UNIT TWO - Personality - Woodrow Wilson

Woodrow Wilson was born in Virginia in 1856 as the son of a Presbyterian minister. After graduation from Princeton (at the time called the College of New Jersey) and the University of Virginia Law School, Wilson earned his doctorate and began his career. In 1885 he married Ellen Louise Axson. His career quickly progressed as a professor of political science and in 1902 became the president of Princeton.

He was persuaded to run for Governor of New Jersey in 1910 and won. In 1912 he was nominated for President at the Democratic Convention and campaigned for the "New Freedom" program which pushed for individualism and rights. Wilson was able to put three major pieces of legislation through Congress: a lower on tariff, the Federal Reserve Act and a commission to prohibit unfair business practices. After, he continued to push through new laws in 1916. In 1916 he won a re-election very closely.

On April 2nd, 1917 Wilson asked Congress fro a declaration of war on Germany. Because of massive American effort the balance was tipped in favor of the Allies. He went before Congress again in January of 1918 to enunciate American war aims.

After the Germans signed the Armistice in the following November Wilson went to Paris to attempt to bring an enduring peace. He commented on the Versailles Treaty to the Senate "Dare we reject it and break the heart of the world?" but in the 1918 election the treaty failed by seven votes.

Against his doctors' warnings he made a national tour pushing for the public sentiment for the treaty. Because of the stress and fatigue this put on him he suffered a stroke and almost died. He was nursed by his second wife until he died in 1924.

From what I've learned about Wilson, it seems as if he was one of the less egoistical U.S. presidents and cared for the world as well as his country. He seems to push for things that were just as important then as they are today and the North American society can reflect upon the changes he made to laws for the better. Overall I think he was a pretty good guy.

UNIT TWO - Inventions - The Pop-Up Toaster

Toasting bread began as a method of prolonging the life of bread. Toasting bread was very common in Roman times where the name toast comes from. "Tostum" is the Latin word for scorching or burning bread.

The first electric toaster was invented by Crompton and Co. in 1893 and re-invented in 1909 in the United States. These toaster only toasted one side of the bread at a time and someone had to take the half toasted bread out, flip it over and put it back in. These toaster also didn't turn off so that same person who flipped the bread got to wait and judge if the toast was ready or not then turn off the toaster. The toaster was improved when Llyod Copeman and his wife introduced the toaster with an automatic bread turner in 1913.

In 1919 Charles Strite patented a toaster which ejects the toast after toasting it. In 1929 the Waters Genter Company redesigned Strite's toaster and introduced the Model 1-A-1 Toastermaster which was the first automatic toaster to pop-up and toast bread on both sides at the same time. The toaster had a heating element you would set on a timer and once the timer went off the toast would pop-up.

I think the toaster is a great invention. With toast you can have a variety of sandwiches and breakfast ideas. It give the regular and boring slice of bread a new take on life in a crunchy new form. Although not an invention to change the human race it is something yummy in your tummy.

UNIT TWO - Events - The Easter Rising

Early in 1914 Carsonite Volunteers with British sympathizers help ran large cargo of arms into Ireland. The British Government immediately prohibited the importation of arms into Ireland for fear the Nationalists would secure weapons that could be used against them.

The Irish then began to organize illegal shipments to Howth from the European continent. This was for a planned rising on Easter Sunday. On Easter Monday the Irish Republic was proclaimed in Dublin.

The Easter Monday Rising had no military prospects of success. There was the slight chance the Germans would break through England's defenses and allow help to be sent before the rising was crushed.

On Easter Monday morning, April 24, 1916 the Dublin battalions paraded with full arms and a day rations. just after noon, the General Post Office, the Four Courts, three railway terminals and other important points circling the center of Dublin were rushed and occupied. It was announced the establishment of the provisional government of the Irish Republic. Over night many other points of the city was taken over by rebels and by morning they controlled most of Dublin.

The British fought back on Tuesday when reinforcements arrived. Martial law was proclaimed in Ireland. The fighting in Dublin steadily removed the Irish from their positions. On April 29th the post office came under violent attack. The British soon realised they would not be able to conquer the Irish and that afternoon they surrender unconditionally.

The British leaders of the counter offense were put on trial when they arrived home in Britain. Most were executed, shot dead.

It is fair for Ireland to be its own country. There was no need for the British to want to control them and the organization of the Rising should that the Irish were able to do things on their own. The Irish knew that they could be their own country and if the Rising didn't occur then, it may have been more violent when it did later on.

UNIT TWO - Ideas - The Divine Right of Kings

The idea of the Divine Right of Kings is a very simple one. It means that all people or groups in power have been appointed by God(s). This concept is a European political and religious explanation of the laws related to political and religious leaders.

It was very big in medieval and ancient regime times. This concept states that the leader owes his ruling of the group or country to the will of God or Gods and is above the rulings of the parliament, the aristocracy or other forms of leaders. This idea also was that an attempt (either a failed or successful one) was an act against God and His will.

This idea is still used in the coronation of European monarchs, who's genealogy is traced back to King David of the Old Testament. The British Royal family is also under the divine right of kings with their family motto (translated) being "I rule with God's Blessing"

The basis for the Divine Right of Kings comes from Romans 13:1-2, which says "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." In other words every order given by the king or queen must be obeyed as to not disobey God.

In my opinion I think the Divine Right of Kings is a very irrational idea. There is no proof that the leaders were actually 'chosen' by God or in anyway were directed by God. I do however believe it wouldn't be that hard an idea to convince people or to have them obey. It was a smart plan on behalf of the rulers of the world.

UNIT ONE - Event - Mexican Revolution of 1910

For most of Mexican history the country was controlled by a small minority people and the majority of the country worked and lived in poverty. The leader of the country at the time was General Díaz who did nothing when the gap between the poor and the rich grew even more. In 1910 he was pressured into an election where Francisco Madero was able to win a large number of votes. Díaz didn't like this and had him imprisoned on the idea that he didn't believe Mexico was ready for a democracy.

Once released from prison, Madero continued his fight against Díaz in attempt to overthrow him. He was helped by Pancho Villa from the north and Emiliano Zapata from the south who were able to gain control of their regions from the Mexican army. Díaz was unable to regain control of these areas and resigned in May of 1911 and fled to France.

Madero was elected president again but hen was opposed by Emiliano Zapata who no longer wished to wait for Madero's orders. In the same year Zapata denounced Madero as president and took the position over himself which led to the Mexican Revolution of 1916.

I think the Mexican Revolution was something that needed to happen. This one in particular was needed because although it was not as big as the one that followed in 1916, this smaller revolution prepared the country and it's people for a change. The country was bettered by this overthrow of the government that help save the country from discrimination of the lower class, which in time would have become worse than it was at the time.

UNIT ONE - Personalities - Mrs. Astor

Caroline Webster Schermerhorn Astor was born on September 22, 1830 in New York City. She was born into the city's Dutch aristocracy, related to the city's original settlers. She was raised in lower Manhattan until she was ten years old when her family moved to the then-fashionable Lafayette Place which was developed by her future father-in-law, William Backhouse Astor Sr. She married his son, William Backhouse Astor Jr. in 1854.

Although she was seen as a being preoccupied by the high society for her whole life, Mrs. Astor was busy raising her children and keeping house for the first few decades of her life. The family moved into a four-bay townhouse built by her husband in 1862 at 350 Fifth Avenue, the present location of the Empire State building, right beside her husband's brother even though the brothers never got along.

After the Civil War, New York seen a very large population growth and the immigrants and people moving from the Midwest challenged Mrs. Astor's "grand dame" of New York's high society. This sparked "Lina" to set and maintain the rule of social behaviour and etiquette. This outline was once used by the city to determine who from the Midwest were acceptable. It was said that among the rich families of New York there were only 400 people who could be counted as members of Fashionable Society. This was set by the limitations of Lina's New York City ballroom.

Mrs. Astor died on October 30, 1908 at the age of 78. During the last years of her life she suffered from periodic dementia. She was buried in the Trinity Church Cemetery in upper Manhattan. Her 39 foot tall cenotaph dominates the churchyard where many of the prominent early Americans are buried.

I think Mrs. Astor was an important person just not as important as everyone makes her out to be. I don't think that if I married a rich man in real estate I would be put in charge of the high society. She did shape what is expected of the rich and set the standard for "keeping up with the Joneses". But this can also be taken in a negative way and led to the conspicuous consumption and the unnecessary lifestyles of today's rich. It all depends on the way you look at things.

Reflection of Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times"

How does Charlie Chaplin's "Modern Times" satirize life at the turn of century?

In the beginning of the movie "Modern Times" people are portrayed as sheep. It's just to show how we are treated like a herd of animals when it comes to the work world. Then it starts up and mocks the assembly line. Everything is put into high speed and making people work quicker. It is related to the idea of Taylorism because the whole idea is to get things done quicker and more efficiently. It also makes fun of the fact that in Taylorism everything is monitored closely by the boss and in the movie the boss has cameras everywhere including the bathroom. The cameras in the bathroom play with the fact that the assembly lines and work places were very dehumanizing at the turn of the century. There was a lack of privacy and no time for a short break. Charlie Chaplin's character worked tightening bolts in the assembly line. When he would walk away he would have the twiches and continued doing the tightening motions. The work was machine like in the fact that it was repeative and you did noting else. Workers also had very little rights and to push those rights was wrong even if you didn't realize you were pushing them like in the strike scene in the movie.

Overall the movie is highly dramaticized but true in my mind. I think workers were treated unfairly and somethings were just unrelevant to what needed to be done like the automatic feeding machines even though we all know those weren't real and the lack of break times.