Daniel's Web-Page
American History
Contents
Events That Led to the Civil War
Abraham Lincoln
Gettysburg
World War I
The Age of Progress
Timeline
Der Führer
Choosing Sides in the Civil War
Lincoln-Douglas Debate 1858
"A house divided against itself cannot
stand. I belive this government cannot endure half slave and half free. I do no expect the Union
to be dissolved. I do not expect the house to fall. But, I do expect it will cease to be divided.
Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, or its advocates will push
it forward, till it shall become alike lawful in all the states, old as new, North as well as
South."Events That Led to the Civil War
| 1820- | Missouri Compromise: Missouri was allowed to become a slave state although a law was passed earlier forbidding any new state to become a slave state. The Southern states then allowed Maine to become a state. This compromise only postponed the question of slavery. |
| 1850- | Fugitive Slave Law: This permitted a slave owner to cross over to a non-slave state and recapture their property. This made slavery everyone's problem and strengthened opinions regarding slaves. |
| 1857- | Dred Scott opinion, Chief J. Taney said that the Missouri compromise was unconstitutional because so state should be told what they can or cannot do. And that Dred Scott should not be set free just because he lived in non-slaves states. |
| 1858- | Lincoln/Douglas Debate - Lincoln runs for senate in Illinois and loses, Lincoln made issue on Slavery not based on how you feel about blacks. |
| 1860- | Lincoln becomes president winning on a 40% vote. He was not an abolitionist, instead he said slavery was wrong using nonreligious ideas |
| 1861- | Dec - May - Secession of southern states. Jan, secession convention, rich people decided to secede from the union and create their own slave nation. They elected Jefferson Davis as their president. |
| 1861- | Fort Sumpter April 12, Charleston S.C. Southerners lay siege Fort Sumpter. Lincoln sent reinforcements and said that Sumter was a U.S. Military outpost. |
Abraham Lincoln
I waited nervously in my office chair this
morning; my interview with Abraham Lincoln was scheduled for today. While I ate a few complimentary
pastries, I looked over my notes yet again. I have been preparing this interview for over a week
now.Abraham Lincoln walked into my office,
ducking his head as he passed through the door. I invited him to take a seat and I began the
interview."Let's begin with your childhood." I began.
"What can you tell me about your youth?""I was born in Kentucky." He replied cooly.
"When I was five, I moved to Indiana. I've always loved practical jokes, and I have been told
I have a good sense of humor." This was Lincoln, he always spoke with simple words getting straight to the point. After a moment, he added, "also, my mother died when I was nine.""How did this affect you?" I said jotting down a few notes."I became reclusive. I guess this limited my interaction with women resulting in shyness around the opposite sex.""Moving on, what were the first jobs you had?""As a teenager, I rafted things and up down the river. Later I bought a store. That didn't last long though, my partner ran off with the toll leaving me $1100 in debt. I paid this off by becoming a land surveyor." Another brief answer."Okay" I said. "Now that we've covered the basics, what can you tell me about your education? I hear that you are self-educated.""That's true" he replied. "I was too busy working and doing chores to go to school. In my twenties I decided that I didn't want to be a laborer, so I read lots of books and became a lawyer.""And how did you become interested in politics?""Actually, that was largely due to my wife, Mary Todd. Things would have been a lot different if I hadn't married her. I was going to marry Ann Rutludge but (ahem) she died the night before our wedding. Mary was the reason I became president. Her childhood dream was to become the first lady, and she fulfilled that dream rather well, wouldn't you agree?""Well, yes, I would indeed. So what were your views and ideals?""I suppose my strongest ideal is anti-slavery. This was the reason I lost the Senate election. I was unpopular when I entered the White House. My cabinet was not very supportive. I had to cycle through many members. Even my wife didn't share my anti-slavery opinion. She said that if I died, she would move to a slave state and never budge. In 1863, I passed the Emancipation Proclamation which made slavery illegal. Some of my cabinet members resigned after this.""Interesting, how did the slave states react to this?""Well, they didn't take it very well, to say the least. To simplify a complicated issue, they seceded from the country and made their own new country.""I see, and this is what started the Civil War?""Yes" he said. "It is indeed."
Gettysburg
Upon hearing the news of Georgia's Secession, I decided to join the Union army. After being on patrol for two years, my regiment received orders that sent us to Pennsylvania. The south doesn't have a right to secede. Lincoln is right, you can't hold a human being property just because they have a different skin color.We have hastened our march and are approaching Gettysburg. Our arms, legs, and feet ache from the constant marching. Our stomachs are in agony from the scarce rations. Finally we approach our destination. The air is filled with the sensational tingling of energy. The muscle-powered weapons shriek their cry of pain. And the fields are shrouded in a dim haze of smokeAfter seeing our forces shot down in the fields before us, our captain ran down the lines assuring us that our cause is just, and what we are doing is necessary for the safety of our families back home. With this reassurance, our lines straighten and await commands.After surveying the landscape, our captain ordered us to attack the left flank of the Confederate soldiers. With shots flying overhead, we made a mad dash across the field and flung our selves behind the scarce obstacles. I peered around my bunker and shot a soldier. With a yell, he fell to the ground clutching his gaping wound. I slumped back behind cover and imagined myself lying with an open wound in my stomach, staying alive painfully for hours until the infection invaded my entire system. A shell exploding a nearby bunker shook me back to my senses. I see my captain shouting orders to a couple of nearby soldiers. I remember his previous words, and with conviction, I turn around and continue to fire at the Confederates.By the end of the day, I managed to escape battle with just one painful, but not lethal, wound in my side. After losing the majority of their ranks, the Confederates finally fled, leaving behind them a field of smoke, death and destruction. This small field only about 900 square feet held the bodies of some 44,000 mortally wounded, or dead men. Unfortunately this is not the end of the Civil War, but this is certainly a major step towards our goal, the unit of this nation is at hand.
World War One
The event that started World War One was the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne. On June 28, 1914, a Serbian nationalist shot the duke and his wife Sophia while they rode through Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia in the Balkans. The assassination provoked outrage in Austro-Hungary which wanted the punish Serbia and intimidate other minority groups whose struggle for independence threatened the Empires stability. This upset the delicate balance of power in an uneasy Europe.A complicated system of military alliances transformed the Balken crisis into a full-scale European War. Germany supported Austro-Hungary, while Russia vowed to defend Serbia if it was attacked, and begin to mobilize its army. France in turn promised to support Russia. When Germany demanded that Russia halt its military build up, Russia refused. Germany responded by declaring war on Russia and France.Being surrounded, Germany believed that its only hope was a quick and decisive blow. It had the largest standing army in Europe and hoped to crush France by pushing quickly through Belgium. Countries quickly took up sides, and the war was on!World War One caught west people by surprise. Lulled by nearly a century of peace, many people thought that war was an anachronism, a dead relic, rendered unthinkable by human progress. Optimists, including U.S. president Woodrow Wilson, believed in settling disputes through diplomacy. A protracted was ensued, resulting in tens of millions of casualties, military, and civilians.Germany's hope for a quick victory was dashed when they were slowed by Belgium defenses, only enough to let Russia and France mobilize. After the allies halted Germany's massive offence at the Morne River, the conflict lagged down into trenches, and a ghastly stalemate began. Four million troops burrowed that stretch that was four hundred and fifty miles long.The Age of Progress
Although the end of the Civil War brought the abolition of slavery, the country was left in shambles. The economy, as well as the soul of the nation needed mending. In the years between 1865 and 1905, the country grew geographically, economically, and went from being a footnote in world affairs to becoming a significant world power. There ware four major areas of progress: 1) Western expansion 2) industrialization and the rise of wealth 3)progressivism and 4) the founding of an empire.After the completion of the transcontinental railroad, the American idea of "Manifest Destiny" (or "Obvious Destiny") grew stronger. The Americans felt that it was their duty to cover the continent from east to west. Unfortunately, this meant taking the land from the Native Americans. Many people felt bad for the Indians, so they gave them each 140 acres of land. When this didn't work out, the Indians were moved onto reservations. The Americans then attempted to force Native Americans to assimilate into the American culture.With the increase of land, there arose an increased desire for wealth. The production of steel, the building of railroads, oil, and the newspaper industry, grew immensely. Many inventions for easier work were also made and mass produced including the sewing machine. Rapid industrialization led to the abuse of laborers by the company owners. Some of the abuses were: Locking the doors so the employees couldn't leave the building and not installing fire exits, both of which led to deaths from fires; selling bad products including tinted bad meat pink and selling it. The government interceded by introducing regulations. Abuse of the land itself led to the establishment of the National Park system.As always, when one has lots of land, there is only one thing one wants, more land. So it was with the U.S., the U.S. took control of the Midway and Hawaiian islands which served and important role in seafaring both east and west. Alaska was also annexed in 1867, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Cuba were taken as commonwealths after the Spanish-American war in 1898.
Timeline
1921 - Adolf Hitler becomes head National Socialist 'Nazi' Party.
1931 - Japan takes over Manchuria
1932 - F. D. Roosevelt elected President
1934 - Hitler becomes der Führer
1936 - Rhineland occupation
- Mussolini's Italian forces take Ethiopia
1938 - Germany annexes Austria- German Military mobilizes1939 - March - Nazis take Czechoslovakia
- May - 'Pact of Steel' with Italy- Aug - Nazis & Soviets sign pact of neutrality- Sept - Nazis invade Poland- Britain, France, Australia, NZ declare war on Germany- U.S. proclaims neutrality- Nov - Soviets attack Finland1940 - Rationing in Britain
- April - Nazis invade Denmark and Norway- May - Nazis invade France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands- 15th Holland surrenders- Oct. Italy invades Greece1941 - Jan-Feb - Italy & Germany advance on Morth Africa
- March - FDR signs Lend-Lease Act- April - Greece, Yugoslavia surrenders to Nazis- June - Nazis Attack U.S.S.R.- Aug siege of Leningrad- Sept - gas chambers at Auschwitz- Dec 7 - Japan attacks Pearl Harbor1942 - Jan U boat offensive of Nazis against U.S.
- U.S. forces arrive in Britain- June - mass murder of jews begin in Auschwitz- Aug - All U.S. air attack in Europe- Nov - Germans & Italy invade Vichy, France1943 - Jan - U.S.S.R. offensive against Nazi
- May German and Italien troops surrender in N. Africa- July - Allies bomb Rome- Sept - Italian Surrender is announced, Germans occupy Rome- Nov - Roosevelt, Churchill, Stalin at Teheran1944 - Jan - Soviet troops advance on Poland
- Leningrad relieved after 900 day siege- March - 1st major daylight bombing of Berlin by allies- British drop 3000 lbs. of bombs on Hamburg, Germany- June - D-Day Landings- Aug - Anne Frank arrested by Gestapo in Amsterdam- Liberation of Paris- Oct - Massive German troop surrender at Aachen1945 - Jan - Soviets capture Auschwitz
- Apr - Allies liberate Buchenwald- Apr 21 - Soviets reach Berlin- May 8 - V-day in Europe- June U.N. charter signed- Aug 6 - 1st Atomic dropped on Hiroshima- Aug 8th - Soviets invade Manchuria- Aug 9th - A-bomb dropped on Nagasaki- Sept 2nd - Japanese sign surrender (V-J day)
Der Führer
Tells us that the spirit of evil power
Sits trapped in the dark night in the depths of the sea
Bound by the hand of God.
Until, once in the millennium
One fisherman has the luck
Of reaching the one bound up
And doesn't toss his catch right back in the sea.
This was my father's lot
It once lay within his power
To thrust the demon back into his prison.
My father broke the seal
But didn't recognize the breath of evil
And let the demon loose on the world.
Copyright © 2004 Daniel Parecki. All rights reserved.