Would you rather?

Hello APUSHers!
Hope you enjoyed the snow day and you spent the day frolicking in the snow and building snowman assembly lines. Now that would be quite the sight.
Now, I know all of you have probably played this game before but I would like you to reflect on the following, "Would you rather..." question.

Would you rather spend your WHOLE LIFE in a job that you loved with good co-workers, a decent boss, and comfortable working conditions but live in a shack OR live in a beautiful mansion with all the amenities you could possibly imagine but have a job that you hated doing, a boss that constantly screamed at you, and co-workers who made you absolutely batty?

Discuss.
~Ms. Major

Statue of Liberty

Major Point Bonus Questions:
The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in 1886 to the United States as a present from another country. In 1902 the following quote was added:

Statue Of Liberty inscription, "Give me your tired, your poor
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free"

Questions:
Who gave the U.S. the Statue of Liberty and why?
Who was the sculptor and what was is the true name of the monument?
Where else can this quote be found?

Bring your answers to class on Thursday!

Ancestors

Since America is relatively new in the grand scheme of history, most Americans think of themselves as American but also of some other heritage to which they know they have connections. Most families are able to explain where they "came from". I was thinking it would be interesting to see what awesome culture differences we have in our very own APUSH class. So, if you feel comfortable, please comment on your background.

Free Response Question

Hello APUSHers!
Alright, here is the much anticipated essay question. Again, you can either type or hand write the essay but make sure it is all your own, original work. The essay is due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, November 20th. Also due in class on that day are your notecards for the key terms and people as well as the Ghost Dance extra credit assignment.
Remember with the Free Response Question you still want an introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs as well as a thesis.
Good luck!
~Ms. Major

Free Response Question (essay)

How were lives of the Plains Indians in the second half of the nineteenth century affected by technological developments and government actions?

Tatanka

Forgot to give you some buffalo or tatanka statistics. So here they are:
-It is estimated that in 1870 there were over 30 million buffalo roaming freely on the Plains.
-By 1900 there were fewer than 1,000. Talk about destruction of a culture and a people!!!
-William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) killed 4,280 buffalo. The buffalo he killed were sold to feed the construction crews of the Union Pacific railroad.

Have a happy Friday and I will be sending the essay your way tomorrow!
~Ms.Major

Mission Accomplished!

Awesome job today with our westward expansion activity. You all worked very well as a team and you had some great ideas on how to make it to "the other side". Great team work and creative thinking.
Sorry the sign in for the website was confusing but I did figure it out. I sent you all an e-mail so hopefully you can try to sign in before next class.
Good luck on your PSATs. I know you will all do great. See you back in APUSH on Thursday as we dive right into the meat of westward expansion.

Expansion

Hope you are all ready to start our new unit, westward expansion. It is going to be a good one!!!
See you on Tuesday!
Ms. Major

Reconstruction Test

Hello my APUSHers!
Hope you all have a good night studying and you have utilized the book to help you study for the test. I will be at school early so feel free to come in and I will be there to help review and study. Make sure to read over the DBQ help sheet I gave you because there is a good one on this test!
See you tomorrow morning,
Ms. Major

Here is a shout out to Bea Arthur and the rest of the Golden Girls!

Check out the post below and figure out who are these Golden Girls of the Old West!

~Ms. Major

" Thank you for being a friend!!" (Golden Girls theme song)

Westward Ho!!!

As I am looking ahead to our next unit, westward expansion, I was wondering if any of you had any particular interest you wanted to study that dealt with the Old West. Gun fighting, Coach robberies (not quite ninja like back then), music in town saloons, number of donkeys per person?
Seriously though, if you do have an interest, let me know and I will try to incorporate it into the curriculum. Especially think about the books you read and what topics interested you as you were reading the novels. Go ahead and post your thoughts on the blog. (And try not to make it too silly!)
It was so great to see you guys again today. I hated not seeing your smiling faces for over a week. Life is just not as grand without APUSH. Good luck studying for your Reconstruction Quiz and make sure to come see me if you have any questions.
Have a great weekend!
Ms. Major
P.S. Any thoughts on who these two ladies are? Also, what is this wooden "house" used for? (Hint: Not an outhouse)


What's this sharpshooter's name?

What was I used for?

Who am I???

Who Am I??

Alright, I have a scavenger hunt for you and it pertains to this man. I want you to try to figure out who he was and why he is important to this time period. If you think you figure it out, please don't post his name. Feel free to create your own clues though that will (honestly) help other students discover this character.

So, who am I?
-I was born in Maine
-I graduated from a now private school in Cumberland County
-The college I attended is the same as Ms. Major's bf from the Civil War
-I served during the Civil War
-I would play a key leadership role in a government organization during Reconstruction

Good Luck!

To forgive and forget?

Once the Civil War ended in Wilmer McLean's front parlor in April of 1865, there was a big question of "now what?". The country had to decide how they were going "to bind up the nation's wounds" (Lincoln). Many thought the government should just "forgive and forget" the trespasses of the South and welcome the Confederate brothers back into the Union.

My question to you, in general, is it possible to "forgive and forget"?

Mr. Lincoln

Many of you in your many years of education have learned various information about President Abraham Lincoln. So, who was Abraham Lincoln?? What do you know about the man, the myth, the legend? Post your thoughts under the comment section.

Welcome Back!

In my attempt to join the 21st century and the world of technology, we are going to do some blogging this year. I know you all have a lot of interesting thoughts and ideas so this will be a new way for us to communicate outside of class. Let's just have fun with it and see where it takes us!
Can't wait for another exciting year with you all!
~Ms. Major