Call+me+nighthawk

John Chavez has dibs on this page. [|Back off]. APEX PREDATOR

183-1820

xtranormal presentation: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/13047864/historical-figurez-movie



Treaty of Paris 1783:
 * Dwindling support from the British citizens; it grew unfavorable in their eyes
 * Battle of Saratoga: Turning point of the war and persuaded France to give the colonists support
 * Battle of Yorktown: General Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington that ended the Revolution
 * Declaration of Independence: Listed the grievances of the colonists and officially separated themselves from Great Britain
 * Increase of patriotism in the colonies due to influencial pamphlets that advocated for independence

The Treaty of Paris 1783 allowed for America to gain its independence and Britain to actually acknowledge it. It extended the United States territory as far as the Mississippi River and gave them fishing rights in the area of New Foundland in Canada. Unfortunately, the Treaty forced them to pay debts that they owed to British merchants. It influenced America by giving America its freedom but it also allowed the colonists to permeate throughout the new territories.

Whiskey Rebellion 1789
 * As part of Alexander Hamilton's economic plan to get the United States out of its slump, he suggested to impose an excise tax on liquor, particularly whiskey.
 * The availability and the ease of creating whiskey made it a favorite among the citizens, making it that much harder for them to abide by the excise tax
 * The Articles of Confederation didn't have the power to tax the citizens in the first place so a national tax on liquor came as a shock to them
 * Many farmers operated distilleries at the side as an extra source of income so when the tax was imposed, small distilleries suffered while the bigger, more stable distilleries who could afford to pay the flat tax (the other way to pay the tax was per gallon, and that's what small distilleries had to do)
 * People in the west used whiskey as a method for payment due to scarce physical money, so the excise tax simultaneously served as income tax for some individuals

The Whiskey Rebellion was a rebellion in the west in reaction to eastern legislature. This created a faction similar to northern industry versus southern agriculture except this time, it's the east coast super powers against the western small farmers. It was unfair in the sense that the tax singled them out and allowed for the east to prosper in expense for their misery and misfortune. What's more is that some of the states affected by this weren't represented in Congress, so the good ol' "no taxation without representation" came back into play. Although the rebellion was justified, it was necessary for Washington to stop it in order to preserve the union.

It affected United States history because it displayed the newly acquired powers of government. It showcased the executive power's role when it came to stabilizing the country and repressing revolts. This is important because America would see it's share of rebellions in the future, and the government would put them down. However, it also fortified the wall between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, who argued that it misinterpreted and misused the powers granted to them by the Constitution and that the government had too much power.

[] Used for the Whiskey Rebellion

John Marshall
 * Chief Justice of the United States who helped shape the Judicial branch as well as the law through his court decisions
 * Some of his notable court decisions:
 * Marbury vs Madison (1803): Judicial review - the power of the Supreme Court to decide if actions by Congress or the President is Constitutional
 * Fletcher vs Peck (1810): States couldn't impair a contract
 * McCulloch vs Maryland (1819): States cannot tax the Bank of the US
 * Dartmouth College vs Woodward (1819): Displayed how the Supreme Court can overrule state rulings
 * Cohens vs Virginia (1821): Strengthened the right of the Supreme Court to review decisions of the state supreme courts
 * Gibbons vs Ogden (1824): Congress has control over interstate commerce
 * Asserted the Judicial branch's position and increased its influence over the other branches, and made it so that it was "independent" and acted on its own
 * The Federalist that he is, he also helped strengthen the Federal government as a whole

[] Used for John Marshall

James Madison
 * The Father of the Constitution as well as the main proponent for the Bill of Rights
 * Fourth President of the United States
 * Aided in the making and circulation of the Federalist Papers, among with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay
 * Although he was a Federalist prior the Constitution, he soon became a Democratic-Republican
 * Wrote the Virginia Resolution, along with Jefferson's Kentucky Resolution, in order to nullify the Alien and Sedition Acts
 * Foreign Policy
 * The Nonintercourse Act of 1809: Prevented trade with Britain and France but allowed trade with other nations. This led to French and British ships attacking American vessels and impressing American sailors into the French or British navy
 * Macon's Bill #2: Napoleon professed to be neutral so American ships began trading with them, except the French persisted on capturing American ships
 * War of 1812
 * Caused by British violations of American neutrality rights in the seas and fighting with them on the west
 * Treaty of Ghent ended the war, led to the Hartford Convention which decided that a 2/3 vote must be required in Congress before America can go to war. It also led to the demise of the Federalist party
 * It displayed the weakness of the American army and navy, so Madison in turn became a champion for a stronger military

[] Used for James Madison

1820-1877

//Causes// //Importance// //Impact on American History//
 * Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854**
 * Transcontinental Railroad: Stephen Douglass, senator of Illinois, wanted to build the railroad through the US, but needed to convince southerners that the railroad should expand south
 * Farm Land: These new states offered vast amounts of acres that should be cultivated, but first, it must be settled
 * Outdated Missouri Compromise: This old compromise needed to be repealed and replaced in accordance to the Dred Scott consensus
 * Compromise of 1850: This compromise introduced the idea of popular sovereignty that was to be adapted into the Kansas-Nebraska Act in order to let the people decide over the issue of slavery
 * Nullification Crisis:
 * Led to bleeding Kansas: Popular sovereignty attracted people to move there so that the state could win the popular vote over slavery for their "team." This created fights between pro-slavery settlers and anti-slavery settlers
 * Lincoln and Douglas debates: It sparked the bouts between the two, setting up Lincoln's political platform and his opinion towards slavery
 * One of the short term causes of the Civil War
 * Led to emmigration to the Nebraska territories

[]

//Causes// //Importance// //Impact on American History//
 * Panic of 1837**
 * Jackson's "Pet Banks": Jackson removed all the money from the Federal Bank and placed the revenue into the state banks in an effort to give more power to the states. It killed the Bank of the United States, but in the process, it increased inflation.
 * Specie Circular: Speculation had inflated the price of land so to counteract this, Jackson issued the Specie Circular, requiring federal land to be bought with gold and silver. This led to the decrease of value of bank notes as well as land sales.
 * Failure of wheat crops: The Hessian fly caused the crops to fail
 * Economic problems abroad: European countries were also experiencing economic problems, especially in Britain where a couple of banks had failed
 * An overall depression that wrought the country prior to the Panic
 * Contributed to Van Buren's overall unpopularity amongst the people because he refused to do anything about the depression that was placed before him
 * Blame was placed on the Bank by the Jacksonian Democrats, stating that it had allowed for inflation
 * Banks began to fail left and right
 * Van Buren proposed the Divorce Bill and championed the independent treasury, all of which assimilated into the Federal Reserve System

[|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panic_of_1837#Effects_and_aftermath]


 * Robert E Lee**
 * One of the most renowned commander of the Confederate army in the Civil War and highly regarded as one of the greatest generals in American history
 * A skilled tactician and an excellent commander, he gave the Confederates many victories, even though the Union armies outnumbered them
 * He was considered to be the backbone of the Confederates, the driving force behind the soldiers.
 * After the loss at Gettysburg, the war tended to favor the Union, and Lee would ultimately surrender to Ulysses S Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse
 * Had it not been for his great leadership, in addition to other great generals, the Confederates would not have lasted as long as they did, and the Civil War would have been much shorter

[]




 * Henry Clay**
 * Known as the Great Compromiser, he was the mastermind behind the following arrangements:
 * Corrupt Bargain: He dropped out of the race to sway the vote to favor John Quincy Adams rather than Andrew Jackson
 * American System: He championed tariffs to promote industry, the recharter of the National Bank, and internal developments such as canals and steamboats
 * Missouri Compromise of 1820: Delayed the coming of the Civil War by keeping the free state and slave state equal in number and providing a method for deciding whether a state is free or not
 * Compromise of 1850: Further delayed the Civil War by addressing the newly attained territories and their condition as free or slave state

[]



1877-1918

//What caused It?//
 * Spanish American War - John Chavez**
 * Imperialism
 * Alfred T Mahan's //The Influence of Sea Power Upon History// argued that great nations were seafaring nations who relied on foreign trade
 * Manifest Destiny
 * Protestant Missionaries and the "White Man's Burden"
 * Henry Cabot Lodge and Theodore Roosevelt's advocacy for global expansion to increase US power
 * Seward's acquisition of Alaska and US involvement in Hawaii
 * Meddling in the affairs of Cuba: US wanted to annex Cuba, while the country itself was going through a revolution against Spain
 * Yellow Journalism: Journalists like Hearst and Pulitzer exaggerated stories concerning Weyler, the general of Spanish forces, and his animosity towards the Cubans
 * De Lome Letter: An acquired letter from the Spanish Ambassador that criticized McKinley and expressed that Spain had no intention of changing policy towards Cuba
 * Sinking of the USS Maine: Some say that it was intentional so that America would be forced into war with Spain

//Why is it important?//
 * America's winnings:
 * Cuba: Became a protectorate and the country was restricted by the Platt amendment. This protectorate status would only last for 31 years
 * Philippines: Filipinos thought that they were liberated but in actuality, they had been bought by America. This misunderstanding led a war with the country, which cost $400 million.
 * Puerto Rico and Guam
 * Edified and consolidated America's role in foreign affairs through it's brisk termination of the war and its overall strength as a nation
 * Sparked controversial issues concerning imperialism and colonization
 * Displayed Theodore Roosevelt and his Rough Riders

//How did it help shape the United States?//
 * Retained some of the colonies gained from the war
 * Started the enmity between America and Cuba
 * Depicted American Imperialism at its best
 * One of the uniting factors for the North and the South in the sense that the war rallied both sides together against one common enemy



//What caused It?// //Why is it important?// //How did it help shape the United States?//
 * Addition of the Roosevelt Corollary - John Chavez**
 * American Imperialism: Nation's desire to expand as a means of accumulating power
 * Theodore Roosevelt's fear of Latin America's inability to pay off debts to European. Because of this, he was afraid that these countries might fall into European control
 * Big Stick Diplomacy: Roosevelt's notion that America should "walk softly, but carry a big stick" to public display the nation's power
 * Spanish American War: America had to protect their newly acquired properties
 * Increase Reputation: America desired to be acknowledged as an actual super power
 * Warded of European nations from the Western Hemisphere
 * The United States acted as the protector of Latin American countries,
 * Latin American countries believed that America was a little overbearing and sometimes, the countries felt as if they were being bullied by America
 * The Corollary was used to justify America's reason for sending troops to Latin American countries
 * It contributed to the friction between America and the countries they were protecting, especially Cuba
 * America gained sole "ownership" of the Western Hemisphere, and had undoubted influence over these countries.



//Why is he important?// //Why is he significant to United States History?//
 * Woodrow Wilson - John Chavez**
 * The 28th President of the United States
 * Leader of the Progressive Movement
 * Passed a slew of progressive reforms, including:
 * Federal Trade Commission Act: Fought against unfair trade practices
 * Clayton Antitrust Act: Strengthened the Sherman Antitrust Act
 * Income Tax: First of its time
 * Federal Reserve Act: Set up the central banking system of America
 * Adamson Act: Imposed an 8 hour workday
 * Rallied the nation together during WWI
 * Issued the Fourteen Points as part of the negotiations at the end of the war
 * The progressive legislatures that he pushed for and passed are still in effect to this day, such as the income tax, the Federal Reserve Act, and the Federal Trade Commission Act
 * His advocacy for the Fourteen Points produced the League of Nations, which was the precursor the the United Nations
 * Renowned for his trust busting, similar to Theodore Roosevelt

[]



//Why is he important?// //Why is he significant to United States History?//
 * Booker T. Washington - John Chavez**
 * Spoke against the disfranchisement of his contemporaries in the South
 * Able to garner the support of not only fellow African Americans, but also white people, educational and religious communities, donations from philanthropists, etc.
 * Atlanta Address of 1895: Washington advocated for African Americans to earn their recognition rather than taking it by force
 * His literature and speeches helped decrease the friction between races, improving their relationships
 * Aided in providing African Americans with higher level education, as well as economic power and a comprehension of the country's legal system
 * His crusade was one of the foundations for the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's

[]



1918-1941

//What caused it?// //Why is it important?// //How did it help shape the US?//
 * Immigration Act of 1924 (The John-Reed Act):**
 * Large influx of immigrants throughout the globe: Eastern/Southern Europeans, Middle Easterners, Asians
 * Immigration Restriction Act of 1921: It's predecessor, limiting immigration down to 3%
 * Emergency Quota Act: Needed to be replaced
 * Nativists in fear of losing their jobs to immigrants
 * Fear of Communism in the population
 * Replaced the previous 3% down into 2%
 * Extremely reduced immigration in the 1920s
 * Put restrictions on specific countries, such as Japan, who was not able to export immigrants altogether
 * Ended unrestricted immigration for that time frame
 * Provides an example of government effectively decreasing immigration
 * A victory for the nativists
 * Would not be superseded until the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_Act_of_1924#History

//What caused it?// //Why is it important?// //How did it help shape the US?//
 * The First Hundred Days:**
 * President Franklin Roosevelt's assumption of the Presidency
 * His New Deal
 * Compromise with Congress
 * Problems caused by the Great Depression
 * Goal to regain America's lost prominence
 * In these hundred days, Roosevelt, along with Congress, was able to accomplish a multitude of things, primarily through...
 * Monetary and Bank reforms
 * The Economy Act
 * Artist programs
 * Farm and rural programs
 * Repeal of Puerto Rico
 * The legislation he passed in this time are still in effect today, such as the FDIC
 * His first hundred days has yet to be surpassed by any other presidents, in terms of getting things done
 * Displayed his overall goals within his presidency

//Why is he important?// //Why is he significant to US history?//
 * John Steinbeck:**
 * An author, who was part of the Modern Era of American Literature
 * Wrote hits such as...
 * //The Grapes of Wrath// (1939)
 * //East of Eden// (1952)
 * //Of Mice and Men// (1937)
 * Won several prizes for his novels
 * His novels displayed the conditions of America
 * //The Grapes of Wrath// especially painted a gruesome picture of the Great Depression
 * His novels greatly influenced American thought and perception



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck

//Why is he important?// //Why is he significant to US history?//
 * Hoover:**
 * 31st President
 * President during the Stock Market Crash
 * Believed in laissez-faire and that the Depression would soon abate, believing that it was just one of the economy's bumps
 * Believed in "rugged individualism"; championed private and local sectors to provide relief for the people
 * To combat the Depression, he...
 * Issued the project to create the Hoover Dam, which provided jobs for the people
 * Passed the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act
 * Increased corporate taxes
 * His naivety caused him to miscalculate the direness of the Great Depression, so when he responded to it, it was too late
 * His responses to the problems of the Depression weren't all that successful
 * The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act increased the tariffs to a record high, which backfired because Europe increased their tariffs as well
 * Hoovervilles and shanty towns sprung up due to his failure to address the situation
 * Seen as one of the worst presidents ever



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Hoover

1941-1963

//What caused it?// //Why is it important?// //How did it help shape the US?//
 * Cuban Missile Crisis - John Chavez**
 * Bay of Pigs Invasion
 * Operation Mongoose
 * Cuban Revolution
 * Monroe Doctrine
 * Spread of Communism
 * America almost entered into nuclear warfare with Cuba and other communist countries
 * The Soviets lost in this situation, which is heightened by the fact that they started the fight
 * Communism as a whole began to deteriorate, as symbolized by the severance of Cuban and Soviet relations
 * Bolstered Kenedy's competency as a President
 * Contributed to the hostility of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union
 * Paved the way for a more diplomatic approach with the Soviet Union

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_Missile_Crisis

//What caused it?// Why is it important? //How did it help shape the US?//
 * Assassination of John F. Kennedy - John Chavez**
 * Conspiracy theories: CIA, KGB, American Mafia, the Israeli government, J Edgar Hoover, Fidel Castro, etc
 * Lee Harvey Oswald was the assassin, but there's a possibility that there had been two gunmen, as there were at least four gunshots
 * Harvey acted alone
 * His motives are a little psychotic, but they were truly his own and not that of others
 * Motivated by the hostility of his environment, hating America and society
 * One of America's greatest presidents was cut short of finishing his term
 * His potential, as President, was not fully displayed
 * Lyndon B Johnson took over, and Robert Kennedy ran for President later on, who also was gunned down
 * The creation of the Warren Commission to investigate the assassination
 * Heartbreak in the American people
 * Deprived of Kennedy's propositions
 * Conspiracy amongst the citizens



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_of_John_F._Kennedy

//Why is he important?// //Why is he significant to US history?//
 * Joseph McCarthy - John Chavez**
 * Infamous for creating outrageous allegations against supposed Communists
 * This included people suspected of being spies, Soviet sympathizers, and communists in general
 * His bold claims were not validated by substantial information and people finally realized this, causing him to be censured
 * His notoriety lead to the coining of the term //McCarthyism//, which now stands for austere accusations, that fail to be backed up with evidence, concerning one's character
 * His accusations were taken seriously due in part of the Cold War tensions
 * He instilled fear in the American people by suggesting that they had been infiltrated by commies and they were living with them
 * Became a laughing stock towards the end of his career

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_McCarthy

//Why is he important?// //Why is he significant to US history?//
 * Dwight D. Eisenhower - John Chavez**
 * Served in World War II as the Supreme Commander of the Allied forces and was accredited for the planning and the supervising of Operation Torch in North Africa and D-Day
 * 34th President
 * Ran on the platform of crusading against "Communism, Korea, and corruption"
 * Removed the Iranian leader in the 1953 Iranian coup d'etat
 * Ended the Korean War with China by threatening them with nuclear weapons
 * New Look policy: Under nuclear deterrence, he placed priority on cheap nuclear weapons and also decreasing the funding for military forces
 * Domino theory as a threat
 * Formosa Resolution: Prevented Chinese communist aggression against Chinese nationalists and also created the US policy of protecting Taiwan
 * Funneled money into science and math education in response to Sputnik's launch
 * The Interstate Highway System
 * Desegregation of the American forces
 * Successfully led America to victories in World War II
 * Effectively combated Communism through ending McCarthyism at home, creating the Interstate Highway System, investing in inexpensive nuclear arms to reduce federal funding, etc
 * His reforms can still be felt today, such as in the education system, the highway system, and the desegregated army

Red Foreman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhower

1963-1988

//Why is he important?// //Why is he significant to US history?//
 * Jimmy Carter - John Chavez**
 * 39th President
 * Foreign policy centered around the protection and preservation of human rights around the world
 * Transferred the Panama Canal back to Panama through the Panama Canal Treaty
 * The Camp David Accords negotiated a peace settlement between Egypt and Israel
 * SALT II Treaty continued in the reduction of arms
 * His incompetence caused him to make a series of blunders, in particular, the Iran Hostage Crisis
 * The domestic problem of stagflation caused unrest in the American public
 * A weak leader, he was eschewed by Reagan's charisma and was dismissed as one of the most ineffective leaders of America

//Why is he important?// //Why is he significant to US history?//
 * Ronald Reagan - John Chavez**
 * 40th President
 * His domestic policy to address the stagflation situation involved Reagan Revolution promises and Supply-Side Economics (Reaganomics
 * Deregulated the economy
 * Star Wars or SDI
 * The INF Agreement with Gorbachev
 * With the aid of the soviets, ended the war between Iran and Iraq
 * Reaganomics increased the budget deficit by $200 billion a year, which has contributed to the $13 trillion we have now
 * This increase in the deficit called for the cease of the creation of new social programs and cut backs on existing ones
 * Essentially ended the Cold War through forcing the USSR into bankruptcy and working with the Soviets to rebuild



//What caused it?// //Why is it important?// //How did it help shape the United States?//
 * Iran Hostage Crisis - John Chavez**
 * America's favor for the Shah: America has long since developed a strong relationship with the Shah government in Iran, aiding him in overthrowing the Prime Minster as a means of gaining access to Iranian oil
 * The Westernization of Iran: It became prosperous through Western contact, which clashed with the Islamic clergy
 * The Shah's dictatorship
 * The Iranian/Islamic Revolution
 * Displayed Carter's ineffectiveness as a leader, as shown by the failed attempts to rescue them; his career was essentially destroyed by this
 * Further increased stagflation in the US because Iran deprived America of its oil
 * Patriotism increased
 * Reagan is seen as a hero because the hostages were released after his inauguration
 * Iran-Iraq War began right after the release
 * Unstable relationship with Iran, even today
 * Inexperienced presidential candidates were generally frowned upon

//What caused it?// //Why is it important?// //How did it help shape the United States?//
 * British Invasion - John Chavez**
 * Rock and roll and blues in the Americas influenced British youth in the late 1950s
 * The combination of American rock and roll with British styles, culminating in the likes of...
 * The Beatles
 * The Rolling Stones
 * The Kinks
 * American music lost popularity in exchange for British music
 * Display of sharing of ideas, in this case, musically
 * Combined with previous American rock music, the British laid the foundation for succeeding musical movements
 * Internationalized the production of rock and roll
 * Ended other musical movements, such as surf music and girl groups
 * Americans were exposed to a different kind of music, and was influenced by it
 * Impressed Americans to accept music from other areas of the world
 * American bands conformed to the British style
 * Became the inspiration for future musical movements