LAD #21

Carnegie's Gospel of Wealth

• his wealth was based mostly on steel and iron for railroads and railways
• also based on his ambition
• believed that the rich had a responsibility to give back to the community
• said that there were three ways to give wealth back
• give it to your relatives after you are dead
• leave it to a charity foundation/organization in your will
• give it away to society during your lifetime
• believed the third option was the best, so he supported death taxes 
• the government takes a large share of your estate after you die to encourage you to give away the money before death

LAD #16: Federick Douglass 5th of July

What's so important about the 5th of July?

• Federick Douglass was brought to Rochester
• gave a speech about the celebration of Independence Day
• colored people of the U.S were not included in the 4th of July celebrations
• could not enjoy the
• liberties
• prosperity
• independence
• Douglass said that the 4th of July was only for the whites, called it a mockery
• said it mocks the black because they are subordinated by the whites celebrate equality /independence on this day
• He denounces slavery as the greatest sin in America
• in the name of
• humanity
• the Bible
• and the Constitution
• Douglass hopes the America will eventually outlaw slavery because of it's democratic principles found in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution

LAD #15: Gettysburg Address

Four Score and Seven Years Ago... what happened?

• meant to reinvigorate the North’s devotion to the war effort after a hard-earned victory at the Battle of Gettysburg
• Said that not only do the living need to dedicate themselves to the nation, but they also need to dedicate themselves to the cause for which men died
• wants to make sure that those men do not die for nothing
• Ends by saying he will make sure that the nation is restored to "freedom, government by the people, for the people shall not perish from the Earth."

LAD #14: Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

Lincoln's First Inaugural Address... Summarized

• begins by saying that many people in the south might feel their property threatened
• especially the slave owners
• because of a rising Republican President (Lincoln himself)
• saying that he's not going to alter the current state of slaves
• promises that he and his party have made a resolution that supports not interfering in the domestic affairs of the southern states
• says that a part of the Constitution states that if a slave goes into a free territory he is still a slave and will be returned to his master
• says that as long as the law remains, Lincoln will protect it as part of the constitution
• one of his concerns is that an attempt to breakup the union is at hand, a greater problem the U.S. is facing


• states that no government has ever legally carried out its own termination, so any actions against the union are illegal
•  if the constitution is to be viewed as a simple contract between the states, then it should take all the states to dissolve the union
• implies not only a few should have enough power to dissolve the union
• believes that the union should be more important than the constitution because it existed before the constitution
• reveals that he will defend the union until all the people of the union no longer support the attempts to dissolve it
• reminds the southerners that they don't need to have a revolution because none of their constitutional rights have been violated
• tells the people  that the only way to change the government is to do so through the amending process
• ends by saying that conflict will only arise if the southern people act as the aggressors
• 
  

LAD #13: Calhoun

John Calhoun's Speech...Summarized

• says that slavery will end up in disunion
• says that he called upon the political parties to approach this, but it was not successful
• says that the union is being threatened and harmed
•  all of these show the imbalance that will result in the house and Senate
• discontent among all the southern states
• caused by the agitation of the slavery question
• this leads to the southern belief that they couldn't safely/honorably, remain in the Union
• North was going to gain 5 free states whereas the south got 0 slave states in the same time frame
• North also attracted many of the immigrants that came to the U.S because it was easier to find jobs in the North than the South
• Calhoun thinks that the tariffs further divide the North and South since they favor the North
• Calhoun says that he is afraid that all of the above reasons will lead to sectionalism, and that the South will be forced into abolition or will secede
• Calhoun said that the only way to fix the southern discontent was by doing justice, and satisfying the South
• giving the south equal representation and territory
• will keep the fundamental social and economic structure of slavery

LAD #12: Polk

Polk's War Message

•  The beginning of Polk's message says that the relationship between U.S and Mexico has come to a point where it needs to be brought to the attention of Congress
• John Slidell of Louisiana was sent to Mexico to discuss the Texas boundary and the killing of the U.S citizens on American land
• The Mexican government refused to see or listen to his ideas
• Originally, Slidell was supposed to be received by authorities in Mexico under government of General Herrera, who would have gladly negotiated with Slidell
• Herrera's government was overthrown, and the revolutionary party that overthrew Herrera was not willing to denounced diplomacy with the U.S.
• Under direction from Polk, Slidell after failing to negotiate at all, came home
• put military forces between the Neuces and Norte Rivers
• protect U.S citizens from an invasion of Texas by Mexico
• General Arista, who had taken control of the Mexican Army said they thought the U.S was being hostile, and attacked the U.S troops, resulting in 16 American casualties
• Polk said that Mexico had 'wronged U.S citizens' and did not want peace
• Polk said that if the U.S had been more aggressive while dealing with Mexico earlier, then they could have escaped the later conflicts
• Polk said that the U.S. needed to declare war
• Reasons:     Mexico...
• declared war to regain Texas
• killed U.S Citizens
• violated American rights