Letter to the Editor:

Dear Editor,

    I was astounded by the actions taken by slave owners in the South. Never before have I been so disgusted by the fact that such barbaric people would be allowed to continue their evil practices by the laws of the United States. 

    Out of the many descriptions written of a slave's punishments, the one concerning a house-slave known as Mary being beaten by her owner Mrs. Hamilton was gruesome enough to make me shed tears for the girl. I am disturbed by the injuries she had sustained from her mistress and can not imagine the pain that she would have to suffer through. I was ashamed to see how privileged white families would treat their slave so brutally. They treated Frederick Douglass worse than you would treat a dog.  It was sad to read the story and see the Auld’s family slowly get meaner and meaner towards the slave, till by the end of it, the mistress who started out the nicest was the meanest of all. Through all of this Frederick Douglass persevered and continued to teach himself and not give up. Frederick’s will to learn and push on was inspirational. I do not think it is morally acceptable to continue to treat and let others treat people in such a horrible fashion. The slave owner could be so kind and loving, and in a word from her husband, became so rude and cruel. Douglass says that “Slavery proved as injurious to her as it did to me. When I went there, she was a pious, warm, and tender-hearted woman. There was no sorrow or suffering for which she had not a tear . . . Slavery soon proved its ability to divest her of these heavenly qualities . . . She finally became even more violent than her husband himself” (Excerpt 10). I found this incredibly powerful, because many of us do not think of the potential harm to everyone involved in this horrible subject, and it connects to many of us on many levels. 

    We can not stand by and watch our fellow man be treated so horribly, it is our duty under the lord to stop this injustice. I am calling upon all abolitionists to join me in the fight to end slavery. If you do nothing you are just as bad as the slaver owners engaging in these unspeakable actions. 

Your Friendly Abolitionist,

     Thomas Anderson.

Historical Fiction: 1 - settlers of the Americas

It is currently May 16, 1655: Brent Donaldson 

          It has been hard to find a book, but I found myself wanting to write about current events regarding my coming to the New World. Sentimental, I know. 

          Ever sense I was taken from Bristol England as, what my sorry mates called me, a quite worthless individual of no talent whatsoever, I served for five years as a tobacco harvester in the New World. They worked us to death they did. By us I'm referring to myself alongside the other indentured servants on the farm. Me and this other Englander, John Sanders, got along very well, always telling each other to run off into the woods as to get away from the work. A year into our stay John and I made friends with one of the new Africans, Nouko. He added to our banter of escape. 

          It's funny. I distinctly remember one afternoon on that farm more than any other with ol' Nouko and John. We were all out in the fields, plucking tobacco in this dreadful heat, when we see two of our guys streaking off into the woods behind the farm shed followed our owner, Mr. River, trailing behind them with his two bloodhounds barking away. It was the most enjoyable sight I've ever witnessed, seeing Mr. River work for a change, sweating the fat off him as he chased his two prized laborers off between the trees. They were back later that evening, the two runaways. The punishments weren't as serious as I'd thought, for runaways, but the odd thing was that the two were given different punishments. The white guy got a few more years added onto his time at the farm while the African got to stay for life. I told them at least they weren't killed or something, however much that helped. 

          Looking back on it, it was a good thing that we never tried to run from the farm. In the end me, Nouko, and John had paid our debts and went free as the birds from that place. Now, I was surprised that they didn't give us necessities as promised, like clothing and provisions, but I was fine with it. I was soon looking for a place to live, not that it was really a great place to start a family. The stagnant river nearby was quite a dirty thing leading to poor sanitation in the colony, and the food shortages were scary. I actually almost died from the river water once, and got sick from it on many other occasions. After a few years in Jamestown I started a family, which I thought I would most never be able to do. Susan Donaldson is my wife to this day, and is, as I can say, very pretty. We had our first child in the summer of 1647 and our second late in the year of 1652. It's now summer again three years from then, and I am amazed at how fast little boys grow. 

          Ed, now being eight and the eldest, is always asking of the founding of Jamestown and why we are living so far from England. This is mainly why I'm writing this journal. But it's more probable that I'm doing so because Susan won't stop talking about the founding of Jamestown in 1607, and why Captain John Smith is so great a dictator. He is the man who helped us establish good native relations with the Powhatan and practically rescued the whole colony from starvation. However, Susan, when you're reading this, I hope you understand that I truly don't want to hear any more about recent history.  

"Get a PEACE of Georgia, today"

     The Georgia Colony, Savannah, was founded in 1733, by the group of English Trustees including James Oglethorpe. The charter for the colony was issued by King George II, for the purpose of benefiting the poor and protecting the northern colonies from the advance of the Spanish. Like many other colonies, the Georgia Colony had a distinct form of government. The Trustees created laws concerning land restrictions to 500 acres, prohibiting the importation and creation of rum, and refusing black slaves to encourage other English settlers to come. Because this was a later developed colony, the settlers had more knowledge on what to expect when they were founding their colony, resulting in  less famine, strife, and plague. The people of the Georgia Colony were also predominantly Protestant, however, also allowed other religious groups to find refuge within their colony, such as Jews. They traded with the Yamacraws and other tribes of the Creek Confederacy. This ability to peacefully trade was thanks to James Oglethorpe, who headed Native diplomacy, and saw to those who violated fair trade with the Natives. 

https://vimeo.com/140850668 

Resorces: 

http://www.landofthebrave.info/georgia-colony.htm

http://www.sip.armstrong.edu/Indians/Essay.html

http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/georgia-history-overview

Columbus Day: Should it be Claimed as a Holiday?

Columbus day, the federal holiday in the US. celebrates the accomplishment of Christofer Columbus reaching the New World. Opening a new continent to trade with and rule by the Spanish Government. 

This was not necessarily a good thing however. For the native American Indians of the Americas the encroachment of their lands by the arriving foreigners was the first step to being taken over. These native indians were used as slaves, forced to labor for the Spanish. Bringing not only men over from the Old World, the Spanish brought plagues like smallpox and the flu, domesticated animals like the cow, and un-native plants. Back to the Old World they took gold, slaves, and goods. 

As plunderers of highly priced merchandise and destroyers of ancient native peoples, the Spanish did many bad deeds after finding the continent. In this way, Columbus' discovery of America is not a joyful historic moment. However, it is still a historic moment marking the day a great leap was made in globalization. I believe that Columbus day should be a historic holiday because it immensely changed world dynamics bringing new trade, wealth, and power.    

Website for The History of Science Fiction book by Adam Roberts

What is Science Fiction History:
http://whatissciencefictionhistory.weebly.com/

Chapter 9 - Empires of Tea: presentation

Empires of Tea Speech - Notes & Overview:

          Tea was available in Europe a few years before coffee and was used as a luxury and medical drink. There was much controversy on whether tea is good for a person and should be drunk. The Dutch doctor, Cornelius Bontekoe believed that the average person should consume tea every day or every hour. More specifically, a person should drink 10 cups a day, 50 cups if they were sick, and 200 cups at the most. A German doctor to the King of Denmark, Simon Pauli, thought that tea was poisonous from transporting it from China & quickens death. 

          Britain soon became the most tea-loving nation in Europe. At the beginning of 1700, almost no one in Britain drank tea, but by 1800, almost every one was drinking tea. At this time, prices of a pound of tea fell to 1/20 their original cost. This is because of the newly adopted practice of adulteration. Adulteration is the addition of ash, flowers, sawdust, & willow leaves or other items to a bag of tea. This allowed for more tea to be consumed than what imported. So much tea was produced in Europe at the time that everyone in every class could at least have 1-2 cups a day. 

          Out of the different flavors of tea during this era, black tea became more popular because it was more suited to survive longer voyages and was safer to drink because its adulterations were not poisonous like those of green tea. 

Oil in the Middle East: Map As History - history presentation

The Iranian Revolution: thoughts and reflections

          There were many aftershocks created from the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Even to begin with, the relations between Iran and the West had fallen apart due to the US's dislike for the Islamic Revolution. Cutting much of America's influence on exports of oil, the empowerment of the Islamic people in the Middle East and Iran was not beneficial to the West's need for black gold. The hostage crisis in Tehran cut a ravine of mistrust between Iran and the West. The Iranians accused the West for helping the pre-revolution governance of the country to regain its power. This mistrust of the West's actions leading to the crisis then lead the West to further dislike Iran. 

          A different aftershock created from the Islamic Revolution makes the culture of Iran more separated from the West. This change is the creation of women's dress code in the Middle East. I believe that when a religious or cultural society of people, such as certain majorities in Iran, is pushed back and forgotten during progress or minimized, then something like a change in dress code to preserve an non-outside influenced culture is completely understandable. I would sympathize with the choice to remain culturally different. 

USSR Final Assignment: The Soviet Union - A Dystopian Nightmare

5 Best things about socialism:

1. The soviet union encourages a high GDP

2. Socialism eliminates class struggles and wealth inequalities

3. Socialism ensures health care for everyone

4. Socialism ensures a high quality education for everyone

5. Socialism allows for an increase in productivity

5 Worst things about socialism:

1. Socialism deprives people of basic rights

2. Socialism violates people's privacy

3. Socialism relies on forced slave laborers

4. Socialism is inefficient because the central government owns all means of production

and distribution

5. Socialism benefits few at the expense of many

5 pieces of evidence against socialism:

1. Socialism deprived people of such basic rights such as rights to privacy, equality and

freedom of speech.

2. Soviet socialism led to the creation of a black market economy

3. So many people died in the forced labor camps, or were left without a family and place

to go

4. Soviet grain production was extremely low, which means agricultural instability

5. Estimates from the CIA and Khanin showing the national income were made

purposefully low to create the illusion of higher incomes than expected

5 words we looked up:

1. Blockheaded: Stupid, dull, intelligent

2. Artel: ​a cooperative association of craftsmen living and working together.

3. Consolidated: ​combine (a number of things) into a single more effective or coherent

whole.

4. Opportunism: ​the taking of opportunities as and when they arise, regardless of

planning or principle.

5. Procurement: ​the action of obtaining or procuring something.

The Middle East at the Beginning of the 20th Century: write-up

           When viewing the instructional video of the Middle East from The Map as History site, there were many facts being presented. The reader of the facts, in my opinion, did not speak quickly enough for me to follow his train of thought and link his ideas together. The lesson seemed to be lacking an overall goal of study and clear point, demonstrating the inability to connect it to class discussion. It was hard to understand, however there was a lot of information given about the evolution of different belief systems in the Middle East.

Ch. 19 - A Leader Tries to Shape a Master Race: thoughts and reflections

          In a time of economic depression and hurt national honor, the people of a nation are most likely to group together and seek a savior from the current situation. If not for the wounded economy and people, the Nazis Party would have never gained enough power to rule over the country of Germany. Adolfo Hitler was the leader of this party and had extreme unrivaled power over his fellow Germans. The man got what he wanted, and this included the systematic murder and mistreatment of the native Jews. To be able to carry out systematic murder of a people, Hitler believed and taught that the Jews  were responsible for the current depression in the country. He blamed them for their loss of the war and made them out to be below the non-Jews in Germany. They were not of the "master race" that would purge the land of all lower races. This is how he created reason for his massacre of the Jews in Germany under his new regime.  

          For many people, they either did not understand why they had lost their freedom to Hitler's regime or did not care. These people did nothing to stop Hitler and his rule. Others did not obey his authority and rose up because they understood the truth about their ruler, and did not like it. For all those who stood by and watched the Holocaust happen, Hitler was a fearsome and scary authoritarian figure, and because of his power, it was too dangerous do anything for the Jews. This type of overly powerful totalitarian figure in charge of the government would be needed for this type of slaughter to occur again. If people are too scared of rising up against a monarch, then there is nothing to stop that monarch from doing whatever they wish to their people.  

The Communist Manifesto: thoughts and reflections

          In this summery of the Communist Manifesto, there are three key and essential components of "Marxism" being described. The first is the belief that the bourgeois rule everything. These high or middle class citizens control the wealth and lives of everyone else. The bourgeois are exploitive, and only care for their own wealth and power as they try to gain more of it. It is also said that the government has all of its attention directed towards the wants of the bourgeois. In this way, they control the state and society, not only the economy. The second essential component of Marxism is the abolition of private property. Marks believes that property is a form of social power and not personal power. By thinking of property this way, if it becomes public, then there is no loss of personal power, but a change of social power to become more equal. The third key component of Marxism is the inclusion of revolution. This is more accurately specified as a "workers' revolution". The end goal of the communist party and of Marxism is to give immediate results by forcing society to go though a revolution, where the working class rises up and takes the power and money of the bourgeois. This would then be spread evenly for everyone to share, and create an equal society and state. 

Class Warriors Presentation: Russia

http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2009/10/21/color-photography-from-russian-in-the-early-1900s/544/ 

WW1: Air Trafficking & Radio Control

Charles Bovill and His Leap in Air to Ground Communication Technology

By Edward Orville

Leaf Tree Publishers - $15.99

          Charles Bovill founded an era of advancements in the field of air to ground and inter-plane communications and air trafficking. His inventions made the modern world possible. Today, these kinds of air to ground communications are used every day in airports, military bases, flight schools, and more. They are necessary to convey warnings, orders, tips, and other things to and from pilots and ground control stations. Without these methods of communication, anything involving air travel would be highly dangerous and much more difficult.

          Charles Bovill's inventions, the S-phone and the Eureka, enabled some of the early methods of air to ground communications in planes. The S-phone, invented in the 1940s,  enabled pilots to have a much greater accuracy in low visibility situations such as flying through storms and fog. This greatly aided the plane's ability to drop supplies, people, and weapons such as bombs. They also allowed pilots and ground control agents to communicate up to thirty miles away with little chance for interference or enemy interception. It was relatively easy to carry and transport as well, as it was just a large phone that was usually stored in a briefcase. The S-phone was even used between gunboats when fighting in or guarding coasts, seas, or other bodies of water.                

          The S-phone and the Eureka combined aided in a great deal of communication between pilots and ground control and even from pilot to pilot or in other methods of transportation such as boats. This communication changed the realm of military tactics as well as many other methods of air and sea travel forever and paved a path towards newer, more advanced methods of long range radio communication. This book goes into riveting detail about Charles Bovill's life and inventions as well as their use throughout history and how they lead to modern technology.

Video: 

http://streaming.britishpathe.com/hls-vod/flash/00000000/00040000/00040291.mp4.m3u8

Lines in the Sand & Remapping the World: thoughts and reflections

          The article, "Lines in the Sand", looks back to the Middle East to describe boarders that were created by Lawrence in 1918. These boarders were created while looking at the regional characteristics of the Middle East. Establishing countries that were independent and self-sufficient, Lawrence was able to keep religious groups together and retain existing national boarders. Unlike this culturally and economically sound version of the Middle East, the finalized map created by Britain and France was drawn for imperial interests, mainly of oil. After World War 1, these two world powers created boarders that cut through existing social and cultural groups. This created unstable countries and halted the progress that those countries could have otherwise made if not for their poor social situations. It is unfortunate that the uneducated decision making of France and Britain has lead to the modern Middle East.