LAD#30 Brown V. Board of Education

The Brown v. Board of Education was an important decision made by the Supreme Court, which ultimately decided that seperate but equal for public schools is not fair. The decision led the way for the Civil Rights Movement to come. The NAACP said that "sperate, but equal schools" were unfair because it ultimately said that black students were inferior to white students. The Board of Education argued that the segregating of schools just prepared black children for the segregation of when they became adults. The case did not just challenge schools in Topeka, Kansas, but in other states where children were segregated.

LAD #29 Truman Doctrine

The main reason behind the statement of the Truman Doctrine was to stop the spread of communism. In order to combat communism the United States was willing to give economic and military aid to Greece and Turkey. The United States was going to do this so that Greece and Turkey wouldn't fall victim to the communists as well. This changed American foreign policy towards the Soviet Union's ever expanding empire to a policy of containment. Truman made this address to Congress on March 12, 1947 after he heard from the British that Greece was having a hard time battleing against the Soviet communists. The British had been helping the Greeks, but they no longer could afford to help them, therefore the United States needed to intervene.

LAD #28 FDR's First Innaugural Address 1933

He says that if he has the support of the American people he can help fix the present state of the nation. He goes on to talk about how taxes have reason and higher prices have been put on material goods. There are large numbers of unemployed people. FDR thinks that is possible to get out of this depression since there are so many oppurtunities in America. He says that happiness should not be calculated by the amount of money one possesses but by the amount of achievements in their lives. We need there to be more stability in banking and in other things. The American people have not failed and America will go back to being what it was before.

LAD #27 Kellogg Briand Pact of 1928

A bunch of countries got together in Paris in 1928 and signed a peace treaty. The pact made it so all the countries that signed it would be on peaceful terms with one another. It said that neither of the countries can result in war now that they have signed this. The countries that signed it hoped that other countries would sign it as well and follow a policy of peace. In the treaty is a bunch of articles proclaiming peaceful relations with one another. Other countries joined this peace treaty as well.

LAD # 26 Schenck v. United States

There was evidence found that connected a certain Socialist group to distributing articles that told people to defy the draft. This goes against the Espionage Act of 1917. The things in these articles would normally be classified as freedom of speech but during times of national crisis our rights as citizens are limited. This offense is punishable by law under the Espionage Act of 1917. There were three counts against them. One was violating the Espionage Act by telling men to defy the draft. The second was a conspiracy against the United States. The third was the unlawful use of the mail to send these articles.

LAD #25 Fourteen Points

The beginning explains the background and how the central empires have agreed to discuss peace. The Russian government gave there principles on making peace. The terms first suggested by Germany and Austria were not the terms choosen. Wilson asks who is Russia dealing with. The United States entered the war because Americans citizens lives were at stake. The first point was to create peace between the nations. The second point was freedom of the seas. The third point was the removal of trade barriers between nations. The fourth point was that nations armys will be reduced. The fifth point was open minded governments. The sixth point was that troops are to leave Russia. The seventh point was that Belgium will be restored. The eigth point was French land will be freed. The ninth point was the lines of Italy will be readjusted. The tenth point was the people of Austria-Hungary were kept safe. The eleventh point some countries will be evacuated. The twelth point was the Turkish part of the ottoman empire will be freed. The thirteenth point was a Polish state will be created. And the fourteenth point was the league of nations.

LAD #24 Clayton Anti-Trust Act

It is against the law for any company to discriminate a price of a certain product in order to create a monopoly. The only way prices of products can change is if they are made differently or use different materials. The Federal Trade Commission is allowed to set limits of what you can sell your for. No company is allowed to set low prices to gain a monopoly and if they are doing so the Federal Trade Commission is allowed to step in and intervene. You are not allowed to accept payment in the form of compensation or other forms. It is illegal for someone to pay for something if they know that it is a discriminatory price. Non-profit businesses are exempted from the discrimatory law. If you are hurt in a job under the Anti-Trust act you are allowed to sue in any United States court.

LAD #23 Keating-Owen Child Labor Act

A census done in 1900 told the American public that over 2 million children were employed working in dangerous conditions. This census created the start of movement towards labor laws for children. Luis Hine was hired to photograph child labor. His pictures depicted the poor health and such that happened when children worked. The Keating-Owen Child Labor Act was passed in 1916, it was based on a proposal that was created by Albert J. Beveridge. It was passed except the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional because it interferred with commerce. A different child labor act was then passed in 1918, but was also proved unconstitutional in the case Hammer vs. Dagenhart. Finally in 1941 the Supreme Court revoked there decision in Hammer vs. Dagenhart.

LAD #22 Wilson's Inaugural Address

When Woodrow Wilson was elected the president and vice president were democrats as well as the Senate and House of Representatives. This means that the American public want something to change if the executive and legislative branches are being controlled by Democrats. The United States government is very good and people look up to it. Even though industry and things like that are good we need to think of the men and women lost in order to make the United States a world power. In order to gain something good, you have to lose something as well. Now the United States must cleanse and make things good again. The have come up with a list of things that need to be changed or reconsidered in order for the United States to be running as smoothly. The health of the citizens is another concern and there needs to be more laws and acts passed to insure that Americans health is not jeopardized. If we complete these things then the United States will continue to prosper.

LAD #21 Bryan's "Cross Of Gold" Speech

No time ever previously in history has a political issue like this been so fought over. A little while previously a group of the Democratic party gave a speech explaining that all of the Democrats who were in favor of the free coinage of silver should be therefore in charge of the Democratic party. Well that caused unrest and conflict among the Democratic party. Even though we are all from Massachusetts we want different things and each person comes up and says something different that they want. A group of the Democrats are no longer going to fight or petition they are simiply just going to defy the others. They keep arguing back and forth one group is saying that the income tax passed by the other was unconstitutional and the group that passed it is saying that it was constitutional at the time etc. The other group is accusing them of resenting national bank currency and they keep arguing. The one group thinks that it is the government who should be coining the money.

LAD #20, Populist Party Platform, 1892

The populists began as a result of the famers alliance in the 1870's, it was a political party that was independent of the Democrats and Republicans. The political party of the Populists resented "concentrated capital." The populist party believes that the nation is demoralized and that public opinion is "silenced." They don't like silver is not as accepted as it used to be because gold has now replaced it. There main goal is to restore power into the hands of "plain people." In there platform they state that we need labor unions, they demand a sound currency. They think that an unsound currency is americas main problem, they want the silver to gold ratio to be 16 to 1, they want a graduated income tax. The populist party also believes that governments should own the railroads not private owners. They also want a fair ballot and a fair count in the elections.

LAD #19, Dawes Act

Any indians that have been alloted land on reservations are getting surveyed or resurveyed. Each person in charge of a family will get 1/4 a section of land, anyone whose single and over 18 will get 1/8 a section of land, any child without parents who is under 18 will get 1/8 a section etc. The land in the reservation is intended to be used for agricultural or grazing purposes. If there is not enough land in a reservation for each person then it will go in class structure who gets land and who does not. The land set aside for reservations and how the sections are divided amongst the indians is to be done by an agent appointed by the president. If an indian belongs to a tribe that does not have a reservation they may apply for land in a local land office. The agent that distributes the land will give out patents that says the name of the owner of the land. Indians even under reservations are still expected to abide by government laws civil and criminal. The secretary of the Interior is allowed to regulate rules on irrigation of the indian lands. Some indian tribes are excluded from this act.

LAD #18 McKinley's War Message

At first the United States kept its neutrality policy when Cuba revolted against its Spanish rulers. The United States had to intervene finally and gave Spain and ultimatum, which Spain accepted. McKinley then told Congress to do whatever they could to end the revolt. Spain then never did the ultimatum, which forced the United States to enter the war on the side of the Cubans. President McKinley then addressed Congress. McKinley explained that a war is going on in Cuba and the United States needed to intervene. The revolt that is currently going on has been fought by Cubans against there conquerors Spain for many years now. Because of this war in Cuba, United States trade and investments within Cuba have suffered. McKinley does not think that if the Cubans won the war anything different would happen to change their situation. He made a previous address to Congress last December where he also discussed the Cuban insurrection. Last December he said that the annexation of Cuba would be considered "criminal aggression." Earlier in 1875 President Grant made a statement saying that the United States could not recognize Cuba as and independent nation. McKinley still to this day agrees with President Grants thoughts on Cuba. He said that there are two different ways they can enter the war either making the two sides compromise or by fighting on one specific parties side. At the beginning when the war first started happening the United States tried the compromise idea, but that failed to work since Spain usually ignored there requests. Set by earlier precedents it is ok for the United States to intervene to stop a war in neighboring states and countries. McKinley then gave possible reasons for interventions. One was to put an end to bloodshed and hostilities. A second reason for intervention is that the Cubans were being deprived of their legal protection and it is our job to protect the Cubans legal rights. A third reason for intervention was because of the suffering of commerce and trade. A fourth reason is that Cuba is very close to the United States and the war and revolt could spread. Another reason for United States intervention was the destruction of the Maine which was docked in a Havana harbor. He then said that the issue was up to Congress for them to decide what to do.