"Remember the Ladies"

The years between 1815 and the Civil War were marked with numerous reform movements, all aimed at curing the ills of a fast growing and rapidly expanding population. We looked at those who supported and opposed the reform efforts. We also looked at education and women’s rights in 2006 and asked questions about what issues may still be unresolved. Just as citizens in the 1840s argued against tax increases to fund education, many communities today are grappling with the same issue. Women continue to be underrepresented in our political system. We were reminded how far the US needs to go to provide equal political opportunity by the visit to Rhode Island of the new president of Liberia, Mrs. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.

Andrew Jackson Assessment

It was interesting to note that our class was evenly split on the question of President Jackson’s image on the $20 bill. Many argued that he brought decisiveness to the office and supported efforts to gain economic and political improvements for the “common man.” Others argued against Jackson, citing his brutal treatment of the Native Americans and his contempt for the Supreme Court. Both sets of arguments are legitimate as long as you support your point of view with specific historical information and reasoning. We ended our discussion by speculating on who might replace AJ, and several suggestions came forth: Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan, or maybe even John Adams. Since we just finished studying the women’s rights efforts, I can’t help but think Abigail Adams belongs on the $20 bill!

Letters, Flyers, and Editorials

This weekend you are working on your reform movement assessment. You had a choice of assignments so make sure you follow the correct format and use the rubric to guide you. Your information must be historically accurate. If you are doing the flyer, you must provide the correct information for someone planning the trip.

Where has the time gone?

We are at the end of the third quarter. Your reform assessment and current event for day 1 will be the last assignments before you add up your points. The end of a quarter is a great time to reflect on your successes and to make a plan for the final quarter.

Tensions Are Mounting

Next week we will look at the key events leading up to the Civil War. We will be asking why citizens of a country would turn against each other. Why did the political system that was established to protect and defend the country fail? Does a country know it is moving towards civil war? What is the “tipping point” where civil war becomes the only option? I wonder how the people of Iraq are struggling with these questions today.

Projects

Your Civil War project is going to be an opportunity for you to think and act like an historian. You get to select your partner and topic and generate the questions you want to answer. In addition to “doing history” you will also be practicing the habits of mind. What do you need to do to solve the problems of planning and executing a multi-step project that ends with a showcase event to an outside audience?

The Power Couple Returns

If you missed the PBS special on John and Abigail Adams, you have a second chance on Tuesday March 28 at 9:00 pm on channel 44. Why not tape the show and then have a special showing for friends on the weekend?

“And Now for Something Completely Different”

A Time for Reform

This past week we looked further into the character and policies of President Jackson so you would have the information you needed to make an informed decision on his status on the $20 bill. While many saw Jackson as a man of the people, there were others who saw him as a tyrant. Even the Senate saw the President as overstepping his bounds and voted to censure him for refusing to hand over documents pertaining to the National Bank. It is interesting to note that this past week a censure resolution against President Bush has been introduced by Senator Feingold (D-Wisconsin) in an effort to hold the President accountable for the domestic spying program.

The famous editorial cartoon of Jackson robed as a King gave us ample examples of how a cartoonist can convey a strong political message with few words. Using the cartoons you brought in for current events, we quickly identified exaggeration and symbolism as two methods cartoonists employee to convey their messages. Keep on the look out for cartoons that you especially enjoy and bring them in to share with the class. One of our Habits of Mind (HOM) is to find humor as we work and this is a perfect medium to practice this HOM.

Essays

It is time for you to decide on the question of the day: Has President Jackson earned his spot on the $20 bill? In class we started a list of his positive and negative attributes. We looked at his character and his policies. After compiling your list, weigh the evidence and make a decision. You should have a clear, strong thesis with two supporting reasons. Make sure to use the rubric as your guide and attach it to your word processed paper on Monday.

On Monday we will survey the class for the final tally and then turn to a question that was posed on the blog last week about who might be a more appropriate person to honor if we decide to remove AJ from the $20. Any suggestions?

A time of Reform

The 1800s were also a time when reform movements focused on correcting the ills of a fast growing country. Major movements included efforts to ban alcohol (temperance), improve and expand public education, increase the legal and political rights of women and ban slavery. The women’s rights movement and the abolitionist movement were closely connected as many anti-slavery advocates were women and many of the arguments used to fight slavery were used to support legal rights for women.

Our reading on the anti-slavery movement will lead us into our new unit on “The Coming of the Civil War.” We will be looking at the growing distrust between the North and the South and the government’s inability to solve the problems of the day. Some of this sounds like what we are hearing from Iraq as that country copes with ethnic and geographic divisions and a young government that is having difficulty stopping the violence. Some observers are wondering if Iraq is moving towards civil war.

Your Project

It is none too early to start thinking about what you would like to select as a topic for the annual Civil War Fair. This is a great opportunity for you, along with a partner of your choice, to think and act as historians delving into an issue, event, person or theme from the Civil War. You will be using all of your historical skills to build a presentation that you will be proud to display to an outside audience.

"Unrighteous Traffick"

This week The Providence Journal has run a six part series on Rhode Island's role in the slave trade. By reading this series you clearly see that slavery permeated our entire country. I would recommend that you all take the time to check out the site.

To Be or Not To Be

Should President Andrew Jackson’s portrait remain on the $20 dollar bill? This is your final assessment essay so this week you began asking the questions and seeking the answers that will help you make a decision.

We read about the spoils system and Jackson’s insistence that his friends and political supporters fill the over 2,000 jobs in Washington. We talked about the advantages and disadvantages the spoils system brings to our democratic system of government. We discussed Jackson’s hatred of the National Bank and his veto of the recharter legislation in 1836 that effectively closed the bank. Jackson wanted local banks to take care of the needs of the common man. Over the weekend, you have your spoke diagram assignment which will give you the opportunity to think more deeply about the policy and character traits that made up AJ. Next week, we will move on to the Trail of Tears, an episode in our history that now seems tragic but that many people at the time believed to be the best option available.

Editorial Cartoons

As part of our video on Jackson, you saw the famous cartoon depicting him as King Andrew. We will look at the components of an effective editorial cartoon by analyzing the cartoons you have selected for your current event assignment. Keep in mind that you can find hundreds of contemporary cartoons on the internet. One of my favorite sites is run by a cartoonist and a history teacher so the cartoons are arranged by topic. The cartoon you use for your assignment must come from a paper other than the Newport Daily News. We want to get as many different cartoons as possible so we have ample material to look at the different ways to depict an issue or event.

“Heir Apparent”

Period 2 keep in mind that you will be having an accountable talk activity on March 17. You are responsible to the text, your group and yourself. A group activity gives you the opportunity to become the expert in one area but it also means you have the responsibility of being ready to share your insights with the group. A group is only as strong as its weakest link. In our last “John Adams” assignment not all group members participated and it brought the overall level of the presentations down. Take a half hour this weekend, find a comfortable chair, read your assigned section, and think about the main issues you want to share with your group. Use your habits of mind to think deeply about the reading, asking questions and making connections. This book has been read by millions of people so there is something for everyone within these pages.

The Battle for New Orleans

The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States and provided access to the Mississippi River. With this abundant new land, farmers and traders produced great quantities of goods which were then shipped down the river, through the port of New Orleans and out to the east coast and Europe. New Orleans grew rapidly and became a multicultural city with the French, Canadians, Native Americans, Spanish, and African-Americans mixing and forming a unique atmsophere. This creative and energetic mix of people has sustained New Orleans through difficult times.

The Battle of New Orleans, the most famous battle from the War of 1812, elevated Andrew Jackson to national prominence. His statue is prominently displayed in the center of the city in Jackson Square located in front of the oldest Catholic cathedral in the United States.


The Second Battle of New Orleans

With Hurricane Katrina's massive devastation of this vital city, a new battle for New Orleans is now being waged. Relief workers, construction crews, government advisors, and volunteers from across the country have poured in to help revitalize a city that is important to our entire country. One of the hallmark traditions of the city is the Mardi Gras celebration. Social groups that have been formed for over 100 years gather and display their imagination and creativity with parades containing theme floats, marching bands, and gaily costumed groups. One of my favorites was the Elvis look-alikes on mortorcycles. In addition to the gaiety of the event, this year's Mardi Gras took on a political bent as numerous floats displayed their disappointment in government officials who did not recognize their desperate needs in the first few days after the storm.
This float picturers Michael Brown, former Director of FEMA, Governor Blanco, and Mayor Nagin cooking up a "Super-Gumbo" which is made up of the people of New Orleans. As the float pulled away, the back panel had a caricature of President Bush. You can see the people of New Olreans are bi-partisan in their criticism of the relief efforts. All of us hope that these searing lessons will mean that our government will be better prepared the next time a disaster hits.

Territorial Expansion

This week we finished putting the land puzzle pieces together which formed the United States. We added Texas, the Southwest, California, and Oregon. Methods of acquisition differed but President Polk was clear in his vision. He believed in Manifest Destiny and the need for the United States to stretch from coast to coast.

You have your rubric for the map and chart which will be due March 9. You will also have an on demand writing assignment on the two questions on your syllabus.

Congratulations

Interterm grades were posted this week and congratulations to all who met or exceeded standard. Students who reached this goal did their homework, participated in class discussions, and came to class every day ready to learn.

Kudos also to AA who correctly identified three out of the four picturers on the last blog.

And a special "merci" to KLM, KL and Doppler for an insider's look at New Orleans! I shall return...