Washington- (1789-1797) established the first cabinet offices of treasury (Hamilton), war (Knox), and state (Jefferson), and later included attorney general (Randolph); the Judiciary Act of 1789 created the Supreme Court and lower federal courts; the first treaties with foreign powers under the Constitution- Jay’s Treaty of 1794 with Britain was considered ineffectual, although the Pinckney treaty of 1795 with Spain opened up the Mississippi as a trade route and allowed the tax free right of deposit of American goods in New Orleans; Washington’s crushing of the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania in 1794; the unfortunate development of political parties around the personalities of Hamilton and Jefferson; the Neutrality Proclamation which guided US foreign relations for over a century; establishing the (then unofficial) precedent of two terms that would be maintained until FDR.

Jefferson (1801-1809)- sought to reduce the size of government and the use of excise taxes; the Louisiana Purchase doubled US territory and furthered Jefferson’s dream of creating an “Empire for Liberty” rooted in self-sufficient yeoman farmers even while he questioned the constitutionality of the action according to strict interpretation of the Constitution; sent out Lewis and Clark to explore that territory, gather scientific information, and make friendly overtures to the Native Americans there; was challenged by piracy off the north-central coast of Africa in the Barbary states and was forced to pay tribute since our navy was too small to protect the merchant fleet; tried to avoid war with France or England or be sucked into the war between them by declaring an embargo of trade on bth sides that had the effect of promoting manufacturing.

Jackson (1829- 1836)- Known as Jacksonian Democracy or the Era of the Common Man, the right to vote was extended to nearly all white males, removing property restrictions that became meaningless due to westward expansion; the Indian Removal Act sought to clear the south and southwest of the Five Civilized Tribes, resulting in th Trail of Tears; as the representative of the people, he vetoed more bills than all of the previous presidents put together; supported “rotation in office,” or the spoils system to reward political supporters with government jobs; killed the Bank of the US as a bastion of privilege and wealth, which in the long term led to the collapse of hundreds of banks as speculation ran wild causing the depression or panic of 1837; advocated a policy of states’ rights until South Carolina threatened secession over the Tariff of 1828. The Age of Reform and the Second Great Awakening began during Jackson’s presidency.

Lincoln (1861-1865)- directed the response of the federal government to the secession of the Confederate States; defined the Civil War as a war over the principles outlined in the Declaration of Independence (see Gettysburg Address); ended slavery; established a plan for Reconstruction; first federal draft law; first federal income tax; establishment of  a national bank to regulate currency.

Wilson (1912-1919)- addition of four (Progressive) amendments to the Constitution (16- income tax, 17-direct election of Senators, 18-Prohibition, 19-woman suffrage); Clayton Act strengthening anti-trust legislation and exempting unions from that legislation; creation of Federal Reserve System; lowering tariffs; intervention in World War I; development of Fourteen Points based upon self-determination, freedom of the seas, and creating a world body to settle disputes among nations, although the US did not join this body.

FDR (1933-1945)- New Deal intervention in economy based on relief, reform, and recovery; two amendments to the Constitution (20- changing start of terms for federal elective offices, 21- ending Prohibition); deficit spending under Keynesian economic theory to prime the pump of the economy; Social Security; supplying the Allies with weaponry and then joining the fight in World War II; dramatically altered the size and scope of government and citizens; expectations of what the federal government’s role was; ended isolationism as a foreign policy option.

Truman (1945- 1953)-  continuation of New Deal philosophy in Fair Deal; desegregation of the US military and federal government;  created Committee on Civil Rights; 22nd Amendment passed limiting presidential terms to two; involvement in Korean War; containment; development of atomic and nuclear weapons; Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe; Truman Doctrine attempts to contain communism and prevent spread to Greece and Turkey; massive peacetime military spending; Berlin airlift in response to Soviet blockade; creation of NATO.

LBJ (1963-1968)- Civil Rights Act of 1964 ends segregation in public accommodations; Voting Rights Act  forbids literacy tests and enforcement of 15th Amendment; War on Poverty includes development of Appalachia and Economic Opportunity Act creating Job Corps; creation of Medicare and Medicaid; Elementary and secondary Education Act increases federal spending in schools; increasing involvement in Vietnam; Tonkin Gulf Resolution expands presidential war powers.

Reagan (1981-1989)- Reagan Revolution was a high tide of conservatism with the New Right, neoconservatives, and the Moral Majority becoming powerful; remaking the American electorate through drawing support of “Reagan Democrats;” supply-side economics includes tax breaks and deregulation of economy; nomination of first woman to Supreme Court; passage of balanced budget act but large deficits; cuts in domestic social program spending; massive military spending and program expansion; Iran-contra scandal; strong anti-communism in Latin America and Caribbean (El Salvador, Nicaragua, Granada); pushing Soviet Union near collapse and end of Cold War.

This is a cute site, and it helps you to review court cases AND provides instant feedback!

http://www.congressforkids.net/games/Judicial_segregation/courtdecisions.htm

 

This part reviews the Bill of Rights:

http://www.congressforkids.net/games/billofrights/1_matching.htm

 

This part reviews Constitutional Amendments (except for the Bill of Rights):

http://www.congressforkids.net/games/amendments/1_scramble.htm

As you review, consider what patterns emerge among these various uprisings, riots, and rebellions.

 

“A little rebellion now and then is a good thing. It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government. God forbid that we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion.”– Thomas Jefferson

Good golly, what if he had gotten his wish????

 

 

1663- Slave Uprising in Gloucester County, Virginia. in which both slaves and white indentured servants joined together to fight against their masters. Note that this occurred barely forty years after it was believed that the first Africans arrived on a Dutch ship in what would eventually be the United States.

 

1676- Bacon’s Rebellion breaks out when former indentured servants on the Virginia frontier . Economic pressures  had led former servants to only be able to procure land for themselves on the frontier, where they were subject to attack at any moment from Indians upon whose ands they were often squatting. When the colonial government refused to help them defend themselves, grivance spilled over. That summer and fall, a force under Nathaniel Bacon carried out indiscriminate attacks on Indians, whether friend or foe.  But the grievances of Bacon’s men included more than Indian attacks for they also bitterly resented the privileges the elite FFVs enjoyed and their access to power, and especially criticized the governor, William Berkeley. Therefore, when Bacon’s attempt to negotiate better treatment for those on the frontier failed, he and his men marched on Jamestown itself and burned it along with several plantations. Who knows what would have happened if the rebellion hadn’t disintegrated when Bacon suddenly died of dysentery? Twenty-three of the rebels were hanged by Governor William Berkeley.  See  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p274.html and, for a copy of Bacon’s “Declaration in the Name of the People,” see  ”http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5800“.

 

1689- After the Glorious Revolution of 1688 led to the overthrow of King James II, an armed uprising stormed the fort of Boston seeking the overthrow of Sir Edmond Andros in the Dominion of New England.  Andors had angered colonists by attempting to limit self-government, encouraging the adoption of the Church of England in place of the Puritan faith, strict enforcement of the Navigation Acts, and by enforcing these decrees with British soldiers who were perceived as being unruly and needlessly violent and disrespectful. Andros was arrested by the mob, and the short-lived Dominion of New England collapsed after only three years. Cotton Mather and other leading citizens issued a “Declaration of Grievances”  outlining why the colonists were justified in resenting the imposition of the Dominion.

 

1689-91- Leisler’s Rebellion was led by militia captain Jacob Leisler in lower New York and was another outgrowth of the Glorious Revolution, much like the rebellion in Boston. New York was also made part of the Dominion of New England, and colonists there didn’t like it any better than those in Boston. Leisler overthrew the rule of the Lt. Governor, and created a new government based on direct representation. Leisler claimed to be maintaining power in the name of the new, Protestant rulers of England, William and Mary.  However, when William and Mary appointed a new overseer, Leisler refused to give up power, and British troops  captured him. He and his son-in law were convicted of treason, hanged, and then beheaded while still alive.

 

1677-79- The Culpeper or Albemarle Rebellion broke out in response to stricter enforcement of the Navigation Acts after the end of salutary neglect. A group of frontiersmen led by John Culpeper and George Durant in the Albemarle region of South Carolina imprisoned the deputy governor and other royal officials, including customs inspector (collector of taxes, never a popular person) Thomas Miller.  They then elected their own legislature, elected Culpeper governor, and ran things for two years. Miller eventually escaped from jail, made it back to England, where he informed the Lords Proprietors of the events. Culpeper was arrested and tried for rebellion, but was acquitted, in part because one of the Lords Proprietors defended him and justified the rebellion due to the harshness of the colonial officials. After this rebellion, one of the Lords Proprietors himself took over as governor.

 

1712- Slave Uprising in New York City in which about 25 armed slaves killed nine whites. Seven hundred were arrested. About twenty of the rebels were executed.

 

1739- The Stono Rebellion was another slave uprising led by a slave named Cato from Stono, South Carolina. On September 9, 20 slaves met and planned to escape to freedom. They rboke into a store, killed the two shopkeepers, and stone guns and the ingredients for ammunition. Reportedly,  60 to 100 slaves eventually ran into a white militia called out to repel them as they marched toward Spanish Florida. At least forty blacks and twenty-one whites died during the battle. As a result, South Carolina enacted a much harsher slave code that no longer allowed slave to assemble in groups or learn to read, among other things. This was the largest uprising of slaves prior to the Revolution. See  http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/colonial/stono_1 or http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p284.html

 

1741- The New York Conspiracy was another slave rebellion in New York City that was feared, although it is doubtful whether any actions took place. Thirty-one slaves and four white accomplices were executed for supposedly planning an uprising.

 

1763-66- Pontiac’s Rebellion broke out at the conclusion of the French and Indian War and raged throughout the Ohio Valley which had just been acquired from France for Britain. At the urging of an Indian religious leader who promised success if Indians would return to traditional ways, an Ottawa tribal chief named Pontiac soon gathered a confederation of Chippewa, Miami, Huron, Potawatomie, Delaware, and Seneca Indians to fight the establishment of British forts in the region. Ultimately, the Indians captured eight forts before the uprising lost force, and in 1766 a treaty was concluded. In response to this rebellion, however, the Proclamation of 1763 was issued by the British, enraging colonists, especially those who wished to settle in the rich Ohio River Valley. {Pontiac’s Rebellion also caused a violent uprising on the Pennsylvania frontier known as…

 

1763-64- The Paxton Boys Uprising was a series of attacks by frontiersmen who  were angered by Pontiac’s Rebellion. These predominantly Scots-Irish  groups attacked any Indian settlements, regardless of whether they had attacked whites or not. When the Pennsylvania governor issued arrest warrants for the Paxton boys after they attacked a peaceful settlement of Conestoga Indians, killing six outright and later taking 14 captive (who were also later killed), the Paxton Boys then attacked a village of Indians who had been converted to Christianity by Moravian missionaries. When the Indians fled to Philadelphia and were protected by the government, the Paxton Boys then marched on Philadelphia in 1764, causing a panic in the City of Brotherly Love. Only Benjamin Franklin’s negotiations with representatives from the Paxton Boys caused the march to break up. Nonetheless, tension between hardscrabble frontiersmen (westerners) and wealthier, more politically connected citizens  (easterners)was obviously not something that was solved after Bacon’s Rebellion, as this uprising demonstrated.

 

1766-71- The Regulator Movement was an uprising in the Carolinas, once again between western frontier settlers and their wealthier, politically connected eastern counterparts, also known as the War of Regulation. It was felt that the laws and regulations that were enforced by the government were not fairly administered. This discontent was fed by the scarcity of money on the frontier. Eventually governor William Tyron called out the militia, and 2000 Regulators and 1,000 militia members fought at the Battle of Alamance on May 16, 1771. Although numerically superior, discipline and strategy was on the side of the better-trained militia, and after a two hour battle in which nine were killed on each side, the Regulators were defeated.  See  http://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/nc/ncsites/Alamance.htm or this previous post on the blog for more info.

 

1764- Ethan Allen was the leader of the Green Mountain Boys, a military resistance unit that was formed  among settlers who did not want to see the takeover of what is now Vermont  and New Hampshire by New York. Using armed resistance, the Green Mountain Boys established a de facto government in lieu of the royally sanctioned authority of New York, which issued warrants for their arrest. When New York sent surveyors into the area they were forcibly detained and even beaten. When the Revolution broke out, however, the Green Mountain Boys and Ethan Allen  fought as a Vermont militia in the war, and when Vermont declared itself an independent nation in 1777, the Green Mountain Boys formed the basis for the Vermont Army. 

 

1773- The Boston Tea Party. Tea Tax from Champagne Charley Townsend. Dudes in the Sons of Liberty dressed like Indians (not convincingly, but points for effort). Six thousand pounds of tea floating around in Boston Harbor in just under three hours. British East India Company enraged even without Captain Jack Sparrow involved. Port of Boston closed as part of the Intolerable Acts.

 

1786-87- Shays’ Rebellion broke out in western Massachusetts i the wake of a depressed national economy after the end of the Revolutionary War. Many of these farmers who had returned from the war practically penniless, and they greatly resisted the high property taxes that forced many of their number into foreclosure. Hardworking men saw their farms sold, and if that did not raise enough to pay off all their debts, they were subjected to the humiliation of court and possibly debtors’ prison. They feared that they would eventually become tenant farmers working for wealthy, well-connected landowners. Thus a strong populist flavor permeated the reasoning of the rebels.  Daniel Shays was a decorated Revolutionary War veteran who led the insurrection. He and his men marched on the debtors courts and forced them to close, which then alarmed creditors such as merchants and bankers, obviously. The problem was that the Confederation Congress could find no way to fund an army to restore order. The governor of Massachusetts, James Bowdoin, eventually had to use private funds to put down the insurrection. After a failed attempt to seize an arsenal, the rebellion collapsed, and many of its leaders fled to Vermont, which was not yet a state. Nonetheless, eventually 200 rebels were prosecuted for treason in 1787, and fiver were sentenced to hang. The governor lost re-election to John Hancock in the aftermath, and the five rebels sentenced to hang were paraded in front of the gallows before being given a last-minute pardon. Shays was pardoned as well, eventually, and died of old ageShays’ Rebellion led many to conclude that the Confederation was too weak, and that radical measures would have to be taken to prevent similar uprisings in the future. The eventual consequence? The Constitutional Convention in 1787. But leftover anger from the rebellion caused Massachusetts to barely vote to ratify the new Constitution when it was put to a vote of the people in 1788. See http://www.calliope.org/shays/shays2.html.

 

1794- the Whiskey Rebellion began in 1794 in Pennsylvania over a 1791 tax that was imposed upon whiskey distillers that was viewed as unjust, and especially unfair to small producers, who had to pay by the gallon, versus large distillers who paid a flat fee. Western farmers particularly resented this tax because it seemed to punish their habitual practice of turning their excess crops into whiskey to be sold. The tax was part of Hamilton’s financial plan to pay off the national debt (and promote the power of the federal government). After the protests turned into shooting and tarring and feathering of tax collectors, President Washington declared martial law and activated an army of militiamen from several states numbering almost 13,000. Washington and his former Revolutionary War aide Hamilton personally took control of the force and marched into western Pennsylvania. Once there, the main force of rebels melted away, but twenty alleged participants were arrested, and two were later sentenced to death for treason, although Washington commuted their sentences claiming one was an idiot and the other was crazy. The person who claimed leadership, a “Tom the Tinker,” was never found. This rebellion marked one of two times that a president has actually commanded troops in person, and showed that the federal government was strong enough to maintain itself, in contrast to that under the Articles of Confederation. Another consequence was that the common people came to feel that the Federalist party was out of touch with their concerns. The Whiskey Tax stayed on the book until 1803, although it was very difficult to collect, and many distillers then moved into the wilds of Kentucky and Tennessee, where they used corn instead to make bourbon.

 

1800- Gabriel Prosser’s rebellion was to be led by Gabriel and his brother Martin in Virginia. They gathered 1,000 slaves and armed them with the intention of attacking the capital of Richmond. Prosser’s plan was leaked to authorities after weather caused a delay in enacting the planned attack, and Prosser and several of his followers were executed.

 

1811- St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana was the location of a slave rebellion in January of this year in which 500 slaves rose up. One hundred slaves died in the ensuing mayhem.

 

1816- Fort Blount, Florida was the site of a battle between US Army forces and a combined force of 300 runaway slaves and Indians.

 

1822- Denmark Vesey’s Uprising was led by a free black man in Charleston, South Carolina, and was over before it began, as a slave informed his master of the plan before ti was actually enacted. The plan was believed to involve thousands of free and enslaved blacks, the mere possibility of which stunned local white officials. Vesey and thirty-six other conspirators were hanged after a very long series of trials.

 

1831- Nat Turner was convinced by a solar eclipse in February of 1831 that it was a sign from God that he should kill his master to free himself. By August, he completed his plans for a hoped-for uprising, and proceeded to kill his master and his family. Only 75 slaves joined his rebellion, however, and 3,000 whites turned out to put down the insurrection. After Turner and his small force was stopped, about 100 other slaves apparently unconnected with the resurrection were killed as well as tensions and emotions ran high. Turner was executed on November 31, after hiding for six weeks.

 

1859 –John Brown leads a raid with 21 other men on a federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry on October 16, Virginia, hoping to use the weapons to create a massive slave uprising. Although Brown captured the arsenal, the plot failed, and he was arrested by a force of Marines led by Lt. Col. Robert E. Lee, who had been on leave nearby. Brown was tried, for treason against the state of Virginia and executed, making him a “martyr for abolitionism.”

 

1861-1865- Civil War, or as many Southerners liked to call it, “the War of Northern Aggression” (shudder) or “the Late Unpleasantness.”  Do I really need to explain this one?

 

1863- The New York City Draft Riots erupted on July 11-13, 1863. The city was in the control of a powerful Democratic machine, and thus the Enrollment Act of Conscription which the Republican Lincoln passed was universally hated, including by the governor of New York. Unfortunately, the first draftees were being enlisted just as the news of the horrors of Gettysburg made the papers. Riots then broke out, predominantly among the Irish of the city , many of whom had no desire to fight to free blacks who would then compete with them for jobs at the bottom of the economic ladder. The damage from the riots was later estimated at more than one and a half million dollars, and no one knows exactly how many people died in the violence. In the end, Lincoln had to divert troops from fighting the Civil War to restore order in New York, and they had to remain in place to keep the peace. It is estimated that the hated conscription law only raised 150,00 men, most of them substitutes. See http://www.civilwarhome.com/draftriots.htm.

 

1875-77- A General Labor Strike spread nationwide, centered primarily in the railroad industry. This strike had been building for several years, especially since the depression of 1873.  Workers forced to live in company towns suddenly saw their wages cut, often by at least 10%. In one instance, in 1875, the Reading Railroad cut wages to 54% of the 1869 levels, resulting in a strike that lasted 170 days. This was known as The Long Strike. The labor unrest  of the Long Strike of 1875 extended into the coal industry as well. A secret society known popularly as the Molly Maguires (its formal name was the Workingmen’s Benevolent Association) made up primarily of Irish who worked in the railroad industry, was blamed for  various actions of violence during the strike, and eventually nineteen were tried and executed for their activities. See http://www.providence.edu/polisci/students/molly_maguires/ for more info.

 

1892- Homestead Strike- Andrew Carnegie’s Homestead steel plant was the site of a violent confrontation between striking workers and Pinkerton detectives after the workers armed themselves and occupied the plant. When the Pinkertons tried to attack via the Monongahla River, they were fired upon and captured. The Pennsylvania State Militia then attacked and won the release of the Pinkerton detectives, and the union was ruthlessly crushed.

 

1909-12- The Black Patch War erupted over a specific rich tobacco grown in western Kentucky and Tennesse that the Duke  Tobacco tried to monopolize. Independent farmers responded to the monopolistic practices with an armed uprising that involved “Night Riders” attacking anyone or anything affiliated with the Duke Company. It took three years for the violence to end.

 

Race riots: Too many to describe but here are some of the more famous ones after the turn of the 20th century:

Atlanta, GA 1906

East St. Louis, IL 1917

Tulsa, OK, 1921

Harlem, NY 1935

Detroit, MI 1943

Beaumont, TX 1943

Los Angeles, CA (the Zoot Suit Riots) 1943

Harlem, NY 1963

Watts, CA 1965

Detroit, MI, 1967

Newark, NJ 1967

Baltimore, Chicago, Louisville and Washington DC in the wake of the assassination of MLK

Los Angeles, CA 1992 (after the Rodney King incident)

From the Constitution and law:

pro tempore- “for the time being;” when the vice president is not present, the majority leader of the Senate or some other designated person shall serve as president pro tempore of the Senate.

habeas corpus- “you have the body;” a right to be released after arrest. A person cannot generally be held for more than 24-48 hours without being formally charged before a judge. Someone who believes that they are being held illegally can get a lawyer to petition a judge for a writ of habeas corpus, which forces authorities to present the prisoner before the judge. A writ of habeas corpus can also be used to appeal convictions. This privilege of habeas corpus has been suspended at various times in US history, such as during the Civil War and the War on Terror.

ex post facto- “from a thing done afterward” or “after the fact;” if a law is passed, it cannot be applied retroactively–a person cannot be charged for actions taken before those actions were illegal.

posse comitatus- “force of the country;” a sheriff’s right to force citizens into a group to help enforce laws. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passed in the wake of Reconstruction and forbade the use of the federal military to maintain order on US soil (this does not apply to the National Guard since they are actually under the command of the governor of the state in which the unit residdes).

E Pluribus Unum- “From many, one;” the motto of the United States of America, meaning from many people has been created one nationality.

Novus Ordo Seclorum- “A New Order for the Ages;” motto of the Great Seal of the United States. It means “A New World Order.” Look on the back of your dollar bills.

prima facie- “at first sight;” evidence that is suggestive but not conclusive– at first sight it seems relevant.

pro bono- “for the good;” someone who volunteers their services for free.

quorum- “of whom;” the minimum number of members (of Congress, in our discussion) that must be present to conduct business.

stare decisis- “let the decision stand;” the habit of following legal precedent.

Ex parte- “on the part of” taking only one side of an argument.

amicus curiae- “friend of the court;” a third party who is allowed to submit a legal opinion before the Supreme Court even though they are not a party to the original suit.

sub poena- “under punishment”- an order for someone to appear before a court.

affidavit- “he asserted;” a sworn statement used in court.

In re- “in the case of;” a court case in which there may not be opposing parties.

in loco parentis- “in the place of a parent;” teachers and schools are assumed legally to have assumed some parental responsibility and authority.

nolo contendere- “I do not wish to contend;” used when one enters a plea of “no contest” to charges. It means that you do not plead either guilty or not guilty, but you admit the evidence is against you.

veto- “I forbid;” a power given to the chief executive of a country or a state to stop the passage of a law.

vice- “in place of;” an assistant who serves in the place of their superior, as in vice president or vice admiral.

in absentia- “in the absence of;” a trial that is held without the accused present is being held in absentia.

Other terms:

Magna Carta- “Great Charter;” a set of documents that is generally viewed as limiting royal power in England and establishing the basis for the “rights of Englishmen” such as trial by jury.

ante bellum- “before the war.” Often used to refer to the time period of 1848-1860 in US history.

status quo- “remains the same” or “as it is;” leave everything as it is.

status quo ante bellum- “remains the same as before the war;” used in peace treaties such as the Treaty of Ghent which ended the War of 1812. It means that neither side will benefit from the war, for instance in gaining territory.

vox populi- “the voice of the people,” or “the people have spoken;” an acclamation by the majority.

ergo- “therefore.” See below.

ipso facto- “by that very fact;” another way to say “therefore” or ergo.

omnibus- “everywhere;” an omnibus bill is one that seems to have all kids of stuff just crammed into it.

pro forma- “as a matter of form;” going through the motions, following procedure unquestioningly.

e.g. (exempli gratia)- “for the sake of example;” a fancy way of saying “for example. See i.e.

i.e. (id est)- “that is;” another way to say “for example.”

et al. (et alia)- “and others.”

A.D. (Anno domini)- “the year of our Lord;” used in dates which occurred after the point at which it is believed that Jesus was born. In attempting to avoid use of religious standards in measuring dates, many today prefer to use CE (for “of the common era”) in place of AD after dates.

circa- “around (the time of);” the approximate date.

extant- “still in existence;” a law which is still on the books.

quid pro quo- “this for that;” you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours; do this for me and I’ll do this for you.

de facto- “in fact;” something that happens through tradition or habit. When discussing segregation, we talked about de facto segregation as that which happens through happenstance or habit rather than that which is legally mandated.

de jure (or de iure)- “based in law;” something legally mandated or established. We used this term in conjunction with the term “segregation.” De jure segregation is legally mandated segregation such as under Jim Crow laws.

alibi- “elsewhere;” an excuse used to deflect blame or suspicion.

ad infinitem- “to infinity;” a fancy way to say “and so on” it is related to…

et cetera- “and so on;” see above. It is abbreviated etc., NOT “ect.”- it’s a pet peeve of mine…

casus belli- “the cause of war;” um, the cause of a war.

ad hoc- “to this” or “for this;” something improvised or created only for a specific situation.

alias- “otherwise;” a pseudonym or false name.

pseudonym- “false name;” see alias.

per annum- “annually;” something that happens each year.

per capita- “for the head;” for each person.

per diem- “for the day;” usually a payment paid by the day, usually for travel expenses.

non sequitur- “it does not follow;” an illogical conclusion.

pater familias- “father of the family;” the head of an extended family, who had supreme power even in the matter of life and death of the members of this family, like in the movie The Godfather.

persona non grata- “person not grata;” a person not wanted or welcome, someone you don’t want to see.

Pater Patriae- “the Father of the Country;” Founding Father, like George Washington.

sic- “this;” also used to note that a misspelled word is in the original copy being quoted.

Terra Nova- “new land;” or “New World;” the labels on maps for North and South America after the voyages of Columbus, et al.

verbatim- “word for word;” literally.

veritas- “truth.”

via- “way;” by way of. Also Latin for a road.

For fun…

non compos mentis- “not in control of the mind;” crazy. How you feel after you finish the AP exam.

Sic Semper Tyrannis- “thus always to tyrants;” the motto of the state of Virginia, and what John Wilkes Booth supposedly shouted after he shot Abraham Lincoln in the head.

Semper Fidelis- “always faithful;” the motto of the United States Marine Corps, sometimes shortened to “Semper Fi!”

magnum opus- “great work;” someone’s masterpiece.

Mea Culpa- “my fault;” or, as you might say, “My bad.”

caveat emptor- “let the buyer beware;” don’t buy something unless you have inspected it. It generally means “think before acting.”

Sic Transit Gloria- “How fleeting is glory!” Enjoy your fame while it lasts, Britney.

cum laude- “with praise.”

veni vidi vici- “I came , I saw, I conquered;” Caesar is reported to have said this implying that his victories were easily accomplished.

terra firma- “solid ground;” on dry land after a long voyage.

Et tu, Brute?- “You also, Brutus?” the vernacular would be “Dude, I thought you were my friend, but you just stabbed me in the back!” Literally.

Cum grano salus- “with a grain of salt.” Be skeptical of this claim.

rigor mortis- “stiffness of death;” this increases based on the length of time after death and the temperature of the surrounding area.

sui generis- “of its own kind;” in a class of its own– unique.

sum quod sum- “I am what I am;” what Popeye the Sailor Man always sang about himself.

Cogito ergo sum- “I think, therefore I am;” Descartes declared this.

Sunt pueri pueri- “Children are children;” kids will be kids.

Questions for understanding:

1. What does Eisenhower rate as the main purposes of American government?

2. What domestic power does Eisenhower warn about, and why?

3. How does the American system of government attempt to hold that power in check?

From Public Papers of the Presidents, Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1960, p. 1035- 1040

My fellow Americans:

Three days from now, after half a century in the service of our country, I shall lay down the responsibilities of office as, in traditional and solemn ceremony, the authority of the Presidency is vested in my successor.

This evening I come to you with a message of leave-taking and farewell, and to share a few final thoughts with you, my countrymen.

Like every other citizen, I wish the new President, and all who will labor with him, Godspeed. I pray that the coming years will be blessed with peace and prosperity for all.

Our people expect their President and the Congress to find essential agreement on issues of great moment, the wise resolution of which will better shape the future of the Nation.

My own relations with the Congress, which began on a remote and tenuous basis when, long ago, a member of the Senate appointed me to West Point, have since ranged to the intimate during the war and immediate post-war period, and, finally, to the mutually interdependent during these past eight years.

In this final relationship, the Congress and the Administration have, on most vital issues, cooperated well, to serve the national good rather than mere partisanship, and so have assured that the business of the Nation should go forward. So, my official relationship with the Congress ends in a feeling, on my part, of gratitude that we have been able to do so much together.

II.

We now stand ten years past the midpoint of a century that has witnessed four major wars among great nations. Three of these involved our own country. Despite these holocausts America is today the strongest, the most influential and most productive nation in the world. Understandably proud of this pre-eminence, we yet realize that America’s leadership and prestige depend, not merely upon our unmatched material progress, riches and military strength, but on how we use our power in the interests of world peace and human betterment.

III.

Throughout America’s adventure in free government, our basic purposes have been to keep the peace; to foster progress in human achievement, and to enhance liberty, dignity and integrity among people and among nations. To strive for less would be unworthy of a free and religious people. Any failure traceable to arrogance, or our lack of comprehension or readiness to sacrifice would inflict upon us grievous hurt both at home and abroad.

Progress toward these noble goals is persistently threatened by the conflict now engulfing the world. It commands our whole attention, absorbs our very beings. We face a hostile ideology — global in scope, atheistic in character, ruthless in purpose, and insidious in method. Unhappily the danger is poses promises to be of indefinite duration. To meet it successfully, there is called for, not so much the emotional and transitory sacrifices of crisis, but rather those which enable us to carry forward steadily, surely, and without complaint the burdens of a prolonged and complex struggle — with liberty the stake. Only thus shall we remain, despite every provocation, on our charted course toward permanent peace and human betterment.

Crises there will continue to be. In meeting them, whether foreign or domestic, great or small, there is a recurring temptation to feel that some spectacular and costly action could become the miraculous solution to all current difficulties. A huge increase in newer elements of our defense; development of unrealistic programs to cure every ill in agriculture; a dramatic expansion in basic and applied research — these and many other possibilities, each possibly promising in itself, may be suggested as the only way to the road we wish to travel.

But each proposal must be weighed in the light of a broader consideration: the need to maintain balance in and among national programs — balance between the private and the public economy, balance between cost and hoped for advantage — balance between the clearly necessary and the comfortably desirable; balance between our essential requirements as a nation and the duties imposed by the nation upon the individual; balance between actions of the moment and the national welfare of the future. Good judgment seeks balance and progress; lack of it eventually finds imbalance and frustration.

The record of many decades stands as proof that our people and their government have, in the main, understood these truths and have responded to them well, in the face of stress and threat. But threats, new in kind or degree, constantly arise. I mention two only.

IV.

A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction.

Our military organization today bears little relation to that known by any of my predecessors in peacetime, or indeed by the fighting men of World War II or Korea.

Until the latest of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry. American makers of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well. But now we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense; we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions. Added to this, three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishment. We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United States corporations.

This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

Akin to, and largely responsible for the sweeping changes in our industrial-military posture, has been the technological revolution during recent decades.

In this revolution, research has become central; it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government.

Today, the solitary inventor, tinkering in his shop, has been overshadowed by task forces of scientists in laboratories and testing fields. In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research. Partly because of the huge costs involved, a government contract becomes virtually a substitute for intellectual curiosity. For every old blackboard there are now hundreds of new electronic computers.

The prospect of domination of the nation’s scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present and is gravely to be regarded.

Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite.

It is the task of statesmanship to mold, to balance, and to integrate these and other forces, new and old, within the principles of our democratic system — ever aiming toward the supreme goals of our free society.

V.

Another factor in maintaining balance involves the element of time. As we peer into society’s future, we — you and I, and our government — must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow.

VI.

Down the long lane of the history yet to be written America knows that this world of ours, ever growing smaller, must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.

Such a confederation must be one of equals. The weakest must come to the conference table with the same confidence as do we, protected as we are by our moral, economic, and military strength. That table, though scarred by many past frustrations, cannot be abandoned for the certain agony of the battlefield.

Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence, is a continuing imperative. Together we must learn how to compose differences, not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose. Because this need is so sharp and apparent I confess that I lay down my official responsibilities in this field with a definite sense of disappointment. As one who has witnessed the horror and the lingering sadness of war — as one who knows that another war could utterly destroy this civilization which has been so slowly and painfully built over thousands of years — I wish I could say tonight that a lasting peace is in sight.

Happily, I can say that war has been avoided. Steady progress toward our ultimate goal has been made. But, so much remains to be done. As a private citizen, I shall never cease to do what little I can to help the world advance along that road.

VII.

So — in this my last good night to you as your President — I thank you for the many opportunities you have given me for public service in war and peace. I trust that in that service you find some things worthy; as for the rest of it, I know you will find ways to improve performance in the future.

You and I — my fellow citizens — need to be strong in our faith that all nations, under God, will reach the goal of peace with justice. May we be ever unswerving in devotion to principle, confident but humble with power, diligent in pursuit of the Nation’s great goals.

To all the peoples of the world, I once more give expression to America’s prayerful and continuing aspiration:

We pray that peoples of all faiths, all races, all nations, may have their great human needs satisfied; that those now denied opportunity shall come to enjoy it to the full; that all who yearn for freedom may experience its spiritual blessings; that those who have freedom will understand, also, its heavy responsibilities; that all who are insensitive to the needs of others will learn charity; that the scourges of poverty, disease and ignorance will be made to disappear from the earth, and that, in the goodness of time, all peoples will come to live together in a peace guaranteed by the binding force of mutual respect and love.

1. The terms check is on Tuesday.

2. The outlines are the last required assignment. You are to do outlines, not terms. 

3. The final test over the last couple of chapters will be after prom. More on this later.

41 Outlines

These are due WEDNESDAY!!!!! Do these instead of terms.

I. The presidency of Bill Clinton
A. The campaign- why wasn’t “41” re-elected?
1. What was Ross Perot’s stake, and what did he accomplish?
B. How did Clinton take risks?
1. What’s a “new Democrat?”
2. What were his early failures?
3. Was the First Lady a help or a hindrance?
C. What happened with the budget?
D. Violence and crime challenges
1. Brady Bill
2. Showdown at Waco
3. Oklahoma City and Timothy McVeigh
4. Columbine
5. A Million Moms
E. The Republican opposition and the Contract With America
1. What did it promise?
2. What happened in Congress?
3. What’s an “unfunded mandate?”
4. Reform- too much or not enough?
5. End results?
F. Taking on entitlements
1. Welfare
2. Affirmative Action
G. Economics
1. dot.coms go wild
2. free trade or protectionism?
3. the challenge of globalism (see China)
H. Foreign troubles
1. China
2. Haiti
3. Somalia
4. Rwanda
5. What does “Balkanization” mean? (Use a dictionary)
6. Israel and the PLO
I. Whitewater and Monica Lewinski
1. What are “high crimes and misdemeanors?”
J. Ultimately, was Clinton a failure?

II. The presidency of George W. Bush
A. The election- what went wrong?
B. What are red states and blue states?
C. Which party is in charge?
D. 9/11
1. What was Al Qaeda?
2. Who was bin Laden?
3. How was Afghanistan involved?
4. Why was the Patriot Act passed?
5. What was the purpose of Guantanamo?
E. Why did we invade Iraq?
1. WMD and terror
2. Saddam Hussein and the Bush family legacy
3. Did the UN fail?
4. Can we “nation-build?”
F. Equality and Fairness at home- what were the Bollinger cases?
G. What problems faced both parties by 2004?

Terms for chapter 41

DUE TUESDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

William J. Clinton, Brady Bill, Ross Perot,
Newt Gingrich, Dan Quayle, Carol Moseley-Braun
Bob Dole, “Contract With America,” Reform Party
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Hillary Clinton, Branch Davidians
“don’t ask, don’t tell,” budget surpluses, Oklahoma City bombing
“new Democrat, Democratic Leadership Council, “balanced ticket,”
Monica Lewinksi, impeachment, “high crimes and misdemeanors”
Persian Gulf War, Hopwood v. Texas, Proposition 209,
WTO, GATT, free trade, “unfunded mandates,”
“globalization,” Somalia, Haiti,
Rwanda, ethnic cleansing, Balkan crisis
Yasser Arafat, Yitzhak Rabin, Kosovo
Kenneth Starr, NAFTA, John McCain
“patients’ bill of rights,” George W. Bush, Green Party,
Ralph Nader, chads, Richard Cheney,
Bush v. Gore (see election of 2000), “compassionate conservatism,” Osama bin Laden
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, “red state,” “blue state,”
USA Patriot Act, Al Qaeda, habeas corpus,
“axis of evil,” WMD, “nation-building”
Saddam Hussein, No Child Left Behind, John Kerry, Taliban, Guantanamo

This is due on Tuesday, April 28.

AP Significant dates review
Tell what happened on each date and why it was significant in US history. There may be more than one event per year. Also think about when eras (revolution, salutary neglect, etc.) started and ended.
1492—

1620-

1763-

1776

1789

1800

1803

1814

1848

1861-1865

1877

1914- 1919

1929

1941

1945

1960

1964

1968

1973

1989

1994

Chapter 40 Resurgence of Conservatism

I. How does Reagan craft a new Republican coalition?
A. What was the “New Right?”
B. What was the “”Old Right?”
C. Concern over social issues- which ones?
1. Effect on evangelical Christians
2. Moral Majority- what does this imply?
D. Reagan’s persona and background
1. Reagan and the “common man” (Who else used this?)
2. Optimism- “Morning in America”
3. Neoconservative advisors
4. Stance on communism
5. “Big government”
E. Election of 1980
1. “ABC”
2. Edward Kennedy
3. John Anderson
4. Carter’s record after the presidency
5. Release of the hstages
F. Why is it called the “Reagan Revolution?”
1. “Government is not the solution…”

II. How are expectations about government action revised during the Reagan years?
A. Taxes
B. Supply-side economics (also known as ….)
1. Trivia: what was it called in Ferris Buehler’s Day Off?
C. “revenue hole”- which is another name for….
D. impact on social spending (define social spending)
E. Religious influence
F. Strict constructionism in the courts
1. impact on affirmative action (include cases)
2. impact on abortion issue (include cases)
G. What did Reagan believe WAS the job of government?

III. The election of 1988- Why is it called a “Referendum on Reaganism?”
A. Could Congress stop Reaganism?
B. The Iran-contra scandal
C. The “double mountain”
D. The S & L crisis and bank failures
1. extent
2. causes
E. Stock market rumblings
F. “Seven Dwarves”- what does this imply?
1. the embarrassment of Gary Hart
2. Jesse Jackson
G. Michael Dukakis- strengths and weaknesses
H. George H. W. Bush- strengths and weaknesses

IV. Was the Bush I presidency a continuation of Reagan?
A. The hope for democracy in China
B. Uprisings in the Soviet bloc
1. Solidarity
C. Germany
D. New openness in the Soviet Union
1. Gorbachev
a. glasnost
b. perestroika
2. Boris Yeltsin
a. START II
3. The Commonwealth of Independent States
E. How does the Cold War end? Summarize.
F. Persian Gulf I (also known as Operation…..)
1. Why?
2. Who?
3. Where?
4. Did we miss an opportunity?
G. “Kinder and Gentler?”
1. social issues
a. impact on women
2. Court appointments
3. Taxes and red ink
“Read my lips….”