Activity 3 Mini Project/Lap 9

I chose the songs, when will we be paid by Playing the staple singers, 1971 and you are a tourist by Death Cab for cutie. When will we be paid by Playing the staple singers is about negro’s giving their blood, sweat and tears and getting nothing in return. It’s about slavery, the unfairness of the nation and the wrongs of the whites. You are a tourist by death cab for cutie is about not letting the doubts in your mind turn your rights into wrongs. About not letting society or the place you live affect you.

            Both songs, when will we be paid by playing the staple singers and you are a tourist by Death cab for cutie are about feeling unwelcome in your home, being treated unfairly and doubted.  They both symbolize feeling unwelcome in the place they’re in and not being proud of where they are living. 

(Picture from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.)

Migrant family looking for work in the pea fields of California in 1935. A whole family is looking for work, even the kids. They're also living in a tent around their car. Now and days you can still see this, sadly. But not as frequently as you could during the great depression.

(Picture from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.)

During the great depression many farms were forclosed due to the bad economy. Farmers couldn't afford to keep up with their farms, hire workers or trade. Today, America's farms have the money to keep up with their farms and such. Some farms still become forclosed but not many. Not like during the great depression.

A dust storm in 1934 and 1936 drought and dust storms ravaged the great American plains and added to the New Deal's relief burden.

During the great depression there were many dust storms that added to the destruction in America and also affected the economy, in a bad way. Today, there aren't many dust storms in America and if they do occur they aren't as bad or tragic as they were then.

(Picture from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library, courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration.)

This is a photo during the Great Depression, a Christmas dinner in the home of  Earl Pauley near Smithland, Iowa in 1935. The children and man are gathered around a very small table and look to be very hungry, the way they're going at the food. This is a dramatic change from how the world is today, you wouldn't expect and mostly likely wouldn't find a Christmas dinner like this in America.

What is un-american? Is it difficult to define? Who gets to decide what un-american is?

I believe un-American is not following the laws of America. There are laws for the citizens and even visitors/tourists that we have to follow and obey. An American is taught from youth to obey the laws America has made and are forced to follow them by law. To follow the laws of America is an American custom and a necessity of a citizen. Some say it is difficult to define what un-American is and I agree. It is difficult to define what un-American is because different people have many different opinions on what un-American is. But to put it simply, being non-American is not being American.  Americans get to decide what un-American is, since they're American. They get to decide what's un-American is because they have the right to have freedom of speech, so they have the right to say what's un-American and what not. Freedom of speech is a law, which American’s follow and obey.

Do you support imperialism for your country? Explain.

I do not support imperalism for our country. Even though we may be able to get more supplies, better our country and expand ourselves i do not support it. I wouldn't support imperalism for most countrys. I believe countries should expand themselves before jumping to overthrow another country. Imperalism causes nothing but hatred, war and doesn't help the world create much needed peace. I believe America is good as is. There are many countries that are way worse off then we are. We have most of the supplies and other things needed. We shouldn't become greedy. Instead of trying to take over smaller, weaker countries we should be looking to help those countries. The countries that actually need help. We could expand with them and help them, they could even have things America would need. We shouldn't go to war just for simple products and resources which is what imperalism would cause The only reason we should go to war is to for freedom.

Imperialism today is not often quite as blatent as it was in the past. What are some examples of imperialism today? How is it different or similar from the past? Explain

Some examples of imperalism today is companies taking over other companies to expand their own company. Such as water companies, food companies, cable companies; any major company can take over a smaller, less wealthy company. This is different from the past because then there weren't as many companys so not many companys attempted to take over other companies.

Another example of imperalism today is when a country owns or controls another country but doesn't officially calling them apart of their country. Such as the United States and Puerto Rico. There are also other kinds of imperalism. Such as robbery. When a person steals something that is not their own to take and claiming it as their own. This is similar to the past because robbery has been going on for ages, since the begining of time. People have always stolen from others and claimed things as their own.

Should countries pursue policies of imperialism, or empire expansion?

I believe countries today countries should pursue policies of empire expansion. If we expanded our empires we would have more supplies, products and freedom. Empire expansion would also bring peace among the countires. Empire expansion would do nothing but good for all countries. Imperalism is taking over smaller, weaker countries and overthrowing them. This wouldn't bring peace among the countries but only bring more problems. It causes war and hatred. If a countries needs goods or military weapons they can just expand their country with another country instead of attempting to overthrow the country. Instead of impearlism, empire expansion would be simpler and peaceful.  If more countries pursued empire expansion i believe there would be less poverty in the world and more wealth. Countries could lean on eachother for help, they could share products and there would be less war. Empire expansion would be a better choice no matter what.

Lap 5 mini project

Question: How is urbanization changing this century?


Urbanization is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. It is projected that half of the worlds population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008. During these years of urbanization people are moving from farm lands to more urban areas. Most people are looking for jobs which may increase the economy but we may also run out of jobs since more people are leaving farms to look for work. When people move from suburban areas to more urban areas they may not succeed in finding what they're looking for because they may experience poverty. Urbanization is changing the century but may not be changing it for the better, when more people move to more urban areas we may run out of jobs, therefore experience poverty. Urbanization is changing our economy and many peoples' way of living. It may change our economy for the worse and many people who lived in surban areas will live differently in more urban areas.

Do you think an indivdual today can rise from "rags to riches" like Andrew Carneige did? Why or why not?

Yes, I believe an individual can rise from "rag to riches" like Andrew Carneige did. It would be hard work and some people may fail at trying to do this but many can. It all depends on what you're selling, making or what kind of factory or store you're running. It depends on the merchandise and money put in it. Andrew Carneige rised from "rags to riches" through hard work, earning money and working for the right people. He progressed up the ranks of his job and eventually went out on his own and opened his own factory. From then on he rised from "rise to riches". A individual today can still do this, rising up the ranks like Andrew Carneige did and eventually opening up his own factory. I believe if you take the same steps Andrew Carneige did you can rise for rags to riches. Anyone can try this but few would probably succeed. It's a hard task but many people can do it, rising from rags to riches.

Describe/comment on a Jacob Riis photo.

Picture. The photo is named Necktie workshop in a Division Street tenement, 1889. This photo is of women and men workers in a small tenement making neckties. The tenement looks small, dirty and raggedy. There are cloths, sewing supplies, trash and many other things all over. The workers are concentrating on their work, most not even looking up and looking poor and tired. I think this photo shows the conditions workers in the 1880-1890's had to work in. Poor conditions, definitely not healthy. Many workers probably got sick from the trash and many germs around. Tenements are small, not enough room for workers. The tenement is overcrowded and run-down. I would definitely not enjoy working in these conditions. The workers most likely got very little pay even though they were forced to work in such poor conditions.

Compare the conditions workers in China face currently with those of workers in America at the turn of the century.

The working conditions in China are currently is distress. China is over populated, there are not enough jobs and labor conditions are poor. Much like America there are not enough jobs because we are becoming more and more populated. Working conditions in Chinese factories are terrible, the workers work all day, get little money from it and some workers even live in the factories. In America and China there workers are sometimes discriminated against, weather it's your gender or race. Both America and China's working conditions are becoming worse and worse.