The Vietnam Commitment

American involvement in the Vietnam War happened for many reasons. Some of people believed at the time that American involvement was necessary because if Vietnam fell to communism, then all of Asia might fall to communism with all of the Northern Vietnamese, Chinese, and Soviets trying to spread it. The United States was trying to fully be active in their "War Against Communism." Historians, however, say the war was part of a U.S. imperialistic plan. I believe that because of the continuing Cold War with Russia, it was important to protect Southern Korea for communism because, if not, and Korea fell to communism, it would appear that America wasn't committed to their cause, Russia was more dominant than the United States, and that we lost the Cold War (which was unacceptable).

The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb

The decision President Harry Truman made to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshama and Nagasaki sparks a heated debate between people of every position. Many critics say that what Truman did to Japan was unecessary (as the Japanese were in soon to surrender), and they say that the only reason Truman dropped the A-bomb on Japan was only to intimidate the Soviet Union in the beginning stages of the Cold War. While those explanations may have some validity behind them, I think Truman did the right thing by dropping the bombs in Japan. The purpose of war is to win it no matter what, and the quicker that you knock off the oppostition, the better the situation is for you. Truman was right to bring the American troops home quicker, and preventing any more casualties than necessary. If there was an underlying message to Russia in the dropping of the bombs, Truman was right in doing that too. Showing Russia that America is powerful, and has the audacity to put forth that power, was just good military strategy.

Causes of the Great Depression

The causes of the Great Depression have been argued over by economists and scientists since it started in the 1930s. The economists Milton Friedman and Anna Schwartz came up with the theory of, "The Great Contraction," in their book , Monetary History of the United States. They explained that a drastic contraction of the currency (especially the Federal Reserve Board raising interest rates when they should've lowered them) caused the Great Dpression. I agree that this was the problem that contributed greatly to the depression because there was many factors. People were just discovering credit, and many took advantage of it. Debt accumulated astronomically with the high interest rates, causing people lose all their money. So, while it wasnt the only cause of the Great Depression, monetary contaction played a big role in it.

Progressive Era

In this article, historians argue over the motives of the progressives during the Progressive Era. The Progressives were seen to some as an organization that benefitted the elite and professional figures in society. The progressives', "status anxiety," made some historians think that the reforms of the Progressive Era were a diguise to manipulate American society. Other historians just believe that the progressives actually were there for the enhancement of American culture. I think that both are true in their own ways. There were progressives interested in just helping America genuinely become a better nation, but there was also "progressives" that were just there benefit for themselves in the perfect scheme.

Populism

In this article, they talk about how historians believe that populism was antidemocratic and dangerous. I believe that having that particular social group is greatly important. They are just like the thousands of other groups formed because a group of Americans dissatisfaction with the direction of the country, just as the Ku Klux Klan or the American Temperance Society were. America has always been a nation where people could speak their minds, and though they may of had some radical ideas, like the demands for the remonetization of silver or the government warehouse, their intentions of trying to keep and heighten the lives of farmers were reasonable.

Young Americans Approve Obama, But Not His Policies

Young Americans, people aged 18 to 29, were surveyed about whether or not the approved of Obama and whether or not the agreed with his policies. Acoording to these results, Young American still aprrove of Obama but not as much, and they, like similars polls open to every age, do not agree with heis policies. Young people played a critical role in Obama winning the 2008 election, so losing their support is key to Obama possibly being reelected in 2012, if he chooses to run again. 55% said they would still vote for him again if he ran again in 2012 while 30% said maybe. Their top concerns were the job market, 48%, health care, 21%, and the Iraq war, 10%.

I believe that Obama is doing an all right job at best. He did decide to hop into the presidency at a pretty bad time with the economy failing an all. I don't think that he's following through with everything he promised when he was doing his campaign and that's irrating me and apparently other people too. Young people are so concerned about the economy because we are the ones who will people joining the workforce soon, if we have not already. Health care is an issue too because we will probably be paying for the baby boomers for a good half of our lives. We are mostly concerned about the problems that are going to directly going to affect us. He should worry about the future too, because we are, we have to live in it.

Historiography #3: The American Revolution

Each historian, depending on their diverse influences and viewpoints, has interpreted the debate over the origins of the American Revolution in different fashions. Each historian either believed that the foundation for the Revolution was a political and intellectual event, a social and economic phenomenon, or a radical event that had a profound effect on the society. My belief is that Gordon Wood, who wrote The Radicalism of the American Revolution, is right in believing that the Revolution was a genuinely radical event that led to the breakdown of such longstanding characteristics of society as deference, patriarchy, and traditional gender relations. The radical federalists, which included George Washington and Sam Adams, were huge public figures in America and they helped convince most people to believe in their ideals. It grew the Federalist Party; the radical group that was the most vocal in wanting a complete break from Britain.