Hist120

#12 Telling Your Story

When the terrorists attacked the Twin Towers on 9/11, I was sitting in the back row of my history class working on an assignment with several classmates. The teacher received a phone call, became very hushed and turned on the television.  The first plane had just hit  the towers.  Shortly after, the second plane hit the Pentagon and every channel began buzzing with questions.  Who hit the towers? Will there be any more?

     Our class ended and I walked two doors down to the cafeteria, just in time to see the second plane careen into the other tower on the lunch room screen.  The reporters then confirmed that it was indeed a terrorist attack, and that one more plane was still missing.  This plane then crash landed in a Pennsylvania field, killing all of the passengers but fortunately harming no others.  My thoughts the day of the 9/11 attacks were: who could possibly do something so inhumane and why would they ever do such a thing?   
    Before the attacks, I felt very safe and I never expected such an event to occur. There was no reason to believe that myself or anyone I knew was in danger of any kind.  My parents have several friends who work in the Pentagon, and so afterwards I worried very much for them.  Also, when the talk of weapons of mass destruction came into the media, I began to worry for myself, my family, and all of the other citizens living within close range of major US cities.  I feel somewhat safer now, simply because five years has passed, but at the same time, almost ten years passed between the first and second attacks on the World Trade Center.  This means that the terrorists could possibly be lying in wait, dormant until the public all but forgets the tragedy that happened in 2001.  The government was right about one thing, though. Everyone should continue on with their lives, because if we sit around worrying, our entire country will suffer.  If we continue about our business, then at least we can accomplish something instead of quaking in fear and wasting time.  If a nuclear weapon were to go off in Washington, almost every living thing would be dead within minutes- yes, it should be a concern, but worrying about it is pointless as we would all instantly disintegrate from the blast, or die within seconds from the ensuing radiation.
     9/11 was indeed a tragic event, and I feel terrible for those who lost family or friends on that day.  The past five years have gone by so quickly that I feel like it just happened this morning, and on that day I would never have thought that it would spark such a long, drawn out conflict overseas.  I sincerely hope that such an event never happens again, in any country, but that is probably wishful thinking- the question is not if, but when, where, and why.

#11 Wall Street

In the 1980’s the US economy was very prosperous for the wealthy, but the poverty level rose greatly, particularly for Hispanics and Blacks in the country. “The Reagan boom was an uneven one, despite continued economic expansion [1].” During this time, over 14.5 million jobs were created, but over 70 percent went to white males, and many were in middle to upper-class professions. In the movie Wall Street, this “rich get richer” philosophy runs rampant. In the movie Wall Street, character Gordon Gekko does well to explain the ideology behind the 1980’s economy with three simple words: “Greed is good.”

Wall Street depicts the “hustler’s ambition” showed by 1980’s stock brokers and investment bankers: lie and cheat your way into money, by any means possible. The main character Bud Fox began as a seemingly innocent man with a will for success. He is basically corrupted by Gekko and becomes the prank-monkey and eventually the miniature version of his mentor. Fox begins trading illegal inside information about stock companies with his greedy clients so they can make more money, and so begins to prosper himself. The ruthless Gekko buys the majority of the stock in a company called Teldar Paper and manipulates the stockholders into giving him a great deal of power over the company’s future.

At one point in the movie Gekko states to Fox, “It's all about bucks, kid. The rest is conversation.” This statement perfectly describes the mentality of the economy during the 1980’s. The effect of “Reaganomics” on the country seems very bittersweet; it helped many middle and upper class families gain wealth, as well as brought in a huge amount of tax revenue, but many of the poor and impoverished lost their jobs and were forced to work for minimum wage as blue collar jobs disappeared. In just two years from 1980 to 1982, “the percentage of Americans below the poverty level rose from 11.7 percent to 15 percent [2].” The movie Wall Street was made during the 1980’s to show the United States exactly what it was evolving into: a country where greed and lust for money reign over all other things.

[1] Nation of Nations pg. 950
[2] Nation of Nations pg. 951

#10 Top Ten in 1970

The energy crisis, presidential impeachment proceedings, and the Vietnam War, generally overshadow many other trends in the seventies. These major events caused or influenced much of the context of the time period, including social unrest and realignment. The music and entertainment of the decade gave a great deal of insight into the events of the time period. Many themes of the most popular films and music of the 1970's can be categorized under either love or war. Although there are slight differences among the themes of the movies and music, both have themes heavily influenced by the politics and trends of the era.

Developments in technology attracted many individuals back to the movies. The top movies of the time period based on box office revenue were:
1. Love Story
2. Airport
3. M*A*S*H
4. Patton
5. The AristoCats
6. Woodstock
7. Little Big Man
8. Ryan's Daughter
9. Tora! Tora! Tora!
10. Catch-22 [1]

Experiences of the Vietnam War and wars in general and the consequences of them played a large role in the themes of several movies. Tora! Tora! Tora!, a large budget movie, focused on the attack of Pearl Harbor by the Japanease. The biopic, Patton, was based upon General George. S Patton, a famous figure involved in World War II. Also regarding WWII is Catch-22, a film that focuses on individualism and insanity along with the horrors of war. The number three film, M*A*S*H, is set during the Korean War, despite being widely accepted as truly about the Vietnam War. The comedic film has the characters going to great lengths to distract themselves from what is happening as a result of war. Many of the most profitable movies, like Patton or M*A*S*H, are those founded in the bleak realities of war. An additional profitable genre included films such as Love Story, The Aristocats, and Ryan's Daughter, which were considered to be old-fashioned, sincere films dealing with love and romance.

Many events occurred throughout the seventies which altered the music business to a great extent. The ten most popular songs of the decade were,
1. Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head (B.J. Thomas)
2. I Want You Back ( Jackson Five)
3. Venus (by Shocking Blue)
4. Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (Sly and the Family Stone)
5. Bridge Over Troubled Waters (Simon and Garfunkel)
6. Let it Be (Beatles)
7. ABC (Jackson Five)
8. American Woman (Guess Who)
9. Everything is Beautiful (Ray Stevens)
10. Long and Winding Road (Beatles)

Turmoil between groups such as Simon and Garfunkel as well as the Beatles influenced the content of the music. The lyrical content of the songs by these artists dealt with struggles and troubled times. These troubled times were affected by both personal conflicts and issues related to the Vietnam War. Other songs pertain to the frustrations present in America at the time, for example Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) is about racial harmony and American Woman, which was written about Canada's frustration with America at the time.[2] Contradicting these hits were upbeat songs of optimism such as Everything is Beautiful, which made religious references and dealt with peace, love and understanding, ABC, a song that simplified love in an upbeat way, and Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head, which supports perseverance in the presence of trouble. These songs could be possible attempts to raise the country's morale after the hard times of war.
Although many of the songs and movies related to the overall topics of war or love, they did so in their own unique ways. Nation of Nations states, "The impact of the war fell hardest on the baby-boom generation of the 1950s. As these young people were coming of age, draft calls for the armed services were rising."[3] Many of the movies dealing with war were portrayed to audiences of people directly involved in the war and the repercussions felt by them. The film portrayals of war at the time were more explanatory or informative of what many Americans were going through or had gone through. At the same time there was a growing movement of heightening concern about American goals causing the social turmoil among the country's population. The songs dealt greatly with the public backlash to the aspirations of the American government. This contributes to the tones of frustration and cynicism throughout many of them.
The top ten movies and songs of 1970 and the way they relate to the current events and morale of the country during that year is only an example of why certain songs top the charts. It is common for America's population to determine which songs and movies will be hits based on their emotions and views concerning the happenings of the time period. People like to interpret their feelings through lyrics and fictional characters because it gives them something to compare and relate to without actually facing the dilemma themselves. When an entire country is concerned with war, racism, and a low morale, the majority will automatically be drawn to forms of entertainment that connect to these issues.
[1] http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1970.shtml
[2] http://www.songfacts.com
[3] Nation of Nations, Pg. 892

Post #9 1950's Photo Essay

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Post #8 - Peer Comments

I commented the following posts:

1.   Eric Perkins, George Catlin Essay

2.  Group 6, We the Jury

3.  Group 6, Photo Essay "The Battle of Manassas"

Post #7: We, the Jury

                                       Montana Vs. Rehburg - A 19th Century Murder Mystery
     
         In the Montana case State vs. Edward Rehburg, the petit jury of Group 3 found Mr. Rehburg not guilty on one count of murder in the second-degree. According to laws in the United States, one must be proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in order to be found guilty of a crime. A murder in the 19th century was not easily solved, as forensic science was limited at the time. This made jury decisions much more difficult because if no one saw the event occur, it was very hard to put the accused at the scene of the crime. There was not ample evidence to support a conviction in this case; on the contrary, the testimonies in the courtroom, including that of the victim herself, support Mr. Rehburg verdict as not guilty.
         
         During this time period, testimonies made by women were not typically taken as seriously as those made by men. Despite this fact, both Emma and Bertha Rehburg proposed evidence placing Edward away from any possible opportunity to beat his daughter during the day, making it less likely for him to commit the crime. Additionally, Joe Tiebow, a worker for Mr. Rehburg, also supported the statements made by the girls. The prosecutor questioned Mr.Tiebow with simple queries. This might suggest a discrimination against his social classification. First, he states that Clara came out of the house when she first appeared hurt, which helps the defense as he was supposedly on the haystack all day. He also mentions that as soon as Mr. Rehburg saw his daughter’s condition, he asked her about her wounds and took her into town to see a doctor 10 minutes later. This particular deposition shifts a huge amount of blame away from the accused, and also places the inside of the house as the most probable crime scene.

        The majority of the doctor’s statements simply mentioned Clara’s physical condition as being poor. However, those of Dr. Weed and Dr. Steele bring to light the declaration made by the victim on her deathbed. There is a hearsay rule in the procedure of law, which states that a testimony from what one heard will be discounted from the case and will not be used by the jury to apply in their decided verdict. There is an exception to this and that is the death bed declaration, this can be used in the case as concrete evidence. Clara stated that her step mother abused her, and not her father. This clearly shuts out any verdict of Mr. Rehburg being the guilty suspect.

         The statements made by the three Rehburg daughters, Joe Tiebow, and the doctors provide plenty of evidence for a 19th or 20th century jury to find Mr. Rehburg not guilty, despite any generational differences between the two time periods. Clara’s deathbed declaration was particularly important to the defense because not only did she state the abuser was not her father, but she specifically mentioned that it was her ste-pmother Louisa. Along with the depositions from the others involved, it would not be plausible for a panel to find Edward Rehburg guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

#6 Civil War Photo Essay

Mathew Brady - History Through Photography

Post #5: Barrow's Plantation

Plantation was a property of the Barrow family in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. In 1860, before Reconstruction it consisted of a gin house, master’s house, and slave quarters. By 1881, there were 26 additional houses, a church, and a school.  The new houses belonged to tenant farmers, as did the church and school. On the 1881 map of Barrow’s Plantation, found in Charles S. Aiken’s 1985 article, “New Settlement Pattern of Rural Blacks in the American South,” there are asterisks located next to several of the tenant farmers’ houses. These asterisks indicate the residents who were former slaves on the plantation. These indicated changes were due to the developments that came with Reconstruction. The plantation was also divided into small farm units, each belonging to a different tenant farmer who worked their section of the plantation for a share of the crops that it yielded.

    We originally found Barrow Plantation by searching for historical maps of Oglethorpe County, Georgia.  The main source of this was the Carl Vinson Institute of Government website, a part of the University of Georgia. The most critical part of the investigation was locating Syl’s Fork on the 1883 and1885 maps of Oglethorpe County. The major error which we discovered on the plantation map was that the maps of Barrow Plantation were  rotated about 90 degrees counter clockwise, in other words, the orientation was skewed. If the original maps provided to us were accurately drawn, the plantation is located extremely close to Philomath and Maxey's, Georgia. This discovery was also helpful in uncovering the major map error.

    Barrow Plantation is located approximately at the coordinates 33.694 North and 82.997 West.  We managed to find the coordinates by searching for Syl’s Fork on TopoZone.com, a topographical map site. Once the coordinates were found, it was easy for us to transfer them to a satellite image, which led us to terraserver.com. The area that was formerly the Barrow Family Plantation is now heavily wooded and no sign of civilization can be seen from the satellite image.

    The map of Barrow’s Plantation originally appeared in an article written by David C. Barrow, Jr. “A Georgia Plantation” was published in March 1881 in the fifth issue of the twenty-first volume of Scriber’s Monthly, a literary journal published by Charles Scribner.  David C. Barrow, Jr. was the younger brother of Middleton Pope Barrow. Middleton Barrow is buried in a private cemetery on the family plantation in Oglethorpe County.  He served in the Senate and was a Confederate soldier during the Civil War. These two Barrows are the great-grandsons of Wilson Lumpkin, who served in Congress for four terms and was elected governor of Georgia for two terms (1831-1835). The Barrow family and its relatives were very active in politics and the welfare of their country. (Original Appearance  )

    Based on the several different maps found during research, we found that the Barrow family plantation changed greatly between 1860 and1881. The map showed the changes that occurred during the Civil War and after Reconstruction.  The abolishment of slavery changed the plantation from a slave-driven farm to several different tenant farms. Remarkably, the satellite image shows a clear shape very similar to the shape of the original maps we have. Such an occurrence showed us that the plantation had had a strong impact on the ecology of the area, and that the plantation could very well still be in use to this day. Whether or not it’s still producing the same crop is debatable, but nonetheless quite impressive that it has withstood the test of time for so long. (Current Satelitte Image ).

Post #4: "George Catlin's Indians"

The painting of Pigeon’s Egg Head before and after his trip to

Washington

is a good representation of George Catlin’s feelings towards the Native American people as a whole during the early to mid 1800’s.  During this time, Jacksonian Democracy took hold of the nation, spelling disaster for black slaves and Native Americans alike. The painter uses an interesting tactic; he splices two images of the young chief-to-be (one before his brush with English culture, one after) into the same painting, which gives the audience an idea of just how much white society changed him. Sadly, the piece can be applied not only to Pigeon’s Egg Head, but also, in a way, to the entire race. Catlin shows both his admiration of these indigenous peoples and the decline of the Native American identity in his painting.
            
            During the 1830’s, Andrew Jackson’s system of government sought equality for all white males, but this entailed the abuse of other races for labor and land.  “The demand for new lands put continuing pressure on Indians, whose valuable cornfields and hunting grounds could produce marketable commodities like cotton and wheat.” [1] Eventually, some natives were drawn into the

U.S.

economy, selling crops to make money for purchasing white goods.  As this happened, the tribal society begin to fall apart, because the property was no longer being shared among all of the natives.  Some even bought black slaves, which went against the ideals put forth in their former culture.
            
            In the painting, this dissipation of the once noble Native American ideals is very clear.  On the left, Pigeon’s Egg Head stands tall and proud, representing his tribe and culture with grace.  He wears his native garb and a feather headdress, holding a peace pipe in his hand.  On the right (upon his return home), he is slouching, seemingly drunk with a bottle of liquor in his back pocket.  He has traded in his traditional dress for a sewn suit, waterproof boots and a top hat with a ridiculous feather on top. He now carries an umbrella and a fan instead of his pipe, showing that he has bought into the status symbols of the

U.S.

during this time period. 

            Catlin’s painting represents the former pride and the unfortunate transformation of the Native American people.  The

U.S.

government seemingly pretended to assimilate the natives into their culture, only to end up removing them by force to take their lands.  The Indians were too impressionable and began to change their ideals to match those of the whites, which can be seen both in their economic decisions during the 1830’s and in the way Pigeon’s Egg Head gave up his traditions for novelty.  It is obvious that Catlin respected and admired the Native American ways, but knew that the race was on a path towards destruction.

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