Ellis Island!

 It was a journey for the immigrants that came to Ellis Island. They were probably feeling scared, excited, and confused. Some families were really big and might of had to split up. Coming to a new country and not knowing anything about it would be intimidating. That is why some people would befriend others from the same country they were from. Jobs were probably difficult to find and maintain. If things wouldn't work out for some people they would go back home, however, the whole point of coming to Ellis Island was to have a better life.

"Song of the Shirt"

 Textile factory workers had hard labor. I think in the "Song of the Shirt" they compared their work to death, and I don't blame them. According to the song, they worked until they were too tired to keep their eyes opened. The workers were "in poverty, hunger, and dirt.." Women as factory workers would be whipped if they fell asleep on the job. They worked more than they slept, and would be exhausted all day. The song also describes the womens conditions which tell how unhealthy they were. It wasn't an easy life for people back then.

Games

 In class, teachers teach students a lesson that might be very important and very boring. The chance that the students will actually absorb and understand what the teacher is saying is not very promising. Also, it gets worse when the teacher assigns homework for that lesson. When a teacher mentions homework to a student a little part of them dies inside. Homework for a lot of us is a waste of time, and especially when we have no idea how to complete it. When my teacher told us our homework is to go home and play a game, I was actually excited about the homework. I played the game called Oregon Trail. In just a short amount of time I learned that the game was difficult, and how hard pioneers worked in their everyday lives. Luckily, my teacher makes learning about U.S History interesting, however, for my other classes I wouldn't mind playing a game once in while to actually understand the concept.

Six word story

In the West, gold and success. 

Cowboys.

What is your perception of a cowboy? I'm guessing it's the cliche Hollywood created cowboy, with long hair, a little rugged, spurs, and some nice looking boots. He was also probably sitting in a bar, or trying to cause trouble, right? Well, think again. This is a misconception, that most people have about cowboys. 


In reality, cowboys were hardworking and dedicated to their work. Their jobs took strength and motivation, it was definitely not for the weak hearted. Usually, the men who took up the job of becoming a cowboy were young and singe, as being a cowboy meant being away from home, and living a life of loneliness. Their jobs called for them to travel from place to place. These men were efficient, and truly dedicated their lives to their work. They definitely did not have it easy. They worked long and hard for what they earned..


The workload for cowboys was enormous, from herding cattle, to roping broncos, these were dangerous and risky tasks. The task of cow herding and handling was a tough one, they had to travel far and long to find the cattle,  and then traveling with the cattle's was not easy either. There were long breaks that had to be taken, and it was a tiring and time consuming task. With this job, patience is virtue. Also, if the cowboy was not traveling with the cows, then he had to load them on a train, which was also an extremely difficult task. 


Also, their lifestyles came along with potential health dangers, as there were no real doctors at the time, so if they were hurt on the job, it would be difficult to find a doctor, and contracting diseases was widespread during this time. The doctors in the 1800's form of sterilization was alcohol, and insufficient cleanings lead to further infection. The conditions that cowboys worked through were rough too, dry climates, cold nights, boiling days. It's not like they had the amenities and facilities of a holiday inn. 


So, I'm guessing you also think that the cowboy thought his gun was his most important piece of equipment, and his clothes were nicely pressed, and expensive looking. Well, no... actually a cowboy was practical about his equipment, and carried only what he needed. Wool shirt, spurs, leather boots, a gun, and his horses saddle and other equipment. That's all, there was no fanciness  to it. He definitely did not bedazzle his clothing.


Rodeo was also an important part of a cowboys life. The purpose was to show their talents and skills. It was their version of fun, and gave them a little bit of a break from their tedious jobs. 

Hollywood has clearly misguided you from what a real cowboy is to their glammed up version, well at least now you know. A cowboys life was rough. They were dedicated agile, and hard workers who got the job done. 




Image: http://www.cartermuseum.org/collections/smith/collection.php?asn=LC-S6-232&mcat=9&scat=35

Discuss the relationships between the treatment of African-Americans during Reconstruction with the treatment of the same peoples during the United States Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s

The perception of everything being perfect for slaves during the Reconstruction Era is definitely not true.
life was not easy for them… 


What is Reconstruction? The idea to bring the north and south together as a country… Of course both sides didn’t like the idea. When the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were presented they were supposed to make things better for African-Americans. Instead, nothing was accomplished. The 13th amendments’ purpose was to put an end to slavery in the United States of America. The 14th amendments’ purpose was to promise the freedom and rights of the freed persons. Finally, the 15th gave African-Americans the right to vote. These amendments sounded great until the southerners found a way out of the laws. Even with these amendments granted the African-Americans were still being discriminated and were still inferior to the whites. Even though it implied that things were getting better for the Africans Americans the truth was they weren’t making any progress. 

During the Reconstruction era when the slaves were freed they had no money or land. Sharecropping developing and ended up being extensive throughout the United States. It was when slaves were given an area of land and half of everything they made was given to their master. The freed slaves were still told what to do and this time they signed a statement giving their masters the “OK” to do that. They didn’t really have a choice. They owed half of everything they grew in their crops to their master who had owned them before. They lived in poverty. They couldn’t just get up and go somewhere else to live and work. Until the Civil Rights movement came sharecropping was voluminous.

The African-Americans were still being discriminated, and the whites were still on their high horses. Even though, things actually got better than they used to be. The whites and blacks were segregated, with separate bathrooms, park benches, water fountains, restaurants, and even schools. Even with their separate areas the blacks still didn’t have the right to vote, abused, and often killed. They were still the underdogs of their society. 

In 1955-1968 the Civil Rights movement finally took place. It was a time when the African-Americans fought for their rights. They boycotted, had sit-ins, protest, and more. There were Civil Rights leaders as well who were educated and who fought for their rights as a human being and as an American. For example, Dr. Martin Luther King, he fought every day for equal rights until he was murdered. A lot of people were against this act of rebellion. They fought hard for their freedom and rights. Because of great leaders and passionate African-Americans, their goal was accomplished. The people who died for this cause were a part of the reason why today we all have equal rights. 

In the Reconstruction era, African-Americans didn’t have a voice to disagree. However, when the civil rights movement came along they spoke up and proved a point to the white society.




Image sources: 
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