LAD #31

Fourteen Points

 

Wilson feel responsible for coming up with a plan for peace after the war is over and believes there are several points that must be addressed.  First he explained that the US was getting involved in the Great War only to help other nations and bring peace.  He really truly wanted the world to be in harmony with each other.  To do this he came up with fourteen points which he believed would serve as guidelines to a better world.  First all of the fighting needed to stop and the world needed to be at peace.  His plan addressed issues with Russia, freedom of waterways, and trading rights.  Maybe most important, his plan contained the League of Nations, a global united force of countries.  In the end this part of the plan failed as the United States would not even agree to be a part of it.  Later the US would be leaders of the UN.  But the fourteen points were a huge step towards the US being established as a peacekeeper.  Wilson really had the best interests in mind and wanted his plans to really help free the world from fighting.

LAD #30

Schenck v. United States

(Holmes)

Schenck believed that the US draft during the Great War was wrong.  TO spread his opinions, he mailed circulars to draftees which urged them to resist the draft in peaceful ways.  Because of his actions, Schenck was charged with conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act by attempting to cause subordination in the military and to obstruct recruitment.  Schenck was found guilty as Holmes and the unanimous court concluded that he was not protected in this situation by the first amendment.  They said that it all depends on the circumstances.  Schenck's circulars were a clear and present danger.  They were clear because they obviously were advising against the draft and asking for resistance.  They were present because during a war the draft is an extremely important aspect of national security.  Therefore, if the US had not been in war this case may have ended differently but because of the current war, Schenck presented a CLEAR AND PRESENT danger.

LAD #29

Keating-Owen bill of 1916

 

In 1900 there were about 2 million children working in the United States.  This simple statistic opened the American public's eyes to how big the issue of child labor was in the nation.  Many famous figures helped  bring attention to this issue such as Lewis Hine, Karl Marx and Charles Dickens.  The Keating-Owen bill was based on Senator Beveridge's proposal and used the government's ability to regulate interstate commerce to regulate child labor.  This act banned the sale of products from any facility that employed children under the aged of 14 and any mine that employed children under the age of 16.  But, later the supreme court ruled it was unconstitutional and that the government did not have that much power.  In 1918 though, the Child Labor Tax Law was passed and it indirectly.  But it too was found unconstitutional by the court.   The Federal Government obviously wanted to regulate child labor but the Supreme Court made it almost impossible to do so.  Federal protection of children would not be obtained until the Fair Labour Standards Act in 1938.  Finally this was victorious and in 1941 the Supreme Court reversed it's earlier opinions and upheld constitutionality of the Fair Labor Standards Act which is still in place today.

LAD #28

President Wilson's First Inaugural Address

 

Wilson believes that there has been a change in government as the House of Representatives in Democratic, the Senate is about to become democratic and the president and vice president are both democrats.  It is not only a success of the democratic party though, but rather it proves that Americans are ready for change and new ideas.  America is great in it's wealth, as many men have built an industry of great proportions.  But America is also great in it's morals as the people have stood up to right wrongs and help others.  And of course, the great American system of government which  completes the perfect life in America.  But there has also been much evil in the nation.  Americans have wasted lives and money in the quest of industrialism.  The government itself has been too often used for selfish purposes instead of to help the nation's people.  Now both the good and the evil are visible to all.  In response it is now time to cleanse America of the evil without ruining the good.  What needs to happen now is restoration.  There are a few specific things that Wilson wants to address such as the tariff which prevents the US from thriving in world economics.  Other things that need to be altered are, the banking and currency system, the exploitative industrial system, agricultural activities, and undeveloped watercourses.  The government also needs to be a part of these alterations as it need to keep the society which it serves sound.  For example sanitary laws, pure food laws and labor laws are all the duty of the government to put in place.  All of these things need to be addressed but those are not all of the changes that need to be made in the name of justice.  This is a process that needs to be done not through science but though passion.  This is not a victory but instead the beginning of a long journey of hard work and progress.



LAD #27

Clayton Anti-Trust Act

 

The Clayton Anti-Trust Act was passed to further restrict trusts and monopolies in the American economy. First it establishes that no person or company can discriminate in their prices between different purchasers.  They can of course charge different prices for different quality of quantity in goods.  Next it states that a company or person within the US cannot buy anything from another company or person that would lessen competition and or create a monopoly in any area of commerce.  Lastly it states that no corporation can acquire stock or other share capital of another corporation which would result in lessened competition or a monopoly in any area of commerce.

LAD #26

Martin Luther King- "I Have a Dream"

 

MLK begins his speech with a reference to the Emancipation Proclamation and how it was a beacon of hope for negros throughout the nation.  But one hundred years later, they are not free but rather held back by segregation and discrimination.  This is what he wants to address and expalin to the American people.  With the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence a life of liberty was promised to every man in America but this has not yet been accomplished.  This is what African Americans were now demading, their right to the true American life.  Most importantly though, the time for this change is now.  If the country does not address this issue now, it will have terrible results of revolt.  But for those African Americans, do not become violent, maintain your dignity and discipline.  Do not hate all white men, as most do not hate us.  African Americans cannot do this alone and they cannot turn back on this mission.  Negroes will not be content until they are complete equals to the white men.  MLK had a dream rooted in the American Dream itself that one day the United States would live up to her promises to all of her inhabitants.  One day the past will be the past and all men no matter their color will be brothers.  With this faith MLK will go south and hopr to transform the nation.  One day freedom will be granted to all no matter the color of their skin.

LAD #25

Dawes Act

The Dawes Act was passed in 1887 to move Native Americans to individually owned properties.  It created Native American reservations which could be surveyed at anytime.  This was all a part of the government's plot to assimilate these natives into American society.  Each member of the tribe was granted a certain amount of land and they were all given a chance to become American Citizens. If Natives were not placed on a reservation then they still had the chance to buy land, but it was owned by the government.  If the Natives behaved as American citizens then they had the same rights and immunity as any others.  But, not surprisingly, some of the Natives were excluded from this act and did not have a chance to enjoy it's privileges.