Outside of North Africa there was not too much fighting in the Middle East during WWII.  However, the war did have some effects after it was over. One of the effects was the growth of Arab Nationalism.  The newly created nations were upset by European control since the end of WWI and they discussed the … Continue reading Class Notes →

Teddy Roosevelt may be debated about when it comes to good or bad presidents, but there is no debate on his importance.  He is the president who bridged the gap between the weak presidents of the 19th Century and the strong ones in the 20th.  He was the first of the Progressive presidents and did … Continue reading Class Notes →

Its election day, the day where we are supposed to celebrate living in a democracy.  However, this year my fear is that will be the most violent day since 9/11.  I hope those living in cities have some precautions in place in case you need to hunker down for a few days.  Make sure you … Continue reading Class Notes →

One interesting thing about the new nations that emerged in the Middle East after WWI is that the Arabs who fought with the Allies were left without independent nations.  Yet the Turks, who formed the Ottoman Empire and sided with the losing Central Powers walked away with a free and independent Turkey.

One of the side effects of the Progressive movement was our involvement in international affairs. Progressives felt they could fix the nation’s problems if they made everyone like them, so why not the rest of the world as well? This will be played out with our involvement in the 1895 Cuban Revolution. Cubans wanted to … Continue reading Class Notes →

The Gilded Age believed in a very limited government.  All that changed during the Progressive Era.  It was the Progressives belief that Government did have a role and could help change people’s lives for the better.  What was good about the Progressives is that they believed they could make every life better and for many … Continue reading Class Notes →

Literature helped bridge the gap between the Gilded Age and the Progressive Age.  Many authors came out with novels showing the divide between rich and poor and ways to create equality. One such author was Edward Bellamy, who wrote, “Looking Backwards.”  Bellamy’s book was a Utopian novel where the protagonist Julian West fell asleep in … Continue reading Class Notes →

I think most Americans know little of Middle Eastern history.  One of the biggest surprises is that the nations of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Israel are now only 100 years old.  Israel is even younger; it was created in 1948.  Before WWI these nations did not exist, they were part of one large Ottoman … Continue reading Class Notes →

The Populists Party was the most important 3rd party in American history.  Even though their platform was incredibly radical and shocked people at the time, later movements like the Progressives, will pick up their issues and turn them into law.  It was like the Populists were needed to shock the people and dull them so … Continue reading Class Notes →

If you've ever wondered why railroad men were always bad guys in the old westerns, it’s because for a long-time, farmers saw them as the personification of all of their issues.  At the turn of century farming, like now, was difficult.  Even though technologies were being developed to make farming easier, paying for those technologies … Continue reading Class Notes →