Chapter 24

Franklin Roosevelt was the best president possible during a time of need. Franklin Roosevelt had always had it all, until he became paralyzed one day. After endless Therapy he was able to get back into politics again. Being once paralyzed made him and much more down to earth, compassionate and understanding polititcian than any politician before. I think that is the reason, he was the best president possible to get the country out of the Depression.

Because of his understanding of being helpless i think that he had strong compassion and relatable feelings towards those hit hard by the depression. Because of this care for the people hit hard by the depression, he set up The Social Security Act which reached out to those who were unemployed, suffering old age, or disabled. this established the federal responsibly over the welfare of people. FDRs compassion to the helpless created something great that is still used today. If we did not, have Social Security today so many would suffer and be be struggling, especially when the economy hit us hard a few years ago.

Chapter 17

This chapter was very hard for me to read. I always knew that European settlers we're horrible to natives but I never really realized how horrible they were. Plains Indians relied on bison and migrated with bison to provide food for them. Native Americans had been living by this concept for many generations. But when Europeans settlers came they began to kill the bison dramatically to provide for the market. Many army commanders encouraged the mad killing of bison because it would help undermine Indian resistance to become civilized. Then the fort Laramie treaty was created which was a treaty that removed plains Indians to reservations where they would try and civilize the Indians. One chief was able to remain on his land, sitting bull. He was one of the few native Americans that defeated George Armstrong clusters force. This was a big event for native Americans.  Shortly later the Dawes severalty act was placed which was another attempted at civilizing Indians. This act distributed land amongst Indians which was once their land, in hopes that they would leave there nomadic ways. It didn't stop there the last final event against the plains Indians was the killing of Sitting bull And then the battle at wounded knee where 300 Indians were massacred. I cannot believe what settlers put native Americans through. It was there land first it's horrible that it was taken so violently.

Chapter 21

During the progressive era, luxuries for citizens began to flourish. Department stores, vaudeville, music halls, and amusement parks flourished during this era. Amusement parks allowed families to escape their day to day life at home and an opportunity to socialize with friends and for women to show off their new outfits. Soon Henry Ford came out with the model t car which allowed average income families own a car as we'll allowing them to travel easier. Reformers feared that these luxuries would cause immorality and social disorder so they campaigned to regulate these pleasures. One big problem during the progressive era was prostitution. Males would take women and take part of their income. Some women saw this as an easy money maker while others were kidnapped and forced into it. The Federal Mann Act was passed in 1910 which made women trafficking illegal causing the red light districts to shut down. I didn't even know there was ever red light districts in places other than Amsterdam.

Another problem during this area was abuse of drugs and alcohol. Drug companies could freely prescribe or sell opium drugs as well as morphine and heroin. In 1914 the Harrison act was passed making those drugs only accessible with a doctors prescription. Also coca-cola contained cocaine in until 1900. I found this interesting because I had no idea that drug abuse was around for over 100 years.

Chapter 12

The first thing I think when I think old south is slavery but slavery was not the only problem in the old south. I found it really interesting that white men were very violent with one another and fought over power. They called it dueling and sometimes it was so violent that men fought until death. I found this really interesting because I think that when one has a lot of power over people it goes to their head and they become out of control. I think that because plantation owners had such a power over their slaves that it completely went to their head and effected them outside the plantation.

Chapter 11

In this chapter we read about how theatrical performances became a popular form of entertainment. I thought that it was interesting that the audience was very diverse and was not for just high class citizens but low class citizens could go. Their were prostitutes in the crowd and rowdy men who often threw things at the stage that they did not like. The most popular theatrical show was called minstrel shows which were shows that reinforced racial stereotypes. In these shows they depicted African Americans as clumsy and stupid and made fun of their roots and called their shows african related names such as "Nubian Jungle Dance". Another Popular kind of show were the shows by P.T. Barnum who introduced fantasy and weird wonders to people. His goal was to interest people and not educate them so he purchased a museum where he had all sorts of wonders of the world, almost like a freak show.

Chapter 10

In this chapter it talked about public schools and how they started. I thought that this part was really interesting. Schools used to be really small and students ranging from 4 to 20 years old we're jammed into one small class room. In 1837 Horace Mann tried to better education. He goals were to shift financial support for schools to state, making the school year longer, having standardized text books, and dividing students into different grades depending on their age and education level. All these things that Mann had instituted into schools is still in effect today. Also even back then majority of teachers were women and I think today as well their are more women teachers than men. The schools wanted to integrate all people living in America and create a more diverse society but schools still excluded African Americans and if an African American entered the school people often acted violent towards them.

Age of Jefferson

Jefferson believed that the most virtues and loyal people to the government were farmers. Jefferson says that when people are in a big city people go crazy and become corrupt from one another, he believes that is what happened in Europe. This was interesting to me because I feel like farmers and people out of the city don't care as much about government because they are not exposed to it every day like people in big cities are. So of course people don't have a whole lot of bad things to say about the government if they are not exposed to it every day and hearing the negativity of it every day like those in big cities.
Also in this chapter we read about one of Jeffersons slaves Sally Hemings who is rumored to be Jeffersons mistress. I had never heard anything like this about Jefferson before so it was kind of shocking to me that in a time of slavery and serious racism that a powerful leader would involve himself with a women of color. There is no evidence of it being true but if it is that would be very shocking.