Chapter Tunes Assignment #1

.docx

School

Seminole State College of Florida *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

2770

Subject

History

Date

Jan 9, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

7

Uploaded by 4804035323bigg

Report
1 Chapter 16 covers the many aspects of Reconstruction of the United States after the horrors of the Civil War. It demonstrates the tension and disagreements between President Johnson and the Radical Republicans on how to heal the nation. It explains the discriminatory conditions the newly freed slaves went through during the time of Black Codes. Not to mention, the rise of white supremacy groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, who wanted to “redeem” the South by using fear and intimidation to scare African Americans away from exercising their basic human rights. 1 The song I chose to represent how the white southerners felt during this time is Smile by Lily Allen. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GwAW_VIn_M ) I think this song does a good job of symbolizing how the white southerners felt about President Johnson’s decision to be lenient towards the Southern states rejoining the Union by providing them with “amnesty and pardon.” 2 The white southerners were happy and “smiling” due to this resolve, while the Radical Republicans were upset and “crying.” The Radical Republicans felt that the South should be punished rather than forgiven. 3 Because of this, it was common for the white southerners to believe that Reconstruction was a time where the northerners were “inflict[ing] humiliation and revenge on the South.” 4 This was not the case as Radical Republicans only believed the South should have to make up for what they did to the nation, they weren’t trying to degrade them. However, this leniency given by President Johnson, which can represent the “help from my friends” line in the song, allowed the white supremacists to gain back their land which was 1 Andrew C. Baker et al., “Restoring the Union,” Joseph Locke, ed., in The American Yawp, eds. Joseph Locke and Ben Wright (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018). 2 Baker et al., 411. 3 Baker et al., 411. 4 Michael Gennaro, “The Agony of Reconstruction”, AMH 2020: American History since 1865 (Online class lecture at Seminole State College of Florida, Sanford, FL, 2021).
2 previously given to the freed slaves. 5 The African Americans felt this was unfair and even stated that the best way the government can help them maintain their freedom, is by giving them land to work on. 6 Having the land taken away from them was a major setback. On the other hand, for the white southerners, having their previous land returned to them is another reason for the Confederacy to be gleeful while causing pain to those who wanted more equality. 5 Gennaro, 32:25. 6 “Minutes of the Interview Between the Colored Ministers and Church Officers at Savannah With the Secretary of War and Major Gen. Sherman” New York Daily Tribune , Feb. 13, 1865 (New York, New York).
3 Chapter 17 goes into depth explaining westward expansion. It goes over reasons why it was so desirable for Americans to move West, such as the California Gold Rush, Manifest Destiny, and the Homestead Act. 7 It also talks about the downsides of this transition which includes how tough living conditions were in such an arid place and how rarely any of the miners actually ever struck gold. A very important aspect this chapter talks about is how the West wasn’t actually empty land, in fact, there were Native Americans, Mexicans, and more already occupying these areas. Settlers believed these lands belonged to them because of the belief in Manifest Destiny, and therefore, treated the Native Americans harshly. The song I chose to represent this situation for this chapter is Bad Blood by Taylor Swift. ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXKEdnasDto ) I believe it can be said that the Native Americans and white settlers, especially the militia, had Bad Blood. The white settlers did whatever they needed to in order to obtain “their” land, and this was mostly done by pushing the Native Americans around and taking away their land. 8 Originally, as depicted by the song stating, “I was thinking that you could be trusted,” the Natives thought they could trust the government when they were told that government would help them in exchange for their land. 9 This turned out to be untrue, as was many of the promises made to the Native Americans. Chief Joseph, a Native American during this time, even explained how he was “tired of talk that comes to nothing” and of “all the broken promises.” 10 They were told that they would not only be given compensation, but also be protected from the interference of white settlers on their reservations. 11 As explained by the attack on the Natives who were 7 Andrew C. Baker et al., “Westward Expansion,” Joseph Locke, ed., in The American Yawp, eds. Joseph Locke and Ben Wright (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2018). 8 Baker et al., 450. 9 Baker et al., 450. 10 Joseph, “An Indian’s View of Indian Affairs (1879),” The American Yawp Reader. 11 Baker et al., 450.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
  • Access to all documents
  • Unlimited textbook solutions
  • 24/7 expert homework help