Most Significant Groups in US History

[Laura D]

Info #2

Political machines first elected Harry Truman as a Judge in Missouri. It was the Pendergast Machine. Truman was in WW1 where he met Tom Pendergast's nephew. When Truman opened up a hat and tie shop, he met Tom Pendergast and Pendergast set him up. Eventually a few years down the road, Pendergast needed someone to run for senator. Truman was last, and every one before him said no, so Truman was "pushed" into Congress. Eventually the Pendergast machine was brought down on a "tax evasion charge". But Truman kept going, and eventually Truman dropped the atomic bomb as president and went into the korean "war."

Political machines were usually run like a business- there was a "Boss"- like Pendergast or "Boss Tweed". And then there were his hunchman. Usually they way they gathered steam was through favors for the lower class, and the poor workers (usually immigrants) would vote for them.

Richered Daley was the "Boss" for Chicago, since the machines usually sprang up in cities with large immigrant populations, Chicago had the stockyards. He ran Chicago for many years, got Kennedy elected, and then passed on the legacy to his son, who ran Chicago for a while too. Daley is supposedly the one who coined the term, "Vote early and often."

Vote early and often is a good way of summing up political mahcines in our history. All it takes iss one smart man (hasn't been a women yet), to manipulate some people in order to manipulate our country's democratic process.

The last major event, right now, is the election of 1880. *backtrack* After Tammany helped Hayes to get the election, Hayes double crossed them and began to investigate, political corruptness in NYC. One of the Main people he targeted was Chester A. Arthur. After Arthur refused to cooperate with Hayes, Hayes fired Arthur. Arthur was part of a New York republican Machine. When Garfield won the nomination, to placate Arthur's "home boys"(excuse my language) Arthur became Garfield's VP. Garfield and Arthur win with the help of many machines accross the country, and then another one of Arthur's "home boys" shoots Garfield, in order to make Arthur President.

ok that's all for now thank you folks:)

[Brian T]

Summary-
Ranking these top 78 groups is going to be a very difficult task as there are many different interpretations for what significance truly is. One of the most important criteria for ranking these groups is how big of an impact the group had in the long run. If the effects and influence of a group was only felt for a few years then it is difficult to argue that they were one of the most important. Doing this, though, may be very difficult, however, as every single one of these groups had some sort of influence on today's society although it may have been indirect and we may not realize it.

One thing to keep in mind is that significance and influence isn't always a good thing, and unfortunatley, it often isn't. Adolf Hitler and the Nazis caused a world war and the deaths of millions, yet they are one of the most significant groups in history. Just because a group's influence is detrimental to the country's advancement and success, it doesn't mean they weren't significant.

Another criteria that I will use to rank the top ten groups is whether or not they had an impact on one of these other so called "significant groups." If a group is truly sifnificant, then it is imperitave that other groups of people were influenced by them.

Good luck!

[Helen C.]

(Previous info here)

Important Artists

Abstract Expressionism (spontaneous creation, unconscious self)- Jackson Pollock, Willem De Kooning, Franz Kline, Lee Krasner, Robert Motherwell, William Baziotes, Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman, Adolph Gottlieb, Richard Pousette-Dart, and Clyfford Still (all members of the original New York School)

Modernist photography (outgrowth of Pictorialism)- Alfred Stieglitz (founder)

Hudson River School (naturalism, landscapes)- Thomas Cole (considered the father of the group, although they did not use his style during their prime), Asher Durand (shifted group to naturalism)

Pop Art (Pop culture images)- Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein (comic book-type images)

American Impressionism- Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, William Merritt Chase, Childe Hassam (painted urban scenes instead of the more popular tranquil landscapes)

The Harlem Renaissance - Faith Ringgold (painted quilts; combined themes of feminism and black identity), Jacob Lawrence (historical paintings of important African-Americans; portrayal of social issues), Romare Bearden (Photostat; study of everyday life)

Other- Gilbert Stuart (painted the defining portrait of George Washington), John James Audubon (painted and studied birds), Thomas Nast (image of Uncle Sam, Democratic donkey, Republican elephant, Santa Claus, and took down Boss Tweed), Thomas Eakins (photographic realism), Walker Evans (during the Great Depression, he photographed rural life and gave the era its most distinctive images)

[WILL M]

Coby, while I understand why you could feel like protesting has had little to no success over the years here in America, I think if you went back in history, you would see some protests that accomplished many things. Protests might not always work immediately, but it is often times the constant protest and show of discontent over time that causes change. Therefore, I agree with you evan and the examples you gave.

[Helen C.]

Laura, did Guiteau shoot Garfield just to get back at him for not getting a job, or was he intending to make Arthur president?

[Laura D]

info#3 to finish up fast

^ thank you brian!

Many may call political machines the epitome of political corruptness. However corruptness has a negative connotation and all political machines are not necessarily bad. They have helped many immigrants settle in, and protected them. And some of the beneficial events that did end up occuring, only happened because the "Bosses" had enough hold on the city. In The Jungle Sinclair, even though he is a socialist, still portrays Machines in a positive light.
And overall PM have affected the entire country, both politically and socially. They have affected reconstruciotn, anti-federalists v. federalists, muckrakers, immigrants, presidents, vice presidnts, labor unions, democrats, republicans, the list can go on and on...

Political Machines are the most important group in U.S. History
Thank you:)

bye:)

[Laura D]

hcrow said:

Laura, did Guiteau shoot Garfield just to get back at him for not getting a job, or was he intending to make Arthur president?

Both theories are out there, when he shot him...

-I think it is the job,
-but when you give psycho people beliefs
*oooo*
-bad things happen,
-and they actually believe their beliefs and tend to act upon them

the supposed quote when Guiteau shot Garfeild is=
"I am a Stalwart of the Stalwarts! I did it and I want to be arrested! Arthur is President now."
I think it's both, but it wouldn't have happened with out both--

ok
crazy person+fake beliefs(instilled by political machines)+job dissppointment= bad situation

[vickyg]

laura d-

were there political machines throughout US history? i've never really heard of any political mobs installed in cities in colonial times. were political machines only prevelent in the 19th and 20th centuries (like boss tweed)? if not, what were some significant political mobs from the 1700s we should know about?

[gabriellew]

Williama
Many poor whites were not hired as farmers after slavery because they were no longer needed. Plantation owners now had black slaves to perform the necessary labor. You needed money to obtain an education during this time. Poor whites were poor and lacked money, so this left them uneducated. They couldn't become doctors, lawyers or nurses because they lacked a degree. These people were definitely placed in a ruff spot. The first poor whites that came over where indentured servants. You cannot simply conclude that poor whites were lazy people. Things changed drastically for them when slavery started.

[joy]

jonahsprung said:

joy said:

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...

Jonah
To respond to your comment on page 35
Yea, I'm not for slavery either, but slavery was crucial to the Confederate economy. The Union had slaves. Before the industrial movement, when the North was dependent on grains and stuff, they relied on indentured slaves. So, even thought the Confederates were for slavery, it was because they had to. Unfourtunately, for blacks, the South was a bit slow on joining the industrial shift that the country was in at the time.

[Laura D]

vickyg said:

laura d-

were there political machines throughout US history? i've never really heard of any political mobs installed in cities in colonial times. were political machines only prevelent in the 19th and 20th centuries (like boss tweed)? if not, what were some significant political mobs from the 1700s we should know about?

well
the first one (tammany hall) was created by Aaron burr in the 1790's to win the eleciton of 1800, where they were unsuccessful. The last "effective" political machine was in the early 1980's, CCDO. However, ie CCDO, is still around today but just holds less power than it did before.


A little unrelated=
The traditonal powerful political machine, has basically gone away. Instead now we have "Royal families" instead- like the Bush family, and Clinton Family. I think it is just society's way of having poiltical security.

[joy]

Laura-
You may have answered this question, but how are political machines prominent today? In what ways have they remained in society?

Thanks
JOY

[gabriellew]

Thad
The poor whites are very significant people in history. They have provided America with labor even before the black slaves arrived. The upper class knew how valuable the working class was to the economy. They have contributed to building a heathy economy through working on farms and other types of labor. Many rich people helped to finance wars but did not actually fight in the battles. While poor whites served America in countless battles and wars. Abraham Lincoln was a man who grew up in poverty but overcame it and became one of the most important presidents of America. Lincoln was born in a one room lodge cabin which contained a dirt floor and no windows. Lincoln received very little schooling growing up because he was needed at home. Abraham Lincoln’s life was definitely a success story. Poor Whites didn’t let their social class in society dictate what they were capable of achieving. During the Great Depression many poor whites joined and helped strengthen the military to help provide for their families.
Yes, poor whites perfomed dangerous labor because the plantation owners valued the slaves more then the indentured servants. Indentured servants got to leave the plantation after seven years. This is why plantation owners would not give them as much food, clothes sometimes or tell them to go and drain a swamp filled with alligators, for example. Crazy things to keep them busy. Plantation owners didn't really care about them. They also did work alot like the slaves which was picking cotton, planting food which was also long and tedious. The slaves never got to leave the plantation unless they were sold. Slaves were propery and more of an investment for their owners.

[Helen C.]

evanj said:

2nd info post- The Framers of the Constitution didn't just create the way our government was run. They created a model that would continue to be adopted by the rest of the world. Democracy was an enormous risk, and these people were swimming in uncharted waters when they hatched the idea to have a government with no monarch or hugely powerful executive figure. Instead, they left most of the decisionmaking up to the people, which could was unheard of at that time. Also, since this group was basically left with a resource-rich country totally under their will, they made an ethically sound decision and didn't want to control the country and make America work for them. They wanted to work for America.

I agree- the framers of the Constitution took a big risk in adopting democracy, even if it wasn't the democracy we know today. Without that first step, the United States would have been completely different, if it even survived at all.

[gabriellew]

Sarah,
Yes of course they were more than identured servants. They have provided America with labor even before the black slaves arrived. The upper class knew how valuable the working class was to the economy. They have contributed to building a heathy economy through working on farms and other types of labor. Many rich people helped to finance wars but did not actually fight in the battles. While poor whites served America in countless battles and wars. Abraham Lincoln was a poor white man who grew up in poverty but overcame it and became one of the most important presidents of America. Lincoln was born in a one room lodge cabin which contained a dirt floor and no windows. Lincoln received very little schooling growing up because he was needed at home. Abraham Lincoln’s life was definitely a success story. Poor Whites didn’t let their social class in society dictate what they were capable of achieving. During the Great Depression many poor whites joined and helped strengthen the military to help provide for their families.

[brianw]

6343 said:

yadaeryting said:

When has protesting resulted in anything positive in American history? When I think of protests I think of the national government shutting them down by extreme force. Protesting is over rated and usually results in no positive change regardless of what the protesters may feel.

Coby are you serious? No positive change?
Perhaps we should take a look into the history of the US without the effect of some protests. Lets start off by whacking the Civil Rights movement right off the list. So there goes what might be considered one of the most progressive and important groups ever in terms of gaining the proper rights that minorities deserve. (I guess we're heading back toward slavery... real progress)
Then we travel back a bit further and I guess we can just remove that amendment about the women and that thing (among many things) that they kept complaining about. What was it again? Oh yeah the right to vote.
The list goes on all the way back to things like the Boston Massacre, which I suppose was also unimportant because it did not result in anything positive: one guy dead, some injured, and a bunch of colonies rallied up to the point where they started to demand their proper respect and eventual independence.

So yeah your right, I understand now; An America without protest would be a better place because people would never have to bother with expressing their feelings about anything unjust. Everybody would just be happy and cheery, and no one would ever take advantage of them. Its all so clear now.

Now if you don't consider blacks and women getting their proper rights be something positive, then thats a entirely different matter.

Rippped Ya Body.

[Helen C.]

Gabriellew, you may have addressed this already, but what were some of the ways that the wealthier whites tried to keep the poor whites from allying with the slaves and free blacks? I know they tried to capitalize on racism whenever they could, but I'm not clear on exactly how they did that.

[jonahsprung]

6343 said:

yadaeryting said:

When has protesting resulted in anything positive in American history? When I think of protests I think of the national government shutting them down by extreme force. Protesting is over rated and usually results in no positive change regardless of what the protesters may feel.

Coby are you serious? No positive change?
Perhaps we should take a look into the history of the US without the effect of some protests. Lets start off by whacking the Civil Rights movement right off the list. So there goes what might be considered one of the most progressive and important groups ever in terms of gaining the proper rights that minorities deserve. (I guess we're heading back toward slavery... real progress)
Then we travel back a bit further and I guess we can just remove that amendment about the women and that thing (among many things) that they kept complaining about. What was it again? Oh yeah the right to vote.
The list goes on all the way back to things like the Boston Massacre, which I suppose was also unimportant because it did not result in anything positive: one guy dead, some injured, and a bunch of colonies rallied up to the point where they started to demand their proper respect and eventual independence.

So yeah your right, I understand now; An America without protest would be a better place because people would never have to bother with expressing their feelings about anything unjust. Everybody would just be happy and cheery, and no one would ever take advantage of them. Its all so clear now.

Now if you don't consider blacks and women getting their proper rights be something positive, then thats a entirely different matter.

Word is bond, Gabe. America was founded by protest, and protest is the only thing that has kept us from devolving into a fascist slave holding women-beating class-structured due-process lacking poor opressing imperialistic Orwellian den of corruption and abuse. I can understand that you get a little annoyed with obnoxious hippies carrying signs with stupid slogans or whatever but to say that protest results in no positive change is maybe the most ridiculous thing I have heard since, well, the last really ridiculous and ignorant thing I have heard which I am afraid I can't recall at this moment but I mean c'mon now.

[Becca M.]

Okay, so apparently one cannot leave the state for a day without missing about 28 pages of information. I have a request. I'm working on reading all the pages I missed, but if anyone's asked me a question or said anything nice/mean about BANKERS, send me a message so I can find you and answer/thank/repremand you.

[Alex G.]

Info post 2
Throughout American history, there have been many prominent athletes, who have had great influence on American people. Some of these athletes include:

Mohammad Ali- Born Cassius Clay, however changed his name when he became a Muslim. He was crowned the sportsman of the century by Sports illustrated in 1999. He was the heavyweight champion of the world, as well as won an Olympic gold medal. Ali, since retiring, has become a great humanitarian, and was in 2005 given the presidential medal of freedom. According to the Mohammad Ali center website, "Since he retired from boxing, Ali has devoted himself to humanitarian endeavors around the globe. He is a devout Sunni Muslim, and travels the world over, lending his name and presence to hunger and poverty relief, supporting education efforts of all kinds, promoting adoption and encouraging people to respect and better understand one another. It is estimated that he has helped to provide more than 22 million meals to feed the hungry. Ali travels, on average, more than 200 days per year."

Babe Ruth- George Herman Ruth was born in 1895, and made his major league debut in 1914. In 1998, the sporting News called him the greatest baseball player ever. In 1936, Ruth was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, as part of the first ever class. It could be argued that Ruth popularized, or even romanticized baseball, and really is attributable for making baseball as it is today.

Jesse Owens- Born in 1913, Owens was an American track and field athlete, who's claim to fame was winning gold during the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. His win is seen as a way of Blacks, as well as Americans "sticking it" to Adolf Hitler, obviously a great racist. In 1976, he too was awarded the presidential medal of freedom, and though he died 10 years earlier of cancer, he was given the congressional gold medal in 1990 by George H.W. Bush.

Jim Thorpe- Born in 1888, Thorpe was a multi-sport athlete, who won Olympic medals as well as played football and baseball professionally. Thorpe, a Native American, was originally from Oklahoma, but moved to Pennsylvania, where he excelled at many sports. In the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, he won two gold medals. Legend has it that when the king gave him his own prize, the king (Gustav V) said, "You, sir, are the greatest athlete in the world," to which Thorpe replied, "Thanks, King."

Babe Zaharias- A gold medal winner in the Olympics, Zaharias also excelled in many other sports. She was an All-American in Basketball, and though her real name was Mildred, acquired the name Babe after hitting five homers in a single game. In spite of this, Babe was best known as a golfer, as competed on the PGA tour, something that would not happen again for years to come.