The turn of the century created significant change to women in the US. This gave them the opportunity to do things they never could in the past. Women had the opportunity to work more, had better living conditions, but also endured new hardships.
Because of mechanization and new factories, women got the opportunity to work brand new jobs. This made many women move from doing housework, to actually working jobs that men would usually work. Going outside of home would also give women more experience and intelligence; giving them the opportunity to make lots of money. Life seemed to be much better for them.
Living conditions at home were advanced as well. With the turn of the century, electricity along with new machines made living at home much easier. Electricity made everything more efficient and safer. Women at home could now use dish washers and washing machines, instead of doing things like these by hand. Also with the addition of light bulbs, they could work more efficiently and later than when using candle light.
Even though women got the capability to work outside of the house and had advanced living conditions, they still endured new hardships. At the workplace, women were extremely discriminated. From getting lower wages than men doing the same work to being fired the second one would complain, women had it very hard. Also with new electricity, working all the time would put a lot of stress on women; physically and mentally.
Women were significantly affected by the turn of the century. Whether it was beneficial or problematic, they had a taste of what change felt like. This sort of change also led to future changes towards women; most importantly equality.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
In the last few classes, we learned much about the Western Movement, and all other affiliations. What sparked my interest was about how the move, “The Wizard of Oz” connected to the Western Movement. At first, I was skeptical about it, but after some explaining, it all made sense to me. The movie related to the real life event a lot. Not even did the characters have a relation, but the whole plot. There was also correlation of the different witches and the real North, West, and East in the US.
Dorothy was a young girl in the farmland who face problems staying in the farmland, deciding to try to run away. She decides to come back, but during rough weather, she is put to sleep, appearing in a different place. When she shows up, she gets ruby slippers, and is told to venture to emerald city to get all her answers solved. When getting there, she really doesn’t get any help, and in the end uses the slippers to get back home. She represented young women at farms venturing to the East for better jobs. In reality, there is much competition and low wages, showing that the East isn’t what it’s turned out to be. The slippers represented the silver, when the US switched to only a gold standard; people thought that adding a bimetallic standard would solve the economic process.
In the beginning of the movie, where Dorothy was stuck in what would seem a world of struggles, it related to the heavy stress farmers had to endure during the time they had to farm for five years to be able to own the land. Also when she tries to escape for a better life; that much related to the farmers moving to the urban society searching for a better life.
The Wicked Witch of the East symbolized industrialization corporations and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890, making it somewhat superior to the people. She ended up being killed by Dorothy while harassing the munchkins. The Wicked Witch of the West represented the harshness of the West to people living there. She is killed by water, which in reality helped farmers keep their crops alive during that time. The Wicked Witch of the North represented liberalism and all the good ideas of the northern society; shown by helping Dorothy on her voyage home.
The relation between the movie and the Western Movement were huge, all the way from Dorothy herself, to the Wicked Witches. This is an example of how people criticized the way of society at the time, as there were actually many problems.
Dorothy was a young girl in the farmland who face problems staying in the farmland, deciding to try to run away. She decides to come back, but during rough weather, she is put to sleep, appearing in a different place. When she shows up, she gets ruby slippers, and is told to venture to emerald city to get all her answers solved. When getting there, she really doesn’t get any help, and in the end uses the slippers to get back home. She represented young women at farms venturing to the East for better jobs. In reality, there is much competition and low wages, showing that the East isn’t what it’s turned out to be. The slippers represented the silver, when the US switched to only a gold standard; people thought that adding a bimetallic standard would solve the economic process.
In the beginning of the movie, where Dorothy was stuck in what would seem a world of struggles, it related to the heavy stress farmers had to endure during the time they had to farm for five years to be able to own the land. Also when she tries to escape for a better life; that much related to the farmers moving to the urban society searching for a better life.
The Wicked Witch of the East symbolized industrialization corporations and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890, making it somewhat superior to the people. She ended up being killed by Dorothy while harassing the munchkins. The Wicked Witch of the West represented the harshness of the West to people living there. She is killed by water, which in reality helped farmers keep their crops alive during that time. The Wicked Witch of the North represented liberalism and all the good ideas of the northern society; shown by helping Dorothy on her voyage home.
The relation between the movie and the Western Movement were huge, all the way from Dorothy herself, to the Wicked Witches. This is an example of how people criticized the way of society at the time, as there were actually many problems.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Concerning President Johnson
Last class in US History; we took our second test of the year. At first, I thought the test would be difficult, but I realized that from what I’ve learned, it wasn’t so bad at all. As I was going through the test, I noticed at the very last, I had to pick one out of five topics to write an essay on. I was especially interested in the second topic, whether or whether not the impeachment of Johnson by Congress was necessary. I would say yes, but I realized that this topic was quite interesting to me, as it involved how the motives of a high status person can make an effect on the rest of the said nation.
Johnson was a vice president to Abraham Lincoln. The interesting thing was that he was from the South. It was thought that Lincoln would elect him to be liked in some way from Southerners. Well Johnson was an interesting character, as he was relatively unseen or unheard while he was vice president. He would make such a huge impact to Reconstruction; no one would think it would be the same man.
After Lincoln assassination, Johnson would soon run as president, and would bring his own bag of ideas to the table. It would be said that the initial idea of Johnson was to favor the Southern states over all others. This is especially proven when Johnson made thousands of pardons to ex-Confederates. At first, it would seem reasonable for Johnson to do this, because Congress would restrict many of ex-Confederate’s rights as punishment.
The main thing that pretty much makes Johnson look like a villain was his veto to the Freedmen’s Bureau, constructed by Congress. The Freedmen’s Bureau was a program to help educate freed slaves as well as provide them with healthcare; just to give them a fresh start to succeed. Johnson’s veto of that doesn’t really seem clear other than the conclusion of racism. Thankfully, Congress would answer to this change by vetoing Johnson’s veto, and later impeaching him.
In reality, Johnson can be viewed as both a hero and a villain. He was hero to the Southerners whose punishment seemed a little too harsh. He was a villain to freed slaves as he restricted their rights through his ideas to change Reconstruction. If anything, Johnson was too inexperienced to fully think about the decisions he made, which could have both helped the Southerners and the freed slaves. This just goes to show the greed of having power and selfish motives.
Johnson was a vice president to Abraham Lincoln. The interesting thing was that he was from the South. It was thought that Lincoln would elect him to be liked in some way from Southerners. Well Johnson was an interesting character, as he was relatively unseen or unheard while he was vice president. He would make such a huge impact to Reconstruction; no one would think it would be the same man.
After Lincoln assassination, Johnson would soon run as president, and would bring his own bag of ideas to the table. It would be said that the initial idea of Johnson was to favor the Southern states over all others. This is especially proven when Johnson made thousands of pardons to ex-Confederates. At first, it would seem reasonable for Johnson to do this, because Congress would restrict many of ex-Confederate’s rights as punishment.
The main thing that pretty much makes Johnson look like a villain was his veto to the Freedmen’s Bureau, constructed by Congress. The Freedmen’s Bureau was a program to help educate freed slaves as well as provide them with healthcare; just to give them a fresh start to succeed. Johnson’s veto of that doesn’t really seem clear other than the conclusion of racism. Thankfully, Congress would answer to this change by vetoing Johnson’s veto, and later impeaching him.
In reality, Johnson can be viewed as both a hero and a villain. He was hero to the Southerners whose punishment seemed a little too harsh. He was a villain to freed slaves as he restricted their rights through his ideas to change Reconstruction. If anything, Johnson was too inexperienced to fully think about the decisions he made, which could have both helped the Southerners and the freed slaves. This just goes to show the greed of having power and selfish motives.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Effects of Apartheid
The Civil War was a powerful war, where change was forced among everyone. As we learned about the effects of the Civil War, we also found a connection of that to the Apartheid in South Africa. This event, like the Civil War was extremely frustrating to make change occur, but eventually makes its way by coming to a resolve.
Apartheid, unlike the Civil War was a reform that lasted for 40 years. The colonization by the British and Dutch started such reform. The purpose of the reform was to force segregation between white South Africans, and black South Africans. Though in the end, the black South Africans would be highly discriminated to the point of peaceful protest to remove this reform. The white South Africans would show no mercy in destroying this protest.
The sole purpose of the Apartheid was to segregate the two races. This would mean that the races would have separate beaches, buses, hospitals and schools amongst other things. The blacks were not allowed to travel out of the area freely, only with permission cards. Blacks were often crammed in small towns around the country controlled by their own small government. Living conditions were often very unsustainable, as the Apartheid kept segregation in a tight divide.
The Apartheid was a serious problem in the eyes of the black South Africans. Blacks began to protest for the end of Apartheid, but only peacefully. The whites, angry from such protest would answer in violence, beating and even killing blacks to scare them to stop protesting. Though situations were risky for the blacks, they still protested with strong spirit and willpower, as well as not answering with violence. A protester icon named Nelson Mandela led the protests with strong force. This extremely damaged the white’s look, as they only answered with violence.
Even when there was strong protesting, the Apartheid officially ended 40 years after it began. When the reform was removed, Nelson Mandela becomes the president of the country, as well as rewriting their Constitution. Such confidence of the protesting was phenomenal. In the end, every South African gained full privileges and lived peacefully with each other.
Apartheid, unlike the Civil War was a reform that lasted for 40 years. The colonization by the British and Dutch started such reform. The purpose of the reform was to force segregation between white South Africans, and black South Africans. Though in the end, the black South Africans would be highly discriminated to the point of peaceful protest to remove this reform. The white South Africans would show no mercy in destroying this protest.
The sole purpose of the Apartheid was to segregate the two races. This would mean that the races would have separate beaches, buses, hospitals and schools amongst other things. The blacks were not allowed to travel out of the area freely, only with permission cards. Blacks were often crammed in small towns around the country controlled by their own small government. Living conditions were often very unsustainable, as the Apartheid kept segregation in a tight divide.
The Apartheid was a serious problem in the eyes of the black South Africans. Blacks began to protest for the end of Apartheid, but only peacefully. The whites, angry from such protest would answer in violence, beating and even killing blacks to scare them to stop protesting. Though situations were risky for the blacks, they still protested with strong spirit and willpower, as well as not answering with violence. A protester icon named Nelson Mandela led the protests with strong force. This extremely damaged the white’s look, as they only answered with violence.
Even when there was strong protesting, the Apartheid officially ended 40 years after it began. When the reform was removed, Nelson Mandela becomes the president of the country, as well as rewriting their Constitution. Such confidence of the protesting was phenomenal. In the end, every South African gained full privileges and lived peacefully with each other.
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