The daily life of 19th century really took a turn for the better as new inventions were put to use and it really improved quality of life. This time was called 'the turn of the century'. These new inventions were due to the bright innovations by some of the greatest inventors, such as Alexander Graham Bell, and Thomas Edison.
Thomas Edison invented phonograph, light bulb and alternative current of electricity. The invention of light bulb really helped improve the quality of life in the US. It replaced candles and people were able to do alot more. For example, with candles, it was really difficult to read books or write at night time but with light bulbs, it was much easier to do these tasks. Also, the invention of light bulbs enabled factories to stay open later during night. But it also made matters worse in some circumstances, which workers were forced to work longer hours with same pay as before and the working conditions didn't get better. But unfortunately, the light bulb didn't have long, lasting lifetime...for it would usually shorten out soon after use. Yet, Thomas Edison really skyrocketed the production of new inventions and the economy.
Alexander Graham Bell came up with telegraph and telephone. This really improved communication between people. For they don't have to rely on letters as a form of communication over the distance. Telegraph and telephone provide them an easier, faster, and cheaper way to communicate. The invention of telegraph and telephone led Alexander to establish a company that still exists today, AT&T (American Telephone & Telegraph). It is one of the biggest provider of telephone service provider. This business enabled people to improve their lives with other gadgets such as cell phones, pagers, and other electronics. Alexander Graham Bell's invention of telegraph and telephone really changed the daily life in the 19th century.
The invention of alternative current of electricity led to the installment of electricity, heating, and air conditioning in homes. This also allowed refrigerator to operate in homes. The new availability of refrigerators led to healthier diets within Americans' lives. Now, food are being stored and preserved longer. This meant Americans don't have to finish their milk the day they bought it and they can store leftovers, and still be able to eat it other time without worrying about it rotting. The invention of alternative current of electricity permitted heating systems (heaters), and air conditioners to be installed in homes and this helped maintain temperatures to keep people comfortable in the house. I can't imagine what it would be like if the alternating current of electricity wasn't invented. It would be chaos without it.
There are still many other inventions that produce impact on the daily lives of Americans in large scale. But these inventions are the most critical to 'the turn of the century': light bulbs, telephone & telegraph, and alternating current of electricity. New invention are what really skyrocketed the quality of life in the US, and the whole world. Think about this...where would we be without electrical lighting (light bulbs), telephone & telegraph (cell phones, telephones, and pagers), and alternating current of electricity (heaters, and air conditioners in homes).
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Reasons why people moved West...
In the 1800's, people moved West for a variety of reasons. Some of them were gold, silver, land speculation, land grants and the growth of agribusiness.
Money is the main reason why people moved West. They were told that moving to West was a 'get rich and quick' way. That was a lie. They were promised land grants if they moved West. They would be given 100 acres for a charge of $10 for registration fee and all that land would be theirs to do whatever they desire. Homestead Act provided the owners of land more freedom which this act guaranteed the land someone buys is completely under the jurisdiction of its owner. Federal government cannot take that away for federal crimes or debts. People were led to believe the false scandal that moving to West is a quick way to get rich.
Gold is one of the main reasons people moved West, but only temporarily. There were several gold rushes in the West that prompted people from the East to basically migrate in large numbers to the West and search for wealth. There were California rush of 1849, Colorado rush of 1859, and Alaska rush of 1896. Back then, people would frantically search for gold and hope that their luck would strike and try to mine for gold in nearby rivers. But many found dissapointments and despair for they did not find much or valuable amount of gold. But silver was a major hit...especially for large corporate businesses. Originially, silver was found in Virginia City, Nevada. Large businesses profited handsomely from the mining and sale of silver in markets.
Since West normally had dry climate and low humidity, the land is dry and hot. Those lands could be irrigated which caught the attention of many farmers in the East. They needed large portion of farming land that could be irrigated. Large number of farmers started to move West for they forsaw a huge, profitable future ahead with excellent harvestings. There were also technological improvements in the farming industry. This lured some other farmers. But overall, the lack of agribusinesses was what lured the farmers into the West. They wanted to establish a good business there and it was a perfect place to start new. Land speculation is also one of the reasons why settlers moved West.
People moved West for many reasons: 1) money, 2) gold and silver, 3) agribusiness, and 5) land speculation. But sadly, West wasn't really the 'dream place' as they'd thought it would be. It was just a dissapointment for most.
Money is the main reason why people moved West. They were told that moving to West was a 'get rich and quick' way. That was a lie. They were promised land grants if they moved West. They would be given 100 acres for a charge of $10 for registration fee and all that land would be theirs to do whatever they desire. Homestead Act provided the owners of land more freedom which this act guaranteed the land someone buys is completely under the jurisdiction of its owner. Federal government cannot take that away for federal crimes or debts. People were led to believe the false scandal that moving to West is a quick way to get rich.
Gold is one of the main reasons people moved West, but only temporarily. There were several gold rushes in the West that prompted people from the East to basically migrate in large numbers to the West and search for wealth. There were California rush of 1849, Colorado rush of 1859, and Alaska rush of 1896. Back then, people would frantically search for gold and hope that their luck would strike and try to mine for gold in nearby rivers. But many found dissapointments and despair for they did not find much or valuable amount of gold. But silver was a major hit...especially for large corporate businesses. Originially, silver was found in Virginia City, Nevada. Large businesses profited handsomely from the mining and sale of silver in markets.
Since West normally had dry climate and low humidity, the land is dry and hot. Those lands could be irrigated which caught the attention of many farmers in the East. They needed large portion of farming land that could be irrigated. Large number of farmers started to move West for they forsaw a huge, profitable future ahead with excellent harvestings. There were also technological improvements in the farming industry. This lured some other farmers. But overall, the lack of agribusinesses was what lured the farmers into the West. They wanted to establish a good business there and it was a perfect place to start new. Land speculation is also one of the reasons why settlers moved West.
People moved West for many reasons: 1) money, 2) gold and silver, 3) agribusiness, and 5) land speculation. But sadly, West wasn't really the 'dream place' as they'd thought it would be. It was just a dissapointment for most.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The effectiveness of Radical Republican plan during the Reconstruction
The radical republicans' plan for reconstructing the South after the Civil War was a miserable failure although there were some good things that came out of it. The radical republicans guaranteed basic rights to the freed slaves. The enforcement of newly passed laws and equal treatments were one of the good things that came out of the Reconstruction. Yet, there were more failures than successes in Reconstruction such as removal of ex-confederates from Congress.
The radical republicans shifted the focus of economy and warfare to the protection of freedmen with their reconstruction plan. The passing of 13th amendment (abolishes slavery), 14th amendment (grants black people the right to vote), 15th amendment (guaranteed all residents and US born residents citizenships and basic rights are protected within citizenship), and new state constitutions. The three amendments guaranteed the blacks the same basic rights that were taken for granted by the whites. The new state constitutions allowed the blacks to hold offices in Congress and guaranteed all the basic rights to everyone regardless of race, sex, religion, and age.The radical republicans really did a wonderful job in improving the country in terms of humanity and upheld the Constitution and protected the suppressed group.
The enforcement of the newly passed laws was one of the positive changes that reconstruction brought to United States. The enactment of the Military Reconstruction Act of 1867 helped enforce the federal laws passed to protect the basic rights of the blacks and it permitted them to vote without opposition. The Union military was used to maintain order and exert control over the South and prevent the ex-confederates from voting. But there was only few good things that happened during the reconstruction of the United States.
Yet there were alot of bad results from the radical republicans' plan during the reconstruction. The ex-confederates were stripped of their basic rights: voting suffrage, holding of public offices, owning property, and other basic rights guaranteed to all US citizens. Military rule were used to exert control over the Southerners. The farmers were in huge debt and high taxes were imposed over the Southern products, and other items. This angered many Southerners. There were corruption within the government and this was really starting to 'annoy' the US citizens. Cotton prices was falling during the reconstruction under the radical republicans' control. The debt peonage made the issue of mistreatment of black Americans resurface right after the Civil War. The establishment of KKK (Ku Klux Klan), a white superiority organization that opposed the domination of the black population and protested with the use of violence; was due to the poorly execution of the radical republicans' plan during the reconstruction.
The entire plan of the radical republicans to acheive reconstruction goals failed miserably. It resulted in the radical republicans' loss of power. Womens' rights weren't protected or guaranteed and there were alot of missed opportunities for more effervescent improvements in the federal system of US. Racial tensions continued after the reconstruction and it would reach the boiling point in the 1960's. The radical republicans failed and their plan was not very effective throughout the reconstruction.
The radical republicans shifted the focus of economy and warfare to the protection of freedmen with their reconstruction plan. The passing of 13th amendment (abolishes slavery), 14th amendment (grants black people the right to vote), 15th amendment (guaranteed all residents and US born residents citizenships and basic rights are protected within citizenship), and new state constitutions. The three amendments guaranteed the blacks the same basic rights that were taken for granted by the whites. The new state constitutions allowed the blacks to hold offices in Congress and guaranteed all the basic rights to everyone regardless of race, sex, religion, and age.The radical republicans really did a wonderful job in improving the country in terms of humanity and upheld the Constitution and protected the suppressed group.
The enforcement of the newly passed laws was one of the positive changes that reconstruction brought to United States. The enactment of the Military Reconstruction Act of 1867 helped enforce the federal laws passed to protect the basic rights of the blacks and it permitted them to vote without opposition. The Union military was used to maintain order and exert control over the South and prevent the ex-confederates from voting. But there was only few good things that happened during the reconstruction of the United States.
Yet there were alot of bad results from the radical republicans' plan during the reconstruction. The ex-confederates were stripped of their basic rights: voting suffrage, holding of public offices, owning property, and other basic rights guaranteed to all US citizens. Military rule were used to exert control over the Southerners. The farmers were in huge debt and high taxes were imposed over the Southern products, and other items. This angered many Southerners. There were corruption within the government and this was really starting to 'annoy' the US citizens. Cotton prices was falling during the reconstruction under the radical republicans' control. The debt peonage made the issue of mistreatment of black Americans resurface right after the Civil War. The establishment of KKK (Ku Klux Klan), a white superiority organization that opposed the domination of the black population and protested with the use of violence; was due to the poorly execution of the radical republicans' plan during the reconstruction.
The entire plan of the radical republicans to acheive reconstruction goals failed miserably. It resulted in the radical republicans' loss of power. Womens' rights weren't protected or guaranteed and there were alot of missed opportunities for more effervescent improvements in the federal system of US. Racial tensions continued after the reconstruction and it would reach the boiling point in the 1960's. The radical republicans failed and their plan was not very effective throughout the reconstruction.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
African Americans' education in South during Reconstruction
In class, we learned about the freed slaves' education in the South during the reconstruction. After the Civil War, most slaves were freed and they had nowhere to go. They were in desperate need for jobs, money, and supplies.
To the blacks, education was the only way to get good jobs, to provide for their families, and to live a life of good quality. But at that time, the government didn't provide public education. There were no such thing as public schools in the US after the Civil War; schools were provided for by churches, and private businesses. But they weren' t free and the poor whites and blacks couldn't afford it...not with the conditions they were living in during the reconstruction. Finally, in 1863, this changed as the Congress passed Freeman Bureau which provided public education to everyone without any payments necessary. This opened more doors for the African Americans, and the poor whites who were freed from slavery after the Civil War.
The misery of the African Americans was far from over....they were still suppressed by the others. Their education was limited and they weren't given all kinds of opportunities as the whites. It was almost exactly the same way in the South during the Civil War. The white people were trying to oppress the minority population by restricting the education being given to the African Americans. They were expecting to benefit by maintaining race segregation and belittling the innocent African Americans. As a result, the blacks rebelled and they got equal opportunities to education and other significant rights.
Today, China showed similarities between education with the South during the reconstruction. The Chinese government effectively limited the internet access to everyone living in the country. The government wants to continue to exert its control over the Chinese citizens without resistance and it believes to do so, it has to limit the flow of information through the society. The Chinese government feels that the less the public knows, the better since they can easily manipulate them to do things to their preferences. As result of limited education, everyday, people are trying to develop a new proxy that will be able to bypass the security system placed by the government to prevent internet access. The Chinese citizens are beginning to rise against the government as result of much of the limitations being placed upon them.
Basically, the education being provided to the freed slaves in the South and the internet restriction in modern China are very similar in terms of humanity. The African Americans were treated very badly during the reconstruction after the Civil War. I hope you enjoyed my blog! Thanks.
To the blacks, education was the only way to get good jobs, to provide for their families, and to live a life of good quality. But at that time, the government didn't provide public education. There were no such thing as public schools in the US after the Civil War; schools were provided for by churches, and private businesses. But they weren' t free and the poor whites and blacks couldn't afford it...not with the conditions they were living in during the reconstruction. Finally, in 1863, this changed as the Congress passed Freeman Bureau which provided public education to everyone without any payments necessary. This opened more doors for the African Americans, and the poor whites who were freed from slavery after the Civil War.
The misery of the African Americans was far from over....they were still suppressed by the others. Their education was limited and they weren't given all kinds of opportunities as the whites. It was almost exactly the same way in the South during the Civil War. The white people were trying to oppress the minority population by restricting the education being given to the African Americans. They were expecting to benefit by maintaining race segregation and belittling the innocent African Americans. As a result, the blacks rebelled and they got equal opportunities to education and other significant rights.
Today, China showed similarities between education with the South during the reconstruction. The Chinese government effectively limited the internet access to everyone living in the country. The government wants to continue to exert its control over the Chinese citizens without resistance and it believes to do so, it has to limit the flow of information through the society. The Chinese government feels that the less the public knows, the better since they can easily manipulate them to do things to their preferences. As result of limited education, everyday, people are trying to develop a new proxy that will be able to bypass the security system placed by the government to prevent internet access. The Chinese citizens are beginning to rise against the government as result of much of the limitations being placed upon them.
Basically, the education being provided to the freed slaves in the South and the internet restriction in modern China are very similar in terms of humanity. The African Americans were treated very badly during the reconstruction after the Civil War. I hope you enjoyed my blog! Thanks.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)