Reflection
8 weeks ago, when this class started, I found the initial article interpretation difficult to write. I felt clumsy writing it and could not put my thoughts down on paper. It wasn’t quite a research paper but it was the student’s responsibility to evaluate the document and articulate an analysis in our own words. My initial article interpretation was Hernan Cortez’s letter to the King Charles V of Spain. Hernan’s letter details his initial encounter with Moctezuma. I read the article several time, I understood it well enough, but still could not grasp what it was I supposed to write about. I was not retelling the story, I was analyzing it. Overall, it was not a great first paper. It lacked sufficient cites, the detail were boring and it was just not a thorough paper. Immediately the teacher sent out further instruction and helpful tips on writing an interpretation of history. What questions we should be asking as we are reading. For example, why was this source created? Is this source credible and accurate? We also received valuable feedback from him which helped to better narrow the next paper. As the weeks moved on, I was less intimidated by the new assignment and I was able to read thoughtfully and make notations to include in my paper. By the end I was able to better direct the interpretations to meet the criteria of a history interpretation paper. Importantly, as the weeks went on I comprehended each document we interpreted in a new light, it was no longer two dimensional but I felt like I understood the author and why he or she was writing the document.
On the day our assignments were due, it was the responsibility of the student to submit it through Canvas to check for originality. We would also post the paper for all of our classmates to read, review and comment. This is always a hard part, especially in the beginning. But after a while it was a great learning experience. Not only did we receive helpful comments from other students, we were privileged to experience the same paper with another view of it. It would give insight to a different interpretation and one that you may not have thought of yourself. Further, if you were reviewing a paper that interpreted an article different than your interpretation (as required), you expanded your knowledge of that week’s lesson. You could not simply comment, “Great interpretation.” We were required to respond in the same manner as if we were interpreting the paper. We were prompted to cite to our text book or other readings. This weekly activity expanded the learning experience.
Completing each week’s assignment I learned to compare and contrast the indigenous cultures that existed in the America pre-1492, evaluate the colonization of Britain, France and Spain in the Americas and the impact it had on the land and its native people, analyze the American settlements in the 1700's through the revolution and the civil war. As a class we evaluated the reasons for the revolution, the need for politics and the settlers search for a new culture.
This was a great start to interpretation and I hope that I have further opportunities to develop my skills. These skills are not only important in a learning environment, they are important in a professional environment. I would also like to further improve my ability to proofread. I realize I need to slow down and a great interest in the final product, skimming through the assignment leaves room for words to be left out or too many words left in, punctuation mistakes and incorrect use of words.
On the day our assignments were due, it was the responsibility of the student to submit it through Canvas to check for originality. We would also post the paper for all of our classmates to read, review and comment. This is always a hard part, especially in the beginning. But after a while it was a great learning experience. Not only did we receive helpful comments from other students, we were privileged to experience the same paper with another view of it. It would give insight to a different interpretation and one that you may not have thought of yourself. Further, if you were reviewing a paper that interpreted an article different than your interpretation (as required), you expanded your knowledge of that week’s lesson. You could not simply comment, “Great interpretation.” We were required to respond in the same manner as if we were interpreting the paper. We were prompted to cite to our text book or other readings. This weekly activity expanded the learning experience.
Completing each week’s assignment I learned to compare and contrast the indigenous cultures that existed in the America pre-1492, evaluate the colonization of Britain, France and Spain in the Americas and the impact it had on the land and its native people, analyze the American settlements in the 1700's through the revolution and the civil war. As a class we evaluated the reasons for the revolution, the need for politics and the settlers search for a new culture.
This was a great start to interpretation and I hope that I have further opportunities to develop my skills. These skills are not only important in a learning environment, they are important in a professional environment. I would also like to further improve my ability to proofread. I realize I need to slow down and a great interest in the final product, skimming through the assignment leaves room for words to be left out or too many words left in, punctuation mistakes and incorrect use of words.
What I've learned
Chapters 1 and 2 took us from the explorers’ first contact with the natives of the New World. There were many countries vying for discovery of the lands, specifically a passageway to Asia and the Indies. Most of the explorers desired fame and to secure standing for their families with their king and/or queen, however, the explorers’ mission varied from country-to-country. For example, the Spanish were interested in finding the City of Gold and the French wanted to Christianize the natives.
I found it of particular interest that Richard Hakluyt the Younger’s detailed reporting of the New World was significant in creating interest and motivation for the Europeans to continue their explorations of new lands and new people. Although the text infers that the dream of American colonization might have died in England without his journalistic visions, I believe there was enough religious and economic unrest in England that there would still be an interest in finding harmony elsewhere. However, his visions most likely lead to the wealthy investing money to fund these explorations. The strength of media was evident even as far back as the late 1500’s.
Chapter three touches on the acclimation of the English settlers and the peopled that were enslaved. There was a constant battle for those coming from another country to settle in and create a way to define what traditions will be kept and which will be adopted.
For the English settlers, they were no longer under strict England watch and enjoyed a little freedom of religion and social class. Yet they were still under English rule when the King felt he needed to intervene. In the beginning there was instability and the settlers went through many challenges in search of cementing a foundation, or a place to call home. The settlers also dealt with major life changes in the new climate and landscape. The towns needed to be built from the grown up, there was nothing more than dirt roads, wilderness and the unknown.
The people enslaved also dealt with the need to grow roots and create some sense of identity. Although the daily life of an enslaved person varied, there was a need to establish a sense of family and origin. The people enslaved were now raising offspring and no longer could identify as African. I thought it was particularly interesting that the Creole language was created during this time. I did not previously have knowledge of the Creole history.
During the establishment of the colonies, the settlers were simply from England and were in America to get rich. They had not considered themselves to be American or of any other culture and considered America to lack any culture riches. Chapter four begins to show that Americans are now identifying their own culture. The population is growing and there is a need to deepen their bond with the land in which they lived.
Initially Great Britain imposed taxes, duties, tariffs all guised as a mask for what the colonies later distinguished as a tax. A tax is money paid to federal, state, or local government by a tax payer (resident) to assist in the funding of expenses. For example, in chapter 5 Great Britain found that war was expensive and had depleted its financial resources. The King therefore needed assistance from the people they protected. It was decided that taxes would be assessed on the colonies to help pay for the armies that were protecting them from the Native Americans and others they felt posed a threat.
The colonist started to enjoy their freedoms and exert their rights in America. Many had a rough start, worked very hard and made sacrifices for their freedom and financial prosperity. This brought resentment and anger among the Americans and they felt that Great Britain could not tax them without the colonies right to have representation in government. Their money was now helping to support Great Britain, its King and his social elite and they were demanding to have a voice on what taxes would be levied and how funds would be utilized.
In today’s society there are various taxes imposed by the many layers of government. The money from the taxes provide a subsidy for expenditures such as law enforcement, public works (roads, lighting, parks, etc.), public schools, federal/state debt, and the general operation of government. Anyone who works in the United States also pays a tax to fund such items as public services. These public services include social security, Medicare, welfare, unemployment, public transportation. The list goes on and on, it’s how our streets get cleaned, how parks are maintained, or how public education can be afforded. All of the taxes and any raise in a tax on all levels of government are placed on ballots and can only be approve or disapproved by the people. Of course, there are some that go through our representatives, but each representative is elected by the people. This is what the colonists’ goal was and this is the practice used today.
Once the colonies declared their freedom from Great Britain there was a need to establish a structured government that would institute equality and foster the freedoms that the colonies had come to America in search of. This was no easy task with the masses coming from different social classes and bringing with them that mindset and so many looking out for their own interests rather than the good for the whole. Creating a new government that leveled democracy to its simplest form and creating a world where prosperity was not something one was born with but could work to accomplish. This was a balancing act for those responsible for the construction of the new assembly. There could not be too much power in one or another branch and there could not lead to a potential monarch. Every word was selected carefully to bring peace to all sides, or at least a majority vote. It was a true struggle of the heads of many states but finally there was a consensus on a constitution, a document that could be signed to identify each individual colony, now states to one America.
We started week 5 discussing politics and the development of a new country’s government and politics. There was a struggle to determine the right balance of Federal and State and what powers should be delegated to each. There were some that felt it was important to have a strong central or federal government and others that felt the state should maintain the powers to create their own government and make their own decisions. During this time there was a need to elect the first president and by unanimous support George Washington was elected. John Adams was elected as vice president. The newly elected executives were then charged with appointing executive departments. Through every phase there was always debate about how this construction should be accomplished. There was also the business of the using Constitution to manufacture these power struggles. Europe was engaged in war which thrusted America into foreign affairs causing a divide in alliances. Many choose sides between France and England. Washington responded by sending a trusted politician, John Jay, to negotiate with England. Unfortunately, his efforts were unfruitful which lead to further unrest in America. At the end of Washington’s second term he published his resignation and a farewell address. Domestic politics were still unsteady and there was still tension among those with opposing ideology.
As the country continued to settle power struggles between state vs. federal, there were continued tensions among the politicians. There was now a growth of votes by allowing all white men, whether they owned land or not. This also placed politics on center. By allowing all men to vote gave those small land owners or those seen as less successful in the community to now have a voice. They were interested in politics because they knew that their vote would help develop their future and the future of those in following generations. This new policy lessened the gap between the rich and the poor and provoked a need for presidential candidates to campaign. During this next era, Andrew Jackson led the way with brute force and inflexibility. He held a different ideology and was determined to run the country as he felt was correct. Even those that supported him eventually held him in a lesser regard and his presidency was plagued with disapproval by his peers. This eventually fostered the formation of a new national political party called the Whig party. Jackson eventually shut down the federal bank and moved the money to selected state banks. This led to strong opposition and eventually caused grave harm to the financial stability of America, which was still in its infancy. Throughout this time slavery was still an issue. Trying to keep balance between free and slave states, while maintaining the rights of each proved difficult. Although it was no longer legal to import enslaved people for trade, it was still legal to sell and trade enslaved people from within the country.
We ended the week focused on the life and culture of the enslaved people and the slaveholders. We learned that although there were not significant revolts due to the lack of success but the African Americans continued to act out against the slaveholders in less obvious ways. For example, there were work slow-downs, or acting as if they did not understand instructions, deliberate harm to animals that helped run the farms and breaking of tools or other equipment needed for work. There was also some that ran away from their farms. Many of the runaways tried to make it to the North or Canada where slavery was illegal. This also helped develop the formation of the Underground Railroad. This was a system in which freed people (African American/whites) helped harbor runaways on their route to freedom. This was not a viable option for all because it was very risky and often the runaway would be found and returned to his or her farm. The daily lives of the enslaved people continued to keep them peaceful and compliant. Many were now starting families and raising them on the same farms they had been born. There were now generations and it was difficult to leave their family behind. This system did not work as well on smaller farms because the slaveholder typically would sell of the children or spouse. This also led to the industrialization of slave trade domestically. This only continued to fuel racism and the fight between proslavery and abolitionist.
Last week we discussed how the newly independent America transformed politics by creating a two party system. There were now generations born in America but many families came from different cultural backgrounds, religions and social groups. There was now a desire, even a need, to create an American culture, one that this mixture of people could identify with. These strong thirst for social and religious reform lead to the Second Great Awakening.
The Second Great Awakening was an evangelistic approach to religion. There were many great religious leaders changing the way the Americans prayed. There was no longer the soft spoken prayer but rather a loud praise for the Holy Spirit as those in attendance helped to convert sinners and break them of their immoral behavior. Not all were supportive of these camp style meetings and created those moved for church style meetings. But nevertheless, there was a common goal, elimination of evil, such as dueling, drinking and prostitution.
The religious reforms lead to many social reforms but one of the vast movements was for abstinence of Alcohol. Alcoholism was growing and was seen as the root of all evil. Families, including the wife and children were consuming alcohol at an all-time high and contributed to the corruption of moral values.
As we learned last week, there was a growth of industrial work in America which led to employment in cities rather than farms. With more men working outside the home and the continued effort to regain moral reform, woman became the holder of all that is moral in the family. This gave birth to the stay-at-home mom. Wives/mothers were now responsible for keeping tidy homes, teaching children right and wrong, and creating a haven in the home for a hardworking man to return at the end of a long day. Our text book points out that this was a push of male dominance which also brought a return push by women in the form of feminism. Woman had a need for purpose outside the home and wanted to contribute to more than a clean home and well behaved families. Women began to meet and speak openly about issues such as emancipation and suffrage.
One of the most important movements also happened during this time, public education. Some states even went to so far as requiring all school age children attend school. This was met with mixed emotions and a cry from the less economically stable families. The fact was that now allowing a child to work meant less income for the family. But again as America was advancing its cause for moral reform there was enough support to advance this movement. If both parents in lower income families who would there to instill moral value and teach the children discipline, the public schools were. This was the idea that helped public school to become the thread in America.
Through this era there was a continued effort to abolish slavery. As time progressed, tempers and emotions heated causing radical, even dangerous, behavior. Many abolitionists helped runaway slaves through a system referred to the Underground Railroad. This could prove to be very dangerous for both the runaway and the one who helped, if caught. The supports of the Underground Railroad typically provided a shelter and food for a runaway for a day. The runaway would travel from one safe house to the next, normally traveling at night until they safely arrived at their destination.
As we continue our journey through American history we find the movement for intellectual and cultural is also taking shape. Authors such as Herman Melville and Walt Whitman contribute to this movement called Young America.
America is becoming populated and there is a need for westward expansion. This does not sit well with those currently occupying these areas and do not want to negotiate a purchase of the territories. This leads to a fight over the territory called Texas and the Mexican-American War. Mexico continued refusal to compromise with America lead to a longer than expected war. Eventually America was able to secure a treaty and took claim to Texas, California, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and parts of Colorado.
With the newly acquired states, American continued its heated debate over slavery, specifically the question of whether or not slavery would be permitted in the newly acquired land.
With the expansion there was a need for a better form of transportation of people and products. This brought rapid advance of the railroad. The railroad eventually proved to be successful and prompted industrial growth. Not only was there a need for products there was now a need to make such products quicker. There was a surge of inventors producing the electric telegraph, sewing machine, steel plow and a mechanical reaper.
I found it of particular interest that Richard Hakluyt the Younger’s detailed reporting of the New World was significant in creating interest and motivation for the Europeans to continue their explorations of new lands and new people. Although the text infers that the dream of American colonization might have died in England without his journalistic visions, I believe there was enough religious and economic unrest in England that there would still be an interest in finding harmony elsewhere. However, his visions most likely lead to the wealthy investing money to fund these explorations. The strength of media was evident even as far back as the late 1500’s.
Chapter three touches on the acclimation of the English settlers and the peopled that were enslaved. There was a constant battle for those coming from another country to settle in and create a way to define what traditions will be kept and which will be adopted.
For the English settlers, they were no longer under strict England watch and enjoyed a little freedom of religion and social class. Yet they were still under English rule when the King felt he needed to intervene. In the beginning there was instability and the settlers went through many challenges in search of cementing a foundation, or a place to call home. The settlers also dealt with major life changes in the new climate and landscape. The towns needed to be built from the grown up, there was nothing more than dirt roads, wilderness and the unknown.
The people enslaved also dealt with the need to grow roots and create some sense of identity. Although the daily life of an enslaved person varied, there was a need to establish a sense of family and origin. The people enslaved were now raising offspring and no longer could identify as African. I thought it was particularly interesting that the Creole language was created during this time. I did not previously have knowledge of the Creole history.
During the establishment of the colonies, the settlers were simply from England and were in America to get rich. They had not considered themselves to be American or of any other culture and considered America to lack any culture riches. Chapter four begins to show that Americans are now identifying their own culture. The population is growing and there is a need to deepen their bond with the land in which they lived.
Initially Great Britain imposed taxes, duties, tariffs all guised as a mask for what the colonies later distinguished as a tax. A tax is money paid to federal, state, or local government by a tax payer (resident) to assist in the funding of expenses. For example, in chapter 5 Great Britain found that war was expensive and had depleted its financial resources. The King therefore needed assistance from the people they protected. It was decided that taxes would be assessed on the colonies to help pay for the armies that were protecting them from the Native Americans and others they felt posed a threat.
The colonist started to enjoy their freedoms and exert their rights in America. Many had a rough start, worked very hard and made sacrifices for their freedom and financial prosperity. This brought resentment and anger among the Americans and they felt that Great Britain could not tax them without the colonies right to have representation in government. Their money was now helping to support Great Britain, its King and his social elite and they were demanding to have a voice on what taxes would be levied and how funds would be utilized.
In today’s society there are various taxes imposed by the many layers of government. The money from the taxes provide a subsidy for expenditures such as law enforcement, public works (roads, lighting, parks, etc.), public schools, federal/state debt, and the general operation of government. Anyone who works in the United States also pays a tax to fund such items as public services. These public services include social security, Medicare, welfare, unemployment, public transportation. The list goes on and on, it’s how our streets get cleaned, how parks are maintained, or how public education can be afforded. All of the taxes and any raise in a tax on all levels of government are placed on ballots and can only be approve or disapproved by the people. Of course, there are some that go through our representatives, but each representative is elected by the people. This is what the colonists’ goal was and this is the practice used today.
Once the colonies declared their freedom from Great Britain there was a need to establish a structured government that would institute equality and foster the freedoms that the colonies had come to America in search of. This was no easy task with the masses coming from different social classes and bringing with them that mindset and so many looking out for their own interests rather than the good for the whole. Creating a new government that leveled democracy to its simplest form and creating a world where prosperity was not something one was born with but could work to accomplish. This was a balancing act for those responsible for the construction of the new assembly. There could not be too much power in one or another branch and there could not lead to a potential monarch. Every word was selected carefully to bring peace to all sides, or at least a majority vote. It was a true struggle of the heads of many states but finally there was a consensus on a constitution, a document that could be signed to identify each individual colony, now states to one America.
We started week 5 discussing politics and the development of a new country’s government and politics. There was a struggle to determine the right balance of Federal and State and what powers should be delegated to each. There were some that felt it was important to have a strong central or federal government and others that felt the state should maintain the powers to create their own government and make their own decisions. During this time there was a need to elect the first president and by unanimous support George Washington was elected. John Adams was elected as vice president. The newly elected executives were then charged with appointing executive departments. Through every phase there was always debate about how this construction should be accomplished. There was also the business of the using Constitution to manufacture these power struggles. Europe was engaged in war which thrusted America into foreign affairs causing a divide in alliances. Many choose sides between France and England. Washington responded by sending a trusted politician, John Jay, to negotiate with England. Unfortunately, his efforts were unfruitful which lead to further unrest in America. At the end of Washington’s second term he published his resignation and a farewell address. Domestic politics were still unsteady and there was still tension among those with opposing ideology.
As the country continued to settle power struggles between state vs. federal, there were continued tensions among the politicians. There was now a growth of votes by allowing all white men, whether they owned land or not. This also placed politics on center. By allowing all men to vote gave those small land owners or those seen as less successful in the community to now have a voice. They were interested in politics because they knew that their vote would help develop their future and the future of those in following generations. This new policy lessened the gap between the rich and the poor and provoked a need for presidential candidates to campaign. During this next era, Andrew Jackson led the way with brute force and inflexibility. He held a different ideology and was determined to run the country as he felt was correct. Even those that supported him eventually held him in a lesser regard and his presidency was plagued with disapproval by his peers. This eventually fostered the formation of a new national political party called the Whig party. Jackson eventually shut down the federal bank and moved the money to selected state banks. This led to strong opposition and eventually caused grave harm to the financial stability of America, which was still in its infancy. Throughout this time slavery was still an issue. Trying to keep balance between free and slave states, while maintaining the rights of each proved difficult. Although it was no longer legal to import enslaved people for trade, it was still legal to sell and trade enslaved people from within the country.
We ended the week focused on the life and culture of the enslaved people and the slaveholders. We learned that although there were not significant revolts due to the lack of success but the African Americans continued to act out against the slaveholders in less obvious ways. For example, there were work slow-downs, or acting as if they did not understand instructions, deliberate harm to animals that helped run the farms and breaking of tools or other equipment needed for work. There was also some that ran away from their farms. Many of the runaways tried to make it to the North or Canada where slavery was illegal. This also helped develop the formation of the Underground Railroad. This was a system in which freed people (African American/whites) helped harbor runaways on their route to freedom. This was not a viable option for all because it was very risky and often the runaway would be found and returned to his or her farm. The daily lives of the enslaved people continued to keep them peaceful and compliant. Many were now starting families and raising them on the same farms they had been born. There were now generations and it was difficult to leave their family behind. This system did not work as well on smaller farms because the slaveholder typically would sell of the children or spouse. This also led to the industrialization of slave trade domestically. This only continued to fuel racism and the fight between proslavery and abolitionist.
Last week we discussed how the newly independent America transformed politics by creating a two party system. There were now generations born in America but many families came from different cultural backgrounds, religions and social groups. There was now a desire, even a need, to create an American culture, one that this mixture of people could identify with. These strong thirst for social and religious reform lead to the Second Great Awakening.
The Second Great Awakening was an evangelistic approach to religion. There were many great religious leaders changing the way the Americans prayed. There was no longer the soft spoken prayer but rather a loud praise for the Holy Spirit as those in attendance helped to convert sinners and break them of their immoral behavior. Not all were supportive of these camp style meetings and created those moved for church style meetings. But nevertheless, there was a common goal, elimination of evil, such as dueling, drinking and prostitution.
The religious reforms lead to many social reforms but one of the vast movements was for abstinence of Alcohol. Alcoholism was growing and was seen as the root of all evil. Families, including the wife and children were consuming alcohol at an all-time high and contributed to the corruption of moral values.
As we learned last week, there was a growth of industrial work in America which led to employment in cities rather than farms. With more men working outside the home and the continued effort to regain moral reform, woman became the holder of all that is moral in the family. This gave birth to the stay-at-home mom. Wives/mothers were now responsible for keeping tidy homes, teaching children right and wrong, and creating a haven in the home for a hardworking man to return at the end of a long day. Our text book points out that this was a push of male dominance which also brought a return push by women in the form of feminism. Woman had a need for purpose outside the home and wanted to contribute to more than a clean home and well behaved families. Women began to meet and speak openly about issues such as emancipation and suffrage.
One of the most important movements also happened during this time, public education. Some states even went to so far as requiring all school age children attend school. This was met with mixed emotions and a cry from the less economically stable families. The fact was that now allowing a child to work meant less income for the family. But again as America was advancing its cause for moral reform there was enough support to advance this movement. If both parents in lower income families who would there to instill moral value and teach the children discipline, the public schools were. This was the idea that helped public school to become the thread in America.
Through this era there was a continued effort to abolish slavery. As time progressed, tempers and emotions heated causing radical, even dangerous, behavior. Many abolitionists helped runaway slaves through a system referred to the Underground Railroad. This could prove to be very dangerous for both the runaway and the one who helped, if caught. The supports of the Underground Railroad typically provided a shelter and food for a runaway for a day. The runaway would travel from one safe house to the next, normally traveling at night until they safely arrived at their destination.
As we continue our journey through American history we find the movement for intellectual and cultural is also taking shape. Authors such as Herman Melville and Walt Whitman contribute to this movement called Young America.
America is becoming populated and there is a need for westward expansion. This does not sit well with those currently occupying these areas and do not want to negotiate a purchase of the territories. This leads to a fight over the territory called Texas and the Mexican-American War. Mexico continued refusal to compromise with America lead to a longer than expected war. Eventually America was able to secure a treaty and took claim to Texas, California, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona and parts of Colorado.
With the newly acquired states, American continued its heated debate over slavery, specifically the question of whether or not slavery would be permitted in the newly acquired land.
With the expansion there was a need for a better form of transportation of people and products. This brought rapid advance of the railroad. The railroad eventually proved to be successful and prompted industrial growth. Not only was there a need for products there was now a need to make such products quicker. There was a surge of inventors producing the electric telegraph, sewing machine, steel plow and a mechanical reaper.