Louisiana Purchase

Our government has just bought all this new land West of the Mississippi. They only paid $15 million for all of it average three cents an acre. Lewis and Clark have been chosen by the president to explore this new land. They are gathering a crew of men to go with them. The government wants them to record all new plants, animals, and people found, there also to map the land. This will be an adventure to remember I really hope I'm one of the chosen crew members. Our government needs to bring everyone together as a nation. This I'm sure will be a difficult, no, more than difficult, task.
I hope in that when people start moving into this new land they get along and live in peace. It's a far fetched idea but it's worth a try. I am about to go down to the town to see if they've posted the list of the crew. I've never had a feeling of nervousness like this before, I want to contribute to this great nation. If we could all work together and listen to each others ideas things would run so much smoother. Our government is so narrow minded I highly dought this will ever happen. They think that it's their way or no way, it's one big fight for who can hold the most power. Well I'm off to town with high hopes of being a part of this expedition.

Indidan Removal Act

They made us leave from our very homes and where we had lived for so long. Traveling was like a never ending nightmare. The more we went the worse it got. The winter came and we werent nearly prepared enough. The air froze day to day, i saw many of my close friends and family suffer from just the cold air. After a little bit we didnt have much to eat either, we would go days hungry for food. I still cant believe they made us leave. Just looking back at that journey brings shivers down my spine.

They took our land selfishly stating that it was there land all along. They didnt care about us or for us at all. Abraham Lincoln should have never let this happen to us, he is our President who should respect and care for his whole nation. All men should be treated equal and not have there land taken away so brutally and have no place to go. Some of us survived, but others did not. During the trail of tears, it was one of the most emotional, mental, and physical battle that i have ever had.

The Cotton Gin

I was there when Eli whitney came up with the idea in 1793! "Look, Look!" he said holding up his new invention. "This is it!" I remembered him saying. "This is what will make it easier to produce cotton." Eli predicted. "How do you know?" I asked, wondering how he could be so conceited in this weird looking thing. "I'll show you." he said placing his invention on the table and pulling out a ball of cotton. He showed me, and I was shocked at how much cotton was produced compared the technique by hand. He made it easier for Southerners to produce cotton for a profit. In 1820, his invention had made Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama into popular "Cotton Kingdoms." I am ashamed to say that because of my old friend's invention, slavery was increased.

To be a nation, means to have unity. To have order and organization, and stand for justice. To work together to make good choices for the nation, and have a trusted government. To honor those who paved the way for the advances the nation has in its present day, and celebrate the nation's victory. To agree to disagree, and not go to war because one section refused to conform with another section. To produce ideas that will better the nation, and always work together to improve the nation's flaws. When one section is down, it is up to the other sections to help that falling section up, because we all work as one. When one section falls, we all fall.

Indian Removal

I've been told were doing this so we can grow a s a nation, were expanding our land. Being part of the army we are supposed to help people and protect, that's not at all what were doing to these people. We barge into their homes like we own he place giving them no choice. These people who have done no wrong, and cared for this land long before we came are being treated like criminals. The Indians can occupy land but can't own it, so if a white man wants it, he can have it. I do not agree with Jackson's forceful, lying, tactics. A nation is one, as a whole, all people should have equal rights in a nation. These poor people are going to try and go to court, they have no fair chance.
I don't know if I can stand by much longer without saying anything or taking some action. I can't believe I am a part of this army it goes against everything I stand for, and this nation. Three nights ago I saw another soldier hit an Indian woman for crying to loudly while he was trying to sleep. If I've ever wanted to beat someone it was then, and I did. He was a General, not a very good one I might add, and it landed me in a whole world of trouble. It doesn't even matter to me that I'm writing this from a prison block. We are a nation under God and forcing people out of there homes and beating them for no reason is not right. Man is equal to his piers, and we are an "equal nation" I think not. I live for the day this will all be over.

Indian Removal

"Why do we have to go mama?" said the young Cherokee child. "Because, we are not welcomed my child" said the mother.

I remember the day I asked my mother that very question and she replierd with a saddened look upon her face. I did not understand then but I do now! Andrew Jackson does not like us Indians! He is the one who started this whole Indian Removal Act of 1830. When Mama told me we had to move out West, I cried until I could cry no more. I couldn't stand the thought of leaving my home that I have known all this time! We eventually did leave through, just not in the way I imagined, the Americans took us out of our homes with only our homes with only our clothes on our back. We had to leave most of our belongings and most of the stuff we did have the Americans soldiers took away from us!

Then came the walking...we marched and marched and marched until the cruel Americans let us rest for no more thann seconds. We marched thousands of miles across great Earth. Four thousand of the Cherokee began this "Trail of Tears" with were already long gone; Men, women, and children died during our journey. By 1840 all Eastern triebes had been subdued, annihilated, or forcibly removed from Indian Territory west of the MIssissippi River.

Now I understand the true reason for our long journey--Americans are truly jealous, cruel, and greedy people.

E.Q.
A nation ia a cul;tural or social community. To be a member of a nation you must share a common identity and usually a common origin. A nation is like a clock, there are many parts working together to make that clock's hand's move back and forth, and like that clock a nation must work together to become one or everything will fall apart. To be a nation is to work as a team, there is no "I" in team so no one can be self-centered.

Indian Removel Act

Iwas a part of the Indian removel act. Long and tragic, but some how my people over came it. We took a long trip across America from our native land into a cold and horrible winter. The snow made my younger brothers toes fall off. Our family and many of my friends families soon ran out of food. Our blankets became so wet from the snow that they adventually froze from the cold weather just like our bodies. I lost my neaklace my father gave me on the way. He gave it to me before he was to killed by evil WHITE men because he refused to live his land. He did not want to give up his native land from which he came and his for fathers.

How this all happend was of course the white men coming here and takeing our land and claiming it is was theirs to beging with. The chief of all of them being Andrew Jackson. I pray to the god's to curse this man with evil spirits and great distruction to his family. We were forced to walk days apon days apon days just to get to where they felt we were where they thought we should be. I lost most of my friends and family just for the word of Andrew Jackson to move us out. Move us away from OUR land. Move us away from our home.

The American System (a new name for federalism)

Once again those southern pigs... oh, excuse my language, the proud citizens of the southern United States have been complaining about our American System. I have no clue why they can't just accept that it is best for the nation. We are only protecting the American industries, including providing a ready and constant market for their cotton. Sure England may buy their plants for more but it is important for them to supply their portion of federal revenue, they are a part of the nation after all. We just graciously provide motives for them to better their already better half. But now we also have to worry about those crazy pioneers in the west, everyone hates the tariff except those with sense. As a nation we need income and apparently some people don't understand that a nation cannot be funded when two thirds of it disagree with the taxation. When they get riled up about it all, I think they realize not what they do to inhibit the expansion of the United States of America. They say that they do not benefit any from the building of roads and canals but they seem to not show enough foresight that we must build from the most concentrated areas first and then afterwards we may reach down to them and incorporate them into the network of ease. Roads only grow and when they grow they will eventually get to the south and hence better connect them to us northern states. Once that happens we would be more able to buy cotton and other plants from them, they would sell it all faster, make better profit even, everyone would benefit. As for the westerners; they too will benefit greatly from the building of roads and canals, they would be able to get supplies so much faster, that would cause less death, more profit, plus more free land for them! Unfortunately both sections refuse to have patience and wait for the benefits of it all.


E.Q.
A nation is a unified political entity. The American System tried to unify the nation mainly by economic means. Tariffs provided federal revenue and that revenue was used to pay off debt and to establish public roads and canals. The American System was a great theory but the lack of cooperation from the south and west made the whole thing go down the drain and this ended up dividing the nation because the south and west didn't like the tariff but the north loved it.

Reform of Women

The text mills of Waltham-Lowell were growing across the north part of New England. I was offered a job there. Me being just 18 years old accepted the job, i knew my parents were'nt in a very good situation so i accepted the job. The firm reached far into the countryside for this workforce, and had to construct boardinghouses to accommodate all of us women who were recruited from the surrounding countryside. To keep us working i soon found out that they offered cash wages, in the Rhode Island mills everything was different. I knew that The Waltham-Loweell mills were very competitive and wanted better for us women. The mill superintendents were paying recruiters to go to New England and bring more of us so they could work here. I started off at $3.00 per week and after 5 months they gave me a raise to $3.50 per week. I knew that by working here i could use the money to help my family as well as save for when i got married.


WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A NATION?
In my opinion to be a nation people have to respect and treat each other equally. Like women, children and every body else should have the same rights. If you are allowed to work at a certain age every one should be able to work at that age. I found it really great that mills started to hire women and treat them a little more like men. I also think that te be a nation it means to be together to be unified. If everyone is together and at the same level the nation would be much easier to run.

Indian Removal Act

The American people are forcing us to leave our homes. Their greed makes them take our land. We must move out west. We have no money, livestock, or other supplies, because the Americans have taken them away from us also. We walk for miles and miles. Everyday, so many of our people die. When will this end?

To be a nation, a country needs to be unified. During this time in history, our country was really torn. There were issues with slavery and the removal of Native Americans. If we're supposed to be a unified nation, then why don't we treat each other as equals? We forced the Native Americans off of their land and enslaved African Americans. At the end of the day, we're all people so why don't we treat each other fairly?

The Cotton Gin

Standing out in the scorching southern heat all day picking cotton by hand is not exactly what I would call fun. When i heard that Eli Whitney had invented a machine that would process the cotton for me, I was estatic. Picking out the seeds by hand was very demanding, and it consumed lots of time. With the invention of the cotton gin, my job becomes easier. Instead of spending many hundreds of man hours picking thru the seeds, the white men can use the machine to sort out the seeds and eventually make more money by completing the process faster. Time is money, and by cutting down the time to perfect their crop, they can spend more time on selling it to other nations. This invention was a great idea. It has helped so much in the short time that we've had it, and I can expect many new things like this in the future.

When building a nation, ones country needs inventions like these to help build their economy. Everyone is always looking for the advantage over the competition which in this case would be the different nations of the world. In order to get this certain advantage, inventions such as the cotton gin are essential. They help speed up the production of goods which leads to more income for the econmy and more power for the nation. Time is money, and money is power. Inventions in technology even up to this day help bring revenue and build a better society for the American people to live in. To build a steady nation, you need people with good work ethic and smart ideas. This ethic and these ideas help a nation become stable and gain power in many different ways. The cotton gin was very important in the way America operated and how it became a rich powerful country.

On Nullification and the Qualities of a Nation

In 1828 John C. Calhoun released "The South Carolina Exposition" to the citizens of our nation. In this document he raised the issue of nullification. Nullification is the ability of a state to disobey a federal law that the state considers unconstitutional. There have been debates and arguments over the ten years since Calhoun spread this idea and many people wonder what may have caused this man, both the Vice President and a previously strong supporter of central government, to release such a document. To find the answer to this question we must look to the years leading up to 1828. In 1816 a tariff was placed on imported goods, and while Calhoun had no opposition to this tariff he changed temperament quickly when the tariff was raised once in 1824 and again in 1828. Calhoun even went as far as to declare the tariff a "Tariff of Abominations." Before we criticize Calhoun for his quick change of heart we must understand that this tariff hits his home in South Carolina very hard. Because of the tariff South Carolina is forced to buy goods at a heightened price. This has caused the state to undergo a great deal of economic hardship. Calhoun thus believes that unless the government truly serves in the best interest of all the states that a state should not be forced to remain in the union.

It is my opinion that it is the function of a federal government to ensure the fair treatment of all territories and groups that make it up. If the government does not attempt to help all groups that participate in it then does that government truly head a nation. In fact, does this mean that our United States of America are not truly a nation. I believe that a nation should be ruled based on equality between the states. A nation should never favor one area or group over any of the other parts which are fundamental to its existence.

Indian Removal Act

Today I had a very bad day. When I was coming out of my home I found these men dressed strangely trying to force us to leave. I thought that the man they called Andrew Jackson said that they would not treat us badly at all. I joined up with the forces of the Cherokee Indians. The government did not allow us to go to trial, so we got a man by the name of Samuel Austin Worcester to go in our defense. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall ruled in our favor, but Andrew Jackson said that he would like to see him enforce that law. When there was a group of guys in our tribe thinking that we should just relocate some federal agents decided to make a minority have the say so in our majority. The traitors signed a treaty giving us $5 million and land to the west of the Mississippi River. However, by 1838, I did not move along with about 20,000 other Cherokee. When President Martin van Buren heard of this he decided to send in troops to get us out of here. Thus began are cruel and unusual punishment. He broke us into groups of about 1,000 and told us to start walking. We did not know how far we had to walk; all we knew was that we were going to walk or we were going to get shot. It turns out that we walked for over 800 miles on very little food because the stingy Americans took our portions and our clothing and shoes.



The nation was being hindered from growth because of the way that they treated the Native Americans. If we had treated the Indians fairly and how we said we would; we would have made great allies. They could have helped us find a way to plant large crops and methods of harvesting them without the need of many slaves. Instead we either had a very hard struggle against them in miniature battles or we had to forcibly remove them from the land that we were about to go settle in. This caused them to become angry at us and vice versa.

Indian Revomal Act

Our people lived peacefully with white men for only a few years. There big cheif Andrew Jackson wanted all of us away from white people and so they had us walk while soliders follow us like cattle. Our food and supplies were gone and most of us starved. Many die while walking and we are not allowed to bury them. When we get to land we would live off of, soliders leave us and give us no tools or what to do. We were forced to fend for ourselves. We had to grow our own food and look for game. We promised to never trust white men ever again.

To be a nation you must have a central government to control problems and decide on improving the nation. You need laws to stop chaos and to have someone enforce laws. You need to decide on how much power people have. You need to decide on how to control things. Also, what are the punishments for breaking the law. Someone also needs to run the control the nation and make it better. To be a nation it takes alot of work and time. It also will have trial and error and be fixed just like our nation.

Reforms for Women

My husband allways tells me to act good in society. To be present, but to not voice my opinion, to be humble, and to not show much intelligiance outside the arts. I wish to be treated as any other man is treated, as a member of society, not a society member's wife! I have talked to Catharine Beecher and I have come to a realization that wearing a corset is not a fashionable thing. The reason why I keep on having dizzy spells is because I can not breathe! I have adopted the loose clothes that Amelia Bloomer designed and I have decided to excercise. I have even convinced my sister to wear Bloomers with me! (Much to our husbands displeasure.) Staying home and reciting poetry is not going to improve my health!

If "all men are equal" why aren't we considered? We are women! This is a nation that was designed on equal rights. Women make up half of the nation and therefor should be considered as equals as men. We are all God's children and equal in his eyes. We should be equal in man's eyes too.

Cotton Gin

Picking all this cotton by hand is not fun because I have to pick all of the seeds out of the cotton and it takes too long to do this. I am glad the cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney because its a benefit for everybody. It also means my work load becomes a whole lot easier for me and everyone else. It also means we could make a profit from this because we can grow alot more cotton and sell it to Britain.

There are many things that make up a nation. Back then a group of people born in a certain area determine that they were a nation. People who have the same color skin or same background also can make them a nation. I think you need a real strong government to establish a strong nation because you need some type of government or unless it would be chaos all over. You also need some type of president or ruler to keep things in some type of order and someone to go to when there is trouble.

Indian Removal Act

America is almost settled, and we're ready to expand. But, we still have the same problem that we have had all along: Native Americans. They inhabit most of the land out West, and, in order to continue with our progress, they must be moved. Jackson thinks that assimilation won't work, and that if we were to allow them to stay in their original areas, it would require too many troops to keep their territory free of white settlers. Therefore, he has come to the conclusion that the only solution is to move the Native Americans farther west. Congress just passed the Indian Removal Act, in this year of 1830. Under this law, the government will provide funds to negotiate treaties that would force the Native Americans to move west. Jackson believes that this policy is both liberal and generous.

But what does it mean to be a Nation? Does being a "Nation" automatically give us the right to move someone out of their own land just so we can move in? Does it entitle us to certain rights that other "groups" of people do not? Being classified as a Nation should never be abused, it involves great responsibility. A Nation is not just a large group of people sharing a common territory, but a common cause, and a unity unlike any other.