Most Significant Groups in US History

[Buddy S.]

FINE, Robinson, FINE! Your just angry because I trumped your system.

Anyway, Supreme Court Jusiti. Alright. I can agree with them being pretty important. In fact, I'll submit that they are the only political sheck that we have in place that is truly effective. I mean, you can say the Electoral College, or any of the other stuff, but bottom line is the Supreme Court is the one there that will sit down and kick America out of its little slumps. Those cases Beth Mentioned? Mucho Importante.

Though I speak highly of this group, I want you all to understand something. While there is a lot of good in the Supreme Court, the reason that they are not the best is because there is a fair amount of failure, too. Where was Supreme Court during Japanese internment? Jim Crow Laws? McCarthyism? They were on the side of America then. Not so good.

[samr]

American miners are actually important. We are sitting on billions and billions of tons of natural resources. For example, today we have 268 billion tons of coal alone. We also have gold, oil, copper, etc. These are the things that make America a rich superpower today. Without miners, we'd be a poor country because we couldn't get the stuff out of the ground.
The American mining industry creates thousands and thousands of jobs. With these jobs come unions. The United Mine Worker's Association (UMWA) was the group responsible for creating the 8-hour work day in America, which created better working conditions throughout America in the early 20th century.
Also, if there were no miners in America, you would all be freezing right now without coal and oil, even if you had a fire going.

[Margaret B.]

Though they may seem like a small unimportant group in American History, the Mormons have undoubtedly affected life as we know it more than any other group has. Their most lasting influences have been their morals and morale.
In the 1830s and 1840s, our country was still young and our government and culture was still undefined. The Mormon faith began as a few disliked religious rebels, led by Joseph Smith, Jr., and Sydney Rigdon, and they gathered supporters as they persevered to fulfill what they believed to be their religious requirements. Their goal, to attract as many people to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to build a temple of Zion from which Jesus could save the Earth at Armageddon, was one highly ridiculed by all their fellow Americans, even the other religious zealots. However, after numerous failed attempts and many flees from angry mobs, they eventually gathered together in Utah to work tirelessly on their project. (some of the stragglers in the westward journey spread out in the Midwest, and became the religious denominations that we now all group under the broad title of Mormonism)
The many hardships those people put up with served as an example to the rest of America. They gained political power, and inspired other religions to work hard for their beliefs despite exile and hatred that, unfortunately, extremely religious persons often feel threatened with. Their example is still remembered today, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is still the fastest growing one in the country. One of the most important beliefs in all types of Mormonism is that all members should follow the example of Paul, and do their best to be the best person they can possibly be. We are lucky to have a group that is extremely influential and has a basis of good citizenship, because they have obviously had an extremely beneficial affect on our country.

[grandpoobah]

Excellent points Sam

[laura b]

Segregationists made an astounding impact on the United States. Although in retrospect these people seem bigoted and cruel, emotions aside, they drasically changed our country. With their support, Jim Crow Laws were in effect in the South for around 60 years. The majority of America's voting population during the Civil Rights period agreed with segregationists, proven by the large number of senators and other elected officials that were well known segregationists. Segregationists were definitely relatively successful in their efforts to slow down and even cease integration. Several bills and acts were not put into place because of opposition by segregationists. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) also upheld segregationist policies by declaring that “separate but equal” is acceptable. Segregationists truly defined their time period for almost 80 years, and deserve to be recognized for the impact they made.

[Buddy S.]

michaelg said:

Traders are the most important group in American History. This is so because they have influenced American foreign policy more than any other group.

The creation of America's open door policy is an example. This policy was created because of the will of american traders. America did not have a sphere of influence in china so traders would have to trade with the europeans and not the Chinese directly, if the Europeans would let them trade at all. Anyway, this was not profitable. Because traders are so important to the American economy, the government was under pressure to open markets in China. That is why the open door policy was created. Pushing to have this policy was dangerous because the European powers did not trust eachother. For example, when Secretary of State John Hay asked the countries with spheres of influence to create free ports within their spheres, each country refused to act before the other countries did.

Another example of how traders have influenced American foreign policy would be the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe Doctrine called for an end of colonialism in South America. The reason behind the creation of this policy is traders. Because much of South America was colonized, American traders could not trade directly with the people of South America. They had to trade through the colony's motherland. This was not profitable. The Monroe Doctrine was made to open markets in South America. The Monroe Doctrine also said that Foreign countries can't attempt to conquer the newly independent countries in South America. Even though there were markets already available for American traders, this strengthened relations between America and these young countries. Those countries would then be more willing to trade with Americans,

In conclusion, traders are the most important group in American history. No other group has affected American foreign policy than traders.

I ask you though: How have traders influenced America in the post WWI Era? I can understand that political foreign policy didn't really exist, so economic got to fill in, but didn't the big wigs take over again and almost completely obselete your group? (Can I use obselete as a verb?)

[Margaret B.]

Beth- (and Buddy)
I understand your argument, but I believe your argument is flawed. The most powerful groups that affect the government are the voters, who are led by their culture to decide who to vote into office. Even if one were to disagree and deny the power of the voters for the power of politicians, the Supreme Court Justices are not the most influential group because their decisions so rarely affect the people of the country. If the cases you listed had not been decided by the Supreme Court, they would have soon been addressed by another part of the government, or maybe the media or an organization would push it through approval in the government, because all of those decisions that you credit to the Supreme Court Justices were pressing or upcoming issues of their times and could not have gone unaddressed.

[samr]

ajg1300 said:

Isn't it obvious? The Populist Party of 1912 is, without a doubt, the most significant group in US History. When the Republicans nominated William Howard Taft for the presidency for the 1912 election, a disgruntled Theodore Roosevelt, upset that he lost the Republican nomination to Taft, made the decision to break off from the Republican Party and create his own party, the Progressive Party (also known as the "Bull Moose" party). Surprisingly, despite a lack of significant support, this Progressive Party did help to determine who the future president of the Untied States would be. The Democratic Party nominated Woodrow Wilson, who was not extremely well liked, for the 1912 election. Wilson managed to scrap together about 40% of the vote. However, Taft and Roosevelt split the old Republican votes, which essentially catapulted Wilson into the presidency.
Now, I know what you're thinking: Why the heck is this important?!?! tsk, tsk. You've forgotten how important ol' Woodrow was for American History. Not only did Wilson carry us victoriously through THE FIRST WORLD WAR, but he also developed his Fourteen Points address, which advocated a new idea: the League of Nations. Though the League of Nations isn't exactly powerful anymore, the idea can be seen in other well known international organizations, such as NATO and the UN.
In addition to this incredible feat, Wilson passed the 19th ammendment, which gave a political voice to all women, aka HALF OF OUR NATION.
Now, I know it seems like I'm really saying that Woodrow Wilson is the most important figure in the entire universe. The fact is, I am saying he's the second most important figure in the entire universe because the most important is the Populist Party of 1912, which allowed this measley Democrat to become president.

What else did they do? Do you just have the party of 1912, or Populists as a whole?

[Laura D]

mbrier said:

Though they may seem like a small unimportant group in American History, the Mormons have undoubtedly affected life as we know it more than any other group has. Their most lasting influences have been their morals and morale.
In the 1830s and 1840s, our country was still young and our government and culture was still undefined. The Mormon faith began as a few disliked religious rebels, led by Joseph Smith, Jr., and Sydney Rigdon, and they gathered supporters as they persevered to fulfill what they believed to be their religious requirements. Their goal, to attract as many people to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to build a temple of Zion from which Jesus could save the Earth at Armageddon, was one highly ridiculed by all their fellow Americans, even the other religious zealots. However, after numerous failed attempts and many flees from angry mobs, they eventually gathered together in Utah to work tirelessly on their project. (some of the stragglers in the westward journey spread out in the Midwest, and became the religious denominations that we now all group under the broad title of Mormonism)
The many hardships those people put up with served as an example to the rest of America. They gained political power, and inspired other religions to work hard for their beliefs despite exile and hatred that, unfortunately, extremely religious persons often feel threatened with. Their example is still remembered today, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is still the fastest growing one in the country. One of the most important beliefs in all types of Mormonism is that all members should follow the example of Paul, and do their best to be the best person they can possibly be. We are lucky to have a group that is extremely influential and has a basis of good citizenship, because they have obviously had an extremely beneficial affect on our country.

YES!!! Mormons are very significant! Much of the southwest was settled by Mormans, and look at salt like city. They have their own colleges (Brigham Young U.), their own wars, etc. Another important thing to remember is that Mormonism is the "only classical religion" founded in the United States. The Mormons (not LDS) also popularized polygamy in the country...

They have contributed much the to country. Donny Osmond belongs to the LDS! And the inventor of the traffic light, Lester Wire, also belonged to the LDS!!!

mbrier said:

Beth- (and Buddy)
I understand your argument, but I believe your argument is flawed. The most powerful groups that affect the government are the voters, who are led by their culture to decide who to vote into office. Even if one were to disagree and deny the power of the voters for the power of politicians, the Supreme Court Justices are not the most influential group because their decisions so rarely affect the people of the country. If the cases you listed had not been decided by the Supreme Court, they would have soon been addressed by another part of the government, or maybe the media or an organization would push it through approval in the government, because all of those decisions that you credit to the Supreme Court Justices were pressing or upcoming issues of their times and could not have gone unaddressed.

I agree also.

[samr]

mbrier said:

Though they may seem like a small unimportant group in American History, the Mormons have undoubtedly affected life as we know it more than any other group has. Their most lasting influences have been their morals and morale.
In the 1830s and 1840s, our country was still young and our government and culture was still undefined. The Mormon faith began as a few disliked religious rebels, led by Joseph Smith, Jr., and Sydney Rigdon, and they gathered supporters as they persevered to fulfill what they believed to be their religious requirements. Their goal, to attract as many people to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to build a temple of Zion from which Jesus could save the Earth at Armageddon, was one highly ridiculed by all their fellow Americans, even the other religious zealots. However, after numerous failed attempts and many flees from angry mobs, they eventually gathered together in Utah to work tirelessly on their project. (some of the stragglers in the westward journey spread out in the Midwest, and became the religious denominations that we now all group under the broad title of Mormonism)
The many hardships those people put up with served as an example to the rest of America. They gained political power, and inspired other religions to work hard for their beliefs despite exile and hatred that, unfortunately, extremely religious persons often feel threatened with. Their example is still remembered today, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is still the fastest growing one in the country. One of the most important beliefs in all types of Mormonism is that all members should follow the example of Paul, and do their best to be the best person they can possibly be. We are lucky to have a group that is extremely influential and has a basis of good citizenship, because they have obviously had an extremely beneficial affect on our country.

When you say they have political power, do you have any examples of famous people in history or political movements they were involved in?

[Nicole V.]

Without the Nativists that were active throughout America's history, this country could have turned out very differently. Nativists advocate for no immigrants in the country. Their justification being that immigrants take jobs from Americans, use up the welfare, seperate themselves from the rest of the people, and basically pollute the American culture and society. They may not be the nicest group in America, but they certainly were the most signifigant and influential ones. They formed very famous groups such as The Order of the Star Spangled Banner, also known as the "Know Nothings". They also got influential legislature passed such as the Alien and Sedition Acts, and the Chinese Exclusion Acts. Nativists have been influencing the American way since the start of the country.

[Jason Y]

missm213 said:

Texans are the most significant group in U.S. history because their war for independence from Mexico and desire for annexation by the U.S. were the primary causes of the Mexican-American War.

At the conclusion of their war for independence, the Texans forced Santa Anna to sign the Treaties of Velasco, which ended hostilities, removed the Mexican forces from Texas, and set the Rio Grande as Texas’s border with Mexico. Mexico’s refusal to accept the Treaties of Velasco led to constant border conflicts between it and the Republic of Texas.
Annexation of Texas became a major issue in the 1844 presidential election. James K. Polk, who ran on a platform of annexation and expansion, won the election and in March 1845 the United States annexed Texas.
Texas’s border dispute with Mexico gave President Polk a pretext to send American troops past the Nueces River, the boundary claimed by Mexico, and to the Rio Grande, the boundary claimed by the Texans. The resulting war led to the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which gave America California, New Mexico, and Arizona, and the Texans the Rio Grande border they desired.
"In all, the United States gained 529,000 square miles from Mexico, including the part of California where the gold rush soon began, bringing people to that territory from around the nation and the world. The victory turned out to be a mixed blessing, however, as northerners and southerners began to disagree strenuously over whether the lands gained from Mexico would be slave or free. It took the Civil War to finally settle the question." (Duncan, Jason. "U.S.-Mexican War." In Rohrbough, Malcolm J., and Gary B. Nash, eds. Encyclopedia of American History: Expansion and Reform, 1813 to 1855, vol. 4. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2003. Facts On File, Inc. American History Online. <www.fofweb.com>.)

Maureen-

I don't understand how you're proving that the texans are most important. You seem to sell them as the cause of the Mexican American War and then stop. I realize that they sparked what led to the annexation of texas but you seem to begin with one point and then prove with another. So...what is the quality of Texans that you mean to sell as the reason for them being the most important group?

[Jason Y]

Just so you know...you're all wrong. It's clear that the Reconstructionists are the most important group. After the Civil war, the U.S. was at the brink of destrcution. The South had split from the Union, abolishment of slavery caused the collapse of society and we had just spent 4 years killing our own people. The Southern economy was now even farther behind the North than before the war and there seems to be no hope of agreement. Had it not been for the REconstructionists, the South and North may have never reunited and traveled the road towards world power (somewhat extreme possibility but its possible...) or it may have taken so long to piece back together the U.S. that it would have taken far longer to save. Also, we can't forget the man who sparked Reconstruction, arguably the greatest president ever, Honest Abe. When the leader and savior of this country suggests that you forgive the South immediately and begin repairing the country, that's how it is. No matter now much the South hates him, theres no denying that he saved the people of both the North and South by ending the war. THis is just the beginning of why they're important. more to come :-).


Incase peole don't understand why I wrote that, it's simply to prove that if it weren't for Abraham Lincoln and his plans for reconstruction (making him a REconstructionist), the country not only would have continued to stay a distater and possibly never come out of it, but also would have never recovered as speedily as it did. It seems hard to beleive because of how long it took and how horrible it remained for ex-slaves, but it would have been much worse had it not been for Lincoln and his plans to reunite the country.

[samr]

lickitylax210 said:

Without the Nativists that were active throughout America's history, this country could have turned out very differently. Nativists advocate for no immigrants in the country. Their justification being that immigrants take jobs from Americans, use up the welfare, seperate themselves from the rest of the people, and basically pollute the American culture and society. They may not be the nicest group in America, but they certainly were the most signifigant and influential ones. They formed very famous groups such as The Order of the Star Spangled Banner, also known as the "Know Nothings". They also got influential legislature passed such as the Alien and Sedition Acts, and the Chinese Exclusion Acts. Nativists have been influencing the American way since the start of the country.

The Nativists were against immigration. I understand this, but didn't John Adams create the Alien and Sedition Acts to weaken his opponents, the Jeffersonian Dem/Reps, instead of excluding immigrants because he was nativist? In other words, are you saying that Adams was a Nativist and that was why he created these laws?

[Jason Y]

melissaf said:

Musicians have long since influenced the politics and events of the country. The patriotic lay songs of the American Revolution constituted the first kind of mainstream popular music; fife songs were especially celebrated and were performed on field of battle during the American Revolution, the longest lasting of these fife songs is “Yankee Doodle” which is still well known today. It has long been argued that the American spirit during the American Revolution was the driving force behind our success, and music is the most successful producer of spirit. Also, the social and political ferment of the 1960s inspired artists like Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield to release albums with hard-hitting social commentary, and gospel stars like Mahalia Jackson became important figures in the Civil Rights Movement. Musicians during the Vietnam War also provided a major output for the opposing sentiment throughout the country.

Just want to comment that although this group seems obscure, I think Melissa said it perfectly. Musicians encouraged spirit as well as passion. When I think of war or periods of growth such as the Industrial Revolution, I have never thought of music in relation to those subjects...ever. BUT maybe we've been wrong to ignore it. When I think about it, its passion and spirit the drives us to succeed, to win in the end. Our spirit and passion for our country is what drives us to win wars. When we come into WWII, it's the passion, spirit and drive to win; to defeat those who dare come challenge us on our own soil. Although its the events such as Pearl Harbor that we think rallied our spirits then, I think that music and other aspects of normal life add to it as well. That is why I think music truly is important and if it weren't for musicians, life would have less passion and enjoyment. Good job, Melissa.

[Beth M.]

thebatman said:

FINE, Robinson, FINE! Your just angry because I trumped your system.

Anyway, Supreme Court Jusiti. Alright. I can agree with them being pretty important. In fact, I'll submit that they are the only political sheck that we have in place that is truly effective. I mean, you can say the Electoral College, or any of the other stuff, but bottom line is the Supreme Court is the one there that will sit down and kick America out of its little slumps. Those cases Beth Mentioned? Mucho Importante.

Though I speak highly of this group, I want you all to understand something. While there is a lot of good in the Supreme Court, the reason that they are not the best is because there is a fair amount of failure, too. Where was Supreme Court during Japanese internment? Jim Crow Laws? McCarthyism? They were on the side of America then. Not so good.

Buddy-
I understand that the Supreme Court has made some "bad decisions" in the past, but when you realize the circumstances under which they were decided, you might understand that those decisions were the right ones at the time.
In the case Korematsu v. United States, the Supreme Court decided that Japanese internment camps were constitutional. At this time in US history, America had just been unexpectedly attacked by the Japanese and the country was in a great state of panic. The Supreme Court Justices decided this way because, had they not, the Americans probably would have began greusome race riots against the Japanese. The same applies to McCarthyism. Americans were so petrified of communism that there really was no other choice for the Supreme Court. Let us not forget that the Supreme Court Justices are Americans too, and they have the same fears as every other American. Their decisions in cases like these have only been to protect the safety of Americans, not only from their fears, but from what they could potentially do to themselves and the country.

[Margaret B.]

When you say they have political power, do you have any examples of famous people in history or political movements they were involved in?

Sam-

Their political power was mostly got by their huge part in settling the Midwest. They controlled Utah when they first settled there, and all of the Midwest tried to connect to their national importance to get more for themselves. Also, they had members of their religion who were actually politicians. The founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, Jr., was planning to run for president but was killed by a mob before the election. His running mate was to be Sydney Rigdon. Though their chance of success was not good, especially considering Smith's history of unlawfullness, they mark an important point in history. Both of them were religious leaders. (Rigdon was a Campbellite preacher before his entire congregation was converted by Mormon missionaries in 1830) That two very powerful religious leaders could publicly declare their intentions of running for office (a clear mix of church and state) demonstrated the strength religion, and also culture, still had in politics. On the other hand, one could guess that those political ambitions contributed to the feelings of the angry mob that killed him only months after he announced plans to run. Perhaps this marks a decline in the power of religion and culture in government?

And I appreciate your assistance and agreement Laura ;D

[evanj]

Beth, you're totally right. The Supreme Court made those types of decisions on their shrewd conclusions that even if it was morally unacceptable, they had to be made in order to resolve these problems at safer times. The asian camps and the McCarthyism stuff are perfect examples of that fact.

[Beth M.]

gracef said:

Temperance Societies have always been a large influence throughout history. Organizations such as the Anti-Saloon League, The Lincoln-Lee Legion, and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) not only promoted moderation, and eventually prohibition of alcohol, but also turned their attention to other moral issues such as gambling, recreational drugs and tobacco, labor, prostitution, public health, sanitation, and internal peace. Women such as Mary Hunt, Carrie Nation, Neal S. Dow, and Lucy Webb Hayes were temperance’s strongest promoters, deriving strongly from their stance against domestic violence, which was strongly tied to alcoholism. When the 18th Amendment was ratified and prohibition was put into effect things really did start to change. People started going back to work and being productive, men stopped beating their wives, and crime decreased. However, while petty crime decreased, prohibition fueled the emergence of organized crime and increased smuggling. Thus, the Mob, under Al “Scarface” Capone, was born. Temperance societies are the most significant group in American history because they taught us to take good things in moderation, and abstain from all things harmful. Their influences have reached all levels of society, from the most humble homes to Congress, and have brought about one of the most feared and influential institutions itself: the Mob.

Grace-
I understand that Temperance Societies are very important and influencial, but if they are the cause of the Mob, the most feared institution in America, and their main goal, to eliminate alcohol consumption in the US, was eventually defeated both illegally by the Mob, and legally by the 21st amendment, how could they be the most significant group in American history? You said they taught us to abstain from all things harmful, but if they truely did, how is it that the Mob came out of this group? My overall question to you is what good came out of the Temperance Societies that is still kept today to make them the most significant group?

[Lily H.]

Maureen, although texas catalyzed war with mexico and made a dent in the history of the south and southwest, how did it effect the rest of america other than reintroduce further debate over slavery? were the lives of new englanders/north easterners or new england/ north eastern politics enhanced, hurt or untouched by the war and new state? furthermore, did the texan influence carry through to today?