In the 1880 Election with a divided Republican Party, it looked as if the Democrats could pull out a rare victory.  Both sides had nominated a Union General, the Republicans James Garfield and the Democrats the hero of Gettysburg Winfield Scott Hancock.  The Republicans were able to win by keeping the party united. The Stalwarts … Continue reading Class Notes →

To understand how the colonists went from happy British Subjects to rebellious patriots, you have to put the revolution into context of the Enlightenment.  The Founders were all well read on political thought, especially Hobbs, Locke, Montesquieu, and Rousseau.  The Enlightenment taught them to question everything.  They questioned the laws of the universe, natural law, … Continue reading Class Notes →

The southern colonies were not as large as the middle colonies, or as multicultural, but they were more diverse than the New England colonies.  Most of the southern colonists were British, but there was a large group of Scots Irish migrated south.  This group came to the Middle Colonies first.  They traveled west and when … Continue reading Class Notes →

When it came to government involvement in the Gilded Age, the only real way it helped promote the general welfare was to pass tariffs. Republicans believed they would help American industry and create more jobs, while Democrats wanted them lower because they hurt prices for consumers.  While most Americans today have no idea what the … Continue reading Class Notes →

In 1770, there were twice as many people living in New England than in the Middle Colonies.  However, by the time of the Revolution the Middle Colonies will have grown by 10 times and become the most populated region in British North America.  Philadelphia will even become the second largest city in the British Empire … Continue reading Class Notes →

With America still in a difficult situation in 1876, not being far removed from the Civil War and in the midst of Reconstruction, Grant put it out there that he was willing to run for a third term, so America could have stable leadership.  The problem was the economy had taken a turn for the … Continue reading Class Notes →

The Netherlands was different than other European nations in the 17th Century. Most nations were fighting religious wars while the Dutch allowed for religious freedom, the reason the Pilgrims went there originally. They practiced a form a democracy where each town was basically independent and would come together when needed under the House of Orange. … Continue reading Class Notes →

Even though we associate the witch trials with the Puritans, witches were being tried in all thirteen colonies.  The Puritans just did it better.  There were also around 344 people accused of witchcraft in the colonies and about 80% of them were women.  Of the males, most were accused because of association with a female … Continue reading Class Notes →