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Zach and Ashley

ZachBenner — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:45:58 CDT

1st Negative:Zachary Benner
2nd Negative: Ashley Abreu :D

Resolved:

The United States federal government should substantially increase social services for persons living in poverty in the United States.

Topicality:

The United States-(noun)
A country of central and northwest North America with coastlines on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It includes the non-contiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii and various island territories in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
(American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth Edition 2000.)

Federal Government-(noun)
of or relating to the three branched government in a democracy the; this includes the Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary Branches
(American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth Edition 2000.)

Should- (modal verb)
1 used to indicate obligation, duty, or correctness.
2 used to indicate what is probable.
3 formal expressing the conditional mood.
4 used in a clause with ‘that’ after a main clause describing feelings.
5 used in a clause with ‘that’ expressing purpose.
6 (in the first person) expressing a polite request or acceptance.
7 (in the first person) expressing a conjecture or hope.
(The New Oxford American Dictionary,Second Edition, March 2005)

Substantially -(adverb)
1 to a great or significant extent.
2 for the most part; essentially.
(The New Oxford American Dictionary,Second Edition, March 2005)

Increase-
(verb) make or become greater in size, amount, or degree.
(noun) an instance or the action of increasing.
(The New Oxford American Dictionary,Second Edition, March 2005)

Social Service-(noun)
1 (social services) services provided by the state for the community, such as education and medical care.
2 activity aiming to promote the welfare of others.
(Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, 2009)

Person -(noun)
(pl. people or persons) a human being regarded as an individual.
(Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, 2009)

Living-(noun)
1 the action of leading one’s life; being alive.
2 an income sufficient to live on, or the means of earning it.
(adjective)
1 alive.
2 (of a language) still spoken and used.
3 for or related to daily life: living quarters.
(The New Oxford American Dictionary,Second Edition, March 2005)

Poverty-
(noun)1 the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions
(Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, 2009)
(noun)
1 the state of being extremely poor.
2 the state of being insufficient in amount.
(The New Oxford American Dictionary,Second Edition, March 2005)

The United States-(noun)
A country of central and northwest North America with coastlines on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It includes the non-contiguous states of Alaska and Hawaii and various island territories in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.
(American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language Fourth Edition 2000.)

10 Anticipated Plan Topics:

Events Review Timeline

GALarsen — Sun, 03 May 2009 22:44:33 CDT

1796:
1. Jay’s Treaty is settled. It does little to settle differences with England.
2. John Adams is elected president.
3. A split forms between Thomas Jefferson's and Alexander Hamilton's political parties, the Democratic Republicans and Federalists, respectively.

1797:
1. The XYZ Affair occurs, and becomes one of the first instances in which Americans became distrustful and cynical towards their
government.
2. Undeclared naval war is fought between the French and United States, in what is today known as Quasi Wars.
3. The Tripolitan-American war ends.

1798:
1. The Alien and Sedition Acts are implemented by the Federalists.
2. The Virginia and Kentucky Resolves are written by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. They establish the doctrine of nullification of federal laws by states.
3. The Naturalization Acts raise the requirement for citizenship from 5 to 14 years.

1799:
1.The Napoleonic Wars begin.
2. George Washington dies.
3. David Brown and Luther Baldwin are put on trial for sedition.

1800:
1.Thomas Jefferson is elected president, becoming the first time the presidency changes parties.
2. The Capitol moves to Washington, D.C. in a compromise between the North and South.
3. Gabriel Prosser attempts to start a slave revolt in Virginia, but is put down..

1801:
1.John Marshall becomes Supreme Court justice of the United States. He influences the United States judiciary
body through his decisions for years to follow.
2. The Judiciary Act increases the number of circuit courts.
3. Republicans take over House and Senate.

1802:
1. The Haitian Revolution occurs, resulting in an independent black nation.
2. Congress repeals the Judiciary Act.
3. Democrat-Republicans undermine the Alien and Sedition Acts.

1803:
1. Marbury v. Madison is deciding, establishing the process of judicial review. This shaped the structure of the judiciary system.
2. The House of Representatives impeaches District Judge John Pickering for being a Federalist.
3. Thomas Jefferson buys the Louisiana Territory from the French in the Louisiana Purchase.

1804:
1. The Louisiana Purchase is finalized, doubling the size of the United States.
2. Thomas Jefferson wins reelection.
3. Alexander Hamilton is killed by Aaron Burr in a duel.

1805:
1. Lewis and Clark finish their expedition of the new territory.
2. Zebulon Pike begins to explore the West.
3. The United States naval war with Tripoli ends.

1806:
1. Construction begins on the National Road.
2. The Non-Importation Act provided that Americans could not trade with anyone.
3. Pike's Expedition continues.

1807:
1. The steamboat begins to run commercially.
2. The Embargo Act bans American vessels from landing in foreign ports.
3. The HMS Leopard attacks the USS Chesapeake to search for deserters.

1808:
1. The importation of slaves is banned in the United States
2. James Madison wins the presidency.
3. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Baltimore is promoted to an archdiocese, with the founding of the dioceses of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Bardstown (now Louisville) by Pope Pius VII.

1809:
1. The Embargo Act of 1807 is repealed.
2. The Non-Intercourse Act allowed Americans to trade with all countries except France and Great Britain.
3. The Supreme Court rules federal government power is greater than that of any state.

1810:
1. Macon’s Bill No. 2 passed, lifting both embargoes on France and Britain and establishing a provision that if either nation's attacks on U.S. ships stopped, the U.S. would stop trading with the other.
2. Western Florida is annexed from Spain.
3. Fletcher v. Peck was the first case in which the Supreme Court deemed a law unconstitutional.

1811:
1. In the Battle of Tippecanoe, the forces of Native American leader Tecumseh are defeated.
2. James Madison embargoes trade with Great Britain.
3. A Louisiana slave revolt by Charles Deslondes occurs at German Coast.

1812:
1. The War of 1812 begins.
2. James Madison is reelected.
3. The U.S. passes its foreign aid bill, aimed to aid Venezuela earthquake victims.

1813:
1. Pride and Prejudice is published.
2. In the Battle of the Thames, Tecumseh is killed and his Native American coalition that sided with the British was effectively dissolved.
3. The Creek War begins.

1814:
1. The Treaty of Ghent ends War of 1812.
2. At the Hartford Convention, New England federalists who did not want continued war with Britain discuss secession and issue a statement..
3. The Battle of Horseshoe Bend decisively ends the Creek War.

1815:
1. The Battle of New Orleans is a massive American victory, despite the fact that the war had already ended several weeks prior.
2. The Library of Congress, which had been burned in the War of 1812, is reestablished with Jefferson's 6500 volumes.
3. The U.S. declares war on Algiers for taking US prisoners and demanding tribute.

1816:
1. The Second Bank of United States is chartered.
2. James Monroe elected president.
3. The American Colonization Society is founded to aid free blacks who wanted to live in Liberia.

1817:
1. Construction on the Erie Canal begins.
2. The New York Stock Exchange is established.
3. The second Bank of the United States opens.

1818:
1.The 49th Parallel set as border between U.S. and Canada.
2. General Andrew Jackson conquers St Marks Florida from Seminole Indians.
3. Illinois becomes 21st state USA (Admission day).

1819:
1. In McCulloch V. Maryland, the Supreme Court declares the Bank of the United States to be constitutional and further solidifies federal supremacy over the states.
2. The Adams-Onis Treaty with Spain formally gives Florida to the U.S. and sets the boundary line between its colonial territory and the American West.
3. The panic (which later becomes a depression) of 1819 begins, becoming the first major financial crisis faced by the U.S.

1820:
1. The Missouri Compromise is passed. It is aimed at keeping both the North and South satisfied while dealing with the issues of slavery in the territories and slave versus free representation in Congress.
2. The Land Act of 1820 made land in the West less expensive.
3. The notion of men and women living in separate social "spheres" becomes common.

1821:
1. Mexico gains its independence from Spain.
2. Gibbons v. Ogden: One of the first tests of the Constitution.
3. Stephen Austin leads a group of American settlers into Texas.

1822:
1. Denmark Vesey's planned slave revolt, which would have been the largest in history, is thwarted.
2. The U.S. government gives diplomatic recognition to several Latin American Republics.
3. Congress combines East & West Florida into Florida Territory.

1823:
1. The Monroe Doctrine is issued, warning European powers against interfering in the Americas.
2. The city of Lowell, Massachusetts is founded by Francis Cabot Lowell as a production center for textiles.
3. President Monroe appoints the first U.S. ambassadors to South America.

1824:
1. The election of 1824 ends in a result that had no clear majority, leaving the decision to the House.
2. In Sturges v. Crowninshield, the Supreme Court allowed Congress to establish bankruptcy laws.
3. Construction of canals in the Northeast begins.

1825:
1. The Utopian community New Harmony, Indiana, is founded. It has the country's first kindergarten, free public school and free public library in America.
2. John Quincy Adams is chosen by the House to become president.
3. Creek Indian treaty is signed. The tribal chiefs agree to turn over all their land in Georgia to the government and move west by September, 1826.

1826:
1. A flu epidemic hits parts of the US.
2. The American Temperance Society is founded.
3. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both die.
(they did not die from the flu epidemic, I apologize for the mix-up(if there was one))

1827:
1. The Maryland Democratic Party, the precursor of the Democratic Party, is formed.
2. The Cherokee adopt a written constitution.
3. The Freedom Journal, the first African-American paper, begins publishing.

1828:
1. The Tariff of Abominations was passed, further ostracizing and angering the South and the North.
2. John Calhoun publishes the South Carolina Exposition and Protest against the Tariff of Abominations, re-establishing the doctrine of nullification.
3. Jackson defeats Adams for presidency.

1829:
1. Joseph Smith forms The Church of the Latter Day Saints. They are also known as the Mormons.
2. Andrew Jackson is inaugurated as 7th president
3. Walker's Appeal, a radical antislavery pamphlet, published in Boston

1830:
1. The Indian Removal Act is passed, allowing the government to forcibly remove thousands of natives from their homes.
2. The Southern justification of slavery changes from a "necessary evil" to a "positive good."
3. The Webster-Hayne debate and Jackson-Calhoun toast show the divide within the government over the tariff and nullification.

1831:
1. Nat Turner's slave revolt occurs. It is suppressed, but it scares the Southern planter elite.
2. Charles Finney begins his religious revivals, which were an important part of the Second Great Awakening.
3. William Lloyd Garrison begins publishing his antislavery newspaper, The Liberator.

1832:
1. The Worcester V. Georgia decision states that the federal government has authority in dealing with Indian nations, not the states, a continuation of John Marshall's federal over state concept.
2. President Jackson vetoes the U.S. Bank charter
3. President Jackson is re-elected.

1833:
1. The Force Bill allowed sweeping measures to enforce the tariff that was the subject of the South Carolina nullification crisis.
2. Philadelphia establishes a small police force.
3. John Calhoun resigns as Vice President because of his split with Jackson over the nullification crisis.

1834:
1. The land that is now Oklahoma is set aside by the American government to be Indian Territory.
2. Race riots occur in Philadelphia.
3. The Whig Party is established.

1835:
1. There is an assassination attempt on Andrew Jackson. It is the first in American history.
2. The United States national debt is 0 for the first and only time.
3. The Treaty of New Echota is signed, ceding all the lands of the Cherokee east of the Mississippi River to the United States.

1836:
1.Texas declares independence.
2. The gag rule is established on the issue of slavery in Congress.
3. Jackson orders the Specie Circular, mandating that all payment for federal land be in hard coinage.

1837:
1. An economic Panic and Depression begin as an aftershock of Jackson's Presidency.
2. The Cherokee tribe begins to follow the Trail of Tears, escorted by the army.
3. Sarah Grimke writes "Letters on the Condition of Women and the Equality of the Sexes".

1838:
1. The Cherokee continue to be forcibly relocated on the Trail of Tears.
2. Tennessee enacts the first prohibition law in the United States
3. Iowa Territory forms.

1839:
1. The first state law permitting woman to own property is passed in Jackson, Mississippi.
2. A great fire occurs in NY.
3. The first anti-slavery political party in the U.S., the Liberty Party, convenes in NY.

1840:
1. The Washingtonian Temperance Society is Founded.
2. William Henry Harrison is elected president.
3. The Liberty Party participates in its first elections and has few gains.

1841:
1. William Henry Harrison is the first President to die in office, from pneumonia.
2. Transcendentalists found Hopedale and Brook Farm.
3. The U.S. Supreme Court rules that negroes are free in the case concerning the Amistad Incident.

1842:
1. The U.S. - Canada border east of the Rocky Mountains is established in the Webster-Ashburton Treaty.
2. The first U.S. wire suspension bridge for general traffic opens in Pennsylvania.
3. The first U.S. child labor law, which regulated working hours passed in Massachusetts.

1843:
1. The first Oregon Trail wagons set out.
2. Dorothea Dix publishes her report on treatment of the mentally insane.
3. Congress appropriates $30,000 "to test the practicability of establishing a system of electro-magnetic telegraphs" by the US

1844:
1.The first electrical telegram sent from Washington D.C to Baltimore, Maryland.
2. Anti-Catholic riots cause violence in Philidelphia.
3. The economy returns to normal at the end of financial panic and depression.

1845:
1. The term "Manifest Destiny" is first used in a publication claiming that westward expansion was divinely ordained.
2. Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass published.
3. President Tyler signs a resolution annexing the Republic of Texas

1846: Mexican War begins.

Mormon migration to the Great Basin begins.
US annex’s California.

1847: Mormon Migration to Utah begins, led by Brigham Young.

Frist issue of Fredrick Douglass's North Star published.
Jefferson Davis is elected to the US senate, his first political post.

1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo- gains land for US.

James Marshall finds gold in Sutter's Mill in Coloma, Calif
1st US women's rights convention (Seneca Falls NY)

1849: Gold Rush in California.

Territory of Minnesota organizes
Zachary Taylor sworn in as 12th president.

1850: Compromise of 1850- (Claims California as a free state, establishes popular sovereignty, Fugitive Slave Law

strengthened.)
Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter" published
Great fire in San Francisco.

1851: Fort Laramie Treaty
Women's rights convention in Akron Ohio

Gwin Land law causes confusion over land ownership in California.

1852: Commodore Matthew Perry opens Japan to US trade.
Brigham Young publicly unveils the Mormon doctrine of polygamy after the church secretly practiced it for a decade.
Franklin Pierce elected president.

1853: Gadsen Purchase- land bought from Mexico to increase land so Railroads could be expanded.

Washington territory is separated from Oregon territory.
First electric telegraph is sent.

1854: Kansas- Nebraska Act= Slavery in states determined by popular sovereignty.

Know-Nothing Party Founded
Republican Party Founded

1855: Walt Whitman publishes Leaves of Grass.

Massachusetts outlaws segregated public education, the first state in the country to do so.
Congress authorizes $30,000 for testing of camels in the military, results in the short-lived U.S. Camel Corps.

1856: The beating of Charles Sumner by Preston Brooks at United States Senate.

"Bleeding Kansas" violence erupts as abolitionist and pro-slavery settlers clash.
James Buchanan Elected President

1857: Dred Scott vs. Sanford

The pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution is passed in Kansas.
U.S. occupies Sand, Baker, Howland and Jarvis Is south of Hawaii

1858: Lincoln-Douglas Debates on extension of slavery into new territories.

1st commercial treaty between U.S. and Japan signed.
New York Symphony Orchestra performs for the first time.

1859: John Brown raids the Harpers Ferry Armory in Harper's Ferry, Virginia, in an unsuccessful bid to spark a general slave
rebellion.

Arkansas legislature requires free blacks to choose exile or slavery
Oregon admitted as 33rd state

1860:Abraham Lincoln is elected as the 16th president of the United States.

U.S. Secret Service created
Telegraph line between Los Angeles and San Francisco opens

1861: Confederate States of America form when Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida
secede.

The standoff at and shelling of Fort Sumter mark the beginning of the Civil War.
Following the Fort Sumter incident, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia secede.
The first U.S. income tax is passed to pay for the war effort.

1862:Battle of Antietam is fought. it was the bloodiest day in American history.

The CSA starts the first military draft in U.S. history.
Homestead Act passed, setting the stage for a massive movement west after the war..

1863: The Emancipation Proclamation is issued.

The Battle of Gettysburg becomes a major turning point in favor of the Union.
Riots occur in New York in response to the Union's new draft laws.

1864:General Sherman's "March to the Sea" (Also, the first fish and chip shop opened in London)

Lincoln re-elected to his second term.
Ulysses S. Grant appointed head of U.S. forces.

1865:The Civil War ends.
Lincoln is assasinated.
The Thirteenth Amendment is ratified, banning slavery.

1866: Tennessee becomes the first state to re-enter the Union

Ku Klux Klan forms.
Civil Rights Bill passes over President Andrew Johnson's veto

1867:Alaska is purchased, and the US takes control of Midway island.

The Grange movement begins.
The Reconstruction Acts establish several procedures for the organization of former Confederate states.

1868:14th amendment is ratified, granting citizenship to African Americans for the first time.

Andrew Johnson's impeachment trials occur.
Ulysses S. Grant elected president.

1869:Trans-Continental Railroad completed.
Knights of Labor founded.
University of South Carolina opens to all races

1870:15th amendment ratified, giving African Americans the right to vote
John D Rockefeller incorporates Standard Oil.
1st motion picture show to a theater audience(Philadelphia)

1871:University Test Act removes religious tests from several universities.

Ku Klux Klan Act passed, banning secret groups that denied others their rights.
Great Fire kills 200, destroys over 4miles (10 km) of Chicago buildings, and original Emancipation Proclamation

1872:Susan B. Anthony votes for the first time, and is arrested.
Ulysses S. Grant is re-elected.
Victoria Woodhull is the first women nominated for election as President of the U.S. (Disputed)

1873:US Congress enacts Comstock Law
A depression that will last until 1879 begins.
The corruption in national politics shows in the Credit Moblier Scandal.

1874:US gains exclusive trading rights with Hawaii
Supreme Court declares parts of the Force Acts unconstitutional.
1st U.S. zoo opens in Philadelphia

1875: Indian Inspector E.C. Watkins issues a report stating that hundreds of Sioux and Cheyenne associated with Sitting Bull and
Crazy Horse are hostile to the United States
The end of the use of greenbacks because of the Specie Resumption Act.
The discovery of gold in a Sioux reservation prompts a war between U.S. forces and the tribe.

1876:Battle of Little Bighorn is fought
Telephone invented.
Democratic party re-establishes control in the last former Confederate states which were controlled by the Republicans.

1877:Compromise of 1877 allows Hayes to be elected President
Reconstruction ends.
Rail workers strike all across the country, and are violently put down.

1878:Black Bart makes his last clean getaway. Any help on this one? Done.
Yellow Fever in Mississippi Valley.
Bland-Allison Act passed, basing some dollars off of silver instead of gold.

1879:Thomas Edison tests the first practical lightbulb.
The Knights of Labor becomes a public organization.
Progress and Poverty by Henry George drew attention to the divide between the rich and poor.

1880- Republican presidential candidate James Abram Garfield defeats Democratic candidate Winfield Scott Hancock with the
smallest popular vote in American history (about 2000 votes).
Construction on Panama Canal begins
1st commercial hydroelectric power planet begins, Grand Rapids, Michigan

1881- Tuskegee University founded with Dr. Booker T. Washington as president. Tuskegee University is the first major black
college in the south.
American Red Cross founded by Clara Barton
American Federation of Labor(AFL) founded.

1882- Chinese Exclusion Act is passed. Law passed by congress allowing the US to deny Chinese immigrants. The law was
passed in an attempt to prevent Chinese immigrants from assimilating into the American way of life.
Federal government restricts several other groups of immigrants under the Federal Immigration Law.
Edmunds Act adopted by U.S. to suppress polygamy in the territories

1883- Civil Rights Cases are decided by the US Supreme Court under Morrison Waite. The court decided that the Civil Rights Act
of 1875 was unconstitutional.

The Timezones that we know today were implemented.
Massive buffalo slaughter in the Midwest severely hurts Plains Indian morale.

1884- Democrat Grover Cleveland defeats Republican James Blaine, becoming the first Democratic president since Johnson.
Southern Farmer's Alliance forms.
Statue of Liberty presented to U.S. in Paris

1885- Jumbo the elephant of the PT Barnum circus was killed in train wreck.

The Home Insurance Building was built in Chicago, becoming the first skyscraper.
Salvation Army is organized.

1886- Haymarket Riot takes place in Haymarket Square in Chicago after bomb is thrown. The riot was the effect of police brutality and the murders of strikers. Prior to the riot taking place after unions decided to strike on May 1 for the eight hour workday and anarchists began meeting at Haymarket.

- Coca Cola is introduced for the first time.

-American Federation of Labor is formed when Samuel Gompers unites 26 craft unions.

1887- The first Groundhogs day is held in Pennsylvania. Believe it or not that is the most important event to happen in 1887.
but what about...
Dawes Severalty Act passed, carving up Indian reservations and giving small portions of them to individual Native
Americans.
The Interstate Commerce Commission is established to regulate railroad companies.

1888- US presidential election of 1888 also known as the election of the beards*. Republican Benjamin Harrison defeated
Democrat incumbent Grover Cleveland.

Great Blizzard of 88 hits the east coast causing millions of dollars in damage and killing hundreds.
Colored Farmer's Alliance founded.

1889- North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Washington are admitted as states by president Grover Cleveland.
Andrew Carnegie publishes "The Gospel of Wealth," his justification for the massive fortunes held by captains of
industry/robber-barons during the Gilded Age.
Jane Addams creates Hull House, a milestone in the settlement house movement.

1890- The greatest invention mankind has ever seen (corrugated cardboard) makes its debut.
Alfred Mahan publishes his plea for the U.S. to increase its naval power.

-Wounded Knee Massacre takes place at the Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota when the US 7th cavalry attempt to
escort the Lakota to the railroad. At days end hundreds of Lakota men, women, and children lay dead after being shot
by US soldiers. Many US soldiers are awarded Medal of Honors for their 'bravery'.
The Sherman Anti-Trust Act is past, marking the first antitrust legislation in U.S. history.

1891- Basketball was invented by Dr. James A. Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts.

-This year eventually went down in history as the most boring year American history has ever seen. Now, now, Zach.
You're forgetting 1880. Then again, that's pretty easy to do.
One of the first pieces of conservation legislation, the Forest Reserve Act, is passed.
Edison patents "transmission of signals electrically" (radio)

1892- Homestead Strike. After workers were locked out of the Carnegie Steel Company in Pittsburgh in an attempt to break the
union one of the greatest strikes/protests takes place. In order to suppress the strikers Pinkerton guards were called
in and become involved in a battle.
The People's (Populist) Party forms as an offshoot from the farmers' movement.
Grover Cleveland re-elected to presidency.

1893- The Panic of 1893 began after the stock market crashes. The ensuing depression was caused by poor railroad financing,
bank failures, and the use of gold and silver to back the US dollar.

US Supreme Court declares the tomato to be a vegetable, legally in one of the most important cases, Nix v. Hedden.
Frederick Jackson Turner presents his thesis that the Western frontier is now gone, and that American history was at a
turning point.

1894- Coxey's Army deploys for Washington, protesting the governments inaction during the country's worst depression to date.

The Pullman Strike begins when over three thousand Pullman Palace Car Company workers go on strike.
Enforcement Act repealed, making it easier to disenfranchise blacks

1895- The US Supreme Court hands down the In re Debs decision, the decision gives the government the right to regulate
interstate commerce.
U.S. v. E.C. Knight, a supreme court case that diminished government power over monopolies.
Cubans revolt against the Spanish government, which is covered by sensationalist journalists and later contributes to the
Spanish-American War.

1896- Plessy v. Ferguson decision establishes the basis separate but equal, which would stand until its repeal 58 years later in
Brown v. Board of Education.
The Populist and Democratic parties merge under William Jennings Bryan.
William McKinley is elected president in a hotly contested election.

1897- The first underground metro opens in Boston, Massachusetts.
The Klondike Gold Rush begins in Seattle, Washington after
prospectors find gold.
The depression that began in 1893 ends.

1898- The USS Maine explodes in near Havana, this event leads the US into...
The Spanish-American War is fought, resulting in the acquisition of Puerto Rico, Guam, and The Philippines.

Teller Amendment is passed, promising self-government for Cuba.

1899- The Philippine-American War begins after Emilio Aguinaldo declares war on the US for its refusal to recognize the Filipino
Revolution.
The U.S. begins to use its "Open Door" policy in its relations with China.
A peace treaty between the U.S. and Spain is ratified.

1900- The Gold Standard Act is passed, this act places the dollar on the gold standard.

-William McKinley is re-elected with new vice president Theodore Roosevelt in the 1900 presidential election.
The Boxer Rebellion strains U.S.-Chinese relations.

1901-Theodore Roosevelt became President of the United States after the death of William McKinley.
The Supreme Court Insular Cases result in the notion that Constitutional rights do not follow the U.S. flag (extend to its
territories).
Roosevelt delivers a speech to Congress suggesting that the powers of trusts ought to be limited.

1902-Electric Theatre, the first movie theater in the United States, opens in Los Angeles, California.
The Platt Amendment is passed, effectively reversing the Teller Amendment and establishing indirect control of Cuba.
Roosevelt negotiates the end of a coal strike by the United Mine Workers.

1903-The Wright Brothers' first successful flight.
Construction begins on the Panama Canal.
The Elkins Act increases the power of the ICC.

1904-For $10 million, the United States gained control of the Panama Canal Zone.
The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine is written.
Theodore Roosevelt is re-elected to the presidency.

1905-Einsteins Theory of Relativity was published.
The IWW is established.
Oklahoma admitted to statehood

1906-U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize negotiating peace in the Russo-Japanese War (1905).

The Pure Food and Drug Act and Meat Inspection Acts help regulate safety in food and medicine production.
The ICC is strengthened by the Hepburn Act, allowing it to fix rates.

1907-Panic of 1907.

Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory become Oklahoma, which is admitted as the 46th U.S. state.
A major American financial crisis is averted when J. P. Morgan, E. H. Harriman, James Stillman, Henry Clay Frick, and other Wall Street financiers create a $25,000,000 pool to invest in the shares on the plunging New York Stock Exchange, ending the bank panic of 1907.
The U.S. forms a "Gentleman's Agreement" with Japan.

1908-The Model T Ford created.

Japanese immigration to the U.S.A. is forbidden.
Henry Ford produces his first Model T automobile.
Muller V. Oregon upholds state laws regulated women's work hours. William Taft elected president.

1909-The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is founded, celebrating the 100th anniversary of
Abraham Lincoln's birth.

William Howard Taft succeeds Theodore Roosevelt as the 27th President of the United States.
The United States Army Signal Corp Division purchases the world's first military airplane. They buy the Wright Military Flyer from the Wright Brothers.
The "Great White Fleet" sails around in the world in a show of U.S. naval power.

1910-Boy Scouts of America founded.

In the United States, Republicans reduce the powers of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to influence committee membership.
A bomb explodes at the Los Angeles Times building, leaving 21 dead and several injured. James B. McNamara and Joseph J. McNamara are later arrested and sentenced.
W.E.B. Du Bois becomes editor of the joint Niagra Movement- NAACP journal. Mann-Elkins Act expands the ICC's power further, to encompass communications companies (telegraph, etc.)

1911-The United States Supreme Court declares Standard Oil to be an "unreasonable" monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act
and orders the company to be dissolved.

Following the resignation and death of William P. Frye, a compromise is reached to rotate the office of President pro
tempore of the United States Senate.
The Principles of Scientific Management by Frederick Taylor is published, changing the way Americans worked, especially
in factories.

1912 The United States Supreme Court declares Standard Oil to be an "unreasonable" monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act
and orders the company to be dissolved.
A meteorite explodes over the town of Holbrook in Navajo County, Arizona causing thousands of pieces of debris to rain
down on the town.

-Breakaway U.S. Republicans form the Progressive or Bull Moose Party, and nominate former President Theodore Roosevelt as their presidential candidate.

-The first minimum wage law is enacted in Massachusetts.
-Woodrow Wilson beats Taft, Roosevelt, and Debs and becomes president. Election of 1912 makes history when a third party candidate (Roosevelt) gets more votes than one of the major parties (Taft).

1913-The 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, authorizing the Federal government to impose and collect
income taxes.

-The Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution is passed, dictating the direct election of senators.

-The Ford Motor Company introduces the first moving assembly line, reducing chassis assembly time from 12½ hours in October to 2 hours, 40 minutes (although Ford is not the first to use an assembly line, his successful adoption of one sparks an era of mass production).

-The Federal Reserve is Established.

-Wilson helps pass the Underwood Tariff, greatly reducing rates on numerous goods.

1914-Beginning of WWI.

-New York Stock Exchange closed due to war in Europe, where nearly all stock exchanges were already closed.

-U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signs the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act (initially introduced by Francis Burton Harrison).

-Striking mine workers and some of their family members are massacred in Ludlow, Colorado.

-The Panama Canal is opened.

1915-The Birth of a Nation, directed by D.W. Griffith, premieres in Los Angeles, California.

-The United States occupation of Haiti begins.

-The Lusitania is sunk, prompting outrage in the U.S.

1916-United States v. Forty Barrels and Twenty Kegs of Coca-Cola.( Case inspired by Pure food and Drug act of 1906, over issue of cocaine in product.)

-Brushaber v. Union Pacific Railroad: The Supreme Court of the United States upholds the national income tax.

-In San Francisco, California, a bomb explodes on Market Street during a Preparedness Day parade, killing 10 injuring 40 (Warren Billings and Tom Mooney are later wrongly convicted of it).

-American forces under General "Black Jack" Pershing fight Pancho Villa's men in Mexico.

-Woodrow Wilson is re-elected.

1917-US enters WWI.

-United States ambassador to the United Kingdom, Walter H. Page, is shown the Zimmermann Telegram a document the British suggested was a German offer to give the American Southwest back to Mexico if Mexico declares war on the United States.

-The United States Senate adopts the cloture rule in order to limit filibusters.

-The Creel Committee is Established.

1918-WWI fighting ends.
-The Sedition Act is passed, banning speech critical of the government.
-Wilson outlines his foreign policy objectives in his Fourteen Points.

1919-Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, dies in his sleep at the age of 60.
-The Versailles Conference opens with the aim of negotiating a treaty to end WWI.
-The first Red Scare begins.
-The Eighteenth Amendment is passed, banning alcohol in the U.S.

1920-United States women given the right to vote.
A pair of Italian anarchists are arrested for reasons including their ethnicity and political affiliation.
Warren Harding elected president.

1921-The United States formally ends World War I, declaring a peace with Germany.
An economic depression begins, brought on by the end of the war.
Congress passes the first of several immigration acts that heavily restrict the number of people who could enter from
Europe.

1922: The United States Secretary of the Interior leases Teapot Dome oil reserves in Wyoming.
Fordney-McCumber Tariff begins to build trade protectionism in the U.S. tariff system.

1923: Calvin Coolidge becomes president after the death of Warren G. Harding.
The Walt Disney Company is formed. ...................................................................

1924:Calvin Coolidge signs the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 into law, granting citizenship to all Native
Americans born within the territorial limits of the United States.
The immigration quota system is officially established.
Coolidge is re-elected.

1925: John T. Scopes is indicted for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution.
Ku Klux Klan power reaches its peak, and would later decline due to internal problems.
F. Scott Fitzgerald publishes The Great Gatsby.

1926: Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket, at Auburn, Massachusetts.
Ernest Hemingway writes The Sun Also Rises.
Walt Disney Studios forms

1927: Charles Lindbergh makes the first solo non-stop trans-Atlantic flight, from New York to Paris.
Marcus Garvey, leader of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, is deported.
U.S. government doesn't sign league of Nations disarmament treaty

1928: The Kellogg-Briand Pact is signed in Paris (the first treaty to outlaw aggressive war).
Herbert Hoover elected to the presidency.
Alfred Hitchcock's 1st film, "Case Of Jonathan Drew," is released

1929: Wall Street Crash of 1929: Three multi-digit percentage drops wipe out more than $30 billion from the New York Stock
Exchange (10 times greater than the annual budget of the federal government).
Hoover sponsors a tax cut to try to prevent economic collapse.
.Dow Jones hits a record peak of 381.17 (obviously before it crashes)

1930: Great Depression: U.S. President Herbert Hoover goes before Congress and asks for a US$150 million public works program to help generate jobs and stimulate the economy.
1931: The Star-Spangled Banner is adopted as the United States National anthem
1932: The first of approximately 15,000 World War I veterans arrive in Washington, D.C. demanding the immediate payment of their military bonus, becoming known as the Bonus Army.
1933: The 20th Amendment to the United States Constitution goes into effect.
1934: Black Sunday: Twenty of the worst dust storms within the Dust Bowl occur.
1935: United States President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law.
1936: U.S. presidential election, 1936: Franklin D. Roosevelt is reelected to a second term in a landslide victory over Alf Landon. Farmers support Roosevelt.
1937: Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first feature-length animated cartoon with sound, opens and becomes a smash hit.
1938: Winston Churchill, in a broadcast address to the United States, condemns the Munich Agreement as a defeat and calls upon America and western Europe to prepare for armed resistance against Hitler.
1939: Albert Einstein writes President Franklin Roosevelt about developing the atomic bomb using uranium. This leads to the creation of the Manhattan Project.
1940: The first McDonald's restaurant was opened by brothers Dick and Mac McDonald in San Bernardino, California.
1941: The Japanese Navy launches a surprise attack on the United States fleet at Pearl Harbor, thus drawing the United States into World War II
1942: WWII: President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signs an executive order directing the internment of Japanese Americans and the seizure of their property.
1943- Tehran Conference. The U.S., Britain, and the Soviet Union agree on the plans for Operation Overlord (AKA D-Day). Also, there was a tentative agreement on the formation of the U.N.
1944- Operation Overlord goes into effect on D-Day. Marked the beginning of a massive campaign in France.
1945- Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Caused Japan to surrender, brought the U.S. into a new era.
1946- Atomic Energy Act. More or less paved the way for America's nuclear program from then on.
1947- Taft-Hartley Act. It gave American unions several painful setbacks, including outlawing closed shops.
1948- The U.S. supports the founding of Israel. War breaks out soon afterward in the Middle East, and the U.S. support of Israel, combined with its need for oil, would shape Middle East policy for decades.
1949- The U.S. is a founding member of NATO. It showed the establishment of a Western coalition against the Communists in the East.
1950- Joseph McCarthy's Wheeling, WV Speech. The speech became the first claim he made against supposed Communists in the government and the beginning in earnest of his efforts.
1951- The Invention of the Oral Contraceptive. Helped shape American attitudes towards sex for generations to come, and played a major part in the following decade's Sexual Revolution.
1952- The Successful Testing of the Hydrogen Bomb. It showed that nuclear weapons could be far more devastating than just the early models used on Japan, and would make the threat of nuclear exchange far more dire by increasing the potential damage.
1953- Eisenhower approves NSC 168/2. The document stated that nuclear weapons were to be maintained and the stockpile was to be expanded to deal with the Communist threat.
1954- Brown v. Board of Education. Gave government support to the campaign against school segregation, and helped fuel the Civil Rights Movement.
1955- The AFL and CIO merge. This consolidated the largest labor unions in the U.S. into one group, strengthening the movement.
1956- The Interstate Highway Act is passed. This act revolutionized the U.S. highway system, speeding both transport and commerce, as well as contributing to the car culture of the 1950s.
1957- Eisenhower authorizes the use of National Guard troops to integrate Little Rock schools. This set a precedent for the government in integration, as well as provided a defeat for Southern segregationists.
1958- NASA Forms. This showed U.S. committment to the space race, which it was sorely behind in, as an attempt to fight the Soviets through scientific progress rather than military or economic force.
1959- The Cuban Revolution ends. With a Communist government in power, many American officials became nervous of what the Soviets could do with the help of sympathetic Cuban officials.
1960- Students For a Democratic Society forms. This activist group became the first of many politically oriented student groups to form during the turbulent 1960s, and would be a powerful voice for liberal social change.
1961- The Bay of Pigs Invasion. Intensified Cuban-American and Soviet-American relations after it was revealed the CIA was behind it.
1962- The Cuban Missile Crisis. (sorry to go Cuba-heavy, but it WAS important) It was the closest the U.S. and the Soviets ever got to a nuclear exchange. Resulted in the end of the threat of nuclear launch from Cuba.
1963- Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Greatly limited the conditions in which both the U.S. and U.S.S.R. could test nuclear weapons, literally sending them underground.
1964 - Gulf of Tonkin Incident/Resolution
1965 - Voting Rights Act
1966 - "Miranda rights" created
1967 - 25th Amendment passed
1968 - Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated
1969 - Neil Armstrong lands on the moon
1970 - U.S & South Vietnam invade Cambodia
1971 - Pentagon Papers published
1972 - Watergate scandal
1973 - First U.S space station launched
1974 - Richard Nixon resigns
1975 - Vietnam ends
1976 - U.S. completes withdrawal of Air Forces bases from Thailand
1977 - Department of Energy formed
1978 - Personal Computer
1979 - American hostages held in Iran - (Iraqi Revolution)
1980 - United States severs diplomatic relations with Iran
1981 - Economic Recovery Tax Act
1982 - United States - Libya Oil Embargo
1983 - "Star Wars" plan
1984 - President Ronald Reagan re-elected
1985 - Reagan and Gorbachev meet in Geneva
1986 - Iran-Contra affair
1987- Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, major point in U.S. Soviet relations.
Aretha Franklin 1st female inducted nto rock and roll hall of fame
Strict no-smoking policies in federal buildings
1988-Reagan re-elected, continuing conservatism policies
Harvard makes genetically engineered mouse
Supreme Court rules make it illegal for clubs to discrminate against women
1989- Berlin Wall falls, end of Soviets and their influence on policy which was the basis of American foreign policy for the last thirty years
Soviets promise to rid of chemical stockpile
Soviets also announce a manned mission to Mars program in two years
1990-Hubble Space Telescope is launched, next major astronomical step
Exxon corp is indicated in criminal court
Gorbachev made president of the "Soviet Congress"
1991- Gulf War starts, creating a divode between America and the Middle East
Joni Mitchell inducted in Canadian Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Bush (sr.) falls ill and is hospitalized
1992- Race Riots in L.A, after the not guilty verdict of King's beatings.
Bush addresses Australian Parliament (first pres. to do so)
Jeffrey Dahmer pleads guily with insanity defense
1993-NAFTA makes absolute free trade between the U.S Canada, and Mexico, creating good markets there
Cigarette advertisements banned in NYC Transportation Authority
General Colin Powell retires
1994-Proposition 187 in California, hampering illegal aliens rights
Lion King is released
O.J Simpson charged with murder
1995- Balkan Crisis, troops sent to keep peace in the area
Selena was murdered
Blind boy recieves bionic eye
1996-Bill Clinton re-elected, keeping liberal agenda in America
Bob Dole resigns from Senate to run for presidency
Howard Stern's radio show gets played nationally
1997-Major tobacco settlement, the gov't defeating the tobacco industry
Toni Blair is made U.K's prime minister
Betty Shabazz (malcolm X's widow) is set aflame by her 12-year old grandson
1998-Clinton impeached by the House of Representatives, due to them not liking his policies
Bill Gates gets pie thrown in his face
Supreme Court says attorney-client priveledge is extended to the grave
1999-Senate didnt impeach Clinton, sided with him
Senate tries Clinton because he lied under oath in the lewinsky case
Columbine incident happens
2000- Bush wins presidency, major win by conservatives and republicans
Y2K is a joke, nothing happens
USS Cole is bombed, killing 17 sailors
2001- World Trade Centers are destroyed, starts "War on Terror"
American Airlines crashes, killing 252

--Enron files for bankruptcy in December becoming the largest company to declare bankruptcy ever.
2002- Enron corporation dissolves, one of the largest bussinesses pleads to fraud
Bush makes "axis of evil" speech, demeaning such countries as North Korea
Euro becomes official currency of nost of Europe
2003- Invasion of Iraq, due to Hussein's ties with Al Quaeda

-Bush declares "Mission Accomplished" aboard USS Abraham Lincoln in May, of course as we all know combat and deaths had yet reached their peak.

-NASA space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry, all on board are killed.
2004- First gay marriage legally recognized, a step for all individuals
-Bush gets re-elected
Intelligence reform and Terrorism Act passed, reorganizing intel agencies
2005-Hurricane Katrina hits the U.S, killing more than 2,000 people
Supreme Court rules that the death penalty does not apply for people under 18
Watergate "Deep Throat" is revealed to be W. Mark Filt, a former F.B.I agent
2006-Avian Flu Virus becomes epidemic and U.S recognizes the threat

-Dick Cheney "accidently" shoots his "friend" in the face during a hunting trip.

-The Great American Boycott by people of Latin American origin takes place.
2007-DOW goes over 13,000, a sign the economy is doing great.

-DOW reaches 14,000 only to fall miserably.
Nancy Pelosi is made the speaker of the House
2008- Obama gets elected president, major step for African-Americans

-DOW starts the year below 13,000 after months of growth followed by a drop.
Fidel Castro resigns as President of Cuba

1980's Forum Jambaroo

joelhead — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 14:19:45 CDT

Politics of Conservatism

Definition of conservatism-
Modern conservatism has been deeply rooted in the Republican Party since the election with Barry Goldwater running on the Republican ticket, advocating his conservative views. Conservatism in itself is a political ideology in which political policies are to be carried out as they have been doing since the founding, and have strong values in faith and family. Specifically to Americans, it deals with a belief in a small federal government, little intervention in businesses, and supply-side economics. Modern conservatism tried to embrace these values and bring in new core ones, starting with the Reagan administration after the election of 1980. Reagan highly emphasized supply-side economics, which is based on giving tax cuts to the wealthy, and the wealth will “trickle down” to the lower classes, which was now anointed “Reaganomics.” Also the modern conservatives began to have a more aggressive foreign policy. With Reagan, and also later with Bush, they tried to fight against communism by making democracy seem more appealing, which was another republican ideology. Also modern conservatism was firmly rooted in the faith of God, and such laws that were written in holy texts. These written texts speak against homosexuality and abortion. As America became more diverse in these times, so was the religious fundamentalism in which conservatives believed in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservatism_in_the_United_States#Types_of_conservatism
The American People (our textbook)

Definition of conservatism Bias-
Honestly, I detect no bias in this statement, for it states the facts of modern conservatism in an analytical perspective.

Shift to Fiscal Conservatism-
The new Republican era can be defined as a shift to fiscal conservatism. Fiscal in itself means the spending of the government money to influence the economy. Fiscal conservatism is defined as the reduction of government spending and the balancing of the budget. Also, free trade and deregulation of businesses are common policies. Fiscal conservatism was not only a movement in the U.S, but one encompassing around the globe, especially the Conservative Party in England. Some policies, conservatives had to cut back on. Cutting back on fiscal policy was important to stop the growth of the debt the American government was in. Income tax rates were reduced and went very low, from 70% to 28% in seven years. Government was downsized due to their belief in quotes such as “the best government is the one that governs least.” Business regulations were decreased, because conservatives believed that it hampered competition and the growth of the private enterprise. With these new policies, the conservatives were able to help some issues. First, with the deregulation of business, it helped create more jobs, which in turn lowered the percentage of the unemployed. With more employment, coupled with the free reigning businesses and tax reductions, inflation started to become under control.
Shift to Fiscal Conservatism Bias-
This essay has some information that can lead you to infer that it was written by a liberal-minded person. The words “conservatives had to cut back on,” agree with this statement. Also conservatives only helped “some issues,” is another bias a liberal would make.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiscal_Conservatism
http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id367.htm

Ending of Social Reform-
The start of the modern conservative era also brought the end of social reform. After the major social movements of the 60’s and 70’s, the modern conservative era starting in the 80’s really brought things to a “low simmer”. With the conservative attacks on the welfare state, they vouched to end it due to it being damaging to the middle class. The Supreme Court ruled in favor affirmative action and allowed a few exemptions from desegregation in an Atlanta suburb in Freeman v. Pitts. They courts also restricted the liberties of free speech. This ending of reform, created a surge of energy from African-Americans. The reverend, Jesse Jackson, ran for the presidential nomination in both 1984 and 1988, but fell short of his goal both times. He had the support of over 400 delegates in 1984, and over twelve hundred in 1988. Also, the African-American people were ready to fight. When the tension between the black Americans and the police escalated after the beating of a motorcyclist Rodney King, a riot broke out in Los Angeles, which led to the death of over fifty people. Similar riots broke out around the country. “Racial injustice, social inequality, and poverty,” were prevalent in the modern conservative era.

Ending of Social Reform Bias-
This essay shows a lot of bias, that the conservative era in politics was a big frock. Nothing got accomplished, especially on a political scale. The last jab for some sort of political freedom in the 80’s, were African-Americans seeking truly social equal rights. Though, they fell short of their goals, for the reverend Jesse Jackson didn’t receive the nomination. This is totally from a liberal point of view.

The Elections: Why people voted Conservative-During the 1980s and even into the very early 90s, support of Conservatism grew to unimaginable heights. But, during this period known for Conservative values and politicians did US voters go with what they believed in or did they vote against what they were mad at.
In the 1980 presidential election, with Carter as incumbent and Reagan as challenger, the focus was on the failures of the Democrats financially and militarily. Americans were beginning to feel that President Carter and other Democrats weren't strong enough militarily or economically. Carter's dealings with foreign countries caused the start of a recession, rising gas prices, a hostage crisis, and higher interest rates; and Ronald Reagan and the Conservatives used this to their advantage.
The seeds of Conservatism were planted during the second presidential debate in October, it pitted a dismal President Carter against a positive and charismatic Reagan. Voters and analysts viewed this as a win for Conservative America, though they weren't necessarily better, they were just more appealing due to the fact that they were new and weren't the ones who put citizens into the position they were in at the time.
Of course, their 1984 and 1988 presidential election wins weren't just because of a distrust in big government, the failures of others, bitter attitudes, and the shortcomings of Democrats. They won due to the popularity and optimistic feelings that Reagan conveyed. Sure, the economy wasn't fixed, the government wasn't accepting of all people, and the Soviet Union was still a major threat to Americas well being, but people were mostly happy and felt better because their president was just so damn cute and conservative. The popularity of Ronald Reagan, known as the Reagan Revolution, lead to conservative wins in many elections and even helped get George H. W. Bush elected in 1988.
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservatism_in_the_United_States -Witness to America: An Illustrated Documentary History of the United States from the Revolution to Today by Stephen Ambrose & Douglas Brinkley -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1980 -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1984
The Elections: Why people voted Conservative-BIAS This essay conveys a very biased view on the 1980s elections in which Conservatives gained much of their power. Assumptions and inferences are made about why some people voted for conservative politicians. On the other hand though the statements about presumed failures of the Democrats were widely accepted and believed by many. A reader of this might also presume that the United States was split between Conservatives and Liberals ideals, but truly it was no different then other times in history with other political divides. Also, it leads people to believe that all Conservatives are Republicans and all Republicans are Conservatives, which is not necessarily true.
Military Expenditures- From 1981 to 1992 the United States underwent drastic changes, especially in the areas of military policies and and spending. After years of antiwar feelings and attempts at diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union the new president, Ronald Reagan, took the country in an entirely different way. Reagan's conservative ideals and policies led to a military buildup, which increased defense spending by forty percent. This increase in spending was Reagan's way of defeating Communism by outspending and out producing the Soviets in every way possible with new age top of the line weaponry. One high cost program that Ronald Reagan initiated during his presidency was the Strategic Defense Initiative; the program dubbed Star Wars by critics and supporters alike was meant to protect the US from nuclear attack with laser beams on satellites and had a whopping 100 billion dollars spent on it. It was spending like this that frightened American enemies abroad, especially the Soviet Union who felt that any country whose president would speak so openly about it and put so much funding into it, had to be real. Defense spending reached unheard of heights during the conservative presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. During the 80s, when conservatism was at its peak in popularity, trillions of dollars were spent to build a stronger, bigger military despite the fact America faced an enormous deficit.
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1957.html http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2004/040609-reagan-military.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative
Military Expenditures-BIAS
The writer of this seems to feel that the expenditures of the government during the 1980s were ridiculous and from their views, clearly were born after the end of the Cold War due to the fact that don't seem to view the Soviet Union as having been much of a threat. But, for the most part the article doesn't seem to be overly critical of the spending and for the most part it states facts, figures, and accepted views of the time.
Conservatives Change Foreign Policies- The foreign policies of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush were heavily influenced by the conservatives views they held. Reagan's policies became known as peace through strength while Bush's at first nearly mirrored that of Reagan. During this busy decade the United States foreign policy was, of course, consumed with dealing with the Soviet Union and its fall. The foreign policy goals of the Reagan administrations were made clear in the Reagan Doctrine, which stated that the United States military and government would provide overt and covert aid to movements that faced a Communist threat. The plan was to roll back the Communist influence, which differed greatly from the ideas of containment that was used by previous presidents. It was during this time that Cold War policies were the boldest, Reagan was fully willing to confront the USSR and boldly built up the military to unheard of heights. Once again Reagan's charisma became a powerful political tool, he recognized that diplomacy was now a way in ending the communist threat to America. The policies of Reagan and the new premier Gorbachev led to the weak Soviet Union that would eventually fall after Bush and Gorby became best buddies. Within the twelve years of 80s conservatism under Reagan and Bush, the US was involved with many foreign affairs. American forces and aid were sent to countries all over the world, most notably in Iraq during the Persian Gulf War during the presidency of Bush. Grenada because of the overthrow of their prime minister and to rid them of Cuban Communist influence, Nicaragua to support anti-Sandinistas with the CIA, Panama, and the Middle East by supporting the Mujahideen, Iraq, Kuwait, and Iran all at separate times.
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1957.html http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2004/040609-reagan-military.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_policy_of_the_Reagan_administration#cite_note-2
Conservatives Change Foreign Policies- This article has surprisingly little bias, the only small point that may be considered bias by some would be the declaration that George Bush merely copied the policies of Reagan at first. Of course, the article is not free of a few satirical points about the leaders of the 1980s. Other than that it just states a few of the more prominent foreign affairs and events that took place during this time.

-Conservative Governmental Changes (the War on Drugs was too limiting)
The conservatives of the 1980s sought to create what they called a smaller federal government. Reagan adhered to the Conservative doctrine of New Federalism, shifting programs from the federal government to state governments. He also decreased the regulatory power of some federal agencies, like the FAA. He appointed James G. Watt secretary of the interior, whose policies allowed the economic development of previously preserved land. Watt cited what he believed to be the nearness of the Second Coming of Christ in Christian scripture as justification for this shift. Reagan also cut funding to the EPA and OSHA. The efforts made during this time were often direct reversals of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs. Medicare and welfare benefits decreased under the orders of Conservative officials. The role of the first lady also grew somewhat. Nancy Reagan toured the country in support of the "Just Say No" campaign. It began as an extension of the War on Drugs, coupled with the increased penalties for drug offenders, which encouraged the nation's youth to avoid drugs by repeating a buzzword and using celebrity endorsement. It gradually extended to include various other perceived societal ills like premarital sex.

Bias- The writer seems to be slightly ridiculing the changes made by the Reagan Administration. He/she seems to maintain a relatively descriptive view for some of the passage, straying from it to make jabs at the programs and officials of the time. It is clear that he/she was opposed to the means of the War on Drugs and the environmental policies of the time.

-Religion
A fundamentalist Christian revival helped fuel the Conservative movement in the 1980s. New, charismatic Evangelical preachers used innovative media tactics. They were often termed "televangelists" due to their extensive use of newly-developing cable television technologies. The theology they embraced was one of selective literalism; that is, ministers selectively ignored some passages and picked others from the Bible and used them to claim to interpret God's will on modern social issues using them. Evoking revivalist preachers like those of the Second Great Awakening with their energetic sermons, they used their message to appeal to the emotions of millions of Americans.
The Evangelical movement held political power as well. Forming coalitions like the Moral Majority, they examined politicians' records with "litmus tests" to determine whether to support them or not. They were primarily concerned with what they perceived to be social ills. Pet causes within the movement frequently included opposition to drug use, abortion, and feminism, as well as support for instituting school prayer and tougher crime laws. Touting themselves as following "traditional family values," they advocated a return to an idealized version of the past, which they claimed the country had strayed from. Since the new conservatives of the 1980s also ran on "family values," it's unsurprising to note that they ended up garnering most of the movement's support. The Republican Party found a strong block of support in the Evangelical movement, which it could rely upon as long as it continued its social policies that favor fundamentalist religious beliefs. To this day, religious conservatives remain a highly reliable group for the Republicans.

Bias- The writer of this passage seems to disapprove of the fundamentalist revival of the 1980s. His/her explanation of televangelists' theology seems to be implying that they were twisting the message of the Bible to meet their own ends. When he/she mentions "family values," he/she seems to be claiming that the vision of the past the Evangelicals advocate a return to is inaccurate.

-Democratic Response
While the Republicans held the Presidency, the Democrats controlled the House for all of the 1980s and the Senate for the second half of the decade. Reagan, a former New Deal Democrat, set out to reverse social policies and economic policy set by liberal presidents like those found in Lyndon Johnson's Great Society program. When the Democratic majority in the House was weakened in the early 80's, the Democrats took desperate measures to try to regain power. Speaker of the House Thomas O'Neill decided to support Reaganomics, with his belief that when put into action, the consequences would be devastating for the country, and that the resulting backlash would be favorable to restoring the Democrats' power in Congress. Despite their weakness during the early 80's, determined congressional liberals were able to protect what they considered the government's role to give social aid to the less fortunate in society. Social Security, Medicare, and other aid programs remained intact, though weakened, throughout and after the Reagan Administration. The legacy of the New Deal and the Great Society, although support for them waned during the 1980s, was kept alive through the intervention of Democratic Congressmen.

Bias- The writer seems to think the social welfare programs of the Great Society are beneficial to American Society. He/she seems somewhat critical of officials knowingly helping to create national problems to garner political support, as shown by his criticism of O'Neill's plan to strengthen Democratic support. It seems like he/she doesn't quite support either side in the end, since he/she shows disdain for both.

Effectiveness of Conservative Policies
Conservative policies somewhat effective in meeting their goals. Reagan's policies partially contributed to, but did not entirely cause, the end of the Cold War. The INF and START treaties did make Americans safer from the threat of nuclear war. However, the Soviet Union collapsed not only because of international pressure, but because of domestic turmoil unleashed by the election of the progressive Mikhail Gorbachev and his policies. Economically, Conservative policies did not properly address the financial problems the nation faced at the time, and may have in fact made them worse. Although Reaganomics did provide a temporary boost, the deregulation it entailed made this progress unstable. New Federalism, the process of moving programs from the federal to state level, resulted in many states and towns coming close to bankruptcy, rather than prospering. In a final display of failure, the nation collapsed back into recession in the early 1990s. In terms of social policy, the conservatives were only partially effective in meeting their goals. Roe v. Wade was limited, but not overturned by the decade's end. Social programs were cut, but it is important to note that social welfare spending increased $220 billion between 1980 and 1988. Affirmative Action was weakened by 1980s conservative policies, as they had desired.

Bias- The writer has a liberal bias. He/she claims that conservative policies drove the country back into recession by creating unstable growth. They also claim that Mikhail Gorbachev's policies did more to end the Soviet Union than Ronald Reagan's did.
(for the previous four)
our text.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_G._Watt
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_Say_No
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_leaders_of_the_United_States_Senate
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_O%27Neill
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Soviet_Union_(1985-1991)
http://www.nytimes.com/books/01/03/11/reviews/010311.11cuomot.html

Culture and Demographics

Demographics

Family Trends

In 1981, there were 91 million households in the United States. 72% of these were family households, though only 57% of households were inhabited by a married couple. By 1897, there were 2.3 million couples living together without being married. In 1981 there were 2,422,000 marriages and 1,213,000 divorces, setting a record in both cases. By 1985 the marriage rate had risen 3% while the divorce rate had fallen 5%, though in 1985, 21% of all married adults had been married twice or more. In the South, 36% of brides were teenagers, compared to 18% in the north, and 75% of marriages took place in a religious setting.
There were 3,756,000 babies born in 1986. This showed a continuing decline in the birth rate following the baby boom. However, in 1984, there were 1.5 million abortions, 80% of which were for unwed mothers. Of the unwed mothers in the United States, the majority were black, with 70% of unwed mothers between 30-49 being African American. The number of single Hispanic mothers dropped from 24% in 1980 to 1.9% by the end of the decade. In 1987, a year where there were 63,542,000 children under the age of 18 in the United States, 42% of white children and 86% of black children lived with a single parent.

Money-

In 1987, the median family income was $30,853, triple the median from 1970, though if you adjusted for inflation it was only a 7% increase. 23% of Americans made over $50,000, 20% made between $35-50,000, and 17.5% made between $25-35,000. However, 4.4% made under $5,000, while 7.3% made between $5-10,000. A family making $86,000 found itself in the highest 5% of the population. The median family income for whites in 1987 was $32,274 and for blacks was $18,098, just over half that of the white median. In 1985, 14% of the American people (about 33 million) lived below the poverty line ($10,989 for a family of four.) Two-thirds of them were white. The majority lived in rural areas. Luckily for individuals, less than 3% were poor for 8 or more years. In 1985, over 60% of Americans received an hourly wage as opposed to a salary, with the median for men at $7.45 and for woman was $5.26. Half of a percent of Americans made over 280,000 a year, 30% of them in banking, real estate or insurance. 18 million Americans(20% of the workforce) were employed by the government, 2.9 of them for the federal government. The postal service alone employed 750,000 people.

Work Trends

In 1987, 121 million Americans were either working or searching for a job. This was approximately 76% of the men and 56% of the women in the country. In 1985, the unemployment was at 6.1%, and the largest group looking for work was black teenagers. There were 2 million soldiers on active duty and over 1 million civilians employed by the military. 10% of the armed forces were female. Despite the number of Americans in the workforce, only 17 million Americans were in unions by 1985, down from 21 million in 1980. In the US Senate, there were 2 woman, but no blacks. In the House, there were approximately 20 of both, a House that had 251 lawyers in a group of 434 people. Job satisfaction in the United States was up to 88%, but only 40% expected to maintain their jobs for more than five years, but they did not believe finding a new job would be difficult. The top five employers were General Motors, Sears, IBM, Ford Motor Company, and AT&T. Of these companies, one has shrunk(IBM), two are quickly folding in our current financial crisis(GM and Ford) and one has outsourced many of its jobs(AT&T). Not a very good track record. Over 50% of Americans were in white collar jobs,28% were in blue collar jobs, 13% had service jobs, 4% were in agriculture and 8% were self-employed.

Bilbliography:
http://eightiesclub.tripod.com/id44.htm
http://kclibrary.lonestar.edu/decade80.html

Bias Analysis:

Family:

There is no bias unless you look at the concentration on the statistics of broken families, showing the author of the essay is concerned with these issues.

Work:

This essay is blatantly against not only big business, but against outsourcing and possibly globalization due to his attack on the big businesses of the 80's.

Money:

The author shows his support for the alleviation of poverty due to the positive view he has on the fact that most of the individuals below the poverty line rose back up in a few years.

Economics

-Reaganomics
-Recession
-International Monetary Fund
-Tax Reform of 1986 (Leslie & the Whale)
-Black Monday (Leslie& the Whale)
-S&L Bailout
-Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981
-Trade Deficit

Reaganomics
Reaganomics was President Reagans attempt at trying to better the deteriorating American economy. even since the late 70s and early 80s, Americas economy had suffered from rising inflation and a rising unemployment rate. To attempt to control this and keep the American economy going, Reagan proposed Reaganomics. The basic four steps of this were to reduce government spending, reduce income and capital gain tax rates, reduce government regulation of the economy, and to control the money supply to reduce inflation. Reagan took this approach to try and cut down on domestic spending. this was a very different tactic than the previous presidents in an attempt to control the countrys economy. two main ideas of Reaganomics came from Reagan's campaign promises. These were to lower taxes and have a smaller government, like what Thomas Jefferson had hoped for. Reagan reduced income tax rates, with the largest tax cuts on the highest incomes. this would have an almost trickle down effect. benefiting the rich or wealthier would cause them to spend more, and this in turn would trickle down into the middle, then lower class. However, in a time of roller coaster inflation, this would inevitably raise deficit spending to its highest level since World War II. As a result, many debates on the issue of whether or not on these economic schemes actually worked, and if they came from the free market. on the other hand, successful results would have been more job opportunities, lower taxes (which actually resulted in higher government revenue), greater production of goods, and greater prosperity.

Recession
The recession of the early 1980s was the worst economic recession since the Great Depression up until that time period. It began in July 1981 and ended in November 1982. The main cause of the recession was a monetary policy that contradicted rules and regulations established by the Federal Reserve System to control high inflation. The recession was the most severe and had the most significant impact in terms of economic policy of the post-World War II recessions. In 1979 the economy was growing but at a slow rate; about $30,000,000,000 per quarter. Then in the latter half of 1980 the GDP tumbled about $5,000,000,000 and then fell again another $9,000,000,000. this tumbling of GDP continued up until 1982. banks were failing left and right, much like the Great Depression and even today. The FDIC (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation) spent about $870 million to purchase bad loans in an effort to keep various banks afloat, which just ended in more banks failing. Also the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s was another contribution to the recession during this time. This was the failure of 747 savings and loan associations (thrifts and bonds) in the United States. The total cost of this crisis is around $160.1 billion, about $124.6 billion of which was directly paid for by the U.S. government. Or, more accurately U.S. taxpayer giving the government money to pay these off. This would actually lead to the large budget deficits of the 1990s.

International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international organization that oversees the global financial system by following the policies of the countries involved, but more specifically on exchange rates and the balance of payments. It was an organization that was formed to solidify international exchange rates and smooth the progress of development in countries as well as between countries. The IMF is an international lender as a last resort. Its headquarters are located in Washington, D.C., USA. Countries contribute to a pool of money which can be borrowed from, with intentions of paying the pool back. The IMFs success is often seem as limited. It was created to help stabilize the global economy, but ever since 1980 critics claim over 100 of the IMFs members have witnessed a banking collapse that they claim have reduced GDP by four percent or more, all due to the IMF. The IMF works in three main ways. One way is surveillance of a countries economy that involves the monitoring of economic and financial developments. the IMF also provides policy use advice, which is aimed especially at crisis prevention. The IMF also lends to countries that have payback difficulties, and tries to provide temporary financial aid and support that is aimed at correcting the underlying problems; the IMF works almost like an international bank that gives out loans, with payback plans according to the specific countries economic situation, problems with credit, etc. Thirdly, the IMF provides countries with technical assistance and training in what the IMF feel the country needs help in, many of which the IMF specializes in.

Tax Reform of 1986
The Tax Reform Act of 1986 was one of the more effective, useful and successful actions taken by the Reagan Administration. It was passed by a Democratic House and Republican Senate. It was notably one of the most important pieces of tax legislation since WWII. It sought to make everything even for everyone getting rid of reasons not to pay taxes (also called tax shelters), lowering corporate tax rates, and eradicating special treatment for capital gains. Thus, capital gains, and earned and unearned incomes were all taxed at the same rate. Subsequently, it brought the average marginal tax rates on the work force and capital income closer together. With the Tax Reform Act of 1986, Reagan and Congress sought to broaden the tax base and reduce tax favoritism. In 1983, Democrats Bill Bradley and Dick Gephardt offered a proposal broaden the tax base. In 1984 Reagan had the Treasury Department produce its own plan. The plan that was conceived was to clean up the tax base by decreasing tax loopholes, preferences, and exceptions. This would in effect raise the effective tax on activities that were formerly favored by the code. Economists from almost everywhere favored this cleaning up of the tax code, since tax preferences and exceptions warp economic decisions. The ultimate effect of the Tax Reform of 1986 were tax cuts, broadening the tax base, simplifying tax laws, repealing investment taxes, encouraging IRA deductions, and deducting banks for bad credit.

Black Monday
Up until this point, the stock market crash of 1987 was the largest in history. On Monday, October 19, 1987, after six weeks of falling prices, stock markets around the world crashed. The crash started in Asia, and worked its way west, reaching the United States after much damage to the economy had already been done. There are several different potential causes of this crash. One explanation is the use of program trading. Program trading allowed the trade of stock by the millisecond. With the increase of the usage of computers, the use of this tactic grew. Program trading was said to be a cause of this crash because due to the speed of stock trade, many stocks were sold without the knowledge of the falling market. Another cause of Black Monday was the difference of the monetary policy among France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, as well as budget deficits of American families. A major effect of this crash was the lack of investors buying stock. This was because people were afraid of investing their money in the stock market and then losing it. The crash was also a sign of things to come, such as the economic recession in the early 1990's.

Throughout five days in October of 1987 the stock market fell in the greatest crash in history on Wall Street. Before this crash the U.S. dollar had been experiencing a decline in world value. U.S. goods were becoming less needed in other countries because those countries were facing debt and struggle, which in turn lead to trouble for the economy of the United States, causing businesses to struggle. Prior to the crash, investors were worried because of the declining value of the dollar and the rising interest rates. This panic caused some volatility in the market. The trade and budget deficits of the United States were also believed to have played an important role in this crash. The market rebounded to a large extent soon after the crash of the stock market and made some impressive gains.

S&L Bailout
In the 1980's, many people began putting their money in places besides the bank, that had high interest levels, so as to make more money. Banks, savings, and loans were now getting less and less business. During the S&L Crisis of the 1980's, seven hundred and forty seven savings and loans associations were put out of business. There were several other causes of the crisis, such as the Tax Reform Act of 1986, de-regulation, and the end of inflation. The Tax Act eventually caused a slowing down of home purchases, which meant there were less people in need of loans. It also lead to the drop of real estate values. The stock market was also dropping in value during this time, which led to the lowering of initial investment rates. Even banks who were not directly part of this crisis failed during the 1980s. For instance, over 1,600 banks that were insured by FDIC were out of business or received financial help. Then in 1989, a bailout plan called the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act (FIRREA). The act gave fifty billion dollars to closed Savings and Loans associations. The final amount of money needed to fix this economic issue is estimated at around $200,000 million.

The savings and loans crisis was preceded by a large amount of legislation and other regulations that could have greatly caused this crisis. Money market accounts gained popularity in the 1980's. As a result, banks looked to the government to remove restrictions on these saving accounts. The government met this request through their passage of the Garn-St.Germain Depository Institutions Act which allowed an increase in interest rates, create new types of loans, and alter the restrictions on the loan to value ratios.

Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981
The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 is also known as ERTA, or the Kemp-Roth Tax Cut. It was a federal law signed by President Reagan on August 13, 1981. The act had many points that its creation was trying to achieve. It wanted to spur economic growth by reducing tax rates, well as create incentives for business, lower the marriage penalty tax, as well as expand the Individual Retirement Arrangements to all working people. The IRAS was used to aid people with their personal monetary savings. This act also eventually reduced income tax rates in America. This tax act had two main supporters, Jack Kemp, and Senator William Roth. They both advocated for larger tax cuts, but eventually compromised with Congress. In the end, this tax reduced the individual tax rate by 23%. It also reduced corporate tax gains by 20%, as well as created the All Savers Certificate, which was a one year savings certificate that was free of federal taxes. ERTA also allowed for an unlimited matiral deduction on a property transfer provided by a will. This law eventually increased the federal budget deficit of the United States.

Trade Deficit
The United States had been decreasing their trading system in the years before the trade deficit so greatly impacted the economy. The trade deficit was worsened by a decrease in the value of the dollar which diminished trade further. The rising interest rate of the 1980's played a large role in increasing the trade deficit during these years. It was also spurred by the decrease in foreign demand for the industrial goods the United States produced because of their own economic troubles.

Foreign Policy
FOREIGN POLICY

Goal of Soviet Affairs/Comunism: Rachel
-Soviet Union and Afghanastan
- Fall of Communism
-Challenging Soviets/communism
-Military buildup (Nuclear Weapons) Diplomatic negotiations with Gorbachev INF[ SDI]

Goal: * Rise of Terrorism: Jessica
-Marine Barracks Bombing
-Iran Iraq War
-Persian Gulf War
-Operation Urgent Fury (Invasion of Grenada) [ This was actually part of a put down of right wing rebels, so I'll take it.]

Goal- Right Wing Rebel Increase: Pamela
-El Salvador
-Iran-Contra Affair
-Operation Urgent Fury (Invasion of Grenada) Soviet Affairs/Communism
Soviet invasion of and withdrawal from Afghanistan 1980 - 1988 - The soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused America to become more directly involved in the containment of the Soviet Union. During these years the U.S. sent hundreds of millions of dollars worth of guns and food to Afghanistan to aid the mujahidin and the refugees there. America encouraged rebel revolts against the Soviets and promoted standing up to communism as a result of the domino theory (that if one nation falls to communism, the nations around it will begin to fall also). The Soviet invasion was a threat to foreign policy, because it was going against Americas policy of containment and the U.S. wanted all nations to be free (as said in Jimmy Carters Address to the Nation). Also the Soviet Union was a threat, because the U.S. did not want communism to spread throughout the Middle East because of their oil resources. During this invasion the U.S. introduced a new shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles in 1987. This new weapon helped the Mujahidin defeat the soviet forces and was used later during the war. Ronald Reagan also talks about in his Radio Address to the Nation on the Soviet Occupation of Afghanistan 1985 that the U.S. would not tolerate soviet occupation, and demand them to remove their forces so that Afghanistan can set up its own government (of democracy). Historical analysis of bias and perspective included in the inferences of your brief essays: The perspective of this essay is of the American government, showing their opinions on sovietoccupation and the spread of communism. http://nhs.needham.k12.ma.us/cur/baker_00/2002-p4/baker_p4_12-01_mj_sz/#effects http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1985/122885a.htm http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=32911 The fall of the Soviet Union - The Soviet Union was having economic and social domestic problems which caused the end of the soviet union. The government was too rooted into the economy to pull out now, and they could not save it from collapsing. They tried some tactics of new freedoms, but this did not work. Even in 1989, for the first time in 70 years, a free election had happened in the union in order to give people the assurance that their government was trying to change. Many revolutions started up throughout the nation also, and Gorbachev decided to not use military force to break them down, which further eroded the country. On Christmas day 1991, the Soviet Union announced that they were no longer a power, and were instead an independent nation. America now watched as another great power began to crumble. Americas foreign policy of containment was now over and was no longer needed. They still kept a careful eye on Russian affairs but now the tension had winded down a bit and were able to focus on domestic affairs. Historical analysis of bias and perspective included in the inferences of your brief essays: Most of this essay is in the perspective of the soviets and their reaction as they fell from a great power to an independant nation. http://www.essortment.com/all/fallofthesovi_rkcm.htm Rise of Terrorism!

Marine Barracks Bombing:

The Beirut barracks bombing was a tragedy that took place on October 23, 1983 during the Lebanese Civil War. United States Marines were stationed in Beirut as peacekeepers part of the Multinational Force after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 and the massacre by the Phalange militia of Palestinians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps on the outskirts of the city. Local citizens, especially the Shiites that lived in the area, however, did not view the force as a peacekeeping one, but a dangerous faction in the war. The American soldiers were hated as well as distrusted by most of the people living in Beirut, and their presence intensified the ongoing fights between Lebanese Christians and Muslims. The bombing itself was done by a suicide bomber, most likely from a group called Islamic Jihad, around 6:30 in the morning. The driver drove a yellow truck to the Beirut International Airport (where the marines were stationed) and then crashed through a barbed wire fence around a parking lot, passed between two sentry posts, crashed through a gate and drove into the lobby of the Marine headquarters. Before the sentries could run over to the bomber, he exploded 12,000 pounds of TNT in the barracks and collapsed the four-story cinder-block building. The building crushed and killed about 300 soldiers, 241 of whom were United States soldiers. Four months after the bombing, President Regan removed the marines from Lebanon.

Iran-Iraq War:

The Iran-Iraq War was a war between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran from September 1980 to August 1988. It was the effect of a long history of border disputes and fears of Shia rebellion among Iraq's long suppressed Shia majority influenced by the Iranian Revolution (Islamic Revolution). Iraq had hoped to take advantage of the rebellious situation in Iran and attacked on September 22, 1980 without any formal warning, though there had been hostilities and events before then between the two countries. The invasion was not particularly successful, and all the progress that had been made was lost in 1982 when the Iraqi soldiers were pushed out of Iran. For the rest of the war, the roles were reversed and Iran became the offensive country. The United States initially was neutral about the entire Iran-Iraq War, with some minor exceptions. They only got involved when the threat of Soviet interference was apparent. However, when the Iraq army started to win some battles, the United States began to back Iraq fully in the war. They normalized relations with their government, supplied Iraq with several billions dollars in economic aid, and sent intelligence and training experts as well as weapons.

Persian Gulf War:

The Persian Gulf War, which is also known as the First Gulf War, was a military conflict between Iraq and a coalition of 34 countries including the United Nations. It lasted from August 2, 1990 to February 28, 1991. Most of the military forces fighting in the war were from either the United States or the United Kingdom, despite the fact that 34 countries were involved. An air campaign was launched as well as a groud one, with the air compaign being very effective. The air strikes were codenamed Operation Desert Storm with more than 1,000 sorties launched per day, and the ground campaign was codenamed Operation Desert Sabre. Both the aerial and ground combat were confined to Iraq, Kuwait, and bordering areas of Saudi Arabia in order to protect them from invasion. The sending of troops to Saudi Arabia for protection from Iraq was known as Operation Desert Shield. Iraq ended up launching missiles against military targets in Saudi Arabia, and at civilian centers in Israel in order to have Israel retaliate. In total, 379 United States soldiers were killed, 776 were wounded, and countless others suffered from Gulf War Syndrome. Gulf War Syndrome has a wide range of symptoms, from something as simple as fatigue, to symptoms including immune system disorders and birth defects.

Bibliography

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Beirut_barracks_bombing
http://www.answers.com/topic/marine-barracks-bombing-lebanon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._support_for_Iraq_during_the_Iran-Iraq_war
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001293.html

Right Wing Rebel Increase

Operation Urgent Fury (Invasion of Grenada)-
Sources: Remarks on Central America and El Salvador at the Annual Meeting of the National Association of Manufacturers, March 10, 1983 http://www.reagan.utexas.edu/archives/speeches/1983/31083a.htm
Before this operation was arranged Reagan was already concerned with Central America. As he said during the Annual Meeting of the National Association of Manufacturers in March of 1983, Those Soviet theorists noticed what we failed to notice: that the Caribbean Sea and Central America constitute this nation's fourth border. The trouble with Grenada began when Maurice Bishop, who followed Fidel Castro, overthrew their government after staging a military coup. He enlisted help from Cuba to build an airport in Grenada that appeared to be suitable for military aircraft, and also built up his army. Yet Bishop seemed to want to establish a peaceful relationship with the U.S. Unfortunately he was seized by a small group of his own militia and then shot days later. This left Grenada without a government. The reason the US was involved: at least 1,000 US citizens, 800 of them George University Medical School students, were on Grenada. Reagan first ordered a flotilla of ships passing nearby to circle around in case an evacuation of those citizens was needed. The actual operation is named for Reagans next move where the US joined the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States on the mission to invade Grenada in 1983. The mission was to take control of the two airports and the campus where most of the students were. In doing so it was discovered that this island was being turned into a Soviet-Cuban colony for military uses. A complete base with weapons and communication equipment was found, enough to supply thousands of terrorists.
Historical analysis of bias and perspective: The bias and perspective shown in this essay are based off of the perspective that there was really trouble in Grenada. Even more so that the trouble was caused under the influence of the Soviet Union and Cuba. The bias deals with the feeling that Bishop began the trouble, even though he was trying to extend peace to the US. The perspective is from the point of view of one who believed that the trouble with Grenada didnt begin until after Bishop took control.

Iran-Contra Affair
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980s#International_issues , Lecture outline Email (Chs 30 and 31), PDF 39 1970s and 1980s,
"Iran-contra affair." The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia.
© 1994, 2000-2006, on Infoplease.
© 20002007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease.
31 Mar. 2009 .

The Iran-contra affair was the biggest scandal of the Reagan administration because of the lies involved in it. Its root lies in the affairs of the Sandanistas who were socialist revolutionaries who made practice condemning capitalism and U.S policies in Latin America, supported by Cuba. Reagan opposed the Sandanistas who were in control of Nicaragua, accusing them of helping the Soviets and Cuba gain a hand in Central America. In opposition Reagan supported the contra rebels who were conducting a guerrilla war against this government. In support Reagain provided funds to the rebels by allowing the sale of arms through the contra to Iran. Reagan had a second agenda in allowing the arms to be sold to Iran because he believed it would convince the Iranian government to secure the release of American hostages held in Lebanon by pro-Iranian groups. Oliver North actual dictated the program that included these two things, in spite of a worldwide embargo and the lack of support from Congress, because he two believed it would help result in the release of these hostages as well as helping fight communism in Nicaragua. When the affair came to light Lawrence E. Walsh was named as special prosecutor to investigate the affair. Reagan and Bush, Reagans vice President at the time, both claimed un-involvement, saying that they knew no details of the affair and no evidence was found to discredit them either.
Historical analysis of bias and perspective: The bias and perspective shown in this inference are the reasons for why this affair was made into such a large scandal. It is stated that it was such a large scandal because of the lies involved, but that is an opinion, as is the other reason, which was that the people were concerned with congressional oversight of foreign affairs and the limits of the executive branch. The beliefs of both Reagan and North are also opinions and so are perspectives of why they carried out these actions.

El Salvador
Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980s#International_issues , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_policy_of_the_Reagan_administration, http://www.morris.umn.edu/academic/anthropology/chollett/anth3601/elsalvador.html, http://www.pbs.org/itvs/enemiesofwar/elsalvador2.html,
The US involvement in El Salvador revolved around the US support of right wing rebels in El Salvador as Reagan made this support a main part of his foreign policy. This was because Reagan felt that the military government of El Salvador was a potential barrier against communism. Reagans administration in turn increased military and economic aid to El Salvador, geared towards the Salvadoran Military, as Congress tried to make aid contingent on human rights progress there. The biggest controversy over the El Salvador issue lay in Reagan vetoing a bill for the human-rights stipulation to aid for El Salvador, ignoring the El Mozote massacre, a human rights violation in itself. This massacre occurred in December of 1981 and involved 1000 civilian deaths by the U.S trained Salvadoran paramilitaries. This was a big problem in the eyes of American citizens because as more atrocities and murders reached the ears of the American government. The speaker of the house, Tom Foley, made a special task force manned by Joe Moakley of MA to investigate the conditions in El Salvador. A massive cover-up was discovered, that masked the fact that certain people in levels of the US government had known about the situation in El Salvador. This situation was that there were deep problems with the Salvadoran armed forces as well as armed forced being responsible for the murders of Jesuits.
Historical analysis of bias and perspective: The bias and perspective here takes light in the assumption of what the biggest controversies were and what the main problem was in the eyes of the American citizens. Also the perspective of just how much involvement the US really had in El Salvador is important.

World War II Lab Project

mreverett2007 — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 09:42:28 CDT

The War at Home

1. War Production
2. Communication: News
3. Communiation: Letters
4. Communication: Propaganda
5. Family
6. Civil Rights: Japanese Americans
7. Civil Rights: Minorities

Identification Terms

TAYLORgarron — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:04:56 CST

1-6 Foreign Relations
7-16 Economic Crisis
17-22 War on Terror
23-32 Iraq War
33-44 Race Relations
45-54 Modern Technology
55-63 Global Economy
64-72 Foreign Policy
73-82 Clinton Presidency

1. Communism [Definition] Communism is a political system that aspires to create a classless society controlled by a centralized state party. [Conext] There are only a few communist countries in the world left, but China, North Korea and Cuba are three that have policies contrary to the US. Since the Cold War is over, many of these communist countries are in the process of political and economic change. [done by Mr. E]

2. NATO,
3. President Obama,
4. European Union,
5. Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,- {definition} an ongoing dispute between the State of Israel and the Palestinians {context} But if the Obama administration does push Israel much harder to move towards a peace agreement with the Palestinians, it will in fact be doing the country a favour {Mikaylin}.
6. African Union- {definition} a organization made up of African states whose goal is to promote African unity, security, and prosperity {context} African Union troops in Somalia have been accused of indiscriminately shelling a Mogadishu neighborhood after an attempted suicide bombattack on their base.{Mikaylin}

7. Globalization, - when banks loan or lend money and it means outsourcing like trading with other countries (by Shannon Medeiros)
8. Thomas Friedman,- a journalist and writer who addresses foreign affair, he wants a resolution to the Israel and Palestine conflicts that is going on and the Iraq war. He also discussing to how our trade with other countries is and the environment in general (by Shannon Medeiros)
9. Freddie Mac, The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation; a government sponsored enterprise in the US federal government created in 1970 to expand the secondary market for US mortgages. (Done by Madelyn Pounds)
10. Fannie Mae, The Federal National Mortgage Association founded in 1938 during the great depression. Created to purchase mortgages and securitize them so funds will be available to companies that lend money to home buyers. (Done by Madelyn Pounds)
11. sub-prime mortgages, [Definition] A type of mortgage that is normally made out to borrowers with lower credit ratings. [Context] Borrowers with credit ratings below 600 often will be stuck with subprime mortgages and the higher interest rates that go with those mortgages. (Done by: Kayla Leite
12. AIG, [Definition] American International Group. A major American insurance corporation based at the American International Building in New York. [Context] According to the 2008 Forbes Global 2000 list, AIG was the 18th largest public company in the world. (Done by: Kayla Leite
13. Federal Reserve,[Definition] The central bank of the United States; incorporates 12 Federal Reserve branch banks and all national banks and state-chartered commercial banks and some trust companies. [Context] In 2005 in response to the mortgage crisis sweeping America, the Federal Reserve finally decided to impose a more strict monetary policy. This however did not help to stabilize the market, and in fact, it caused the market to become even more unstable and lead to more home foreclosures. [Done by Tyler Allain]
14. Sec. Paulson,[Definition] 74th Secretary of The Treasury in the Bush Administration. [Context] Failed to keep economy secure by acting to late. Policies he set in place arguably worsened our economy when it was in its weakest state. [Done by Tyler Allain]
15. Rep. Barney Frank,
16. Infrastructure
17. Osama Bin Laden,
18. Afghanistan,
19. Taliban, [Definition] The Taliban is an extreme Muslim organization which was the formal government of Afghanistan from 1996-2001.[Context] The Taliban had harbored and help protect Osama Bin Laden and allowed Al Qaeda to set up training basis in it's country, which were later used to plan attacks around the world. The Taliban was overthrown by NATO troops but has since re-emerged as a fighting force in between the Afghan/Pakistan border.(done by Moussa)

20. Islamic Fundamentalism, [Definition] Islamic Fundamentalism is the ideology of returning Islam and it's followers back to the religions fundamentals. [Context] Islamic Fundamentalism has driven extreme Muslim groups to violence in order to return Islam back to it's fundamentals. (the fundamentals however, are debated among Muslims and their original intentions) The violence has been targeted at pro - western governments and Western powers such as Spain and the U.S.(done by Moussa)
21. Patriot Act, [Definition] Policy signed in to law on October 26, 2001 by President George W. Bush as a response to the World Trade Center Tragedy that called for decreasing the privacy of American citizens in order to protect the country from further terrorist attacks. [Context] Since the Patriot Act was passed, government has been allowed to retrieve internet and phone records and wiretap. [Noreen Costa]
22. Guantanamo Prison, [Definition] A prison opened in 1987 in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base which detains criminals that the United States government has defined as “enemy combatants.” [Context] President Barrack Obama made a decision to close the Guantanamo prison on January 21, 2009. [Noreen Costa]
23. Weapons of Mass Destruction, [Definition] weapons that can kill a large amount of people and great destruction to man-made structures. [Context] The phrase was used in reference to the Cold War, leading to the fall of the Soviet Union. (Alex Pereira)
24. President George W. Bush, [Definition] served as the 43rd President of the United States from 2001-2009. He was the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995-2000 before being sworn into Presidency. [Context] Eight months into his Presidency, the Terrorist attack of 9/11 occured and he announced a global war of terrorism. He ordered an invasion of Afghanistan and an invasion of Iraq. (Alex Pereira)
25. Pakistan, [Definition] officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia and borders Central Asia and the Middle East. [Context] Pakistan is the sixth most populated country in the world and is the second largest Muslim nation in the world. It is a nuclear state thst is a major non-NATO ally of the United States. (done by David Mendez)
26. Sec. of State Colin Powell, [Definition] born on April 5, 1937, he is an American statesman and former four-star General of the U.S. Army, appointed the 65th Secratary of State under George W. Bush (2001-2005). [Context] Colin Powell was the first African American given this position. When he was 49 years old, he served as President Reagan's National Security Advisor (1987-1989). Also, he was the first and only African American to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-1983). (done by David M.)
27. Vice President Dick Cheney, [Definition] was born on January 30, 1941 and was the VP of the U.S. in the years 2001-2009.[Context] He was involved in the decision making for the Iraq War. Also, made frequent visits to the CIA about their information about WMD in Iraq. (done by Alex Frasier)
28. Sec. of Defense, [Definition] in charge of U.S. Department of Defense, the principle defense policy adviser to the President and is informed about military planing.[Context] Rumsfeld was responsible for the torture of the prisoners in Abu Ghraib, Iraq during the Iraq War.(Done by Alex Frasier)
29. Donald Rumsfeld,
30. Saddam Hussein,
31. Hans Blix,
[definition]Former Chief UN Weapons Inspector [context] The Bush administration’s claims of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq formed the key justification for the war to Congress, the American people and the international community. Blix was right there over viewing the Un inspections.[By Kristen G.]
32. Achmed Chalabi [Definition] is the man whose information provided the justification for the American invasion of Iraq.[Conttext] In 2005 he became the Prime Minister for Iraq, and the United States looked at this like he was a spy for them .[By Kristen G]
33. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. [Definition] - leader in the African-American civil rights movement. In the1950s segreation was still a major conflict blacks did not have the same rights as white people. [Context]King jr in 1963 Luther led hundreds of African Americans and even whites on a march in Washington Dc, where King delivered his “I Have A Dream ” speech. There, he raised public consciousness of the civil rights movement and established himself as one of the greatest orators in U.S. history.[brittney]
34. Malcolm X, [Definition] African American Muslim minister, public speaker, and human rights activist. [Context]In this time of racial violence he indicted white America in the harshest terms for its crimes against black Americans. He spoke up for his rights.[brittney]
35. Black Panthers,
36. Rev. Jesse Jackson,
37. Rodney King,
38. Affirmative Action,
39. Title IX,
40. Civil Rights Act of 1964,
41. Quotas,
42. James Bryd,
43. Jena 6,
44. President Barack Obama
45. DARPA,= The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is an agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of new technology for use by the military.
46. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION=is a research facility currently being assembled in outer space.
47. Human Genome Project [definition]–noun

a federally funded U.S. scientific project to identify both the genes and the entire sequence of DNA base pairs that make up the human genome.[[ashley f.]]

48. Ethanol [definition]noun
: a colorless volatile flammable liquid C2H5OHthat is the intoxicating agent in liquors and is also used as a solvent called also ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol[[ashley f.]]
49. Biomass,
50. Mars Pathfinder,
51. Telecommunications Act of 1996, [Definition] - The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was a law passed in order to let anyone/business enter into the field of communications and compete with each other. [Context] This new law helped to create new job openings, and it helped the communications business because of the competition between companies. by Nick F.
52. GPS, [Definition] Global Positioning System; the only fully functional global nabigation satellite system; developed by the Department of Defense; it can be used by anyone. [Context] People nowadays us the GPS to navigate cars, make maps, and survey land. by Nick F.
53. Cloning, Definition: the creation of a genetically identical organism from the cells of an already existent organism
Context: In 1996, American scientists made cloning history by using the mammary cells of a sheep to create another, genetically identical sheep.
54. Google, Definition: the internet search engine that indexes the greatest number of web pages (over two billion by December 2001) and provides a free service that searches this index in less than a second.
Context: Google is arguably one of the most popular form of high school student research around (save MySpace/Facebook)
55. President George H.W. Bush,
56. President Bill Clinton,
57. Bill Gates,
58. Seattle WTO Protests,
59. North American Free Trade Agreement,
60. Service Sector,
61. NASDAQ,
62. Global Poverty,
63. Millennium Development Goals
64. President George H.W. Bush,
65. Manuel Noriega,
66. Colin Powell,
67. Sec. of Defense Dick Cheney,
68. General Normal Schwarzkopf,
69. Saddam Hussein,
70. President Bill Clinton,
71. General Wesley Clark,
72. Slobodan Milosevic
73. President Bill Clinton,
74. H. Ross Perot,
75. Newt Gingrich,
76. David Koresh,
77. Elian Gonzalez,
78. Timothy McVeigh,
79. Kenneth Starr,
80. Monica Lewinsky,
81. Hillary Clinton,
82. President George H.W. Bush

Recent Updates

mreverett2007 — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 21:30:28 CST

Because the changes that I've worked on for this class have been substantial, I thought I would create a place where the most recent updates could be included all in one location. So here it goes:

Feb 22 2009
Updated the attachment to the US History Notes Powerpoint on the main US History II page

Feb 20 2009
Added link to US Notes Summaries http://www.engineofsouls.com/file-282
Added link to Unit 4 Notes on the 1970's http://www.engineofsouls.com/file-283
Added link to Unit 5 Notes on the 1960's http://www.engineofsouls.com/file-284

Appointments

lilportugy — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 05:16:28 CST

Well, I tried to add the Google Calendar, but it didn't work. So here comes the old fashioned version...

Date	Name
Monday, February 2
Tuesday, February 3	Chess Meet
Wednesday, February 4	Zachary
Thursday, February 5	Restructuring Meeting
Friday, February 6	Jessica!
Monday, February 9
Tuesday, February 10	Chess Meet
Wednesday, February 11	Debate Meet
Thursday, February 12	Tyler
Friday, February 13	Joelhead
Monday, Feruary 23	Pam
Tuesday, February 24	Demonica
Wednesday, February 25	Walter*****8o8
Thursday, February 26	Greg
Friday, February 27

21st Century and 1990's Exam

mreverett2007 — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 19:21:45 CST

Directions:

This is your first take-home WIKI exam. Here's how it is going to work. Each of you is going to choose two essays to address. In order to create an answer to the essay, we are going to work collaboratively. Underneath the essay question, you are going to add your THOUGHTS and EVIDENCE on how the question should be answered. You are not going to write the answer in essay form. You are going to write about HOW you would answer this question and WHAT you would include in the answer to support your thesis (main idea). Ready? You will be graded on the quality of your participation. Don’t be too brief and only write one sentence. Feel free to make constructive comments about your colleagues who are working on the same essay. I may have to put a limit on how many people can answer each of the essays, but let’s try to spread our efforts equitably among the eight questions. This does count as a TEST GRADE. Remember, we are working together on this exam. Once we have enough feedback and evidence, we are going to write the essay together. We’ll schedule time in the computer lab to finish this assignment.

21st Century Essays:

1. Describe the changes in American foreign policy concerning two of the five regions discussed (Asia, Russia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) in recent years. Specifically focus on 1) events that occurred that caused changes in our relations and 2) the effects of those changes on our foreign policy.

EXAMPLE: YOUR NAME - I think this essay question is really about blah, blah, blah. Here's some of the evidence I would use in answering this question: blah, blah and blah. I think the thesis should be blah, blah, blah because blah, blah, blah.

2. Consider the causes of the current economic crisis as well as elements of the TARP funds and/or the economic stimulus plan. Then assess the validity of the following statement: President Obama’s economic plan will effectively address the causes of the current crisis.

3. Using your knowledge of the events and issues of the American War on Terror since 9/11/01, assess the validity of the following statement: The War on Terror has been a success. Cite three reasons to support your thesis.

4. Imagine you are a historian in 2020 writing an article for publication in a high school history textbook on the Iraq War. How would you summarize the events and issues of the war? What conclusions would you draw?

Post Cold War World Essays:

1. Race relations have defined our nation’s history. Many historians agree that ‘if we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it’. What three lessons do you believe Americans have learned from the history of race relations in this country? Use three examples to support your thesis from the period of 1990-2009.

2. Support or oppose the following statement: Americans have benefitted greatly from the technological innovations of the 1990’s and beyond. Use five specific examples to highlight your answer.

3. Explain the costs and benefits of the NAFTA on the American economy. Choose one of the three positions and defend it with evidence: 1) NAFTA should be ended, 2) NAFTA should be continued, and 3) NAFTA should be reformed.

4. Imagine you are a historian in 2020 writing an article for publication in a high school history textbook on the Clinton presidency. How would you summarize the events and issues of his administration? What conclusions would you draw?

max montille

25max — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 10:42:28 CST

I
I BELIEVE THAT PEAPLE WOULD BE MORE NICER TO ME

I BELIEVE RACISM IS A IDEA THE SOCIATY MADE UP TO DEVIDE PEAPLE

I BELIEVE THAT DRAGONBALLZ IS THE BEST SHOW EVER!!!

I BELIEVE THAT THE CHURCH IS CORRUPT I BELIEVE THAT THE WORLD WILL END

I BELIEVE THAT OBAMA WOULD HELP OUR COUNRTYS CRISIS

1.WWW.DRAGONBALLZ.COM

2.WWW.NARUTO.COM

3.WWW.ANIMENETWORK.COM

4.WWW.BARACKOBAMA.COM

5.WWW.THE DARK NIGHT-MOVIE.COM

Vanessa Furtado

VanessaOF — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 15:31:48 CST

RAWR. ~ =]

For starters, my name is Vanessa. I'm glad that you are taking the time to read this. I would love to make this page prettier, but I'm a bit limited towards what I can do with it in terms of moving pictures around and whatnot. x3 So, I made due with what I can do. C:

Hm...
I believe that as humans, we all have free will. No one can "make" you do anything or prevent you from doing something, no matter what "rules" are placed.
I believe that any art, is art. Whether you express yourself through drawing stick figures or writing poem after poem in your private notebook, a person's expression has value. Even if only to themselves.
I believe that people should treat everyone with respect. You do not have to like a person to respect them.
I believe the past should be left where it is. Many people cling to their pasts, but the fact is it can't be changed. Learn from it, remember it, and move on.
I believe we all make our own place in life. Destiny has never been a thing I looked into, nor would I think it existed. The future cannot be seen by people, and though the unknown can be frightening, we should not think too much into it. It's better to live in the present.

www.gaiaonline.com
photobucket.com
www.wikipedia.org
www.playlist.com
www.barnesandnobles.com

I would say that these five links describe me quite well. First of all on the list, Gaiaonline is a fun site where I talk to friends who have moved away and new people all of the time on. Hardly ever a dull day for me when I go on there. Photobucket is where I keep important photos and some other pictures that I just simply like and want to look back to. Wiki is for me because it has a lot of information (though, not all of it factual) but it is still a site that keeps me amused when I am feeling bored. Playlist is where you can customize your own little music playlist by putting whatever song you want on there. As long as they have it, of course, or if you seek out the url to the song yourself. I like to listen to the music that I have placed on mine in my spare time. And finally, Barnes&Nobles is a good site for me because I love to read; where better to find out about some new books then a bookstore~?

James Jose Nathaniel Lefred

GuachaLover23 — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:47:44 CST

I Belive that everyone sure be treat equal.
I belive one day i will be famous.
I belive that Barack Obama will do any good job as the first black President.
I belive that anyone in the world from different race will be President.
I belive that one day i will be president of the Dominican Republic

Shawn Shoesmith

Shawn.Shoesmith — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:48:12 CST

http://d3t0x.homelinux.com/

Visit the new East Coast Metal Radio stream.

(shameless plug)

http://d3t0x.homelinux.com/shoutcast2/player.html

Visit the new East Coast Metal Radio stream. (May be down while in beta, like today >.> )
(shameless plug)

______________________________________

I'm shawn shoesmith. Let's get this out of the way:
I'm fat and I wear glasses. I'm comfortable with weighing too much and don't care what your opinion of my weight is. I'm lazy, I sit around all day, I fix PCs, I DEFINITELY DON'T PIRATE SOFTWARE, and I suck at bass (But only I can say I suck, not you, to you I am a god among men with a bass.) I can fix most broken electronics as long as they aren't extremely broken. For a price.

I believe that there can be no government without taking some rights away from people.

I believe that you should only believe what makes sense to you, and what agrees with your own common sense.

I believe the sega dreamcast is the single greatest gaming console ever created.

I believe in some sort of extreme, high, all-knowing all-seeing entity or diety out there, and that it's probably just as lazy as I am.

I believe that mr. Everette uses the number 5 extremely often in his assignments.

Let's see, images that define me? ..... Well, images that define my interests would work, right? whatever.
Let's see......

The IBM "386". One of the first personal computers, and one of the first personal computers with real hardcore computing power. When you overclock one of these guys, you can play doom II at 30 Frames/Sec.
Plus it had a really sexy system beep. The original system beep.

this here is the double pickup model of my Ibanez Gio, the cheapest bass made by the company. My first bass. Music is damn important to me, and being deaf would leave me seriously bored. It's pretty sexy for a budget instrument.

The king. BB King. One of the greatest blues musicians of our time. Guy's gettin' old though. I'm into blues and blues guitar. Eric clapton, bb, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker. Blues music describes every aspect of human suffering and the joys of what it feels like when the wheel comes back 'round.

This is a big one:

Metal. I love the hard, driving, gutteral sounds of metal. From the extremely low tuned guitars in Death metal and grindcore, to the D-Tuned, sharp sounds of speed metal and hair metal from the 80's, with high vocals and high notes. The faster, the better. Unless it's doom metal.

This one is supposed to represent the internet:

I use firefox, and that's how I get on the internet. hey, without the internet, none of this wiki/forum stuff would be possible.

You've pretty much got darpa to thank, mostly.

Let's see. 5 Links that are supposed to define who I am.... Through the internet? That's tough, but let's figure this out.

http://www.darknemesis.com/forums
This one doesn't go anywhere anymore, because it went down, but I was a moderator there for awhile. It was a gaming/computing forum, but now it's adspace and nothing more. Good times, good times.

http://www.slashdot.org/
Slashdot. News for nerds, stuff that matters. Basically the biggest nerd-based news board ever. It's got articles from science and technology. Pretty interesting stuff. It's part of what I do.

http://www.mini-itx.com/
A site with some really cool custom PC builds with the mini-ITX form factor motherboards. Awesome stuff.

Mr. Everett's Wiki

mreverett2007 — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 08:32:05 CST

Introduction Welcome to the wiki pages for AP US History, US History, Debate Theory and Multicultural Studies. Here students will work collaboratively to examine issues, individuals and events while also empowering themselves as writers, Researchers, thinkers and historians. In a globalized world continually changing with new ideas, new technology and new challenges, students must learn to adapt and use new resources. This wiki provides that opportunity. For further questions, see our Frequently Asked Questions page.	Objective Here we will provide links to AP US History, Debate Theory, Multicultural Studies and US History I. Students on these pages will create their online portfolios for their class. They will post homework, projects, essays and more. Students will be able to link to Internet sites for research as well as to each other's wiki. The intent is to 1) create individual student portfolios and 2) create community-generated web content that highlights the curriculum of each class.

Introduction
Welcome to the wiki pages for AP US History, US History, Debate Theory and Multicultural Studies. Here students will work collaboratively to examine issues, individuals and events while also empowering themselves as writers, Researchers, thinkers and historians. In a globalized world continually changing with new ideas, new technology and new challenges, students must learn to adapt and use new resources. This wiki provides that opportunity. For further questions, see our Frequently Asked Questions page. Objective
Here we will provide links to AP US History, Debate Theory, Multicultural Studies and US History I. Students on these pages will create their online portfolios for their class. They will post homework, projects, essays and more. Students will be able to link to Internet sites for research as well as to each other's wiki. The intent is to 1) create individual student portfolios and 2) create community-generated web content that highlights the curriculum of each class.

teresa

mreverett2007 — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:37:54 CST

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

TuyenTieu

TuyenTieu — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 12:17:30 CST

I believe that you should always try your hardest because hard work pays off.
I believe that it is important to learn about your own culture.
I believe that learning about other races and customs will help us respect one another.
I believe that you should create your own identity,
be who YOU want to be, and don't let others judge you.
I believe that your values are most important and you should keep them close to the heart,
because you never know how fast something could leave you forever<3

oh, and I also believe that what kevin and manny said are absolutely true :)

AmyPimentel

AmyPimentel — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 08:12:01 CST

A few of my beliefs,
I believe that people can can change
I believe that there is good in everyone
I believe chocolate chip muffins are yummy :D
I believe that Barrack Obama will be a good leader
I believe that having an open mind is important.

Images that reflect me...
> I am anti death penalty, I don't think its justifiable to kill someone who kills. also there may be an error in dna forensics whatever the case may be and an innocent person could be wrongly accused and sent to death. The death penalty is unconstitutional. It goes against the 8th amendment. "Nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted"

> I love Music. I'm a musician, I don't think I could go a day without it.
Music can express what words cannot.

>This is Neuchwanstein Castle, located in the Bavarian Alps, its simply beautiful and I hope to one day visit it.

> Peace, I think its so important..and I dream that one day the world will achieve this. End Wars, they don't solve much. I do respect those who serve and have served this country.

> Vienna, Austria. I'd also like to visit vienna, it was once said to be the music captial of the world. :D

Links
http://www.poetry.com This is a great poetry site. Some of my old poems are on there. It also has a list of some of the worlds best poems and poets.

http://www.freerice.com The sponsers of this site donate rice to those in need for every question you get right. You feed people and gain knowledge :D

http://playlist.com I like to go through the site add songs to my playlist, add friends to my friendlist. Its a nifty site

http://Annerice.com A site of one of my favorite authors. It tells about all the books shes published or is working on. It has a description of them all. Good stuff

http://weather.com If your like me and like to know that its 20 degrees out before you decide to step out of the house with a tshirt and freeze to death. Yes its a handy little site especially for those of us here in new england with the crazy unpredictable weather.

Giavanna Rodrigues

KLeite89 — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:04:56 CST

1. i believe all you need to do is look through their eyes
2. i believe that music shapes our world
3. i believe that no true athlete wears shoes
4. i believe that you should pay attention to what life
throws at you
5. i believe that you shouldn't judge because everyone creates their own identity

christopher langlais

clpacker — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:04:44 CST

Content: Introduce and describe yourself. You may want to talk about your history, interests, future plans, etc. Also, write 5 statements that begin, "I believe..." Each statement should be specific. You don't need to explain your statements.

I beleive all people should be treated equally.

Images: Choose 5 images that reflect your identity. Think carefully about the images you choose. This is a way of using art to convey meaning.

Links: Choose 5 links that reflect who you are. Write a brief (3-5 sentences) paragraph explaining why each is important to you.

Jesus Heras

jessefressshh — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:04:01 CST

I believe kobe bryant is the best player in the N.B.A .
I believe barack obama is the best thing that could have happened to the U.S. .
I believe racism is still the biggest issue in the U.S. .
I believe basketball is the best sport in the world .
I believe nas speaks on real events and true stories about problems and struggles of everyday life in america , and isnt scared to voice his opinion .

http://www.nba.com/
http://www.lakers.com/
http://www.engineofsouls.com/
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/monta_ellis/index.html?nav=page
http://www.nfl.com

Kevin Flynn

kevinflynn — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:02:00 CST

Sugah Blaw!

I believe that we should all eliminate racism.
I believe that it's important to learn about one anothers cultures.
I believe I can fly, I believe I can touch the sky.
I believe that all cultures are interesting in their own ways.
I believe that you should learn information about your own cultures.
I believe that Kim's culture's food is good.