History Lessons

HistoryLessons

Lesson4 focused on the relation between the Native Americans and the UnitedStates. The critical task was to establish a healthy relationshipbetween the newly created country and the Indians. This lesson was ofmost interest to me due to the involvement of the pertinent issue ofland and the delicate nature of acquiring land from the natives as aresult of encroachment from the white settlers. The French andBritish authorities had signed treaties with the Indians, and thisposed a threat to the country. Through embracing trade, the newgovernment needed to establish good relations with the Indians andalso ensure familiarity. The government of George Washington chose tocontrol and manage the trading houses. This was realized through theestablishment of the Government Trading Act. Consequentially, the Actled to trade restrictions given that only government agents wereallowed to oversee the events, those who went against this directivewere fined. Indian affairs were under close watch by the government.The demand for land led to some wrong decisions being made, forinstance, establishing an Act that necessitated the displacement ofIndians and force was used where necessary. It also saw most of thembeing detained in concentration camps and after that, forced tomigrate westwards against their will. As a result, most Indians losttheir lives during this tiresome journey.

Inlesson 5, focused on the election of 1828. Initially, in 1824, AndrewJackson had been denied the chance to be the president even aftergarnering the majority of the electoral votes. His supporters upheldthis bitterness during the 1828 elections. This election was kind ofinteresting to me due to its uniqueness as congressional caucuseswere no longer responsible for the nominations, this duty was left tothe state legislatures and conventions. This contest pitted JohnAdams against Andrew Jackson, in which the latter won. The standardcomponent of the election was the mud-slinging nature of thecampaigns. There were several accusations of financial mismanagementagainst Adams. Jackson had malicious allegations labeled against him,for instance, he was accused of executing those who deserted hismilitia. Together with his wife, they were accused of adultery.Political adversaries publicly accused his wife of adultery leadingto her humiliation and consequently became sick and later died beforeher husband was inaugurated. The decisions taken by Jackson’sopponents was ethically inappropriate due to the need to separatepublic service from private life.

Lesson6 primarily focused on the role of educators. This lesson was ofinterest to me given the importance of education to the prosperity ofany country. As a young nation, the workplace and home settingsplayed a significant role in work processes and culturaltransmissions as formal education was yet to be fully established.The family offered a starting foundation for educating children.Education was viewed as an active component necessary for thestability of the nation. It leads to informed citizens who can makemoral decisions and participate in the sovereign processes of theircountry. However, certain ethical concerns need to be outlined. Thereare were disparities in the education system given the wealthy andlow-income families took their children to different schoolsdepending on affordability. It was a barrier to integration. As aresult, the government facilitated the establishment of publicschools that could be accessed by anyone. Disparities were alsonotable in the regions as the South slugged behind due to itsdevaluation of education. This had its consequences given that theeducation levels in the South have never tallied with other parts ofthe country.