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[amh2010-0008]

Cool piss

I guess maybe

Monster Hunter World Giveaway

[amh2010-0008]

Question 9 on Final

Regarding the matter of Reconstruction, everyone in charge believed their way was the best way of doing it, which led to a lot of conflict. Presidential Reconstruction was a combination of both Abraham Lincoln’s and Andrew Johnson’s plan. They wanted a quick resolve that would lead to peace and unity within the United States. This included pardoning the rebelling states’ completely and not punishing the military leaders. The only confederate leader to be imprisoned was the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, and he was only in jail for roughly two years. Unfortunately for Johnson, after Lincoln’s assassination the radical republicans in congress very much disagreed with his way of Reconstruction. After he vetoed the Civil Rights bill, which protected African-Americans, and the Fourteenth Amendment, which gave African Americans citizenship; the radical republican congress, led by Thaddeus Steven and Charles Sumner, was tired of Johnson trying to hinder their progress. With all of this conflict, Andrew Johnson would be the first president to be impeached in 1868. Radical Reconstruction took over the United States with the passage of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. The Fourteenth Amendment gave citizenship to all natural born citizens no matter the color of their skin and the Fifteenth Amendment gave African-Americans the right to vote. Both these amendments protected former slaves on a federal level. Even though these Amendments came into effect, the South largely disregarded them with the passage of Jim Crow Laws. These laws authorized a “separate but equal” attitude in the South, which included separate public facilities for blacks and whites and mandatory tests for blacks before they could vote. In this society, African-Americans were left in environments that were much inferior to white Americans. In 1875, Congress passed another Civil Rights Act to enforce these injustices, but it was completely ignored by the South. Surprisingly, Jim Crow Laws stayed in effect in the South until 1965, almost a hundred years after Reconstruction officially ended. Because the federal government never enforced the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendment and any civil right bills passed, it left race relations in the South in a horrible place. All the way until 1965, blacks that lived in the South weren’t allowed in the same schools, public transportation, or even bathrooms as whites. Although they weren’t treated perfectly in the Northern part of the country, these laws put the South in an outdated way of thinking. Officially, Reconstruction ended in 1877, but racism and segregation still continues in some places today. Although this practice isn’t officially written in law, many people in the United States still think this way. Reconstruction may have ended, but we still have a long way to go until every citizen in the United States is treated completely equal.

Natalie Alessi

[amh2010-0008]

Tumblr Post 15

            During my time in this AMH 2010 course, I learned a lot. I really enjoyed learning about all the explorers and how America came to be. My favorite people from this time are Amerigo Vespucci, who mapped out the Americas and proved they were a separate landmass, and Juan Ponce De Leon, who established the first colony in Florida. Both were names I had heard before, but I never knew how they had contributed so much to what we are today. As the course continues, I loved learning about the early American colonies and all their mysteries. The Roanoke colony had to be the most interesting. The colony was established in 1587 off the coast of North Carolina. It’s leader, John White, had to leave the colony and when he returned the settlement had completely disappeared. To this day, no one knows what happened, but there is speculation that the colony joined the Native population that lived near Roanoke. Another thing I enjoyed learning about was the American Revolution. Even though I’ve learned about it a million times, it is still a great story. Throughout the revolution, the colonies were the underdogs and had to somehow win against a country with one of the biggest militaries in the world. After big losses like the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Long Island, colonial victory seemed impossible, but with France’s help and our founding father’s inspiration, the colonies became successful. Going through the course, my all time favorite topic we covered was Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. I’m really happy I got to watch the movie Lincoln as an extra credit assignment because it was interesting to see the political moves Lincoln had to make to end slavery for good. Reconstruction was definitely the most interesting thing I learned about in this course because I have never covered it so much in a history class. Until now, I had never known that there were riots and that the South was divided into military states. I had always known things didn’t go right back to normal after the Civil War and this class opened my eyes to that. Overall, I enjoyed most of the topics we covered, although politics really bore me. There wasn’t much I hadn’t covered before, except we got to cover topics a lot more extensively. 

Natalie Alessi

[amh2010-0008]

Missing

A key turning point in the Civil War was the Battle of Chancellorsville. Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson were out numbered 2 to 1. This was a very important win for both sides. The South actually won the war with a strategic plan by Robert E. Lee. He split his army into two and...

[amh2010-0008]

Did not meet 250 word minimum, no picture.

Coming into this class, I really didn’t have much understanding or appreciation for history. I always thought it was just some meaningless thing that had a lot of dates and names incorporated into different time periods. I assumed the class would be full or tests and boring papers. But, I was very...

[amh2010-0008]

NO NAME!

12 Years a Slave is one of those movies that really hits your heart. It is about a free black man named Solomon Northup. His unfortunate journey begins when he leaves for a job to Washington. Solomon was kidnapped and shipped off to a white plantation owner. I really loved his character, and...

[amh2010-0008]

Lincoln extra credit

            The movie Lincoln was a very interesting film that is filled very real and accurate depictions of President Lincoln’s life during the civil war. It shows the mental and physical toll that being a president during this time took on him. The civil war was by far the hugest conflict in the history and Lincoln had to carry all the burden on his soldiers alone.. He truly struggled to find a way to pass the amendment to abolish slavery before the war ended. He felt that people would vote for the amendment since it would lead to peace, but he could not end the war cause then many would not vote to end slavery. President Lincoln literally does whatever it takes to get the amendment passed and you get a great insight into Lincoln’s desperation and dedication in the film.

The film is special because it shows you a lot about Lincoln that a lot of people don’t even know.  For example, They talked about all the obstacles he went through while trying to pass the 13th amendment, such as dealing with a depressed wife, losing children, and an older son fighting in the war. This film connects to what we’ve learned in class because we’ve discussed the American Civil War and Lincoln’s impact on the war. It was historically accurate because everything that happened in the movie actually happened in real life. The emotionally captivating film not only gave the public side of lincoln’s work but also the private said of his life during this troublesome time fighting to make America better.

- Omadi Njie

#Omadi

[amh2010-0008]

12 years a slave extra credit

The 12 years a slave movie is about a man named Solomon Northup. Northup was born a free man. He always worked hard and was very talented. But when he arrived to DC for a violin performance he entered a troublesome situation. He was abducted and sold as a slave. This is where his 12 years a slave journey begins as he was purchased by a white plantation owner. Even though exerted his case that he was a free man they still called him a Georgia run away and kept him as a slave. This emotionally traumatizing movie was surprisingly based on a true story. This film not only captures the heart but it also uncovers the true darkness America was involved in during the time of slavery.

The film had historical accuracy due to Soloman being a field slave that worked long hours in the fields and also having to wait in line to be purchased by other slaves. Solomon Northup’s story is extremely inspirational as he goes through harsh trials and tribulations being a slave for 12 years. The plantation Solomon worked at depended on agriculutural mass production, which was the plantation’s owner source income. This connects to what we’ve learned in class because we learned about slavery and the amount of problems it has caused in the United States including the civil war. It also links to our class because we learned about different slaves such as Fredrick Douglas and Harriet Tubman. On top of that we also talked about the different types of slaves, such as a field slave and a house slave.

- Omadi Njie 

#Omadi

[amh2010-0008]

12 Years a Slave Review

       Directed by Steve McQueen, the movie 12 Years a Slave tells the tale of Solomon Northrup, a free black man living in Saratoga, New York in the 1940's.  A master violinist, he is recruited to play music in a circus performance by two men who take him to Washington D.C.  Solomon awakes the next day to find himself chained to the floor and no longer a free man.  His pleas for freedom are unheard, and he is soon shipped south and sold into slavery.  His first master, named Ford, is kindhearted and intelligent. He treats his slaves, especially Solomon, with as much respect as can be offered given the circumstances.  Due to some unfortunate events, Solomon is quickly sold off to another slave owner named Epps.  His new master is a substantially worse man, raping and beating his slaves with little reason or provocation.  The movie contrasts the two intentionally to display the extremes of how slave owners acted.  Due to a crop failure, Solomon is again transferred to another slave owner, a Judge who uses him to pick sugar cane.  H The Judge notices Solomon's skill and recruits hi to play violin for a party.  This owner displays a somewhat neutral view  of a Slave owner at the time.  After a failed attempt to get a letter to the north, Solomon again gets the opportunity to send a letter to friends in the north who can help him in the form of a man named Bass.  Bass helps Solomon and manages to bring a friend from the north down to identify him, and he is finally freed after 12 years.  This was a very intense movie, and depicted an era of American history that viewers wish could be erased from history.  

[amh2010-0008]

La Amistad Extra Credit

La Amistad was about a slave revolt upon a Cuban ship. Cinque was the main character who was a tribal leader in Africa. He was kidnapped and sold into slavery, and was being sent to America. Cinque led a revolt on the ship (named La Amistad) since he dug out a nail from the floor of the cargo hold, and used it as a pick to unlock all the slaves’ chains. Cinque was transferred from many ships to make it to America, and he had seen many unspeakable things happen to slaves he was traveling with. Many slaves became ill onboard of ships and many died. They could not bring the dead back with them, so many of the crew members had to toss those people overboard. Some ships even killed off slaves by tying a bag of rocks to the bottom of a chain and dropping it into the ocean, sending many slaves into the water to drown. This happened when ships thought they were going to be discovered for transporting slaves, since England was on the lookout for slave ships since it was illegal at the time. When the ship arrived in America, the slaves were captured and were held in jail until someone could prove who they belonged to, or until someone could make a decision on what to do with them. There was a whole trial on whom they belonged to since the Cuban ship captain claimed them, the Spanish queen claimed them, and the English claimed them. An abolitionist lawyer helped their case and helped to prove that these men were free and had the right to be sent home. The case was taken to the Supreme Court, and John Quincy Adams helped to defend the men being charged. During slavery in Africa, Apartheid was a problem for many years. It was mostly Africans kidnapping other Africans to be sold into slavery so that they wouldn’t be sold themselves. This was an ongoing problem for a number of years, and it “ended” not too long ago. There is still slavery and human trafficking today, but it is much smaller than it was back in the 1800’s.

-Kelly Jones

[amh2010-0008]

12 Years a Slave Extra Credit

12 Years A Slave is about a free black man named Solomon Northup. He lived in New York, and he had a wife and two children. Solomon was a violinist who made money by performing. He was recruited in a traveling circus to perform for a couple of weeks in Washington DC. While there, he was drugged by the two men who recruited him, and he woke up in a jail the next morning. This was not surprising because people would do anything for money back during this time. Solomon tried to tell the jailers that he was a free man, but they kept telling him that he was a runaway slave. Solomon was given the name “Platt,” and that was what he eventually went by. Solomon met some people in the same problem as him. They were being sold into slavery even though they were free. Eventually they all got separated, but they helped Solomon and gave him advice on how to survive. He went through a number of masters, but later returned to the original cotton plantation he started at. He later met a man who helped pass on word to his family and friends who could prove that Solomon was a free man. The least expected character to show up was the shop owner from the beginning of the movie, but he was probably the best person to prove that he was a free man. Most slaves who were taken were not as lucky as Solomon in that they remained slaves the rest of their life. Solomon was in the forced labor category of slavery, and he was made a field slave. I believe the account of the story was historically accurate in that this is what happened during slavery.

-Kelly Jones

[amh2010-0008]

Post 15

History from 1492 to 1877 is a difficult time period for me to focus on. From Christopher Columbus and Native American Tribes up to the Reconstruction of America, there are too many battles and names to focus on. Yet, this still may be the most important part of our history. It is about how America was founded, how this country was formed and how it developed. I believe what happened then is how our country is so culturally developed now and it is how our demographics were shaped. The fight for independence was probably the most significant event in this time period due to this was what led to our country becoming what it was. Without it, another country like Spain or somewhere else could own this land due to the rush to conquer it. I learned a great deal more than I ever have in any history class, and I believe that is due to strictly focusing on American history, and not talking much about what the other countries had to do with this time period of our development. I wish that we had spent more time on the Declaration of Independence and our founding fathers. I believe that the time we spent on it was just too short, and that it would have been more impacting on us to learn about Americas foundation in more depth. This class was very informative in that we covered all the way from 1492 to 1877 on all the important events that took place, but it would have been nice to spend some more time on certain sections.

-Kelly Jones

[amh2010-0008]

Tumblr Post 15

I've never been too keen on history however this class has definitely helped me refine my previous knowledge and acquire new knowledge. One really nice thing about the class was the focus was geared more towards having a general yet cohesive understanding of history rather than attempting to drill dates and names into our memories. The lectures were a lot more video heavy than in any History class I've taken in previous years and I think that's a very good thing. As Professor Morton mentioned several time throughout the year history can sometimes be a very opinionated subject that is open to a lot of interpretation, as such it's important to see all of the different outlooks and theories people have regarding the different parts of history. The class has certainly changed my understanding of American History. One example is that in previous classes I have taken the professors didn't emphasize as much the fact that the primary cause of the civil war was the fight over the legality of slavery, but rather made it seem more like it was a balance of states rights among other things that the South was fighting for. I think that my favorite part of history would have to be the wars but more specifically the different tactics employed by militaries during wars. While we did cover most of them such as guerrilla warfare and Britain's style of advancing in ranks I would have liked to go a bit more in-depth into the different war tactics and how they evolved over time

[amh2010-0008]

12 Years' Extra Credit

                Steve McQueen, the director of 12 years of slaves, directed the movie based on the life of Solomon Northup. The movie is heart wrenching. The = movie is based on a true story. The movie is based on Solomon Northup’s life as starting as a free man that lived in New York City. Northup was an African American who was kidnapped off the streets of Washington and sold into slavery. Solomon Northup states how just a few days ago he was a free man with his family and now he’s a slave. In 1841, Solomon was deceived and lured by two men who asked him to play music for their shows. Upon agreeing, they arrive to Washington where Solomon wakes up chained in a dungeon. His kidnappers tell him he is not a free man anymore. The movie depicts the dehumanization of the African Americans. Solomon arrives to the plantation and has basically three different slave owners. Ford is the most compassionate towards Northup. Edwin Epps, another slave owner, is a brutal, harsh man. Solomon is a smart man and lives to survive each day in hopes for freedom and seeing his family again. In class, we discussed the different types of slaves; a field and house slaves. In the movie, Northup is a field slave. He works outside on the plantations building things. The house slaves work in the house serving the people that live in the house. We also discussed in class how slaves were stripped of their dignity and looked at as a piece of property. This movie depicts this really well because Solomon and the other slaves were taken away from their family and forced to work for their owners. Solomon fought to survive for 12 years and was eventually freed. This movie was really emotional for me to watch seeing the horrors during this time. 

-Cara Von Minden

[amh2010-0008]

Extra Credit Lincoln

For my extra credit assignment I choose to do it on the movie Lincoln directed by Steven Spielberg. This movie begins around the end of the American Civil War when Abraham Lincoln attempts to pass the 13th amendment, which will ban slavery from the United States.  President Lincoln is faced with a huge problem because he is racing to get the bill paced before peace comes, if that happens the South will put an end to the vote to make this amendment pass. He is torn because yes Lincoln would love for peace to come to America as soon as possible however he knows that this bill needs to get passed for the country to move forward.

The movie does a great way in showing the stress put on President Lincoln in his decision process and trying to keep the republicans/anti-slavery individuals on his side. You can see that people are losing some interest in the cause that Lincoln is fighting so hard to get passed. He adopts the “whatever it takes” philosophy to get the bill passed, Daniel Day Lewis the actor who played Lincoln, he does an amazing job in showing Lincolns emotions.

The movie ends with Lincoln giving his second inaugural address to the public, which was sad because it was about the both side of the nations fighting and being divided.

Overall I enjoyed the movie and thought it did a great job showing Lincolns importance to this nation. It portrayed his life in a way that you feel the stress and adversity that he faced and had to overcome. I highly recommended it.

-William Ferrell

[amh2010-0008]

12 Years A Slave Extra Credit Review

The film 12 Years a Slave is based on the true story of Solomon Northup, a black musician living in the Saratoga, New York with his family as a free man. Northup receives an offer to play in Washington D.C. by two men who project this offer as lie that leads to Northup’s kidnapping and captivity and eventual sale into slavery in New Orleans. Throughout the course of the film, Northup lives under three very different types of slave owners: Ford, a benevolent owner who even seeks out Solomon’s talents as a violinist, Epps, a very brutal and violent slave master that represents the harsh but raw view of slaves as property in the eyes of the law and Judge Turner, who seems strangely just, considering the circumstances, yet very mysterious.

The three different slave masters show how different each plantation was structured despite the general existence of slavery. In class we discussed these plantation systems as well as the various roles slaves had and how they compared to one another. There were house slaves compared to field slaves, and in the story of Solomon Northup, he worked both. The film overall is very accurate in depicting just how punitive and unforgiving southern slavery was in America and as a very dim and very negative aspect of society and history, this movie seems to accurately depict the cruelest most dehumanizing part of American history that has shaped this modern nation. Once Northup returns to his family in the North, where he is “free”, he cannot seek justice against those that imprisoned him and in class we discussed the Three-Fifths Compromise and the Dred Scott decision, both demonstrating how slaves were regarded as property and not as people and so they did not have rights. 

-Maria Brawne

#MEB

[amh2010-0008]

Lincoln

The movie Lincoln was directed by Steven Spielberg and he does a great job of portraying the struggle for Lincoln to get the 13th amendment through the house and on for ratification by the states. Daniel Day Lewis does a great job portraying Lincoln as he shows that Lincoln is stressed but he does not let that show in public. Lincoln has to decide at one point between choosing peace and ending the war and getting the 13th amendment passed. The way Lincoln gains support is by bribing the borderline democrats with jobs in the government after their term is over. Lincoln asks someone else to hire people to offer these politicians this deal so that his name gets left out of this. This technically wasn’t considered a bribe because he was just offering jobs in exchange for support of his amendment. This movie did a really good job of showing the discussions that took place in the House of Representatives and how there was an audience so that people could see and hear the Representatives’ arguments. It also showed the Dilemma of the Speaker of the House. Lincoln knew that he had to get this passed because the Emancipation Proclamation was a wartime document. The race of passing the amendment and achieving peace in the nation was a close one. I enjoyed this movie because it gave a really detailed view on how Lincoln got the amendment passed and how he dealt with all of the opposition. It also gave an insight to the emotions of all the characters.

-Shafiq Charania