LAD #30: Brown vs. Board of Education

Brown was a parent of a black girl and he wanted her to go to a white school. So he went to the NAACP for help, they took it to court. The NAACP argued that segregated schools sent the message to black children that they were inferior to whites; therefore, the schools were inherently unequal. The Supreme Court struck down the "separate but equal" doctrine of Plessy for public education, ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, and required the desegregation of schools across America. The Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision did not abolish segregation in other public areas, such as restaurants and restrooms, nor did it require desegregation of public schools by a specific time. It did, however, declare the permissive or mandatory segregation that existed in 21 states unconstitutional.

LAD #29: Truman Doctrine

President Truman made the Truman doctrine, an address before a joint session of congress. The Truman doctrine regarded the nation’s foreign policy and national security. One part addressed the relations with Greece and Turkey. Greece greatly needed financial help from the United States. This is because neither Great Britain nor the UN will help Greece right now. Though, Truman also believes that the United States should help Turkey. He states that the national integrity of those countries is essential to the preservation of order in the Middle East. Truman thinks that the foreign policy of the United States should be to support free people who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures. If America does not help Truman is afraid that Western Europe will be affected badly. He is asking congress to provide authority which will permit the speediest and most effective use, in terms of needed commodities, supplies, and equipment, of such funds as may be authorized. He is confident that Congress will help.

LAD #28: FDR's First Inaugural

FDR opens his inaugural powerfully by saying that the only thing America has to fear is fear itself. This meant, specifically, fear of the unjustified terror that was harming America. Both the economy and people were suffering. Next he address the fact that many people have face failure during this time and happiness only comes from achievement. The way FDR saw it was that the largest and most important task of America was get people back into work. FDR then continues to discuss how many things can attribute to more jobs. He states that both local and state governments should help out during this time. He mentions that credit cards and loans must be watched carefully, and that people should help each other; Americans are interdependent. He closes by saying that the nation faces a hard time but together they can pull everything back together. FDR will do everything in his power to help the country, alongside congress.

LAD #27: Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928

The start of the document makes it clear that things should be resolved by peaceful relations and not war. Next, it explains all the countries and their appointed representatives for the treaty. Then the articles of the treaty were mentioned emphasizing that there shall be no war and negotiations should be made peacefully. The treaty also remained opened as long as it was deemed necessary. On July 24, 1929 with about 35 countries involved, the treaty went into effect.

LAD #26: Schenck V. United States; Baer V. United States

Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes delivered an opinion of the Supreme Court on March 3, 1919 The charge was against a conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act. They were planning on obstructing the recruiting and enlistment service during WWI. The men accused of this crime had created pamphlets trying to persuade men to not enlist in the Army. Also, these men had illegally used federal mail for this purpose. Schenck was the secretary of the Socialist Party and he was in charge of its headquarters. He was responsible for distributing this revolutionary material. The Socialist document recited the 13th Amendment and said that the Conscription Act violated this Amendment. It also said that conscription was terrible and an act of despotism and wronged humanity. As well, it begged people to assert their rights and show their dislike of the draft. The pamphlet said that the conscription act was being used as part of a government conspiracy. The accused said that the pamphlet was allowed by the First Amendment of free speech. Yet, the Supreme Court ruled that it was illegal because it was harmful to the people of the US and that superseded individual rights.

LAD #25: Wilson's 14 Points

Wilson's 14 Points:

1. Agreements between nations should be public and open. (One of the main causes of World War I was the secret alliances between many nations.)

2. Freedom of navigation.

3. Free trade.

4. Reduce the militaries as much as possible.

5. The destinies of occupied nations and colonies should be determined in a fair way -- including the needs of the people who live in those countries.

6. Foreign occupation of Russia should end, and Russia should be welcomed back into the family of nations.

7. Foreign occupation of Belgium should end, and she should be allowed to rule herself without any interference.

8. Alsace and Lorraine should be give Àn back to France. (Germany had won them from France during the Franco-Prussian War during the early 1870s.)

9. Italy's boundaries should include the areas of primarily Italian peoples. (Formerly, Austria-Hungary controlled significant Italian areas.)

10. Austria should be a free and independent nation.

11. Foreign occupation in the Balkans should end. Serbia should have access to the sea. The Balkan states should be organized according to their nationalities (ethnic groups).

12. The Ottoman Empire should allow for a new Turkey comprised primarily of Turkish people. Other areas that were formerly ruled by the Ottoman Empire should be allowed to form their own nations according to traditional ethnic groups.

13. A Polish nation should be formed in predominantly Polish areas.

14. Equal treatment for all nations -- great and small. A League of Nations should be created to protect the political independence and territories of all nations.

LAD #24: The Clayton Antitrust Act

This act was passed in order to fix the problems from the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Some of the changes made in this Act were price discrimination, changes in merger laws, sales conditions, and ownership laws. If competition is lessened by price discrimination and monopolies are formed than it becomes illegal. The mergers executed by a company may not lessen competition, nor may the buyer deal with the seller’s competitor. These revisions primarily dealt with unfair competition created by the outlined situations, all of which were made illegal to further help the consumer and the small businesses. Probably the most significant section in the Clayton was the Act Section 8. This prevented any one person from being the director of more than one competing businesses to prevent monopolies.

LAD #23: Keating-Owen Child Labor Act of 1916

The issue of this act was child labor and whether children should be able to work or not. Lewis Hine took photographs of children working and this caused social reformers to take stands against child labor. They pointed out that it was bad for the welfare and health of children. The Keating-Owen Child labor Act used the government to regulate interstate commerce which controlled child labor. It outlawed the sale of products by business that employed children that were too young. This act was passed by Woodrow Wilson and was decided as unconstitutional, yet latter it became constitutional again. It is still in effect today.

Lad #22: First Inaugural Address of Woodrow Wilson

The government is now controlled by the democrats. This change of government takes a new view on old ways. The government of the United States is a very good form which has held the nation till current times. Though, bad has also come with the good, the government has been abused for selfish and undemocratic proposes. In his inaugural address, Wilson states that his job is to “cleanse, to reconsider, to restore, to correct the evil without impairing the good, to purify and humanize every process of our common life without weakening or sentimentalizing it”. Wilson wants to fix and restore the country. Wilson points out the places which need to be restored and makes it apparent that he wants to restore the government not destroy it.

LAD #21: Dawes Act

In the beginning of the act it states that the president is allowed to survey the Native American land and divide the arable area into allotments for the individual Native American. Section 2 states that each Native American will choose his or her own allotment. Section 3 states that a Native American agent must certify each allotment. Section 4 states that the Native Americans not reservations receive equal allotments. Section 5 states that the Secretary of the Interior will hold the allotments for 25 years. Section 6 states that after completion of the Land Patent process, the holder of the allotment will be granted citizenship. Section 7 states the water rights on allotments with irrigated land. Section 8 states that this act does not apply for the Five Civilized Tribes and some others. Section 9 gives funds to carry out the act. Section 10 states that the Power of Eminent Domain of the Congress has power over the allotments. Section 11 states the provision for the Southern Ute Native Americans.

LAD #20: Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” Speech: Mesmerizing the Masses

The issue of this speech was about the free coinage of silver at the ratio of 16:1, silver to gold. The point was that this would help the poor by putting more money into circulation. Bryan was a democrat and wanted to help everyone be more equal and spread the wealth of the country among many people not just a few. Furthermore, he favored an income tax because it would take more money from the rich. He wanted the government to have control over the country’s money and not the banks. On the other hand, Republicans wanted the wealthy to stay wealthy because they thought the wealth would eventually find its way down to the lower classes. In the end, Bryan is in favor of the silver coinage system.

LAD #19: Populist Party Platform, 1892 (July 4, 1892)

The Populist Party arose in the 1890s as third party independent of Democrats and Republicans. They opposed the "concentrated capital" of banks and big businesses. In the preamble it is made clear that the party wants to make change in the U. S., as it sees corruption in elections, low wages given to the workingman, and the national power to create money held by bond-holders. The party wants to dissolve the gap between the millionaires and the poor workers. In its platform the party states three points, that it wants permanent labor unions, wealth belongs to the person who creates it, and that the government should own and control the railroads. They desire the nation’s money to be in the hands of the people and want more of it to be circulated. Land is the heritage of the settlers and should not be monopolized. The next part of the platform is the sentiments which restate what the Populist Party wants, including fair elections and shorten work hours.

LAD #18: McKinley’s War Message

On April 11, 1898, President William McKinley addressed Congress about the war between Spain and Cuba. Before his War message he said that the war in Cuba had to stop. For three entire years of war, McKinley kept America neutral. Yet as there was not any indication of a compromise and McKinley believed that it was America’s rightful duty to become involved in the warfare. McKinley stated that the American trade was suffering as a result of the war and moves on to say that he desires a compromise because a for sure victory appeared unlikely. Mainly, McKinley wants to keep peace in America and to fix American commerce by helping the Cubans against Spain. Though, later the Maine is sunk at Havana harbor and this gives credence to America’s involvement in the war. As it is in America’s best interest to intervene in Cuban affairs, McKinley helps out Cuba. He hopes to show that Americans are peace-loving people.