Most Significant Groups in US History

[jonahsprung]

joy said:

The Confederates, yea, we all know that they lost the Civil War, but that’s not the point. The United States would have been in the same position if they lost the Revolutionary War. The Confederates embodied the spirit of what America was founded on: fighting for what you believe in.

The South also gets bad mouthed for believing in the enslavement of African Americans. Owning slaves was the only way that their economy could survive. Beside, at this time, many Americans believed that the black race was “inferior.” In 1858, during the Lincoln-Douglass debates, Lincoln said, "I will say, then, that I am not, nor have ever been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races ... I am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race." The popular view back then was white supremacy.

Just because the Confederacy is not around anymore, does not mean that the group is not important. The things they did during their time are what make them important. The Confederate army had amazing horse riders and riflemen. Although they ran out of supplies constantly, due to the blocked trade routes, they were passionate fighters that fought without shoes, proper uniforms and food for days.

Many interesting characters came out of the Confederacy. One of these is Lieutenant General Nathan Forrest. Forrest enlisted to the Confederate Army in 1861. During his service, Forrest, now in command of his own battalion, led secret raids that yielded Union prisoners and caused instability in the Federal Army. After the Battle at Shiloh, Forrest was made brigadier general in 1862. Forrest’s most impressive victory came at Brice’s Cross Roads in Mississippi, where, against a force over twice the size of his own, he succeeded in putting his enemies to confused flight. After the Civil War, Forrest became involved with the Ku Klux Klan, where he became Grand Wizard in 1867.

Hopefully this answers previous questions about the significance of the Confederacy.

I agree with you, Joy, that the Confederates represent the inclination of Americans towards rebellion and personal freedom. Which is ironic, because they were also for slavery. This rebellious instinct has manifested itself throughout our history in such disparate people as Al Capone and Dr. Martin Luther King, and the Confederates represent it carried to its logical extreme. If only they weren't for slavery...

[Ayesha M.]

trombonesoprano said:

makdoom said:

Jingoists are the most significant group in United States history because if they were not around, the United States would not be a world power today. Jingoists, which were a group that came around the 1890's and wanted the United States to make the world recongnize it's power with military force. They were the group that advocated the country to get involved into war at the end of the 19th centry. They pushed for the war on Spain to free Cuba, and get involved with the Philippines and Puerto Rico. We only started doing things on a world scale bases due to their efforts of pushing U.S. out of an isolationist state.

Ayesha-
So where are these guys now? If they got involved with the Philippines and Puerto Rico, did they want something out of it, or were they just good people who wanted to send their people to fight for someone else? I highly doubt there is any country that would do that. That's humans for you.

they were the group that advocated a belligerent foreign policy. jingoists consisted of a huge pop. of the united states during the 1890's, most of the congress consisted of jingoists, and they are the ones that pressured the president to go to war against spain. i have already listed and described that the leaders of this party consisted of Mahan, Roosevelt, H.C. Lodge, and A. Beveridge. Of course they weren't just good hearted people who wanted to send their men off to defend another country, what they really wanted was to continue manifest destiny over the continent, they wanted power and recognition for the country. Mahan went even farther with his ideas, after his book was published, he became an even bigger extremest since his book had become very popular, meaning that many people bought his book, and bought into his ideas. he wanted the us to have a strong navy, be able to control the seas and become very powerful. Senator Morgan, Senator Cullom, are some other jingoists advocates of the time. Jingoism is a belief, a manner of thinking, those who are infavor of going to war and infavor of using brute force are jingoists.

[carolinah]

Alex T.
Can you explain more why the Know-Nothing Party is important? Who were the people in the group. I really don't know much about the party.

[Jason Y]

Yea, thats good Brian, thanks.

[Jake V]

Info post 1: SCIENTISTS
The creation of the atomic bomb was one of the most important moments in human history. An estimated total of 214,000 Japanese citizens were killed in the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and they have American scientists to thank for it. The Manhattan project, which was run by prominet American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, produced the first successful atomic weapons, which enabled the United States to defeat Japan in World War II without sacrificing a significant number of soldiers' lives in a mainland invasion. And the impact of the atomic bomb continued to be felt around the world throughout the twentieth century. Once the Soviet Union revealed that they had the A-bomb, the Cold War escalated to the brink of nuclear war, with an ideological conflict between the only two superpowers threatening to render the human race extinct. The arms race and numerous proxy wars between the United States and the Soviet Union, which arguable defined much of the twentieth century, revolved largely around mutual fear of the work of American scientists.
Non-bomb-related arguments will follow.

[Helen C.]

Joy, did the Confederates really have more influence on America than the Union? I know the South's secession led to the war in the first place, but it seems like it could be said that the Confederate viewpoint was sort of the starting point of the South, and that legal support of it was then eliminated after the Civil War. The Union's philosophy was the one that was legally imposed on the South after the war, and the one that led to the most change in the United States as a whole. After all, no one has seriously proposed dividing the nation since then, and Confederate ideals can't really be publicly expressed without serious consequences, which suggests that the Union ideals have prevailed.

[Sarah D.]

imyourbestbeth said:

The most significant group in US history are the Supreme Court Justices. The Supreme Court, started in 1789 by the Judiciary Act of 1789, is the highest court in the United States. The Supreme Court consists of 9 members - one chief justice and eight associate justices. Ever since the Judiciary Act of 1789, the Supreme Court Justices have had to decide many cases that lead to alterations in the Constitution and many other important things. The most significant case was Marbury v. Madison(1803), under Chief Justice John Marshall, in which the ultimate outcome was that the Supreme Court could decided whether or not an act of Congress was unconstitutional (judicial review). The Supreme Court was also responsible for ground-breaking decisions such as Brown v. Board of Education, which stopped segregation in schools, and Roe v. Wade, in which the court ruled that a woman had the constitutional right to get an abortion during the first trimester. The Supreme Court also was one of the first federal institutions to welcome an African American, Justice Thurgood Marshall, in 1967, and a woman, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor in 1981.
Supreme Court Justices are the most significant group in US history because they affect every branch of government, and their decisions affect the United States as a whole.

Beth!
I agree with you completely. Supreme court justices have a had huge impact on history. Their final decisions are the ones that ultimately define the America we live in today. The Scopes Trial is a great example of how the Supreme Court is so important. FDR as well clearly understood the power of the Supreme Court when he attempted to have more Justices in power so that his New Deal programs had a better chance of being passed. The Supreme Court literally has the lives of citizens in their hands.
In the Gregg v. Georgia Case, the Supreme Court decided that the death penalty was in fact constitutional so long as the accused is proven guilty of a certain crime and has their death sentenced determined.
Although Supreme Court does go back a forth between particular ideas being unconstitutional or not, their presence is extremely prominent in America.

[sophieq1]

Info Piece 2
The Robber Barons were the most influential group because they created a new form of business. Pre 1870 these businesses were controlled by owner’s period. The Robber Barons made it possible for new job positions. For example the new system enabled management to be separated from ownership. This was mainly enforced after trusts were created to improve centralized authorities. Robber barons influenced the creation of new laws that helped other people. Small business owners and consumers were protected by the Hepburn Act, the Interstate Commerce Act, and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Because Robber Barons, for the most part, were overpricing and using the government and consumers for moneymaking schemes these laws were put in place to counteract the corruption. They helped make a standard price to sell goods for every market so that one company couldn’t over charge. This did have a negative impact for some people, like James J. Hill who was obsessed with cutting down consumer prices.

[Michel'le F.]

2nd Informational Post


Another reason why Quakers are so significant to this country is because they transformed education from a theological learning, to a more internal understanding. George Fox, who was the founder of Quakerism, believed that students should be taught about nature and their surroundings, as well as math and literature. Fox insisted that education should carry out into the real world, and not just in the class room. One of the most significant contributions that Fox made to American education, was the acceptance of girls into schools. This was a larger refrence to the beliefs of all Quakers, who felt that knowledge knew no gender, and that both men and women should be equal. Fox was concerned that students be prepared for their roles in society, which happens to be the mission statement of our highschool! For the Quakers, it was important that all people received an education. Therefore, in 1801, Quaker women opened a school for less foruntate (financially unstable) children in NYC. Later in 1818, a school was opened for black children. This was an important contribution because blacks were whipped and lynched for trying to read. During reconstruction, Quakers flooded to the south where they established schools for former slaves and their children, helping to integrate them into a changing society. The educational efforts of the Quakers soon moved to higher learning. Here is a list of all the Quaker Originated Colleges in the United States:

Barclay College
Cornell University
Bryn Mawr
Earlham School of Religion/Earlham College
Friends University
Friends World Program
George Fox University
Guilford College
Haverford College
Houston Graduate School of Theology
Johns Hopkins University
Malone College
Swarthmore College
William Penn University
Wilmington University
Whittier College

This is an absolutely impressive list of colleges. These schools were founded on Quaker beliefs and the students that attended these colleges received a Quaker education. For every student that is educated, the Quakers will live on, for they have contributed immensly to the construction of the American education system. In addition, the Friend Associatio for Higher Education works in the present day to ensure that these contributions LAST. Every girl that is attending school right now should thank the Quakers. Every minority that is attending school right now, should thank the Quakers, because they advocated and worked hard so that all of us could receive an excellent education.

[Jason Y]

Sarah/Beth-

Just an example/counter argument to what Sarah just said, can one really support Supreme Court justices when they aren't always taken seriously? To give an extreme example, look at John Marshall. His ruling regarding the Cherokee nation was completey disgredarded and led to the persecution and evacuation of the Cherokees in Georgia. Perhaps they don't have as much influence or power as we think...or maybe thats a once in a lifetime thing and it's the ONE TIME this really occurs and you guys are both right...


just a thought

[Ayesha M.]

jingoists were the most important group in united states history because if it were not for them, as i have stated before the US would not have gotten involved with the rest of the world. this would also prevent the united states residence from creating industries that are as large as they are today. all the businesses that start here go on to expand around the world. it was only after the emergence, and efforts of jingoists that US merchants were ever able to expand their networks out of the united states, becoming more prosperous and when they became more prosperous they fed the US economy, creating more opportunities in the US and making lives more stable here, and allowing for the leisure like, luxurious, and comfortable life styles we live in today. if it were not for the jingoists, and the US did not break out of its isolationist cocoon, the US not be as far ahead as it is now in its world industrial affairs.

[williama]

Nullifiers are an important group in American History, because they were believers in states rights; rights and freedoms, outside the influence of a central government, and countless times referenced in the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation. The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions were written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in 1798, and these documents voiced the two political figure’s disgust of the Alien and Sedition Acts, with more of an emphasis on the Sedition Act. The Sedition Act instilled into place the punishment of activity involving the writing and publication of any “false, scandalous and malicious writing" centering around the president, or Congress, where punishments would be as strict and heavy as two years in prison. This Act was seen as unconstitutional by Jefferson, and Madison, as well as present- day historians. The fifth admendment of the US Constituion gurantees US citizens due process, and due process was denied by the federal government in this situation. The government under Andrew Jackson’s adminstration denied basic right of liberty; liberty classified under the first admendment as freedom of press in the Bill of Rights. Mind you, this unconstituional measure formalized by the federal government was put into use before the introduction of judicial review in 1803. So, it was upon the Nullifiers themselves to comment on the government’s unchecked power, resembling that of Great Britain under the monarchial reign of King George III. Nullifiers, representing their state governments opposed to follow unconstituional law administered by the federal government, seeing these laws as void. Simply, Nullifiers chose to stand up for the principles that the United States union was binded by, when the government had proved to tyrannical and monarichial, so Nullifiers deserve the honor of being named the most important group in American History. These early nullifiers, like Jefferson and Madison of Virginia and Kentucky chose to defend and fight for the U.S. ideals, when fellow states like, Delaware, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire were outraged by the resolutions and when Alexander Hamilton in response had raised an army of 50,000, ready to plunge into Virginia. Thomas Jefferson was notable the writer of the Declaration of Independence and a devout nullifier, and he knew how the US government should be run, with application of basic rights for US citizens and states rights, and he supported the nullifier cause, because the presence of nullification was the only foreseeable way for such basic rights and government principles to carry on in the future of an ideal US.

[sophieq1]

Info Piece 3
Robber Barons were named that for a good reason, they swindled people’s money. These people were well versed in politics and how to get what they needed. Robber Barons were experts at swaying politicians to give them millions of dollars to create a project. For example, Thomas Durant, in charge of a government-subsidized company, would build the most obscure and wasteful route as quickly as possible because he knew he was being paid by the mile to do so. He wasted the product so that he could make more money if built more. The American people developed the name Robber Barons because they were outraged when people such as Durant stripped the government’s money away they should have been put to better use.
Also these political robbers would use their connections with Congress to create laws that would help them. Yeah, laws were put in place to stop these men, as I mentioned in my second Informational piece, however there was always laws supporting Robber Barons. Congress would help these men and in turn Americans held them with distain. The common man was given more poor quality materials and fluctuation of prices was always an issue.

[Beth M.]

jyoung said:

Sarah/Beth-

Just an example/counter argument to what Sarah just said, can one really support Supreme Court justices when they aren't always taken seriously? To give an extreme example, look at John Marshall. His ruling regarding the Cherokee nation was completey disgredarded and led to the persecution and evacuation of the Cherokees in Georgia. Perhaps they don't have as much influence or power as we think...or maybe thats a once in a lifetime thing and it's the ONE TIME this really occurs and you guys are both right...


just a thought

Jason-
I understand what you're saying, but in that respect, it was not John Marshall's fault that his, and the Court's, decision was disregarded, rather the president at that time, Jackson, was completely committed to the idea of indian removal. In this instance, both Georgia and President Jackson decided on their own to ignore the ruling of the Supreme Court. However, as time has progressed, the Supreme Court's rulings are held in higher standards and are never ignored.

[Tiffany B.]

3rd informational post:

Prominent slaves:
*Harriet Tubman—a well-known abolitionist and ex-slave who safely escaped to the north and then helped almost 300 other slaves escape to freedom by personally escorting them along the Underground Railroad.
*Sojourner Truth—a slave who also escaped to freedom. Well-known and respected abolitionist and an advocate of woman’s rights. (delivered famous “Ain’t I A Woman?” speech to say that the privileges and rights offered to white women in the south should be offered to black woman as well.)
*Frederick Douglass—highly respected orator who was another slave that was able to escape to freedom and turned into an abolitionist who amongst others fought to abolish slavery.
*Nat Turner—A very popular religious leader whose rebellion sparked fear in the slave-holding whites in the south. The success of the revolt awakened the plantation owners to seeing that if one slave could do it, many others would attempt it as well.

Just to name a few….

[coby]

(This is Coby)
I agree with what Miche'le is proclaiming about the Quakers. The Quakers developed the standard for what modern education is like today. If you ever read a summary on one of the colleges listed in Miche'le's list you will find that the college takes great pride in its Quaker heritage. For example, Haverford College claims its core values revolve around Quaker tradition which provide for a relaxed learning environment that is dependent upon trust, essentially the Quakers developed the 'honor code'.

[Jason Y]

imyourbestbeth said:

jyoung said:

Sarah/Beth-

Just an example/counter argument to what Sarah just said, can one really support Supreme Court justices when they aren't always taken seriously? To give an extreme example, look at John Marshall. His ruling regarding the Cherokee nation was completey disgredarded and led to the persecution and evacuation of the Cherokees in Georgia. Perhaps they don't have as much influence or power as we think...or maybe thats a once in a lifetime thing and it's the ONE TIME this really occurs and you guys are both right...


just a thought

Jason-
I understand what you're saying, but in that respect, it was not John Marshall's fault that his, and the Court's, decision was disregarded, rather the president at that time, Jackson, was completely committed to the idea of indian removal. In this instance, both Georgia and President Jackson decided on their own to ignore the ruling of the Supreme Court. However, as time has progressed, the Supreme Court's rulings are held in higher standards and are never ignored.

Beth-

It doesn't matter if it's his fault or not, it still shows poorly for Supreme Court Justices. It's not about who's fault is is. His decision was disregarded - end of story.

It doesn't matter much anyway. This was only one case and the Supreme Court Justices ARE very influential, I was merely pointing out an exception.

[Jordan K.]

To Thad,
Affecting the government invariably affects the people of the United States.

[Jake V]

SCIENTISTS info post 2
You'll note that we're all in different buildings, scattered across two towns, and yet we can come together to have this debate through the magic of the Internet. Thanks, computer scientists!
The exact point at which the Internet came into existence is debatable, but its origins can be traced to the late 1950's. The first "online" programs, or connections between computers at different points, were created by computer scientists working for the United States defense department, with the first technologically successful online network being SAGe, orSemi Autmoatic Ground Environment, which natworked radar systems across the coutry to enable quick detection of and response to incoming bombers. Computer scientist JCR Licklider was put in charge of a Defense Department program to look into this technology and develop it into further practical applications. (this desire to advance computer technology was largely a response to the Soviets' victory in the race to launch an artificial sattelite. The United States government, being extremely mature people, decided they had to take the lead in a newer technological field to show up the Soviets.) Licklider recruited another scientist, Lawrence Roberts, to put Licklider's theoretical contributions into practice by developing the necessary technology, and in 1969, the ARPANET--the most direct oredecessor of the modern internet--went live at UCLA. In 1983, an evolved version of the ARPANET technology was implemented by the United States National Science Foundation, and NSFnet, a network that linked together major American universities, was born. In 1985 NSFnet was opened to commercial use, and it evolved into the global network on which this debate is taking place.
The Internet has made communication across once-vast distances easy and instantaneous. It has allowed news to reach all the corners of the Earth in a ridiculously short amount of time. Professionals working in all fields, be it science, medicine, government, or what have you, can now work together from opposite ends of the earth. The people of the world now have seemingly faster-than-possible access to world events. The Internet is revolutionizing world affairs and daily life, and it's the product of the work of American scientists.

[Jordan K.]

jvogt said:

Info post 1: SCIENTISTS
The creation of the atomic bomb was one of the most important moments in human history. An estimated total of 214,000 Japanese citizens were killed in the atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and they have American scientists to thank for it. The Manhattan project, which was run by prominet American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, produced the first successful atomic weapons, which enabled the United States to defeat Japan in World War II without sacrificing a significant number of soldiers' lives in a mainland invasion. And the impact of the atomic bomb continued to be felt around the world throughout the twentieth century. Once the Soviet Union revealed that they had the A-bomb, the Cold War escalated to the brink of nuclear war, with an ideological conflict between the only two superpowers threatening to render the human race extinct. The arms race and numerous proxy wars between the United States and the Soviet Union, which arguable defined much of the twentieth century, revolved largely around mutual fear of the work of American scientists.
Non-bomb-related arguments will follow.

Well put Jake. Had it not been for the atomic bombs, millions more Americans would have certainly died attacking Japan. Even though a few thousand troops who were sent in to Japan shortly after the explosion of the bombs suffered from over exposure to radiation, this is definately preferable to a million deaths.