Your Favorite Time Period... Post by midnight April 29

Keep in mind when posting that you must post one original response AND a response to a post by a classmate.

Thinking back over this year in APUSH.  Select your favorite time period.  Explain why it is your favorite.  Include date range, specific events and inventions of the period, and specific significant individuals in your discussion.  Your discussion should be about the length of an in-class essay.  Make this a good one... it is the last blog post topic.

Click on this link it is a  good site to visit for review... also on my webpage!

Gilded Age and Imperialism...Post by midnight April 22

Keep in mind when posting that you must post one original response AND a response to a post by a classmate.

Examine the Gilded Age: Who coined the term and why called Gilded, what is the time period? Discuss some of the leading personalities of the time period and their importance.

What were the characteristics of the Gilded Age?  Discuss the philosophies of the era: Nativism, Gospel of Wealth, Social and Racial Darwinism.   What were the “ills” of society during this time period and what caused the “ills”?

Expand upon the desire for more land during this period… imperialism.  Lots to talk about here… Spanish American War, Philippines, Cuba, Latin America, China, Japan…

What is vertical, interlocking, and horizontal integration?  Discuss the tycoons who used these methods to grow their businesses.  What were some of the major monopolies of the period?

Discuss the rise of trade unions and the leadership of the various unions.

This time period saw the final defeat of the Native Americans… discuss (be sure and include the role of the railroad in this defeat).

Civil War and Reconstruction... Post by midnight April 15

Keep in mind when posting that you must post one original response AND a response to a post by a classmate.
Compare/contrast President Jackson's response to the Nullification Crisis to President Lincoln's response to Southern succession.

Explain the significance of the battles of Antietam and Vicksburg. Which generals were involved and why were these battles seen as pivotal?

The period of Reconstruction was a time of major political upheaval in both the North and the South. Compare/contrast Presidential Reconstruction with Radical Republican Reconstruction (why was this plan considered "radical" and by whom?).

Explain the Black Codes, KKK, and other forms of resistance to racial equality during Reconstruction.

 Had you been present, would you have been a supporter of President Johnson's plan for Reconstruction, a moderate Republican, or a radical Republican? Why? (In your response you will need to discuss each of the plans in order to fully explain YOUR position.)

What role did each of the following play in the congressional assumption of control over Reconstruction: Black Codes, Southern election of former Confederates, President Johnson's personality and actions?

How did freedom affect the economic, social, and political life of former slaves? In what ways was their freedom still incomplete?

Some historians have argued that Reconstruction was a total failure, while others have seen it as laying the foundation for future American progress in race relations and civil rights. What arguments can be made for each position? Which is more persuasive?

Time Travel... Post by Midnight Monday, April 07

Keep in mind when posting that you must post one original response AND a response to a post by a classmate.

You are to blog as though you actually went back in time. You must keep to time periods we studied first semester only. Be specific, I will be looking for details. Have a little fun with this!

Thinking back on our first semester studies, if you could walk into B09 and be transported into one of the time periods we studied first semester for 48 hours, what time period would you visit? Why? 

Describe what you would see, smell, and hear. 

How would the people be dressed? 

Who would you most want to talk with and what would you ask the person(s)? 

Who are the political, economic and social leaders of the time? 

What are the most pressing issues facing the people?

Antebellum Period... Post by Midnight Saturday, March 29.

Keep in mind when posting that you must post one original response AND a response to a post by a classmate.

Compare the attitudes and practices regarding slavery and race relations in the North and the South.  How did the reliance on cotton production and slavery affect the South economically, socially, and morally, and how did this reliance affect its relations with the North?  What were the economic strength and weaknesses of the "Cotton Kingdom"?

What led to the rise of the spirit of "Manifest Destiny" in the 1840s, and how did that spirit show itself in the American expansionism of the decade?  How was the "Manifest Destiny" of the 1840s -- particularly the expansion into Texas and Mexico -- related to the sectional conflict over slavery?  What were the causes and consequences of the Mexican War?

Explain how the issue of slavery in the territories acquired from Mexico disrupted American politics from 1848-1850.  What was the effect of the morally powerful slavery debate on American political parties?  What caused the demise of the Whig Party, and the rise of the Free Soil and Republican parties?

How similar was the Compromise of 1850 to the Missouri Compromise of 1820?  Point out the major terms of each and how they both attempted to deal with the issue of slavery.  How did each sectional compromise affect the balance of power between North and South?  Why could sectional issues be compromised in 1820 and 1850, but not in 1854?

The Kansas-Nebraska Act re-ignited the slavery issue after the Compromise of 1850.  What were the causes of the Kansas-Nebraska Act?  Describe the Kansas-Nebraska Act and explain why it stirred the sectional controversy to new heights.  How and why might the Civil War have come even if Douglas's bill had not been enacted?

Why were proslavery southerners so eager to push for further expansion in Nicaragua, Cuba, and elsewhere in the 1850s?

What fundamentally motivated the new American engagement with China and Japan in the 1840s and 1850s?   What were the treaties negotiated by Caleb Cushing and Matthew Perry?

1820's and 1830's... post by midnight March 23, 2014

Keep in mind when posting that you must post one original response AND a response to a post by a classmate.

Identify the Market Revolution; how were trade and business encouraged within the borders of the US? Review developments in law, finance, internal improvements, and technology.

Explain how roads, canals, and steamboats contributed to the development of the interior regions of the US during the first half of the 1800s.

Identify the contenders for the presidency in 1824; describe who won and why. Evaluate the long-term effects of this election on American politics.

Describe the growth of political parties in the 1820s and 1830s, especially the Democratic Party and the Anti-Masons. What did each party want? Who were the leaders of each? Discuss what role political parties played in the increasing tensions of the period. What were the tensions of the period?

Andrew Jackson was called the "People's President." Discuss the accuracy of this assessment in terms of Jackson's personality, the struggle over the National Bank (how and why Jackson "killed" the bank), his policy toward Native Americans (include information on which Native American tribes were most successful in resisting white encroachment and which were not and the Marshall Court opinion), and his views and actions concerning the tariff.

What caused the Nullification Crisis of 1832? Give the rationale behind Calhoun's objections, describe Jackson's actions, and and explain what finally resulted.

Who was David Walker and how did his views differ from Nat Turner's actions. Why did the South fear these men, and what did southerners do about that fear? Discuss southern views on African Americans and slavery in the 1830s.

Describe the early settlement of Texas in the 1830s and explain why settlers came to desire freedom from Mexican control. Discuss how the Mexican government viewed the drive for Texas independence, and the methods they used to fight it. How was independence for Texas finally achieved?

Mr. Madison's War & his Presidency... Post by midnight March 15, 2014

Keep in mind when posting that you must post one original response AND a response to a post by a classmate.

What were the causes of the War of 1812?

Explain why the War of 1812 was so politically divisive and poorly fought by the U.S.  
Explain why Americans experienced more success on water than on land.  
What were the long-term results of Mr. Madison's War for the U.S. at home and abroad.

Why were some people, particularly in New England, opposed to the war?

In what way did the war signal a death knell for Federalism?

Why was the U.S. able to negotiate such favorable terms in the Transcontinental Treaty (also known as?)?

Examine the origins of the Monroe Doctrine and explain its real and symbolic significance for American foreign policy and for relations with the new Latin American republics.

Monroe's presidency became known as the "Era of Good Feelings" why? Why is this a misnomer?

What were the issues leading up to the Missouri Compromise (be sure and discuss sectional issues, emergence of sectional leaders, political divisions)?

Discuss the American System and its originator. Many of the ideas put forth in the American System had been bandied about for generations; what were the original roots?  

Discuss how John Marshall's Supreme Court promoted the spirit of nationalism through its rulings in favor of federal power.