Conflict between Federalist and Anti-Federalist: Manifestation in American Politics Today - Essay Example

?Question 2 a) The inhabitants of Great Plains, who were mostly farmers, ailing from different tribes had their own share of problems that put their tribal domains at the receiving end of tribal clashes. In particular, during the Civil War, the Native Americans suffered utmost benevolence and cruelty. In order to bring stability and peace in the region, President Grant enacted a peace policy to curtail the animosity. Although the white settlers wanted extermination of Indian tribes from the region, Grant opted for a conciliatory effort—apparently, a method that the embraced. In the peace policy, the government ceded that the region was indeed a territory of the Indian people, and therefore, white persons could not own land or settle in the Big Horn Mountains region, especially without the knowledge of the Native Indians. There is no doubt that the policy created squabbles right from the beginning. In a gathering to discuss the policy, Red Cloud of the Lakota gave the assessment of Grant’s peace policy and its implementation in the nearly ten years of its existence. In fact, Red Cloud who was the leader of Oglala at that time embraced the peace policy. This man of the moment oversaw the implementation of the treaty to the dot. His views were that white men should not own or inhabit the lands that belonged to his people. He preserved liberal annuities to the white, and in his own views, he asked fellow Indians to allow whites own land by requesting the Indian authorities. He praised the policy as one that allowed diplomacy to triumph. Red Cloud did not like the manner in which Colonel George Custer was implementing the treaty. His main strategy was to secure the road and not necessarily fight the Indians. Red Cloud realized he could not defeat such strategy and therefore, he opted to raid every single wagon. Consequently, this resulted into the Red Cloud war (A Last Stand for Custer and the Indians, 1876, pp. 415-427). b) Old Lady Horse of the Kiowa and Pretty Shield of the Crow talk about what the disappearance of the buffalo meant to their societies and economies. In ancient times, many tribes relied heavily on buffaloes for various purposes. People with many buffaloes were rich and respected people in those times. During the “Dog Days”, people used horses and traditional firearms to protect their communities against the enemy. The Blackfoot community that was famous in rearing buffaloes fought the enemy so hard and managed to send them to the buffer zones. However, as time went by, to be exact, the mid-eighteen century, the non-Indians who were majorly commercial traders (fur trappers) visited the region and showed the Native population how to trade. History records that this happened when the second industrial revolution took place. In my own view, driven by the hunger to get money, the Native population exchanged their buffaloes for money. This meant that the society was empowering itself economically at the expense of destroying buffaloes. Trading between the Native population and commercial trading companies increased more thus, sprouting the economic and social lives of the people. On the other hand, the outbreak of diseases and use of sophisticated weapons ensued. The fundamental reason that led to the extermination of buffaloes was the desire to civilize and improve economically. Human beings’ reckless greed during the second industrial revolution age provided an avenue of wanton extermination of buffaloes. There was buffalo harvest across America and the idea of not husbanding resources, the lack of protective measures, and other platforms of changing the social-economic welfare of the people became the very reasons that lead to the extermination of buffaloes. Business and trade opportunities increased and societies blossomed economically and socially (The Destruction of the Plains Buffalo, 1876, chapter 16). c) Chief Joseph talks about how the influence of white people in the West has challenged his people, the Nez Perce, since the expedition of Lewis and Clark. He outlines four major developments. The Nez Perce community arrived in arrived in the Rocky Mountains with various challenges. Sick, hungry, and weak, they needed help. They met two men, Lewis and Clark, and what follows is a story of white people influencing the Nez Perce group in a number of ways. Firstly, they influenced their associations with others. Lewis and Clark brought many gifts and tokens to the Nez Perce group. They mingled with them freely and talked a lot with them. This exhibited how friendly they were. On their way back, the Nez Perce people also gave them presents ranging from horses to tobacco. They promised never to get war with white people and the stands. Secondly, through Lewis and Clark, the Nez Perce people started participating in the business of fur. They started empowering themselves by participating in economic activities that earned them income. Thirdly, Christianity is also another thing that the white people influenced the Nez Perce people to participate. Although exhibiting characteristics of saints, the Nez Perce people embraced the tenets of Christianity without nosiness. Lastly, the Nez Perce people learnt how to stay in peace with their neighbors. While the Tuekakas were embroiled in bitter battles with the white people, the Nez Perce choose to sign treaties. Although they believed that the whites had taken their land and other precious commodities, they did not engage them in war (Josephy, 1997, pp.400-437). Question 3 a) I agree. The path to the reconstruction of the south began when President Lincoln proposed a plan on the way to go. I believe that if congress had supported this plan, then the reconstruction of the south would have taken place. In this plan, states were to benefit from comparatively placid concessions, but in the Congress, the Republicans opposed the plan by supporting the Wade-Davis Bill. Although Lincoln proposed another plan, he died soon before it implementation. President Johnson who took over remained imperial to the North thus under developing the south. In fact, after the Civil War, the Southerners got a facelift and at least they saw hope of becoming free, and out of slavery. However, rebuilding a government and a placid economy proved hard. There was also the question of over three million people who were now free and needed special attention. These people were mainly African Americans. Additionally, the Southerners who were ready to reconstruct their country actually lacked the means to do so. There were also restrictions from the ruling Republicans, as many slaves stayed jobless and without homes, and amid free, the South still experienced a plethora of challenges and confusion. The Republicans proposed a raw deal towards the reconstruction of the South and this not help much. There was no military presence to maintain stability in the region or oversee the reconstruction and this affected the region negatively. There were also misunderstandings between the white people and the black Americans, where the white Americans blamed the black Americans for being insolent. People like Thaddeus Stevens would have urged the southerners to stop their attitude of feeling enraged to war all the time and instead, run their lives and construct the region. He would also have convinced them to see each other as equals, and drive out the notion in the heads of many whites that slavery was good for black Americans. He will also tell the north to unite and support the reconstruction of the South and help rebuild the shattered families (Thaddeus Stevens on Negro Suffrage, 1867, Chapter 16). Minor v. Happerset The significance of Minor v. Happerset is that it gave women the right to vote. This ruling brought women suffrage that had been missing. In fact, only the white men enjoyed the privilege of voting. It is through this ruling that both black men and all women became eligible to vote (Briffault, 2002, pp.1521-1522). Samuel J. Tilden Tilden played a significant role in prosecuting corrupt persons thus leaving a corrupt-free society. A Democrat, Tilden was an influential figure from New York State. In addition to prosecuting corrupt individuals, he was the man who led the destruction of the Canal Ring. These individuals were doing scrupulous deals by exploiting people via dubious schemes (Severn, 1968, pp. 74-93). Ku Klux Klan Many historians consider this group one of the imperative but on the receiving end, it comprised of a gang of people who participated in racist activities. It shows how bad racism can be. It also reminds of the black struggle in America, and the complexity of obtaining freedom. This group actually changed the engagement of all people irrespective of their race or tribe on social economic and political platforms (Chalmers, 1987, pp. 470-512). William M. Tweed He was a political figure and founder of the Democratic Party, which played instrumental role in politics of the American people. However, he participated in grand corruption and looting of public funds thus, imprisoned. Woman's Christian Temperance Union This organization made sure that there is an end to women slavery and that women participated in political activities. Secondly, this movement ensured that women stopped abusing alcohol and other drug substances. Reference List A Last Stand for Custer and the Indians, 1876. Chapter 16 of American Passages. Documents Collection. Briffault, R., 2002. The Contested Right to Vote. Michigan Law Review, 100, 1521–1522. Chalmers, David M., 1987. Hooded Americanism: The History of the Ku Klux Klan. Durham: Duke University Press. Josephy, M., 1997. The Nez Perce Indians and the Opening of the Northwest. Boston: Mariner. Severn, B., 1968. Samuel J. Tilden and the Stolen Election. New York: Ives Washburn. Thaddeus Stevens on Negro Suffrage, 1867. Chapter 16 of the American Passages. Documents Collection. The Destruction of the Plains Buffalo, 1876. Chapter 16 of the American Passages. Documents Collection. Read More