776, when Americans first declared independence from Great Britain, the state Constitution at the time established voting rights, but only for certain citizens.  Even the new constitution that replaced the articles in 1788 did not allow voting rights to many people in the U.S.

            In 1789 property owners, taxpayers, and some women were the only people who were able to vote in the U.S.  On top of these regulations, most state constitutions required you to be 21 or older as well.  Those who were able to vote were generally white males.

            African American males fought for the right to vote using the 15^th amendment in the late 1800s.  African American males were often rejected the right to vote through poll taxes and literacy tests.  The 24^th amendment in 1964 abolished poll taxes and in 1965 the government got rid of the voting rights act, which abolished the literacy tests.

            In the 1920s the 19^th amendment was made giving voting rights to women thanks to Elizabeth Stanton and Suzan B. Anthony.  In the early 1900s ratifications to the Constitution were made making it so women could vote, and in 1924 these same rights were extended to Native Americans.

            In 1971 the 26^th amendment gave 18 year olds the right to vote.  This happened around the time during the Vietnam War because many people were upset that the government would draft 18 year olds but would not give them the right to vote.

-Cory and Brooke

Voting Rights

In the infancy of the United States, only certain people were allowed to vote. Though the laws differed slightly in each state, generally only male property owners above the age of 21 were granted suffrage. People who qualified to vote were usually white, though some states allowed free black men to vote.

In 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution extended suffrage to African-American males. However, many Southern states passed restrictions to prevent blacks from voting. For example, some states required citizens to pass a literacy test in order to vote. While whites were given easy literacy tests, African-Americans were given more difficult ones, preventing many of them from voting. Poll taxes also deterred many African-Americans from voting.


The Fifteenth Amendment extended the vote to non-whites

Activists such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony campaigned to extend suffrage to women. In 1920, women finally received the right to vote with the passing of the 19th Amendment. Four years later, Native Americans gained citizenship and the right to vote as well.


The 19th Amendment allowed women to vote

During the Vietnam War in the 1960s, a large number of young people were drafted into the army; however, many could not vote because they were under 21. People questioned whether it was fair that 18-year olds could be drafted to fight in wars and lose their lives, yet not be able to vote. In 1971, the 26th Amendment was passed, granting suffrage to 18-year-olds.

By Vivek C. and Andrew Q

Life During civil War

During the civil war, both North and South suffered great casualties.  As fighting went on, they imposed conscription to force men into serving the army.  Although African Americans made up 10% of the army, they still suffered from discrimination.

            The living condition at the battlefield was horrible; soldiers suffered from body lice, dysentery and diarrhea due to the filthy environment.   The prison camps are in even worse condition than the battlefield.  15% of Union prisoners in Southern prison died, while 12% of confederate prisoners died in Northern prison.

            During the harsh time of war, women had stepped in to improve the conditions.  Clara Barton formed the American Red Cross, where women volunteered as nurses to care for the wounded.

            As a result of the war, the South’s economy was shattered.  The war had drained their resource, and free labor.  The North’s economy, however, prospered because of the war.  The army’s needs actually supported many industries.  Congress even decided to collect income tax for the first time to pay for the war.

 

Katherine 

When the System Was Young

Andrew Carnegie (left) was born in 1836 to poor parents in Scotland. At age twelve, he moved to the United States, and within six years he had a job as a private secretary for a superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad. After years of working in the railroad business and earning his dividends, he left his job and entered the steel business. Within twenty years, the Carnegie Steel Company produced more steel than all the factories in Great Britain. This rise from rags to riches became the inspiration for many others to come.

            Carnegie, not a dumb man, had a very aggressive business plan to achieve his level of success. He wanted to control the largest portion of the steel business possible. He did this by buying out suppliers (coal fields, iron mines, ore freighters, etc.), a process now known as vertical integration. At the same time, he also bought out competitors, a process known as horizontal integ

ration. Through both these processes, he became the largest steel producer nationwide. In 1901 he sold his business, and retired to spend his money on charitable causes and other activities he found pleasant.

            John D. Rockefeller (right), the founder of the Standard Oil Company, had a very different approach to taking control of a market. Rockefeller used trust and merger

s to take control of a very large and profitable business. In 1870, Rockefeller paid his employees terrible w

ages, but sold his oil at a lower price then his competition, to drive them out of the market. He was selling oil at a price that made him lose money. Afterwards, once he controlled the entire market, he hiked up prices, to levels they had never been before. Although many critics argued he was robbing many people of their money, Rockefeller gave away millions of dollars to charitable causes, and the foundation of the University of Chicago, among other causes he supported. Both Carnegie and Rockefeller introduced new concepts to the world’s markets, and after making millions on the inexperience of the markets, they proceeded to donate almost 90 percent of their fortunes to education, the arts, and other causes. 

Dred Scott v Sandford

Dred Scott v Sandford 1857

Dred Scott was a slave who had been bought from the slave state of Missouri and went to live in the free state of Illinois. When he was forced to return to Missouri he felt like he should remain free. He sued in 1854 for his freedom and when the court ruled against him he appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court ruled that African Americans weren’t citizens and that they could never be citizens. Dred Scott remained enslaved and the court said he had no right to file a lawsuit. Slaves didn’t have the right to sue in a US court. Justice Roger Taney said that if he ended slavery it would be taking away property and that would be violating the Fifth Amendment.
This decision made there be more tension about the issue of slavery which would lead to the Civil War. The decision made it hard for free states to prevent slave owners from bringing and selling slaves in their states. Slavery wasn’t banned until five years of Civil War had passed due to Taney’s decision.

The First KKK

The United States began rebuilding their country after the devastating Civil War. This period of time was called Reconstruction and it lasted from 1865 to 1877. During this time, many issues needed to be resolved and “reconstructed.” Former Southern planters returned home to find out that the value of their property had decreased. African Americans were given equal rights through the Fourteenth Amendment.

The Confederate veterans were not happy that black people were receiving more rights while the Southerners were losing money and respect. Six veterans created the Ku Klux Klan on December 1865. By using violence to intimidate Republican voters and African Americans, the Ku Klux Klan resisted the changes of Reconstruction. This method of intimidation was successful because of the vast number of former Confederate soldiers.
In 1868, activity of the KKK began to decrease and the Grand Wizrd disbanded the group. The Civil Rights Act, which made actions committed to prevent people from voting or deprive civil rights federal offenses, was passed in 1870 and 1871. Klan members were prosecuted for their crimes and Klan activities halted until 1915.

-Andrew C

Voting Rights

Voting Rights  One of the first qualifications for voting in 1789 was to be a male and at least 21 years of age. Some states like Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Carolina, Georgia, and Vermont relaxed property qualification to include all male taxpayers. In very few cases, women and free slaves were allowed to vote. In 1870, Congress passed the Fifteenth Amendment which guaranteed voting rights to the African-American males. The Constitution stated that “voting shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude,” but African-Americans still had to go through unfair procedures that whites did not. Often, African-Americans had to pay poll taxes in order to vote or in other cases, literacy tests. It was not until 1964, where the 24thAmendment was introduced, when the poll taxes were abolished. Literacy tests were suspended the following year by theVoting Rights Act of 1965. Women were not included in the constitution, which restricted most of their rights, including voting rights. They were finally granted the right to vote in 1920, by the 19th Amendment. Four years after ratifying the 19th Amendment, voting rights extended to the Native Americans. Voting age was lowered to eighteen after the 26th Amendment, which was ratified in 1971. During the Vietnam War in 1960, young men found issues with the voting age. These people found displeasure because men who were 18 years or older could be drafted but to vote, they had to be 21 years or older. Thus, Congress introduced the 26th Amendment. By Jesus G and Frank

The Rise of Women in Politics By: Diane Jung

Women did not always have the same rights and privileges in the government as they do today. Here is an overview of their expansion in political power.

An example of a demonstration for equal rights for women

1770s
Men were not the only Revolutionaries to participate in the protest against the British. Women took their part by boycotting things like British tea and thread. Mary Goddard, for example, was the first person to print a copy of the Declaration of Independence which included the signers' names.
1848
The rapid growth of the American population also brought about the awareness of the lack of equality for women, particularly suffrage. The first woman suffrage movement took place in 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York. It was led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Here, the Declaration of Sentiments was introduced, which demanded more rights for women.

1920
The struggle for suffrage continued into the early 1900s. Demonstrations such as protests took place until finally, in 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment was added to the Constitution, which granted the right for women to vote.

1972-1982
Equal suffrage was not enough for the persistent spirit of American women. More and more women began to join the workforce. However, this led to the realization that they were not being paid equally as men. The Equal rights Amendement, or the ERA, was a sign of hope for women to finally have equal pay and rights as men. Despite public approval, the ERA was not passed.

2001
The climb from protesting and voting rights has allowed women in America to participate in the United States government. Sixty women served in the House of Representatives the 107th Congress, and thirteen women served in the Senate.

Voting Rights

In 1789, all male property owners could vote. Although women and slaves could not vote, most of the tax paying population could. The voting age varied between different states. In some states free African Americans could vote, but in was not until the 15th amendment in 1870 that black males had guaranteed suffrage. Even with the amendment, they tried to prevent slaves from voting by adding a poll tax. Because slaves almost never had their own money, they did not vote.

The 19th amendment of 1920 allowed women the right to vote. Just four years later, citizenship as well as suffrage was granted to the Native Americans.

In the 1960's the Vietnam war was fought. Any able bodied man over 18 could be drafted. Many did not think it was fair to force somebody to fight in a war when they can't even vote. Because of this, in 1971 the voting age was lowered to 18. This was due to the 26th Amendment. Today, all U.S. citizens 18 or over can vote.

The Paved Way To The Big Dance

The night of April 18, 1775. Some of these names that might spark a flame in your head is Paul Revere William Dawes and Samuel Prescott . These men were sent out to spread the word that British troops were headed to attack Lexington. This is what started the battle of Lexington, the minutemen were  set to fight the British at anytime even tho the battle of Lexington only lasted 15 min 

 . The British solider after there little 15 min scrum it put the British in shocked that the minutemen did not attack them , they kept marching on to concord.  As the British reached concord they were in for a big awaking. The minute were well known by the strategic fighting, the British were so used to face to face fighting they had no chance to defend what the minutemen had set up. As the British approached concord the minutemen popped  out from behind them and slaughter the whole British army. This was the start of the revolution the very first battle that took place was very important to find out why the revolution begun. 

The Road to Revolution

After the First Continental Congress had met, many colonists in Eastern New England began military operations by setting up civilian soldiers (otherwise known as minutemen) to gather firearms and gunpowder. In 1775, General Thomas Gage of Great Britain sent troops to seize illegal weapons from the colonists.

The first battle between the British and the colonists was the Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 19th, 1775. At Lexington, 70 minutemen prepared to fight the British. The British told the minutemen to lay down their weapon and they did not so the British attacked. As a result, 8 minutemen were killed and 10 were wounded. The British proceeded on to Concord. This was a mistake, however, for between 3,000 and 4,000 minutemen were waiting for them and it resulted in bloodshed. The remaining British soldiers went back to Boston and found themselves under colonist's siege.

The Second Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia in May of 1775. The delegates were split between calling for independence versus reconciliation (the restoration of a former state of harmony or friendship) with the British. Finally they decided to treat the colonial militia as the army, while appointing George Washington as the commander.

General Thomas Gage decide to sent military men to Breed's Hill to attack the colonists. On June 17th, 1775, there was a sudden attack from both sides resulting 450 colonists and over 1000 British casualties. This was the Battle of Bunker Hill, which proved to be the deadliest battle of the war. Since many delegates still wished for peace, the Congress sent the King an Olive Branch Petition. King George denied the petition, instead he issued a proclamation to set up a naval blockage for the American Coast.

By Alice and Sneha

Voting Rights

When American colonists declared independence from Great Britain in 1776. They struggled a lot to just crate a representative government was just beginning. The state constitution that was drafted that time established voting rights, but not to all citizens in America. Then the Articles of Confederation did not address the voting rights therefore, the state laws before are still remained.
1789: In the early time of the United States, people who were qualified to vote was very flexible in some states like in Pennsylvania, Delaware, North Caroline, Georgia and Vermont. The states had very few expectations. But first of all, women were not allowed to vote. Most state constitutions also required that a voting white male should be above 21 years or older. Some states allowed free black men to vote.

1870: The 15 amendment of the constitution tried to guarantee black men the rights to vote like every white men.

1920:

The Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in 1920,giving women the right to vote. Four years later, citizenship and suffrage was extended to Native Americans.

1971:

After years of speculation, the twenty-sixth Amendment was ratified in 1971, allowing citizens 18 years of age or older to vote. During the Vietnam War, many people questioned the drafting of 18 years olds, but refusing them the right to vote.

Written by Jesus ALonso and Interpaul

Changes from the Civil War

The civil war has made many changes in America. These changes were: political, economic, technological, and social. It also had a big aftermath, with 360,000 union soldiers dead, and 260,000 Confederate soldiers dead, not to mention destruction the war caused throughout America.
The Civil war increased the power and authority of the government. Passing laws in taxes and conscription, which gave the government more control over person rights of individual citizens. The economy of the North also thrived during the war, while the southern economy went down the toilet. The war not only abolish slavery but also damaged the agricultural community of the south. The economy was screwed over mostly because the south relied on cash crops which were labored by salves.
Technology during the civil war also boomed. Rifle technology was bettered. The colt navy conversion made in 1861 was the first cheap revolver that fired brass cartridges, and made cap, ball, and powder system obsolete. Iron Clad boats were built, along with the first submarines in America.
The Thirteenth Amendment ended all slavery and involuntary servitude in America. Another big Change in America was Abraham Lincoln's assassination. He was shot in the back of the head from John Wilkes Booth, on april 15,1865, it happened while the president was watching a theater-piece. Although Lincoln did not regain consciousness before he died, he still lived for a couple hours before he died. John Wilkes Booth was gunned down by union soldiers twelve days later, in a shed in Virginia.
Although many lives were lost in the Civil war, it stopped slavery, and introduced many inventions. On the downside, the south's economy took a loss, and we lost some of our personal freedom form the government. Taxing its citizens more, in a country that was founded to abolish British taxes.

The Role of Women

Throughout American history, women have been denied many of the rights that were granted to men. Despite this, they still played an important role in the shaping of the United States. One of their earlier contributions was in the 1770's, when the United States was protesting against British rule. Women helped by boycotting British products, such as tea and clothes.

The first women's rights movement was in 1848 by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Among other rights, they demanded suffrage. 72 years later, the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution gave women the right to vote.

However, women still were not equal to men in other aspects of life, both social and economic. For example, men were often paid more money than women for doing the same job. To correct this, women tried to pass the Equal Right Amendment between 1972 and 1982. However, both men and women were worried about the results of the amendment, and so it was not ratified. Despite that, since 1982 women have gained significant social, political, and economic power.

~ Written by Erin

Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion

Manifest Destiny was the American idea that westward expansion was predestined by God. It was believed that the United States was ordained to spread to the Pacific Ocean, into Mexican and Native American territory. This was seen by Americans as obvious and inevitable, or “manifest".

For twenty-five years after the War of 1812, there was very little American exploration in the western part of North America. However, by the 1840’s, the desire to expand had gripped the nation. The abundance of land in the West attracted people to the region, and economic problems pushed people out of East. Settlers began to establish trails to the West, such as the Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail, and Mormon Trail. They traveled along these trails in covered wagons filled with their belongings. Traders also traveled along these routes, bringing economic stimulation to the region.

As the United States grew westward, national boundaries were defined by agreements with other nations. The modern border with Canada was established peacefully with Great Britain. The two countries were divided along the 49th parallel, from the Rocky Mountains to Puget Sound. Unfortunately, the settlement of the borders in the Southwest with Mexico would not be so peaceful.

Stephen F. Austin established a colony in 1825 where "no drunkard, gambler, profane swearer, or idler would be allowed. The settlement was named San Felipe de Austin, in Stephen's honor. By 1825, Austin has issued 297 land grants to the "Texas's Old Three Hundred". Each of the 297 families either received 177 acres of farmland or 4,428 acres for stock grazing. In addition to the land grants, every family also received a 10 year exemption from paying taxes. By the 1830s, there were more than 20,000 Americans in Texas.

Despite the peaceful cooperation between Anglos and Tejanos, differences over cultural issues heightened between Anglos and the Mexican government. The protestant Anglos spoke English instead of Spanish which frustrated the Tejanos. Furthermore, some Southerners brought slaves with them. Mexico, who has already abolished slavery in 1892 insisted that the Texans free their slaves. When Austin went to Mexico City in 1833 to present petitions to Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna (President of Mexico) for greater self government for texas. Austin was imprisoned by Santa Anna for inciting revolution. Rebellions broke out everywhere.

Austin was set free in 1835, he was convinced that war would be the only way for Texas to have self rule. Santa Anna, also determined to force Texas to follow Mexican rule, declared war. Lieutenant Colonel William Travis believed that maintaining control of the Alamo would prevent would prevent Santa Anna's movement north. From February 23. 1836 to March 2, 1836, Santa Anna's troops attacked The Alamo and the rebels died trying to defend it. Six weeks later, Sam Houston, commander in chief and 900 soldiers defeated Santa Anna and forced him to sign the Treaty of Velasco, which granted independence to Texas.

Sam Houston was elected president of the new Republic of Texas in September 1836.

Written by: Derek and Aston