In studying the Civil War, one often wonders if there are any divisive issues today that could threaten the union of our country much like that of slavery in the 1800's.
Step One- Chart the Major Differences between the North and the South at the beginning of the Civil War: Include Slavery, obviously, but what were three other differences?
Second Step- Identify at least 3 issues you think might be dividing Americans TODAY, and explain why you think so in a paragraph of 3-5 sentences for EACH.
Step Three- Comment to two students on the issues they chose and whether or not you agree with their opinion. to chat to a particular student use the @ and their blogspot handle.
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3 Issues Today
1. Abortion: Many people believe it should be against the law to allow abortions, while others believe it is the women’s right to do whatever she pleases with her own body. Religion and moral views come into play; so many people are offended that anyone would consider killing a “child” to prevent pregnancy. But on the other hand, some view that abortion is okay under certain standards; if the mother can’t take care of the baby once it’s born, a child due to rape, or young motherhood.
2. Involvement in Iran/Iraq: Some Americans believe that the US involvement in Iran and Iraq is needed, while others do not agree. Those who do not agree think that it is unfair to have our men fighting and protecting another country and that we should stay out of foreign affairs. But others believe that by doing so, we are preventing conflicts from escalating and impacting more nations. In a way, we could be preventing the inevitable, another world war.
3. Government Aid: This argument can be seen from many different views. Most working class Americans do not agree that we should be paying taxes that to fund the lower class and nonworking citizens. This causes controversy because many believe that the money should be going towards things to benefit all of the public instead of those who don’t have enough money. There some people who do want the government involved in certain aspects when it comes to money, to help where it is needed and fund money to them and the public.
Differences between North and South
North
• Women were looked at more as equals
• Immigration was focused in the North
• Factories/Industrialization
South
• Slavery
• Agriculture
• Poor systems for trade and transport
@Jenna Winters
I cant really agree or disagree with your three issues of todays society because you never stated if your for or against them, but as far as abortion im pro life, for the war im all for it and the way i look at government aid is its something to help you get back on your feet not a lifestyle.
3 issues today
Social class: Kids and adults think that its all about how much money and things that you own. If you drive an expensive car or truck people think your the coolest person ever. I dont agree with them at all if you have all the money in the world and your not happy whats that do for you?
Immigration: Especailly in Arizona immigration is a huge deal because we are so close to the Mexico border. I think if you go through all the steps to becoming a citizen you should be able to be in Americaa.I'm not ok at all with people coming over illegally because they don' pay taxes and are taking American citizens jobs.
Government programs: With Obama in office we have health care which some people think is great but for people who cant afford it it's a terribly program or illegals being able to walk into hospitals and get attended to because of his healthcare plan. We also have food stamps which i think is great but it shouldn't be a lifestlye it should be something to help you get back on your feet.
Differences between the norht and south.
North:
More city life work such as offices and building work
Didnt beleive in slavery
Women had more rights
South:
Believed in slavery
Economy was based on farming
1/3 of there population were slaves
Part One: The North and South were practically separate worlds during the Civil War times.
1) The Southern economy mostly farmed cash crops, while the Northern economy mainly produced factory products.
2) Products made in the North often were to benefit the people living there (sewing machines, farm tools, etc.) while the cash crops of the South were exported for money.
3) Many educated writers and thinkers existed in the North, some who were abolitionists. However, in the South, 1/3 of the population was prohibited from learning (these were the slaves), and much of the population consisted of poor farmers who spent much of their time working to survive.
Part Two: Today Americans seem to be divided when it comes to these things:
1. While developing science is interesting and often beneficial, it also often causes divisive arguments over issues such as artificiality. The presence of preservatives is beginning to alarm citizens, and companies who refuse to use such possibly harmful substances advertise their organic way of producing food. Artificial human development/cloning are moral issues that could continue to kindle fires as science continues to advance. In general, Americans do not agree on the limits of new scientific discoveries' impact on the real world.
2) In the United States we are not united in agreement on how we should treat/handle others. This includes illegal immigrants, foreign countries involved in civil war, etc. The problem occurs when one group of people bothers us in some way, and Americans disagree on whether or not the original rules should be loosened (ex: immigration) or if we must be involved in stopping a world issue before it hits close to home (ex: foreign civil wars).
3) Americans also do not agree on what their own personal rights should be. This has been an issue in our country since the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and from that point our rights have become more and more inclusive. This causes argument because while many people think they have rights to do whatever they want (i.e. regarding abortion, gay marriage, intercourse before marriage, etc.) others find there should be some limits to avoid terrible consequences/due to moral and religious values. Our country is divided by what we think we are individually entitled to.
@ Jenna Winters
I agree with what you pointed out as divisive issues. Controversy definitely exists in those areas. One thing you mentioned is how some people say that "it is the women’s right to do whatever she pleases with her own body." Other people point out that the unborn child is not really part of the women's body since it has a different genetic code than that of the woman. I think you explained your points very well!
@ LeviBruce
After reading your post, I thought about how immigration kind of seems to be an issue similar to that of slavery in the late 1800s. The people of the South desperately needed slaves to work their farms and generate revenue, while the people in the North couldn't really understand the issue because they worked in factories. You mentioned how certain states like Arizona have a bigger problem with immigration because they experience it close to them. I could see how other states may find it less of a problem because they don't deal with the issue as much. So there's kind of a connection - the Northerners who didn't need slaves couldn't understand the Southerners, like some people far from the borders might not understand people like Arizonans who deal with illegals taking their jobs. Besides the moral conflicts involved in both, there's also a problem with who experiences what negative effects.
south- slavery, poor lots of farming, argiculture.
north- Trade was good, industrilization/ machines/ new products, people were equal.
Second Step- Racism is still alive today along with slavery. even though slavery isnt just the color of your skin it's a bigger indrustry now then during the civil war. People discriminate all the time on your skin color, the way you look and the way you dress. Many people can't recieve a good paying job for their apperance along with their backround. Slavery is and racism is breaking out fights, causing people to lose the things they cherish the msot, causing fights, and preventing a healthy enviroment.
Not spending America's money wisely is a major issue today. America has always helped other countries in need but when are we going to stop and take time to help ourselves? America is always lending money to other countries and feeding the starving people in other places but America has many homeless, starving children that need to be taken care of too. Sure we need to make friends and help others so that we can rely on them when we need help but why put ourselves in a situation when we will need help eventually when we have no money left? This issue causes alot of stress between the people of America, we can't decide wether to help ourselves or others.
Teen pregnancies is a major issue. There is always going to be mishaps and teen pregnancies in our culture but lately teen pregnancies have made a rapid movement. Obviously teens these days need to be advised and informed of what they are getting themselves into. People all across America are dealing with this situation, mothers are being aboandoned by their 16 year olf husbands, children arent getting the attention they deserve, and this is destroying america's future. Yes some teenagers have this under control and not all are bad parents but they are most definately too young to be going through a situation like that. This discussion is also a major issue.
Kennedie McKinstry
1) Differences
North:
Factory products
South:
Farming products
North:
anti slavery
South:
for slavery
North:
People were equal (women had more rights)
South:
The men were in charge, slavers were proporty and women did not have rights
2) Some things that could be an issue that could cause problems today could be polotics because people are very opionatied about that. Religion because people seem to really discriminate against others for their beliefs. And lastly war, people have their differences about the fact that we should or should not be in a war right now.
Differences between the north and south
North:
-mainly produced factory products
-less toleration for slavery
-women were becoming more equal to man
South:
-focused on agriculture and cash crops
-more farms and Slavery
-many people loved to make sure black men and women couldn't get and education or be free
Three issues of today
1) homosexuality: I find homosexuality to be a huge issue in our nation. The younger nation like my age I feel is more for it rather than the traditional ways our parents and grandparents lived. As generations go by people's way of living changes and they are focused on bigger things then who someone marries
Social class: I find social classes to be fighting everyday. The middle class trying to prove that they are just as well off as the upper class and the upper class trying to prove that their money makes them better than everybody else. That the money they have and the things they buy make them happy. But then again people disagree if money truly does make one happy
Illegal immigration: especially in Arizona the SB1070 law is a large controversial issue. In my language arts class today we were to discuss if it was a violation against people's civil rights. I don't know where I fully lean towards but many of my classmates were to say that it could possibly help the illegal immigration and that it isn't against the civil rights to be asked if you are a citizen by the color of your skin, and that if you are a US citizen you shouldn't be mad about the act because you have nothing to worry about. I don not fully know what I stand for but it is a discussion I see talked about more than once.
@kenediemckinstry
I agree with the issue of politics and feel that it will always be an issue in the US and other countries. Some years worse than others.
@hopebrowne
I agree with the statement about racism. People will never be satisfied with anybody and I feel that if people start to feel threatened they turn to the color of someone's skin sometimes to prove a point or to crack a joke when it is a in reality a very serious matter. Obviously not as serious as it was in the 1800s but it is still controversial and trying to be abolished.
North
• cities were centers of wealth and manufacturing
• gained former slaves/free blacks as soldiers.
• North produced three-fourths of the nation's wealth
South
• Not much manufacturing, not many skilled workers
• weak central government
• only cash crops the South had were cotton, tobacco, and indigo
Money is one thing dividing Americans. Big companies make tons of money and separate that between a few people, which explains the 5% of people who have 80% of all money in North America. That also explains all the stealing, the killing, I'm not saying it’s the big companies fault, nothing makes stealing and killing "okay".
Religion is also another big thing. People are still quite intolerant. Some religious people discriminate other religions. Some hate on homosexuals.
Politics would be the last one. Some people are against the fact that politicians sometimes make decisions to get backed up by big companies. They might also be against a religious government, or against the fact that homosexual marriage is illegal.
Jenna,
I think that abortion is a very good example for why Americans are being divided. It's not just talking about right from wrong, it's bringing religion and what certain people believe in when it comes to a situation like that.
Levi,
I think that some peoples class and where they stand in the social environment has a lot to do with diving us Americans. Some people really do compete against eachother when it comes to money and richness. They like to flaunt what they have and that really seperates the different classes.
Step One – Chart the major differences between the North and the South at the beginning of the Civil War.
The major differences between the north and the South were the extreme difference of their opinions on slavery. The south meant that it was fine, and that it was normal, but the North thought different. They meant that it was wrong to use someone like that, and that people had rights. There also were different productions. Like in north they were manufacturing things, and in the south most of their income came from plantations where they used slaves. A big part of the population in the south was the slaves, and many of the rest that lived there were farmers that had to work hard for their income, because of the big plantations often took up most of the customers, when in the south they were more organized and they had most of the income, because they did not use slaves as their workers, they used the citizens as workers, so everyone got paid, and no one had to struggle as hard as the people in south.
Step Two – Identify at least 3 issues you think might ve dividing Americans today. Explain why in a paragraph of 3-5 sentences each.
1) I would say that a big issue today is racism. You may not see it as often and obviously as before, but it is still here. You can see it with the homosexual. They are often discriminated, and jugged. They should be allowed to do as they want, and just because they like someone with the same gender does not make them any more different than us others.
2) I would also say that social classes are a big issue. Without knowing it we compete with each other with money. Who got the best job, and who got the most money. Money is not everything in this world. We should all be happy with what we got, and judge it by happiness and not by money.
3) We also have immigration. This may be a bigger issue in Arizona than other places in America. This because Arizona lies right next to the Mexican border, and It is just to walk over the border, which is a big problem.
@Hope Browne
I definitely agree with your statement that America needs to start helping ourselves, though helping others is still very generous. Also, I too believe that racism still exists in our society and that judgement is passed very easily on appearance. Good job!
@Annika Sande
I think you did a great job explaining the differences between the North and the South! Also, your 3 factors in today's society were good and I agree that discrimination against homosexuality is a problem. Good job!
@Hope Browne
I agree with the the differences you have listed, but it is important to help other people with their need. Of course we should take care of our self before we help others, but sometimes it takes longer time. Maybe they are trying to help the homeless and you just cannot see it...
Teen pregnancy is a HUGE issue. Even though we are more informed of what we are getting us in to, we still do it. We should think people took better care of themselves when you hear about what may happen. I agree with you on that one too.
Racism is everywhere. No matter where you go you will see some kind of racism. It may not be the same kind, with the same people, but it is still there.
Good Job
@marina romero
I agree on what you are saying all of the things you have mentioned is modern problems we face. the money is poorly divided, the judgment of other people is unfair, and the politics take an affect in what other people think, even though it is wrong.
Good Job
@ kennedie mckinstry
I agree on what you picked. the politics are making other people think their way, and if they were to think the wrong way about some people other people may start thinking that way too. the religion has also a big effect on peoples believes. Many people blame their religion for their believes even though it is not right, and the war is a big debating area.
Good Job
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