The Second Great Awakening and the reform movements that came out of it had one very large unintended consequence, the first women’s movement. It was women that were organizing the religious revivals and running the reform movements and it turned out they were doing a good job. It was not a far jump to go … Continue reading Class Notes →

WWII brought new internal issues for the Democratic Party.  FDR knew that we would need to get involved in some way, but conservative Democrats feared that the War would allow the government to grow even larger. There were enough concerned Democrats still left in the party that they were able to pass a series of … Continue reading Class Notes →

The French Philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville once said about America in 1831, “No country in the world in which the Christian religion retains a greater influence over the souls of men than in America.”  He just happened to arrive in the U.S. at the height of the Second Great Awakening, a time of great religious … Continue reading Class Notes →

The 1936 election was the first election that the democrats openly called for big government. They had been moving in that direction since 1896, but now it was solidified. FDR was able to dominate that election by creating a new coalition of voters that in some ways lasted until today which is a combination of … Continue reading Class Notes →

Even though the administration of FDR moved the government towards big government more than any other president even imagined, his largest critics came from within his party. Some thought he was going too far with government, especially business leaders, but the loudest voices came from parts of the party that did not think he was … Continue reading Class Notes →

The most impressive engineering feet of the 19th century in America is the Erie Canal. Built between 1817-1825, it was 363 miles long, four feet deep and 40 feet wide and all dug by hand.  It covered an elevation of 571 feet making it necessary for 83 locks. When done it cut a two week … Continue reading Class Notes →

The Election of 1816 ushered in a new President, James Monroe, but also a time called the Era of Good Feelings.  It was called this because we became a one-party system as the Federalists had died and now everyone at least in name was calling themselves a Republican. In an effort to unite the nation … Continue reading Class Notes →

What makes the 1928 election interesting is Alfred Smith, an Irish immigrant and a Catholic.  Two things that most Americans frowned upon. When trying to get the nomination for the Democratic Party he wrote a letter called “Catholic and Patriot” where he made the argument that being a Catholic did not mean he was disloyal … Continue reading Class Notes →

One of the interesting parts about 1920s politics was that while culturally the 1920s is seen as one of America’s most liberal decades, politically it was one of the most conservative. We tend to think of flappers, speakeasies, and the Great Gatsby in the 20’s, but we also elected Harding, Coolidge and Hoover.  While I … Continue reading Class Notes →

On January 8, 1815, the most famous battle of the War of 1812 occurred when Andrew Jackson defeated the British Army at the Battle of New Orleans.  The only problem with the battle was that the War ended on Dec 24, 1814.  There are two possible scenarios why the battle happened after the War.  One … Continue reading Class Notes →