Brown vs. Board of Education

In Plessy versus Ferguson, it was decided that schools could be segregated based on race, as long as the public places were equal. In Topeka, Kansas, a black third-grader named Linda Brown, wanted to go to the White school down the street not the black school. Linda's father, Oliver Brown, tried to enroll her in the white elementary school, but the principal of the school refused. The court heard Linda Brown’s case and decided that "...if the colored children are denied the experience in school of associating with white children, who represent 90 percent of our national society in which these colored children must live, then the colored child's curriculum is being greatly curtailed. The Topeka curriculum or any school curriculum cannot be equal under segregation." People argued that black schools prepared blacks for the real world. The court decided that “Segregation of white and colored children in public schools has a detrimental effect upon the colored children...A sense of inferiority affects the motivation of a child to learn.” Brown and her father then took the case to the Supreme Court and decided that the “separate but equal” schools needed to be integrated again. Although the case did integrate schools, it did not integrate other public places like restaurants, and African Americans were still not accepted in public.

LAD #29: The Truman Doctrine

On March 12, 1947, President Harry S. Truman decided it was necessary to have a joint session of congress to discuss America’s foreign policy and the countries of Greece and Turkey. He first started talking about how Greece needed money and aid from the United States, and how the he knew that the American people were willing to help Greece survive as a free nation. The reason that Greece needed help was because they were in ruins after the Germans destroyed their country. Greece did not have any means to reconstruct their country which was why they asked America to aid them in creating a stable and self-sustaining economy and in improving its public administration. Greece is also plagued with many terrorist groups, and a poorly-equipped army. The reason Greece asked for our help was because, Great Britain could no longer help them, and the United Nations did not either. He then goes on to say that Greece’s neighbor, Turkey, needs our help too. Truman stated that since Britain no longer would aid Turkey, America needed to help Turkey to preserve the Middle East. The United States stated that they needed to make the world safe for democracy and get rid of the Yalta agreement. He stated that he must help the free peoples work out their own destinies in their own way. He stated that he was going to implement the Charter of the United States and that we cannot allow changes in the status quo in violation of the Charter. He stated that if America failed in helping the two countries, the effect will be far reaching in both the West and the East, and that America needed to take immediate action. He closed of by saying that Congress would agree with him and try to help Turkey and Greece, and that they would face these responsibilities squarely.

LAD #28: Franklin D. Roosevelt's First Inaugural Address

On Saturday, March 4, 1933 Franklin D. Roosevelt made his First Inaugural Address. He started out by stating that America is in a hard state, and that he was going to speak to America with the whole truth, frankly, and boldly, and that there was “nothing to fear in the world but fear itself.” He said that he was going to provide America with the good leadership, the leadership a country needs in a critical period of time. He states that America has been in deep troubles, the taxes have risen, our ability to pay has fallen, governments of all kinds are faced by serious curtailment of income, and farmers have no markets for their produce. He also stated that there are a huge number of unemployed citizens facing the problem of existence. He then goes on to say although these troubles may seem huge, they are not compared to what America has gone through before. He then called for action, by saying, “This Nation asks for action, and action now.” He states that this action should be achieved by getting people to work. He stated that there must be strict supervision of all banking and credits, and that our international relations are less important than our domestic problems. He closes his Inaugural Address by stating that “In this dedication of a Nation we humbly ask the blessing of God. May He protect each and every one of us. May He guide me in the days to come.”

LAD #27: Kellogg-Briand Peace Pact

The Kellogg-Briand Pact of 1928 was a treaty between the United States and other Powers providing for the renunciation of war as an instrument of national policy. Fifteen countries signed the treaty and in turn agreed to not engage in war. Article One stated that the participating countries would not use war as a solution for international controversies. Article Two stated that all problems would be solved using pacific means. Article Three stated that “The present Treaty shall be ratified by the High Contracting Parties named in the Preamble in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements, and shall take effect as between them as soon as all their several instruments of ratification shall have been deposited at Washington.” The pact then listen the leaders of the countries that signed the pact.

LAD #26: Shenk vs. US Case

The court case Shenk vs. United States was a court case on March 3, 1919 that was decided by the Judge Justice Homes. Homes stated that the defendant Shenk disobeyed three things. His is an indictment in three counts. The first charges a conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act of June 15, 1917, c. 30, § 3, 40 Stat. 217, 219, by causing and attempting to cause insubordination, &c., in the military and naval forces of the United States, and to obstruct the recruiting and enlistment service of the United States, when the United States was at war with the German Empire, to-wit, that the defendants willfully conspired to have printed and circulated to men who had been called and accepted for military service under the Act of May 18, 1917, a document set forth and alleged to be calculated to cause such insubordination and obstruction. The count alleges overt acts in pursuance of the conspiracy, ending in the distribution of the document set forth. The second count alleges a conspiracy to commit an offence against the United States, to-wit, to use the mails for the transmission of matter declared to be non-mailable by Title XII, § 2 of the Act of June 15, 1917, to-wit, the above mentioned document, with an averment of the same overt acts. The third count charges an unlawful use of the mails for the transmission of the same matter and otherwise as above. The defendants were found guilty on all the counts. They set up the First Amendment to the Constitution forbidding Congress to make any law abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, and bringing the case here on that ground have argued some other points also of which we must dispose. Homes decided that the First Ammendment did not apply to Shenk’s case because one cannot say things that are a “clear and present danger” to others. In this case Shenk was a clear and present danger and Shenk spent 10 years in prison.

LAD #25: Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points

On January 8, 1918 President Woodrow Wilson delivered a speech to Congress about how America should deal with Germany after World War I. His plan was entitled the Fourteen Points, and were each lenient policies that the Congressmen did not approve of. In the first point, Wilson stated that there should not be any private alliances, and that all kinds of diplomacy should be open to the public. The second point stated that there shall be freedom of navigation upon the seas. This point was so that warfare could not be started in the seas. In the third point, Wilson stated that there shall be free trade throughout the world. In the fourth he stated that the armies of all the consenting peace nations will be decreased by size. In the fifth he stated that all decisions regarding the colonies should be impartial. In the sixth it stated that the German army was to be removed from Russia. In the seventh it stated that Belgium should become an independent, free country. In the eight, Wilson stated that Germany has to give back Alsace-Lorraine to the French. In the ninth, it stated that all Italians are to be allowed to live in Italy. In the tenth it said that the people of Austria-Hungary should determine how they should live through self-determination. In the eleventh point, it stated that self-determination should also be allowed for the Balkan states. In the twelfth, it stated that Turkish people should be governed by the Turkish government and non-Turkish people could have their own government. In the thirteenth point, it stated that Poland should be created. Finally, in the fourteenth point, and Wilson’s favorite point, a League of Nations was to be created.

LAD #24: The Clayton Anti-Trust Act

The Clayton Anti-Trust Act was made in 1914 during the Industrial Era. The act helped outlaw monopolies and put many restrictions on them so that they would not take over an industry. The first section that the Clayton Anti-Trust Act has is about discrimination in price, services, or facilities. The first thing it talks about is price discrimination. This means that a certain business cannot give different prices to different customers. The Clayton then goes on to prohibit the acceptance of any commission or compensation of any sort. It also prohibited any person to discriminate in favor of one purchaser against another purchaser. It also restricted the acceptance of different prices. The Act then goes on to say that no person engaged in commerce or in any activity affecting commerce shall acquire, directly or indirectly, the whole or any part of the stock or other share capital. The last section of the Clayton Anti-trust Act says that any person, firm, corporation, or association shall be entitled to sue for and have injunctive relief, in any court of the United States having jurisdiction over the parties, against threatened loss or damage by a violation of the antitrust laws. Overall, the Act basically put restrictions on trusts and monopolies.

LAD #23: Keating-Owen Bill

In this document it starts out by pointing out that in the 1900 census approximately 2 million children were working on mills, mines, fields, factories, stores, and on city streets across the United States. Due to this discovery, more reforms started occurring, and more and more people got involved such as Lewis Hine, Charles Dickens, and Karl Marx. The first child labor bill was titled the Keating-Owen Bill which regulated child labor and banned the sale of products from any factory, shop, or canner that employed children under the age of 14, from any mine that employed children under 16, and from any facility that had children under the age of 16 work at night or for more than 8 hours during the day. Although it was passed, it was declared unconstitutional in the Hammer v. Dagenhart Trial in the Supreme Court. After this act was declared unconstitutional, a second child labor act was passed. It was called the Child Labor Tax Law. Though this to was declared unconstitutional. Soon a constitutional ammendment was proposed to Congress to help regulate child labor. The making of the ammendment was stalled and there were many opponents to it since kids helped the economy. Not until, 1938 under the Fair Labor Standards Act were children spared, and today most children are safe of child labor.

LAD #22: Wilson's First Inaugural

In Wilson’s First Inaugural, he first states that the Democrats are ready to take over government in the House of Representatives, Senate, and Executive Branch. He states that since the Democrats won power in the in the government there will be a change in the point of view in that the Industrial era is going to change. He states that the during the Industrial Era people tied, energies were overtaxed, and mines and factories were unsafe and that this would all change under his administration. He stated that throughout the Industrial Era the government was used for selfish and private purposes and those who used it had forgotten the people. He also stated that under his administration he would restore and correct evil without harming the good. He stated that he would make sanitary laws, and pure food laws, and safeguard property of individual right. He stated that although there were a lot of problems with the government there were a few good things. He stated that he would restore and not destroy, and that the economy should be modified. He concludes by saying that it is not important which party controls the government but the forces of humanity.

LAD #21: The Dawes Act

The Dawes Act was “An Act to Provide for the Allotment of Lands in Severalty to Indians on the Various Reservations, and to extend the Protection of the Laws of the United States and the Territories over the Indians, and for Other Purposes.” The Dawes Act is split up into eleven sections. In the first section says that a Native American family may receive 160 acres if they are to farm, 80 acres if they are to raise cattle and 40 acres for any normal living purposes. The second section states that all allotments set apart under the provisions of this act shall be selected by the Indians. The third section requires the Native American agent to certify each allotment and provide two copies of the certification. The fourth section states that Native Americans not living on the reservation shall receive equal allotment. The fifth statement provides that the Secretary of the Interior will hold the allotments "in trust" for 25 years. The sixth section says that upon the completion of said allotments, the Native Americans will become citizens. The seventh section deals with water rights, the eight exempts the Five Civilized Tribes from certain laws, the ninth deals with how the act will be paid for, the tenth asserts the power of eminent domain, and the eleventh contains a provision for the Southern Ute Native Americans.

LAD #20: William Jennings Bryan's Cross of Gold Speech

The Cross of Gold speech was made by William Jennings Bryans at a Democratic National Convention in Chicago. His speech basically stated that the gold standard was worthless, and that it should not be used in America. Bryans and the Democratic Party wanted to use the silver standard instead because it was in greater supply than gold. This meant that when inflation occurred, debtors who were poor would be able to pay of their debt. Bryans said that although England had the gold standard, “we shall restore bimetallism, and then let England have bimetallism because the United States have.” He says that the gold standard is not beneficial to the general public in America and that it is not useful. Bryan closes his speech by saying that “You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”

LAD #19: The Populist Party Platform

The Populist Party emerged in the 1870’s and 1880’s. They became most prominent in the 1890’s and appeared as a viable third party. In the Populist Party Platform of 1892 there are three major components, the preamble, the platform, and the expression of sentiments. In the preamble the party expresses what has been going wrong in America. They talk about how silver has been demoralized, how corruption dominates the ballot-box, and how controlling influences dominate parties. They also state how they are going to fix the government, by restoring American power to the hands of the “plain people.” In their platform, they talk about three major things finance, transportation, and land. In finance they demand free and unlimited coinage of silver and gold at the present legal ration of 16 to 1. They demand a graduated income tax, and they demand that postal savings banks be established by the government for the safe deposit of the earnings of the people and to facilitate exchange. In transportation, they say that the government should own the railroads, while the public should own and operate the telegraph and telephone. In land, they say that land should not be monopolized because it is the heritage of the people. In the Expression of Sentiments they state how they are going to resolve many of the issues in America. For example they say they will use the secret ballot system and that they will shorten the hours of labor. The Populist Party in America appeared in the 1890’s and was determined to resolve the issues in America.

LAD #18: McKinley's War Message

In 1895 the Cubans revolted against their Spanish rulers. This war was extremely bloody and gruesome, so after three years of following a policy of neutrality, the United States sent an ultimatum to Madrid demanding, among other things, that Spain immediately cease all fighting and grant an armistice to the Cuban revolutionists. On April 11, President McKinley took steps to ask Congress to help stop the war in Cuba. After a few days, the United States found themselves on the side of the Cubans. In McKinley’s war message he states how the war is basically a stalemate, and that the war will only stop when one side gets too worn out. He states that the war needs to end, because it is not beneficial for the Americans. The three ways he proposes to end the war. One is to remain impartial and neutral, two to make radical compromise, or three to step in as an ally to one side. Overall, it is clear that McKinley thinks the war is not beneficial.