Annotated Bibliography: Manifest Destiny

O'Sullivan, John. "Editorial on Manifest Destiny, Excerpted from "Annexation"" The United States Magazine and Democratic Review 17 July 1845: n. pag. Print.

In this editorial written by John L. O'Sullivan, he speaks on his commendation of the addition of Texas to the Union and to hopefully look further west to California as a site of future expansion. He believes that there is no notion to say annexation is a great pro-slavery measure, it is not calculated to increase and perpetuate slavery. Although O'Sullivan denied claims that Texas had anything to do with the expansion of slavery, the westward expansion fueled those sectional tensions that led to the civil war.

Thoreau, Henry David. ""On the Duty of Civil Disobedience,"" Aesthetic Papers 2 May 1849: n. pag. Print.

Henry David Thoreau wrote a doctrine of "civil disobedience" which was the non violent refusal obey to unjust laws, that had inspired leaders around the world such as Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  His ideas had sprung up during his stay at Walden Pond near Concord, Massachusetts; it was there where he spent a night in jail in his refusal to pay taxes. His withheld payment was formed because he did not feel like he could support the government which endorsed slavery and was waging an unjust war against Mexico. Thoreau questions the existing unjust laws: would we obey until we succeed or would we amend those laws and immediately transgress them? Until the day comes where any subject denies allegiance and when any public officer resigns from office, then the revolution has finally been accomplished.

The two sources contest each other, as O'Sullivan describes the advantages of adding Texas to the Union, Thoreau explains how civil disobedience could eventually stop such unjust governmental actions. The annexation of Texas included an unjust war which the United States had waged against Mexico. O'Sullivan is a supporter of the idea of Manifest Destiny which is a phrase used by leaders and politicians in the 1840s to explain expansionism and is another term used to support Nationalism. Although Thoreau is a deep believer of civil disobedience (after all he created the ideal), there is some notion where you could say he opposed the Manifest Destiny. He thought the expansion of Texas was unjust based on the fact that the country which is overrun is not our own, Mexico had been conquered by a foreign army and is subjected to military law, and that foreign army is our own.

These documents could be used in our study of the Manifest Destiny because they both provide opinions on the annexation of Texas. We could use the doctrine of civil disobedience to see how the opposing side of the country felt about that annexation and how their beliefs could be used to stop the unjust laws of the government. And we would use O'Sullivan's editorial to explain how the supporters of the annexation felt and how they look to future expansion to California. But in order to fully understand the concept we would need breadth, in another number of sources with other opinions.

Annotated Bibliography: Indian Removal

Faragher, John Mack. Out of Many: A History of the American People. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006. Print.

The Indian Removal Act was President Andrew Jackson's measure that allowed states to override federal protection of Native Americans, and funded the appropriated amounts for relocation. This act caused plenty of tensions between the regional parts of the United States of America and between the president and the Native Americans. The President solely represented the Southern and Western perspective as the North opposed these actions with protests primarily from Protestant Missionaries. Female protesters had raised money for missionaries who would assimilate the Native Americans instead of relocating them elsewhere, it was the first national female petition drive. But there was an unconstitutional underlining with the Indian Removal Act, allowing Native Americans to face there deaths such as the Trail of Tears that mainly consisted of Cherokee deaths. It had displayed the unfair majority rule when such minority sections were not strong enough to defend themselves and fight for a compromise.

"Worcester v. The State of Georgia," Reports of Cases Argued and Adjudged in the Supreme Court of the United States. January Term 1832. Vol. VI. Richard Peters, ed. (Philadelphia: T. Desilver, Jr., 1832), 556-567 , 561.

As the state of Georgia began to forcibly remove Native Cherokees from their lands, the tribe went to the Supreme Court for a case and some assistance within this issue they faced. Despite the ruling from the Supreme Court, President Andrew Jackson continued to allow the state of Georgia to remove the Native Americans. It brought up the idea of Judicial Rule, where the Supreme Court had the right to claim if a law was unconstitutional where the other two branches had to listen to that ruling among the case they were discussing at the time of crisis. Because of past relations with Native tribes with acts of regulating trade and intercourse, it seemed that the United States had treated those Native Americans as sovereign nations meaning that they were never apart of this country or any state within the country.

 These two sources extend each other, the Out Of Many explained the gist of what happened during the Indian Removal but the Worcester v. Georgia case was a specific problem within the time of Indian Removal. Out Of Many outlines all of the problems and provides clear, simple information such as the regional resistance in the North and the female protesters among with the violations the Federal government committed against the Native Americans in order to move them onto other lands. But the Supreme Court outlined the explanation of why the Natives should've been allowed to stay in those lands; the American people have been treating them as people from another nation not as another citizen from other states with acts speaking on regulation of trade and intercourse. It also provides some evidence that President Andrew Jackson's Indian Removal Act was unconstitutional, the government is ordered to protect the property, prosperity, and liberty of its people along with those who reside in our territories. The law went against those liberties and properties by forcing the Indians out of their own settlements and homes, also it allowed the state of Georgia to commit nullification which could potentially disable the national unity Jacksonians wanted to preserve.

 Both of these sources help us with our study because obviously parts of the reading will be put on the unit test along with specific events like the Trail of Tears and the Black Hawk War. The Supreme Court case helps us with evidence against the Jacksonians with the potential disbandment of the union based on the state right to override Federal protection which could be considered nullification. But despite those reasons, it could be a bit too one-sided meaning that we should find more primary sources and secondary sources that hold more opinions and thoughts on this topic of Indian Removal.

Annotated Bibliogrpahy: American Democracy

 Takaki, Ronald T. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. New York: Back Bay /Little, Brown, and, 2008. Print.

 In A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America, Ronald Takaki talks about the republican vision of America and how it helped shape the American Economy. Because the war for political independence secure economic freedom for America: it included the freedom to convert Indian lands into new American Territories, to trade wherever and with whomever they choose to, and just in general to expand the market like they've always wished to. Money had become the center of social relations, and as time continues to pass by the economy transforms with the new technology and the new people who have emigrated to America. Each region has it's own type of staple, that in all help shape the other types of commerce across the country to protect the economy based from those products. Because of the fact that America was becoming a country of vast cultures and peoples, many questions and concerns arose about preserving the racial homogeneity in multicultural America.

De Tocqueville, Alexis. Democracy in America. N.p.: n.p., 1835. Print.

Alexis de Tocqueville was a French noble who spent nine months in America who wrote the two volume study of democracy in America. The general equality of condition among the people was what shocked him the most, that equality creates opinions, gives birth to new ideas, finds customs, and modifies whatever it doesn't produce. America is the image of democracy itself, and in order to learn how to adapt to democracy we shall either use fear or to hope from its progress.

These two articles support and extend each other. Democracy in America is the main story behind democracy and the general explanation of how democracy had effected America. But A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America goes in depth on the affect of democracy and republicanism ideals. Republicanism has allowed America to improve its economy as Democracy helped stage America on the international stance as the image of democracy. With its new political freedom, the economy was able to expand and change throughout the years America has existed. But the government stood as a firm image of using the art of the purse of common desires and applying the new science of democracy to the greatest number of purposes. Although both of these articles share a similar opinion, they could always contradict each other based on its opposing sides of democracy and republicanism. Also these articles were potentially confusing if the student did not take a close-read in order to fully understand and take in what message the author was trying to convey about the American government and it's economy.

Theme Teams: The New Republic - Culture

George Washington

Star-Spangled Banner

  During the New Republic, culture advanced along the subject of two themes: politics and warfare. Paintings were created from the multiple wars that occurred during the five presidencies we have studied. The most popular painters of the New Republic were Benjamin West, Gilbert Stuart, and John Trumball. Benjamin West focused more on portraits and historical scenes, his most celebrated painting was the "Death of General Wolfe" created in 1770 which helped elevate America on an international level. Gilbert Stuart was a student of West and another famous artist named Copley, he mostly painted portraits. He had not only painted a famous Mohawk chief with the American name of Joesph Brant (1786) but had also painted the largely celebrated and famous portrait of George Washington (1792) that is displayed in the White House today. John Trumball was a soldier in the Continental Army and a student of Benjamin West. He focuses on documentary detail and the birth of America. He is featured on the Capital Rotunda, and painted the "Battle of Bunker Hill" created in 1785. Songs were also written using the inspiration from those who have watched a war or informative event take place in the time period. The Star-Spangled Banner written from Francis Scott Key's poem based on the witness of the bombardment of Fort McHenry in 1814. It became a very popular anthem not only for the people but also for future presidents. Pieces of literature were influential sources of change throughout the society making new styles and ways of life popular. The "New Man" was a topic of change during the New Republic. Americans saw themselves as a new, virtuous product of many cultures and new ideas that had branched out in America from expansion and immigration. "The Life of Washington"written by Mason Locke Weems was one of the pieces of literature that had influenced the "New Man" because of it's famous tale about the cherry tree that depicted Washington's virtues and was a source of moral entertainment. The New Republic was majorly focused on politics and warfare, songs, literature, and painting were all focused on those two themes expanding culture in a new light.

Annotated Bibliography: Remember the Ladies

Butterfield, L.H., editor. Adams Family Correspondence, vol. 1: pp. 369-371. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard University Pres, 1963-1993.

In March 1776 Abigail Adams wrote a letter to her husband, John Adams, who was serving as the Massachusetts representative to the Continental Congress placed in Philadelphia. Throughout the letter she wrote about freedom and to remember the ladies. Abigail Adams was a very insightful and bold woman, with this she went on to write that men are natural tyrants who only see women as a vassal to their sex. She wants the men in the congress to acknowledge that women also have opinions, and that the women were ready to create a rebellion if they would be bound by any laws which would either give them no voice nor representation.

Murray, Judith Sargent. "On the Equality of the Sexes." Letter. 1790. MS. Massachusetts Magazine, Gloucester, Massachusetts.

In 1790 Judith Sargent Murray's essay about gender equality was published in Massachusetts Magazine. Throughout the essay, she spoke about the way men were treated as superior to women. As if their minds and experiences were more of worth than a woman's mind and experiences. Murray then goes on to say that in nature, God had created equal minds; both of worth and intelligence. Because of the superiority men seem to claim, women do not reach their full potential; they go on to dwell in sexual desires, unhappiness, and bitterness. Based on the fact that women are the other gender, we invest in a female mind with superior strength as an equivalent to the bodily powers of the men.

These two sources support and extend each other. In Abigail Adam's letter she wants the men to see the women as more than a addition to complete their sex, and in Murray's essay she explains why women should be acknowledged. Adams said that women were only treated as "the vassals of your Sex" but Murray writes that the female sex has "souls are by nature equal to yours" meaning that women are created in the same worth as men are. Men should not denounce a woman based on the simple fact that men believe women are put on earth to serve as their other half who have zero worth because they were not given the same chance at superiority as a young man would receive. Both of these letters are useful in our study of the Early Republic because we will see the beginnings of the gender equality movement set forward by the women. This issue will arise throughout the history of our country during the time period, it creates another historical struggle for the developing country. It gives us another example of what problems the president at that time would have to deal with during his term(s). But they are both limited, Adams did not include what plenty of the other women thought nor did Murray explain in depth what the men thought about the female gender. Despite the intellectual worth each of these sources display, there are still other opinions out there besides the popular belief both of these woman seem to agree with on this issue of equality.

Annotated Bibliography: Federalist 51

(Hamilton, Alexander, or James Madison. Federalist No. 51: "The Structure of the Government Must Furnish the Proper Checks and Balances Between the Different Departments." New York Packet, February 8, 1788.)

Federalist 51 was written by James Madison. Through this document contained inside of the Federalist Papers, Madison explained why it was necessary that we shall maintain the division of powers among the several departments talked about in the Constitution. This way the departments throughout the government would be able to keep each other in their proper positions. In order to keep a national government that controls itself and its citizens, the legislative authority must be divided into different parts by different methods of election and principles of action so their specific functions will be fulfilled. Federalist 51 contests the sources we read in class today, for example Document G: Brutus No. 1, October 18, 1878 states that, "In a republic,the manners, sentiments, and interests of the people should be similar. If this be not the case, there will be a constant clashing of opinions; and the representatives will be constantly striving against those of the other." (PP 2) The Anti-Federalists believed that because of the legislature's large size and way of government will cause all types of tensions and problems, that would neither be successful or self-sufficient. With James Madison's writing, the main reason the legislative department was split up so that each department has the right to check and balance each other. No group of congress inside of the legislature has the entitlement to more power, they must work together peacefully to spread out the opinions of the people to create the right laws and keep their needs in mind.

Federalist 51 provides us a opinion on the Constitution that fully explains why the legislature was split into two, without such a figurative and complex type of writing that keeps it honest and clear. Despite the explanation, it only gives us what one person thought about checks and balances. We need breadth, a variety of opinions on checks and balances to fully understand what the whole of the United States thought about this system at the time.

The American Revolution: The Arts and Entertainment

Example of boycott: The Boston Tea Party

Yankee Doodle

As the American Revolution progressed, society focused around two groups of people: the Patriots and the Loyalists. Each group had their own opinions and political views that created the tension between them, but culture during the American Revolution focused around the idea of Patriotism. Patriotism is where the citizens of a country have a immense feeling of love and willingness to sacrifice towards the land they live on. Now not only was society impacted by the idea of Patriotism, the arts and the entertainment of the era were affected as well. Plenty of songs, poems, and plays were based off of the struggle for freedom such as the song Yankee Doodle written by a British man named Richard Shuckburg that was intentionally made to make fun of the colonists but was soon the depiction of a British Gentleman. Along with another song called Granny Wales which displays the British perspective of the American Revolution economically. There was also a heavy amount of literature created during the era, one of the most respected and famous pieces of literature was a book called Common Sense by Thomas Paine. The document displayed the need for independence and how America will be able to achieve freedom, Common Sense spread the idea of Patriotism amongst the colonies bringing in more support for the American side. During the American Revolution, there were not that many known pass-times, but one of the most important parts of society were the boycotts and the bar-crawling. Many colonists took part in boycotts that raised their spirits and were meant to proudly showcase their views against or along with the British. Also many colonists took part in something that could be known as bar-crawling, colonists would often discuss and argue several opinions and ideas at bars late at night. The Arts and the Entertainment of the American Revolution focused heavily around the idea of Patriotism and it's need for a higher amount of support.