The Jungle

         To survive at packingtown you have to have strength and a good work ethic.  It was a hard job working in the packing plants, the owners pushed hard to get as much money as possible.  For someone like Jurgis who had a good work ethic this job was well suited for him

        The plant owner worked his men long and hard. He was trying to make as much money as he could and he didn't care hoe he did it.  There were ranks and grades of men that would drive each other to a physical limit. The men who were in the same rank fought against each other to keep their jobs.

       What does Sinclair mean when he says, "...there was no place in it where a man counted for anything against a dollar....?"  This passage is talking about how there was no decency or any honesty.  

      Since this has happened the government has been involved in the processing of all food and drugs.  in 1906 they created the meat inspection act.  This made it mandatory for the government to inspect every piece of meat that is being used.  They inspect all livestock before slaughter, after they have died and when they are being packed up.  

The Sinking of the Maine

        On February 15, 1898 the United State's most advanced battle ship sank due to what most people thought was from the Spanish.   The sinking of the Maine was one of the most important events in the Spanish American war.  The Maine was Americas most advanced and expensive ship for its time.  The US sent the Maine to Cuba to fight against the Spanish fleets, but during the fight the Maine exploded killing 75% of the crew.  To this day no one knows why the Maine blew up, but  some say it was from a Spanish ship or an undetected fire from one of the coal bunkers.  Today the ship lays at the bottom of the Strait of Florida.

       Since the Americans thought that the Spanish blew up their ship they went to war with them starting the Spanish American war.  The Americans were furious about Spain sinking their ship,and created one of the most famous sayings.  "Remember the Maine, to Hell with Spain" this cry was heard throughout America and was an excuse for America to get involved in the war against Spain.






 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Maine_%28ACR-1%29

Carrie Chapman Catt

                                                                     Carrie Chapman Catt

Carrie Chapman Catt was born January 9, 1859 in Ripon, Wisconsin.  She spent most of her childhood in Charles City, Iowa and graduated from Iowa State College.  Catt graduated in three years, was a valedictorian of her class, and the only women in her class.  She later became the superintendent of schools in Mason City in 1885.

 Carrie Catt was American Women's Suffrage leader who campaigned for women's right to vote.  In 1919 Catt led a group of women into Congress to fight for their 19th amendment.  Congress later passed the amendment in 1920, Catt became known as the best known women of the first half of the twentieth century.

Catt later went on to make hundreds of speeches, supervise dozens of campaigns, and connect with one million volunteers by the time she retired in 1920.  She was also part of an anti-war cause from 1920s- 1930s.  In 1933 Catt organized a protest committee of non Jewish women to protest Hitlers persecution of the Jewish people in Germany.  She later died in 1947 at the age of 88 in New Rochelle, New York.

Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrie_Chapman_Catt

http://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/42798

http://www.brynmawr.edu/library/speccoll/guides/catt.shtml

Life in the Camp

                                                                          Life in the Camp

                                                                               By Brian Downer

   The rail roads were growing so fast the workers never stayed in the same place for very long.  They were always moving from city to city to keep up with the rail road.  During their stay in the cities there was anarchy.   People were dying every night out on the streets due to gangs like the outlaw named The Kid.  So a group of storekeepers and rail road workers joined together to hang The Kid.  Retaliation from the gang led to battles in the streets.  This led to the vigilantes gained the upper hand against the gang.


 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/tcrr-hell/

The Battle of Fort Sumter by Brian Downer

The Battle of Fort Sumter

April 12,1861 Charleston, South Carolina, was the start to the Battle of Fort Sumter.  The Battle began at 4:30am, when the Confederates bombarded the fort with artillery that was surrounding the harbor.  34 hours after the first shot was fired, Major Anderson agreed to evacuate the base.  The Union army was significantly out gunned, but neither army had any casualties. 

          

            There were an estimated 85 Union soldiers and 500 confederate soldiers.  After this battle there was a widespread support of military action to both the North and the South.   President Lincoln called immediately for 75,000 volunteers to suppress the rebellion.  This resulted in four southern slave states to join the confederacy.

        On Saturday, April 13 Major Anderson surrendered Fort Sumter to the confederates.  Major Anderson was allowed to have a 100 man gun salute as part of his surrender.  They were only able to do a 50 man gun salute due to an accidental gun explosion killing the man and injured another man.  They then marched out of the fort onto a ship that brought them to Union ships outside the harbor.  They were greeted in the north as heroes.   

Sources
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/fort-sumter.html?tab=facts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Sumter

"Copperheads" The Peace Democrats by Marcus Crespi

Marcus Crespi

Period 2

Mr. Smith

US History

The copperheads were a group of peace democrats who believed the union could be saved and salvaged. The major support for the copperheads came from the Midwest. Spokesmen earned them the name “copperhead” which originally came from a venomous snake the group turned this names meaning to support them it symbolizes the penny with the head of the goddess of liberty.

Clement L. Vallandigham spokesmen of the copperheads in Ohio started a rally at Mount Vernon, Ohio. Vallandigham, Samuel cox, and George Pendleton all gave speeches denouncing general order No. 38. Vallandigham opposed the order so much he allegedly said he “despised it, spit upon it, and trampled it under his feet.” He also encouraged democrats to resist Burnside. He went to chastise President Lincoln for not seeking a peaceful and immediate end to the civil war.

 Fernando Wood described as calm, polite, and courtly led the copperheads.

He was mayor of New York and favored peace negotiation. He came very close to treason and with that he decided to support the war effort. He raised one million dollars for the war effort. In everything he lost the reelection due to him having to recover patriotism. Mayor Woods wrote a letter of recommendation for succession of New York.

            Despite every effort the copperheads made to change the course of the war to a peaceful path Lincoln was ensured a reelection due to the fall of Atlanta crippling there efforts to avert the civil war

Sources:

http://www.mrlincolnandnewyork.org/inside.asp?ID=80&subjectID=3

http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/document/mayor-woods-recommendation-of-the-secession-of-new-york-city/

http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Clement_Vallandigham

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h730.html