LAD#37: Brown vs. Board of Ed., Topeka, Kansas

Linda Brown, a little black girl, was denied the right to go to public school in Topeka, Kansas. This school was one said to be just for whites though. This case, which was eventually brought to the supreme court, was about segregation in schools. The NAACP was quick to jump on this case in hopes that it would end at least this type of segregation. Plessy vs. Ferguson was brought up, which was the case that deemed the "separate but equal" law acceptable. After this case, though, it was officially called unconstitutional and schools were desegregated from that point on.This sparked the Civil Rights movement, causing the United States of America to never be the same again.

LAD #36: Truman Doctrine

After World War Two, America went to work repairing European and Asian countries in attempts to return the world to a state of normalcy once again. However, this was a tough time for the people living in those countries. They turned to communism and regimes because they wanted equality for all, but they ened up taking part in a dictatorship. Some of those countries did not even choose, they were simply taken over. President Truman then addressed Congress, asking for funding to help Greece and Turkey stay away from communism. Bother countries had unstable governments after the war and were being threatened by communist oppressors. Truman's main goal was to protect the democracy in these countries, and his doctrine reflected the United States' policy of containment (stopping the spread of communism) during the cold war.

LAD#35: FDR's Excutive Order #9066

On February 19, 1942, FDR issued excutive order #9066. In this, he said that as president, he gave permission to commanders of the army and navy to attack or inhabit a place if they felt it was necessary. The Secretary of War had to provide safety for all citizens, as well as food, shelter, and other supports. He authorized the use of federal troops and issued a request for the furnishing of hospitals and new centers. It was the duty of the military to provide for the people and take care of America.

LAD #36: FDR's Declaration of War

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th in 1941. After this, FDR issued an address to congress asking to declare war upon Japan. December 7th would forever be "a day that would live on in infamy." He says to the people that the Japanese are acting as if nothing was wrong, and seems a bit taken aback by this. Japan was attacking several places several times and increasing hostility in the Pacific region. FDR urged Americans to take a stand and fight against Japan. He wants a war and he wants to show that America is not a country that can be messed with easily. America does go to war.

LAD#33: FDR's First Inaugural Address

Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his first inaugural address on March 4th in 1933. He entered into his presidency while the nation was facing the Great Depression. At this point, he opened with his ideas and his famous New Deal proposition. He said that it was foolish for the country to deny that it was in a depression and that it should openly face it because soon, the country would turn it's economy and be back on its feet. He brought up many points, including the economy and employment. He was concerned about rising tax rates because people were unable to pay their taxes due to the high unemployment rate. His New Deal expressed his desire to give those people jobs. He wanted an honest presidency that was built upon proper ethics and diplomacy. He urged that United States of America to work as one nation; claiming that once we were united as one, our problems would go away quicker. He understood that he was in power and it was his responsibility to lead America out of the depression. He said he would take all actions necessary to deliver the nation to better times.

LAD#32: Kellogg Briand Peace Pact

The Kellogg-Briand Peace Pact was a treaty betwen the United States of America, Germany, Belgium, France, Great Britain, India, Italy, Japan, Poland, and the Czech Republic. It was created to outlaw the use of war and promote the welfare of the citizens of the world. It was not to be used, but replaced by "peaceful and friendly relations." The people at the conference believed that all of their problems would be solved by this treaty. They hoped that other countries all over the world would join this effort to promote worldwide peace. Each party signed agreeing to several articles. If a country declares war on another, they must renounce it. All disputes and conflicts were to be solved through the use of peaceful negotiations. Each country that signed it had to immediately ratify it in their respective countries and put into effect. The treaty was to be held in Washington in America. It is the duty of the government to enforce this treaty.

LAD#31: Wilson's 14 Points

Woodrow Wilson outlined things that he thought should be changed in order to being about world peace once again. He was a pacifist, so he wanted to avoid another world war at any cost possible. These are a summary of the 14 points:

1. No private alliances
2. Freedom of the seas
3. Free trade
4. Restriction of national militaries
5. Equal claims in imperialism
6. Russian freedom of government
7. Repair of Belgium
8. Restoration of French territory
9. Adjustment of Italian Frontier
10. Austria-Hungary would be allowed to govern themselves
11. Balkan states to be given independence
12. Turkey would give its conquered states freedom
13. Poland gives passage of the seas to the world
14. League of nations

LAD#30: Schenck vs. US

On March 3rd in 1919, Charles Schenck filed a case against the United States of America. The trial was based upon the content of mail shipped by the socialist party in the late second decade of the twentieth century. They claimed that this went against the espionage act of 1917. The chief justice claimed that the defendant was trying to cause the insubordination of the United States armed forces during the Great War. Schenck was a secretary of the socialist party and he sent out over fifteen thousand pamphlets that encouraged young men to dodge the drafting process. The judge ruled against the defendant. The defendant did not have the right to express freedom of speech against the draft. This case established the "clear and present danger" test which lasted until 1969.

LAD#29: Keating-Owen Child Labor Act

In 1916, the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act was passed by congress as a way for the government to regulate child labor and interstate commerce. It banned the sale of any items produced in a facility that employed children. In the beginning, this law was deemed unconstitutional because it was thought to overstep the boundaries that the government had set regarding regulation of interstate commerce. The campaign for ratification of a Child Labor Law Amendment was momentarily stalled by those who opposed it, using the opoinions of states' rightists and the idea that this act was a communist-inspired plot. It was not until 1938 that the Anti-Child Labor movement was victorious with the Fair Labor Standards Act.

LAD #28: Wilson's First Inagural

On Tuesday March 4th, 1913, Woodrow Wilson gave his first inaugural address. A majority of congress had become the democratic party. This meant that the fate of the president now rested in the hands of the democrats, leading to some questioning on the part of Wilson. The growth of his political party may have also been interpreted as a warning that the democrats would be pressing the plans and views on the american people. Wilson said that America had squandered a great deal of what it had gained and did not stop to consider the outsome for nature in the long haul. While the nation was very proud of its recent industrial achievements, it disregarded the possible effects on the population. The government had forgotten the people that it was working for, and became private for selfish reasons. Wilson claimed that the job of the typical American was to cleanse, reconsider, restore, and correct the evil without impairing the good. He wished to purify the processes of life without weakening them. America, according to Wilson, had been in such a hurry to be great that they had been heedless. Wilson asked the country to support him and help to bring about change. He wanted to revitalize the nation. The tariff of the nation violated its taxation principles and put the government in the hands of private companies. Reformation was what America needed at this time, not destruction. Wilson summoned all men to come and help him with mustering the forces of the party and humanity and with them at his side, he knew he would not fail.

LAD #27: Clayton Anti-Trust Act

The Clayton Anti-Trust act was designed to try to break up the bad trusts in the United States in the early 1900s. It places many rules and regulations on big business. Businesses could not discriminate against customers. If they did discriminate, the company could be charged. Businesses could also not sell the same item for different prices based upon who was buying it. It was deemed illegal to accept bribes and/or give special deals to select customers or accept a better price. A merchant cannot sell another man's products. If someone is injured on the job, they are allowed to sue the company. If anyone violated these terms,j the could be fined up to $5000 and imprisoned. It was put into effect to decrease the powers of businesses in order to increase the power of the people. It provided for healthy competition and economic prosperity for all.

LAD#26: MLK's "I Have A Dream" Speech

On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gives his famous speech for freedom. He begins by talking about how the slaves were freed by Abraham Lincoln years ago, but blacks are still not truly free. Men and women were issued a check for freedom, but now that check comes back with insufficient funds. He wants to keep pursuing justice along with the members of the Civil Rights Union of America. King and all of his followers demanded a change and freedom. They wanted freedom now, rather than later due to the procrastination of their oppressor, the white man. They would rather see change immediately than a slow change over time. He hopes to obtain equality through a larger non-violent movement. He urges blacks not to have hate in their hearts and not to turn to violence, guns and fists. To him, violence means fighting and unnecessary deaths and cruelty. Blacks must not let these incidents lead them to hate other races and nationalities. With this speech, he speaks out and fights against racial discrimination. The blacks are still fighting for equality and freedom, and will continue to fight until they are content with what they have accomplished.

LAD#25: Dawes Act

The Dawes act was an act that would allow Native American individuals to own their own land within reservations. The land that was to be given out had to do with your age and whether you had a family or not. In the case that there was not enough land for all of the native americans on a certain reserve, the government took many precautions. The Native Americans were given the right to choose what part of land they wanted. When and if two indians chose the same piece of land, it would then be divided into 2 separate pieces and the rest of their land would be in a separate location. If they didn't choose their land within 4 years, an agent would choose for them. Even it a native american did not live on a reservation, they would still recieve their piece of land. All land would be patented and protected by the government. The natives could now be punished for breaking any law, but also protected by the law. Any native american not associated with a tribe had the opportunity to become an american citizen.

LAD#24: Bryan's Cross of Gold Speech

Bryan's cross of gold speech addressed the matter of whether silver should be freely coined at a 16:1 ratio with gold. The speech is opened by Bryan saying that people live and die, but principles are forever and that each day of our lives, we choose which principles to live by. At this time, a group of democrats, called silver democrats, took control of the party and slowly traveled around the country and pushed for the free coinage of silver. The men of the country did not choose to side based on their own personal opinions, but rather the views of their appropriate party. Bryan states that the businessmen of the northeast had too much given to them and they did not think enough about the needs of the common man. He argues that the farmers and miners are just as good as the New England businessmen. He fights for the common man, just like the rest of the country (besides the northeast) because they need the silver to help pay off their debts. He believed that the income tax was good for people and that it was the government's job to be in charge of coining money. A lot of people cared more about the gold issue than the tariff at this time. He urged that we stray away from the gold standard and move towards using both gold and silver.

LAD #23: The Populist Platform

In and wround the late 19th century, the populist party arose as a third power in the presidential elections. They were against power in the hands of the wealthy man and fought for the common man. They were also sometimes know as the farmer's party. This party wished to raise America's standards of living. According to members of the populist party, factory workers were not getting paid enough and working conditions had slumped to far below where they should be. Another populist thought was that corporations were becoming more and more corrupt and decreasing the value of silver so tht they could benefit from the value of gold. The reason for their emergence, they claimed, was that none of the other parties were doing anything to stop the corruption in America. This party supported the rights of workers and labor unions. The government had to start intervening with the railroad system in order to make them happy. They believed that money needed to be circulated to the people faster and more money needed to be incorporated into the economic system. The populist party promised to hold an open ballot, pension for ex- union soldiers, and to protect the rights of the people.

LAD#22: McKinley's War Message

The Spanish and the Cubans started fighting in 1895. This was because the Cubans wanted their freedom from Spain, but Spain refused to give it to them and Cuba resorted to violence. Fueled by the sinking of the Maine a few years later, the United States entered the war on the side of the Cubans.

In McKinley's War Message, he told congress that the raging war was now affecting not only soldiers, but american citizens as well. The atrocities in the war were absolutely appalling to people. The war was having an impact on American economy too. America had much trade with Cuba, and the war weakened Cuba's trade as well as the American economy. The war dragged on for 3 years with no clear winner. McKinley stated that it had gone on long enough and it was time for America to choose: Either stay a neutral nation or pick a side and act as a military ally. He believed that it was about time that the US intervened because the bloodshed needed to be stopped. Our trade, freedom, and the citizens of Cuba needed protecting.