Sinking of The Maine

 Sinking of The Maine
Maddie Williams
Per: 2

 From an interview in 1898 between Commander Marix and Commander Converse it is said that the damage done was not of an explosion inside the ship but from an underwater mine. This gives verbal evidence that it is correct to think that the Spanish blew up the Maine. In 1976 Admiral Rickover looked at the ship and came to the conclusion that it was an internal explosion. The mines produced in 1898 were believed to have been incapable of igniting the Maine. The most likely cause was from a fire in the coal bunker adjacent to the 6 inch magazine. (H.G Rickover team conclusion)
 Before The Maine exploded president McKinley made it clear to public that he did not want to intervene with the war against Spain. If involved, the war would cost too many lives and hurt the nation's economy. Earlier on McKinley had been called " weak and a bidder for the admiration of the crowd". This was said by the Spanish Ambassador. The ship blew up near Cuba. The Spanish were fighting to keep Cuba. The Maine exploded in the Havana harbor and as the public was erupted in fury the blame automatically flew towards Spain. Due to this America intervened in the war and helped Cuba fight for their independence. Along the way the U.S also fought to give the Philippines their freedom and then they used them as a source of money just as they did Cuba until The Philippines rebelled and
 won their freedom.

Sources: Pg. 303 of US History textbook, Pg. 308 of US History textbook and Google Images

The Jungle

 The Jungle
Maddie Williams
Per:2

1) What qualities did Sinclair believe a person must have to succeed in Packingtown?
To rise in rank in Packingtown you had to be able to tell tales and spy on your fellow workers. You also had to be tough and willing to do anything that kept you in a job. In short you had to be a knave.

2)According to the passage, what is the plant owner's main goal.
 The plant owner's main goal is to make as much money out of the plant as possible. They didn't care how.

3) What does Sinclair mean when he says, "...there was no place in it where a man counted for anything against a dollar....?"
Sinclair means that in Packingtown the men did not matter compared to the money that was being made. All that mattered to the owners was the amount of money that was being made from the men who worked to earn them that money.

When it was published, The Jungle was so shocking that it launched a government investigation of the meatpacking industry.  The investigation eventually led to the establishment of laws regulating the industry.  Using the internet, research an area that our government enforces now (meat packing, environment, pharmaceuticals) and report how this is enforced today.  The meat packing industry has the highest rate of repetitive motion injuries. To work in the meat packing business is extremely dangerous and labor intensive. The animals involved are mistreated and the working conditions are very hazardous. The government recently took action by placing inspectors in each section to approve the facilities frequently and without disrupting production. To help with the industries injuries labor laws have been set and medical care and health care is given to the workers.

The Airplane

 Maddie Williams
Per:2

 The Airplane

Before the airplane could even be attempted, evidence of flying needed to be found.  Before the Wright brothers the Hot Air Balloon was invented along with Sir Cayley's  glider. The first airplane to be flown was a glider. This glider was built by Sir George Cayley and was pushed off of a high cliff. Later on Wilbur and Orville Wright came into the picture. They started building and testing gliders near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Their first success was a 59 second flight taken by Wilbur. As they kept experimenting they found a way to allow the pilot to steer and control the height. by adding an engine and making the glider two winged, the pilot was now able to steer the plane. By 1908 the Wright Brothers had created a plane that could fly for over an hour and a half. As time passed many different flyers from the the Wright Brothers were demonstrated. As people watched other inventors who were trying to expand on the Wright brothers idea realized a lot of the technology that the Wright Brothers had developed. After the great invention of the motored airplane people went on to expand on that idea and  many great improvements were made such as being able to land safely without crash landing each time.

Sir George Cayley was born on December 27, 1773 and died on December 15, 1857.

Sir Cayley's Glider

Orville and Wilbur Wright Born in 1867 (wilbur) and 1871 (orville).

                                                               The Wright Brother's Flyer

sources:http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112389/airplanes.htm,
  http://www.wright-brothers.org/History_Wing/History_of_the_Airplane/History_of_the_Airplane_Intro/History_of_the_Airplane_Intro.htm

The Effects of the Transcontinental Rail Road

 The Effects of the Transcontinental Railroad
Maddie Williams

After the railroad was built America was able to move people and goods from San Francisco to New York in one week. After the first ten years 50 million dollars worth of trade had been shipped from coast to coast. The railroad opened up the pathway for eastern goods to be available to the populace that was spreading beyond the Mississippi. The middle land was explored for ways of production and manufacturing.Springing off of the railroad was a web of other railroads that were shorter and extended to the north and south. These allowed transportation from state to state and town to town.  The transformation that came along with the railroad was not accepted by all. Native Americans were then forced onto reservations in the years to come. Buffalo were hunted in mass and their hides were shipped back to the east. The buffalo population was opened up to the public and as it diminished the animal was easier for a hunter to spot.This depleted the Native American's source of food and clothing. The Transcontinental Railroad was manifest destiny that was wrought in iron and moving from coast to coast. 

Being a business owner in the 1800's had its pros and cons. Since the train had to make stops the shop owners who had a business forefront near the train station had a large amount of business coming from the load of people on the train. The only problem with this was that the large amounts of business only came in shifts and sometimes there weren't large amounts of people on the train. Sometimes it was freight that passed through the towns. Business owners could not get any profit of of a train carrying freight.

source: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/tcrr-impact/

Clara Barton December 25,1821

Clara Barton December 25, 1821

Maddie Williams per: 2

Clara Barton was born in Massachusetts during the year 1821.  She died during the year of 1912. Instead of getting an education Clara worked as a clerk and bookkeeper for her oldest brother. She moved around a lot once she was considered old enough to work. She stayed in Washington D.C. for a while and then moved to New Jersey where she opened up a school and worked as a teacher for several more years.  Clara Barton lived in the north her whole life. She was in an environment where most people did not believe in slavery, she herself was completely against it.

When the Civil War broke out Ms. Barton was the first to volunteer. She worked in the hospitals in Washington D.C. until moving out onto the battlefield to work with immediate care soldiers. She worked not only as a nurse but also as a large advocate for certain supplies that the soldiers would need. Because of her constant support of soldiers Clara was nicknamed The Angel of The Battlefield.  After the end of her work in the civil war she traveled and gave speeches about war experiences. Along the way she met Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglas. From there she became an activist for civil rights and equality of race. Barton began to lobby for an American branch of the International Red Cross. In 1881 the branch was established and she was their active president for 23 years. Clara Barton was The Angel of The Battlefield for the civil war. She was one of the soldier’s biggest advocates and truly enjoyed helping in the military and on the battlefield.

 "At Work." Clara Barton National Historic Site. Museum Management Program, n.d.
     Web. 27 Sept. 2013. <http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/exhibits/clba/
     homelife.html>.
"Clara Barton." Civil War Trust. History.com, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2013.
     <http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/clara-barton.html>.