American History Homework Six Answers - Student Four

KaraH

1. Lincoln's main goal was to save the Union. In doing so, he played a large part in freeing the slaves, but still it was not the original thing he set out to achieve.

Correct.

2. The 13-15th Amendments all concern equality among the human races. The 13th was added to abolish slavery, the 14th to give all races equal rights, and the 15th to give each race the equal rights to voting.

Excellent.

3. My favorite person during the Civil War is George McClellan, namely for his battle strategies. I don't like how he acted with Lincoln, but in my opinion sometimes defensive positions were better then the offensive. There are many times when offensive is better since it would hurt your opponent and allow your side to recover, but McClellan might have been a little too protective of his armies to do that. Regardless, I think McClellan's initial sense to protect his armies is very noteworthy.

Superb answer. Will use as a model!

4. I don't think anything needs to have been done differently save for one thing: the K.K.K. It appears Congress didn't deal with them until two years after they formed, and those two years was plenty of time for much damage to be done.

Good answer.

5. I actually can't pick too much out about Lincoln that would scream, "HOMESCHOOLER!", he was "normal" when it comes to how he behaved and held himself. There are only very slight differences that could lead to homeschooling. His independent thinking, which was already stated, could have started a chain of reactions that could led to some of his more witty responses to the challenges life threw him (the McClellan letter), his willingness to listen, and his willingness to accept that there may be a God out there, even if he didn't believe before hand. Many people didn't have faith in God grow while holding a high position of leadership, homeschooling may have been that cause.

Superb insight.

6. It would appear that in "Abraham's Dream," Columbia (America) is chasing Lincoln out of the White House while a much more dignified man takes his place. This cartoon probably took place either right before Lincoln was in office, or right after his inaugeration since the artist is obviously stating how he thinks Lincoln should be run out of office. Either that or the artist was Southern, and really disliked Lincoln's want for a single Union of all the states.

Pretty good, but see model answer. You didn't use all the information available in the cartoon and historical information. (Minus 1).

7. Columbia is America, and she's saying to all the protesters in the background (who represent the Union laborers) that every human race was welcomed in America, that every race was allowed the right to work. If the Chinese wanted to work harder for less pay, then the Americans should respect that and allow them to work, and if Americans wanted to keep their jobs then maybe they should work as hard as the Chinese. It wasn't right for the Americans to be annoyed with the Chinese simply because they were taking their jobs. Sure, jobs may have been hard to come by, but it was for good reasons since the Chinese were willing to work harder then the Americans, so they had every right to the jobs.

Great answer!

H3) I don't think anyone looked down on Abraham Lincoln because he was homeschooled. Homeschooling was decently close to the norm then, since all those who could affored it were tutored privately, and the public school system was still planting its roots. Homeschooling really is no different then having a private tutor. George McClellan may have looked down on him for other reasons, maybe because McClellan himself was the odd one out.

I'm skeptical about your position here, but give you full credit. I don't think you've captured fundamental differences that do exist between homeschooling and formal schooling, then and now.

H4) I think Johnson was more misunderstood then anything else. He didn't even get into office by his own power, but instead placed there after Lincoln was killed. That's one problem. The other is Lincoln left a huge mess of the States. Not that it was Lincoln's fault, but the war had just ended, the South was grumbling as the North tried to set them in their place, and the dead were still being mourned. Johnson was blunt, that's another problem. Blunt speakers in a way should be treasures since they only speak what they see, so one can find out if there's something wrong with the way something is being done, but many people can easily take offense by this.

Congress also attempted to control him. They passed an Act that would require Senate aproval for the president to fire his own Cabinet. This kept Johnson from firing Edwin Stanton who at the time was the Secretary of War, and also a part of the "Radical Republicans". Johnson attempted to fire him anyways, and these Radical Republicans decided that was reason enough to have him impeached.

So no, Johnson appears to have been anything but incompetant, the times were very difficult, and the people were simply looking for someone to blame.

Superb answer. May use in the model answers! (Your spelling could improve: "incompetent, not incompetant; approval has 3 p's; earlier, inauguration is misspelled.)

H5) Abraham Lincoln was your average man in everything but his height, mind, and method of dying. He was average when he disguised himself to protect himself from those who may wish him evil, he was average when he decided a different course of action needed to be taken in battle. But he wasn't average when he found a closer relationship with God while he was in office. So he's average, yet a really atypical man.

Terrific answer! Very insightful indeed. May use this as a model answer also.

Note: I'm sorry if there are seemingly random gaps in my answers. The parental controls on this computer cause anything I type that it deems inappropriate to be deleted.

Note 2: I'm also sorry if H5) is short and doesn't make sense since I'm not feeling well at all, and it's making me have trouble concentrating. I'll try to get back and edit it, but I might not get the chance. Sorry!

No problem, your answers came through well.

Terrific work! Score: 99/100.--Aschlafly 20:31, 23 October 2008 (EDT)