American Propaganda During WWI- Katie Fragen 1st period

As in most wars, propaganda was used during World War 1 from all sides to gain support from the war. German organizations such as the German Literary Defense Committee handed out propaganda in the form of pamphlets stressing how strong they were as a country. Allied propaganda exploited German atrocities whether they were fact or fiction. At first, the United States did not want to have any involvement in the war; however, once they did declare war, propaganda was a major tool that they used to gain support for thwar.

            When the United States entered the war in April of 1917, a major concern was the fact that there was not public unity in the country. Wilson then created the Committee on Public Information (CPI) to further promote the goals of war not only in the United States, but in other countries abroad as well. George Creel, a muckraking journalist of the time, headed the newly founded CPI where he recruited from media, business, and the art world. Creel was also a critic on censorship and went to great lengths to limit information that could cause harm to the public. Due to his beliefs in censorship, the CPI helped pass the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1918 which created guidelines, for the time being. Another element of the CPI as an organization was to examine how information flowed into the public’s brains, and then they examined how to fill that information with war-time propaganda. This created the domestic division of the CPI which had nineteen sub-divisions focusing on different types of propaganda for each one. One of the most important elements of the CPI was their Division of News. This division distributed press releases throughout newspapers taken from their handouts. In turn, war-time news and propaganda would be able to reach millions of people by not only just posters and pamphlets, but something they read every day, the newspaper. Because the CPI recognized that most of the general public tended to skip the front page and go straight to the special features section, the committee then created The Division of Syndicated Features. Working with novelists and essayists this division was able to attract reader’s attentions to an estimated 12 million people every month. However, the CPI did not just limit itself to just the written word. The Division of Pictorial Publicity worked with artists who created pictures with their propaganda and put them in newspapers and magazines that were willing to advertise for the CPI, which most were. Along with still pictures, motion pictures became a very popular tool for propaganda. A movie, To Hell With the Kaiser, was so popular and moving, that police in Massachusetts had to stop a riot because some people were not allowed into the theater due to not enough room in the theater.

            Propaganda can be seen in many different ways. Some believe that it is anything that can be considered to be persuasive, while others believe it is only dishonest messages. However, propaganda nonetheless uses the same tactic of having an emotional appeal to the public, creating a direct message instead of a logical argument. Because of the emotional appeal, clever tactics, and mass communication, propaganda became a major tool in war-time effort not only in World War 1 for the United States, but in all of the later wars as well.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_did_propaganda_influence_World_War_1

http://www.100megspop3.com/bark/Propaganda.html

http://www.propagandacritic.com/articles/ww1.demons.html

League of Nations- Daniel Sawyer

The League of Nations was formed after the devastation of World War 1 during the Paris peace conference with the signing of the treaty of Versailles. Its mission was world peace, but it was a rather toothless organization for upholding the task of world peace and preventing a world war. Its lack of support from the U.S and reliance on other reluctant world powers made its goal an impossible dream. Though it failed in its overall mission the League of Nations set a precedent for humanitarian efforts while solving some territorial disputes. Its failure helped herald the way for the United Nations, who arguably succeeded where the League failed.

  The League was the brain child of Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States, as part of his fourteen points. Wilson desperately campaigned for its existence and it was formed among the great powers. The League of Nations, however, was highly unpopular with the Republicans in the U.S, who had wanted to keep the U.S out of almost all foreign engagements during this time. Wilson tried to get the U.S to join the league, but was beat out by isolationist views. The Treaty of Versailles was never signed by the U.S and so the league lost it one major support that could have held it up. 

 Much of the leagues failures come from a combination of factors. Lack of support was the most obvious; very few countries joined the league and most of its mandates were ignored. Even if the League wanted to take action against an aggressor the lack of any armed forces prevented any deterrence. While they could ask members such as Britain or France to provide forces, they were at best reluctant and at worst non-compliant. The leagues concept of collective security was unfeasible because it could have a nation attacking its own interests and after a particularly bad incident at Abyssinia, the Leagues strongest supporters turned to appeasement as a way to prevent wars.

Despite being overshadowed by political failures, the League enjoyed success in settling territorial disputes and helping the poor and sick. Many of the United Nations welfare foundations were based upon some of the same institutions in the league. During a war in turkey that the league failed to stop, they made great progress in their response to the humanitarian crisis caused by it. There were many displaced people within the country, suffering from many maladies, the league sent doctors to stop the spread of disease and helped re-establish homes for the refuges.

In the end the League of Nations was an important first step in the creation of multinational peaceful organizations like the U.N. In its application the mistakes were exposed in under powering an organization dedicated to world peace and some strength were seen in its humanitarian efforts to help the poor, needy, and sick and in handling land disputes. In the end the concept of this organization was maybe just a little ahead of its time and what was need was a more sobering reason not to enter a war.

 Works Cited

"League of Nations." History Learning Site. Web. 10 Feb. 2012. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/leagueofnations.htm>.

"League of Nations." Spartacus Educational. Web. 10 Feb. 2012. <http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWleague.htm>.

NAWSA - Chad Mathews 5th period

In 1869, the women’s suffrage movement split into two groups after the 15^th Amendment was passed, giving African Americans the right to vote, but still not women. The National Woman Suffrage Association, as well as the American Woman Suffrage Association, were both founded in 1869. These two organizations were the main suffrage organizations for women in the United States in the 1800’s. Both the organizations campaigned for the right to vote, but in different ways. Leaders such as Lucy Stone thought that the right for African Americans to vote was fine, whereas Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony thought that only allowing blacks to vote without the government acknowledging women’s suffrage was dangerous. Despite their differences, the groups decided in 1890, after 21 years of rivalry, that it was necessary to join the two groups in order to get more accomplished. They named their new organization the National American Woman Suffrage Association (a.k.a. NAWSA). This new combined association became so popular that it developed into the most mainstream women suffrage group. Their strategy was to campaign at the state level, because they believed that the more states they could get to support them, the more likely the federal government might pass the amendment for female voting. The presidents of this organization, in order from first to last, included Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1890-1892), Susan B. Anthony (1892-1900), Carrie Chapman Catt (1900-1904), Anna Howard Shaw (1904-1915), Carrie Chapman Catt (1915-1947), and Caroline McCormick Slade (1896, 1947-1951). The National American Woman Suffrage Association had millions of women supporters, and also inspired hundreds of smaller local and state organizations and groups. The NAWSA held large parades, and annual conventions that helped get their members more involved. The organization also sponsored newspapers, and had their own suffrage press which published pamphlets and books to recruit new members. After 14 years of failure to get one state to ratify a state suffrage amendment, Carrie Chapman Catt took action. After her time was up as leader, the organization changed its name to the League of Women Voters, which continued to campaign for the same principles as the previous group. The organization combined their effort for woman suffrage with the support of World War I. They then persuaded President Woodrow Wilson to support the 19^th amendment. This amendment, passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate in June 1919, stated that women now had the right to vote if approved by 36 states in order to change the constitution. The amendment was soon certified for adoption by the Secretary of State. This thus ended the 72 year struggle of women’s suffrage.

Sources:

"National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) (American Organization) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 09 Feb. 2012.

"Open Collections Program: Women Working, National American Women's Suffrage Association." Harvard University Library: Open Collections Program: Home. 

"The National American Woman Suffrage Association." Bryn Mawr College. Web. 09 Feb. 

New Freedom

New Freedom - Michael Dudkin

                New Freedom was the theme of Woodrow Wilson’s 1912 campaign for presidential office. During his battle with former president Theodore Roosevelt, both announced plans to combat the same issues that crippled America. They went about this in different ways, however, mainly due to their personalities and advisors. For example, in the field of business reform, Roosevelt attempted to appeal to the most populous social classes by giving people like farmers more power and business drastically less. Wilson, on the other hand, with a hate for ignorance and an independent philosophy, agreed with his advisor Brandeis in a plan to eliminate trusts and monopolies, while keeping much of the nation’s free enterprise and competition. While both progressive plans battled similar topics, Wilson’s was organized, concise, and more appealing to those in power over Roosevelt’s. It relied on three types of change: tariff reform, business reform, and economic reform.

                Tariffs in the early 20^th century, while rapidly building America its industrial culture, were excessive for the middle classes: factory workers and farmers. Farmers, still a major part of the country’s supply and economy, were trapped and tortured by the contemporary tariffs, as they increased prices on all goods while providing no aid to crop growth or price. In order to maximize their crop output, farmers were forced to buy from industry, giving even more money to the business that was killing their own. With the promise of lower taxes, and the eventual Underwood Tariff Act, farmers gained support from their own government and found it manageable to continue their enterprise again. Moving on to business reform, Wilson planned to bring the trust model to oblivion. With the establishment of the Federal Trade Commission by the Federal Trade Act, the government could investigate shady interstate business operations and halt all practices if illegalities were exposed. As previously all enterprise was nearly impossible to investigate and judge, this marked a progressive step toward securing control over the American economy. The Clayton Anti-Trust Act was also issued, expanding on the list of operations the Sherman Anti-Trust Act considered to be illegal. In addition, the Clayton Act made sure that most types of unions could not be exploited by the Sherman Act and claimed to be an inconvenience to the people. Picketing, strikes, and boycotts were written to be seen as equals to unions in the viewpoint of the law. In terms of economy, Wilson promised to amend the sporadic and diverse banking system in progress and unify with without a central Bank of the United States to add extra risk. In 1913, the Federal Reserve System was established by the Federal Reserve Act, gliding swiftly past senators due to the 1907 panic. This new system was aimed at providing certain areas with financial support with regard to their population and had the overwhelming task of maintaining the weight of the dollar, the standardized currency. Removing the need for a central bank, the Federal Reserve increased employment, stabilized inflation and interest rates, and allowed farmers to support their failing systems. With the Federal Farm Loan Act and lower tariffs, the progressive movement achieved a net victory for the lower classes, saving the farmer and stabilizing the economy. 

Works Cited:

Wilson, Woodrow. "Monopoly, or Opportunity? | Woodrow Wilson | The New Freedom, 1913." WWW Virtual Library @ Www.vlib.us | WWW-VL | United States History; World History; WWI; American History Documents; US Art Museums; US History Museums; USA Historic Sites; Native American Bibliography; Web Site Tools; Electronic Texts. United States History Index. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://www.vlib.us/amdocs/texts/monopoly.htm>.

"Woodrow Wilson's New Freedom." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association. Web. 29 Jan. 2012. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/43g.asp>.

Woodrow Wilson, The New Freedom: A Call for the Emancipation of the Generous Energies of a People (1913)

William Taft: Catherine Coffrini Period 1

• William Taft
  
  
  William Howard Taft was born on September 15, 1857 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He studied at Yale University and then went back to Cincinnati to become a lawyer. He did many jobs in the law field, including becoming a teacher, a judge, and assistant prosecutor. In 1904, he became Secretary of War under Roosevelt.
  
  
  In 1908, he ran for President under the support of Roosevelt. He won the Republican ticket and beat William Jennings Bryan with 52% of the vote. Taft hated campaigning and claimed his loyalty to the Roosevelt policies, which were very popular in the West, and had his brother reassuring people in the Eastern Republicans that his campaign would befit them too.
  
  
  While he first had the support of the Progressive Party, he lost it quickly with his support of the Payne-Aldrich Tariff in 1909, which raised tariff rates to 46%. What angered Progressives even more was when Taft claimed that the bill was the “best bill that the party had ever past”.
  
  
  While Roosevelt and Taft were close friends, their political stances got in the way of their friendship. Taft favored a more conservative Republican side then Roosevelt did, which lost him many supports. Especially when he broke up such trusts as the American Sugar Refining Company and finishing out the break up of the Standard Oil and American Tobacco Trusts, which began during Roosevelt’s Presidency. What ruined any support from the Republican Party was when he fired Gifford Pinchot, the head of the Bearu of Forestry and a close friend of Roosevelt’s (he and Roosevelt made many national parks during his presidency.) Taft fired Pinchot for launching a public attack on someone Taft appointed, Richard Ballinger, who was head of the department of Interior. Ballenger spoke against Roosevelt, saying that due to economic development, Roosevelt closed some public domain lands and then opened other lands, such as the coal rich areas in Alaska, which were previously not for sale.
  
  
  A key policy of Taft’s was Dollar Diplomacy. Dollar Diplomacy was the idea that the United States would use the military and diplomacy to help their foreign affairs. It was mainly used in East Asia and in the Latin America area, though it was outlawed in Nicaragua for quite some time, until a revolt broke out in 1912. These were all supposed to be peaceful movements, however there were many cases of violence, especially in the Revolution ridden Caribbean areas, which were all under the control of the United States.
  
  
  While Taft had already lost most of the Republican support, he still got nominated on the Republican ticket. Running against him was his former President and former friend Teddy Roosevelt, who returned from an African safari in 1910, only to seek reelection. However, because Taft was already in office, the party voted him onto the ticket over Roosevelt. Now Taft might have had a chance at winning if Roosevelt hadn’t created his own part, the Bull Moose Party, which not only sabotaged Taft’s chances of winning but his own at well, because the Republican party split their vote, while majority of the Democrats voted for the Democratic nominee, Warren Harding. However, this was not a great loss for Taft, as he became a professor of law at Yale until 1921, when he received his lifetime goal of becoming a Chief Justice.
  
  
  
  
  Work’s Cited
  Beschloss, Michael, and Hugh Sidey. "William Howard Taft." The White House. Web.

  25 Jan. 2012. <http://m.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/williamhowardtaft

  
  
  
  
  "William Howard Taft Biography - Twenty-Seventh President of the United States."

  American History From About. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://americanhistory.about.com/od/williamhowardtaft/p/ptaft.htm>.

  
  
  
  
  "William Howard Taft Biography - Facts, Birthday, Life Story - Biography.com."

  Biography.com. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/william-howard-taft-9501184?page=1>.

  
  

Roosevelt's assassination attempt: Troy Cochrane 6 period

Theodore Roosevelt was shot at by John Schrank, a saloon owner, before a speech in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 15, 1912. The progressive party candidate was talking to people in front of the Gilpatrick Hotel. The only reason Schrank gave for shooting at Roosevelt was that "any man running for a third term ought to be shot." Schrank was labeled as insane and was committed to a mental institution. The .38 caliber bullet would have gone straight through Roosevelt's heart, but was slowed down enough to only pierce the skin. Roosevelt had his glasses case and speech for that night in the breast pocket of his coat. Just these two items alone were enough to slow down the bullet and save his life. Instead of going to the hospital, he went and still gave his speech. At the beginning of the speech, he pulled out his ripped and bloody speech and said, " You see, it takes more than one bullet to kill a Bull Moose." The speech was 50 pages long and folded in half which was obviously able to slow the bullet down enough to save him. Later Roosevelt was examined in a Milwaukee Hospital where he was given an injection of tetanus anti-toxin. He later was observed in a Chicago Hospital for eight days and was discharged on October 23, 1912 which was only a few days before the election. The bullet was never removed, but didn't cause any problems later. Before the assassination attempt, reporters were asking Roosevelt about what he would do if he was confronted by an assassin. Roosevelt implied, while discussing McKinley's assassination, that if it had been he instead of McKinley, he would have shot the assassin. Roosevelt, the former Rough Rider, was known to carry a gun during his presidency. There were multiple instances when people had seen the butt of a revolver sticking out of his pants pocket and another time when after accidentally switching coats with the Minnesota governor, that the governor found a pistol in the presidents coat pocket. However, Roosevelt did not have the gun with him when the assassin shot at him. Schrank followed Roosevelt all over the country and said he was motivated because of a dream he  had: I saw President McKinley sit up in his coffin pointing at a man in monk's attire in whom I recognized Theodore Roosevelt. The dead president said, "This is my murderer, avenge my death." After the assassin took the shot at Roosevelt he was tackled and taken away from the scene immediately. Henery F. Cochems and Elbert Martin, who were part of Roosevelt's party, detained Schrank until the police arrived. Within seconds of the shot being fired Martin, a six foot tall former football player, was on top of the assassin and  had twisted the gun out his hand. Roosevelt did not even realize he had been hit until someone had noticed a hole in his shirt. The doctors diagnosed it as a "superficial flesh wound and was bleeding insignificantly." However, even with this feat of extreme endurance and courage he still lost the election to Wilson.

Brown, RJ. "Teddy Roosevelt Shot by Anarchist - Manuscript of Speech Saves His Life."HistoryBuff.com.                                             Web. 26 Jan. 2012. <http://www.historybuff.com/library/refteddy.html>.
"Theodore Roosevelt: Assassination Attempt, 1912." Dr. Zebra. 12 May 2005. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. <http://www.doctorzebra.com/prez/z_x26a_t.htm>.
 "Theodore Roosevelt Shot in Milwaukee — History.com This Day in History — 10/14/1912." History.com — History Made Every Day — American & World History. Web. 26 Jan. 2012.<http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/theodore-roosevelt-shot-in-milwaukee>.

Eugene debs: Adam Wood

<p>&lt;p&gt;Eugene Debs was born in Terra Haute, Indiana.&amp;#160; The same place as basketball superstar Larry Bird.&amp;nbsp; Born to Jean Daniel and Marguerite who were immigrants from France.&nbsp; Debs left school at age 14 and went to work as a painter in railroad yards.  He became a railroad fireman and then became involved in the trade union movement shortly after 1870. 

Roosevelt Assassination Attempt, Dan "The Man" Brohard Period 5

     On October 14th, 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was campaigning for his third term as president through Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Before he stepped to the podium to address a crowd of 10,000 people, a New York bartender named John Schrank shot him in the chest with a concealed .38 caliber revolver. After the attempted assassin was hauled away by police, Roosevelt's aides noticed he had been shot, and blood was soaking his shirt and coat. Luckily, the bullet had been slowed by a small glasses case and a 50 page speech in his breast pocket. Since Roosevelt was an avid hunter, he recognized that since he was not coughing blood, the bullet had not penetrated enough to puncture one of his lungs. Even though his aides urged him to seek a doctor, Roosevelt still gave a 90 minute long speech. His opening remark to the crowd was,"Ladies and Gentlemen, I do not know that you fully understand that I have just been shot, but it takes more than that to kill a bull moose". This quotation is the reason why his party was known as the "Bull-Moose Party". After he finished his speech, X-rays of his chest showed that the bullet had punctured three inches into his body, but did not pierce his lung. Roosevelt decided not to undergo surgery to remove the bullet, after remembering that President McKinley, who he had served as Vice President for, died in surgery after he had been shot. After taking several weeks from his campaign to recuperate, he still received 4.1 million votes or 27% of the national ballot, compared to Taft's 24%. However, Wilson received 6.3 million votes and 435 electoral, which secured Wilson the presidency. The election of 1912 was the only time in US history in which the incumbent candidate placed third in the election. The would-be assassin, John Schrank, was later committed to a series of mental institutions following his crime. Teddy's health was seriously affected by the bullet still lodged in his body, and he eventually developed severe Rheumatoid Arthritis, which prevented him from exercising regularly and led to obesity. His eventual death in 1919, caused by a heart attack, can be attributed to the rheumatic(swelling) symptoms caused by lead poisoning from the bullet which still was in his body. In conclusion, Theodore Roosevelt was basically the most badass president the United States has ever had.


Excerpt from the Detroit Free Press, at HistoryBuff.com

"Roosevelt Timeline".Theodoreroosevelt.org. Retrieved January 24th, 2012.

Rudolph Marks M.D.."The Health of the President: Theodore Roosevelt".Healthguidance.org.  Retrieved January 24th, 2012.

Teddy Roosevelt: Sarah Borchardt 6th period

Theodore Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858 in Georgia, and was a descendant of Archibald Bulloch, who read the Declaration of Independence to the state of Georgia. He was born into a rich family, unlike most of the presidents before him. Having some political background led Roosevelt to hold some federal, city, and state offices before he ran as William Mckinleys vice president. Roosevelt grew up sick and homeschooled, which allowed him to develop interests in nature and naval affairs. Roosevelt was a part of the Boone and Crocket Club, National Collegiate Athletic Association, and the Long Island Bird Club. He also went on to write over 35 books, and was famous for reading one per day. He went to college at Harvard, and shortly after graduation he became the youngest member of the New York State Assembly. After college, his wife and mother died on the same day, so in his sorrows, he moved to North Dakota and became a hunter and a horse back rider. In 1889, Roosevelt became a member of the Civil Service Commission under president Harrison, and later became the president of this commission. In the same year, he went to Cuba and fought in the Cuban war as a member of the Rough Riders, demonstrating what he had learned about warfare. 9 years later, Roosevelt was elected as the governor of New York, where he gained popularity and was chosen to run alongside William Mckinley in the election of 1900. On September 14, 1901, he succeeded Mckinley as president because Mckinley was assassinated, becoming the youngest president to ever take office. As president, Roosevelt was very successful in both foreign and domestic affairs. One of his first orders of business was to sign several arbitration treaties, specifically with international Court of Arbitration at the Hauge, with Mexico and Europe. Roosevelt concluded several arbitration treaties with Europe, although none of them were ratified by the Congress. His goal was to rid of the original isolationism tradition in America, and make the country more of a power in politics. In addition, Roosevelt was a large progressive, so he promoted their policies a lot while in office. His plan in office was called the Square Deal, and involved the three C's: control of corporations, consumer protection, and conservation of natural resources. Roosevelt became known for trust busting because he was the first to do it, and he was also the first to go after the railroad trusts. In addition, he reserved many national forests, bird conservations, national parks, national monuments, national game preserves, and reclaim projects, and he was the first one to do it. Roosevelt also began the Panama Canal and established the Department of Commerce and Labor. One of his most prized achievements was that he negotiated an end to the Russo-Japanese War, and therefore won the Nobel Peace Prize. Something interesting about Roosevelt is that in Milwaukee, he was shot during a speech, but the thickness of the speech that he was holding helped slow down the bullet, and he survived. Towards the end of his life, he played a large part in preparing America for World War 1.

Works Cited

 "Theodore Roosevelt - Biography." Nobelprize.org. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1906/roosevelt-bio.html>.
- "Theodore Roosevelt." The White House. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/theodoreroosevelt>.
- "Biography of Theodore Roosevelt by Theodore Roosevelt Association." About Theodore Roosevelt: President and More, from The Theodore Roosevelt Association. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. <http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/biotr.htm>.

Rough Riders by Alex Dencic p. 6

Rough Riders
The rough riders were a voluntary cavalry unit that participated in the Mexican-American war. The legendary rough riders consisted of many different types of individuals. There were many college kids, cowboys, and even Native Americans. The most famous individual in the teddy Roosevelt, a fearless and inspiring leader. Many volunteers were eager to join the cavalry but unfortunately only a small number of men could be accepted. Upon picking the men to serve, the riders completed very standard training. They received uniforms that differed from the normal. These were very plain and tan, therefore the group earned the nickname "Rough Riders" due to their rough looking uniforms. Before leaving for Cuba from Florida, the military group was severely weakened. Many of the men died due to sickness such as malaria. Unable to wait for the required number of ships to come, four sections of the Rough Riders were left behind in Florida and never saw action.  Also the unit was not able to take most of their horses with them due to shipping constraints. This was a huge deal considering the fact that the group had been trained for battle on horse back but ended up having to fight on foot. The shipping constraints also only allowed each rider to bring several days worth of food. The riders entered Cuba with low hopes but luckily Teddy Roosevelt was there to cheer everyone up. After setting up camp on the shore, the men had to wait a few days for more supplies to come. However, due to bad shipping only a few more horses were delivered and supplies were still very short. The cavalry unit, now on foot had to march a long ways into the Cuban jungle. Perhaps the most inspiring act of the brought riders was the battle of San Juan Heights. The Rough Riders were under huge disadvantages. Their guns were not as good as the opponents and they were fighting an uphill battle. After engaging the enemy with artillery fire the group of men had to move. They crawled through the river and tall grass in order to avoid getting shot. At the bottom of Kettle Hill they decided to charge. Roosevelt inspired his men and told them he would shoot anyone who did not charge up the hill with him. Roosevelt and his men led the attack. After about 20 minutes of fighting the Rough Riders and the United States army had successfully capture Kettle Hill. Later that day that had captured all of the San Juan Heights area. The day’s long battle had resulted in many casualties but luckily, not many death since the Spanish troops were using bullets that left small and clean wounds. The brave charge at kettle hill earned respect for Teddy Roosevelt and his men. After a few more years of fighting the Spanish finally surrender and the Spanish-American war was over. The Rough Riders returned to Florida where they met up with the 4 sections that were not able to make it to Cuba and were slowly nursed back to health. Many soldiers were sick with malaria and died in the return camp. Despite their early set backs Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders played a crucial role in winning the Spanish-American war.

Upton Beall Sinclair: Katy Buffo Period 6

Upton Sinclair was born in Baltimore Maryland on September 20^th, 1878. His father was a drunk of the lower class, so Sinclair spent most of his time with his Grandparents who were of the wealthy upper class. Because of his switching houses constantly, Sinclair got to see the lives of upper, and lower class people. Once his family moved to New York City in 1888, Sinclair was well educated and attended New York City College at the age of 14 (then a prep school). From there he went on to study at Columbia University, and paid his way through college through stories published in a local magazine. During his educational years, Sinclair became a member of the Socialist Party of America, and later would go on to help found the Intercollegiate Socialist Society.  Sinclair is most known for his novel The Jungle. Sinclair researched for a mere seven weeks for this novel by going undercover in Chicago meat packing factory; although, its affects would last much longer than that. Before it was published in 1906, Sinclair was rejected by six publishers.  Finally, Sinclair published the book on his own, although his book did not become a bestseller for two years. The Jungle led to the Meat Inspection Act of 1906, and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 because it exposed the meat packing industry and their disgusting processing. Sinclair became an instant success among muckrakers, and used the money he made from his first novel to found the utopian Helicon Home Colony, in New Jersey. The colony was a failure as it burned down within a year.  In 1920, Sinclair moved to California with his second wife. Here Sinclair’s political career took off as far as it ever would. Here, Sinclair founded the American Civil Liberties Union, which led to him unsuccessfully running for Congress twice on the socialist ticket. His defeats in the elections led him to start a movement in California to end poverty, which was initially inspired by his passion for Industrial Workers Freedom of Speech. He unsuccessfully ran for governor, but gained support of the Democratic Party because of it, and also their nomination. The Great Depression brought about an end of support for Sinclair politically, as many viewed his run to end poverty as a communist takeover of their state. After Sinclair lost to Merriam, he left politics and returned to writing. Sinclair continued writing until his death in 1968. After his political career, Sinclair continued to expose the problems with the social and economic ways of America, and only once wrote about his politics. Sinclair was survived by no one, as none of his three marriages resulted in any children, and his wife past away a year before him. Sinclair was perhaps the most influential, and popular muckraker of his time, whose writings not only inspired many new, acts, and laws, but several motion pictures. He helped the American people see behind big business in America, and left a legacy on America for uncovering the truth.

Works Cited

"Famous Marylanders - Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and Its Effects." Teaching American History in Maryland - Documents for the Classroom - Maryland State Archives. An Archives of Maryland Online Publication, 2005. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://teachingamericanhistorymd.net/000001/000000/000167/html/t167.html>.

Simkin, John. "Upton Sinclair : Biography." Spartacus Educational. Spartacus Educational, 20 Oct. 2011. Web. 25 Jan. 2012.

"Upton Sinclair." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, 20 Jan. 2011. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upton_Sinclair>. 

Bibliography

"John Muir Biography-John Muir Exhibit." Sierra Club Home Page: Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet. Web. 24 Jan. 2012. <http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/life/muir_biography.aspx>.

"John Muir National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)." U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America. Web. 24 Jan. 2012. <http://www.nps.gov/jomu/index.htm>.

John Muir Gajanth Anigol Period 1

                John Muir was a Scottish naturalist who advocated the spread of the preservation of the wilderness. He has written books, essays, and letters on how he spent his time in the Sierra Nevadas. He founded the Sierra Club which has now grown into a huge conservation organization.

                John Muir was born in Scotland and was the son of Daniel Muir and Ann Gilyre. John Muir had always had an affinity with the wilderness from even when he was a child; he usually used interaction with the wilderness as a way to escape from his father’s strict religious rules of conduct. When his family moved to Wisconsin, his dad joined a group called the Disciples of Christ which made John adhere to a strict religious life. This, on the contrary, only caused John Muir to change his orthodox views and change his view on the creator.  Muir then enrolled in the University of Wisconsin where he took his first lesson on botany. Though Muir attended college, he never passed his first year since always skipped on class and had an odd variety of classes. In 1864, Muir then went to Canada to avoid the draft, and here, he studied a variety of plants and animals around Lake Huron. In 1866, Muir returned back to America and stared to work at a factory that made wagon wheels. He then, here, had an accident with a tool that changed him as a person. While he was working, his tool hit him in the eye which caused him to look at the world in a new light.       

                Muir then left to California and visited Yosemite. He was absolutely stunned and awed by the beauty and grandeur of Yosemite, and after, he even wrote a book about it. He made a cabin in Yosemite and lived there for two years to stay in the wild. John Muir was also influenced by the writer Ralph Waldo Emerson and then met him in Yosemite. Muir also created the thought that the valley of Yosemite was created by glaciers.

                Muir came to head in views with Gifford Pinchot who had a more conservational, or “tree farming” view. Then, Muir went on a trip with Roosevelt into Yosemite which convinced Roosevelt to preserve Yosemite. He also very much opposed the building of dams in these pristine areas. Afterwards, he also tried to help the Native American, and he also started a career as a writer for nature. He used writing as a medium to describe his experiences in nature.

The Bessemer Process By Ian Dage period 1

The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass production of steel from molten pig iron. The process was named after the inventor. His name was Henry Bessemer, He took a patent on the process in 1855. William Kelly discovered the process originally in 1851 independently.  The principle of the process is the removal of impurities from the iron by oxidation with air being blown through the molten iron. The oxidation also raises the temperature of the iron man and keeps it molten. The oxidation process removes impurities like silicon, manganese and carbon which are in the form of oxides. These impurities escape as a gas or form of solid slag. When the steel had been former it was pored out into ladles and then transferred into moulds and the lighter slag is left behind. This process of conversion was called “blow”. In 1740 Benjamin huntsman developed the technique for steel manufacture. His workshop and his process had a hug impact on the quantity and quality of steel production. According to henry Bessemer’s book many English industrialists and inventors became interested in military technology and Bessemer himself developed a method for grooving artillery projectiles so that they could spin without the use of rifling in the bore of the gun. The Bessemer process revolutionized steel manufacture by decreasing its cost, along with greatly increasing the scale and speed of production of this vital raw material. The process also decreased the labor requirements for steel making. Steel was before this too expensive to make bridges or the framework for buildings and so iron had been used throughout the industrial revolution. After the introduction of the Bessemer process, steel and iron became similarly priced but most manufacturers turned to steel. It was believed that the availability of cheap steel allowed large bridges to be built and this is why railroads, skyscrapers, and large ships were built. Other important steel products also made using the Bessemer process was things like steel cable, steel rod and sheet steel which meant large, high-pressure boilers and high-tensile strength steel for machinery which made much more powerful engines, gears and axles than were possible than before. With large amounts of steel it also became much easier to build more powerful guns, tanks, armored fighting vehicles and naval ships. Industrial steel also made possible the building of giant turbines and generators thus making the harnessing of water and steam power possible.

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