History Notes For Exam 1

08/30/2012

Read Chapter 2,4,7,12,13,14 of the Book ..The Ways of White Folks

Industrialization
A new era of mass production arose in the United States because of
technological innovations, a favorable patent system, new forms of factory
organization, an abundant supply of natural resources, and foreign
investment. The labor force came from millions of immigrants from around
the world seeking a better way of life, and aided a society that needed to
mass produce consumer goods. The changes brought about by
industrialization and immigration gave rise to the labor movement and the
emergence of women's organizations advocating industrial reforms.
Setting: Industrialization Themes
Steam and electricity replaced humans.
Iron replaced wood
Steal replaced iron
Industrial Technology
Steal was the main product that was mass produced on a large
scale so it wasnt really invented in the united states.
Main industrial centersPittsburg Steal, Birmingham Alabama,
Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago.
Oil was the next technology that helped with the steal to become
bigger and stronger.
The communications industry transatlantic cable helped with
that. Then alexander bell invented the telephone in 1876 which
changed everything. The company that came out from that is AT&T
(American Telephone and Telegraph Company)
The automobile developed here in mass production Henry Ford.
o 1903 was that first gas driven automobile.
o 1906 henry produces the Model T car that was cheap.
o 1910= mass production using the assembly line.
Not only did the automobile industry grow, other industry that
created those parts grew too. Roads had to be constructed.
Type writer, adding machine, farming.
Lights were invented. Thomas Edison with the help of others
created the light bulb in 1879 which lead to the first ,massive into
the household industry.

The catalog was invented to basically advertise all these new

technologies.
The rail road industry very important and the largest corporation.
A network of railroads distributed goods far and wide.
o Cornelius Vanderbilt he buys on railroad lines and
connects two cities.
o While the railroad was profitable and beneficial to the overall
growth of the United States, it did expose the labor problems
in the United States, along with the problems of nonregulation brought by the protests of early populist groups
like the Grange movement.
Andre Carnegie Lead the expansion of the steal industry. He has
a company that funds everything like libraries.
o He writes the gospel of wealth in 1889theory describes
importance of recirculation of money in the society and
that giving away money to charitable organization is not
enough because its correct use cannot be guaranteed. He
suggested that the rich should be trusted to make sure that
their money reaches the community in a way that could really
improve the living conditions of the needy and that the money
could be regenerated in the society.
J.P Morgan In the banking Industry.
o His company was so powerful that even the U.S. government
looked to the firm for help with the depression of 1895. The
government later filed suit against the company over
concerns about monopolies.
o The government breaks the corporation up.
John Rockefeller in the Oil industry
o He ended up controlling 95% of the global petroleum market
in the 19th century and the introduction of home lighting and
heating, along with the need of fuel in factories and vehicles,
meant an almost endless amount of revenue sources for
Standard
o Social Darwinism takes Darwins theory of evolution and
applies it to humans. Assumption that conflict between groups
in society leads to social progress as superior groups
outcompete inferior ones.
Labor
o No laws governing labor.
Dealing with safety, there was a lack of regulation
Hours and pay were complaints that the workers had.
Hourly wage was not predictable. Men got paid
more than the women= distribution of wealth.

Safety
Working conditions no job security,
20% of workers were women.
Minimum age to work was 10-15 for 10 hours a day.

Urbanization and the Rise of the Modern Industrial

City
Urbanization- When there is a population shift from rural to urban
areas.
Created more cities.
Moved for opportunities= jobs
Better educational opportunities
Modern conveniences= transportation
Cultural diversity
More involvement in politics
Entertainment
All these cites grow and expand as a result.
New York city
Boston
Philadelphia
Pittsburg
Baltimore
New haven
Detroit
Chicago

Milwaukee
Transportation moved from the Horse to Omni bus to cable
car(1870) in san Francisco then the electric trolley then the subway
in (1897) in Boston then automobile.
Taller building and steel developed because of that.
o Then elevators are built.
Public space changed= parks were built like the one in central park.
o Its aesthetically pleasing and you want to keep the population
in the city and it is environmentally good.
o Can be used for historical events.
o Fredrick something was the one who designed the park.
The ethnic mix changed=
81% of new yorks population is immigrants..
the development of suburbs. As trolley or subway lines extended
beyond what used to be the city limits, the first suburbs were
created, resulting in residential segregation by income. While
immigrants and the poor remained in the central city, the middle
class could live further away from their jobs and commute to work.
o Anything else outside of that were called immigrant
ghetto
tenements, which were narrow four- or five-story
buildings with few windows, limited plumbing and
electricity, and tiny rooms often packed with people,
mostly blacks and immigrants. Tenements were the
main housing available in slums and ghettos, the
segregated communities into which blacks and
immigrants were forced by poverty, prejudice, even law.
These ghettos fostered disease, high infant mortality,
and horrific levels of pollution, and were often the site
of racial and ethnic strife.
o But today we call them little Italy
Housing developed
o Cities and factories develop
o tenement apartments.
Communication grew
o Book called 1890 by Jacob Reese
o Created a movement to improve the quality of the cities.
Next Class period:

What are the problems that the cities faced

Low health standards- diseases.
o Because of access to medical care.
o hospitals
The fire hazard
o Fire codes didnt exist.
o Get rid of wood structures and replace them with steel.
o Start forming fire departments.
Police protection in crime
o Develop a modern police force.
Poor housing conditions
o Dumbbell housing-dangerous and poor living conditions:
So this was fixed by renovation
Poor street conditions
o Enforce city codes: clean up
o Traffic laws, stop signs, traffic lights.
o Pave the streets
o Sanitation department created.
River pollution
o Purify the water and prevent trash from polluting the water.
o Build landfills.

Poverty
o Never really disappeared because it still exists but the
government has taken measures to try to take care of it.

9/18/12

U.S Imperialism
United States is developing and realizes that they are behind, therefore they
decided to be involved in international affairs: trading, expanding etc.
But as the American factory system developed and industrial output soared,
the nation began to look abroad with new interest, because, as a rising
industrial power, the U.S. needed to find foreign markets in which to sell its
manufactured products and from which to acquire raw goods. Initially, the
policy that the U.S. pursued to meet its growing economic needs was one of
expansionism rather than imperialism. Instead of imposing a military
presence and colonial governmentas many European countries were doing
in Africa and throughout the globethe U.S. aimed to advance its interests
through investments and business transactions. American businesses began
opening up production sites and markets in Latin America and elsewhere.
Monroe doctrine: Cut off ties with European Countries.
US bought Alaska from Russia.
Economically: Military bases in different countries.
Stage 1: New Manifest destiny
o United States is destined to expand.
o Reasons:
Search for foreign markets: make money
America is exceptional: they felt like the had the right and
were able to do certain things. Spread their religion
Social Darwinism: survival of the fittest in countries.
Racism: America felt like they were inferior so they could go
and dominate other countries.
They felt like it was their duty to expand:
White Mans Burden: Was a poem by Rudyard Kipling. In
this poem, Kipling urged the U.S. to take up the burden of
empire, as had Britain and other European nations.
was written in regard to the U.S. conquest of the
Philippines and other former Spanish colonies.
o American Exceptionalism: belief that the United States is
different from other countries in that it has a specific world
mission to spread liberty and democracy.

o Steven Roosevelt: he was involved

Henry vad
Alfred Mahan:
Control the seas
Stage 2:
o Hawaiian Islands: Annex Hawaii.
Pearl Harbor
Starts to look at china.
Philippines: Spain owns it at first so US tries to negotiate with them
and try to purchase it but they refuse. So thats when they go to
war.
Try to take over Cuba.
o Butcher Weyler- he is torturing the Cuban people.
o US starts its invasion: The Splendid Little War It last 71
days, Two months.
9/20/12
Yellow Press/ Yellow Journalism: Convinced the American
Public to side with the rebels (Cubans) and call government to
action against Spain.
Theodor Roosevelt wanted a war.
o The Spanish-American War lasted only two months. Before
the war, Spain, a long-established imperial power, had been
feared as a formidable enemy. But Spains strength had been
overestimated, and the U.S. easily overwhelmed the Spanish
forces. One of the most famous battles was the U.S. capture
of San Juan Hill in Cuba, an attack led by Theodore Roosevelt,
who headed the volunteer Rough Riders unit. Americas easy
victory established the U.S. as a significant presence on the
world stage, and signaled Spains demise as a military
powerhouse.
o With the Treaty of Paris, which ended the war in December
1898, Cuba achieved independence and Spain ceded the
Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico to the U.S. for a payment
of $20 million. Americas decisive war victory, coupled with
the nations economic prosperity, led to an overwhelming
reelection win for McKinley in 1900. The victory also
encouraged the government to further demonstrate American
strength abroad.

The Plat Agreement- The Cubans were also forced to sign what
became known as the Platt Agreement. This agreement gave the
United States the right to send troops to the island if they disagreed
with the way that the country was being run. This meant that no
Cuban government could be elected unless they were willing to
implement policies favorable to the United States. In return for their
cooperation, government ministers in Cuba received payments from
United States businessmen.
o In 1901, the Platt Amendment enumerated the conditions for
the U.S. Armys withdrawal from Cuban soil. The amendment
required Cuba to vow to make no treaty with a foreign power,
to limit its independence, and reserved for the U.S.:
o The right to intervene in Cuba when it saw fit.
o The right to maintain a naval base in Cuba, at Guantnamo
Bay.

US had a naval base in Philippines. Philippines Insurrection

In the Senate, proponents of expansionism won the debate about
the Philippines. Influenced by business interests who saw the
Philippines as a valuable gateway to China, the Senate voted to
annex the country rather than give it independence. Filipino rebels
resisted U.S. rule by attacking the U.S. base of operations, setting
off two years of fighting that finally ended with a U.S. victory. The
Philippines remained a part of the United States until 1946, when
the U.S. granted it independence. All countries active in china would
respect each others trading rights: no imposing tax,
The Chinese were to continue to take tariff.
Open Door Policy: is a concept in foreign affairs, which usually
refers to the policy in 1899 allowing multiple Imperial powers
access to China, with none of them in control of that country. is a
concept in foreign affairs, which usually refers to the policy in 1899
allowing multiple Imperial powers access to China, with none of
them in control of that country.
US exported millions to china.
Lead to the Boxer Rebellion

o The extreme influence that European nations and the United

States exerted in China angered many Chinese. This anger
exploded in 1899 in the form of the Boxer Rebellion. In this
revolt, an anti-foreign secret society calling itself the
Harmonious Righteous Fists, known as the Boxers to
westerners, killed thousands of foreigners and Chinese
Christians and captured Beijing (Peking) in 1900. The U.S.
sent 2,500 troops as part of an international force that
marched on Beijing and drove out the Boxers. By helping
dispel the Boxer threat, the U.S. secured some bargaining
power in the settlement that followed. Hay demanded that an
Open Door policy be implemented in all of China, and other
powers agreed. The Boxer Rebellion had weakened the
Chinese government and by the end of the uprising, the U.S.
government committed itself to aiding Chinas government in
the interest of maintaining open markets for the U.S. in the
Far East.
McKinley Shot, Theodore Roosevelt Became President on 1901.
9/25/12

African-Americans and Segregation in America

Segregation: Separation by race of all public facilities and etc..
Emancipation Proclamation didnt free all the salves
1877- 13th amendment officially abolishes slavery
14th amendment: all persons born in the U.S are U.S citizens and are
guaranteed equal protection under the law.
15th amendment: guaranteed black voting rights to all African Americans.
Specifically targeted race.
As a response, former confederate officers get together and try to
keep order by forming the Ku Klux Klan
Their goals were to keep blacks from exercising and executing their
rights.
Keep them away from the polls. As a means of physically.
Keep them economically dependent on the whites.
Act of violence: lynching- taking the law into your own hand by a
means of murder. an extra legal act
In the 1930s about 5000 reported lynchings.
Private and Public Segregation
Private: individuals segregate. Ex. Private businesses segregating.
Public: public areas segregating. Ex. Buses, etc.
Individual towns made there own laws regardless of the federal law.
The federal response was

Civil rights Act of 1875

forbid racial discrimination when it came to accommodation
o Specifically aimed at segregation of any public or private
areas.
o Problem: Uneven enforcement of the law.
1883 Civil rights Act of 1875
supreme court rules that the act is unconstitutional on the basis of
equal protection under the 14th amendment but that was state but
not local
Plessey vs. Ferguson:
He wanted accommodations to be equal
But they ruled accommodations could be equal but separate.
Separate but equal clause was created and this wasnt over turned
until the 1950s.
States can make their own laws and create their own segregation laws.
State laws varied from state to state= Jim Crow Laws.
Some examples of Jim Crow laws are the segregation of public
schools, public places, and public transportation, and the
segregation of restrooms, restaurants, and drinking fountains for
whites and blacks. The U.S. military was also segregated.
Public School Segregation eventually declared unconstitutional by
supreme court case of Brown v. Board of Education. 1954
Sharecropping permission given from former owner, or buy three
the land.
After the Civil War, Many former slaves expected the federal
government to give them a certain amount of land as compensation
for all the work they had done during the slavery era.
During Reconstruction, however, the conflict over labor resulted in
the sharecropping system, in which black families would rent small
plots of land in return for a portion of their crop, to be given to the
landowner at the end of each year.
Sharecroppers rarely broke even and were kept in a constant cycle
of debt and economic servitude.
Kansas Exodus of 1879-1880:
In 1879 ans 1880 a huge migration took place. An estimated
40,000 to 60,000 African Americans migrated to Kansas. This
became know as the Kansas Exodus. These African Americans
migrated in search of political equality, freedom from violence,
access to education, and economic opportunity.
Booker T. Washington:

preached a philosophy of self-help, racial solidarity and

accommodation. He urged blacks to accept discrimination for the
time being and concentrate on elevating themselves through hard
work and material prosperity. He believed in education in the crafts,
industrial and farming skills and the cultivation of the virtues of
patience, enterprise and thrift. This, he said, would win the respect
of whites and lead to African Americans being fully accepted as
citizens and integrated into all strata of society.
W.E.B Dubois and His theories:
said no--Washington's strategy would serve only to perpetuate
white oppression. Du Bois advocated political action and a civil
rights agenda (he helped found the NAACP). In addition, he argued
that social change could be accomplished by developing the small
group of college-educated blacks he called "the Talented Tenth:"
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil
rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909.[3] Its
mission is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic
equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and
racial discrimination
10/4/12
World War 1 and Its aftermath
The Great War
o Main reason why it is called that is because of the number of casualties.
Turkey was in the war and lost 15% of its population
Serbia 17% of its population
Romania 10% of its population
The world 2% of its population
o Its involved 28 countries, cost more money that any other war previous
to this.
o It was the first to use new technology.
o Over 7 million men were permanently disabled.
o 4 European monarchy disappeared.
Germany, Turkey, Russia, Austria-Hungary
It destroyed major European economy but built up the American
economy.
Allies- Great Britain, France, United states, Italy, Russia.
Central Powers- Germany, Austria-Hungary, Ottoman Empire
(Turkey)
o Napoleon- Had been defeated. So the great powers agreed to keep peace
between them and then by the.
o Mobilization tables have made everything work out.

o
o
o

Russia starts off slowly then other countries follow.

Germany was the fastest in mobilizing= 4weeks.
Neutral Countries: Switzerland, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands,
Denmark and Spain, they bordered the fighting countries.
Trench Warfare= new and improved technology would wipe out armies.
Woodrow Wilson is president at the time
They declare neutrality first but later on they enter the war on April
6, 1917.
So they decide to enter the war because in the end they might
benefit from it if they do win the war.
The join the allies side because they can familiarize with Great
Britain, thats they motherland.
o Language, heritage, culture were barriers that prevented U.S
from joining the central powers.
Transatlantic Cable sent messages,
Great Britain develops propaganda to convince US to enter the war
on their side by portraying Germany as barbaric.
o Raping, child killers thats how they were betrayed.
Germany does the same toward Great Britain as posters which were
brought over to the US.
o Stepping on the American flag.
Germany have submarines which is a new technology
Lusitania was sunk because the Germans thought is was carrying
guns and war stuff. They did give a warning but they ignored it and
it ended up being sunk.
It was a civilian ship from London to New York. But there was
ammunition on the ship either way. 1,198 people died. Some of
them were Americans.
Zimmermann Telegram- 1917, well Germany hacked the
messages and told Zimmermann that they should attack America
and in return they will get back the countries that they lost.
Unrestricted Submarine Warfare- if any one put their ships in
the neutral zone, they will sink the ships.
o During that time they were escorting ships with ammunition
and some navel ships are sunk which are American. So from
there on they officially entered the war.
Wilson said: congress is declaring war because German is breaking
international laws.
Mocking American principles, so Americans needed to do this to end
all future wars.
If they win the war, they will make the world safe for democracy.

10/5/12
War Industries Board- produces lots of things, clothes, agency that set
process for goods in America by regulating it to keep the economy stable.
Mobilizing for War- Selective service act= authorized the federal
government to raise a national army for the American entry into World
War I through conscription.
War Bond- money borrowed from civilians and they sold them.
Liberty Bonds- 32 thousand raised for the year.
o They would have celebrities to advertise.
o So many people bought them.
CPI- they were in charge of censoring anything or anyone that was
against the war. They would go out and arrest people.
Leaders on organizations that spoke out against. Newspaper
editorsetc.
25 thousand dollar fine
Espionage Act and Sedition Act-speaking out to undermine
something. Ex. Cheating on an exam, overthrowing the
government.
o How do they justify this by saying that they are at war.
o No freedom of speech during this time.
National Civil Liberties Bureau were against this and they got lawyers
and said they cant do those things.
ACLU- came from that organization.
The Railroad industry booms.
Anything producing bandages, uniform, war supplies, they all boom.
Women- they could do a lot more.
They did everything to keep US going while the men fought.
Nurses, secretary, worked in factories.
Lead to Women suffrage movement 1920 women had the right to
vote.
African Americans fought in the war but in segregated unitsalmost 400
thousand.
They still had the same mentality of keeping minorities separate.
But they do earn the respect of officers later on and Harry Truman
ends up desegregating the units.
Allies declare victory in November 19something
Nov 11th cease fire at 11 pm
Form Treaty of Versailles? The Big 4- US, great Britain, France,
Italy
This document is the most important document because they had
to state some demands like paying back (they have a debt).

o And rules for post war Europe

o And rules of the world
Freedom from colonization
o Just a whole bunch of rules and regulations freedom of
navigation of seas, free trade, reduces weapons.
o So Americans wrote the treaty but never signed it and they
never joined the league of nations.
Why? Congress said no because they didnt want to be
a apart on of, didnt want to go to war.
The 14 points- find the summary- by Wilson by Americans also
contributed to the document above.
So they formed the League of Nations- to make sure there are no more
war. Idea of collective security
Significance of the war- the death toll= millions of people died.
American isolation: desire to promote peace, and the victory of
isolationism.
US becomes one of the major creditors of the world.
o The United States had emerged from the war as the major
creditor and financier of postwar Europe, whose national
economies had been greatly weakened by the war itself, by
war debts, and, in the case of Germany and other defeated
nations, by the need to pay war reparations.
Major military
US major military
World War one had huge effects on America including highly productive
industry that preceded the Great Depression, jobs given to woman, which
helped pass the nineteenth amendment, and a new kind of diplomacy and
antiwar sentiment that affected Americas entrance into World War II.
The Fourteen Points was a speech given by United States
President Woodrow Wilson to a joint session of Congress on January
8, 1918. The address was intended to assure the country that the
Great War was being fought for a moral cause and for postwar
peace in Europe.

1920s

Some people called it the Return to Normalcy Isolation from the

world and stay away from foreign matters.
But they decided to still be involved diplomatically etc..

New Economy It was the same economy but it went up 60%, Per
capita income goes up by 1/3, because of the boom it created a instability
and that was one of the causes of the great depression.
Automobile industry grew. Steel industry, rubber industry, Glass industry.
Oil corporations, gasoline, road construction= better.
As result, Police.. Regulation of traffic. Stop lights and signs.
New Technology Radio was developed in Europe.
Increased communication.
Frist radio network- KDKA- Pittsburg.
First national broadcasting- NBC.
1925Commercial Aviation grew- Charles Lindberg
he flew nonstop across the Atlantic.
New Culture
We enter an era of consumerisms
Everything grew
They probably didnt need that product, but they bought them
Wednesdays
Movies
o They were going to the ni
Flapper- went against all the traditional thoughts of woman
Eugenics
St Claire Louis Sun also rises

Death in the afternoon

William Faulkner
Harlem Renaissance- artistic movement.
Summary
Although the USA did not enter the First World War until April 1917, the
conflict cast a shadow over American society that would take a while to
pass. There was a brief economic recession at the start of the 1920s, but,
as the decade moved on, the economy boomed and America began the
age of consumerism - many Americans bought cars, radios, fridges etc.
Major cities such as New York and Chicago grew rapidly and the building
of skyscrapers like the Empire State Building, which was completed in
1931, seemed to show the self-confidence of American society.
The 1920s were prosperous for some
At the same time, many Americans wanted to enjoy themselves as much
as they could by perhaps listening to the new jazz music, or doing the
new dances such as the charleston and the black bottom. Crowds flocked
to watch film stars like Charlie Chaplin and baseball stars like Babe Ruth.
The emphasis on having fun and spending money has led to the 1920s
being called the Roaring Twenties.
However, for many Americans, the 1920s was a decade of poverty.
Generally, groups such as African-Americans, women and farmers did not
enjoy the prosperity of the Roaring Twenties. More than 60 per cent of
Americans lived just below the poverty line. Life was particularly hard for
African-Americans in the Deep South states where the majority of black
people endured a combination of poverty and racism. Although some
women were able to enjoy more independence and wear the latest
fashions, the reality was that most women were poorly paid and were
employed in roles such as cleaners or waitresses.
The changing role of American women in the 1920s
The changing role of women was a result of the work they did during the
war.
The number of working women increased by 25 per cent.
In 1920, all women were given the right to vote.
'Flappers' smoked in public, danced the new dances, and were sexually
liberated.
Women wore clothing more convenient for activity and stopped wearing
long skirts and corsets.
Divorce was made easier and the number of divorces doubled - women
were not content just to stay at home and put up with bad husbands.

But most women were still housewives and were not as free as their
men.

Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was an expression of African-American
social thought and culture which took a place in newly-formed Black
community in neighborhood of Harlem. The Harlem Renaissance
flourished from early 1920 to1940 and was expressed through
every cultural medium-visual art, dance, music, theatre, literature,
poetry, history, politics and the consequent "white flight" of Harlem.
Instead of using direct political means, African-American artists,
writers, and musicians employed culture to work for goals of civil
rights and equality.
o Langston Hughes: Through his poetry, novels, plays, essays,
and children's books, he promoted equality, condemned
racism and injustice, and celebrated African American culture,
humor, and spirituality.
Ways of White Folks
Ch.2 slave on the Block
Langston wrote this story in a 3rd person point of view. He wrote in this
format to show what the main characters were thinking and everything was
from the perspective of Anne and Michael Carraway.
In the first paragraph of Slave on the Block the reader is introduced to
Michael and Anne Carraway and told of their fondness for Negroes. Their
affection does not channel itself into avenues of social service, welfare or
philanthropy because the Carraways like Negroes just as they are: charming,
innocent and childlike. That is how the Carraways perceive them. The
obvious irony in the narrator's tone sets an early theme that the Carraways'
naive and one-dimensional perceptions of Negroes are strong forces in the
plot.
Michael and Anne especially love the artistic expressions of Negroes in
dance, song, poetry, plays and writing. They collect Negro art and artifacts,
long to make the acquaintance of prominent Negro leaders of the day, and
frequent all the most popular nightclubs and dance halls in Harlem. They,
themselves, live a very comfortable and well-to-do life in New York's Village.
The Carraways fancy themselves to...

When Luther appears, he appeals to her on what she describes as a

visual level: "He is the jungle," she says. Her first picture of Luther is called
"The Sleeping Negro." It reflects her vision of blacks as "dear, natural,
childlike people." She decides to paint another picture of him, "nude, or at
least half nude." Anne admires Luther's physical beauty, but her way of
looking at him is possessive and objectifying. She is, like her husband,
portrayed as a caricature of the condescending, unwittingly offensive white
thrillseeker dabbling in what she considers a "primitive" culture.
Point of View and Irony
Hughes tells the story of Luther's interactions with the Carraways by
using a third-person narrator, meaning that the events in "Slave on the
Block" are described from the position of an outside observer. This thirdperson narrator is omniscient, having access to the characters' private
thoughts. For example, the narrator is in a position to report, "They didn't
understand the vagaries of white folks, neither Luther nor Mattie, and they
didn't want to be bothered trying." Most often however, third-person
narration assumes an objective presentation of facts and events. For
example, the narrator does not comment on the fact that the Carraways
considered Luther "so charming and naive to ask right away for what he
wanted" when he comes to them looking for work, but instead presents the
information in a straightforward and neutral manner.
This story fits in with the other stories because it doesnt have a happy
ending in the end. Luther ends up leaving and Mattie leaves too.
Ch.4 Passing
Reflecting on Passing by Langston Hughes
1. Why did Hughes write this poem?
While there are many reasons that Hughes could have chosen to write
this poem, there are two that stick out in particular to the reader. The
primary reason was to point out both sides of the American caught between
colors among family and friends. It's clear that the main character, Jack, is
caught between his dark to black family, his job, and his friends because he
has light skin, despite having a dark mother. The unfortunate position Jack is
put in shows how being part of both worlds can tear one apart given all the
tensions surrounding race. The other reason behind why Hughes wrote this
poem was to highlight the struggle of overcoming racism. Many times,
Hughes references how the black man is being oppressed or how the white
man talks about them behind their backs, regardless of who they are.
Overall, two issues surrounding races and racism are highlighted in this
poem, explaining why Hughes wrote this poem.
2. How do you think this poem influenced African Americans?

I believe that this poem had dual effects on the African American
reader. On one side, it has the effect of showing all the advantages of being
white. These advantages include job security, protection from racism, and
access to all the best things. However, it shows how being on both sides can
be problematic, because you don't know which side to affiliate with. Jack,
over the course of the poem, shows how torn he is by the letter to his mom,
and his feelings about how bad he felt for passing her without a word, yet
talking a lot about the white world he lives in. These contrasting opinions
affected African Americans to make a choice: whether to want to be white,
or to stay with those in their race, and to avoid the middle ground between
the two possibilities. All in all, the dual effects had on African Americans is
very powerful, for it motivates one to make a choice, and to stick with it.
3. How do you think this poem influenced White Americans?
This poem, in my opinion, influenced White Americans with wonder and fear.
The wonder that this poem provides is such that a white man may think that
all those of color are interrelated, making it hard to distinguish which people
belong to which family. Wonder also is a way to make one think, and to think
about the issue of racism as a whole would have been a wonderful thing at
the time. Fear is the other reaction and or influence of this poem. Fear could
be the reaction of those who are racist towards those of black descent, as
well as towards other white people, because this character, Jack, can pass as
white, but was born by a black mother. This poem creates two reactions,
which have powerful influences on the thoughts of White Americans,
especially at this time in my opinion.
Ch.7 The Blues Im Playing
In many ways, the narrative voice of The Blues I'm Playing is not likely to
strike the contemporary reader as radical. This third-person voice uses
simple and clear prose, providing very direct exposition-explanation about
the characters' backgrounds and feelings. Nonetheless, when Hughes was
writing in the 1920s and 1930s, both his short fiction and his poetry
challenged many readers' expectations. First, the language was too direct, in
explicit opposition to the prevailing standards of the era.

The Blues I'm Playing opens in the middle of the story that will
follow. Oceola Jones, the young black pianist, is in Paris studying music at
the expense of her white Manhattan patron, Dora Ellsworth. An exposition of
Mrs. Ellsworth's character and background ensues: her deceased husband's
wealth and their childlessness allow her to pursue life as a patron of the arts,
supporting young artists. The narrator also informs us that some confusion
underlines Mrs. Ellsworth's motivation as a patron: her choices in protegees
seem to be as much driven by the beauty of the protegee as by the extent of
his or her talent. By implication, then, we know that Oceola possesses
beauty as well as talent, since about her there had been no doubt. The
young pianist supports herself before meeting Mrs. Ellsworth by teaching
piano, directing a church choir, and playing at house parties in Harlem. She
comes to the attention of Mrs. Ellsworth via Ormand Hunter, a white music
critic. He persuades the reluctant Oceola to play for Mrs. Ellsworth at her
home. Even before Oceola has played, Mrs. Ellsworth begins "treating her as
a protegee: that is, she began asking her a great many questions she would
not dare ask anyone else at first meeting. When Oceola plays for Mrs.
Ellsworth, she includes, among classical selections, a rendition of St. Louis
Blues. Through these two actions, the inquisitiveness and the musical
selection, the author prepares the ground for the conflict that follows.
II: "The Period of Oceola"Mrs. Ellsworth devotes herself to her new
protegee, beginning what the narrator calls the period of Oceola. Oceola,
however, keeps a certain emotional distance from the older woman,
suspicious of Mrs. Ellsworth's desire to give her things "for art's sake." Her
mistrust is exacerbated when Mrs. Ellsworth pries for information not just
about Oceola's musical background, but about her personal life as well. Most
significantly, Mrs. Ellsworth learns that Oceola lives with Pete Williams, a
man who works as a train porter but plans to go to medical school. Pete will
become central to the conflict between the women. Mrs. Ellsworth finishes
the interview by overcoming Oceola's reluctance: she will give up her
present work to devote herself to developing her talent, all at Mrs.
Ellsworth's expense.
True to her word, Mrs. Ellsworth sends Oceola a check that same evening.
Mrs. Ellsworth also begins occupying herself with the details of the young
woman's private life. Concerned about Pete's presence, Mrs. Ellsworth asks
Ormand Hunter to ask his maid, who attends church with Oceola, to glean
information from the rumor mill. Deciding that she does not know enough
about Oceola's environment, Mrs. Ellsworth orders a book by Carl Van
Vechten, Nigger Heaven, generally considered the white curiosity seeker's
tour of Harlem. Finally, after she has gone to bed, Mrs. Ellsworth's entertains
herself by imagining Oceola in different dresses, with Hughes revealing the
first hint of a repressed sexual fascination.
Ch.12 Mother and Child.

Its about a man called Douglas who got a white woman pregnant.
Its told in third person point of view but in a conversational style where
these women are gossiping about what was going on.
Ch.13 One Christmas Eve
Very disturbing. This shows the innocence of the little boy Joe, who doesnt
even see color. Its Christmas eve and he wants to have fun. He wants to go
to the movie theater but cant because its not for colored folks. He was
supposed to stand outside of the 10 cent store as his mother got gift for him
but didnt and went to another store to see Santa and went into a crowd of
white people and saw Santa. But Santa didnt receive him as an innocent
little child but a colored child. Very upsetting. He shook some rattle at him to
scare him and he ran out of the store. This shows that these African
Americans went through a lot. And the child had to learn towards the end.
He didnt know. Thats why he responds every time with an oh. Thats the
sound of innocence being taken away from a child growing up in that kind of
society where he was forced at an young age to distinguish by color.
Ch.14 Father And Son
Colonel Norwood was waiting for his son to come home who he doesnt claim
because he is not full white to carry on his name but a son to a black woman
Coralee Lewis. He had been gone for 7 years. But he had 5 children and Bert
was the worst of them all but he was coming back from college in Georgia.
Bert looked almost white. He called him dad and never listened.
So he finally saw his son and as he was walking towards the group he stated
to think of how he could act like a white man????? Wow he is fighting
everything inside him not to act like he was happy his son came back.
So is a way coralee wanted to have sex with the colonel because she was
jealous that he was messing around with the cook Livonia.
In the end Bret was lynched because he strangled his father to death.

 The Great Depression and The New Deal

10/18/12
The Situation in America before the Depression
Economic boom= stock market crash.
Causes of the Great depression
Major: Monetary and material distribution process in America breaks down. From
banks, businesses etc..
Lack of diversification in the American economy in the 1920s
o The major businesses in the economy that kept the economy going
slowed down like the auto industry, steal industry, oil industry, the
railroad industry, construction industry.
The mal distribution of purchasing power and as a result a drop in consumer
demand.
o Populations stopped purchasing=slow economy
Credit structure of the economy (bank loans.. buying on credit)=debt
o Credit spending goes over 300%
o Borrowing money for stocks
American position in international trade and international debt structure slows
down
o European countries cant pay that debt.
Progress of the Depression
Affects different parts of the countries differently.
Not everyone suffered, it affected individuals differently.
Industrialized sector was affected the most
1929-1932: Hard Times
Almost 10 thousand banks failed.

 Depositors loose money

25% of Americans did not have a job.
Hoover
FDR and the New Deal
FDR came from a very wealthy family.
fixes the banking system.
Fix the stock market using regulations
Fix the public nation in confidence
10/23/12
Get the congress to pass some new deal legislations.
The First New Deal (1933-35) Relief and recovery
o Immediate relief and immediate recovery.
The Second New Deal (1935-38) Recovery and reform
First 100 days: he passes his legislations
o He deals with public confidence first:
Tells the public to embrace fear.
Fireside Chats
Civilian Conservation Corps: hires thousands of men to go work in rural areas.
Federal Emergency Relief Act: Federal cash grants given to industries to hire
people to get the factories working again. Relief agency
Civil Works Administration: Over 4 million Americans got a job. So the
government gave people money to go out and do anything.. fix roads, sweep floors,
fix signs etc..
Emergency Banking Act: Fix the banking system because they had lack of
regulation. Declares a 4- Bank Holiday and they couldnt reopen until a federal
examiner examined everything, so some banks opened (75%) and some didnt after.

This was meant to restore confidence in the banks so that Americans can go
put money back in the banks.
Stock market crash act: regulate stock ??
Securities Act- Requires companies to register publically and basically show what
they were doing.
Security Exchange Commissions Act: Investigate trading in the stock market.
Volstead Act?- Prohibition of alcoholso 21st amendment gets rid of this act about
consumption of alcohol.
2nd New Deal
Works Progress Administration: hire Americans to work on the infrastructure of
the economy roads, bridges etc.
Social Security Act: guaranteed income after retirement taken out from your
wages.
Court Practicing Plan: Roosevelt wanted to put 6 judges so he wants to amend the
constitution to leave 9 supreme judges.
1937 is the peak of all legislations.
The reappraisal of the new deal:
Recession ends
Farmers had a lot of powers.

The U.S and the World War 2 (1921-1945)

10/25/12
World War 1 was not completely settled and the Treaty of Versailles didnt take
care of everything.
For Ex. The league of Nations did not maintain anything and United States
never joined it.
I. 1920s World Diplomacy
a. Washington Conference of 1921: attempted to regulate/limit the amount of
battle ships produced in the world. This didnt work out
b. Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928- they decided to sign this treaty to ban warfare.
War was supposed to be outlawed and banned. And this didnt work out either.

II.European Developments, 1933-39

a. The economic devastation etc. causes European nations to try a different way of
thinking politically and this gave rise to leaders like Adolf Hitler.
i. He says that the Treaty of Versailles limited them from doing a lot so they
wanted to regain and expand their borders by taking over countries and
lost territories.
1. They reclaim the Rhinelands in 1936
2. So in 1935 they officially rearm their army.
3. Then he claims and take the country of Austria.
4. The Munich Conference in 1938 sign documents trying to stop
the Germans. But they sign the documents saying that they are
going to take over one more country Czech Slovakia.
b. Italy had Benito Mussolini as there leader.
III. 1930s U.S Isolationism
a. United states decides to Isolate themselves.
IV. The Allies and the U.S 1939-41
V. Development in Asia 1931-41
VI.North Africa to Europe 1941-45
VII. The pacific Theater 1941-45
VIII. Results

Soviet-Nazi Nonaggressive Pact 1939 was signed. and in Sept 1939 Poland was
invaded. And Great Britain declares war on Germany.
o Hitler controls most of France, Italy ,Poland , Austria.
So they try to invade Britain by attacking from above- Blitzkrieg.
British and German air forces attack each other.
And Britain wins the war and get control of the skies and United States joins
them.

Battle of the Atlantic- German navy against US and Britain and the German
submarines was very effective at sinking the boats.
Government congressional
Neutrality Act1939- Cash and carry Policy - United states can now trade with Asia,
10/30/12
Lend-Lease Act 1941- Britain ran out of cash and so they used credit.
Selective Service Act 1940- raise an army. 1 and a half million men are drafted.

Asia
Japan got big government became militarized and they wanted to expand by modern
industrialization.
They took Manchuria.
1. May 37 1993, japan withdraws from the League of nations
2. May 31st china invaded
3. November 25 1936: Japanese sign the Anti-Comintern Pact with Germany
4.
Japan And the United States (1940-41)
June 1940: Japan invades French Indochina
Sept 4 1940: US Secretary of State Cordell Hull warning
Sep 22 1940: Japan begins its occupation of the French Indochina
Sept 26 1940: US embargo on Japan

Oct 8: Japan declares embargo an unfriendly act

Sep 27 1940: Japan enters the Rome- Berlin- Tokyo Axis
April 13 1941:
Nazis declare war on the half judified and negrofied
Decision made by Roosevelt and Church hill to claim the mediterean area first. =
Operation Torch= invasion of North Africa and liberate them.
Strategic Bombing launched by the allies that bomb German cities to scare the
population.
Highly destructive
1941 the breaks the pact and invade the 18 hu long.
June 1944- D Day invasion= operation overload.
Allies attack on the Nazi part of France and Europe
German surrender and goes to live argentine.
And he kills himself
11/1/12
Battle of Midway
Island Hopping casualties on both sides.
o Guam, Midway, Okanuava.? Islands hit.
o Okanuava= important to get this island because it would make everything
easier. Two hundred thousand casualties o this island.
o Kamikaze= divine win

Unanswerable weapon= Atomic Bomb Manhattan Project

o Dropped the bomb on a populated area to save American lives.
To send a message to other countries.
To win the war.
So they dropped it on Hiroshima Little Boy
10 thousand people vaporized.
200 thousand deaths 5 years later
nd
2 bomb dropped 8 days later on august 9th, Okazaki. Called Fat
Man 40 thousand killed instantly.
Victory in Europe then drop bomb
Japan surrenders august 14th
Holocaust Germans effort to cleanse the countries of certain ethnicities.
o Targets: Jews, Gypsies, Soviet Prisoners of War, Polish And Soviet
citizens, Homosexuals, handicapped disabled, Jehovah witness.
Put in concentration camps or extermination camps.
Japanese==Human experimentation, cannibalism, forced labor,
torture, comfort women.
105 million troops engaged in the war. 22-25 million people died. 34 million
civilians died.
Significance; death toll, cost, physical destruction of infrastructure, physiological
impact. = all this causes the cold War.
11/6/12

America in the 1950s

1950s

Baby boom= helps the economy=medical costs and needs goes up

Economic boom
No return of the great depression
Cultural rebellion
Dwight Ike Eisenhower- dominant political figure.
The affluent society: Economic rise in the country.
Federal spending goes up in terms of
Income rises, more spending
Population increases.
People move out of the cities into the suburbs
o Levitt towns- cookie cutter suburb.
Automobile/housing industry booms
New jobs created
National System of Interstate and defense highways act 1956
Connects military bases

10/8/12
Cultural Rebellion
More savings..
More income, rise in income.
Television- commercials have started for the first time= consumerism

During this time it worked, people were very gullible

Credit spending goes up 800%
They buy dish washers
Buy garbage disposals
Stereos
The television= most bought
o What was projected was what seemed to be the norm
o Very good example of the cultural rebellion.
Many writers: wrote about materialism/ consumerism/politics etc..
The Beatniks: poets wrote about how they saw the world.
o Named this because of sputnik
o They are the great grandparents of rappers apparently.
o Allen Ginsberg
o Jack Kerouac- on the road
o JD Salinger- The Catcher in the Rye (1951). First rebel against authority.
o John Updike-

The Modern African-American Civil Rights Movement (1945-1971)

Largest movement in social history- involved many people of many race and went on for
decades. And was successful in its major goals.

Origins of the Movement- starts in 1865 when the slaves were free.

After 1943 World War 2, thats when the modern one started.
o They felt like they were fighting the war for certain liberties and came
back to society where they didnt have rights.
Executive leadership
Troops coming home
Web Dubois.
Rights Organizations
Created the Double V Campaign: Victory at war and victory at home.

Civil

Leaders of the Movement

W.E.B Dubois- says America has a problem with human rights. One the first
leaders in the beginning.
o Founds NAACP- still around today to their goals at first was to fight
segregation.
Strategy: Through the court system.

The Judiciary Fight vs. Segregation

Direct Action by African Americans

Success by 1965
The Movement Splits
The Death of the Movement
Achievements and the Value of the Movement.

G.I bill- Enables black people to go back to school. And through this enables many
leaders of the civil rights movement to rise because the got an education.
Harry S Truman
Desegregates military
o You could have an African American commanding white troops
Congress of Racial Equality: get ideas from ghandi.
Freedom Rides:
Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
Main founder is Ella Baker
CLC biggest concern = voting rights.
Student Non violent organization : Get student to become more open to things
that they will deal with. Not resist.
The Black church
Spiritual upbringing
Martin- Main Leader behind the CLC
Joins at a young age.
Martin Luther Kings says resistance together will be successful.
Believed in non-violence resistance.
o In order for this to happen you have to seek violence.

o Wants the publicity and violence to be seen.

o A bloodless revolution is impossible.
Love your enemy to the point of no retaliation
Love always conquers hate.
Unjust law or immoral law is okay to break.
Malcolm X- did not believe in non-violence resistance.
Changed his name from Malcolm Little to X
He believed n segregation.
He chooses the nation of Islam= a radical civil rights separation group.
He said the white are from the devil.
Basic Beliefs
o Hard work
o Discipline
o Self respect
o Self defense
11/27/12
1877-Present
The Cold War (1945ish-1960s)
Between adversaries who meet face to face numerous times.
Between Russia and the soviet union

Ideologies about how to run countries clashed.

1945-1989/91
FDR/Truman did not get along with Stalin
Major disagreements
o European boundaries and where the lines are supposed to be redrawn.
More specifically Poland
o then what to do with Germany should they destroy the economy but
they ended up dividing Germany between the four power allies..
Create East (controlled by soviet union) and West Germany
( controlled by US France and Great Britain)

o The Big difference

How does the soviet union want the world to be run vs. how the US
wants the world to be run.
USSR=Great Power will run things..
o US people ran by self determination for countries and democracy
The united Nations formed in 1945-49
o 1947
-financial aid- Marshall plan
THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE
the policy of the united states to aid countries that are
attacked internally and the outside.
o The Soviet has an atomic bomb 1949
o China is defeated by the communist/Mao
o The Containment Policy- written by some guy stationed in Moscow. Stated
that they need to geographically contain the Soviet Union. When they
make a mover, we make a countermove. George Cannon writes this. But
years later he says he meant locally contain them??

America and Vietnam, 1945-1975

Ho Chi Minh
Decides to control Vietnam and US intervenes and divides Vietnam in to two
parts hoping that in the future they will have a presidential election.
But the elections are cancelled so it remains north and south.

5 reasons/ Lessons of Vietnam

Who are we fighting?
why is US in Vietnam?
o contain communism
protect the united states perimeter ?
how to know when they were winning?
How do we leave and get out?
US comes up with the domino theory that if Vietnam falls then all
Ho Chi Minh trail that run through out Vietnam, it goes through Laos.
So Kennedy send troops out there
And Johnson decided that they need to stabilize the place.

Gulf of Tonkin incidents- They are attacked so now the US has reason to invade
a country.
The united states decides to fight, they have set up bombs in the country.
War ends in 1975
And Vietnam becomes one again instead of north and sound.

FDRs priorities and action (1st and 2nd New Deal priorities)
Civilian Conservation Corps
Federal Emergency Relief Act
Civil Works Administration
Emergency Banking Act (Bank Holiday, etc.)
Securities Exchange Commission
Social Security Act
Washington Conference (1921)
Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928)
Neutrality Acts (1935, 1936, 1937)
Josef Stalin (Soviet Union)
Adolf Hitler (Germany)
Munich Conference (1938)
Cash and Carry Policy (1939)
Destroyers for Bases Deal (1940U.S. and Britain)
Selective Service Act (1940)
Lend-Lease Act (1941)
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (1941)
Operation OVERLORD/D-Day

The Manhattan Project

General Results of WW2
Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)
the Affluent Society and the New Consumerism
the baby-boom (1945-57)
National System of Interstate and Defense Highways Act (1956)
Levittowns
1950s cultural rebellion
rock and roll music
The Beats
Allen Ginsberg (Howl-1955)
Jack Kerouac (On the Road-1957)
The Cold War (1945-1989; major causes, important early events, etc.)
Containment policy (1947)
United Nations (1945)
Truman Doctrine (1947)
The Marshall Plan (1947)
The Civil Rights Movement (1945-1975)
Origins
Civil Rights organizations (NAACP, CORE, SCLC, SNCC, the Black Church, Nation
of Islam)
Civil Rights leaders (the Black Church, MLK, Malcolm X, Stokely Charmichael, Ella
Baker, Rosa Parks)
Direct Action (Montgomery Bus Boycott, sit-ins, freedom rides, voter registration
drives, marches)
General Results (Brown v. Board, 24th Amendment, 1964 Civil Rights Act, 1965
Voting Rights Act, other movements inspired)

The Vietnam War (1945-1975)

Why was the U.S. interested in Vietnam?
General causes (former French colony, support France post-WW2, etc.)
Ho Chi Minh
Who was fighting and their strategies (erosion and enervation)
End of war and results