Chapter 2 –Neither American nor Revolutionary?

French wanted to weaken England as revenge from the 7 year war.

Britain is at war with Europe and pretty much everyone at the same time the American revolution is going on. Britain is incredibly weakened by the French diplomacy.

‘America’ had a lot less to do with the victory over the British than they claim.
-French, Spanish, Netherlands, armed neutrals as well as splits in the British governing party had huge influence

Chapter 3 – On the constitution ‘The constitution did not create democracy’
-a slave was to count as 3/5 of a person for representation and taxation.

After the signing of the Constitution, slavery was agreed to be abolished 20 years afterwards.

-House of representatives to be based on population, the Senate to be based equally for all states. Number of appointed members should be equal

Chapter 4 ‘Washington—Failures and Real Accomplishments’
-Benedict Arnold became the founder of the American navy due to building his ships at Whitehall.

Washington & either Jefferson started the tradition of recognising any government that held power as the rightful government. This held until Woodrow Wilson in early 20th century, who reversed this policy

“Anachronistic way of thinking” = belonging to a period other than that being portrayed.

Chapter 7 – ‘The 2nd great awakening’
-Religious movement moved to have public education, and Reformation of sinners/criminals, not just incarceration.

As well as asylums, to look after the insane. Not just lock them up.

-Abolishment of slavery was also brought on by this movement, that claimed it was a mortal sin to hold slaves.

-Opinions considered before was the resettlement of the people back in Africa.

Abortion wasn’t see as immoral or against religion, as it was only when the baby moved that it was considered alive or quickened.

-The religious movements did a lot of good during this time. And had very different opinions than what the same so called ‘conservative-religious parties have today’

The reason for the civil war WAS slavery, however it was first about the different opinions of state vs federal control, and then it became about slavery.

The North was just as racist as the South, but they didn’t want slavery anymore, but still benefitted from the Southern slavery.
-Southern cotton was used in Northern cotton mills.

-The emancipation proclamation on the date it was supposed to come into effect didn’t release any slaves, in fact Lincoln even allowed states that had slaves already to keep them.

-The removal of slaves was more about the removal of property from the South.

‘The confederation didn’t want to rule as a whole over the whole of the south, but was a Confederation of States, that wanted to rule individually yet would come together to fight federal control.

There were 3 more important wars than Gettysburg, however Gettysburg was the most violent and largest.  (I forgot exactly what they were though)

Chapter 12 –Labour in America

Definition: Socialism is an economic system whereas,
Communism is a dictatorial system

The socialism in America during 1912 was not Marxist socialism, but peaceful transition.

America didn’t have a class consciousness, so couldn’t develop a separation of classes which Socialism was meant to provide

Chapter 13 –the Monroe document + no entangling alliances

-1812 onwards war with Canada trying to conquer it as a new state

-‘An empire of freedom’ was how American’s viewed themselves as.

-Alaska was purchased from the Russians, was originally a Colony of America, not a state

-‘Protectorates’ such as Guam, Hawaii, Haiti, etc. were more or less colonies of America.

Passing of the great race – Madison grants publication

-Henry Ford’s anti-semetic publications, in which Hitler actually read.

-‘Birth of a nation’, a racist film which Woodrow Wilson praised

-‘The white man’s burden’ – the need to help these primitive races by ruling them.  An idea that many people felt at the time.

Chapter 15 – The League of Nations, Woodrow Wilson,
-new world order, principle of collective security.
Idea that the ‘Balance of power’ had failed, aimed to replace it with an international institution.

Chapter 16 – the roaring 20’s.
Meant to be a return to normalcy, not so progressive, but in fact due to one man’s actions, Henry Ford, the automotive industry really kicked off.

Many secondary industries /services arose like petrol stations (more) , motor hotels motels, roadside restaurants. Etc. Ford set his wage for workers at 5 dollars a day? Or week? And the car price decreased by 2/3 rds from 950 to 250, so even his employees could buy the cars , we he encouraged.

First use of corporate social system.

In return he said no unions at all.

General motors competed by having different colour choices and models, and this is where big expansion really happened.

The invention of radio, changed the culture of the country , was all into spectator sports, especially baseball. because it is very good for radio. Babe Ruth , champion on radio…Didn’t know he was black perhaps. (But not mentioned)

100 million people from 120 million will go to the cinema each week.

Chapter 19- The 2nd world war

Each victory ‘claimed’ by the Americans were actually greatly helped by Greta Britain and the Commonwealth countries.

S.H.A.E.F. (Eisenhower’s headquarters during ww2)

Supreme headquarters allied expeditionary forces.

Not America expeditionary forces

Chapter 20 – The Cold War

In dealing with Eisenhower, Russia actually agreed to deal with Chiang Kai Shek’s national party rather than Mao’s communist party.

At this point in time the atomic bomb didn’t even exist yet.

Chapter 21 – The Vietnam war.

Ho Chi Min was a nationalist and was asking for support from the communist Russian government.

He originally tried to ask for support from the then American government to fight the French out, but they were ‘unavailable’ at the Paris / Geneva convention .

Me: surely one of America’s biggest mistakes…That essentially led to the north of Vietnam choosing Russian support given the opportunity that they could have had American support.

Ho chi mins declaration of independence speech actually had direct wording taken from America’s independence from the UK. Such was the recognition for America at that time.

Chapter 22– On myths of the American wars. And on militias.

WW1 & WW2 were the only wars not by choice.

America only provided 25% of the alliances forces of for ww2.

America did succeed in its original goal of protecting the South by halting the North’s invasion.

Korea war.

Vietnam didn’t technically lose the war…But it did fail at its goals.