LAD #10

In President Monroe's seventh annual message to Congress, it became clear that the United States sought to eradicate European influence from the Western Hemisphere. Monroe's statement, which later became known as the Monroe Doctrine, declared that the United States would protect the interests of newly sovereign states in the Western Hemisphere from European domination. Monroe sympathized with these new countries because he believed that they were founded on ideals that paralled those of the American Revolution. Their governments differed from those European institutions which had previously governed them. The statement made it clear that European influence was not welcome in the Western Hemisphere and that it would be seen as a direct infringement on American sovereignty. Monroe warned Europe that the United States was prepared to violate its desire to remain neutral in order to protect its sovereignty and the sovereignty of the new nations. Through the Monroe Doctrine, he also emphasized that the United States wished to maintain friendly relations with European nations and had no desire to interfere wth European affairs.  In this way, the Monroe Doctrine was America's way of asserting its jurisdiction over the Western Hemisphere while still attemting to preserve peaceful relations with Europe.

LAD #9 Jefferson's First Inaugural Address

Thomas Jefferson walked a fine line as he delivered his first Inaugural Address. Though he had previously sympathized with the anti-federalists, advocating for states' rights and a less powerful federal government, Jefferson appeared to shift toward a federalist point of view in an attempt to present himself as a more moderate figure. In this speech, he applauded the Constitution. He declared that it would guide him during his time in office and that it was necessary that the American people unite around it. Jefferson deviated further from the  anti-federalist approach, saying that the new United States government was the "strongest Government on earth." However, Jefferson softened this viewpoint to any that might disagree with him by emphasizing that the government's power would come from the people and that its purpose would be to protect the rights and livliehoods of its constituents. He resolved to be friendly with foreign countries without engaging in alliances. He promised to encourage agriculture and pay back debts. Most of all, he told the American people to accept differences in political opinion and understand that all Americans are united by the same core principles.

Columbus Blog #8

 

  Though Christopher Columbus is a celebrated historical figure who enjoys his own national holiday in the United States, further analysis of his character and expeditions reveals that he is not a hero. Instead, he was a man of low moral character who selfishly exploited the generous nature of the native people he encounterd and set a precedent for the treatment of Native Americans for future European conquistadors and settlers. The fact that Columbus took underserved credit for seeing the New World first, and accepted the 10,000 maravedis per year for life as a result, is an immediate indicator of his low moral standard. However, his reputation comes under serious question when one examines his interactions with the Arawak Indians. The Arawaks greeted Columbus and his men bearing food and gifts; sadly, these gestures served only to wet the appetite of the greedy explorer. He took several prisoners hoping that they would lead him to deposits of gold. This began Columbus' tyrade of violence, murder, and imprisonment of the Arawaks. Dragged from their homes, hundreds of the New World's indigenous people were sent overseas to be slaves in Spain or else employed on brutal Caribbean encomiendas and in mines. Suicide rate among the Arawak people was high and population declined exponentially. This blatent disregard for basic human rights would be repeated by the expeditions of Cortes and Pizarro in Central and South America as well as by the constituents of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and other British settlements. Columbus' reputation hides these unconvenient truths.