Leading to the Civil War

Toms Cabin
Tom's Cabin was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Stowe opposed slavery and wrote a novel describing the reality
and brutality of slavery. This angered many people and it triggered the abolitionist cause even more.

Wilmont Proviso
The Wilmont Proviso was created to eliminate slavery in the lands in result of the Mexican War. This sparked
even more controversy over slavery especially in the South because they felt that the Proviso should have impacted
their property rights and it would mess up the previous balance between free states and slave states.

Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 admitted California as a free state and the trading of slaves was abolished in Wahington D.C. The
Fugitive Slave Act was revised during this compromise. It created tension and disagreements between
the Northern and Southern states because Northerners were told to be more aggressive with bringing back escaped slaves, which they were not fond of.

Kansas Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act is when Kansas and Nebraska were new lands
of settlement and it allowed the people to decide whether Kansas would be a 
slave state. It contributed to the start of the Civil War because it permitted 
slavery beyond the Southern states.

Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was created by Henry Clay and it regulated slavery. It prohibited slavery
in the Louisianna territory north of the parallel 36°30' north. It was soon appealed by the  Kansas Nebraska Act.

Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was and African American anti-slavery activist.

• "I didn't know I was a slave until I found out I couldn't do the things I wanted."

Frederick Douglass

This is saying that he did not know what being a slave was until he realized that being a slave meant he had to obey what other people wanted.

• "Without a struggle there can be no progress"

This quote is saying that if everything is handled to you and there is absolutely no stress during anything you are doing there cannot be any progress because to learn from something and to learn new things struggle is involved. Struggle is glorious when you have overcome it and you're progressing from the last step you took.

• "Its easier to build strong children than to repair broken man"

This is saying that its easier to mold children it a strong person rather than to repair a broken man because children haven't gone through all the experiences in life and its easier to guide them in life. With a broken man it is harder because they've seen the struggle and have been through the struggle. IT ll be harder to repair the man that has already witnessed life rather than children who haven seen anything yet.

• "To him, your celebration is a shame"

This quote is Frederick Douglass explaining that the celebration of the Fourth of July is a shame because for enslaved African Americans and himself they cannot celebrate it at all the way other people can. The reason for this is because the Constitution states every man is created equal, but he believes its a shame because enslaved African Americans are restricted from almost everything while white and free people aren't.

• "There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices"

This is saying that the United States is not a union with things like slavery because of the cruelty it brings with it. He believes that a nation is a place where all men and women are given equal rights no matter the skin color or race.

Current Events

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2464815-emanuel-ortega-argentinian-footballer-dies-at-age-21?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

Headline: 

Emanuel Ortega, Argentinian Footballer, Dies at Age 21

Topic: Argentinian soccer player dies from crashing into a concrete wall.

Summary: 

Emanuel Ortega

• Questions have arisen on the presence of the wall and why it is there.
• He suffered from a fractured skull and couldn't be saved.
• He was playing for San Martin de Burzaco and was from Argentina

Analysis:
My opinion on this is shocking and unbelievable. Although, the site did not provide much information on the case, it has me wondering what went on before Emanuel crashed into a concrete wall. When fighting during the duel was it unnecessary and fooling around or was it a serious fight? It just goes to show that people in general, not only athletes, should take the time to view the surroundings before something serious like an injury could result in it.

Abolitionist and Women's Movements

In the Frederick Douglass and the Seneca Falls speech, there was both similarities and differences. Some of the similarities were that they both wrote about equality and rights in the United States. Another similarity is that they felt the United States was a hypocrisy because of the rights that were limited on people. Both speeches used references of the Declaration of Independence. Some of the differences was that in the Frederick Douglass speech he wrote about how slaves felt on the Fourth of July. He wrote about how it is unfair for African Americans were basically excluded from being able to celebrate a holiday that is celebrated to honor people's freedom that slaves and himself cannot celebrate because of the rights they should have, but don't. He also wrote about how it isn't Christian to have slaves and the society will never be true Christian until slaves are abolished. In the Seneca Falls Speech, women wrote about the rights they do not, but should have. They believe that it is unfair to women that men have numerous amount of rights they do not. They used the reference of the Declaration of Independence where it explains how everyone is created equal to all the same rights, but women weren't allowed to do things that men were able to do, such as having a voice in laws and losing all their rights in property to their husband once they are married. Although Frederick Douglass believed the United States was a hypocrisy as did the Seneca Falls speech, he was by far more hopeful that things would change.

Current Events: The Chile Floods

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/05/americas/chile-floods/index.html

Headline: Chile Floods

Topic: Floods in Northern Chile that left 25 people dead.

Summary:

• 125 people are missing. 30,000 people have been affected.
• Spread many disease. Rabies and Hepatitis flu shots were sent to areas in Chile.
• Water and electricity are not working properly.
• Region of Atacama was hit the hardest. 

Analysis: It makes me very upset. Many environmental causes have a severe affect in developing countries. In Chile many people are left without homes and some even missing. It is upsetting that it will take a long period of time to recover from the disaster.

Transcendentalism

Henry David Thoreau

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Transcendentalism is  a religious movement where people had faith that they could be the best person they are if they stay true to themselves. The society was based on the goodness of people.


  Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American transcendentalist poet and philosopher. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Nobody can bring you peace, but yourself." Ralph was saying that you can only feel at peace or you can only be peaceful if you're own body and mind set is to be at peace. He was also saying that it is your choice to be at peace or not, its not anyone else's decision. Another quote by Ralph Emerson was, "The only way to have a friend is to be one." He was saying that people cannot ask for friends or expect someone to be their friend if they can't treat another person the same way.

Henry David Thoreau was also an American transcendentalist poet and philosopher. Henry Thoreau once said, "Its not what you look at that matters, its what you see."Henry was saying that anyone could look at an object, but it is the way you perceive it, meaning that anyone could look at something, but it is the way you decide to interpret it. He was also saying that people could be looking at the same thing and could have completely different feelings and meanings toward it. Another quote by Henry Thoreau was, "Things do not change we change." Henry was saying that nothing changes. Everything stays the same until you change yourself. Once you change yourself your mind and thoughts begin to change, not the thing itself.

Trail of Tears

In 1838 and 1839 Andrew Jackson forced the Cherokee nation, a Native American tribe, to give up their lands east of the Mississippi River and to move to what is now called Oklahoma. This was part of Andrew Jackson's Indian removal policy, which was a law that  authorized the President to take unsettled lands west of the Mississippi in exchange for lands that belonged to the Indians. The journey that the Native Americans took was known as "The Trail of Tears" because it took a lot of devastating effects on them, such as hunger and disease.

Trail of Tears

Black Hawk War

The Black Hawk War was a war in 1832. Sac and Fox Indians left their territory in Iowa to return to their lands in Illinois. White settlers grew angry and formed a militia. The militia could not find the Indians at first, but once they were found they engaged in a major conflict.

Second Seminole War

The Second Seminole War was a conflict in Florida between different groups of Native Americans, known as the Seminoles, and the United States. These conflicts in 1835 to 1842, became known as the Seminole Wars. The United States took possession of Florida and after a few years the Seminoles established a reservstion. The white settlers were trying to force the Indians out and move somewhere else. The Seminoles resisted and the white settlers got angry, which caused the conflict.

Native Americans on their journey

Does Gender Shape the Experiences of Slaves?

Gender in some cases shaped  the experience of a slave.In 12 Years A Slave, both women and men had different abilities and tasks that they were told to do on the plantation. Men were more likely to do more strenuous work because they were considered to be stronger than the women. Women were most likely assigned to do cotton picking, cleaning, and housework. On the plantation in the film, both men and women were assigned to pick cotton. At the end of each day, all the slaves were put in a barn so that the master could be informed of the amount of cotton each slave picked. There was a women on the plantation named, Patsey. Patsey picked more cotton than any other slave, including the men. Because of this, the master took pride in her and she was hardly ever beaten or yelled at. Whoever was considered to not have picked enough cotton was taken and whipped. The gender did not matter if the slaves were to be beaten or not. If the slaves are obedient and do whatever they are told, most likely their master would not whip them or beat them, unless they wanted to because they felt like it. Gender really only affected the slaves in the type of work they did but gender did not really matter for the forms of violence. It also really depended on the master because whatever he felt and whatever he wanted to do, he could do it. Gender in one particular case, which is the type of work a slave did, shaped the experience of a slave.

Master is taking pride in Patsey because of the amount of cotton she picked

Film Supports James R. Bradley's Letter

The film, 12 Years A Slave, supports James R. Bradley's letter of slaves desiring freedom, but kept it to themselves to avoid harsher treatment. In the film, Soloman meets another slave on a ship. On the ship the slave told Soloman that they should not tell the white people of their ability to read and write. The reason the slave told this to Soloman, was because reading and writing were considered to be a freedom especially for a slave, and if their master or overseer found out that their slave could read or write, all the chances of them being able to do that anymore was taken away from them. Once Soloman was informed about not saying anything about his ablilty to read or write, he became cautious of keeping things to himself because his rights could be taken away from him. In James R. Bradley's letter, he wrote about that many slaves including himself longed for freedom, but had to keep it for themselves because if they did not their masters would make them work harder and they could even get beaten. Soloman desired his freedom because he was a free man and he would tell his masters that and at times he would get beaten and yelled at because of it. On one of the plantations Soloman overhears a woman crying because of her separation with her kids. He then tells her that if she keeps crying she will get beaten because shes longing for something she cannot get back, which will only annoy the master. Therefore, the film supports James R. Bradley's letter of slaves desiring for freedom, but kept it to themselves to avoid harsh and cruel treatment.

Soloman tells his master that he cannot read or write because he was accused of writing a letter.

Violence in Slave Society

Violence during the time of slavery consisted of many forms of violence. The most common forms of violence towards slaves were whippings and hangings. Many slave owners thought of slaves as they were animals and if they did anything wrong or that they felt was inappropriate, they would either whip the slaves with many lashes or hang them. In the film, 12 Years a Slave, Soloman, had a master who was a kind-hearted, however it was the overseer of the plantation that disliked him. They both had gotten into a fight and Soloman started whipping the overseer. A few days later the overseer brought over some of his fellow friends and decided to hang Soloman. Fortunately, Soloman's master stopped all the trouble and the ropes were cut off. Soloman was sold to another master, which was cruel and whenever he lied or didn't pick enough cotton in a day, he would get whipped with at least 100 lashes because his master felt he didn't work hard enough. On one of the plantations Soloman worked for there was a women who would pick more cotton than any other person that worked on the field including the men. Because of this, the master took pride in her and never wanted to beat her. The master's feelings toward their slave could change in an instant. Violence all depended on the master and the behavior of the slaves. If the master was pleasant he most likely wasn't as cruel as masters that just have hatred toward slaves and therefore would beat his slaves whenever he felt like it. If slaves were "obedient" they were most likely less vulnerable to those who caused trouble and tried to revolt.

Soloman getting hanged by the overseer of the plantation