Most Significant Groups in US History

[Melissa F.]

jroxski said:

This one's a given guys. Congressmen are, without a doubt, the most significant group in US History e-v-e-r. The system of checks and balances between legislative, judicial, and executive, make the United States form of representative government one of the most successful experiments in history. Congress, the legislative branch, is responsible for making the laws of the land. Through the legislation, we hear the voice of the people. It interprets what the citizens of America want according to the Constitution. Congressmen are constantly trying to hear what their constituents have to say. They truly feel the pulse of America.

The United States is not governed by individual people but by laws created by elected representatives to Congress. People can have faults and prejudices, but good laws are not prejudiced or biased. Congress not only influences the nation's course by the laws it passes, but it also impacts on the future of our country.

I agree, Congress is a very influential part of this country (although I don't think you should have put the part about "good laws are not prejudice" because plenty of horrible laws get put into effect as well) But whether a law is positive or negative, the actions taken by Congress influence the sentiments and actions of the entire country. Wherever there were huge changes in society such as during the Progressive Era or the Civil Rights Movement, the actions of the public have always usually been pushed by a common feeling of discontent toward a set of "unjust" laws created by Congress.

[YmaniB*]

chia24 said:

The most significant group in US history is the Iroquois Confederacy. While trading fur with the French in the 1600s for guns and other weapons, they were double crossed by the French who traded with their enemies, the Huron. In turn, the Iroquois Confederacy attacked French villages and prevented the french from southward expansion from Canada. The Europeans were still not settled and with all the disease and harsh weather conditions, the southward expansion of the French would pose more of a problem to the Europeans and would halt settlement or change it.

I disagree with this Amaka. During the American Revolution the Six Nations that formed the Iroquois Confederacy split into two different sides. Most stayed loyal to Great Britain but some chose the American side. This shows no strength and little honor. How could they be the most important if they dont have fight for the same reasons?

[Grace F.]

mishab said:

The Native Americans are the most significant group of people in U.S. history because they were the "first Americans." Without the Native Americans the Europeans would not have survived because they would have not known how to plant crops and would not have known land. "Without the help of Powhatan’s Indians, who shared food with the Englishmen, showed them how to plant local corn and yams, and introduced them to the ways of the forest, the Jamestown colonists would have perished.” (Page 26 Don’t Know Much About History). Without them there would be not "United States History" because no one would have survived.

To me, being the most significant entailes that the group has been continually influential throughout history. Although Native Americans kept colonists alive and thus allowed for further colonization and expansion, they do not have much influence past colonial times. Native Americans did provide a basis for our country, but they haven't done much to sustain it. Also, I'm sure colonists (after countless trial and error) would have found a way to remain alive in the colonies if they were not given aid by the natives. My question is: have Native Americans been continually influential throughout history, and therefore deserve to be most significant? If not, then why is their short time of prevalence worthy to be deemed most significant?

[Danny T.]

If your parents are between the ages of 43 and 62, then you are directly affected by a baby boomer. It's hard to believe that our parents were part of many significant cultural changes in the past sixty years, but it's true. Here are some examples:
-Rock N' Roll
-Civl Rights movement
-Women's rights
-Gay rights
-"Hippies"
-"Yuppies"
The baby boom generation created all of these cultural reforms, and have also supplied this country with our last two presidents. The baby boomers have influenced this country since they were born in monumental numbers, and will continue to affect this country as long as they survive. Without a doubt they are the most significant group in American History. Everyone should agree with me, and if you don't then it is a direct insult to your parents. Yea, that's right. Okay I'm going to bed now, goodnight.

[joannagross]

The Republican Party is the most significant group in American history which is evident as it is one of the only political groups that has remained prominent since the country’s beginnings. Three major Republican players in early American History were Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe. These three Republicans took the presidency and stressed Jeffersonian Republican ideals such as strict construction of the constitution, no national bank and states’ rights. Although it can be argued that some of these ideals were not the best for the country or were not those that ended up playing out, these contributions are extremely significant because they helped to mold early America. These Jeffersonian Republican ideas set the precedent for balancing the power of the federal government which helps to define what America’s government was during their time, and what it still is today. Also, this early chapter of the Republican Party played major roles in representing many Americans in the support of the French during the French Revolution and in opposing John Jay’s treaty with the British due to its lack of consideration for the unacceptable treatment of Americans ships and seamen. Perhaps one of the most significant accomplishments of the Republican Party, although in slight contradiction with its ideals, was the Louisiana Purchase by Thomas Jefferson. This expansion was a strategic move that helped to shape America. Without it, America would not be what it is today. And this is only the beginning!!

[Melissa F.]

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.

Jingoists, Jingoists, Jingoists.... AHHH such a fun word! Except I know absolutely nothing about them. Did the Jingoists create any important organizations and what kind of people were involved in this group?

[meghanav]

Utopians tried to establish ideal communities that they hoped the rest of the world would learn from and follow. The Shaker community, established in the late 18th century, wrote thousands of songs, created their own folk art, and built Shaker furniture which is still famous for it's simplicity and beauty. The Shaker community believed in the equality of men and women, and the tolerance of race and color. They were the only people of their time to include both Jews and blacks in their settlements. This is significant because at that time these ideas weren't commonly practiced throughout America.

[YmaniB*]

THE REVIVALISTS once again..IMPORTANT NAMES and why!
Timothy Dwight-Yale professor begain preaching revivalistic idea to students and one third of student body claimed a religious cross over
Moses Stuart-protege of Dwight. Led revivals at First Church in New Haven in both 1807 and 1808
Lymon Beecher& Nathaniel William Taylor-a team like no other. Beecher was the part of the team that could back up anything negative against revivalism with fact based answers..aka the intellect:Taylor was the organizer, the promoter, he made sure that Revivals were attended by large crowds..he was like the "party planner"
Jonathan Edwards-set the bars for REVIVALISTS. A great leader of the FIRST Great Awakening
Charles G. Finney-MAJOR impact on REVIVALISM..a MUST KNOW. not only did this man open the doors for American religion but he expanded on American society. He put emphasis on "attaining perfection in the future".

[Tiffany B.]

It is quite clear that slaves are the most important group in United States history because they led to the prosperity of such southern states like Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. Millions of Africans were transported from the coasts of Africa and forced to work in these newly established plantations, and were the main contributors to the success of the southern plantation system. The institution lasted for 300 plus years, and was popular amongst the southern states because of its humongous profit to the southern economy. With the large numbers of plantations and the abundance of the cash crops, slavery remained fundamentally important to the regulation of the amount of imports and exports coming into/from the south.

[jamie]

agreeing with danny in another persepctive- baby boomers changed certain markets of our economy. their presence encouraged baby and teenager-targeted manufacturers which opened up more jobs for people as well. now its ridiculous what they make for babies.

[joannagross]

Danny-

I understand how the baby boomers have effected our economy and employment as their overwhelming population determines what is in high demand, but what effect have baby boomers had politically? What are the major points that baby boomers have supported in politics that are more unique to their generation?

[jamie]

i dont have a catchy intro for you guys because most of you already know what my group is. i would like to apologize for beeing late on these posts. my group, the u.s. military, and i have been busy kicking butt across seas and keeping order here at home. i do not know where to begin but if you dont mind please keep the questions in range from the war of 1812 to WWII. The u.s. military has been recognized as the dominant world power after WWII and its contributions to society and the growth of the United States are extremely significant. Protecting the country is hands down the most important thing the military has done. By suppressing rebellions like Nat Turner's and the Sioux, the military has halted violent uprisings from spreading and reaching a much more catastrophic level. The military has also been the heart of prominent names in American history like Zach Taylor, Teddy Roosevelt, Andrew Jackson, Ulysess S. Grant, Eisenhower, John Pershing and George Washington( but hes out of the time frame). These are only some of the men who left significant marks on the United States through their military achievements. Zach Taylor along with other officers led the army to defeat Santa Anna in the Mexican-American War. Winning the war increased the nation's size by about a third. This opened up new paths for expansionists and it also led to the Wilmot Proviso, in essence the fight over slave/free states. Grant's victory at Vicksburg and Appotomax put an end to Robert E. Lee's confederate army and stopped the split nation from falling into further turmoil. His military genius helped save the Union. I can keep going; dont forget, there is also a navy, marine corp, air force and coast gaurd under the military so there will be more. Getting back on track to why the military is the most significant group, these men as well as others like Alfred Thayer Mahan's book on increasing naval supremacy have all contributed their knowledge into what is our current military thought today.The military has also contributed, through weaponry advancement, to the innumerable amount of death as well as potential crisis of nuclear warfare. The A-bomb was first used in WWII on Japan, which led into the development of the atomic bomb and th gattling gun used in the Civil War by the south marked a turn for faster and long-ranged fire in warfare. About danny's group, i dont find them the most significant group but they seem to have some significance.

[jamie]

sam rosen this is for you. it seems as though i cannot think of a disagreement but i must ask you to recognize the importance of my group in regards to yours. did you think miners just walked down a path into the west without any opposition? good, thats what i thought too, my military cleared the way for your miners. For example; Battle of the Little Bighorn was a result from the discovery of gold in South Dakota's Black Hills. Even though Little Bighorn was a failure, the military jumped right back at the Battle of Wounded Knee, which was considered the Indians' "last stand."

[Amaka O.]

Manigirl-
you must also remember that during the American Revolution, it was literally brother fighting against brother and the alliance the Iroquois had with the colonies used to be for the colonies and England. When they have the American Revolution it is basically like the Iroquois were fighting with the same people.

[samr]

To anwer your question Grace,
Think about what they produce. Iron is mined and used to create steel, which is used for many things. Copper is used to conduct electricity, as well as other things. There are so many important uses for these resources, whereas tobacco and cotton only serve one purpose each. While they do generate revenue, they are not as important as what America mines for.

[samr]

dtyea said:

If your parents are between the ages of 43 and 62, then you are directly affected by a baby boomer. It's hard to believe that our parents were part of many significant cultural changes in the past sixty years, but it's true. Here are some examples:
-Rock N' Roll
-Civl Rights movement
-Women's rights
-Gay rights
-"Hippies"
-"Yuppies"
The baby boom generation created all of these cultural reforms, and have also supplied this country with our last two presidents. The baby boomers have influenced this country since they were born in monumental numbers, and will continue to affect this country as long as they survive. Without a doubt they are the most significant group in American History. Everyone should agree with me, and if you don't then it is a direct insult to your parents. Yea, that's right. Okay I'm going to bed now, goodnight.

I agree that they are important, but they have only been influencing for 60 years, whereas other groups, like miners or traders have been around for a much longer time and had a greater impact on America.

[grandpoobah]

Answers and Fines

The distinction between information posts and answering questions is that one is generated by what you know and think is important about your group while the other is a clarification brought about by someone else's question. I understand your point, but that was the point of having several categories. I didn't want you to have to wait for someone to ask you a question so you could make a point.

Any post, regardless of the number of questions asked or answered only counts as one post.

Fines: (Additional posts can be made in any category)

Buddy was fined one additional post for being cosmopolitan and thinking there is a world outside of the United States.

Evan was fined two posts for violating paragraph 9 section 2 of the rules "Be Nice"

Juliet and Ymani are BOTH fined an additional 3 posts for logging on with some weirdo loggin. It needs to be first name and first initial of last name.

Jonah is fined 2 posts for thinking ANYONE in this class would believe Alexander Hamilton had ever been president of the United States

Jason is fined 1 additional post for not being more specific about Hamilton.

Meghana is fined 1 extra post for giggling when I asked for feedback on how she thought this lesson was going. She is also fined 2 more posts for not giving me any kind of answer when I told her I seriously wanted her feedback. That's three. The next time I ask one of you for input, speak up.

Grace has to make one additional post due to nepotism. Of all the posts on the board now and soon to be on the board, you choose to agree with your sister?

Melissa is fined TWO additional posts for not reciprocating. Blood is thicker than water Melissa. How do you leave your sister hanging after she looks out for you? Weak!

Finally, some of you (Sam and Nicole come to mind) have a bunch of questions you have not answered. Be sure to read other people's posts so you know when questions are being asked of you. You must answer the first five at least.

I shall return!

[ziv_kennan]

In this series of three posts I will be telling you all a little bit (maybe a lot) about a group known as isolationists. In the first post (this) I'll talk about who isolationists are, and mention a few (two) you might know.

An isolationist in reference to the United States is generally an individual or a group who does not want to interact with other nations. This mean minimal trade, minimal contact, and minimal cultural exchange. An interesting thing to note about isolationism in the U.S is that it seems to come in waves. As an example, when George Washington gave his farewell address, he warned against lasting contact with other nations, European especially. The same goes for Thomas Jefferson, he wanted trade and alliances but nothing else. So the first few presidents were isolationist, and then... well basically Americans realized that land is a cool thing to have. After Manifest Destiny devoured our minds, we went isolationist again with the world wars. Right now, we're sort of in an in-between phase, but more on that later.

Actually I don't feel it would be appropriate to make a list of isolationists right here, so next post here I come... but one more thing to note: At times the American public has been isolationist, namely during the world wars (WW One in particular). The thing about isolationists is that unlike some other groups, people become isolationist and then they stop having the ideas that drove them to be isolationist. I think it's important to note, it's a group that has existed for a long time, and its "membership" fluctuates a lot.

Once I get over the fact that I actually made a post I'll elaborate on the group membership and suggest some reasons why isolationists are important to know about.

[joannagross]

Jamie-

I know that the point of Alfred Thayer Mahan's book was to explain that the navy is one of the most important parts in any counrty's success. What were some of his main points in that book that prove how important the navy is to success in attaining world power? I think explaining this might help your case in terms of trying to convince people of how significant your group is.

[Alex T.]

Without the Know-Nothing Party, racism as we know today would not be as prominent. The Know-Nothing party was started in New York in 1849 by Charles Allen. It was a secret club of hatred. They were called many different things “the Order of the Star Spangled Banner”, the nativist, the American Party, Native Americans, or just plain racists. They hated all immigrants, especially Irish, because they are Catholic. The Know-Nothings got their name because if anyone asked a member about the party they would reply, I know nothing about that. What kind of secret club would they be if they didn’t have their own handshakes, words, and constitution. In the 1850s the fraternity became an actual political party. Their raciest agenda was very popular all over the north east and spread south. In the mid 1850s they changed their name to the American Party. Surprisingly 90 congressmen were members of the party, and they even nominated two people for president, Millard Fillmore and John C. Fremont. Can you imagine what our country would be like with out these publicly supported racist… I don’t want to think about it either.