Civil Rights and Liberties

Civil Rights and Liberties

1. Should freedom of speech be limited and why? If yes, then how do we limit it? Use specific examples to support your answer.

Although the concept of “freedom of speech” is granted to all Americans and is protected by the First Amendment in the Bill of Right that states “Congress shall make now law abridging the freedom of speech,” I definitely think that freedom of speech should be limited in some situations. If you take a look around, you will be able to recognize numerous instances where the concept of freedom of speech, that some take for granted, often hurts and devastates others. Many of the times without realizing, we make even simple statements to our friends and classmates that can likely leave our friends feelings insulted due to our freedom of speech. Adding onto the simple insults we can make with our freedom of speech without even realizing, the widespread use of internet now allows many people to express their opinions freely with anonymity, leading to an increase in the numbers of cyber bullying and verbal harassment which further influence people in detrimental ways. We can already see what harm too much right on freedom of speech in our daily lives can do to the people and society. Due to some taking advantage and missing the valuable right of freedom of speech, there certainly must be an appropriate amount of limit to freedom of speech.

Similar to the Espionage Act of 1917 and the Sedition Act of 1798 which banned all speech and publication that slandered United States and its actions, I think Korea should have stricter and forceful laws that will actually scare and prohibit many from taking the freedom of speech for granted. Even though there are services where you can report and delete comments and posts, I don’t think these have been very effective in preventing the misuse of freedom of speech.

 

http://muslimwriters.org/2012/09/24/freedom-of-speech-comes-with-responsibility/

2. Do you think the state should be completely separated from religion? Should government never interfere with religious activities Explain. 

I personally believe that the state should be completely separated from religion. First of all, the state complies with an individual’s public life, while religion complies with an individual’s private life. Second of all, not everybody practices and values the same religion. If the state and religion were entwined, this means that the government would have the ability to control and even enforce a particular religion for its citizens. However, the first amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Also, I believe that the practice of religion should be a personal choice rather than an enforcement. Moreover, if the state and religion were to be connected, the government is most likely to express favoritism towards a particular religion, making it unfair for those who practice a different religion from that of the government.

The example of the Abington School District vs. Schempp demonstrate why the state and religion should be separated. In the 1960s, students who attended the public schools in the state of Pennsylvania were required to read the Bible everyday. As the state of Pennsylvania forced a child to participate in Bible reading and prayer, this not only violated the first amendment of the Bill of Rights and went against the right of free religion, but also forced a child to practice a religion that he or she was not interested in. Therefore, I think it’s best for the government to not become intertwined with religion, let the religious organizations lead their own activities, and let the people choose whether or not to practice which religion. 

 

http://muslimwriters.org/2012/09/24/freedom-of-speech-comes-with-responsibility/

3. From the four controversial events, which event made the most impact to today's rights for the accused? The cases were Miranda vs. Arizona, Escobedo vs Illinois, Mapp vs. Ohio, and Gideon vs. Wainwright.

Amongst the four controversial events, I think the single event that has made the most impact to today’s rights for the accused is the Miranda vs. Arizona court case. When a kidnapping and sexual assault occurred in Phoenix, Arizona on March 1963, Ernesto Miranda was thought as a suspect and was arrested in his home to the investigation room at the police station. Although two hours later the investigators had a written confession signed by Miranda, because the police did not tell Miranda of his rights to counsel prior to questioning, Arizona clearly violated the 5th amendment to remain silent and the 6th Amendment right to legal counsel. I think this had the most impact because although not many know of other rights people have when accused, due to this controversial event, many are more aware of the Miranda Warnings and those two rights they have when accused.

Also, another court case that I thought was interesting and useful to us is the Gideon vs. Wainwright case. When Gideon was arrested in 1961 for breaking and entering with the intention of committing theft, he requested for a state-appointed lawyer as he did not have enough money. However, his request was denied and was sentenced to 5 years of prison. As Gideon filed another court review on his case, the Supreme Court ruled that Gideon’s 6th amendment right to legal counsel was violated. Due to this case, many know are aware of the fact that when you are in a position where you cannot afford a lawyer, you may request to be provided with one. Therefore, through these two controversial events, I believe that people are able to become more familiar with the rights and not become a victim of unjust ruling.

http://deluca6thhour.wikispaces.com/Miranda+v+Arizona

4. Based on the world today, was the gender equality movement successful? How about within South Korea? Give specific examples. 

Based on the world today, I would say that the gender equality movement was successful. Around the world, there has been a great increase in the population of women working, women in the job field as much as men, and women earning equal payments as men. The Frontiero vs. Richardson court case in 1973 contributed to the success of the gender equality movement. This case declared that “laws differentiating by sex are inherently suspect and subject to strict judicial scrutiny.” Also, the Corning Glass Works vs. Brennan of 1974 now makes it against the constitution to pay workers differently depending on their genders. Although there are some circumstances of gender discrimination, as a whole, I personally believed that the gender equality movement was successful.

I also think that the gender equality movement was also successful in South Korea. Like we see around the world, we see just as many females working as men, just as many females working in diverse fields as men, and women getting paid equally as men. One example of why i think the movement was a success is Korea’s first female president, Park GeunHye. Due to the success of the movement, we now see a female leading a country, which was never expected before the situations and expectations improved. However, through the example of Park GeunHye, we see that females are capable of doing the jobs only men were expected to perform and how people’s perception and stereotypes on females have also changed to vote for a female president. I hope that we can continue on spreading the successes of the gender equality movement throughout the world and improve the conditions for women in the countries that are still facing gender discrimination.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/mar/05/south-korea-un-north-korea-rights

5. What evidence of discrimination do we still see today in the United States? If there was a Civil Rights Act of 2014, what factors would you include and which minority groups would be included?

Although we see less discrimination to what we saw in the past, it would be a lie to say that we now don’t see any discrimination at all now. Due to the Civil Rights act of 1964 which outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, we now see the trend of discrimination in a lesser degree than in the past. However, I think the difference in the races is so deeply engrained in us that there are still traces of racial discrimination in our lives, such as the jokes that people make, and movies and tv shows that focus on the difference in races to entertain their audience. If a new Civil Rights Act was to be written in 2014, factors that deal with racial discrimination would still be focused on as we continue to see problems of racial discrimination, though in a lesser degree.

http://fortheloveofpetersburg.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/recognizing-the-civil-rights-act-of-1964/

Cold war Blog

Cold War Blog

The Cold War is not exactly what comes into your mind when you think of a war. It was a non violent period of a clash of opposing beliefs and ideology of capitalism versus communism between the United States and the Soviet Union. This so called “war,” lasted from 1945 to 1991, formed the basis of an international power struggle with both sides competing for dominance and exploited every opportunity for expansion. Although it is impossible to entirely blame the start of the Cold War on one country, I believe that the United States’ overly defensive perspective caused them to “regard (the Cold War) as inevitable.” (Document D)

A political cartoon of the US and Soviet Union during the Cold War

This did not mean that the Soviet Union was not responsible for starting the Cold War. After World War II, The Big Three: the United States, Soviet Union, and Britain, came together at the Yalta Conference in 1945 and decided to allow free elections in Eastern Europe. Despite this compromise, the Soviet Union continued expanding its area of control and communism in nearby countries, such as Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Poland. This forceful expansion of Communism caused Winston Churchill to recognize the Soviet’s desire of “indefinite expansion of their power and doctrines,” (Document A) and to create a division between the West and East Europe, called the Iron Curtain. Through the Iron Curtain, Churchill hoped to contain people influenced by communism in their areas and those not yet influenced by communism in a different area to prevent the spread. Even though the Americans might have seen the Soviet Union’s action as threatening and aggressive, I believe that the United States should have only tried to resist Communism in its country and not intervene in the efforts of the other countries.
  

Iron Curtain

The Big Three at the Yalta Conference of 1945

As the United States continued to believe that it was their responsibility to stop the Soviets from spreading Communism to other nations, such as Greece and Turkey, President Truman created the Truman Doctrine. This Doctrine stated that the United States would intervene to support any nation that was being threatened by a takeover by an armed minority. Viewing themselves as being responsible for “supporting free people resisting subjugation by armed minorities” (Document B) and the people of the world “looking to them for support in maintaining their freedoms” (Document B). The Americans thought they could provide financial support and, therefore, created the Marshall Plan in 1947. The United States spent over 13 billion dollars in 17 different countries, bringing them food and providing them with houses and jobs. Also, the United States entered the war “only at the last minute,” which completely affected the “outcome of the war” (Document C).

Overall, it is true that the Soviet Union first continued to spread its communist power. However, due to the overly defensive and competitive nature of the Americans, they wanted to stay as the number one most dominant in power, which in turn caused America to intervene and fight back the spread of Communism.


Citations
http://www.answers.com/topic/yalta-conference-large-image
http://www.jaunted.com/tag/Iron%20Curtain%20Trail
http://www.talkandroid.com/52984-the-smartpone-cold-war-is-the-motorola-mobility-acquisition-googles-greatest-move-or-their-worst/cold-war/

Is College Worth It?

Is College Worth It?

Before reading the article, as a Junior in high school, I had always concentrated on applying and getting into colleges that I rarely gave much thought about my life after graduating. However, after reading this article, I thought that this article was interesting in a sense that it allowed me to think about the things that I have not yet thought about and guided me towards what I should focus from now on, like how effectively my major will help my career, how easy or difficult it may be for me to find a job with my major, and also about college tuition fees and student loans that I will be paying when I get to college.

From the article, I found ideas that I both agree and disagree about. The author of the article writes in somewhat a negative attitude towards college as graduates often have hard times finding jobs and careers related to their majors, and states that in some cases, those who don’t go to college. The article emphasizes that this is the reason students go back to college, major in something else, and eventually cause their debt and loans to double. Also, the article argues that due to these reasons, in some cases, those who don’t go to college and start working right away earn more money than the college graduates.

I agree to the article’s ideas about how studying certain majors in college may be troublesome for the students later on in the future as this may cause students to go back to college and study another major. Although these situates may trouble students with financial hardships, I don’t think the author should view colleges as ineffective and merely time consuming, as I believe studying in and experiencing college is an important part of life. I believe so because from college experiences, students can not only further enhance their knowledge in a specific area or explore in other areas they are not familiar with, but also take gradual steps towards adjusting and adapting in the society out of their comfort zones.

My goal when I get to college is to not just broaden my knowledge in the area I am interested in and want to study, but also to learn about things that I am not very familiar with. Although I have lived in Canada before, it’s been almost more than 4 years that I haven’t lived in a foreign country for a long period of time. Therefore, when I go to college, I want to meet new people, experience new cultures, and become more independent.

World War II Sound Track

World War II Sound Track

Germany

Possessing a navy and military powerful enough to challenge for control of the seas and territories and feeling very limited by the Versailles Treat form World War 1, Germany continuously wanted more land and to expand. As Hindenburg appoints Adolf Hitler as a chancellor of Germany, the German culture, economy, and laws now came under the Nazi Control. Hitler then invades Poland in September 1939. This event ultimately becomes the main cause of France and Britain declaring war on Germany, and in turn, starting World War II. After conquering Poland, Germany used quick strikes known as Blitzkrieg, to attack France, much of the Western Europe including the Netherlands, Belgium, and Northern France. Continuing with its attacks with a strong airforce, Germany launches an air attack in the Battle of Britain, focusing first on airfields and aircraft factories, and then into cities, especially London. Wanting to increase its power, Germany signs the Tripartite Pact with Italy and Japan, creating the Axis Alliance. However, in 1941, Germany soon faced the beginning of the end. As Germany contributed 4 million troops to take over Russia, the severe winter weather caused the Germans who were still in summer uniforms, to suffer in the brutal cold and impede the German offensive forces. Finally in 1944, the Germans desperately launched a large attack in the Battle of the Bulge and lose hopelessly to the Allies and soon surrenders.

German Soldiers Marching

I chose a song named “Blow” by Kesha to illustrate and describe how the enthusiasm and the strong determination the Germans had about taking over and controlling all parts of Europe. Lyrics from “Blow” like “we’re taking control, we get what we want, we do what you don’t” and “we don’t need a key, we get in for free” show German’s demanding power and the strong confidence the Germans had which for their actions and had a belief that nothing can stop Germany from invading and controlling Europe.

 

Japan

Prior to World War II, Japan had been successful at invading China which increased their confidence in their military and increased their control over territories. However, as Japan’s expansion in East Asia was prohibited by the United States, Japan decided to attack the United States and the British forces in order to remove them from being the dominant Pacific power and to further obtain resources and territories in Southeast Asia. In September 22, 1940, Japan also signs the Tripartite Pack and joins the Axis Alliance with Germany and Italy. Not much longer after joining the Axis Alliance, the Japanese attack the US Navy in Pearl Harbor on Oahu Island in Hawaii. This surprise attack was carried out on December 7, 1941 and caused the destruction of 200 aircrafts and the deaths of 2400 Americans. This caused the United States to officially declare war on Japan and an increase in the tension between the two countries. Nevertheless, similar to the Germans, the Japanese soon faced the end as America greatly defeated the Japanese in the Battle of Midway. Still unable to give up its dream about becoming the Pacific power, Japan finally surrendered to the US general Douglass MacArthur and the Allies on September 2, 1945, when the United States Air Force dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 

The Japanese Soldiers holding up their flag during World War II

I chose a song named “Bleeding Love” by Leona Lewis to represent Japan’s desire to win and become the dominant power in the Pacific. Although Japan face numerous casualties and damages, the determination of the Japanese made the Japanese to fight until the end. The lyrics from the song, like “you cut me open and I, keep bleeding, keep, keep bleeding love” and “I’ll be wearing these scars for everyone to see, I don’t care what they say, I’m in love with you” show how the war keeps harming and causing damages to the Japanese, hence the bleeding and despite the scars and destruction done from the defeats, the Japanese will not care and will keep fighting.

 

The United States

Although determined to maintain its neutrality, the United States was eventually drawn closer and closer to the war by the force of events. As President Franklin D. Roosevelt met Winston Churchill, they formulated the Atlantic Charter which was a joint program of peace aims. The German submarines continued to attack the American navies and it gradually became harder for the United States to stand neutral in this situation, so to establish bases to protect its shipping from attacks by German submarines, United States occupied Greenland and expressed warnings. However, the attacks continued, and the tension between Germany and the United States became even worse. The United States’ efforts of reaching a peaceful settlement ended on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese forces attacked the Pearl Harbor, the Philippines, and Malaya. This caused the United States then finally declared war on Japan on December 8. As President Roosevelt and the Congress felt the need to improve America’s military, United States used propagandas to persuade the people to join the military and forces. Also, many women and children worked on the home front, producing many supplies and resources for the war, and decreased unemployment rates. During the initial stages of the war in the Pacific, the Allies which included the United States, faced disastrous defeats as Japan conquered the Pacific. However, the Battle of Midway became the first decisive blow against the Axis Powers by the Allies. As the Americans no longer wanted to continue with their sacrifice of their people, energy, and money, the Americans decided to use atomic weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to end the war more quickly. 

Pearl Harbor Attack in Hawaii

I chose a song named “Knock you Down” by Keri Hilson, Kanye West, and Neyo. As the lyrics of the song like “sometimes love comes around, and it knocks you down, just get back up, when it knocks you down” show how important perseverance is, this song perfectly describes how the United States faced hardships but did not give up and eventually became stronger. Love in the lyrics represents the hardships and consequences the United States faced, and just like the lyrics say, the United States kept fighting and saw success at the end.

 

Russia (Soviet Union) 

The Soviet Union entered World War II allied with the Nazi Germany and the Axis Powers. As the representatives from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union met on August 23, 1939 to sign the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, this guaranteed that the two countries would not attack each other. However, after being attacked by Germany in June of 1941, the Soviet Union shifted to the side of the Allies throughout the rest of the war. The Soviet Union was able to experience a victory against the Germans in the Battle of Satlingrad, in which the cold Russian winter killed many Germans who lacked resources and supplies to survive through the bitter, cold winter. Experiencing a defeat which caused approximately two million soldiers to die, Germany surrendered to the Soviet Union on May 1945, acknowledging the Soviet Union’s victory.

Soviet Soldiers in WW2

I chose a song named “Friend of Mine” by Kelly Price. The lyrics of this song such as, “she was a friend of mine, I feel so lost, don’t know why this has happened to me” explicitly talk about her friend betraying her. Therefore, I thought this would be the perfect song to represent the Soviet Union’s situation as they were also betrayed by Germany, causing the Soviet Union to later change sides. 

 

Rosie the Riveter

As the United States military needed all the men that were available at the war front in World War II, the vitally important factory, war production plant and civil service jobs left behind. In order to replace men who left for the war front, the US government’s War Advertising Council ushered women into the workplace. In order to convince women to work, the Women in War Jobs campaign came up with a character named, Rosie the Riveter, who was depicted as a pretty, strong, patriotic, independent, and efficient woman. Rosie the Riveter was used in many propaganda posters and soon became a symbol of all women who worked in the home front. Not only did she become popular through appearing on propaganda posters, but she also became more well known as Redd Evans and John Loeb wrote a song about Rosie the Riveter. The fictional character Rosie the Riveter, efficiently urged many women to work and help out in factories and contribute to the war at the home front. 

Rosie the Riveter on a propaganda poster

I chose a song named “Run the World” by Beyonce. As the lyrics clearly state Beyonce’s desire of women to express their strength, this song is perfect to represent Rosie the Riveter. Lyrics such as, “Who run the world? Girls” show how similar Beyonce’s intentions initially when creating this song is similar to the United States’ government during World War II to encourage and promote women to work on the home front. Also, the songs lyrics emphasize how strong women can be, which more easily persuades women to join the work forces instead of men.

 
 Adolf Hitler

Born in Austria in 1889, Adolf Hitler rose to power in German politics as the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party, also known as the Nazi Party. Soon Hitler become the chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945 and also served as a dictator from the year 1934 to 1945. Under Hitler’s demanding ruling, Germany transformed into an totalitarian country, where all the power was given to Hitler. Hitler is also responsible for ignoring the Treaty of Versailles from World War I and invading Poland, which ultimately started the war. Not only is Adolf Hitler famous for his invasions and attacks during World War II, but he is also known for initiating and establishing the concept of Anti-Semitism, and causing Holocaust, the deaths of millions of innocent Jews. 

Adolf Hitler

 

I chose a song named “C’mon” by Kesha. This song appropriately represents Hitler’s demanding personality and stubbornness as the lyrics state “C’mon C’mon C’mon” and “I don’t wanna sleep, I don’t wanna think about what’s gonna be after this, I wanna just live right now”. The first lyrics are similar to Hitlers demands and orders to his people, and the second part of the lyrics are similar to Hitler not minding the consequences and acting without thinking due to his careless personality. Due to Hitler’s careless personality, millions died because of the Holocaust and during the war. 

 

The Holocaust

As the Germans constantly believed that they were racially superior and believed in the concept of Anti-Semitism, which is hostility toward or prejudice against Jews, there were many laws and restrictions that took away most civil and economic rights of the Jews, many violent attacks, and deaths. Due to the dissemination of the concept of Anti-Semitism, Hitler proposed his goal of abolishing all Jews in Europe. This caused Hitler to call for a genocide, killing 6 million Jews in extermination camps, in gas chambers, and through cruel medical experiments. The mass killing of the Jews made many European countries feel uneasy and devastated. This systematic and cruel persecution of Jews by the Nazi Germans during the World War II now is known as the Holocaust. Many today recognize the immoral nature, the cruelty, and the in justification of the Holocaust during World War II. 

Corpses of The Jews killed in Extermination Camps

I chose a song named “Don’t Forget” by Demi Lovato. I thought that this song appropriately represented what the Jews had in mind and thought right before getting killed. Lyrics from the song like “I won’t forget, please don’t forget us” and “Did you forget that I was even alive?” show how desperately the Jews did not want to get forgotten, and their last messages to the ones they loved.
 

Japanese Internments

On February 19, 1942, soon after the beginning of World War II, Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Executive Order 9066. This order forced 120,000 Japanese Americans to one of the 10 internment camps that were located in California, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arkansas. Initially, Roosevelt decided to establish this order as the citizens showed much hatred towards the Japanese Americans after the attack of the Pearl Harbor. As the Japanese American internments continued, the controversial debate of the real causes of the Japanese Internments are still prevalent today. 

The Japanese American internments surrounded by barbed wires

I chose a song named “All By Myself” by Celine Dion. I chose this song to represent the Japanese Internment because the lyrics like “All by myself, don’t wanna be all by my self anymore” explain how lonely and distant the Japanese Americans interned must have felt, only living with a certain group of people and sometimes having to live away from relatives and families in confined, restricted areas, where it also restricted your choices and opportunities.

 

The Normandy Invasion

In June 6, 1944, General Dwight Eisenhower led the United States and Allied troops in an invasion of Normandy, France, which today is known as the Normandy Invasion or D-Day. During the invasion, the Allies launched surprise, massive air attacks and naval bombardments on the coast of Normandy, northwestern France, facing major casualties. Soon the German army was forced into retreat and by early 1945, Allied forces were closing in on Germany from both East and West as the Allies fought their way through France and Belgium and into Germany while Russian troops fought from the East. On Many 7, 1945, the Allies experienced victory, winning German defenses, capturing Paris, liberating France, Belgium, and Luxembourg, and accepting Germany’s surrender. The Normandy invasion was said to be the largest invasion to have taken place during Operation Overlord. 

Landing Supplies at Normandy

I chose a song named “A Moment Like This” by Kelly Clarkson. I thought this song would be a good song to represent the success of the Normandy Invasion because just like the lyrics say in the song, “A moment like this, some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this” and “oh I can’t believe it’s happening to me, some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this”, the lyrics show how the Americans and the Allies must have felt experiencing a huge success. Also, as the Allies and the Americans really faced many dangers and hardships, they in fact had to “wait a lifetime” to experience success.


Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Even after Nazi Germany surrendered and signed the German Instrument of Surrender, the war was not completely over. The wars on the Pacific and the Japanese still fought hard for their desires and goals. As the war seemed to never end, President Truman decided to use the new atomic weapon, specifically the atomic bombs, to prevent further US casualties and costs, and overall, to stop the war quickly. The Americans had warned the Japanese that there will be an attack unless the Japanese surrendered, but with no reply in return, the United States used an atomic bomb on Hiroshima Japan on August 6, 1945. Although the first bombing already caused tens of thousands of deaths and casualties, the Japanese did not seem to give up. Therefore, the United States dropped another bomb on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, killing many people immediately and from the radiation fallout. This then led to the Japanese surrendering, finally ending the war.

Damages caused by the Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

I chose a song named “We Will Rock You” by Queen. This song represents the confidence and success the Americans would have felt to know that they could possibly end this everlasting war. The lyrics “We will we will rock you, we will we will rock you” show how the Americans while dropping the bombs would have felt sympathetic, but also would have felt successful and confident to carry out actions and knowing that these actions would end the war.
 

Citations

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-L05487,_Paris,_Avenue_Foch,_Siegesparade.jpg

http://dalje.com/en-world/japans-sacked-general-says-many-back-his-ww2-view/209638

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/events/wwii-pac/pearlhbr/ph-wvt.htm

http://rt.com/politics/us-starting-wwii-anniversary-201/

http://www.biography.com/people/adolf-hitler-9340144

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosie_the_Riveter 

http://isurvived.org/Holocaust-definition.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Normandy

http://www.lanternreview.com/blog/2010/05/15/poetry-in-history-japanese-american-internment/

http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/g_l/levine/bombing.htm

Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal and Its Effectiveness

Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal and Its Effectiveness 

 

    Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born in 1882, on his family’s estate in Hyde Park, New York. Spending his early years at his family home, he was tutored and traveled extensively with his family, which really prevented him from spending time with friends his age. As a studious and diligent student, Roosevelt went to a prestigious preparatory boarding school and further continued his education in Harvard University. Carrying on his interests in politics, he entered the Columbia Law School, but left school after passing the New York State Bar exam in 1907. As time went on, Roosevelt found himself beginning to feel weak. His fever got worse and caused great weakness especially in his legs. Despite this paralysis, Roosevelt did not give up and continued pursuing his dream to run as the governor of New York. His misfortune had led him to become stronger and work even harder towards his goals. From an assistant secretary of the navy to governor of New York, Roosevelt then transitioned as the president of the United States, leading the United States during the Great Depression in 1932. 

 

Franklin D. Roosevelt in a wheelchair due to Polio

    Having a responsibility and duty to lead a nation at the darkest hour of the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt entered the White House in 1932, promising a new deal for the American people. The new deal came to include a wide range of measures aimed at accomplishing three main goals for the Americans. The first goal was provide relief for those suffering the effects of the Great Depression, recovery of the depressed economy, and reforms that would help prevent any more serious economic crises in the future. In order to achieve these three goals, a combination of legislative reforms and acts were introduced during the first Hundred Days and the Second Hundred Days to permanently and dramatically transform the United States economically, politically, and socially. 

Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal Pin

 As unemployment was a major problem in the United States during the Great Depression, one of the many programs that focused on decreasing unemployment rates was the Civilian Conservation Corps. This agency was created in 1933 by Franklin D. Roosevelt mainly to solve unemployment problems by employing jobless single men between the ages of 18 and 25. These men employed in the Civilian Conservation Corps worked in mountains and forests, learning about forestry, flood control and fire preventions for approximately 6 months. This agency efficiently provided job opportunities for 3 million men between the years of 1933 to 1941, and relieved families by providing jobs on conservation projects to young men.

The Logo of the Civilian Conservation Corps

Young Men in the Civilian Conservation Corps taking a break

    Another New Deal Program that successfully contributed to the improvement of the living conditions of the Americans was the Tennessee Valley Authority. This act was passed in 1933 in order to develop the resources of the entire Tennessee River Valley. This valley encompassed 7 states and 40,000 square miles. The Tennessee Valley Authority built dams along the Tennessee River to control floods, aid navigation and shipping, and provide hydroelectric power for industries. Through this act, not only was the valley was successfully regenerated, but it also provided affordable electricity to thousands of rural citizens. Electricity provided then covered 80,000 square miles and was served to more than 9 million people. Electric lights made the lives of the people easier and farms more productive. Therefore, this recovery program effectively modernized and promoted changes in the region.
    

Supporting the Tennessee Valley Authority for Electricity

Dams built due to Tennessee Valley Authority

    One other New Deal Program that also was vital during the period was the Social Security Act of 1935. This act set up the first and great national old age pensions scheme to absolve the widespread poverty among the senior citizens. With the funds the workers, employers, and each state were expected to pay, the act established pensions for retirees, unemployment insurance, and aid for certain groups of low income or disabled people. The creation of the Social Security Act now allowed retired workers to no longer fear hunger and homelessness once they became too old to work. Also, as the program provided payments to workers who lost their jobs, it encouraged many to continue searching for new works. The relief program proficiently covered 35 million people despite opposition from the Republicans who thought the act rejected the ideas of socialism. In fact, this act is still in action until today for American citizens.
    

Poster supporting the Social Security Act

 

Another poster supporting the Social Security Act

  
    Again dealing with the problems of unemployment and lacking a job during the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration was established. It was established in 1935 with the goal of providing numerous public-works jobs on a wide range of projects for many of those needing relief. The Works Progress Administration was responsible for coordinating all public works schemes. The agency spent more than $10.5 billion dollars of the Federal money and employed 3.8 million men, which was 1/4 of the population of the unemployed Americans during that time period. Adding onto the numerous infrastructures built by the Works Progress Administration, the Works Progress Administration brought culture and arts back to America by numerous funding numerous artists and writers to paint and produce works.The relief agency was effective as it not only created a great number of bridges, sewers, roads, airports, schools, and other public buildings, but also created jobs for the unemployed people who were desperately in need of jobs.
    

A poster of the Works Progress Administration

Works Progress Association workers building a government storage facility

   With the creation of many acts and agencies throughout Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency, the New Deal had both its goods and bads. However, it is clear that the benefits of the New Deal outweigh the costs. In terms of relief, the New Deal definitely proved to be successful. As millions of Americans lost their jobs due to the Stock Market Crash and the Great Depression, most of the Americans were unable to find jobs that they could earn money from and sustain their lives with. However, as new agencies, such as the Civilian Conservation Corps and Works Progress Administration, provided numerous job opportunities and learning opportunities, many people did not have to starve to death, which they would have without the creation of new job opportunities.
   
    In terms of reform, the New Deal did dramatically change the relationship between the capitalist market, the government, and the people. The New Deal programs provided Americans, the citizens, with security against the unpredictable market, creating an activist state for the first time in United States’ history. Whether this great alteration of the government’s responsibilities and roles had actually improved or worsened the United States’ conditions after the Great Depression, the New Deal actually has been a controversial topic even until today. Therefore, the New Deal was successful at making at least some kind of reform whether it was supported or not by the people.
    
    There can be no denying to the fact that the many acts and agencies of the New Deal provided job opportunities, funds, aids, and the creation of new infrastructures. Although these all lead to a decrease in the unemployment rate to a certain point and economic growth, throughout the decade of the 1930s, unemployment still remained extremely high and economic growth was very slight and gradual. However, the fact that there was even a slight improvement in the situations economically and socially accounts for why I believe that the New Deal was an efficient and a successful program. 

Citations

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bMq9Ek6jnA

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rooseveltinwheelchair.jpg

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/72254/Franklin-D-Roosevelt-New-Deal-pin-1932 

https://www.alapark.com/desotoresort/CivilianConservationCorpsMuseum/

http://www.nps.gov/prwi/historyculture/ccc.htm

http://newdeal.feri.org/tva/ 

http://tva.com/75th/timeline.htm

http://www2.ucsc.edu/whorulesamerica/power/social_security.html

http://fdrlibrary.wordpress.com/tag/social-security/

http://kapachino.info/2009/10/currently-in-october/

http://money.howstuffworks.com/recession10.htm

The Causes of the Great Depression and President Hoover’s Responses to the Great Depression

The Causes of the Great Depression and President Hoover’s Responses to the Great Depression

    The Great Depression was a period of deep and long-lasting tragedy that placed millions of Americans out of work during the years of 1929 to 1939. This period also marked the beginning of government involvement in the economy, in the society, and in America as a whole. As the Americans were enjoying a decade of prosperity and wealth, also known as the Roaring Twenties, the nation's total wealth was also more than doubled, manufactured goods expanded the economy, there was a low unemployment rate, and shorter hour works which provided more leisure time for the Americans. Americans were also very busy investing in the stock market and being satisfied with the steady increase of the prices of the investments that they ignored and were unaware of the warning signs of a possible fall in the prices of the investments leading to a plunge in the economy. On October 29th, 1929, well known as the Black Tuesday, the stock market crash marked the start of the Great Depression. 

Extravagant parties were held, which showed proliferation of wealth during the 1920s.

   Although there were various causes that contributed to the Great Depression, one of the most important and main cause of such devastating period would be the stock market crash of 1929. Not expecting the prices of the stock to fluctuate and plummet greatly, the Americans were hit with a surprising news that the value of the stocks traded on the New York Stock Exchange had plunged by 9%. Due to the hopeless and sudden plunge in the prices of the stocks, many Americans tried to sell the stocks that nobody was willing to buy. Thousands of Americans who had invested in companies and bought stocks were then left virtually broke. They had lost their entire savings and profit in a short period of time due to the Stock market crash.

The Milwaukee Leader Newspaper that kept people updated on the Stock Market Crash

People gathered up after the Stock Market Crash

   Another cause that greatly affected the Great Depression would be bank runs. As nervous depositors suspected a bank to be in danger of failing and watched the prices of the stocks continuously decrease, they ran to banks and rushed to withdraw all their money. Due to everyone taking out money from the banks, banks experienced a banking crisis and soon went bankrupt as almost every single individual was asking to take out their money, and the banks could not pay everyone who wanted to withdraw their money. In the months following October 1929, bank runs struck across the country. Adding onto the great losses of the individuals, hundreds of banks failed and approximately 350 banks, including big and small banks, closed. These bank failures caused individuals to further lose more money as they were not able to take out their money from the bank and caused banks to wipe out billions of dollars in savings. Therefore,
the bank runs of the people added even more negative consequences to
their existing effects of the Great Depression.

Hundreds of People lined up in front of the bank to withdraw their money.

   One other factor that caused the Great Depression and made it worse was the concept of credits. The installment of credit allowed Americans to purchase stocks more easily, by involving loans from stockbrokers and buying on margins. With the concept of credits, stockbrokers then required lower and lower margins for stock purchases by giving out bigger and bigger loans to the investors. This made it easier for the investors to purchase stocks with paying less money with loans borrowed from the stockbrokers. Because the stockbrokers had margin calls, which was a demand of the stockbrokers to the investors to repay their loans if the stock’s value fell below a certain point, when there was the stock market crash, many stockbrokers had forced the investors to pay for their loans. However, not having been expecting the crash, Americans
also lost most of their money, which led to not being able to repay for their loans to the stockbrokers, which in turn led to the stockbrokers also being broke. Therefore, buying stocks with credits and loans not only caused tragedy amongst the investors, but also the stockbrokers who were not able to receive back their money.

    Moving on from the financial and economical causes of the Great Depression, there was also a weather condition that added onto the causes of the Great Depression. In 1931, the Great Plains entered a long, severe dry spell. Although drought is a part of a weather cycle and is naturally occurring on the Great Plains every few decades, careless agricultural practices had left the region vulnerable by the 1930s. When the wind storms came, they stripped away the topsoil and blew it hundreds of miles away, choking crops and burying farm equipments. These wind dusts blew into homes through windows and under doors, and made living conditions of the Americans worse. People were already  living in hard conditions due to the stock market crash, and the drought and dust storms caused some to move and migrate to other states, even in devastating conditions. 

Dust storms in the Dust Bowl Regions

Dust storms covering up and destroying cars and houses

   The stock market crash, bank runs which then led to bank failures, credits and loans, and the drought all were significant and destructive causes of the Great Depression which initiated and worsened the situations of the Americans during the Great Depression. 

A woman and her children on the streets during the Great Depression

   While the Americans were suffering through the Great Depression, president Hoover, who was the president of America during the time period, was at first strict with his beliefs and perspectives. At first, President Hoover simply refused to accept that the economic crisis was so widespread and so grave, that people could not help themselves, no matter how much they wanted to. Also, he strictly believed that the government should not support the people, favored the federal government that played as little role as possible in the affairs of business, and strongly supported “rugged individualism” which meant people rescuing themselves by their own efforts. Due to his beliefs, President Hoover did not take too many actions, which caused the citizens to blame him as the cause of the Great Depression because of his lack of involvement with the issue.

    However, as time passed and President Hoover recognized how merely sticking to his beliefs was not working and benefitting the people, he introduced a vision of associative states, which was incorporating partnerships between business associations and government. Focusing on associative states, President Hoover carried out his plans for constructing the Hoover Dam, a dam that harnessed the Colorado River to provide electricity and a safe water supply to parts of seven states. The construction of the Hoover Dam was successful as it provided new and more jobs to the people who were jobless and in need of money. Moreover, President Hoover thought that if he called together many of the nation’s top businesses and government leaders to urge them not to lay off any workers or cut wages, the workers would have money to buy goods, and the worst of the Great Depression would pass. Nonetheless, businesses were focused on satisfying their individual goals, they cut jobs and wages, which once again caused the economy to plunge.

    Realizing his mistakes, President Hoover created the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, which provided aid to struggling banks and other institutions during the Great Depression. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation was very beneficial as the loans helped many of the citizens to restart their lives and live in better conditions. Although this program improved the living conditions of many Americans, one of Hoover’s major effort to address the economic crisis backfired badly. Hoping that the high tariff on imported goods make Americans purchase the cheaper American goods, President Hoover created the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act which raised the cost of imported goods for American consumers. Instead of his intentions and goals, The exceptionally high tariff rates caused other countries to also raise their tariffs, which then caused trade to plunge, and cause less profit made for America. This once again brought America back to poor living conditions and made the citizens view President Hoover as ineffective and not beneficial.

    At first President Hoover did not respond appropriately as he did not believe and provide direct action tothe people. However, after realizing the need for direct action, Hoover did try to create new programs that provided aid to the people. Therefore, although President Hoover had tried to make improvements to the country’s situations, the efforts did not work out, causing citizens
to blame him for not taking action and his failures. 

A picture of President Herbert Hoover

Citations

http://chapter6economictimeline.wikispaces.com/The+Roaring+Twenties

content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1854569,00.html

http://rowellsapushistory.wikispaces.com/The+Stock+Market+Crash+-+Roaring+20%27s

http://www.thedailysheeple.com/sorry-your-money-is-now-frozen-bank-runs-have-become-illegal_072012

http://www.weru.ksu.edu/new_weru/multimedia/dustbowl/dustbowlpics.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dust_Bowl_-_Dallas,_South_Dakota_1936.jpg

http://southcarolina1670.wordpress.com/2011/10/18/how-hoover-caused-the-great-depression/ 

http://www.thisblogrules.com/2012/05/5-us-presidents-dropped-into-sticky-situations-after-being-inaugurated.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND0UndNXM8E#action=share