Robert E. Lee: An American Hero or traitor?

According to the lyrics of the Johnny Cash’s song “God bless Robert E. Lee,” General Lee’s perspective was that of a man who had grown tired of war, and of death on all counts. Likewise, Lee was acting as a humanitarian, trying to end the war when further bloodshed would have been futile. Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox’s courthouse, Virginia was seen as common sense.
Johnny Cash sincerely admire General Lee, and I would guess he wrote this song as a real tribute to that General. It is my opinion that Cash’s admiration for Lee comes from Lee’s compassion for soldiers on both sides. Another possible reason is that despite all the loss of life and property, Lee still believed in the calls he fought for which was ultimately his love for the State of Virginia.
They key figures that Johnny Cash talks about in his song are Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate State of America, William Tecumseh Sherman, and Ulysses grant Union General. The central perspective of this song is that of Cash himself, he portrays himself as a diehard southerner who also just like Lee believed in the notion of the lost cause of the Confederacy.
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Abraham Lincoln – a president’s perspective:

President Abraham Lincoln is best known as president for two documents, the “Gettysburg’s Address” and the “Emancipation Proclamation”. The Gettysburg’s Address was delivered on ? November 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued approximately one year before on September 22nd, 1862. Both documents will forever be remembered because they changed American history.
The Gettysburg’s Address, the shorter of the two, was written almost as a eulogy for those soldiers both North and South who died in the July battle at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The reason why this simple speech will always be remembered as one of the great speeches of all times is because of its simplicity and its sincerity. Lincoln was able to put forward his own view of why soldiers had to die and why they would be remembered forever.
The closing of the Gettysburg’s Address offers the famous line “That government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” He asks listeners and readers to remember the sacrifice so that these words will remain forever true. His words are basically a promise to the dead. The Emancipation Proclamation is more of an administrative decree, its purpose was to “forever free” any person held in slavery in the United States. Lincoln takes full responsibility for this action and in fact mentions himself by name in the document. It is a monumental document because with this document the South cannot surrender on any condition. The gravity of his actions by issuing this decree was not lost on Lincoln. The final passage which said, “And upon this act, sincerely believe to be an active justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind and the gracious favour of Almighty God.”
Abraham Lincoln’s feelings were rather personal, but no one could accuse his judgment of being selfish. For this reason, Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States is thought to be the best president of all times by most historians.

Civil War letter analysis

Franklin ounty, Pennsylvania: David to Mary Jane Demus, November 8th, 1863 and feburary 23, 1864.




























Analysis:
I can tell that the authors are black, through the language they speak in, and how the word is sounded a sit is written; also, everyone in the 45 regiment are black which the husband indicates that he is in the 45 regiment. In addition, I can tell that both authors are not sagely highly educated, since they both had many spelling mistakes which seems like they spell words by their sounding to them. I cannot tell whether the authors are confederacy or union, what is happening at that time, or about their own views or attitudes he holds that have led the husband to make the commitment to fight. However, I can tell that the husband misses his family very much, and he has a good relationship with his family too. Most of the issues discussed in this letter is personal and has nothing to do with the military actions. It seems like the author’s family are having financial problems, that his wife wants to work but the husband has opinion about it. Nothing about the Civil War is mentioned; it seems like the husband does not even want to fight and that they both do not care about anything in the war. Through research on the internet, I didn’t find any information about the two authors beside their letters. So probably, David Demus the husband is not a very important figure in the military at that time.

About David Demus:
I'm an union soldier, in Franklin Pennsylvania. I was identified as a “Mulatto” in Franklin County’s 1860 census, is a twenty-two year old farm hand from Mercersburg, Pennsylvania who, along with my brother George and other black county residents, gets recruited by white abolitionists to serve in the 54th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, one of the first official black regiments in the Civil War. As a boy, I spent much of my time with the neighboring Christy family, especially brothers Samual, William, Joseph, and Jacob, all of whom would leave their responsibilities on the Christy family farm to join me in the 54th.

Questions on the American Dream

1800-1810:
1) Why did the United States government move to the new capital of Washington D.C. in 1800?
2) Why could the United States not stop the illegal importation of slaves despite the 1808 law that made slave importation to the U.S. illegal?
1811-1820:
3) Why did the British have so many casualties at the battle of New Orleans despite the war having already ended by peace treaty?
4) How did America acquire Florida from Spain in 1819?
5) How did the U.S. navy finally beat the pirates of Tripoli in 1815?
1821-1830:
6) What was the purpose of the Monroe Doctrine in 1823?
7) What was Noah Webster’s greatest contribution to American English?
1831-1840:
8) Was Andrew Jackson’s Indian removal act based on racial prejudice or breed?
9) Why did the Texans defend the Alamo in 1836?
1841-1850:
10) What did Samuel F.B. Morse mean with his message – “what hath God wrought!” in 1844?
11) Why was the portrait of Benjamin Franklin selected to be on the first adhesive U.S. postage stamp?
1851-1860:
12) Why did Japan allow a treaty that forced them to open their doors in 1853?
13) Did John Brown’s raid on Harper’s fairy in 1859 precipitate the American Civil War?
1861-1870:
14) What would have happened if Abraham Lincoln have not been shot?
15) Did Seward’s purchase of Alaska cheat the Russians?
1871-1880:
16) Why did the United States government wait until 1872 to restore basic civil rights to southerners through the Amnesty act?
17) Was the reconstruction of the South successful? Or did it actually exploit the southern laws?
1881-1890:
18) Why did the United States government pass the 1882 Chinese exclusion act that barred Chinese immigration to America until 1920?
19) Why did France give America the Statue of Liberty? And why was it placed in New York harbour?
1891-1900:
20) Was the Massacre at Wounded Knee, South Dakota really necessary? Or was it ethnic cleansing?
21) Was the destruction of the United States battleship Maine in 1898 sabotage or a deliberate provocation to start the Spanish American War?

Declaration of Independenc, Bill of rights, and the Constitution

Civil War Jeopardy

Jeopardy, Civil War

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Westward Expansion -Chinese Immigrants

While the Chinese, in particular those working as sailors, knew the west coast of North America before the Gold Rush, our story begins in 1850, as the documentation from the Gold Rush provides the starting point with which to build a more substantial narrative. Most Chinese immigrants entered California through the port of San francisco. From San Francisco and other ports, many sought their fortunes in other parts of California. The Chinese formed part of the diverse gathering of peoples from throughout the world who contributed to the economic and population explosion that characterised the early history of the state of California. The Chinese who emigrated to the United States at this time were part of a larger exodus from southeast China searching for better economic opportunities and fleeing a situation of political corru[tion and decline. Most immigrants came from the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong (canton) Province.
Chinese immigrants came from the Pearl River to be productive and resourceful contributors to a multitude of industries and businesses. The initial group of the Chinese argonauts sought their livelihood in the gold mines, calling California Gam Saan, Gold mountain. For the mining industry, they built many of the flumes and roads, allowing for easier access and processing of the minerals being extracted. Chinese immigrants faced discrimination immediately upon arrival in California. In mining, they were forced to wotk older claims, or to work for others. In the 1850s, the United States Constitution reserved the right of naturalisation for white immigrants to this country. Thus, Chinese immigrants lived at the whim of local governments with some alowed to become naturalised citizens, but most not. Without this right, it was difficult to pursue livelihoods. For example, Chinese immigrants were unable to own land or file mining claims. Also in the 1850s, the California legislature passed a law taxing all foreign miners. Althought stated in general terms, it was enforced chiefly against the Mexicans and the Chinese throught 1870. This discrimination occurred in spite of the face that the Chinese often contributed the crucial labour necessary to the mining enterprise.
Discriminatory legislation forced many Chinese out of the gold fields and into low paying, menial, and often arduous jobs. In many cases, they took on the most dangerous and least desirable components of work avaliable. They worked on reclaiming marshes in the Central Valley so that the land could become agriculturally productive. They built the stone brigdes and fences, constructed roads, and excavated storage areas for the wine industry in Napa and Sonoma counties. The most impressive construction feat of Chinese Americans was their work on the western section of the transcontinental railroad. Chinese-American workers laid much of the tracks for the Central Pacific Railroad through the foothills and over the hight Sierra Nevada, much of which involved hazardous work with explosives to tunnel through the hills. Their speed, dexterity, and outright perseverance, often in brutally cold temperatures and heavy snow through two record breaking winters, is a testimony to their outstanding achievements and contributions to opening up the west.

Trail of tears

The event known as the trail of tears involved the forced removal of numerous Indian tribes from the southeastern portion of the United States from 1831 to 1837. These tribes included the Cherokees, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Muskogee-creek, and Seminoles (the five civilised tribes). These Native Americans were removed from their ancestral lands because of the passage of the Indian removal act of 1830 by president Andrew Jackson. Altogether, nearly 50 thousands Native Americans made the trek westward.

This event is remembered for many reasons. Among them is the Seminole wars (1831-1842) that cost the U.S. government over 20 million dollars. In the end, only a few hundred Seminoles remained. A second major event was the expropriation of Indian lands throughout the south which nearly lead to a violent Civil war. Another major event was the intervention of the U.S. Supreme court in those matters, that declared only the U.S. government and not the States had Jurisdiction over Native American affairs. They upheld Jackson’s Indian removal act. The final event that gives the trail of tears its name was the thousand-mile route march that the Cherokees were forced to make in the winter of 1838. All along the way, Indians were murdered, and gouged for any money they had. This terrible experience starved the Indians and left legacy of hatred until president today. In the end, the Cherokee nation population (today the largest indigenous group in America) left fewer than 1000 in what is today North Georgia and North Carolina. Today’s historians would term this forced relocation of the Native Americans and the theft of their land of the ethic cleansing. This was to be the last chance for Indigenous Americans to hold onto their land and culture against encroachment of the white man.

Ultimately, all of the Indians were settled in the Oklahoma territories by March 1839. Numerous place names in modern Oklahoma reflect the cultural transfer of the Cherokees and the related tribes.

Poem:
In Native American perspective viewing the event –

Our fears were true,
The sick went from life to death,
our wagons broke down,
first, the animals died,
and second the snow came early.
Our trail of tears may be followed
By so many who many only just began.
“Nuna Dat Shun’yi” it is the place where they cried.
It is the place where we died.

In American perspective viewing the event –

New Echota is my home,
The neighbour’s house is empty,
Those people are gone,
And so are my friends.
Soldiers came and took them away,
No explanations, only silent cries no one listen to.
Today my neighbours are white,
only the dirt is red.
Today the snow is white,
only the memories remain.

Summary - Louisiana Purchase

How much land did the United States buy from France?
When did the purchase take place?
What was the total cost?
How did the purchase of this land affect the size of the United States?
How did the President violate the Constitution by making the Louisiana Purchase?
What were Napoleon Bonaparte's plans for the land that he ended up selling? Why did he give up this plan? What are the main reasons he decided to sell the land to the United States?


The Louisiana Purchase was the sale of two million one hundred and forty seven thousand square kilometre of North American land stretching from the Mississippi river in the East to the continental divide in the West. The sale also extended from what is now the Canadian border all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. All other land that comprises the current United States was held by the Kingdom of Spain. In one purchase for the total sum of 15 million dollars, American more than doubled its size. American President Thomas Jefferson acquired the territory from the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804, which violated the Tenth Amendment in the Bills of Rights. Opponents accused Jefferson of "tearing the Constitution to tatters" They said that the Constitution made no provision for purchasing foreign country. At the time of the purchase, Napoleon was in dire need of nay source on income because of his ongoing conflicts with England. America was in great need of property for territorial expansion therefore the Louisiana Purchase came at an important moment.
One of the principle aims that Napoleon had, a side from giving the money was also to deny his British and Spanish rivals, global seaports, and trade roots in the New World. Ultimately, the Louisiana Purchase allowed America to realise its dream of Manifest Destiny. This dream would eventually allow America to go all the way to the pacific shores of California.