History 120

#13: 9/11...A Day of Infamy

            
            September 11^th, 2001 was a tragic day for all citizens of the United States, and especially for the victims of the appalling events that encompassed it. The collapsing of the Twin Towers in New York, the partial destruction of the Pentagon in Washington D.C., the plane crash in Pennsylvania; three horrific, terrorist led events that marked a “date that will live in infamy.” The citizens of the United States will never forget the tragic events that occurred September 11, 2001.

In my own mind, it is hard to recall the day of September 11, 2001. I had gone to school, just like any other day; and I had gone to all my classes, just as I would any other day. Yet in-between one of my classes, I had heard rumors that some buildings had been bombed in New York and in D.C. I had not really thought much of it until I had gone to one of my classes towards the end of the day. That was when I found out the rumors I had heard were somewhat true. During that last class, I had found out from a teacher that the famous Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon in D.C. had been destroyed. Immediately, I was overcome with great fear, as I knew that my mom was working in a building that was located very close to the Pentagon. For the rest of the day, until I had gotten home, I was terrified of the thought that my mom might have been injured. However, when I got home, my dad told me that she had just called, and that everything was okay. In spite of this, everything was not okay! A multitude of people were either killed or injured from the terrorist attacks that occurred that day, and all that was going through my mind was, “What will happen next?”       

Many thoughts have crossed my mind both before and after the 9/11 attacks. As I previously stated, my initial thoughts and reactions to the event(s) were taken dispassionately, as I was completely ignorant and oblivious of what had really occurred. I did not think that it was that big of a deal. However, when I found out what really happened, and that some of our country’s most treasured/significant edifices were battered down to rubble, I quickly became aware of the situation and was overwhelmed with both hatred and fear; hatred for those who caused the occurrences, and fear that these tragic events were only the beginning to a horrifying war of some sort.

    The tragic events of the 9/11 attacks will always be remembered in our nation's history. The affected [and still affect] the citizens of our country. To this very day, many are still trying to recover from the after-effects of the horrifying events that took place that day, as many had lost close friends and family members.  Yet, not all things resulting from the 9/11 attacks were negative.  A prime exemplification of this is how our nation huddled together and became united/unified once again; the events encompassing that day seemed to set everyone's attention on the bigger picture, and cause our country to unite itself once more.  Nevertheless, the citizens of our country will remember the day of September 11, 2001, and the tragic events that embrace that date in infamy, for generations to come.

Images:

9/11 Digital Archive

#12: Wall Street

“Greed works, greed is right. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.” This quotation clearly expresses the “yuppie” lifestyle of many workers in the 1980’s. Director Oliver Stone greatly exemplifies this, along with many other 1980’s themes, in his movie Wall Street. One of the themes began while Ronald Reagan was the United States’ President during most of 1980’s decade and released his ideas on economic policy with his Reaganomics concept. His theory of lowering taxes to stimulate revenue growth was a popular notion in the 1980’s. Oliver Stone incorporates much of the 1980’s economic situation into his movie Wall Street. The obsession in business and involving oneself in buying and selling stocks became a huge ‘80’s trend and is also present in the movie.

   

Many corporations began to transgress, as did Bud Fox when he joined forces with a juggernaut named Gordon Gekko. In the movie, Gekko plays a notorious stock speculator and holds a highly regarded position in the stock exchange world. Fox marvels over Gekko’s success and aspires to become just as lucrative. After a short visit to Gekko’s office, “G.G” hires Fox as his partner and demands that he finds secret and illegal information about good stock buys that will ultimately make him even richer. These kinds of illegal ordeals were taking place all the time during the 1980’s in order to satisfy people’s greed and love of money.

   

The film reflects the corporate corruption of the time and the fraudulent activities that many businesses were involved in. Stone uses the characters Fox and Gekko to portray the economic lifestyle in the 1980’s. Bud Fox learns the corporate takeover maneuvers of Gordon Gekko and the not-so-respectable manner in which he has become so successful. As previously stated, this was a common occurrence in the ‘80’s economic culture. Many powerful businessmen also found ways to manipulate brokers into lying about the actual prices of stock to their clients in order to control the way people bought or sold their stock. Many of these ‘80’s themes were represented in Wall Street through Charlie Sheen’s stockbroker character, Bud Fox, and Michael Douglas’s powerhouse business executive character, Gordon Gekko.

Links:
"Wall Street" at Movies Rewind
Top 100 Movies
Wallstreet Review(s)
Insider Trading

#11: Top Ten in the 1970's

Top 10 Songs

10. The Beatles -Long and Winding Road
9. Ray Stevens - Everything is beautiful
8. The Guess Who - American Woman
7. Jackson Five - ABC
6. The Beatles - Let it Be
5. Simon & Garfunkle - Bridge Over Troubled Waters
4. Sly & Family Stove - Thank You For Being My Friend
3. The Shocking Blue - Venus
2. Jackson Five - I Want you Back
1. B.J. Thomas - Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head

Top Ten Movies

10) The Spy Who Loved Me

9) Moonraker

8) Jaws 2

7) Saturday Night Fever

6) Superman      

5) The Exorcist

4) Close Encounters of the Third Kind

3) Grease

2) Jaws

1) Star wars

Our information was based on box office sales during the 1970's.  Each of the movies are based on a different plot, however they have about the same genre.  The types of genre used are mostly reflecting on horror, or action and a couple on comedies.  However, the top ten love songs weren't going the same direction, as were the movies.  Perhaps they did not want to be reminded of any negativity, so most of the top ten music were reflected on romance or happiness.  During the time so much of the Vietnam War was being broadcasted on television and on the radio, that the movie industry also took the same turn.   Music was showing that it was not all about the war.  While movies mainly based their plots on the depressing times of war, songwriters took a different turn and based their music on love and happiness.

During this time President Nixon sent soldiers to Cambodia and
Americans thought that the war would never end.  Additionally, there was
an incident at Kent State University where there was a crowd protesting
the war and the National Guardsmen shot and killed four and injuring
eight.  Instances such as these caused a sense of horror and depression
amongst the public.  Almost all the films depict violence or some kind of action during the 1970's.

10) The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - This movie was about a Agent 007, who must work with this women who is a Soviet counterpart.  They must find out why the nuclear missiles that were carrying the submarines had disappeared.

9) Moonraker (1979) - This is the next chapter in Agent 007's adventures. James Bond goes out and investigates the mid-air theft of a space shuttle.  However while doing this he discovers that there is a plot to commit global genocide.

8) Jaws 2 (1978) - Four years after the events of the original "Jaws", the town of Amity suddenly experiences series of mysterious boating accidents and disappearances. Same as ones that had occurred during the first Jaws.  Martin Brody, who is Chief of Police, fears that there’s a possibility of another shark out there, but is ignored by everyone. The truth is he’s right, there is another Great White amongst the waters.

7) Saturday Night Fever (1977) - A young Brooklyn man thinks that his only chance to get somewhere is as the king of the disco floor.

6) Superman (1978) - An alien orphan is sent from his dying planet to Earth, where he grows up with his adoptive parents.  Then he becomes his town’s first and greatest super-hero.

5) The Exorcist (1973) - A 12 year old girl is possessed by the devil and her only hope of survival is to get an exorcism

4) Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) - A line worker, after a encounter with UFO's, feels undeniably drawn to an isolated area in the wilderness where something spectacular is about to happen

3) Grease (1978) - The friendships, romances, and adventures of a group of high school kids in the 1950s

2) Jaws (1975) - A police chief, a scientist, and a grizzled sailor set out to kill a shark that is menacing the seaside community of Amity Island.

1) Star Wars (1977) - Luke Skywalker leaves his home planet, teams up with other rebels, and tries to save Princess Leia from the evil clutches of Darth Vader

After the war people were coming back from war thinking that they wanted to start a family, return to their girlfriends.  The songs were mainly about love, happiness, and romance.  These songs were much more popular then those of war.  No one wanted to listen to songs about such depressing matters as the war, and death.  The Americans didn’t want to be reminded of the war and they were sick of it since it was going on for so long.  Music to them was like an escape.  They can just relax to the music with positive feelings none of any depressed negativity.

10) The Beatles –“Long and Winding Road” – Was recorded on January 26 and 31 1969. In a way this is a sad song because he has lost his love and its about how you can attain what you want. Basically you wont be able to reach the end of the road.  He wants to meet his love, but he cant.

9) Ray Stevens – “Everything is beautiful” – This song is about everyone being equal and beautiful. No matter the color, race, or any characteristic.

8) The Guess Who – “American Woman” - About a love that was lost and now wants nothing to do with the women. He wants her to stay away from him

7) Jackson Five – “ABC” - In this song they pair love with ABC’s and 123’s. He’s telling here he thinks he’s in love with her and that its simple as ABC’s and 123’s

6) The Beatles – “Let it Be” - This song has religious elements to it. Talking about Mother Mary and her words of wisdom. Saying to let thing be and let her speak her words of wisdom.

5) Simon & Garfunkle – “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” - This song is about how he would be there no matter what they go through. That the problems they encounter are like a bridge over troubled waters. He’s saying that through thick and thin he will always be right behind to comfort and care for her.

4) Sly & Family Stove – “Thank You For Being My Friend” - This song is about someone who is giving gratitude to the friend. The friend is there at times of need.

3) The Shocking Blue – “Venus” -  The song Venus was of a goddess who was almost perfect in every way. So perfect that men, wanted her and she could make any man a man. They were saying that she’s the Venus and that you desired her.

2) Jackson Five – “I Want you Back” - This is a song about a guy wanting a girl back. He’s expressing how he feels for her. He’s pouring it all out and wants the girl to feel the same. Also that he will show her the time of her life.

1) B.J. Thomas – “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” - This one is saying that even if things aren’t going you’re way you shouldn’t worry because things soon may go your way. He’s saying that nothing can stop him because he’s free and that nothing worries him.

Many movies reflected their themes on the events going on while songs sent out positive outlook to the nation.  Although the movies themes were of violence and action the Americans still wanted some form of entertainment.  It also took their minds off  the war so that they can enjoy some suspense.  Music was very uplifting and powerful for the Americans to listen to.  They can enjoy the melodies and reminded of good times.  It wasn’t music that would remind them of the negative aspects of life during the 1970's.

The sites we got our information from:

http://www.superseventies.com/1970.htmle 

www.imdb.com

www.filmsite.org

http://www.filmsite.org/70sintro.html   

http://www.filmsite.org/boxoffice2.html#seventies

Picture Sites:

Photo of the Beatles

Photo of superman

Photo of Simon & Garfunkel 

Photo of Grease

1970's Film Website

Internet Movie Database

Comment:

Everyone in our group participated in finding the top ten songs and movies in 1970.  We were able to meet once and reviewed strategies on finding the authentic movie list, since we were given the song list in class.  We found some movie lists but they weren't consistent as to what movies actually were in the list that year, but we finally found the "real" list on www.filmsite.org. Diana wrote our blog this week, Andrew was the editor, Eyma was the image researcher, Joe was the link researcher, and Katie was the commentator. 

#9: Comments

 Patel, Kamal- Photo Album

Inman, Glenn- Photo Album  (read the 2nd comment post, first set of comments got  slightly cut off)

Adil, Maryam- Photo Album

#8: 2 Centuries, 2 Verdicts

   

                           

   

In the case the State of Montana vs. Edward Rehberg (1885), an eleven year old girl, Clara Rehberg, was physically abused and died from the injuries she sustained from this action. Edward Rehberg, her father, is on trial for her murder that occurred in August of 1885. Back then they didn’t have the same investigating and interrogating techniques as they did today so there is a possibility that the verdict in the 19th century would differ from that of the 20th.

    During the 19th century, the forensic science that goes on in shows like CSI was not even an idea in people’s minds. This puts a larger burden on the attorney to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that his client, Edward Rehberg, is innocent. The only eyewitness testimony was from the victim, and since it was on her deathbed, it was deemed inadmissible in court. Even though the testimony of the older sister Emma gives information that proves the father was not around to do any of the beating, the ideas of the time do not coincide with the accusations of the step-mother’s involvement. No one would suspect a woman to do that kind of damage to a young child. Also, these accusations were stricken from the record because an objection on the grounds of improper cross-examination. As a group, we decided that because of the gender roles and stereotypes that were in place at this time Edward Rehberg would be found guilty.

   

In contrast, during the 20th century we though it would be much easier to prove his innocence because of already proven cases of child abuse by women. Even though it is still not possible to use the victim’s death bed testimony in court, it would certainly help investigators make a stronger case for considering the step-mother a suspect. Also the evidence of the father’s absence all day and his arthritis give the impression that it would have been impossible for him to have committed this atrocity. If given the opportunity to decide the verdict of this case we would say that Mr. Rehberg was innocent of this crime and that his wife, Louisa, beat Clara.

   

Since the daily life and mentalities of people are completely different between the two time periods a case such as this could go either way depending on the century. People now consider women much more equal to men in good ways as well as bad. They see them just as capable to commit violent crimes as they would be for any career.

Links:

http://college.hmco.com/history/us/resources/students/primary/rehburg.htm http://www.kidsafe-caps.org/report.html

http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/anger.html

From Group Commentator:
Our group met in Innovation Hall room 204 on Friday to disccuse the case "State vs. Rehberg". We had a disscussion for about an hour. In the disscusiion we determined that Andrew was the draft writer, Eyma was the Editor, Joe was the image researcher, Diana was the link researcher, and Katie was the group commentator. After we determenined each persons role we started to disccuse the case in general. After we all had a clear understanding we started to talk about the case as if we were a "petite jury". We acted as if we were a jury during the 19th century. We concluded that at this time period it was unheard of for a woman to commit such a henious crime. Even if there was clear testomony that the father wasnt there at the time. Then we acted as a 20th century jury. So we ended up saying that Edward Rehberg would be found innoncent hands down. WIth all the evidence, testimony and all the advance technology we have today we would be able to not only set a free man but also convict the real abuser.

#6: Peer Comments

Gabriel Cruz

Maryam Adil

Maryam Adil (group post)

#5 Utopia: Paradise in Pollution and Overpopulation

Tree Hill is a community that we developed to replicate and represent nineteenth century utopian ideologies. In the early part of the century, people lived in communities with others who shared common interests and goals. Tree Hill is arranged into small sub-communities which include a public building, a park, and a housing development. This community also has farmland, orchards, woods, factories, and industries in which they manufacture and distribute their own goods. Everyone in Tree Hill shares a common religion, Protestantism. All the children are brought up on the faith and practice it diligently. This community is socialistic and religious because of the supporting belief of self-sufficiency and equality. Tree Hill is confronted with problems of urbanization and an excess of industrialization that is leading to problems with pollution, overpopulation, and immorality.

This utopian community is arranged so that each sub-community contains a public building and either a church or store. Along with that, they each have a public park, a road, and a housing development. Everyone in Tree Hill is Protestant so they all share the same basic beliefs of self-reliance and salvation. The industry aspect of this community is arranged so that it is far enough to not bother the citizens but close enough where it’s not bothersome to travel each day. The orchards surround a housing development, which they all must tend to, as well as another development surrounded by fertile farmland which they can use to cultivate crops. Tree Hill is very self sufficient but faces the same problems which every other town does.

Tree Hill is a socialistic community that grants equal rights to life, work, and leadership. Many industries and factories are scattered along the river for the citizens of the community to work in. Tree Hill’s farmland is primarily there to nourish the citizens of the community, whereas its orchards and forests are used in the factories for personal consumption and trade. Although the factories and mills are located away from the developments, there is still a major problem with pollution which is greatly affecting the citizens of the community. The industries create more pollution that the environment around the town can handle and the health of the people is starting to suffer. Citizens of Tree Hill face problems of respiratory infections and diseases because of the pollutant saturated air.

This utopia is a family-oriented community, but with that it is facing a very real problem with overpopulation. Each of the housing developments holds a maximum capacity of one hundred people with only 5 developments in the whole town. Tree Hill’s population is at 1500 and still continuing to rise. Some of the negative social impacts of this overpopulation is the loss of privacy and solitude which for some is a big deal. The community has expressed some concerns about the shortages of water, food supply, and employment because of this overcrowding. Due to this lack of work there have been more problems with criminal action along the lines of theft, burglary, and assault between citizens. This has created a serious morality problem in the population of Tree Hill.

Although Tree Hill faces a few problems of pollution, population, and immorality, it still has a good base which can help rebound a struggling citizenry. This is a well organized and structured community which can help itself with the right attitude.

Utopia Links:
http://www.louisville.edu/~adwats01/utopianintro.html
http://faculty.mansfield.edu/skaspere/Restricted/utopia.html
http://www.easternct.edu/depts/amerst/utopia.htm
http://www.louisville.edu/a-s/english/subcultures/colors/red/jtrieb01/utopiafront.html

Comments:
Our group did a good job with this post; we had a lot of teamwork going on in order to get the assignment done. The strongest point in this post is the dedication to detail in the explanation of how our community, Tree Hill, functions. We state that Tree Hill is based around small sub-communities that include parks, public buildings, and housing developments. Also within Tree Hill are orchards, woods, farmland, factories, and industries to keep everything functioning in the right manner. We also explain that the main religion of our community is Christianity (Protestantism); “All the children are brought up on the faith and practice it diligently.” Although this is a good post, there are still a few things that can be slightly corrected. The issue that obtained most of my attention was that we put in too many negative aspects about our community; utopia means ideal, and most people would assume that a utopian community would not have so many faults or “problems.” However, I noticed that over half of the post includes details on the problems that our community faces; we should have focused more on the positive aspects rather than the negative ones that bring our community down. Another issue with our blog post is its cohesion. Although our post is very coherent, it lacks unity and structure in some of the parts. A prime example of this is in the first paragraph: “This community is socialistic… overpopulation, and immorality.” As one may see, it jumps from religion in the community to the problems our community has. A better transitional sentence would fix this error. A final correction that we could make would be a better thesis statement. Since the assignment is based on a utopian community, we should not have chosen to create a thesis statement that argues the negative aspects of Tree Hill. Like previously stated, the blog focuses more on the negative aspects of our community, when it should be more centered on the positive aspects. Therefore, a better thesis statement could be, “The small sub-communities that include public buildings, parks, housing developments, farmland, orchards, woods, factories, and industries are what earn Tree Hill’s title as a ‘sim-utopia’ because they all help Tree Hill to function as a whole [utopian] society.” Although this composition has a few minor holes to be filled, our great efforts and teamwork made this a very well rounded post.

#4: A Changing View of Native American Culture

Historical context plays a large role in the influence of historical events; the time, events, culture, and society in which events take place or in which people live greatly affect the outcome of historical events. Using the painting of “Pigeon's Egg Head” as a prime example, George Catlin’s context for his paintings “drew on the dramatic western landscape and its peoples.” (Out of Many. Page 194) The times of his paintings were between 1830 and 1850, and the events, culture, and society of which people lived in at the time were ever-changing and ever-growing as America progressed toward the expansion of itself by gaining more land, particularly in the western part of what is now the United States. In “Pigeon's Egg Head,” one of George Catlin’s works between 1830 and 1850 (a time of transformation for the nation’s indigenous people), Catlin depicts Native Americans as being a very strong-willed, upright, and respectable people before the influence of white settlements came into hand.

As one examines the painting of “Pigeon's Egg Head,” he/she may notice that the left half of the painting has been devoted to Catlin’s view of Native Americans before white influence had taken place. When one scrutinizes the picture of the Native American in his tribal outfit, one sees him standing very tall and strong as if nothing could affect him; one will also notice the stern look on his face, which gives the viewer the idea that the Native American culture was very prominent at the time. The outfit that the Native American is wearing, the stance that he is in, and the firm look on his face all tie together to give the viewer an opinion that the Native Americans were also very proud of their culture. Hence, the view that Catlin takes upon the Native Americans is of great respect; he sees them as being very determined and honorable people who have strong values and are not shaken easily.

However, after the influence of the white settlements took place, the high and respectful view of the Native Americans had greatly degraded. As Catlin uses the other side of the painting to depict his view of the Native Americans after this influence had started occurring, he causes the viewer to produce the opinion that their culture has completely broken. The Native American is standing unbalanced and leaning on his umbrella, smoking a cigarette, holding a fan, and carrying a few bottles of booze while being dressed in the clothing from the white settlements (suited outfit with white gloves). These items not only show that he is dishonorable, yet they also show that he has become too full of pride as he boasts with them. The overall point of view that Catlin tries to depict in this section of the scene is that the white settlements have influenced the Native Americans in a very negative manner.

In “Pigeon's Egg Head,” Catlin depicts his views upon the Native Americans and their culture(s) both before and after the influence of the white settlements. As one examines the two sides of the painting, he/she comes to find that Catlin had a very optimistic view of the Native Americans before they had been influenced by the white settlements, portraying them as noble and honorable people. However, after the white settlements had influenced the Native Americans, Catlin’s view had greatly changed. His view of the Native Americans became much more negative; and to exemplify this negativity, Catlin had the Native American in a slouched and unstable position to show that he was a good-for-nothing drunk.

For More Information About George Catlin and his paintings, go to: George Catlin at Art-Cyclopedia

Bibliography: Faragher, John Mack, Mari Jo Buhle, Daniel Czitrom, and Susan H. Armitage. Out of Many: A History Of The American People. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc., 2004.

#3: Peer Comments

Comment #1: Maryam

Comment #2: Kamal

Comment #3: Bruk

#2-Women of Edenton: Patriotic or Promiscuous?

The cartoon of the “Society of Patriotic Women at Edenton, North Carolina (1774)”
portrayed the way that the British viewed patriot activism during the period leading up to the Revolutionary War. In this image, we can see that the artist has portrayed women of various social backgrounds, and a slave woman, in a scornful manner, as negligent, promiscuous and ugly. The way the British have depicted the women of Edenton causes one to come to the assumption that the British think nothing of the patriots’ activism; the illustrator conveys to the reader/viewer that the American patriots are dim-witted slobs that have no sense of self-respect. The “Society of Patriotic women at Edenton, North Carolina” satirized women and implied to the reader that Britain’s opinion of the American cause is not one of representation or independent rule, but of chaos and irresponsibility.

It is evident that the British view of the patriots in the American colonies was one of disrespect and contempt. The British further establish this view by depicting patriot women as drunk and ugly, and engaged in acts of perversion followed with consorting with those of another race on equal footing. As one comes across the woman in the middle of the image revealing her cleavage, and the baby under the table being licked by a dog that is urinating, he/she may interpret that women in the Americas were pictured as rowdy, scandalous, disreputable, negligent, and irresponsible. The British were successful in using this propaganda to create a representation of an American population that has no values or moral fiber at all, showing other people that America was definitely not a respectable or reputable place.
Although the British viewed the patriot’s activism in this manner, women actually played a significant role during the revolutionary war by raising funds and providing necessary supplies to the revolutionary army.
They were also part of a deployment effort to recruit and influence the men to fight in combat. However, Britain’s depiction of them as ugly and vulnerable to the patriot’s foolishness was not regarding gender bias, but that of their loyalty to the colonial foundation.
This is a classic example of the media: a cartoon, ridiculing and mocking the roles of women and manipulating the facts and developing it as propaganda for a specific purpose. In this case, the purpose was to falsify the true intentions of the American patriots, showing them as being disgraceful and immoral.
This exemplifies the fact that history is the account of usually one side of an event and can be very biased depending on who writes the record.

Links:
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6803
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/awhhtml/aw05e/d12.html
http://www.ahpcs.org/imprint1998.htm
http://norfleet01.tripod.com/norfleet3.htm

Commentator Post:
Our group (group 5) met in the Innovation Hall room 204 to discuss the “Women of Edenton” image. We convened for about an hour and assigned the appropriate roles. As a group, we came to the decision that Andrew would be the draft writer, Joe would be the editor, Diana would be the link researcher, Eyma would be the image researcher, and Katie would be the commentator. In scanning the image, we found details that helped us to further understand what was happening in the foreground, middle ground, and background. We carefully picked apart each element and debated their significance. We took each piece of the image and discussed why the artist depicted the women in such a promiscuous and ugly way. For example, we concluded that the baby and the dog under the table were included in order to depict the irresponsibility and unsanitary behavior of the women.