Most Significant Groups in US History

[Beth M.]

rina said:

To Beth,
Who were some really bad supreme court justices?

Rina-
I don't believe there are any "bad" Supreme Court Justices. Of course, there have been justices that made bad decisions (Korematsu v. US or Plessy v. Ferguson), but that does not make them a bad justice. The justices on the Supreme Court were all appointed by a president because of their great success in their field (usually law). The justices may all have different points of view, but that is what makes the Supreme Court unique. None of the justices are "bad", they just have different opinions.

[Tali Cayemitte]

To Matt F

Abolitionists made things happen. Slavery is abolished and they set the wheels in motion that evoked change. That was their ultimate goal and to compare the person who thought of the computer to a group of people who forever changed the way politics and society functioned is...well...since i have to be nice...obtuse. My question to you then is this, if the person who thought of the computer hadnt thought of it, then who would Bill Gates have taken the idea from TO make it work??

Booyah!!!!

[Beth M.]

lickitylax210 said:

Beth M.- If you had to choose the most influential Supreme Court Justice or Case what would it be and why? How did he/she/this influence society?

Nicole-
Since I already explained why Marbury v. Madison is the most influential case (in my opinion), I'll give you the most influential justice. I think the most influential/important Justice is John Marshall because he set a standard for all following justices. Marshall was able to put his personal feelings aside when deciding cases. He also was the Chief Justice during the Marbury v. Madison case.

[jonahsprung]

Educators # 3
This final post will cover a topic we are all too familiar with: Education in modern America.
Everybody is an educator to some extent, and nobody has had a greater effect on our lives than everybody. However, there is a small segment of American society (albeit a strange one) who actually get paid for this duty. These are The Teachers. You may hate them. You may fear them. But can you deny that no one has had a greater influence on your life, and the lives of countless Americans?
School is where us modern children spend an absurd amount of our waking life. This is because adults are not sure where else to put us; we tend to get in trouble when left on our own. The effectiveness of this method is debatable, but the fact remains: we spend a lot of time in school. While we are in school, our time is mainly occupied by older people talking at us. This is the operative idea: to fill our heads with things that we will need later in our lives.
When we finally get out of our mandatory 13 or so years of school, we are immediately expected to enroll ourselves in a massively expensive and equally time-consuming university if we have any hopes of becoming self-sustaining adults. This lasts for another four years. Already, school has consumed much of what could have been the happiest years of our life. To console themselves to this fact, many college students resort to imbibing massive amounts of alcohol.
After this many of us are compelled to send ourselves to some sort of institution of higher education. this education can last into our thirties and put us in frightening amounts of debt. Hopefully once we graduate we will be able to use our knowledge to land a high-paying job. We will then inevitably spend all the money we make in a futile attempt to recapture some of the joy and fresh experience that we would have had in our youth, had it not been almost entirely consumed in pursuit of this wealth. This is the very definition of irony.
At the end of the process we are scarred and tired but hopefully educated. Certainly, though, it has played a large role in shaping us into the people we become.
No-one is really a better judge of the influence that educators have on us than us students ourselves. As students at Columbia High School, there are few people more acquainted with the flaws and good points of the American education system. We get to experience first-hand things like contract conflicts and education gaps. So I ask you, the student, to make this judgment yourself. Has any one group had a greater influence on your development as a person? I thought not.

[Tali Cayemitte]

Summative Post:

iight so here it is. This simulation was...interesting...different...interestingly different i guess. I have not yet come to a conlusion about whether or not it was effective in terms of achieving its goals but it will probably be a little clearer to me when i write my outpaper. I will write my out paper using this criteria:
1. How have they directly influenced the development of America's economy, society, and governing?
2. Can their influence still be seen and recongnized today?
3. Are there ideals apart of what is considered "American" or aided in identifying what is or isnt Americcan?
4. Has their influence extended farther past their their own respective organizations into the diverse faces of all Americans?
6.Finally, has their ideas spurred or evoked change that is apart of what today is considered "American"


Peace

[Matt F]

To Talisha-

First off, no, not "Booyah".
Your last post contradicted your post before it. In your post before last you said "The "step" that abolitionists took was a catalyst that made it possible for many other groups to eventually revolutionize an idea." That is why I brought up the computer, and how yes, abolitionists started an idea, but other groups made it work. Same case, with the computer. I'm not trying to compare a computer to a group of people, obviously, I'm comparing the two basic ideas. Now you are saying that abolitionists made things work. Didn't you just say before that they started the idea for other groups who made things work?
And no, they didn't make things work when they tried. Slavery was deemed "illegal" but nearly all blacks ended up back working for little or no pay on the same plantations that they spent most of their life on before. And now slavery is abolished and blacks have gained civil rights, but not due to the early abolitionists. It's due to other groups and other efforts that have based off of the original idea and message that the abolitionists had. But having an idea and making it work are two totally different things, and the person or group that makes it work should be rewarded far more.
And to answer your "question"- Bill Gates probably wouldn't have done anything if the person who originally thought of the computer, hadn't. But that person did think of it, just the way that abolitionists set the idea of antislavery in motion. And just the same way, both shouldn't recieve much credit cause they didn't make anything happen. Notice now how Bill Gates and many groups throughout the early half of the twentieth century, as well as leaders like MLK, are so significant.

Thank you.

[Beth M.]

3rd Info Post: Supreme Court Justices

Supreme Court Justices are the most significant group in US History because, unlike many other groups, they have been in existence since the signing of the Constitution, and are still going strong. As I have mentioned, the Supreme Court decisions affect the American people in more ways that anyone knows, nor ever will. All justices of the Supreme Court have different backgrounds, whether it be law, military, federal, etc. The justices have different opinions and rarely, if ever, agree 100% on anything. This makes the Supreme Court Justices stand out from the rest of the groups. It is true that the Supreme Court has made bad decisions, but the significance of a group does not necessarily have to be synonymous with perfection. Also, we must take into respect the time period at which these decisions were made and what it would have risked or changed had the Supreme Court decided the other way. Basically, the Supreme Court Justices are the most significant group in US history.

[michaelg]

My karma was at -1 for a while. I don't know what that means, but if i offended somebody in any way I am sorry.

That having been said, my criteria for judging the most signifiacant groups in American history is as follows:

If the group was not around, this would be a different country than it is today. If the country would not be that much different, than it was not very significant. In contrast, if the United States could not exist without the group of people than they were very significant. One way to analyze a group's impact would be how it would change your daily life or if they changed something on a map. If a group of people changed something on a map or a globe, they are very important. An example would be a change in borders or if they created something like a desert.

I will also consider longevity. I believe that a group of people that were in existence for a long time could be more important than a group that made a bang and left. For example, I personally believe that traders are more important than the Populist Party.

Whether the group in question had a positive or negative impact on America is irrelevant. I believe that a guy that blew up a nuclear bomb in Miami would be very significant even though he had a negative influence on the country.

I believe that a group that indirectly causes a major event is just as significant as a group that directly causes one. I have this opinion because part of my criteria is how the group has affected the course of American history.

It is also of my opinion that in grading significance, it is more important for a group to have had a large impact on society than it is for the group to be the first to say it. I will grade them on who had the more lasting impression.

[Tali Cayemitte]

To Matt F

Contradicting Gabrielle's post, you spoke mostly of achieving "equality" which is why i said that abolitionists were the catalyst in terms of that. Then you said that they didnt succeed at achieving anything which is where i stated that they achieved their goal of abolishing slavery. Equality...abolition...there is a difference!!!!!!!! So no, i didnt contradict what i said and once again....booyah!!!

As for that other stuff you said, only one thing seems of greater importance. " And to answer your "question"- Bill Gates probably wouldn't have done anything if the person who originally thought of the computer, hadn't." My point exactly!!!!

And thank you..its been a blast!!

[sweetlou]

I enjoyed this simulation because it was nothing like I had done in the past. This project brought a new dimension to school simulations. There are tons of information on these 53 pages and writing an out paper based on them seems overwhelming. However because there is so much to work with I feel there will be little if any problem of finding enough info. I had a great time thanks.

[Hannah L.]

Besides being beneficial and influential merely on the basis of thier existence and work for our country, the Anti-Federalists left behind important literary contributions. The presence of the Anti-Federalist party spurred the creation of the Federalist Papers written by Federalists such as Hamilton, Madison and John Jay. These papers argued in favor of the adoption of the Constitution (at that time with out the Bill of Rights). In efforts to refute these papers, a collection of essays and speeches was compiled. These, appropriately dubbed The Anti-Federalist Papers were collective writings warning against the dangers of Federalist ambiguities, tyranny, lack of liberties and federal justice systems. Though at the time, most of the collection was written using pseudonyms such as "Centinel", "Federal Farmer", "Brutus" and "John De Witt", the identities have since been determined. Behind the pseudonyms lay the minds of Samuel Bryan, Robert Yates, and George Clinton, while some still remain uncertain. In addition to the hidden identities, contributors included Patrick Henry, James Wilson, and Melancton Smith. Impressssiiivvve.

[Matt F]

Dearest Talisha,

I don't know how else to write it more clearly. You contradicted yourself in your two previous posts, not having anything to do with Gabrielle. You first said that the abolitionists merely started an idea. You then said they made things happen. That is called contradictory.
The question has nothing to do with it either and the only reason I answered it is to show you, that I do in fact agree that abolitionists started the idea, which I've said all along. But what I was trying to show you is that all they did was have an idea. The same way that the guy who thought of the computer only had an idea. Obviously it's totally out of context to ask what would happen if the computer idea was never thought of because its all hypothetically speaking. Again, because apparently I wasn't clear before:
I agree that abolitionists began the anti slavery idea.
BUT they didn't do anything to effectively make it happen.
ALSO please dont ask ridiculously irrelevant questions next time.
I hope thats clear enough.

[Beth M.]

Summative Post

The criteria as to which I will be deciding my top 10 are as follows:
1. The group must have a lasting impact on society today, whether they are still around and influential, or their actions when they were in existance made the impact. (America would be completely different without this group)
2. The group must have made groundbreaking decisions and/or actions, or caused one to be made.
3. They affect all aspects of America (economy, government, culture, etc.)
4. The group should be significant as a whole. Thier influence should not be determined by one prominent member's actions.

[beckyg]

nneka, the Second Great Awakenign really spurred abolitionists and those with anti-slavery sentiments to take action against the mistreatment of blacks. Many of these people encouraged northern states to enact liberty laws, to protect runaway slaves because the constitution prohibited any state from harboring a runaway slave.

although there were divisions in the abolitionists movement and men and women sometimes differed on their views of emancipation for women, there were still many female abolitionists, such as Lydia Child, Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton

[beckyg]

rina said:

Last info post:
Rialroad workers are one of the most influential groups in American History because they still exist today. There are still Transcontinental Railroads, and other railroads that many people use today. Railroad workers are still fighting for better working conditions and better wages. Railroad workers were those who built the railroads, and now they work in the trains and fix the railroads. Railroads and their workers still exist today.

i disagree with you. just because a group is still around today does not give support for them being the most significant group in american history. terrorists are still around today and they are certianly not the most significant group of people. yes railroad workers helped to connect the eastern and western sides of our country but have they really been succesful in achieving better working conditions?

[coby]

Juliet,
I did know the mason dixon line passes through NJ and that the southern tip of NJ is below the Mason Dixon line. Another interesting fact is that Cape May which falls under the mason dixon line has the highest concentration of KKK. I think this is why most people do not venture to southern NJ.

[Hannah L.]

Caitlin-

From your info post on pg 34, I fully understand that the environment is of national concern or at least should be. However, what exaclty are the environmentalists doing about this issue and what are significant actions taken in the past against other issues involving the environment?

[coby]

Matt,
I agree that journalists were the back bone of what media is today with television and radio. And now the power to vote is vested in all citizens and the media (journalists) can sway elections and change the nations future. But do you think that the amount of journalists out there and all the contrasting viewpoints counter each other? making past journalists more influential in American history then present journalists.

[coby]

Becky,
Your example of terrorists being insignificant in history is a flawed example. Terrorists are extremely influential they wage wars and supports revolts, they are people like Hitler who have left unfotunately huge dents in history.

[Hannah L.]

Once the contreversy of the new Constitution (with the Bill of Rights) began to settle in, the Anti-Federalists and Federalists found that this was not the last of thier disagreements. On both a personal and political level, Hamilton grew to be one of Jefferson's biggest rivals. Believing in following a strict interpretation of the Constitution, the Anti-Federalists often struggled with Hamilton's fiscal policies. Such policies included a national bank and others that seemed to favor the wealthy. For a group majorly composed of farmers, the lower class and often times, illiterate individuals, the Anti-Federalists were not content with such policies. Instead, they looked toward state control of money. Eventually, this group of Anti-Federalists grew to become known as the Democratic Republicans. Both the original and secondary form of this group proved to be a strong foothold into government for the voice of the lower levels of society.