Life in the 1850's
In 1850, Scandinavian gold miners in California formed the first ski clubs in the
United States. On June 2nd, a series of fires destroyed several million dollars worth of
property in San Francisco. In 1851, Cornelius Vanderbilt established a steam ship route
from New York to California. In 1852, Congress established the Oregon territory. A
year later, a San Francisco club introduced the Irish sport of hurling into the United
States. That same year a yellow fever epidemic killed 5,000 people in New Orleans. In
1854, the Kansas Nebraska Act opened the Kansas and Nebraska territories to popular
sovereignty on the issue of slavery. In 1855, violence erupted over the expansion of
slavery in "Bleeding Kansas." In 1856, Mormon leaders furnished handcarts to
immigrants who intended to cross the plains. On May 24, John Brown and his son killed
5 proslavery men at Pottamatomie Creek in Kansas. In 1857, U.S. troops were sent to
Utah to put down a Mormon rebellion. An expedition led by Albert Sidney Johnston and
guided by James Bridger explored the Yellowstone river valley. In 1858, John
Butterfield opened an overland stage route. On May 2nd, marathon horse riding became
the craze in California. John Powers rode 150 miles on a racetrack in 6 hours, 43
minutes, and 31 seconds; he used 25 mustangs and won $5,000. On May 11th,
Minnesota entered the United States as the 32nd state. In 1859, mining operations
increased in Nevada and Colorado. That same year painter Albert Bierstadt traveled
through the Rocky Mountains. On February 14th, Oregon entered the Union as the 33rd
state. During the 1850's the Western movement was still ...
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...ucted between Rock Island, Illinois, and Davenport, Iowa. On August 24, a drop
in grain prices and the over-production of U.S. manufactured goods in an atmosphere of
renewed land speculation set off another panic. The resulting depression lasted two
years. In 1858, the Butterfield Overland Mail began service to California. On March
30th, Hyman Lipman patented the first pencil with an eraser. In July, gold was
discovered near present-day Denver, Colorado, which initiated the Pikes Peak Gold Rush
and the white settlement of Colorado. (Chronicle of America; American Eras)
Bibliography:
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Daniel, Clifton. "Chronicle of America," 1997
Mancall, Peter. "American Eras," 1999
Corporation, Microsoft. "Encarta Encyclopedia," 1997-2000
Corporation, Infonautics. "Encyclopedia.com," 2000
History is an abundance of movements that demonstrate the changes in societal ideals and beliefs, it also conveys the struggle many people had to maintain conservative ideas. The 1920s was a major time frame when many changes occurred and began, it is the epitome of the struggle between a changing nation and the Conservatives who want it all to stay the same. The power struggle between the Conservatives and the rebellious members of society had been going on for years but it was the passing of the Volstead Act, which had kicked started the Prohibition, that created an explosive change throughout the society. Drinking became fashionable, everyone wanted to do it because it was forbidden. With one law being broken people began to break the societal norms; woman drank and smoked in public, blacks were becoming popular in society, and even the accepted religious facts were called into question. This disregard for the norms caused an uproar throughout society and were the main tensions between old and new ideal; the tension stemmed from the ideals about women, blacks and religion.
In Daily Life in the United States, 1920-1939: Decades of Promise and Pain, author David E. Kyvig, creates historical account of the Great Depression, and the events leading up to it. Kyvig’s goal in writing this book was to show how Americans had to change their daily life in order to cope with the changing times. Kyvig utilizes historical evidence and inferences from these events and developments to strengthen his point. The book is organized chronologically, recounting events and their effects on American culture. Each chapter of the book tackles a various point in American history between 1920 and1939 and events are used to comment on American life at the time. While Kyvig does not exactly have a “thesis” per se, his main point is to examine American life under a microscope, seeing how people either reacted, or were forced to react due to a wide range of specific events or developments in history, be it Prohibition, the KKK, or women’s suffrage.
In early America between the years of 1825-1850, America was rapidly changing and reforming the way people lived. Societal problems and major discrepancies that had previously been overlooked began to rapidly gain awareness. The main idea of the reforms in the United States at this time was the relatively new sense of Democracy. Reform sought to maximize these benefits in light of Democracy and for this reason came up with many changes in which greater good can be found through freedom, justice, and equality of all people.
Some historians have argued that 1950s America marked a step back for the advancement that women made during WWII. What contributed to this “return to domesticity” and do you believe that the the decade was good or bad for women?
The period from 1820 to 1850 was a time where several important and diversified events in American history occurred. This period was a period of extreme reform. There were many conflicts during this period in which brought about great change. Such conflicts include the Gibbons vs. Ogden, Erie Canal, American Temperance Society, David Walker’s Appeal, Anti-slavery society, Sack of Lawrence, and the Dred Scott Decision. All of these events had one goal, to make the society a better, improved place for everyone, both in the North and South. Inside three people’s lives: free black man, slave women and a middle class white woman, none of them actually had the freedom and rights as opposed to today. If a middle class white woman was married, her life was controlled by her husband. She had no property rights and could not vote. The free black man could own property and vote in many states outside the South. The slave woman had no rights at all. Her "master" could rape her and she could do nothing about it.
Johnston and the other was to capture Atlanta. Johnston realizing that he was outnumbered started to
Technology played an important role in the daily lives of Americans in the 1920s. Many inventions and new developments occurred during this time. A large number of items that are used today were invented by individuals and teams in research laboratories. This technology brought many conveniences such as electrical power and indoor plumbing into the home. Radios gave people access to the news and provided entertainment. Mass culture was also born and the automobile became the largest consumer product of the decade. By 1929, one in five Americans had an automobile on the road. America experienced a decade of economic growth due to the impact of technology in the 1920s.
The years after the civil war left one half of America, the north, satisfied and the other half, the south, mostly dissatisfied. Therefore the last third of the nineteenth century, 1865-1900, was a time period in which America was mending, repairing, improving, reshaping, and reconstructing its society, economy, culture, and policies. Basically it was changing everything it stood for. This continual change can be seen in the following events that took place during this time. These events are both causes and effects of why America is what it is today. These are some examples: the reconstruction of the south, the great movement towards the west, the agricultural revolution, the rise of industrialism, the completion of the transcontinental railroad, and America's growth to gaining world power. All of these are reasons and events that characterize America as being an ever-changing nation.
On October 18, the Marines, headed by Colonel Robert E. Lee, requested the surrender of Brown. He refused. The Marines attacked and captured John Brown. Brown’s trial took place in one week and on November 2, 1859, John Brown was charged with murder, treason, and leading a slave revolt. He was sentenced to death.
half of the Union soldiers, the majority of them being black. The high death rate
Everyday life in the United States is very different today than it was in the 1700's. Life was harder and the settlers did not have nearly as many luxuries as society has today. Some aspects of the colonial times that were different then are today include family, employment, and social activities. Life in the United States in the 1700's was filled with hard work, cooperation, and dedication to one’s land and family.
During the Gilded Age, “living conditions in the cities were often deplorable, with thousands of families forced to reside in slums that were breeding grounds for typhoid, smallpox, cholera, tuberculosis, and other diseases that swept through the cities on a regular basis.” (“Industrial Revolution”). Poverty and homelessness was not uncommon at the time. The political corruption at the time did not help with this issue either. Political machines governed cities, exploiting the desperate immigrants and gaining their loyalty to stay in power. Starting life anew was difficult and near impossible. Urban life was deplorable during the Gilded Age as demonstrated by the urban slum life, political corruption and difficult life.
John Brown raided Harpers Ferry on the night of October 16,1859. This caused many deaths and arrests in which included John Brown himself. There was robbery and shots fired. His overall goal was to abolish slavery, and this was the beginning of the end of slavery.
From the outside, the 1950’s was a great time for America. Society revolved around the idea of America being a middle-class nation. Americans worshipped conformity, and materialism satisfied the need to conform. However, the prosperity of materialistic America hid the growing, numerous problems. Dissent in any way was not tolerated; all injustice was stifled by a fear of difference. In “Fifties Society,” Alan Brinkley discusses the truth of the era; that the fear of nonconformity was hidden by the seemingly prosperous middle-class nation. Brinkley argues the Beat movement and “feminine mystique” show that the people who did not fit in reveal the true colors of 1950’s society.
On August 29th 2005, Hurricane Katrina, a category 3 storm, slammed into the Gulf Coast. In it’s wake, Katrina left a trail of destruction that killed over 1800 people and cost an estimated 108 billion dollars in damages, making it the most destructive natural disaster in US history. Right in the path of the most powerful part of the storm was the city of New Orleans. (Hurricane Katrina)