1 / 18

WEEK 9 AMERICAN STUDIES

WEEK 9 AMERICAN STUDIES. APRIL 14, 2014 THE MEXICAN WAR OPPOSITION TO THE WAR HENRY DAVID THOREAU. 3-1-14 Russian invades Crimea. “What has happened is a brazen act of aggression in violation of international law . . .” U.S Sec. of State John Kerry. 4-24-1846 U.S. invades Mexico.

branxton
Download Presentation

WEEK 9 AMERICAN STUDIES

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. WEEK 9AMERICAN STUDIES APRIL 14, 2014 THE MEXICAN WAR OPPOSITION TO THE WAR HENRY DAVID THOREAU

  2. 3-1-14 Russian invades Crimea “What has happened is a brazen act of aggression in violation of international law . . .” U.S Sec. of State John Kerry

  3. 4-24-1846U.S. invades Mexico

  4. “I do not think there was ever a more wicked war than that waged by the United States on Mexico.” Ulysses S. Grant • http://rothcpa.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/grant126.jpg

  5. The reason for the war:U.S. cavalry troops entered a strip of land that was claimed by both the U.S. and Mexico. They were fired upon. Congress declared war.This set a dangerous precedent.

  6. In 1898 the U.S. battleship Maine blew up in the harbor of Havana, Cuba. Though the cause of the explosion was never discovered, the U.S. used it as reason to go to war with Spain.

  7. 1964 The Gulf of Tonkin.In two incidents, U.S. warships patrolling off the coast of Vietnam were allegedly attacked by North Vietnamese gunboats. The second of these incidents is now believed to never have happened. Nevertheless, they were used as the pretext for starting the Vietnam War.

  8. James K. Polk11th U.S. President 1845-’49 • Protégé of Andrew Jackson • Slave owner, wanted to expand slavery • Elected on “Manifest Destiny” platform • Annexed Texas 1845 • Provoked war with Mexico 1846 • Added New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, California to U.S.

  9. Factors favoring war • Population growth: 4X since 1790 • Poor economy • Soil worn out by cotton • Need for new land for slavery • Weakness of Mexico • Keep other countries from taking California

  10. Opposing the war • Northeastern states –favored developing economy, not taking new land • The Abolitionists • Sen. Henry Clay and the Whig Party. Clay lost the presidency because he would not support war. Then he lost his son who was fighting in the war. • Congressman Abraham Lincoln—his district in Illinois was pro-war; he was voted out for opposing it.

  11. Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862 • Philosopher, poet, nature writer, environmentalist • Opposed slavery, war, government, money, religion, middle-class values • His writings influenced Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela and many others. • Major works— • Walden, or Life in the Woods • Civil Disobedience

  12. Walden • Thoreau built a cabin on some land owned by his friend, Emerson, two miles outside his hometown of Concord, Mass., on a lake called Walden Pond. • He lived there two years, living as simply as possible, growing his own food, observing nature and his human neighbors, recording his thoughts.

  13. Walden Pond

  14. “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.” ― Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Or, Life in the Woods

  15. Civil Disobedience • Tiny book with large impact. • Thoreau refused to pay tax because he was opposed to the war with Mexico. He thought paying even a small amount to support the war made him just as guilty as anyone else. • He was arrested and spent 1 night in jail before some anonymous benefactor paid his tax and had him released. • In writing about this experience he challenges the whole concept of government telling people what to do.

  16. “A common and natural result of an undue respect of law is, that you may see a file of soldiers, colonel, captain, corporal, privates, powder-monkeys, and all, marching in admirable order over hill and dale to the wars, against their wills, ay, against their common sense and consciences, which makes it very steep marching indeed, and produces a palpitation of the heart.” ― Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience

  17. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z0o_MAU0ao

More Related