Scavenger Hint!! Not For Easter… but Still a Scavenger Hunt!!!

           Last week in history class I learned about 20 different civil war battles and their outcomes. Instead of taking notes on every single battle, my class instead participated in a scavenger hunt. In order to prepare for the scavenger hunt everyone in my class chose one battle to research. Each person then went home and did research on their battle. Everyone then went home and created a google document about the victor, setting , and main reasons for the result of our assigned battle Each person then brought in a sheet of paper with their battle number and a QR code and bit.ly to their google doc. We then too our sheets and posted them all thought the school. We then went on a scavenger hunt! Yay! During the scavenger hunt we copied and pasted the information from each google doc into our evernote accounts. Each google doc told us where we could find the next battle’s sign. After two tiring and sweaty days of scavenging we had notes on every single battle. We then used a Padlet to answer the two essential questions. The first question asked “who was the ultimate victor in each of the Theaters of was: East, West, Naval.” The second essential questions aked, “what are some commonalities you can identify in the reasons for the results of the battles?”

          
          After my class and I created the Padlet I started to notice patterns between the area each battle was fought, and who was the victor. The battles that we studied were fought in one of three different areas. The Western Theater battles were fought in the West, the Eastern battles were fought in the east and on the coast, and the Naval battles were fought in the Atlantic Ocean. My class and I were able to see that the Union dominated battles in the Western Theater. The Battle of Louisiana and the Battle of Shiloh were won by the Union in the Western Theater. We also saw that in the Eastern Theater the Confederacy won most of the early battles such as the Battle of Fort Sumter in 1861, but as time passed they started losing battles in the Eastern Theater like the Appomattox Campaign, which occurred in 1865. In the Naval Theater the Union won the majority of battles. Some of these Union victories include the Battle of Fort Henry, and the Surrender of Fort Donelson.

           

            At the end of the lesson I noticed that there were many commonalities between the results of the battles and why they were won. One of the reasons the Union was able to win so many battles was because they had more soldiers. The Union won the Battle of Fort Henry because the Confederates only had 3,000 troops compared to the Union’s 16,000. The Union also had a navy that was already established before the war began. The Confederates had to create a navy and build boats once the war had begun. The Union dominated the Confederates in battles that occurred in the water because they had a navy with more ships and troops. The Union was able to win the Surrender of Fort Donelson because they used one of their fleets of ships to shell the Confederate fort from the Cumberland River. The Union was also able to win many battles because it had more factories and railroads to transport and produce anything. The Confederates won battles with their military tactic of ambush. Many of the military strategy schools were located in the South so the leaders of the Confederate army had extensive knowledge of military tactics. The Confederates also were more driven to win battles because they were defending their way of life.

The Union shelling that took place in the Surrender of Fort Donnelson

             
            The Union had many more advantages than the Confederacy during the Civil War. These advantages were the reason that the Union was able to win the war. Although the Confederates had wise tacticians and the stronger desire to win, they still couldn’t overpower the Union.
Bibliography:
http://www.civilwar.org/hallowed-ground-magazine/winter-2011/images/fort-henry-falls.jpg
Here is our Padlet!

Created with Padlet

Election Results Reflected Opinions on Slavery! AAHHHHHHHHHHH (mind blown)

This week in history class I learned about the election of 1860. My group and I answered the question of how the election of 1860 showed deep divisions over slavery. I analyzed the results of the election and the candidate's different ideas in order to answer this question. I learned that Abraham Lincoln was a Republican who didn't like slavery and wanted to control it. Bell wanted to preserve the constitution and the union without changing slavery laws. Breckenridge believed that there should be no limits put on slavery, and Douglas thought that the expansion of slavery should rely on popular sovereignty. My group and I then wrote a script and found pictures so that we could create a video to display our knowledge about the election of 1860. Here is our video:

Citations:

The Harper's Ferry Insurrection [John Brown, Now Under Sentence of Death for Treason and Murder, at Charleston, VA.]

November 18, 1859 - See more at: http://www.civilwarinart.org/items/show/14#sthash.PkdYEijr.dpuf

The Seceding South Carolina Delegation

December 22, 1860

Mathew Brady

1822-1896

Page 801 - See more at: http://www.civilwarinart.org/items/show/153#sthash.Ef9as8nf.dpuf

Our Banner in the Sky

1861

Frederic Edwin Church

1826-1900 - See more at: http://www.civilwarinart.org/items/show/28#sthash.SMEH9ck9.dpuf

Bombardment of Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor

1861

Currier and Ives - See more at: http://www.civilwarinart.org/items/show/63#sthash.3Wx6S02p.dpuf

The Civil War Has Lots Of Big Numbers!

          This week in history class we learned about the statistics of the Civil War. I used a website called Infogram to display all the data that I learned in class in an easy and simple layout. Here is my Infogram.

statistics of The Civil war | Create infographics

           I used charts in my Infogram that show how the North dominated all the statistics concerning numbers. I tried to follow a logical thought process when I decided on the order that I put my data in. I started by representing key points of data in large charts and tables and then went over each individual advantage that each side had. The infogram helped me truly realize the condition at the start of the civil war with it's tables and charts. These representations are much easier to comprehend than a bunch of numbers.

Citations:
http://www.edline.net/files/_CDHeg_/849bf0de56cb0eae3745a49013852ec4/Resources_Pie_Charts.pdf
http://www.edline.net/files/_CCBV6_/39d28344c59e45213745a49013852ec4/Railroad_and_Slave_Density_Maps.pdf
http://www.edline.net/files/_CCBWZ_/257d654637b0aff83745a49013852ec4/Slavery_by_the_Numbers.pdf
http://www.edline.net/files/_CCBWz_/21e469c533466ada3745a49013852ec4/Strengths_of_the_North_and_the_South_Reading.pdf

WHERE IS THE ELEPHANT? WHERE IS IT??

    As America grew during the early 19th century it faced many problems. While there were many unique issues that the American government had to solve during this time period, they all had the underlying theme of slavery. This week in history class I created a timeline that shows the events with underlying roots to slavery during early 19th century America. The timeline contains short descriptions of the events and includes many pictures of the people and events. Events that are considered to be anti-slavery are placed below the timeline, and events that are pro-slavery are above the timeline. Slavery was undoubtedly the “elephant in the room” in early 19th century politics.

Here is our timeline.

    The Missouri compromise of 1820 designated 11 states as slave states, and the remaining 11 states as free states. This even split was essential because it guaranteed that free states and slave states would have an equal number of members in the senate. It was also established that all land north of 36 degrees by 30 minutes latitude line will forever be free states.

   

    The gold rush of 1849 brought a sudden increase in population to California. This population surge caused California to request to join the union as a free state. Henry Clay, a member of the Senate and the House of Representatives feared that if California joined the union it would destroy the delicate balance between the pro-slavery, and free states. Clay fixed this problem with a 5-Part compromise.

    The 5-part compromise that Henry Clay created maintained the balance between the power of free and slave state power. Firstly, Clay stated that all the land that was won in the war with Mexico can decide whether or not to allow slavery based on popular sovereignty. California was also admitted as a free state. Also included in the deal was that Texas has to give up its disputed land in exchange for 10 million dollars, which were to be used to pay off a debt to Mexico. The compromise also mentioned that slave trade would be abolished in the District of Columbia, but slavery would still be allowed. The fugitive slave act was the final, and the most controversial out of all of the 5-part compromise.

Here is a map illustrating the Compromise of 1850.

    The Fugitive Slave act was disastrous for former slaves trying to start a new life in the northern United States. During the course of 10 years, 20,000 blacks moved to neighboring countries because of this act. The Fugitive Slave Act required all citizens of the United States to help in the recovery of fugitive slaves. These poor slaves were also deprived of the right to have a trial by jury.

    Many key changes were made to the United States during the early 19th century that sought to address “the elephant in the room.” Slavery is a big problem, and it is encouraging to see that out of all of these conflicts the United States ended up abolishing slavery altogether. Hopefully this same result will happen with the rest of the world in the near future.

    

Bibliography

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p2951.html

Pictography

http://www.ushistory.org/us/images/00080486.gif

App Used To Make Timeline

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rwt-timeline/id724817238?mt=8

 

   

Ingraining Slavery in the 19th Century

            Slavery was a major problem in the United States of America in the early 19^th century, and it still is a problem in many countries in current times. While slave owners make lots of money, they are essentially ruining the lives of their slaves. In the early 19^th century slavery became economically entrenched, negatively affected human dignity, and ignored human characteristics.

            Cotton economically entrenched slavery in the United States during the early 19^th century.

The Cotton Gin

Both the number and the price of slaves skyrocketed after Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin. The cotton gin removed all debris from cotton after it was picked by slaves. This new efficiency made the production of cotton very profitable. Over the course of seventy years the United States went from producing 1.5 million pounds of cotton per year to 2.28 billion pounds of cotton per year. In 1860 cotton produced 57% of the nation’s total export revenue. The northern states claimed to oppose slavery when they were actually supporting it by pressuring southern states to increase the amount of cotton they were producing. Slavery was entrenched because the dependency the United States had on the large amount of export revenue, which could only be supplied with slave labor.

            George Fitzhugh, a lawyer and author from Virginia ignored human characteristics and dignity while defending slavery. Fitzhugh grew up on a plantation and was racist. He believed that slavery should be a part of all societies. Fitzhugh said that “slaves of the south are the happiest, and, in some sense, the freest people in the world.” Fitzhugh formed this opinion based on the fact that slaved don’t have to worry about food, shelter, money, and only work for 8-9 hours a day. He believed that liberty and equality are destructive. Fitzhugh’s view point disregards the many negative aspects of slavery, and doesn’t appreciate freedom.

            Slavery in the United States during the early 19^th century was necessary to sustain the economy, but it disregarded human characteristics, and dignity. While slavery is widely unpopular with most people today, there are still those who share Fitzhugh’s opinion. These people who support slavery or even own slaves need to realize the suffering and destruction they are bringing to the lives of their slaves.

            

Bibliography

 George Fitzhugh. Cannibals All or Slaves Without Masters. http://www.edline.net/files/_BEHdp_/460bb97a393063db3745a49013852ec4/Morality_of_Slavery_DBQ_Documents.pdf .

Accessed 2-24-15.

Pictography
The Cotton Gin.  http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/7800/7804/cottongin_7804.htm. Accessed 2-24-15.

Equality For Everyone Please!

Gender equality is a topic that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Inequalities between the sexes has always been an issue in the world. Any problem that affects nearly half of all the people on earth needs to be resolved. Throughout history there have been few exceptions to the belief that men should be given more rights and are ultimately more important than women. Women were

treated poorly during the 19th century and are still treated unfairly in many aspects of life in the present.

    On July 19-20, 1848 The Seneca Falls Convention was held in New York. This gathering sought to finally address the injustices that society placed upon women. Women in the early 19th century were not allowed to speak in public, own property, or vote. They also could be beaten by their husbands, couldn’t attend college, and were paid less than half as much money as the men who held the same job. The women and men who attended The Seneca Falls Convention felt that these laws and traditions needed to be abolished.The convention was the first women’s rights convention ever to take place. This video gives a basic introduction as to what The Seneca Falls Convention was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13Qc1ELn9-8&feature=youtu.be.

This picture shows how women were supposed to act in the 19th century

A newspaper article in the Oneida Whig summarized the event. The article says that “In the covenant of marriage she is compelled to promise obedience to her husband, he becoming all intents and purposes he master-the law giving him power to he prove her of her liberty and to administer chastisement.” The people who attended the convention thought that marriage should not allow the man to completely control his wife’s life.

In the 21st century women and men are still treated differently. In theory both women and men are supposed to be treated equally in the 21st century United States, but oftentimes they are not. In some cases women are still paid less than men who hold the same job. It also can be more difficult for women to get jobs relating to science, technology, and engineering because the majority of workers in these fields are male. Women are also viewed differently by society. If a man has many relationships he is considered to be a gentleman and attractive, but women who are in just as many relationships are frowned upon by society. Although there are still many problems with equality for both men and women, many of the problems of the 19th century have been resolved. It is no longer ok for a man to beat his wife, women can vote, and women can attend college. The way people view the different genders has changed greatly since the 19th century, but there is still plenty of room for improvement in the future.

Website Citation

Oneida Whig. August 1, 1848.http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/images/vc006199.jpg.

Picture Citation

Sphere of Women. http://www.edline.net/files/_AJHub_/947f594a088f498f3745a49013852ec4/Sphere_of_Women.jpg.

School For Everyone!!! Yay!

“I believe in the existence of a great, immortal, immutable principle of natural law...which proves the absolute right to an education of every human being that comes into the world; and which, of course, proves the correlative duty of every government to see that the means of that education are provided for all....

Massachusetts is parental in her government. More and more, as year after year rolls by, she seeks to substitute prevention for remedy, and rewards for penalties. She strives to make industry the antidote to poverty, and to counterwork the progress of vice and crime by the diffusion of knowledge and the culture of virtuous principles.”

Mann, Horace. "Horace Mann, 1846 to the Massachusetts Legislature." Unveiling History. January 1, 1846. Accessed January 11, 2015. http://unveilinghistory.org/wp-content/lessons/2013/donohue/B_document-set.pdf.

These two brief paragraphs were written by Horace Mann. Horace Mann is referred to as the Father of the Common School. He started his career by working as a lawyer and a legislator, but he was soon elected to be the secretary for the Massachusetts Board of Education in 1837. He wanted every child to be able to receive a basic education that was funded with taxes. Horace Mann wrote these paragraphs to argue his ideas about creating the Common School to the Massachusetts Legislature in 1848. This source is very trustworthy because it was written by Horace Mann himself. When Horace Mann was growing up in Massachusetts schools usually consisted of one room where children of many different ages were educated. Most schools were also private, which prevented many children from attending. This document shows how passionate Horace Mann was about creating schools which everyone could attend. This document is limited because it does not display the opinions of other people in the Legislature and community. This does give a good picture of the education reforms, but it lacks background information and exact dates. Horace Mann wants to create the Common School, a place where all children can be educated at the expense of taxpayers. He believes that these schools would create a brighter future for Massachusetts children. Horace Mann argues that everyone has a right to an education, and that industry isn’t the answer to creating a better future for the children and ultimately Massachusetts. Horace is trying to convince the reader that the Common School concept is a good idea.