Wednesday, December 11, 2013

LAD #21: Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth

Carnegie begins by asserting the development of society that has centralized wealth in the hands of few, whose mansions rise above everyone's cottages. The centralization of this wealth was actually for the good, so we would not all be poor and the rich can remain rich as long as they help society through three modes of contribution.  His first mode would be leaving it to your family which to Carnegie was not ideal since it actually put a burden on their family on what to do with their wealth.  Another is to give all your money to society only when you are dead, which shows that you were too selfish in society to make donation.  The ideal mode of contribution would be to make public donations during your lifetime while he also supported death taxes on estate.

Monday, November 25, 2013

LAD #2:Emancipation Proclamation

In this Doctrine, which went into effect on December 2, 1823, was a statement made by the United States to all of the European powers. In this statement, the Untied States said that none of the European powers were to try and colonize any far of the New World from here on in. The United States, along with Russia and Great Britain believed that it was time for the European powers to end their colonial ventures in the new world and to keep their affairs domestic. The U.S urged that an attempt to colonize nations in the New World would present a threat to American security and the Americans would take appropriate action. The United States recognized many nations such as Mexico and Chile and bolstered a new era of Independence in the New World.

LAD #19: Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

Lincoln starts off his Second Inaugural Address there is less occasion for him to have a lengthy speech because he was already president once and they were already well into the Civil War. He then goes on to talk about his previous Inaugural Address and how it was before the impending Civil War. He also says the South would've make war than let the nation survive and the North would rather accept war than let it perish. He then talks about how 1/8 of the population is slaves in the South and that he only seeks to contain them. He states that no side predicted how bloody and hard fought this battle would be. He incorporates religion and says that God's will can determine the end of the war even though both sides want it to end. He ends this speech by saying we need to finish our work and create an "everlasting peace."

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

LAD #18: Dred Scott Decision

At the Scott v. Sanford the court was overlooking the larger issues of negro citizenship and disagreement over the Missouri Compromise so they changed the chief justice from Justice Nelson to Roger Taney. Taney did a better job than Nelson who focused on his opinion rather than the opinion of the majority. Taney stated that because they have negro ancestors that were sold to the country as slaves, even if they are free in the country they can not be considered citizens and not have the rights of a citizen. So this meant that Scott does not have a right to a court because he wasn't a citizen. He then moves to the Missouri Compromise stating that it is unconstitutional because in every state, citizens are guaranteed life, liberty, and property. Since slaves were considered property this essentially made slavery legal in all U.S. states. He concluded the case wrapping up what he just said and adding that Dred Scott was a slave in any state so the court ruled in favor of Sanford.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

LAD #17: Ain't I a Woman?

Sojourner Truth speech Ain't I a Woman touches on the fact that slaves, and especially slave women, are treated so much more poorly than whites. She starts off by saying that white women are suppose to be treated kindly and have the best place but no one has ever helped her. She explains how she is treated very poorly because she is the lowest class citizen being a slave and a woman. She than says that people say women can't have as many rights as man because Christ was a man, but Christ was born from a woman so man had nothing to do with Him. She ends with saying women are strong enough to turn the world upside down.

LAD #16: 5th of July Speech

Frederick Douglass starts off his speech referring to himself as what instead of who, symbolizing how he was thought of as property and not a person. He goes on to say who is he to say that the terrible practices such as beating men with sticks, hunting them with dogs, and selling them at auctions is wrong. He says he has better things he can do than list all the things slavery does that is wrong. He then goes on to explain that on the Fourth of July the true hypocrisy of our nation is brought out and that the celebration is a sham. He says that we celebrate freedom and equality in our country when we are really savages who are enslaving people. He then ends with saying that there is no other place in the world that commits a more barbaric act than the people in the United States.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

LAD #15: The Gettysburg Address

Abraham Lincoln gave his memorable Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, after the Union defeated the Confederacy Army at the Battle of Gettysburg. Lincoln said, the nation was in a civil war that would test if we could endure any longer. He felt the battlefield that brought an end to this war should be remembered as a final resting place for those who lost their lives fighting. The rest of the nation who were still alive, Lincoln said, should dedicate themselves to finish the work those who died left behind. To honor those who died, the living had to resolve the problems they had died for. The people who died will not have died in vain and a new birth of freedom was about to emerge.