LAD #37: Brown v. Board

The Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education judged the "separate but equal" clause from the Plessy v. Ferguson case in education. Linda Brown was a black third grader who had to walk three miles to get to her school for black children in Topeka, Kansas. There was a white school much closer to her house, a mere seven blocks away, but she was not allowed to enroll in this school because of her race. Her family then contacted the NAACP for help, and her case gained much support from those facing similar hardships. Finally, they argued the principle that segregated schools creates a distracting inferiority complex in education that adversely affects students. The Topeka board responded that this segregation was good preparation for adult life. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court, and considered the rights granted to citizens in the fourteenth amendment. After much deliberation, the court ruled the segregation to be unconstitutional. It was a significant step towards desegregation but the ruling was largely ignored since the racist status quo in the south greatly hindered the progress of civil rights. 

LAD #36: Truman Doctrine

After World War II, the Cold War crept into the forefront of American politics insidiously. Failed peace conferences left the Allied Powers estranged--the US and the Soviet Union had conflicting political ideologies. The Truman Doctrine addresses first Communism's threat in Greece. The end of  the war and the removal of the Germans left a behind a fallen and impoverished Greek state. Railroads were destroyed, communication lines were ruined, and other infrastructure was in ruin. Reconstruction was blocked by Soviet troops that committed acts of terror against the Greek government--inciting hostiles along Greece's northern borders. Greece needed the US's help in the form of supplies that would serve to equip the small Greek army with adequate arms to defend and rebuild their nation. Truman also noted Turkey's dilemma--their modernization and development also required the aid of an established democracy such as the United States. In aiding these countries, the US executes its responsibilities as a promoter of political freedoms. Plus, the US was at the same time a protector of the free world and thus a preventer of the spread of Communism. For these reasons, Truman asked Congress to send a sum of 750 million dollars and a contingency of American military servicemen and women to Greece and Turkey for the purposes of reconstruction and modernization. 

LAD #35: Executive Order No. 9066

By issuing the Executive Order No. 9066, FDR granted several military officials such as his Secretary of War to maintain a residence in regions both local and foreign for troops. These regions were to be supplied with adequate transportation, food, shelter, and other necessary accommodations needed to fulfill their orders. Military men were also given the right to use federal troops to maintain order. FDR also authorized the aid of these military residences by hospitalization, food, clothing, and use of land, among other things. To ensure that this order survived, FDR also entailed parts that declared its superior status to earlier proclamations. It also superseded the authority of the Attorney General. It did not interfere with the FBI, but took precedence at the time.

LAD #34: FDR's Declaration of War

Following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941, President Roosevelt issued an address to Congress, asking to declare war on Japan. Naming the day of the attack as a "day that will live in infamy," FDR had confidence in the army and America's power. He also urged Congress to think about the potential consequences involved with letting Japan go unpunished for their actions. According to FDR, the facts of Japan's attacks spoke volumes--there was no denying that Japan broke any notion of peace that existed between America and Japan. When he asked for a declaration of war, FDR was trying to ensure American interests and protect the country. This action brought America into the Second World War, a war that may not have been won by the Allies without American aid.

LAD #33: Roosevelt's First Inaugural

In his first inaugural address, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) admits that his presidency will be a long and arduous journey through the country's economic collapse. FDR told the American people that the crisis was not as dreary as they may have believed. Hope characterized this address and his following presidency. He recognized that the economy left in shambles left farmers without saving, industry without trade, and men with no hope in the stock market. FDR made his most memorable quote, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself." He had the mentality that the nation should be focused on the good of many people, and shy away from self-achievement and personal wealth. FDR ended his address in confidence, with a pragmatic sense of optimism. 

LAD #32 Kellogg-Briand Pact

The Kellogg-Briand Pact was a noble effort of nations weary of war, but was also an ineffective solution to military solutions. After the Great War, or, "the war to end all wars" was completed, the leaders of the countries involved tried to collaborate to made lasting peace a possibility. Consenting members of this treaty chose to practice passive action to resolve problems. War was ruled a barbaric practice that should not be used as a diplomatic strategy. This treaty remained open for other members to join if they wanted to rule out war in their foreign policy. The United States had the responsibility of providing all involved nations with a copy of the treaty, after it was approved in Washington. 

LAD #31: Wilson's Fourteen Points

When Russia pulled out of WWI, President Wilson addressed the serious blow that the Allied Powers sustained when they lost the eastern front of the war. The treaty of Brest-Litovsk allowed the revolution-prone Russians to make a peace with the Central Powers. This effectively led the war towards the British and French. Wilson admired this treaty as a benchmark for the progression of public democracy but also questioned its validity, as Russia made peace with a country and allowed it to keep every inch of occupied territory. To preserve democracy, Wilson argued that it was the United States' duty to join the war and make the world safe for democracy. He wanted to unite the world in order and peace. His points included ending secret treaties, freedom of the seas, colonial self-determination, reacquisition of lost territory, a sanctioned Ottoman port, and a League of Nations.

LAD #30: Schneck v. United States

Schenck was found guilty in the Schneck v. United States ruling, upon three accounts. These accounts included exercising actions in pursuit of a conspiracy, conspiring against the United States, and using the mail system to send items unlawfully. Schenck was a secretary to the Socialist party during WWI and was arrested for printing and distributing anti-war and anti-conscription pamphlets that caused insubordination among drafted men. His pamphlets argued that the Conscription Act and the Selective Service Act were unlawful because they supposedly violated the thirteenth amendment that forbade involuntary servitude. He also attested to the right of people to protest acts like these. He thought it was wrongful for humanity and only benefitted Wall Street's chosen few. When tried, Schneck argued for his right to free speech, however the Supreme Court declared that his actions instigated a clear and present danger to the rights of safe thought to other citizens--similar to shouting "fire" in a theater. In times of war, his actions could cause widespread panic and obstruct peace.

LAD #29: Keating Owen Child Labor Law

In simple terms, the Keating Owen Act was put in place to prevent the commerce between states of products that employed child labor. For any product made with labor by a person younger than sixteen, interstate trade could not be conducted with that product. The practice of making children ages 14 to 16 work more than 6 days, earlier than 6am, or later than 7pm was outlawed. The act also gave the Attorney General, Secretary of Commerce, and the Secretary of Labor to enforce temporary rules in order to make sure the Keating Owen act was carried out. The Secretary of Labor could inspect various workplaces to make sure the stipulations were followed. If the act was violated, the violations were to be immediately brought to court with no delay of punishments--a fine of $200 for the first offense and a fine of up to $1000 or a three month imprisonment after that. 

LAD #28 Wilson's First Inaugural

To begin his first inaugural address, President Wilson notes the change that had recently occurred in the government. He says that simply, the government had taken a turn and was filled with mostly democrats. He did not mean that a great shift of ideals would accompany the great shift in political affiliation, but rather than the new order came to assume known things refreshed by new perspectives. At this time, the nation was threatened by many troubles, especially involving conflicts against the Progressive platform--the platform that republicans Roosevelt and Taft both followed. Wilson praises the moral strength of the nation, before he goes on to list all the problems that needed to be addressed. First, Wilson wanted to conserve natural resources. Additionally, he states justice as the government's new goal, and rectify the wrongs created by industrialization. Wilson approaches the task by asking for the help of not just one party but of humanity as a whole, to take steps towards modifying the economy and bringing it to where it should be. 

LAD #27: Clayton Anti-Trust Act

This act was put in place to expand the government's influence against corrupt Big Businesses, more than the symbolic Sherman-Anti Trust Act that came before it. One part of this law made it illegal to discriminate by price, such as charging more for a short trip than a long trip on the railroads. This discrimination was a weapon wielded by monopolists in Big Business, so outlawing it would serve to undermine their monopolistic power. Also, rebates and other malpractices of price shifting to force out competition or lower the price for a certain company were outlawed. Lastly, free trade was promoted by restricting a company from buying controlling stock in other companies that would consolidate businesses and lessen their competition--and interlocking directorate.

LAD #26 I Have a Dream Speech

This day is set aside to honor the work of Martin Luther King Jr. and all his efforts in the Civil Rights Movement. Some of his most famous words are in his "I have a dream" speech. Speaking in front of thousands of people at the Lincoln Memorial, King makes an allusion to the Emancipation Proclamation--a document that ensured the freedom of black slaves. King says that despite this proclamation made by a long dead president, the "Negro is not free." King feels like an exile in his own land. He and his followers gathered in Washington D.C. to "cash their check," to gain protection of the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. King hopes that justice will soon be at hand, and King urges his supporters to not be violent in achieving this, but affirming their ownership of justice with patience and discipline. King is hopeful for the future, and dreams for the day when his children will be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. People must dedicate themselves to freedom, and give new respect for the phrase "let freedom ring." Freedom must ring through the lands of the country both free of hatred and in the hotspots of racial discrimination. When this happens, the people of the nation can move forward together and realize King's dreams.

LAD #25: The Dawes Act

Approved in February 1887, the Dawes Act was put into place as a way to continue the policy of creating Indian reservations. To carry out this girl, the government set up a series of procedures that allotted certain parts of the reservation land to individual families for ownership. The U.S. looked to populate reservations in a more cooperative way other than forceful residency. The Dawes Act granted one-quarter section to each head of the family, an eighth for any person over eighteen, and a sixteenth for children younger than eighteen. In addition, the Act was designed to provide other benefits to the allotted landholder, like the addition of extra grazing lands when the original plot allotted became valuable for that purpose only. To prevent conflict between tribes and families, provisional lines could be drawn to ensure the total land area is equal to the rest of the land they were entitled to during the passing of the Act. Indians not on reservations can still be allotted land, if they applied to their local land office. Patents ensured that lands were owned by Indians within the U.S. for 25 years. Extension, selling, and purchasing was regulated by the Secretary of the Interior. Citizenship was offered to compliant Indians. However, the many displaced nations under Jackson's presidency did not apply to this law, nor did the Seneca Nation within New York.

LAD #24: Bryan's Cross of Gold Speech

William Jennings Bryan gave a speech at the Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1896 called the "Cross of Gold." He integrated the values of the Populist Party, especially concerning the platform of bimetallism, or the belief that both gold and silver should be coined currency. Bryan says that the money question is a major issue while also saying that silver Democrats were there not just to show their stand on that issue but also to publicize their ideas with the common people--with whom the Democratic party sympathizes. He clarifies that the Democratic platform is not a plan of hostility against the Republicans, although it drastically differs from the Republican platform, resulting in political battle lines being drawn. Republicans argue that silver coinage would interfere with their businesses, but Bryan argues that Republican practices have already interfered with the common man's own business--farmers, wage earners, and factory workers. In response to accusations against an income tac, Bryan sates that every man must contribute his share of the burden to deserve to enjoy the protection provided by the country. Bryan believed that money was a function of the government, under the exclusive control of banks.

LAD #23: Populist Party Platform

The Populist Party Platform is a reaction to the growth and domination of big business during America's heavy industrializing. It claimed to represent the common worker and his rights and political desires. The party adopted an appeal similar to the Declaration of Independence. It starts with a preamble that condemns the status of the poverty-stricken cities. A worker's only hope for organization, or self-protection, is crushed by the unchecked powers of big business. Also, they advocate for a use of silver as currency, as the restriction of this is a way of the government to keep a wealthy creditor's wallet fat. Current currency fails to conduct the equal value for the billions of dollars worth of crops and agricultural productivity. As a result, workers and producers are impoverished, prices drop, and corrupt combines and rings were formed out of desperation. Simply, the party wished to restore the government to its forgotten hallmark of popular democracy. They also stand for a legal union of labor, coinage of silver and gold currency, and the government ownership of railroads and telephone. Land should not be monopolized for the purpose of business speculation, and should being to rightful owners who can then use the land to create their own wealth. The Populist Party believed in a free and fair ballot, as well as pensions for former Union soldiers. They had a sympathy with labor organizations as well as their pleas--less hours, better pay, safer conditions.

LAD #22: McKinley's War Message

President McKinley, in his address to Congress in April 1898, asserted that war between Cuba and Spain should be ended as soon as possible--"in the name of humanity, in the name of civilization, in behalf of endangered American interests which give us the right and duty to speak and to act." The constant insurrections between Spain and Cuba were detrimental to America's trade, as well as the mindsets of frantic citizens. McKinley urges Congress to end the war in any means, such as proposing a rational compromise by neutral intervention or by outright endorsement of one side, as long as forceful annexation is not done. Should the U.S. be forced to choose a side to support, it would be the one against insurrectionaries, as their destructive acts needed to be stopped. However, a neutral resolution would be much more justifiable, although it would be difficult. However the manner in which the goal of ending the war was to be attained was left ultimately up to Congress.