Questions about Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln with the 13th Amendment

1. To what extent was Lincoln "uncompromising"?  To what extent was Thaddeus Stevens (leader of the Radical Republicans) "uncompromising"?  What were they willing to compromise on?  What were they not willing to compromise on?

     Lincoln was uncompromising in his beliefs of anti-slavery, his ideas did not change. Of course Lincoln was against the continuation of the war but he had to compromise and find ways to prolong the war and the ending of it until the passing of the 13th Amendment. Thaddeus Stevens was always a power house and could put down any one who faced him. He believed all people should be equal and given a chance and he always thought this, but his ideas of equality and political equality were mixed and changed.

2. To what extent did the movie provide evidence of Lincoln's perspective as depicted in the Lincoln letters?

     At the beginning of the letters Lincoln but the Constitution and the Union first, but nearing the end of the letters his first objective was ending slavery as a whole. In the movie there is always a frustration in Lincoln because he wants slavery to be non-existent but he has to comprise many of times for the better of the Union and for the American people to not catch on to his ideas. If the people discovered that Lincoln was continuing the war just for the 13th Amendment to pass what would they think?

3. Why did Lincoln believe the 13th Amendment was essential?  

     Lincoln believed the 13th Amendment was essential because it needed to be passed before the end of the Civil War. At the end of the war all slaves would be freed meaning all those slaves would become citizens in the South. If the South was to gain all those citizens that means that there would need to be more representatives in Congress on behalf on the South and the South would have more power than in Congress than the north. Once the war was over and slavery end, the amount of representatives in the South would again vote slavery as legal. Lincoln saw this and knew the 13th Amendment could stop this, but it needed to be passed before the war ended.

4. How did the film complicate the narrative that the North was against slavery and/or for racial equality, while the South was for slavery and against racial equality?

     When I was watching the movie I did not a huge difference between the North's beliefs and the South's beliefs. All the Congress members and political representatives were all disagreeing with their beliefs. The film did not show any major events of the North prosecuting blacks and no events of the South lifting the slaves up. Watching the movie we have to believe the differing beliefs from what we were told instead of what we were shown through their actions.
  
5. For what reasons did people seem to resist the ending of slavery?  Did the film depict this as a matter of concern for property rights, or something else?  

     A large reason people were against the ending of slavery was for economic reasons. If there slaves were freed then now they would have to pay for labor instead of having their slaves as property and working for them for free. The film did not depict this about slavery on the economic side. And people believed slaves to be their property and thought it unlawful for their property to be taken from them.

USH Letters Research Activity

Letters Written During the Civil War (1860-1865)

Letter 1:

Samuel D. Lougheed letter to his wife Jane "Jennie" Lougheed, April 20, 1862

     This letter was written by Samuel D. Lougheed for his wife Jane Lougheed on April 20, 1862. Samuel begins his writings in a light tone describing his new position as Regional P.M. and how he delivers the mail to the government boats and takes back any resources to the regiment, he likes this job. But throughout his entire four page letter, Samuel complains about the constant torrential rains that make travel and keeping his tent dry difficult, but on the other hand he mentions God here and there showing his religious beliefs and the belief God with keep him safe. Nearing the end of Samuel's letters he describes in a vague fashion the reality of the Civil War to his wife going even so far to say he won't give all the details in protect her. 

Letter 2:

Samuel D. Sougheed letter to his wife Jane "Jennie" Lougheed, December 21, 1862

    This letter is written by Samuel D. Sougheed for his wife Jane Sougheed on December 21, 1862. Samuel starts by saying he and others are not feeling as well as they want physically and also Samuel is sick emotionally, saying he is ashamed of the other members of his regiment. They spew profanity while they drink alcohol and gamble and objectify women, Samuel takes offence to this and most likely because of his religious standards and beliefs. Suddenly, he is overcome with a worry that he could die and his soul be lost and he tells his wife this. At the time of writing this letter it was Sunday and Samuel would like a table to preform his services but the majority of members of each regiment were drunken and would not allow him to have his table. This entire letter is in a negative tone, but he ends addressing his wife asking her to pray for him and to kiss the family for him.

Letter 3:

Samuel D. Lougheed letter to his wife Jane "Jennie" Lougheed, December 22, 1862

     This letter is written by Samuel D. Lougheed for his wife Jane Lougheed on December 22, 1862. The morning of him writing this letter is actually a sunny and clear morning, but with a look of a storm coming and a constant ashamed feeling from Samuel. An ashamed feeling because Samuel is a religious man and his regiment is becoming increasingly wicked and he is afraid this will lead them to destruction, but he asks God for mercy. Samuel says the only sober men left in the regiment have resigned because they feel the drunks are a disgrace and Samuel plans to resign also, unless the regiment turns themselves around. Later he says the regiments seized a young lady and did horrible things to her. In ending his letters, Samuel includes much religious imagery and talks about his family to his wife.

Letter 4:

Samuel D. Sougheed letter to his wife Jane "Jennie" Sougheed, April 6, 1863

     This letter is written by Samuel D. Sougheed for his Mother on April 6, 1863. Samuel addresses this letter to Ma, assuming he is writing to his mother. He received a letter from his mother on March 27th which mean she would have sent the letter on the 7th of March. Samuel is furious at her this because she has lacked in writing him and he goes so far to call her "cruel and wicked". He states it keeps him up at night with grief that his own mother with not write him and he says she is forgetful and neglectful. But, Samuel calms down saying he got something for his mother and got carried away earlier because he is cold, tired, worn out, and sleepy.

Letter 5:

Samuel D. Lougheed letter to his wife Jane "Jennie" Lougheed, April 30 - May 1, 1863

     This letter is written by Samuel D. Sougheed for his wife Jane Sougheed on April 30 - May 1, 1863. Samuel states that only the sick and the convalescent are what's left of the two armies and the are rebels are crossing the river ready to attack their camp. Samuel's regiment had orders to leave. Jane receives notice that they are all alive and ready to move wherever they need because the rebels mean to fight. Samuel waits for the day to be with his family again. He describes that now in the spring time is beautiful with the green luscious grass and trees and the birds singing. Family is extremely important to Samuel and he constantly is mentioning them and tell plans to him wife of when he returns. Samuel seems to end and a positive and happy mood saying the morning in lovely and that the troops were successful, he says goodbye passionately to Jane and even leaves roses pedals for Josie and Bessie.

Summary:

     Samuel D. Sougheed of the Union recounts his experiences in his regiment of the Civil War with several letters to his wife and family. Religion and morals plays an extremely important rule in Samuel's character and leads him to questions the actions of those around him. The majority of other men in his regiment were constant drunk and gambled and took advantage of women. The actions of Samuel's peers greatly worried him and caused him to pray constantly for mercy from God because of the wickedness of the regiment and the fact Samuel thought they would lead themselves to destruction. Samuel was a simple and religious man and it didn't take much to please him, a simple job hauling mail and the nature around him which he found beautiful was all it took. Surrounded by wickedness and negative influences, Samuel always followed his morals of being a good man and fought for what he thought was right while always having his family, who he loved so dearly, on his mind.

Sources

University Libraries, University of Washington, Digital Collections, Civil War Letters

     I used this source to find all five of my letters with specific detail, the dates and names and locations were all given. (Samuel D. Sougheed is found at the bottom of the page)

13th Amendment

The 13th Amendment and the Abolition of Slavery

13th Amendment

Section 1.
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Section 2.
Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.


     What an article from ourdocuments.gov said about the 13th Amendment was that it passed by Congress on January 31, 1865 and then ratified on December 6, 1865. The Emancipation Proclamation did not completely eradicate slavery, but the 13th Amendment had done this and made it clear that slavery was no longer a legal option in the United States.

Lincoln's Last Warning Political Cartoon Connected to the 13th Amendment

The Meaning of Annotated

an·no·tate

ˈanəˌtāt/

verb

1. add notes to (a text or diagram) giving explanation or comment
2. 
   
3. Definition of Annotate according to Google
4. 
   

     Giving an annotation is more than just restating the topic or phrase, it is giving descriptive notes that add to the source in your own words. The Cornell University Library page on annotated biographies has said this also. The page says an "annotated biography is a list of citations to books, articles, documents. Each citation is followed by a brief (usually about 150 words) descriptive and evaluative paragraph, the annotation." The annotation is supposed to serve as information that informs the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the sources. It also discusses the difference between annotated and abstractions, again saying that abstractions are descriptive summaries that can easily be found elsewhere while annotations are critical points that can describe the author's point of view and thoughts. Annotations are a more in depth and respected form of citing sources.  

US History - Flag Research

Betsy Ross Version of the American Flag

1. ORIGIN: When and where does the US flag originate?

     In May of 1776, Betsy Ross (who lived in Philadelphia and was acquainted with George Washington) reported that she has completed the first version of the American flag but on June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress officially passed the act and established the flag as the symbol of the newly created nation.

2. EVOLUTION: When and why has it evolved?

     The Betsy Ross version of the American flag had the thirteen red and white stripes and this is continued in the present day American flag, but what has mainly changed over the years is the amount of stars added for the different states. A flag timeline of the American flags shows that from 1776 to present day the design has relatively remained consistent with the addition of stars but the layout of the stars has to change. Every so often there is a very unique design of flag and after a while it is returned the well known stars and stripes.

3. DESIGN ELEMENTS / CHOICES: What factors have shaped the look of the flag, including the shapes, colors, and arrangements of stars, stripes, red, white, blue, etc.? Is there a history and purpose to these graphic design choices?

     The wars and experiences of this nation have shaped the look of the flag. On a general scale, the stars represent the heavens and mankind's aspirations and goals and the stripes represent the rays from the sun. More specifically, the thirteen stripes are in remembrance of the original thirteen colonies and the stars show our states at the time, at this time there are fifty stars for the fifty states. And the colors: white means purity and innocence, red means valor and bravery (and I've heard is can symbolize the blood lost so this country could come about), and blue means vigilance, perseverance, and justice. All these symbols would mean nothing and not have the significance they do now if the experiences of the United States did not happen, such as the Revolutionary War. Because the these experiences the symbols of the flag become more personal to the citizens the United States and gives us a sense of pride and nationalism.

Meaning of the Different Parts of the American Flag

4. MEANING
     a. For what is the flag a symbol? Does consensus about the meaning of the flag appear to be fairly widespread? How can you tell? Does it seem to be widely understood as a positive symbols of national unity?

    The United States of America is the greatest free country in the world so the flag is a symbol of that freedom and liberty and human right like how now everyone can be treated equally. The American flag is a symbol that Americans can rally behind anywhere in the world, on familiar territory or foreign territory. But there is not a 100% consensus about the meaning of the flag and it as a positive symbol. The American flag is a sacred symbol so should citizens be able to defile the flag without begin punished? The people who do this are trying to protest against government policy or just show their pure hatred for America, but America is the land of the free and people who desecrate the flag are exercising their first amendment right whether people agree with them or think they are being disrespectful. But the majority of citizens in the United States are thankful for what they have and respect the flag as a sacred symbol.

People Burning an American Flag

     b. What are the flag's nicknames? What can you learn about where those nicknames originate in our culture?

     The common nicknames for the American flag are "The Stars and Stripes", "The Star-Spangled Banner", "The Red, White, and Blue", and "Old Glory". All these nicknames are self-explanatory with the literal stars and stripes and colors on the flag except for "Old Glory". The original Old Glory flag was one specific flag that was owned by Captain William Diver, but it is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. The name "Old Glory" was only that one one flag owned by Captain Diver but now that name is widespread and every American flag is called "Old Glory".

     c. What can you learn about the flag in popular music?

     Through popular music about the the flag we can learn the amount of pride and heart that is carried in the citizens of the nation. Most songs about the United States and its history tell how American is the best country and can overcome anything. The songs are a way we can express our support of the country and show our patriotism. We can learn that the flag is used as the sacred symbol for the United States itself and is extremely and highly looked upon.

5. HABITS/USE: What evidence suggests that the flag is generally understood, within our culture, as something that is worthy of respect and more careful treatment then you might otherwise provide to a piece of fabric?

     The citizens of the United States can follow many common misconceptions and misunderstand the code of the flag. The most common being the when the flag touches the ground then it must be destroyed or burned, but this is not true and the flag can be washed. Another misconception the that the flag cannot actually be washed but indeed it can if it is dirty. These things do not disrespect the flag and what it symbolizes, the purpose of using and maintaining the American flag should be to respect what it stands for and doing these things does not take away from that.

6. CONTROVERSY: Can you find any evidence to suggest that the flag itself is controversial? Or do there just seem to be ways of using it that are controversial?

     It just seems to be the ways of using the flag is controversial. The American flag as a symbol and what it represents is clear and not controversial. What is controversial is whether a person decides to support what the flag and the United States stands for. The ways some people choose to show their patriotism and flag can be controversial to others like a story of this woman who hung

Sources

PBS, ACapitol Fourth, History of the Flag

UShistory.org, Betsy Ross and the American Flag, Flag Timeline

Wikipedia, Betsy Ross Flag

Infoplease, History of the American Flag

State Symbols USA, Flag of USA

Washington County, Pilot-Tribute & Enterprise, American Flag, a symbol of freedom, liberty, and human rights

Omni Financial, Omni Military Loans Blog: American Flag Facts

CNN, Why free speech is baffling to many

Liberty Flags, The American Wave, 7 Common Misconceptions About the American Flag

AJC, American flag controversy: 'I'm disappointed in my country'

Punditcafe, Fun with Flags: What Do Flags Stand For - Significance & Meaning 

Historical Monograph

Historical Monograph - Choices Under Fire by Michael Bess

What is a historical monograph?

     Washington State University says this about a historical monograph, "book-length treatment of a topic, also called a monograph, is a type of secondary source." Scholarly articles like what scholars have researched and written about a certain topic is also considered a secondary source in the historian discipline. When an item is said to be a historical monograph it does not mean that item was written or created in the past at the time of the topic but rather that a historian is writing about his opinions and concerns of that large topic in history. The book Choices Under Fire by Michael Bess is a strong example of a historical monograph.

First Blog

Buster

This is Buster and he sits on Mrs. Lawson's desk watching over the class. Him and I immediately began our friendship from the first moment we met and now we're enjoying history class together and learning new things. Together we're going to work on this history blog and complete our assignments and learn more about history at the same time. Buster is always teaching me about phrenology and the brain and I'm always learning from him. I can tell him and I will be friends through this entire school year and we'll help each other learn more.