LAD/Blog #11: Monroe Doctrine

Monroe Doctrine

Declaration of Independence

forced Britain to recognize the

United States as a sovereign nation

and respect their rights

1. Summarize

       President Monroe delivered this speech to Congress, declaring against any future foreign colonization in the Americas. They were to be respected as free and sovereign countries of any foreign nation. Plus, the United States was to assume a position of neutrality in any European war going forward and would not be dragged into another European conflict. Only if the rights of American citizens are threatened or if there was an attack on home territory would the United States take up arms and prepare for defense. The overall message was that if European countries would leave the United States alone, they would reciprocate.

LAD/Blog #10: Jefferson's First Inaugural Address

Jefferson's First Inaugural Address

Washington's Farewell Address 

warned the people to stay united,

which is what Jefferson believed

made a good government. The

ability to keep people united.

Summarize Jefferson's first inaugural address.

         Jefferson looked to the legislators and people who voted on issues to guide him towards the right path. Under his leadership, the citizens were entitled to free speech because that is one of the amendments that Jefferson supported wholeheartedly. Also, the election came to pass without violence from both parties, and if there was, it would divide the nation, something Jefferson was against. Even so, if one were to speak out their beliefs to destroy unity, they would be protected at all costs to speak their mind. Plus, a good government should be able to unite all political beliefs into one and keep the union of the nation. Furthermore, Jefferson earnestly insisted upon protecting other rights listed in the Constitution, besides the first amendment. Those included habeas corpus and trial with an impartial jury. No matter how much he hated the Constitution, he followed those rules in pursuit of peace, liberty, and safety for the citizens he was leading. Finally, Jefferson apologized for the mistakes he was bound to make, and asked the people to forgive him and help lead him the in correct direction.

LAD/Blog #9: Columbus

Columbus making landfall 1492

Trail of Tears under Andrew Jackson forced

Native Americans to move from their homes

and march along the cruel wilderness, killing

many in the tribes

Was Columbus a hero or villain?

          Though Christopher Columbus is portrayed as a  hero, he was nothing other than a cruel man and villain to the Indians. In his log, he wrote that they would be perfect servants to the Spaniards. Even with Queen Isabella's objection to enslaving any native people Columbus found, he explicitly ignored her instructions and went ahead with his ideas. Also, Columbus was a greedy man who took gold and money from others without a thought. He captured multiple natives to question them about gold and when one of his men spotted land, he took the reward from that too. On Columbus' orders, his men began raiding villages on the coasts of islands, taking slaves for sex and work. Eventually, the natives figured it out and began to abandon their villages to avoid the Spaniards. Plus, he gave the Indians a quota for finding gold. If they could not make this quota, their hands would be cut off and they would bleed out. Many tried to run away from this impossible task, but they were hunted and killed. Furthermore, the natives could not stand being held in captivity. They began to die off in waves, once exposed to new, European diseases. Besides being mutilated, hunted, or killed by disease, the Indians started to commit mass suicides with poison and smothered their infants to protect them from the Spanish. They were willing to die and kill each other instead of surrendering to the cruel sufferings of enslavement. All of this happened under Christopher Columbus' watchful eye, showing how cruel and how much of a villain he was.