By Hathaway | Published:
January 21, 2010
Over the past couple of weeks, the eighth graders have been learning about the Gilded Age and the many influential people during that time. Students chose a specific man or woman who interested them and were required to write a report on this person. Each student had to also prepare a small presentation about their historical figure and share it with the class. Because of my interest in women’s rights, I researched Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Elizabeth Cady was born on November 12, 1815 in Johnston, New York. Even as a child, Elizabeth was determined to be equal to any male. In 1840, she married an abolitionist named Henry B. Stanton. At the wedding ceremony, Elizabeth refused the traditional vows and insisted on not saying she would “obey” her husband. In 1848 she organized America’s first women’s right’s convention in her hometown of Seneca Falls, New York. This convention took place on July 19th and 20th at Wesleyan Chapel. Here, the Declaration of Sentiments was presented. This declaration demanded the legal equality of women and men in employment, education, and the right to vote. On May 14, 1863, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Antony, another strong women suffragist, formed the Women’s National Loyal League. This league presented the Mammoth Petition that called for the freedom of slaves. Once the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified, the league disbanded. In 1869, two suffragist organizations were formed. Because of the organizations’ opposing ideals, there were many disputes between them. However, this was resolved in 1890 when the organizations united to form the National American Women’s Suffrage Association. Elizabeth was the first president of this association. The National American Women’s Suffrage Association hosted suffrage parades, annual conventions, sponsored newspapers, and also published books and pamphlets. This association presented an appeal for a sixteenth amendment that referenced the Mammoth Petition. Although women did not receive the right to vote until 1920, when the nineteenth amendment was ratified, Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s various appeals and conventions advanced women suffrage. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a valiant leader for women suffrage who made it possible for women in the United States of America to vote today.
By Hathaway | Published:
January 21, 2010
The armistice is signed; peace around the world is restored. After 4 years, World War I is over and the weary soldiers can finally go home. In class today there was an audible sigh as we learned that the incredible casualties of the war were over. The rat filled trenches would soon be deserted as Europe slowly starts to repair its land. Most of the world was fighting against Germany, and this would not be the last time.
In class we have finished writing the notes on the armistice, and you can hear our binders shutting. We have all been humbled by the fighting and death that was caused by World War I. The unbelievable loss of life will never be forgotten. The Treaty of Versailles is harsh and cruel towards the Germans and it is debatable on whether or not that was fair treatment. World War II can also be blamed on the harshness of the treaty, and even then people were plotting to fight again. We wrap up the class with a thank you and goodbye to Mrs. Hathaway as we are all dreading the day when she won’t be teaching us anymore. And as that date is looming closer we all say an extra thank you and smile. World War I is complete and we are moving fast as the end of the second quarter approaches.
By Hathaway | Published:
January 21, 2010
There is never a boring day in 8th History class. Everyday, we learn something that inspires, enlightens, or sometimes, just makes us go “wow.” Right now, we are wrapping up our studies of World War I. This war has truly fascinated me. Almost a week ago, we had an essay to write. The assignment was to find a primary source about WWI, like a letter home or newspaper article, and analyze it to find out what questions about WWI it answers. I found a very significant letter home written by an Allied Powers soldier name Stull Holt. In his letter, Stull writes about being intoxicated by poison mustard gas, which, as we learned in class, was used by the Germans as a very powerful weapon. I thought that Stull’s letter was very important and answered a lot of questions about WWI. I had a lot of fun writing this letter and almost lived vicariously through his memories of war, good and bad. This assignment helped me to more fully understand WWI. History class is one of my favorite subjects.
By Hathaway | Published:
December 7, 2009
In history class we always learn about heroes and villains, victories and losses, and births and deaths. I never go a day without learning something new, if it’s through a presentation or just lots and lots of notes. I’ve recently done a project and presentation on Nathan B. Forrest, Wyatt Earp, and the Haymarket Riot. Forrest was an awful man who fought inthe Civil War and was best known for massacring several people and giving no mercy. He would certainly be considered a big villain to me. Wyatt Earp was a western man who is best known for what happened at the OK Corral. To some he was courageous, and to others he wasn’t. The Haymarket Riot, also known as the Haymarket Massacre, was a very important movement that happened on May 4, 1886. Many strikes like the Haymarket Riot seemed to end up with deaths or injuries. A pipe bomb was thrown at the approaching line of police during the Riot and ended up killing 7 or 8 officers. Policemen retaliated by shooting into the crowd and killing several of the civilians. All three things I’ve recently learned about from research have not always been the most pleasant but it was definitely interesting for me to learn about things that we don’t always hear about.
By Hathaway | Published:
November 17, 2009
This week we had to choose a person in the period of time after the Reconstruction of the states ended. The person I chose was called Charles Boles, a.k.a Black Bart, and after doing some research, I discovered that he is a very interesting man. Born in England, he and his family immigrated to America when he was two, and he grew up in Jefferson County, New York. He decided, however, that gold mining was much more exciting than farming, so he moved to California in 1849. He mined for three years before returning home to help at the farm. In 1854, he went to Illinois and married Mary Elizabeth Johnson. In 1862, he joined in the Civil War and fought in the Union. He was a brave soldier, and fought admirably in Atlanta. When the war was over, he left his wife and four children in Illinois, and went back to the gold mines because for him farming was just to boring. In his 50s he decided that the only way to get the money he wanted so as to live a life of wealth was to become a stage coach robber. However, he wasn’t any ordinary robber. He only stole Wells Fargo money, and he was very courteous about it. People often remarked on the fact that he always wanted to avoid using a gun, and it is true that during his robberies he never once fired a shot. He never took any thing but money, which I find very interesting. Also, he twice left poems behind after taking the money. His luck finally ran out though, and he was captured in 1883 on November 3rd. After being released he simply disappeared, and not much more is known of the gentlemanly robber.
By Hathaway | Published:
November 17, 2009
In History, our class has just recently handed in a paper about a specific person or event that helped to end the frontier and settle the western territory in the United States. We also are presenting in front of the class about our paper’s topic. Some of the topics were Jesse James, the Transcontinental Railroad, George Custer, the Battle of Little Bighorn, and Belle Starr. An interesting point at this time in history is that the white man was starting to destroy the Native American population. They would push them out of their land and force them to move somewhere else. Also around this time the writers in the East were dramatizing all terrible stories. An example is the Battle of Little Big Horn. George Custer, the man in charge of a portion of the US Cavalry, attacked the Native Americans in the Black Hills. The Native Americans were ready and they killed off all but one of Custer’s men, including Custer himself. The East thought that Custer was a hero and shouldn’t have been brutally attacked and killed by the Native Americans. Another example is the story of Jesse James. He was a ruthless outlaw, but the East thought he was a misunderstood man who was really great on the inside. But truly, Jesse James was ruthless. He was said to have shot a four-year-old girl in the leg for no apparent reason.
By Hathaway | Published:
November 4, 2009
In history class we are learning about Reconstruction in the South after the Civil War. One thing that really interested me was learning about people’s efforts in limiting blacks rights. We have grown tremendously since those days. Some examples of things being done in that time were poll taxes, these were taxes that voters had to pay, and seeing how most African Americans were poor, they didn’t have enough money to pay to vote. What really did it for me was the Ku Klux Klan, also known as the KKK. Even though this still does exist in small numbers its not as present. The KKK was a secret group that terrorized African Americans to keep them from living their lives. Learning this was hard, but very interesting and we know the USA has blossomed and segregation is not as pertinent.
By Hathaway | Published:
November 4, 2009
In class today, I found it interesting how quickly northern Republicans gave up what they were fighting for. They wanted equal rights for African Americans, but the southern Democrats constantly resisted. They set up Black Codes, taxes on voting, and sharecropping. Eventually, the Radical Republicans just gave up in the Compromise of 1877, in which all federal troops were removed from the South. This allowed the South to continue to segregate African Americans, a system not much better than slavery. I thought it was unusual that the Radical Republicans were so steadfast in their beliefs at first, but then calmed down because they grew tired of Reconstruction.
By Hathaway | Published:
October 27, 2009
Today in class, someone presented a project they had done on a confederate female spy named Rose O’Neal Greenhow. This woman intrigued me. Her tactics and the way she seduced information from northern generals was very interesting. She would woo them and then ask for information in such a way that they wouldn’t expect anything suspicious. She not only relayed information, but she also brought money back from Europe for the Confederates. But, on that mission, she was killed. She had sewn 2000 gold coins into her dress, so no one would see them, but when she went out on a small boat and it capsized, she drowned. It was quite ironic that what her whole life revolved around actually ended up killing her. But, she did not fail for the Confederates found her body and the coins. She was then given a proper hero’s burial. This woman was very committed to her cause.
