Terkel #8

The introduction of this chapter is about how many people work just to get by, even though they hate their jobs. Many people who hate their jobs are unhappy, and bring other people down with them, such as their friends and family. A big reason why people hated their jobs was because they knew they were too good for them, and they did not feel appriciated. Jobs that were considered to be bad were waitressing, truck driving, steel working, banking, etc. Jobs that were considered to be good were bookbinders, firemen, piano tuners, etc. These jobs were considered to be good because they had meaning and workers could benefit from those jobs. For example, a firmen saves lives, which is a huge accomplishment. People who obtain unfavorable jobs feel like they are failures, and they are not important because their work is not appreciated. "'I'm a machine,' says the spot-welder. 'I'm caged,' says the bankteller...'A monkey could do what I do,' says the receptionist. 'I'm less than a farm implement,' says the migrant woker." (302) This shows that these workers are unhappy because they have failed to find a job that is important to them, and it hurts them to know that they are dumbing themselves down to work these jobs.

Dolores Dante is an example of someone who enjoyed her job, unlike many other people working during her time era. She was a waitress for over twenty years because she needed money quickly, and it was the first job she could find that would allow her to work while taking care of her baby. Dolores had to take care of her baby alone because her husband left her. Although Dolores may not have been working a favorable job according to many people, she found joy working as a waitress because she loved interacting with people, even though she dealt with many disrespectful people. Dolores did not work so hard as a waitress because she wanted to make more money from customers, she did it because she believed in being a professional.  Dolores was always optimistic, and she showed respect for people who worked in a professional matter like herself. "I tell everyone I'm a waitress and I'm proud. If a nurse gives me service, I say, 'You're a professional.' Whatever you do, be professional. I always compliment people." (334) Dolores praises people who serve others, and do their job right because many people who do not like their job show it by working in an unprofessional matter and by treating their customers with disrespect. Dolores Dante relates to Herbert Hoover because they both always stayed optimistic, and looked for the best in every situation. She also relates to President Barack Obama because he has continued to stay optimistic while working to get through the challenges being faces in America.

Phil Stallings is an example of someone who did not enjoy his job. Phil Stallings was a spot welder on the South Side of Chicago, and he did not like his job because he was not treated with respect, he was never appreciated, and the working condition was poor. Phil felt as if he was treated with disrespect because often he was not allowed to even go to the bathroom, and his work was never appreciated. The working condition of Phil's job was clearly very poor because he got a cut from a screw and ended up getting blood poisoning. Phil went to the medics at his work, but there were only a few nurses there who did hardly anything to help. In the past, the medics told Phil he was okay and that he should go back to work, only to find out from a real doctor that he was extremely sick and he could not work for two weeks. Nobody cared about the spot welders, all they cared about was their job getting done. Phil works in a very dangerous atmosphere where it is very easy to get hurt. Although Phil hates his job, he refuses to leave because he is paid well. "I know I could find better places to work. But where could I get the money I'm making? Let's face it, $4.32 and hour. That's real good money now." (358) Even though Phil has been through so much, and has become so miserable working as a spot welder, he decided not to quit only because he made more money than he would at a job that he loved. Phil Stalling's story relates to fostering efficiency during the Progressive Movement. Fostering efficiency was led by progressive leaders who put faith in experts and scientific principles to make societies and work placed more efficient. Phil Stallings would have greatly benefited from the Progressive Movement because his working conditions would have improved. Phil's story also relates to the workers rights that everyone must receive today. Everyone today must be granted with good working conditions, unlike the conditions that Phil Stallings worked in.

Open Response # 3

         Martin Luther King Jr. is a legendary figure in American History. He was extremely influential to the people in America, and convinced many people to accept African Americans in order to make the United States the best nation it could be. Martin Luther King Jr. projected his loyalty to recieving equality by risking his life and speaking out to the nation. He and many other protestors fought for equality, and even when they were denied, they never gave up. King and the other protestors marched and protested from day one until they finally recieved their equality and American citizenship. Laws were made to prohibit segregation, and many whites gave up their racial views after the campaigns by Martin Luther King Jr. and other protestors. Martin Luther King is a legendary figure from U.S History because he never stopped fighting for what he believed in, and he greatly impacted Americans' views on equality. if Martin Luther King had not protested and given famous speeches, America may still be segregated today, and that would be very unfavorable because there would be violence, and tension between American citizens.

Open Response #2

        A very important event in American history was when Lincoln made the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Indepenence stated that America would be an independent nation, and no longer part of Great Britain. America wanted to break away from Great Britian so that our nation could have its own government that would give equality to all citizens.The overall goal of the Declaration of Independence was to give the nation and its citizens freedom. This was a very imporant event in American history because if our nation had not become independent, America would not be the desirable place it is today: a free country. This event also illustrates how powerful the United States Congress is because they were able to achieve independence, which was not an easy task.

Open Response #1

          One topic that we learned about in class that really intrigued me was the New Deal. I think the New Deal really symbolized how the Congress and President Theordore Roosevelt really cared about American citziens when they were facing many problems during the Great Depression. The New Deal contained of many different programs based on Recovery, Relief, and Reform. Recovery programs were meant to save the economy, Relief programs were meant to help citizens who lost their jobs, homes, money, etc., and Reform programs were meant to protect the financial system to prevent another depression in the future. These programs were mainly meant to help the American citizens personally, and by saving the nation they live in. Some specific programs that were created by the New Deal were the Works Progress Administration, which provided many jobs for people in need, the Federal Housing Administration, which gave money to people fir food and clothes, and the Public Works Administration, which provided money to states for construction of schools and community buildings. These specific programs were all passed by Congress during the Great Depression, which shows their loyalty to the people of their nation, and how they care about providing a nice place for them to live. I think the New Deal was a very important part of American History because it shows that the government took the initiative to save the nation, which is very reassuring to Americans.

Studs Terkel # 5

        Peggy Terry, a non-combat worker during World War II, did not know much about the war, except that she hated the idea of it, and that her husband was a soldier. All she knew was that the Germans needed to be stopped. After moving around trying to find jobs, Peggy found a job that required her and other women to make shells for the war. At the beginning of her working experience, she was not aware that she was making shells for the war, but after a while she realized she was. Although it was a priveledge that women were able to work in non-combat positions, it was not as great as it seemed because they were not given workers rights, and they were not respected. Peggy was against war because she did not like violence, but she had to keep her job because she needed to make money. Once her husband came back from war, she realized that she did not hate war only because of the violence, but also because it changed the soldiers into different people. Her husband came back an alcoholic, and a completely different man. "It seems so obvious to say- wars brutalized people. It brutalized him." (194) Peggy explained in her story that the war changed her husband, and all other soldiers in a horrible way because of what they were exposed to. This story relates to the Women's Auxilary Army Corps because Peggy Terry would not have been able to get her job building shells if that bill had not been passed. This story also relates to soldiers who are coming home from Afgahnastan today because they have been brutalized, just like Peggy Terry's husband.

       E.B. (Sledgehammer) Sledge was a young, sensitive and caring soldier who had a different view on World War II than most other frontmen because he did not fight in the biggest battles, or risk his life as much as they did. Because he and his group were so young, they did not take the war so seriously, and they just wanted to get it over with. Sledge claimed that the only reason he and the other young soldiers fought in the war was because they did not want to let each other down. But as the war proceeded, it seemed as if Sledge started to understand what the objective of the war was, and how serious it was after seeing so many dead people, and worn out soldiers. Sledge came to realize that war was about killing the enemies before they killed you, so that it could end faster. Even though Sledge felt bad seeing people being killed, even if they were enemies, he knew that he had to suck it up. Sledge came across a Japanese man who was suffering, and he called a nurse to help him, only to realize that the Japanese man was playing a prank and he set fire. Sledge knew that he was being too nice, and that there was no point because Japanese soldeirs were evil, and they did absolutely anything to not surrender. "I have heard many guys who fought in Europe who said the Germans were damn good soldiers...When they surrendered, they were guys just like us. With the Japanese, it was not that way." (199) During Sledge's time in war, he realized that the only way to stop the Japanese army was through violence in war. The Japanese army proved that they would do anything not to surrender when they used suicide planes called kamikazes, which showed they were willing to kill themselves in order to not surrender. Sledge's story can relate to the soldiers who are fighting in Afghanistan today.

Studs Terkel # 7

     First, I read an introduction about a man who was curious to see all the different kinds of people around Chicago, and to write a book about how and why their lives differ from one another. He went around Chicago looking for people who were rich, poor, of different races and religiois, and to see the urban phenomenas with his own two eyes. He met people at random places around Chicago, asking them questions about their jobs and if they do or do not like them. What he learned from doing this is that people who live completely different lives because of their jobs, income, etc., are completely divided, and do not associate with each other. "Although there is a division street in Chicago, the title of this book was metaphorical." (225) What he learned is that people in Chicago are completely divided because nobody will associate themselves with people who differ from them. This relates to the segregation that occurred during the Civil Rights Movement because the people that this writer wrote a book about segregated themselves from people who were different from them. This story also relates to separation that occurs today. For example, the north shore contains of people who make a better income than the people who may live on the South side of Chicago.

     Florence Kelly was a was a woman who grew up in Chicago. She loved it there becuase of the city, but she also hated it because nobody respected each other. When Kelley was young, she moved to a neighborhood called the Hull House. The Hull House was a very diverse neighborhood where gangsters and hoodlums lived. Kelley enjoyed living in that neighborhood because it gave her insight on what the real world was like. Kelley learned that the people she thought were "nice" before moving into the Hull House were actually fake, and the people who lived in the Hull House were real. Many people did not like the gangsters and hoodlums because they were a threat, and people secretly knew they could succeed. Kelley was very inspired by her experience living in the Hull House and she decided to share it with the world by making a proposition: to speak out and convince people that the Hull House was a great place to live and it could be saved. Kelley did everything in her power to make people have the desire to live in the Hull House, but after some time, she recieved notice that the Mayor decided to use the space the was currently used for the Hull House to be used as a place to put a college campus. As much as Kelley wanted to protest, board members of the Hull House convinced her not to. One day, Kelley went to a meeting with a board member, and was influenced to believe that she did everything she could to help the Hull House, but there was nothing else she could do."The first time I went, I thought this was a friend through whom we could work. But I could see, you know, that she allowed me to be just so friendly, and there was a place beyond which I couldn't go. There was a difference now. I stayed in my place, but I said what I wanted to say...I was glad to experience it that way."(232) Kelley proved that she was a very strong woman because she did everything in her power to make the Hull House succeed, but she became aware that there was nothing else she could do besides share her thoughts. She also knew that protesting would lead to conflict, which would get her nowhere. Florence Kelley's story relates to Theordore Roosevelt's thought on conservation, to use areas in wilderess to be developed for common good. The mayor who decided to place the University in the area where the Hull House was relates to this concept. Florence Kelley also relates to the speakers of the Invisible Children program because the speakers try to convince people to help the children living in Uganda, but they do not protest against people who do not try to help. Like the Invisible Children speakers, Florence Kelley also made the decision not to protest against the people who did not agree with her views on the Hull House.

       The last person I read about, Lucy Jefferson, was an African American women who was very passionate about reading. Lucy grew up in a very low rise project, called the Robert Brooks Housing Projects near the west side. She was a very tough woman who intimidated many people because she proved wrong the stereotype that blacks were unintelligent and could not succeed in life. She strongly believed that negro women could do anything they want as long as they had nerve, just like she did. Lucy Jefferson had children of her own, and she became very aggravated due to the facts that her children were not learning anything in school because the teachers did not care to educate the children, and there were no books in the schools. Lucy believed that the things that people thought were important when getting an education, like getting a diploma were not as important as actually learning. "If I woke up in a house that didn't have a book in, I'd just burn it down, it wouldn't be any good. To me, they're my life blood. Types of caps, gowns, all that crap, it don't mean nothing." (252) Lucy Jefferson was able to see the importance of education that many others did not see. Lucy Jefferson relates to Rosa Parks because she let everyone around her know that she was going to do whatever she wanted to do, even though she was black. Rosa Parks also proved that she was going to do whatever she wanted when she refused to sit in the back of a bus. Lucy's story also relates to the education that many people receive in this day and age because the quality of education today has greatly increased since her era.

Studs Terkel #4

        The first story I read was about World War II, and how many people do not understand how big of an impact it made on America. After the war, many individuals' lives were changed drastically because there were limited amounts of job offers, job losses, loss of money, and people who were benefitting from the New Deal suffered because it was stopped, and the focus of America was changed to winning the war rather than helping people in need. Not only were individuals' lives changed, but America was changed as a whole. After the war, Americans started to expect more, and to live better lives because America became the most powerful industrial and military power in the world after winning a great war. World War II also influenced many Americans to believe that going to war was a good thing because of how great the outcome of  World War II was. Many people today do not understand that America is the way it is today because of World War II, and it is very upsetting to people who risked their lives while fighting for their nation. "It appears that the disremembrance of World War II is as disturbingly profound as the forgettery of the Great Depression: World War II, an event that changed the psyche as well as the face of the U.S. and of the world." (161) Although many soldiers fought in a war and risked their lives, they are not regretful at all for doing so because they had experiences that they have never had before, and they felt like good people because they were protecting their nation. This article relates to rationing, which was when people had to cut back on many things, such as food, and drinks because the soldiers needed more of those things in order to win the war. People had to change their way of living and give up many of their things to help the soldiers win the war. This story also connects to the tragedy of 9/11 because America was greatly impacted by it, and many changes were made. After 9/11 occurred, Americans' lives have been affected because people have lost many of their loved ones. This tragedy connects to World War II because America was changed after the war, and many people lost their loved ones.
       The second story I read was written by a Robert Rasmus, a rifleman during war. He talks about his experience during the war, and how it has changed him as a person. Robert trained with his group, but had to be switched to another one because he got sick. His original group ended up fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, and many were killed. Robert grew up in an isolated household, so going to war and seeing people being killed right in front of him was not something he could easily adjust to. He and his new group were sent to Germany, and at first it seemed as if he forgot the reason why he was there because he was so intrigued by the architecture. The members of Robert's group were all very young, and they fought very mild battles while other soldiers participated in the more dangerous ones. Although Robert and his group had easier duties than many other groups, they all witnessed what war was really like and it changed them as people.
"World War Two was utterly different. It has affected me in many ways ever since. I think my judgement of people is more circumspect...In a shore period of time, I had the most tremendous experiences of all of life: of fear, orf jubilance, of misery, of hope, of comradeship, and of the endless excitement, the theatrics of it. I honestly feel grateful for having been a witness to an event as monumental as anything in history, and in a very small way, a participant." (189) Although Robert did not play a huge role in the war, he was still happy to witness it because it made him a better person after going out of his comfort zone. This story relates to the Selective Service Act, an act that drafted men to be soldiers in the army, and Rasmus was selected to fight in the war. Robert Rasmus's story also relates to the soldiers who are coming back from Afghanistan because they have become different people after what they saw during the war, just like Robert Rasmus did when he came back from World War II.

Studs Terkel Entry # 3

       Jane Yoder was a middle class citizen who feared going into debt because growing up, her family barley had any money and she was afraid of having to raise her children the way she had to be raised. Jane grew up with limited amounts of food, clothing, and shelter. In the new generation when she had a family of her own to raise, she realized that people had more things than what was necessary, such as more than one sweater, and unlimited amounts of food. She did not think it was necessary for children to be given more than they needed because she knew there were people around the world, like her, who had to suffer without many things. She came to realization that children have become much more nurtured than they used to be. When Jane was a kid, her father was given a job at the Works Progress Administration. The WPA offered work to unemployed people, and redistributed food, clothes, and shelter. Many people who were more fortunate than Jane, made comments about the WPA. People would state that the WPA is not a respectable job, but any job was great for the Yoder's because she needed a way to survive. "Before I could ever say that my father was employed in the WPA, discussions in the bull sessions in our rooms immediately was: these lazy people, they shovel leaners...In my family, there was no respectable employment. I thought, you don't know what it's like...Gee these are just two seperate worlds."(129-130) This shows that anything they were given was greatly appreciated, but people who did not have to suffer like Jane did would never understand what is would be like to live the way she did because everything had always been given to them. One question that Jane Yoder's story made me think of is how can she go through life resenting people for spending their money on "unnecessary" things, and what will she do to encourage people to think of poor people before themselves? Years later, Jane Yoder had a child, Tom Yoder. His thoughts on the fact that children have become more nurtured reflects on how his generation is different from the generation that Jane grew up in. Tom defends the people who want to buy more than they need because it is their right. He grew up with everything he needed to survive, and never had to worry about not having food, clothes, and shelter. This story about Jane Yoder relates to the settlers from the 1800's who faced many challenges, and had to move into soddy's, which were dugouts. Jane Yoder could relate to the settlers because she had to also make do with the little bit that she had. This story also relates to people today because in the north shore, many people of all ages do not completely understand the value of money, and spend it on big houses, nice clothes, and other things. Many people also believe that money is what makes people happy, and that is what Jane Yoder was afraid of.
      The second story I read was about Peggy Terry, a spokeswoman for poor people, who learned to not feel ashamed of being poor. Growing up, Peggy witnessed many dust storms that would take out houses, clothes on clotheslines, and more. Many people whose things were ruined did not have enough money to replace anything. When Peggy was younger, it was not uncommon to be poor, and she was never ashamed of it. She would go to soup kitchens with her friends and feel no shame because she did not know any other way to live. One day, Peggy's father took he to see people who lived in even worse conditions than her, and a little girl gave her a book called, "Grapes of Wrath." This book taught Peggy to never feel ashamed of being poor. "And when I was reading 'Grapes of Wrath,' this was just like my life. I was never so proud of poor people before, as I was after I read that book...I don't think people were put on this earth to suffer...I think we were put her to live and be happy and to enjoy everything that's here. I don't think it's right for a handful of people to get a hold of all the things that make living a joy instead of sorrow."(146) Peggy believes in being possitive about what you have because you have it for a reason. Peggy has noticed that as time has gone by, people have become ashamed of being poor because people have become more judgemental, and she was encouraged to become a spokesperson for poor people because she does not want that shame to be present.  Peggy did not grow up with all the things that others had, but it taught her a lesson, and now she has become a spokeswomen for poor people; she influences many people around the world to believe that being poor is nothing to be ashamed of. Peggy Terry relates to Martin Luther Kind Jr. because he fought for blacks to have the right to be accepted, and Peggy is fighting for poor people to have the right to be accepted. This story as a whole relates to the SAGA group at Deerfield High School. The SAGA club allows straight and gay people to accept their differences and never feel ashamed, while Peggy Terry speaks out to encourage poor people to accept their differences and to never feel ashamed.

Studs Terkel Entry #2 Hard times: An Oral History of the Great Depression 1970

            The first story I read was about Ed Paulsen, a man who lived in South Dakota. Paulsen did not have a good enough education to find a job, therefore, he did not have any money. In order to make money, he believed in traveling to different states to find job opportunities, and because he was never satifsied living in South Dakota. Paulsen tried to find a job during the stock market crash of '29 because he did not lose a job, or any money because he never had any money to begin with, therefore, the crash did not affect him. Ed Paulsen, along with many other uneployed and not well educated people would travel to different states on freight trains. Along the way, he found a few jobs, but was not satisfied, so he kept searching for a job that he would enjoy because he had high expectations. One day while he was on a freight train with his brother, he arrived in Nebraska, where he was taken to a Transient Camp. He really enjoyed the camp because he and many other people just like him were given shelter, food, and other things to help them stay alive. Ed Paulsen was assigned a job with the National Youth Administration in South Dakota. In order to make a living, the members of the National Youth Administration would travel on freight trains, and steal from stores and residencies. They became criminals in order to make a living. "It wasn't a big thing, but it created a cayote mentality. You were a predator. You had to be... I grew up where they were hated 'cause they'd kill sheep...They're mean. But how else does a cayote stay alive? He's not as powerful as a wolf...A cayote is nature's victim as well as man's. We were cayotes in the thirties. Jobless. (98) Ed Paulsen, along with many other jobless people believed that the only way for them to survive was by committing crimes, such as stealing, to stay alive because they would never be able to find a job. Ed Paulsen's story connects the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, which provided money, food, and clothes for unemployed people. The Transient Camp that Ed Paulsen was sent to, also provided for jobless people. Today, people who are jobless and homeless may recieve public aid. Public aid  provides food, money, clothes, and shelter for people in need. Although some people faced problems with making money and finding shelter, others did not have to worry about those problems.
             The second story I read was about a man named Arthur A Robertson, chairman of the New York Stock Exchange. My first thoughts on Robertson were that he was an incredibly wealthy man who knew exactly how to handle his money. Before becoming the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange Board, he served in the army. He was greatly appreciated by many people including: President Johnson, Hubert Humphry, and Dwight Eisenhower. Many people viewed him as a hero because he served in the war, and because of his great success with his business. Robertson became very successful at a young age because he became the chair member of his own company that he had bought. "I thought seriously about retiring in 1928 when I was thirty. I had seven figures by the time I was twenty four." (99) Robertson had been successful for a very long time, and although he had thoughts about retiring, he decided to still run his business because he had done it so well in the past years. While he was running his business, the stock market crashed. During that time, things were pretty hectic because people were losing their jobs, all their money, and many people were feeling extremely depressed. Robertson faced the tragedy of a few of his friends deaths due to suicide because they has been put in such a bad place from the crash. Everyone was aware that Roberston was incredibly successful, and a few of his friends asked him for loans. Being the generous man that he is, he gave them the money because he had so much money saved up, and the crash did not affect him. In addition to lending friends money, he opened up restaraunts and sold food for only a few cents each meal in order to help people who needed food but could not afford it. Robertson showed that he was smart with his money because he took all of his saved money out of the bank, knowing that it may be lost if he hadn't done it. Robertson was unlike most people living in his era because majority of the people were greatly affected by the stock crash, but he was not because he already had money saved up.Arthur A. Robertson's story releates the government's attempts to deal with the depression. Robertson and the government had the same intention: to help people in need with money problems, shelter, clothes, food, and all other things that were essential for survival. Today, homeless shelters and soup kitchens are available for people who cannot afford food or a place to live. These programs relate to Robertson because he created restaraunts for poeple who could not afford regualr meals.

Studs Terkel Entry #1 American Dreams Lost and Found

        Andy Johnson, a black who moved from England to the United States spoke out about his experience moving to America. Before he came to America, he and many others believed that it was much better living there than in England. He felt that he could live an easier life in America because there was much more diversity there, but he was surprised to realize that America could not provide him with the opportunites he believed to recieve. Andy Johnson was only able to attend school for a few winters in America, although he came to America hoping to get a better education. He also had to relocate right before World War 1 because the town became too hectic and dangerous. The main flaw Andy Johnson noticed about America was that job opportunites were very limited due to the fact that he and his father could not find a decent job. "There's only jobs for these that have jobs, and there are a lot of people on welfare in this county. I see a wonderful future for humanity, or the end of it. If we continue this present trend, we're gonna go straight to hell, we're gonna blow ourselves straight off the earth, or we'll poison ourselves off." (42) This text explains that it is easy for people to get a job if they have grown up in the United States and have great education, but nearly impossible for people to get decent jobs if they did not grow up in the United States, or get a good education even though it was not available for them. I wonder why so many people believed that America be the best place to live and where they heard that from? This story relates to American History because Andy Johnson and his family moved because they moved to America to recieve freedom and equality, and the American Constitutional Amendements would give the equality they sought to recive. The First Amendment provides to the right to freedom of speech, and the Nineteenth Amendment provides the right for everyone to vote, no matter their race or gender. Many of the flaws that Johnson found while living in America still exist today. For example, the economy is very bad, and it is very hard for people to find jobs like it was when he moved to America. There are also many people living in poverty, which was an issue that was being faced while Johnson was living in America.
     Vernon Jarrett, a black newspaperman moved to Chicago from the South because he believed that Chicago was the promiseland. He, along with many others believed that it was a place where everyone was equal. He loved Chicago so much that he became a soldier in World War II, just to see Chicago. After living in Chicago for a while, Vernon Jarrett found that it was difficult to make a living there because there were not many job opportunities there, therefore, he could not buy a house. Since he could not buy a house, he had to move to a unsafe neighborhood. Vernon was pleased with Chicago during his first few years living , but over time, he started to realize that it became difficult for many people to find jobs, and  many people were living in poverty.. Blacks and whites faced poverty, but Jarrett stayed in Chicago because he believed the problems he was facing at the time would get better in the future. He started to realize how disrespectful the citizens were, and that people did not know everyone in their city like they did in the South. This made him realize there was no hope in making Chicago a better place. "This city is not a heaven, it's a refuge." Vernon was soon convinced that Chicago was not what he thought it was; it was just a place to go when you wanted to escape from home, therefore, the excitement of being in Chicago only lasts for a certain amount of time. This story connects to the Second New Deal in American history because Jarrett was in Chicago at a time where it was very difficult to find a job, and the Second New Deal was created by the government to solve that problem by directly providing jobs to people in need. Jarrett's story also relates living in America today because we are living in a bad economy, and many people are struggling to find jobs.

How the Spanish-American War illistrated Promise and Probelm

          The Spanish-American war illistrated both Problems and Promise. Some of the problems faced by the United States during this time period, were that the military cost greatly increased, Madrid declared war against the U.S. when they were not prepared. The American Army was not prepared declared war because they had a much smaller Army than the Spanish Army; this led to the need for many American volunteers to fight against Spain. Worst of all, many soldiers were either killed or wounded during the war. Although America faced some probelms during war with Spain, their were many solutions, and promise.

           Although the American Army was much smaller than the Spanish Army, they were already a head up because they had  faced victory prior to the war, by attacking the Spanish fleet. Over a short amount of time, thousands of volunteers signed up to fight against Spain. Many of the volunteers were part of the Rough Riders, in which included members of Ivy League Collges. The volunteers were strong, and smart, which helped America reach their victory against Spain. Another major promise, or benefit, of the Spanish-American war was that it gave blacks the opporunity to become more and more like real citizens because they were needed to fight in the American Army. African Americans were given the rights of equality that they hoped to recieve after the war, and they were able to become officers. Promise was displayed during the American war because they had a great Army, many supporters and volunteers, they were a head up because they had already faced victory prior to the war, and they attacked Spanish boats in the Santiago harbor, causing the Spanish to surrender Santiago. The Promise and hope during the Spanish-American War led to America's victory.

Progressive Movement

          The Federal Government and the labor workers were most influenced by the Progressive Movement. The Federal Government was greatly affected by the Progressive Movement because it played a huge role in making changes in the United States by creating laws. For example, the Federal Government was in charge of stopping unfair business practices through the Federal Trade Commision, and by establishing amendments to give people equal rights rights. The Federal Government was very busy making laws to help the people during the Progressive Movement, therefore, they were greatly affected by the progressive era. Labor workers were also greatly affected by the Progressive Movement because the movement gave workers a break. The Progressive Movement established shorter work days for labor workers through the National Labor Union. This was helpful for the labor workers because they were being run to the ground for working so many hours.

         Reformers most influenced the development of the Progressicve movement because the reformers took the initiative to campaign for changes that needed to be make in the nation. There were all different kinds of reformers whose goals were to make changes in the nation that would be beneficial to themeselves, as well as all other American citizens. The different typed of reformers included: social welfare reformers who sought to soften some harsh conditions of Industrialization, moral reformers who believed that morality would improve the lives of poor people, women reformers who fought for the right to vote and to recieve shorter work days, and the list goes on. After the reformers campaigned their ideas, the government would get involved, and a law would eventually come out supporting the ideas of the reformers. For example, the Nineteenth Amendment was created to support women reformers by giving women the right to vote. The Progressive movement relates to the Populist movement because they were both movements that called for changes in the nation. Though the two movements are similar in way, they are also very different because Populism stated many problems that needed to be changed in the nation, but those changes did not entirely go into effect. There was an end to Populism once McKinley got elected as president. Several years later, the Progressive movement began making changes that were initially brought up by the Populists. The Progressive movement was more successful than the Populist movement because it was more organized, and more changes were enforced, without panics along the way. For example, many changes made during the Populist movement led farmers into debt. The Progressive movement was beneficial to every part of the Nation, including the people, businesses, labor workers, and more.

What it means to be an American

This week, we learned  about the idea of Populism in the West. Populists were a group of people in the 18th and 19th century that fought for their ideas to be served by the government, and to have money and living benefits like the business men and laborers received. Therefore, they wanted to have the same rights and opportunities as all other American Citizens. Barack Obama proved in his State of the Union Speech that he would do anything in his power to make changes in the nation that would be beneficial to every individual living in American. Populists would appreciate Barack Obama's statements because their goal in life was to obtain equality, and he explained the what he was going to do to enforce that action. This made me realize that an American is someone who can stand up for what they deserve, and reciece equal rights and opportunities as all other American Citizens.