Andrew Jackson’s biggest political concern coming into office was the Second Bank of the United States (BUS).  During the 19th Century banks and tariffs were two of the biggest concerns.  Jackson himself completely distrusted the BUS, as most westerners did.  It represented the worst of big government.  Jackson went even further and distrusted paper money … Continue reading Class Notes →

The following is a speech given by Mohammad Mossadegh, the newly elected Iranian Prime Minister.  After years of being subjugated by the British and the Shaw, Mossadegh was the first to stand up to both.  This speech was one given to the U.N. in 1951.  Mossadegh had recently nationalized the Irian oil industry and the … Continue reading Class Notes →

“There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem. And we are met here tonight as Americans--not as Democrats or Republicans-we are met here as Americans to solve that problem…Their cause must be our cause too. Because it is not just Negros, but … Continue reading Class Notes →

“Great themes run through Iranian history and shape it to this day.  One is the continuing and often frustrating effort to find a synthesis between Islam, which was imposed on the country by Arab conquerors, and the rich heritage of pre-Islamic times.  Another, fueled by Shiite Muslim tradition to which most Iranians now belong, is … Continue reading Class Notes →

John Quincy Adams had the potential to be one of our greatest presidents and is unquestionably the greatest ex-president. He entered office with more experience than anyone before or after and might possibly be the smartest chief executive ever.  He suffered from the same problem his father had, things ran so smoothly during his one … Continue reading Class Notes →

On February 1, 1960, four well-dressed Black college students walked into the Woolworth store in Greensboro, NC and took a seat at the Whites only lunch counter.  They were arrested.  By the end of the week over 300 more sat in those same seats.  They represented the growing frustration of Blacks waiting for equal rights … Continue reading Class Notes →

The man most responsible for the breakdown of the one-party system was Andrew Jackson.  Jackson was everything that past presidents were not.  He came from a poor family and worked his way up to make something of himself.  He was the first man of the people and as such, believed parties were there for the … Continue reading Class Notes →

Before the Brown V. Board of Education decision, the NAACP tried to make segregation too expensive by requiring states to spend money on creating Black institutions.  The 1896 Plessy v Ferguson decision stated that institutions could be separate but equal.  The NAACP tried to use the case against them.  A great example is the case … Continue reading Class Notes →

After Kennedy’s successful handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis, he finally regained the swagger he had when he ran for president, it was time for Camelot. It was really only then, in 1963 that he decided it was time to deal with Civil Rights, a difficult topic within his own party.  Kennedy decided to try … Continue reading Class Notes →

The 1820s changed politics forever.  Gone were the days when a few men wrote letters to each other and chose presidential candidates.  Also gone were the days when everyone saw parties as wrong, even the days where you only saw the other party as wrong.  During this time there was really no need for campaigns, … Continue reading Class Notes →