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.