Speakeasy From the Roaring Twenties Still Exists

From 1920 to 1933, prohibition under the Eighteenth Amendment was enforced in the United States. The Back Room Bar opened during the 1920's despite prohibition and is still serving drinks today. It is one of the two speakeasies left in New York City, specifically on the Lower East Side, and still requires a password to get in through the door.

Back in the day, the Back Room was referred to as "The Back of Ratner's," and was known as the meeting place for many famous gangsters including Bugsy Siegel, Lucky Luciano, and Meyer Lansky. Siegel became a bootlegger during the Prohibition era, or in other words he aided the illegal transportation of alcohol. He is also partially responsible for the development of the Las Vegas Strip and was infamous for being part of organized crime and the American Mafia. Luciano established the first Commission, or governing body of the Mafia, and is known for splitting the Mafia in New York City into five different families. Lansky worked closely with Luciano and is also known for his worldwide gambling empire. Speakeasies like the Back Room provided fun and a chance for regular citizens to unwind, but were also frequented by many mobsters and people generally feared during the time period.
The Back Room has maintained its authentic decor and demeanor since its opening in the 1920's. A secret room hidden behind a bookshelf in the bar remains today. The bartenders still serve drinks in tea cups and coffee mugs as they did back then. The reasoning behind this was that in case anyone against prohibition should stumble into the bar, people drinking alcohol could say they were simply enjoying a nice cup of coffee. There is also an emergency exit that customers could use in the event that the bar was discovered and their cover was blown. The hidden entrance used to access the Back Room has been preserved and is still the only way of accessing the speakeasy.

I found the conservation of the Back Room really impressive because it remains the same bar it was almost 100 years ago. Let me know what you guys think of the Back Room, and if there are any other historical places like this from this time period or another one!

Sources:
http://www.backroomnyc.com/the-backroom-bar
http://pix11.com/2014/11/03/hidden-new-york-roaring-20s-come-alive-at-secretive-speakeasy/

Blue Skies Indeed

We finished the video last Tuesday with a reference to the song "Blue Skies" by Irving Berlin. The song captured the optimism and good times of the American people during the Roaring Twenties before the economic collapse of the Great Depression. President Herbert Hoover also brought greater significance to the song when he promised "blue skies" or a continuance of economic prosperity to the American people during the onset of the Great Depression.

Here are the lyrics and a video by Ella Fitzgerald:

Blue skies
Smiling at me
Nothing but blue skies
Do I see

Bluebirds
Singing a song
Nothing but bluebirds
All day long

Never saw the sun shining so bright
Never saw things going so right
Noticing the days hurrying by
When you're in love, my how they fly

Blue days
All of them gone
Nothing but blue skies
From now on

I never saw the sun shining so bright
Never saw things going so right
Noticing the days hurrying by
When you're in love, my how they fly

Blue days
All of them gone
Nothing but blue skies
From now on

The song was composed as part of the musical Betsy and became an instant hit. On opening night, the audience asked for an encore of the piece 24 times. Over the decades, the song has been recorded more than 70 times by various artists and used in 14 movies, a sign of its timeless popularity.

How the Great Depression Compares to the Late 2000's Recession

 

The Stock Market
Looking at this graph, we see that the initial collapse if the US Dow Jones was nearly identical in 2008 and 1937. After the sudden collapse, however, the market bounced back by about 50% of what was lost. After that point, the results from 2008 and 1937 are different. The 2008 Dow Jones bounced back and stabilized with a slow increase (other slight dips and peaks from after late 2008 not shown) while that of 1937 rose back up and then crashed again.


Unemployment 
Unemployment during the Great Depression was undoubtedly greater than any statistic from the 2008-2012 era. Government statistics (a moderate estimate) from the 1930's show that unemployment was at about 25%. During the 2008 recession, a very high figure would be about 20%, with most figures being much lower than that.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
During the Great Depression, the United States GDP dropped over the course of about a year; as did the GDP during the Great Recession. After leveling out for about 2 1/2 years, the US GDP quickly rose to levels much higher than pre-depression averages. During and after the  the Great Recession, however, the GDP dipped and then rose again, but never exceeded the pre-recession averages.

Not shown in the graph- current GDP= about the same as 2008

While both the Great Depression and the Great Recession were detrimental to the economy, the Great Depression was more destructive for a longer time to the American workforce and middle, stock-owning class. Post-Depression, however, the economy showed faster growth rates and shot back faster than the Great Recession's economy, mainly due to the manufacturing of supplies to fuel World War II.

Brief Timeline of Thanksgiving

Since we are all so very anxious to get out of school and eat twice our weight in turkey, it is only necessary that there is one post on Thanksgiving! Using various sites, I have compiled a brief timeline (hence the title) of Thanksgiving. Here we go:

The pilgrims serve food to the Native Americans. 

November 1621 - In honor of the pilgrims' first successful corn harvest, Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory feast with the Wamponoag Native Americans, a local tribe. Much of this was thanks to an Indian named Squanto. Squanto helped the pilgrims get accustomed to their land and plant many crops. He even helped them forge an alliance with the Wamponoag. 

The feast this year actually lasted three days total. We are not certain for sure that turkey was on the menu in 1621. However we do know that the Wamponoag arrived with five deer and are responsible for the many spices used that meal. Unfortunately, during this time there were no ovens or sugar so the classic dessert of pie was not present. 

Originally, Thanksgiving was supposed to be a Puritan holiday, a "holy day" used for prayer and thanking God. Never was it an annual holiday but rather was held whenever the pilgrims came across an occasion necessary to celebrate. 

1777 - George Washington made the first Thanksgiving proclamation. He called upon the American colonists to express gratitude for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. 

1817 - New York became the first of many states to adopt an annual Thanksgiving holiday. 

1827 - Sarah Josepha Hale, journalist and author of "Mary Had a Little Lamb", launched a campaign to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. She campaigned for the next thirty-six years until Abraham Lincoln took action.

1863 - Abraham Lincoln made a proclamation for Americans to ask God to help those involved in  the Civil War and to express their gratitude for protection. Thanksgiving officially became a holiday on the final Thursday of November. 

This year in particular, there were two Thanksgivings. One was held in November and the other was held August 6th to celebrate the victory at the Battle of Gettysburg. 

The parade travels a 2.5 mile route through New York.
(Also does that turkey scare anyone?)

1890's to present - Thanksgiving became a part of education. Schools began to hold Thanksgiving pageants, sang songs, built cabins in memory of the pilgrims, and introduced many immigrant children to the tradition of a turkey. 

1924 - New York's Thanksgiving Day Parade, hosted by Macy's, was established. To this day, it is considered one of the largest and most famous parades with millions of viewers on television. 

1934 - The NFL began a long-lasting Thanksgiving tradition. Every year, the Detroit Lions play on Thanksgiving. In 1966, Dallas also began to play on the holiday.

1939 - Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the Thanksgiving holiday ahead a week to "spur retail sales" during the Great Depression. This was nicknamed "Franksgiving." 

1941 - Because many were very unhappy by "Franksgiving", the president signed a bill moving Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday in November. 

1950's to present - Considering that ninety percent of Americans eat turkey, each year, the president pardons one to two turkeys. He sends these turkeys into retirement and spares them from being cooked (they must be so lonely). Americans have fun each year with naming these two thankful turkeys. 

Hope y'all have a wonderful Thanksgiving day!

Sites I used:
http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving/history-of-thanksgiving
http://www.plimoth.org/learn/MRL/read/thanksgiving-history
http://www.coolest-holiday-parties.com/thanksgiving-facts.html
http://www.profootballhof.com/history/decades/1930s/first_thanksgiving.aspx

Antisemitism in the World Exists Strongly in America as Well

Here is a video to add onto Varun's post about the growing antisemitism in Europe. You guys may have seen it already, but if not should definitely check it out.

Background:

The video compares peoples reaction towards a supporter of Isis, a new terrorist organization, and a supporter of Israel. Israel is directly linked to Judaism in the world's eyes, so it can be concluded that their reactions towards Israel have something to do with antisemitism (to an extent just because of the recentness of Isis meaning a good amount of people may not be aware of the organization). The video also mentions Hamas, which is also a terrorist organization, residing mainly in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, both being bordered with Israel. The global difference in goals between Hamas and Isis is that Hamas aims mainly against Israel, while Isis wants to spread the Sunni (majority of the Islam) Islam religion throughout the world. Both use terror to accomplish their goals.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCBINSWCiAE

Source: Fox News

Wizard of Oz

A little bit too late for the unit on these events, but I just thought of the book Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum as being a good way to remember events during the early 1900's when Mr. Stewart made the comment that literature and media in popular culture.  Most of the  objects and people represent those that were prevalent during that time...(please note that these references are all in the book but not necessarily in the movie).

http://www.independent.org/publications/tir/article.asp?a=504 for the whole article/further reading, or read my breakdown below.

Characters:
Dorothy: represents the American population (naive and simple)
Scarecrow: farmers, honest, able to understand  without much knowledge (supporter of Dorothy--Populist)
Tin man: industrial workers (esp. steel industry), unemployed when no oil/factories
Cowardly Lion: William Jenning Bryan, didnt support war with Spain (afraid), wanted to go to capitol (Emerald city--as Populist presidential nominee)
Glinda (the good witch of the South) / good witch of the north: Bryan's populist supporters who wanted the monetary reform (gold and silver)
Wicked witch of the east: Wall street bankers, support Grover Cleveland, pro-gold standard
Wicked witch of the west: represents the drought (melted by water --> real water cures drought/liquidity ends depression), one-eyed witch (opposed two metal/bi-metallic system)
Wizard of OZ: politician, tricks people into thinking that he is all powerful, manipulator of wall street

Objects:
Ruby/silver slippers: represents the bi-metallic system that would "save" the farmers
**note: silver was changed to ruby in order to make full use of Technicolor which had just been introduced
OZ: standard measure of the gold oz
Emerald City: Washington DC (political center), had to take yellow brick road (gold standard) to get there, forced to wear "green spectacles" to see the world through green of money--upheld Wizard's power
Yellow brick road: gold standard
Dorothy's party: the populist party
Oil: allows people to be employed (tin man can only function with oil), pump of the economy
Cyclone: political revolution (late 1800's, early 1900's)

If you can find another representation in either the same book or another book written during this time, please let me know in the comments below!

New Anti-Jewish Sentiment

In Germany today there is a new wave of anti-Jewish sentiment, the worst since World War II.  In World War II, antisemitism was based on Germany's defeat during the First World War as well as the economic depression that came after.  Although, the government in Germany condemns this type of behavior continues.  The police have noticed an alarming growth in arrested Arabic/Turkish people based on anti-Semitic in the last years.  Theorists believe that this new growth is due to the Muslim anti-Semitic feeling influencing popular opinion in Germany and some other parts of the Continent.  With old Nazis still influencing some families, it is important for the world as a whole to realize the travesty of the Holocaust and the danger of this degree of genocide happening again.














http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/17/opinion/jochen-bittner-whats-behind-germanys-new-anti-semitism.html?_r=0

Woodrow Wilson

Throughout the week, whenever Woodrow Wilson is brought up, he was always recognized as a progressive. Although he did create many new labor and anti-trust laws, I don't think he was a complete forward thinker. It was emphasized that he was against African Americans, their progress in human rights, and believed they were lower than the rest of the American population. I understand he did many great things for our country, but I think it should be taken into account that he was very racist and heavily supported segregation. On one occasion, when the African American Army Major Monroe Trotter confronted Wilson confronted the president regarding his allowance of government offices to be segregated, Wilson replied, "segregation was caused by friction between the colored and white clerks, and not done to injure or humiliate the colored clerks, but to avoid friction". While I understand segregation and discrimination towards African Americans to this day has not completely disappeared from American society, if one is regarded as a progressive, wouldn't they at least value human rights?

 Monroe Trotter 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/wilson/portrait/wp_african.html

Judaism within America: a bit of the past and a bit of the now

      Religious ideals have been a core part of human creation since some of the earliest times of man. Mesopotamian cultures have been existing for almost seven thousand years. So suffice to say the existence of America as a nation has barely reached 1.5% of that age. However while it had been created thousands of years ago, it hasn't been practiced in quite a long time, so it's impact on society today isn't as significant as many other religions. However one religion which while hasn't existed as long as the Mesopotamian cultures, that being the Judaism, which is about 5775 years old. I wanted to talk about the topic about how Judaism lives in a modern time in addition to some changes from when Judaism because yesterday my brother got acknowledged as a Jewish adult, through Bar Mitzvah.
      Becoming Bar, Bat or Benai Mitzvah usually means a long boring service followed by a party which usually is three times the length, well worth the service, but what does it mean to become a Jewish adult? While that singles out a huge portion of the population, this question, of course can also be extended to other religious factions. However the question here is very prevalent to events that happened in the recent chapters we were studying in class.
       The definition changed very drastically from which branch of Judaism the respective person is associated with more conservative branches will place emphasis upon the idea of taking up religious studies, whereas more liberal branches will place focus on taking time to try and enact Tikkun Olam, "repairing the world". For our family we do practice the more liberal Judaism, or in this case Reform Judaism, even though I have practically done nothing since my Bar Mitzvah. These others sections of Judaism took form when other massive religious, social events, and political were occurring, such as abolition, the Great Awakenings, and the World Wars.
      As of now in the United States, about two percent of the population is associated with Judaism and in addition to that it's percentage is shrinking as well, not because of people dropping the religion rather, other populations are growing in number while the Jewish one is retaining its size. This is a much greater percentage of the population and raw number of people from when they were first being recorded in censuses around the 19th century where they represented around 0.5 % of the population at that time. At the turn of the World War and consequently the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia, many Russian Jews immigrated to the United States, so prior to the Depression, there was a influx of the population upward. Which may correlate to the involvement of personnel that did believe in the faith.
      Connecting to what we were covering in the past unit with regard to participation in the war, the number of Jewish soldiers who participated was two hundred fifty thousand, which when taken from the four million was around six percent of the army mobilized. While this number is small in many respects, the one thing about the involvement which was quite large was the size of the Jewish population, being about three percent, which the soldiers pooled from. Reasons for this can be widely debated but I believe that maybe it was brought about by the ideals which they were raised by. This could be interpreted by one of two ideals; empathy towards Jewish wellbeing in Europe, or the ideal of Tikkun Olam.
     Judaism is not a popular religion, in terms of people who practice it. Looking In my perspective retaining a Jewish identity, a representation of ones' Jewish ideals is to look at what has occurred in the past regarding the various issues with Judaism, and formulating an opinion on it, which for the newly Bar Mitzvot, is an important point where they start achieving independence.

Nationalism In the Great War

Hey everyone, in this post I'd like to point out how big of a role nationalism and public opinion played in the United State's during the Great War. As we all know, the three
isms that began the war were imperialism, nationalism, and militarism. After US entry into the War, huge waves of patriotic idealism spread throughout the country. Several
thousands of people enlisted in the Army to defend democracy. Posters showed images of United States soldiers "Halting the Hun", saving the liberty of those abroad
as well as at home. One of the biggest contributors to the universal patriotism in America was the Creel organization that employed more than 150,000 workers to spread ideals
and disperse political propaganda. Songs were sung about the United States involvement, and anyone who spoke out or acted against the War effort was sent to prison under the
Espionage Act of 1917 and Sedition Act of 1918. People went into a mania against Germany. As we talked about in class, Sauerkraut became "liberty cabbage" and hamburger became "liberty steak" for sounding too German.
How crazy would it be if we went to war with China or somewhere and chow mein became "'merica noodles". The insanity shown by these actions really shows how patriotic the individual American was.
Also supporting the war was the effort of the Nations Factories, pressed by the mantra "Labor will win the war".  Councils were made for economic mobilization, and the "work or fight" rule was instated in 1918 where
someone who didn't work would be drafted. No one was exempt from supporting the war. The American Federation of labor doubled its membership to over three million during this time, furthering the labor push.
Women also played a large role in labor during this time, pouring into factories and fields where men vacated their positions. The entire country pressed itself into a wartime effort,
unifying for a common cause.
Severe changes in lifesyle also occurred. People began to Grow gardens in their backyards to lessen stress on the food supplies. Food exports in the United States to
triple. Also there were "heatless Mondays" "lightness nights", and "gasless Sundays", All to conserve for the War effort.

All of the country experienced a huge wave of nationalism that pressed for the war effort, I think it is important to understand the pubic opinion during this time, because it
plays a huge influence on the war, and it is interesting to see how crazed an individual can become when part of a common effort.

WIB

Bernard Baruch, Head of the WIB in 1918

In July 28, 1917, the War Industries Board was organized to oversee purchase of war supplies, coordinate production, and as a response to lack of centralized control in war mobilization caused by political differences and opposition. The board had control over distribution of raw materials, prices, and labor relations. President Woodrow Wilson assigned financier Bernard Baruch in 1918 and increased the board's power. The board was then enabled to use all agencies of of the Council of National Defense, mobilize industry, and force adoption of its orders. It increased industrial production in the US by 20% but the war materials were produced too late to be of much use and Great Britain and France already supplied the heavy munitions the US soldiers needed. It was terminated by executive order on January 1, 1919, not long after the armistice had been signed.

More about WWI acts and boards in the US here

Some Results of Anti-German Sentiment

A few days ago Mr. Stewart mentioned that some food items were renamed during WWI. I found a bunch more stuff that was also renamed due to Anti-German sentiment. You'll probably never need to know any of this, but some people might find it interesting.

Sauerkraut - Liberty Cabbage or Victory Cabbage

Hamburger - Liberty Sausage, Liberty Steak,  Liberty Sandwiches, or Salisbury Steak

Frankfurter - Hot Dogs, Liberty Sausage (The word "Hot Dog" was already in use, but WWI popularized it)

German Shepherd - Alsatian

Germania Club - Lincoln Club

Bismarck Hotel - Hotel Randolph

Dachshunds - Liberty Hounds (in the UK)

German Measles - Liberty Measles

Pretzels were removed from saloons

Berlin Avenue - Pershing

Bismark Street - Fourth Street

Kaiser Street - Gresham (these streets are in St. Louis)

Luxembourg, Missouri - Lemay, Missouri

Renaming stuff for political reasons is not exclusive to WWI. In 2003, when France didn’t support the U.S.’s plans to invade Iraq, Congressional Cafeterias renamed French Fries to be Freedom Fries and French Toast to be Freedom Toast.

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/11/sprj.irq.fries/

http://www15.uta.fi/FAST/US1/REF/germ-ww1.html

http://nuttyfacts.blogspot.com/2013/04/during-world-war-1-united-states.html

http://facts.randomhistory.com/world-war-i-facts.html

http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1383.html

http://lincolnslunch.blogspot.com/2011/03/woodrow-wilson-liberty-cabbage-and.html

http://everything2.com/title/hot+dog

Don't forget to check out the "Great War Documents" from Edmodo for the DBQ

Mr. Stewart strongly hinted that something about George Norris' document would be on the DBQ.

Just a reminder from the last DBQ we wrote:

1. set up your reader (don't assume they know everything)
2. use regular writing formatting (like a thesis, topic sentences, evidence, etc.)
3. demonstrate your knowledge (and use outside information!)

And I know something that he mentioned after we got the last DBQs back is don't just summarize.  Offer insight to how a document proves/supports/refutes/etc. a certain argument.

Good luck! :)

14 Points

http://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/wilson14.asp

Here are the 14 Points that Wilson introduced during the Paris Peace Conference after World War 1. Although I know what the 14 Points are about, I still don't know what each and every point is. So in case others are in my boat, here they are! Hopefully they help you out!

WW1 Casualties and the Importance

The compared deaths of the Main Allied Powers in World War 1 are as follows:

Russia: 1,773,700

France: 1,375,800

Great Britain: 908,371

Italy: 650,000

United States: 126,000

It is important to note that of these countries, America has suffered the least losses. This is a clear representation of Woodrow Wilson's efforts to keep the US out of the war and keep the country as an "associated power." This meant that America would not publicly support any side, but still supported Democracy, which was found in the Allied powers. While America was a strong power in the Americas, this very greatly due to the fact that most strong countries were in Europe and to reach America was a challenge in itself. During WW1, America faces the same weakness, for they cannot influence the war very much due to the travelling difficulty. Later, America becomes stronger.

Source for the numbers: http://www.worldwar1.com/tlcrates.htm

Woodrow Wilson Fun Facts

Hey guys, just thought I'd do the same thing as I did with Theodore Roosevelt with Woodrow Wilson. I think its interesting to see some lesser known facts on these important people. Enjoy!

Woodrow Wilson Fun Facts:

-Woodrow Wilson was one of four children
-Woodrow Wilson did not learn to read until 10 years of age.
-He was the first president with a PhD.
-Wilson's second wife was a descendant of Pocahontas
-Woodrow Wilson Issued the declaration of a National Mother's Day
-He was the first president to cross the Atlantic Ocean
- While president, he suffered from a stroke that left him nearly blind and partially paralyzed
- He allowed segregation in his cabinet
-President Wilson was 5'11'', 170 lbs, and had a Bmi of 23.74

Hope these provided somewhat of another dimension of this very prominent figure!

Sources/More facts

http://www.fun-facts.org.uk/american-presidents/woodrow-wilson.htm
http://americanhistory.about.com/od/woodrowwilson/tp/Ten-Things-To-Know-About-Woodrow-Wilson.htm

A Bar Fight?

Hey everybody!

While searching the web for something to post, I came across this website.  It's not terribly informative, but if you are looking for something to make you laugh, this might be it.  (I would like to say that World War I isn't anything to laugh at.  A lot of people died, and that deserves our respect.  But this explanation is quite amusing.)

Check it out: http://www.tentimesone.com/if-world-war-one-was-a-bar-fight/

:) Enjoy!

Some (Random) World War I Facts

World War I Facts

Hey everybody!

I know we’ve learned about World War I before in previous history classes, but I hope these are a few new facts about the war.  Sometimes I find it’s more fun to learn about history when you know some random, interesting facts.  I compiled a short list from a couple of websites I found. Feel free to add to it! :)

1. Because of food shortages, the British public was banned from feeding pets and birds human food

One woman was fined ten pounds (I think this is about $50) because her servant was caught feeding the birds.  Apparently she did this every day because she couldn’t bear to see the birds starve.

2. Tanks had genders

Female tanks were lighter with many machine guns (as opposed the males’ cannons).  One of the first prototypes was named “Little Willie.”

3. Britons in London heard explosions in France

In Belgium more than 900,000 pounds of explosives, planted by miners, went off at the same time.  One hundred forty miles away, the Prime Minister of Britain heard the noise.

4. Archduke Ferdinand had an...interesting license plate

This is kind of crazy, but on the day Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, his license plate was “A 111 118.”  If the spaces are put in different places, it can be interpreted as “A 11 11 18,” or “Armistice 11 November ‘18” which is the date that the armistice was signed.

5. Anti-Camouflage

Norman Wilkinson designed the exterior of merchant ships to be completely the opposite of camouflage.  He used bright, bold colors and patterns to throw off enemy torpedoes.  The designs created the illusion of waves where there were none and patterns that made it difficult to tell the difference between the front and back of the ship.  Check out this webpage http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zty8tfr for more information.

6. Women’s skin turned yellow

Not all of them, of course.  But women who worked with TNT experienced toxic jaundice as a result of the chemicals.

http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/jul/01/top-10-first-world-war-facts-marcia-williams

http://www.history.co.uk/shows/the-world-wars/articles/10-little-known-facts-about-ww1

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/0/26936615\

http://www.cooksinfo.com/british-wartime-food

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_tank

The United States and the Boxer Rebellion

When Mr. Stewart mentioned the Boxer Revolution briefly in class, my interest was piqued. So I did a bit of research into the reasons for Western intervention in the revolution it's repercussions. What I found was actually quite interesting, so I thought I would share it with the class in an effort to round out our history knowledge as a collective.

So, as we went over in class, the I Ho Ch'uan or "The Fists of Righteous Harmony" was a Chinese secret society that opposed any foreign presence or influence in China (specifically Christian influence). Western nations nicknamed the individuals in this society "Boxers". Boxer violence was initially directed at Christian converted Chinese individuals, but as their ranks expanded and they realized that the Chinese government was not taking any strong action against them, the group became more ambitious, targeting foreign missionaries and representatives. 

Now, you might be wondering, why was the Chinese government took such a passive stance if a rebel group was destroying the property of and harming its citizens. Chinese Dowager Empress, Tzu Hsi, stated that the Boxers represented a group of individual citizens expressing their beliefs, and she would not label them as a criminal organization by opposing them. You see, even though the group was only a comparatively small portion of the population, the ideals they stood for represented the anti-foreign sentiment that a huge and diverse part of the Chinese public had adopted. So while we call this a rebellion, it was more like government supported anarchy.

This is why the West stepped in. The Boxers were throwing China into complete chaos and it became obvious that the Chinese government would do very little to stop them. So Western forces, including many U.S. soldiers and marines, arrived in Pecking (now Beijing). They slowly spread their control until China was stabilized, and the Boxers were overpowered.

China generally did not take this well. It was seen as a display of Western imperialism. The United States had previously been seen by China as a sort of protector from imperialist interests, but now the relationship between the nations would be wrought with distrust.

• www.arts.cornell.edu/knight_institute/publicationsprizes/discoveries/discoveriesfall2002/12lydianussbaum.pdf
• Boxer Rebellion, China Relief Expedition 1900

Party Animals

Thomas Nast, a fiercely loyal republican was the man responsible for creating the iconic republican elephant and the democratic donkey. He first published them in a cartoon for Harpers Bazaar in the mid 19th century. At the time, cartoons were a major part of propaganda for political parties. Even as political leaders and platforms have changed, the symbols remain today. 

So why the elephant and the donkey?

In his first cartoon, Nast chose the donkey for the Democratic Party simply because it depicted a "jackass". His first political cartoon depicted a donkey kicking a lion (representing the Democratic Party kicking the Lincoln administration). This would clearly be anti-democratic, pro-republican. Nast was actually seen as a reviver of the symbol, as anti-jacksonians 30 years earlier used the donkey to depict the democratic Andrew Jackson as a jackass. 

The choice of the elephant is unclear, but one possible theory is that it would symbolize and big, powerful creature and imply the phrase "seeing the elephant", sparking memories of a union victory during the civil war. 

Both parties eventually embraced the symbols, leading to the iconic republican elephant and democratic donkey. 

Source: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/political-animals-republican-elephants-and-democratic-donkeys-89241754/

Week 13 Day 3/4 Test Review

Hey guys I know its a little late but if any of you are staying up to study I compiled a test review that I hope will be helpful.

Expansionism:
-frontier is closed
-needed new markets
-European countries already expanding
-Social Darwinism- survival of the fittest
-Needed bases to control the seas
-missionary opportunity
 Anti-Expansionism:
-cultural pollution of lower races
-had to compete with cheaper labor
-would need peacetime military to regulate colonies- could lead to coup


Spanish American War:
-America Declares war on Spain after the Maine is blown up
-Gained respect, as well as many islands

Philippine War
- war to take control over the Philippines, more fighting than it took to take the Philippines

China
-already divided amongst many European countries
- Open door policy: no interference with other countries trade
-Boxer Rebellion - rebellion in China against all foreigners


Progressives- People who supported a reform movement at the beginning of the 20th century. They were against monopolies, corruption, social injustice and inefficiency
- 2 goals: control trusts with state power, stem socialist threat by improving conditions of life and labor
-favored initiatives, referendum and recall
-pressured for 17th amendment to be passed
-settlement house movement- exposed middle class women to lower class living
-women's trade union league and National Consumers league- female activist organizations
Muckrakers- reform-minded journalists that wrote in sensationalist magazines

Theodore Roosevelt
-Square deal- 3 parts: control of corporations, consumer protection, conservation of natural resources
- Threatened to operate mines with federal troops when mines spokesmen refused to negotiate
-Challenged Northern securities company when it trid to have a monopoly
-Meat inspection act of 1906- regulated meat packing industry
-Pure food and Drug act of 1906- prevent mislabeling of foods
-Made a mistake of saying he would not run for a third term, However he comes back in 1912 in the Bull moose party
-Chose Taft as his successor, Taft win election of 1908
-Preached New Nationalism
-mediated Venezuelan Debt Crisis

Woodrow Wilson
-based policies on sincerity and morality
- Severely lowered tariffs, called for an income tax
-Reformer of the Banking system
-Federal Reserve Act- Federal Reserve Board oversaw 12 federal reserve banks

William Taft
- splits republican party with Payne-Aldrich Bill
-used dollar diplomacy, where he used investments in foreign areas for defenses and foreign policy.
-Brought 90 lawsuits against trusts while in office

Regulations of Companies
-Department of Commerce created by Congress 1903
-Elkins act- fines could be placed on railroads that gave rebates
-Hepburn act- expands interstate commerce commission onto express companies, sleeping car companies, and pipelines
- Dissoluted Standard Oil Company

Conservation:
-Desert Land Act of 1887- federal governemnt sold land cheaply if it was irrigated within 3 years
-Forest Reserve Act of 1891- authorized president to set aside forests as national parks and other reserves
-Carey Act of 1894- distributed federal land to the states on the condition that it be irrigated and settled

Hope this helps, if I missed anything please comment!

Platt Amendment

This was something that confused me a bit in class today, so I hope I can clear things up a bit for you too before the test!

A Bit of Background

So America at this point was gaining territory as was said in class today. The McKinley administration decided to occupy Cuba to help mediate the Spanish upset. Upon winning the war, Cuba was allowed to be independent in name only. In other words, America practically controlled Cuba. On March 2, 1901, The Platt Amendment was passed which gave 7 conditions for which the US would withdraw their troops from Cuba at the end of the Spanish-American War. It said that the relationship between Cuba and the US would make them constitutionally unequal in terms of the power over the territory.

The Seven Conditions

This document restricted Cuba in not only foreign policies but also in commerce. The Platt Amendment said that Cuba's boundaries would not include the Isle of Pines, and it demanded that Cuba sell/lease the lands to the US for naval stations (as we talked about in class - think A.T. Mahan).

And Afterward?

Afterward, the US ratified a tariff that protected Cuba's sugar imports while also protecting the US products in Cuba. Eventually most of the Platt Amendment provisions were repeated in 1934 by FDR's "Good Neighbor policy" toward Latin America. During a Cuban Constitutional Convention in 1940, the Platt Amendment was eliminated altogether.

Hope this helps your understanding of not only the situation with Cuba, but also with the overarching control that America was exerting on other territories at this time. Sorry for making this so brief! If you want more info on this topic, these sites delve even further:
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/platt
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=55
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1901platt.asp

Annexation of Hawaii

Today in class we talked about American imperialism, or as Mr. Stewart likes to call it "Manifest Destiny 2.0". We talked mainly about Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines, but I was also interested in Hawaii so I did a little more research.

By the late 1800s, American mainly considered Hawaii as an unofficial part of the US and urged other countries to stay out of the way. Americas main interests in Hawaii were trade, whaling, and spreading Christianity there. America also had many fruit and sugar companies on the island, encouraging an official take over. Americas large economic strength pretty much controlled the islands. Due to this increased influence of the Americans in Hawaii, natives grew more and more hostile towards Americans. However, Americans in Hawaii favored the US annexation, unsurprisingly. A concern that President McKinley might increase the tariff on Hawaiian goods and/or that Japan may try to take over Hawaii created unrest in the islands. The US decided the only solution would be to annex Hawaii for good. Queen Liliuokalani resisted the annexation, believing the native Hawaiians should run Hawaii. Soon after, in 1893, the Americans in Hawaii revolted. The new president at the time, Grover Cleveland, didn't approve of the way the annexation was occurring, and stopped it. The revolt and the annexation together was unsuccessful. 5 years late in 1898, the US would officially annex Hawaii.

Source: https://www.boundless.com/u-s-history/textbooks/boundless-u-s-history-textbook/race-empire-and-culture-in-the-gilded-age-1870-1900-21/war-empire-and-an-emerging-american-world-power-164/american-imperialism-896-3410/

& The American Pageant 14th Edition

Progressive Party of 1912

A moose, a donkey, and an elephant representing
the Progressives, Democrats, and the Republicans.
The elephant can be seen saying, "Suffering snakes,
how Theodore has changed."

"I feel fit as a bull moose," Roosevelt declares when asked if he was for to be a president again.

The Progressive Party, also famously known as Bull Moose Party, was a result of a rift between the Republican Party and Theodore Roosevelt in 1912.

Feeling dissatisfied with Taft's administration, Roosevelt believed he could once again be back up and running for a third term even after proclaiming his second his last. His liberal policies, which gained his place as the champion of the people, angered the "bosses" whom he sought to destroy as part of his anti-monopoly platform. This resulted to him being unable to get them to stick with him as a nominee and Taft taking his place on the ballot. Roosevelt took matters into his, and his many supporters', hands and created the New Nationalism, the Progressives' political ideology. This included the liberal social welfare changes he wanted to make: abolition of child labor, women's suffrage, minimum wage, unemployment insurance, and old age pension to name a few.

Roosevelt failed to gain the electoral votes he needed and Woodrow Wilson, a progressive candidate of the Democrats, takes the win. The party eventually disappeared but not without putting up new candidates, including women.



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10 Quotes of Roosevelt

I always have some difficulties trying to understand people and their motives by strictly reading texts about them, especially when they are such characters such as Theodore Roosevelt. Here are some quotes that I found about Roosevelt that I think match and confirm what we have learned about him up to this point. I hope these more "first-hand" accounts can help you better understand Roosevelt as a person and the mindset behind the actions.

1. "Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground."

2. "Believe you can and you're halfway there."

3. "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing."

4. "A man who has never gone to school may steal a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad."

5. "Nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care."

6. "It is only through labor and painful effort, by grin energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things."

7. "The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people."

8. "Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind."

9. "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

And... A personal favorite

10. "If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month."

For me, seeing these quotes really solidified for me this optimistic and progressivist mindset of Roosevelt's (shown in quotes 1 and 2) and showed me his idea on laziness. I think it says a lot about a person who says that the "next best thing [to do] is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing." This shows to me how much he appreciated action over anything else (Ha... he would've hated General McClellan...). Also, I really began to greater appreciate his emphasis on charisma and enthusiasm as shown in quotes 5, 6 and 7. He really shows that, as a successful leader, one has to genuinely care and spread his passion to the people. The last thing that got across to me was quote 8 which really showed the progressivism in Roosevelt because it shows how strongly he believed in doing the right thing and bettering the people as a whole.

Controversy of Roosevelt and Booker T. Washington's Dinner

On October 16, 1901, Roosevelt and Booker T. Washington made headlines by eating dinner together at the White House. Though Roosevelt frequently had African American guests to dinner, and Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth had both been received at the White House before, the press and many Southern politicians inappropriately slandered this decision.

Surprisingly, Roosevelt didn't concoct this supposedly outrageous decision in advance. As a very busy guy, Roosevelt had a meeting with Washington for advice on cabinet appointments that he knew might run late and a family dinner afterward. Thence, he just decided to combine the two. However, this didn't come with at least a bit of hesitation. Both men knew that this would spark a bit of attention because it was a meeting not based on business, and it also implied Roosevelt's feelings on social equality. Moreover, women and children would be present during this meeting.

The response from the press and the South was more than just furious. Both Roosevelt and Washington received death threats, and people began accusing Roosevelt of using his publicity as a way of expressing his private views. In response to the furious masses, the White House responded by saying that the event didn't take place at all at first. Then only later they claimed that it had occurred but that it was a simple luncheon without any women or children present.

This event has been widely diluted over the years just because of a) the nature of the press at this time b) the defamatory nature of what was said. The newspaper at this time is known to have been very extreme, and many would keep the paper for a day and then discard it. This made for very short lived yet explosive ire from the people. In addition, this event has been very hidden because of the nature of what was said at the time; many quotes and articles are so offensive that they would not dare to be even mentioned today. Many politicians took to this topic very harshly in order to make an attack on Roosevelt, therefore making this an opportunity to gain an upper hand on him.

Even through this, there was still some positive response from the black community from this time. Bishop Henry Turner supposedly said to Washington. "You are about to be the greatest representative and hero of the Negro race, notwithstanding you have been very conservative." Though he got a bit of backlash himself, to the point where he would make no comment to the press about the dinner he had with Roosevelt, Washington was still able to continue his groundbreaking work in his fight for African Americans.

Alice Roosevelt

Heres what happened in Alice Roosevelt's life.
Her mother, Alice, died 2 days after and her grandmother, Theodor's mother, Martha died eleven hours prior to her death. This left her father grief stricken and therefore growing up she was called "Baby Lee." Theodor then went traveling to North Dakota to overcome his grief while there he left Alice with his sister Anna, also called Bamie. Upon remarrying Alice was returned to Theodor and his new wife Edith. They had five other children. Throughout her life her father and her didn't see eye to eye so she was constantly shuffled from the homes of Bamie and her maternal grandparents. Alice's relationship with her step mother was no better than that with her father, for her stepmother often commented that if her mother had lived that she would have been bored with Theodor. Although her home life wasn't good it was her stepmothers persistence that made it so that Alice would not be wheelchair ridden. When Alice came down with a mild form of polio in one leg, Edith forced her to wear leg braces to sleep. Alice was spoiled while growing up and when her father was the governor of New York her parents wanted her to attend a school there. Upon hearing this she said, " If you send me I will humiliate you. I will do something that will shame you. I tell you I will."

When her father took office in 1901 she instantly became a fashion icon. She coined the color "Alice blue" and started a women's clothing trend when she wore a blue dress. She was proud of her father but she was upset that his presidency would take his time away from her. She was also known as a rule breaker for she smoked in public, rode in cars with men, stayed out late partying, kept a snake in the white house, and placed bids with a bookie.
When her father had to settle the uproar in china he sent Alice with Secretary of War, William Howard Taft to lead the negotiations. Alice played her role as distraction well by making headlines wherever she went.
On the cruise to Japan, Alice jumped into the pool fully clothed and coaxed a congressman to join her in the water. Bobby Kennedy later stated that the incident was outrageous for the time, Alice replied to this later in her autobiography, Crowded Hours in which she stated that her cloths were no different from the swim suits of the time. Due to the fact that she brought tons of silk and wore a strand of pearls that were given to her by the Cuban government for the rest of her life, her trip was dubbed by the press "Alice in Plunder Land".
Alice would also often interrupt meetings of her father, barging into the oval office. To which her father said,"I can either run the country or I can attend to Alice, but I cannot possibly do both."

Upon returning to Washington in December 1905 Alice got engaged to Nicolas Longworth III, a senator who was known as a playboy. The following February they had their wedding with over a thousand invited guests and a thousand more outside, hoping to see the bride. Alice was a blue wedding dress and used a borrowed military sword to cut the wedding cake. They had their honeymoon in Cuba, followed by other travels to Europe before returning to live at 2009 Massachusetts Av. N.W, Washington D.C., now the headquarters of the Washington Legal Foundation.
In the 1912 elections she supported her father's candidacy going against her husband, who was supporting Taft. This caused a rift between them and resulted in her having numerous affairs during their marriage. One such affair was with Senator William Borah, who is the father of her daughter Paulina Longworth.
Alice had a devilish sense of humor. She wanted to name her daughter "Deborah" as in "de Borah" and it was said that they called her "Aurora Borah Alice". Alice also once set a tack on the seat of a man in the house of representatives.

When the Roosevelt's had to move out of the White house Alice buried a voodoo doll of Mrs. Taft in the front yard. Alice also taunted the First lady so much that she had her banned from the White house. She was also banned during the Wilson administration. Alice also didn't care for the First lady during the Harding Administration, Florence Harding, for she had taking her best friend, Evalyn Walsh McLean, from her.
Her husband died in 1931. Upon his death Alice was asked if she would run for his seat, she did not for she didn't like public speaking.
During the great depression she appeared in tobacco commercials and wrote her autobiography to stay afloat.

Throughout her life she maintained her political and social favor and as a result earned the title "the other Washington Monument". She was a big part of the Republican party and said in the 1940 elections that she would "rather vote for Hitler than vote for Franklin for a third term."
Paulina married Alexander McCormick Strum and had a daughter, Johanna. Alexander died in 1951 followed by Paulina in 1957, due to an overdose of sleeping pills. Alice then fought and won custody of her granddaughter and, unlike with her own child, doted and was very close to her granddaughter.

Throughout her life she was interested in politics. She would advise her father during his presidency and supported her brother Ted when he ran for governor of New York. However when FDR ran for president in 1932 she publicly opposed it saying, "Politically, this branch of the family and ours have always been in different camps, and the same surname is about all we have in common... I am Republican... I am going to vote for Hoover... If I were not a Republican, I would still vote for Mr. Hoover this time."
Although she did not support John F. Kennedy in the election she became enamored with their lives and saw how amusing Democrats could be. This swayed her vote from Republican to Democratic in 1968. She also became good friends with Richard Nixon until the conclusion of watergate and his speech resigning from the white house, because of his use of her fathers words.

In 1950 Alice's health began to fail her. In 1955, she fell and broke a hip. In 1956, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a successful mastectomy. In 1960 she went to a physician and was diagnosed with emphysema, a result of her heavy smoking.  Then in 1970 it was discovered that she had breast cancer in her other breast which required another mastectomy.
Alice died February 20, 1980 of emphysema and pneumonia, she is buried at Rock Creek Cemetery. To mark her death, President Carter wrote,"She had style, she had grace, and she had a sense of humor that kept the generations of political newcomers to Washington wondering which was worse - to be skewered by her wit or to be ignored by her."

Some of her best quotable comments: "If you haven't got anything good to say about anybody, come sit next to me." To senator Joseph McCarthy, who had jokingly remarked at a party "Here's my blind date. Im going to call you Alice", she sarcastically said "Senator McCarthy, you are not going to call me Alice. The trashman and policeman on my block call me Alice, but you may not." She informed President Lyndon B. Johnson that she wore-brimmed hats so he couldn't kiss her. On another occasion, asked by a Klu Klux Klansman in full regalia to take his word for something, Alice refused, saying "I never trust a man under sheets, And when a well-known Washington senator was discovered to have been having an affair with a young woman less than half his age, she quipped, "You can't make a soufflé rise twice" 

Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/books/review/Mallon-t.html?_r=1&
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Roosevelt_Longworth
http://www.theodore-roosevelt.com/alice.html

Fun Facts About Theodore Roosevelt

I've been looking at multiple sites to find things that although not be completely relevant to his policies, are interesting to know about Theodore Roosevelt and add to the Character that he was as President.

1. Roosevelt was known to go skinny-dipping in the Potomac River during the wintertime
2. President Roosevelt was commonly known by his initials.
3. Roosevelt was the first president to fly in an Airplane made by the Wright Brothers On October 11, 1910. The flight lasted 4 minutes.
4. He was the youngest president, taking office at age 42.
5. ON October 12, 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was shot in the chest by a saloonkeeper. Declining treatment, he gave a full 90 minute speech with blood seeping out of his wound. 
6. A boxing wound left him blind in one eye
7. Roosevelt was the author of 38 books throughout his life.
8. Roosevelt had 2 pets, a snake and a guinea pig.
9. He was brown haired, blue eyed, 5 ft 9 inches and approximately 220 lbs.

I hope this was somewhat interesting to read, and gave a little more insights into the man that made such a big impact as president. If you found anything else in your research that you found interesting, add them to my list!

More Facts:  http://www.republicanpresidents.net/10-interesting-facts-about-theodore-roosevelt/
http://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-teddy-roosevelt
http://www.theodore-roosevelt.com/trbioqf.html

Theodore Roosevelt and the Panama Canal

We talked a little bit about the Panama Canal in class, but I was curious so I did some additional research. Below are my findings:

The Canal was built, with much patriotic support, to ultimately connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  This would lend a hand to more extensive trade routes, easier travel (the original trip would be around the dangerous Cape Horn), and hopefully economic prosperity. The leader of the project would be Ferdinand de Lesseps, builder of the Suez Canal. The estimate was that the building project would take 12 years to complete and cost $132 million dollars. The French helped building efforts by providing modern equipment (i.e. steam shovels, locomotives) for digging. The most common problem workers faces was disease, specifically malaria and yellow fever. Despite storms, disease, death, and harsh conditions the French continued to dig. In December, 1888 Compagnie Universelle du Canal Interocéanique flailed, causing many French investors to loose their money. The canal would be left unfinished, and later, Theodore Roosevelt took up the project. 

In 1902, the US bought rights to the canal from France. The battle for Panama (when the US urged Panama to revolt against Colombia) occurred and Panama gained independence. US leased space for the Canal from Panama and the building project continued. In the first year, the Americans faced many of the same problems the French did. Finally, John Stevens introduced his new plan of clearing instead of digging. This proved successful. Dr. William Gorgas helped to eradicate yellow fever from Havana through plumbing and pesticides  and sanitization of marshes, homes, etc. Engineering improved, too. Following the new concept of the "lake and lock",  "boats would cross the lake, then descend by another set of locks to the Pacific." Steam shovels and railroad cars aided in the increasing efficiency of the building. 

The Canals official opening day was August 15, 1914. The world barely noticed due to WWI, which overshadowed the entire project. 





Works Cited:

"American Experience: TV's Most-watched History Series." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2014.

Roosevelt and the Russo-Japanese War

         Today in class, we continued watching the video we started on last Friday. In the video, there was a section about Roosevelt's foreign policy. Here is the clip if you want to rewatch or if you missed it. 

      Cause of the war: Basically Japan couldn't get the control of Manchuria it wanted as well as Port Arthur because Russia, Germany, and France teamed up to pressure Japan into giving it up. Then the Russian moved into Port Arthur, a port that has strategic and commercial advantages to those who controls it, after pressuring the Chinese to allow them to. Japan starts to get "pissed" off and focus her attention on Korean instead. When Japan was trying to stage a coupe in Korea, Russia got in the way, and that created more tension between the two. The two try to have a negation which did not work out well, thus the Japanese attack Port Arthur and declares war on Russia. 

Roosevelt favored Russia at first because of the good foreign relations they had with one another and how Russia is trying to conquer the "lower" races instead of the same race, but then he realize that the larger Russia expand, the larger its power and the stronger it is. After the Japanese's naval threat, Roosevelt had a better view towards the Japanese because of their acceptance of the annexation of Hawaii and Japan's efficiently. He soon came to see Japan and Britain as a counter for Russia's expansion.

Reason why Roosevelt intervene:  He wanted to maintain a balance of power that would allow American trade to run smoothly and efficiently. Also wanted Manchuria to be returned as a Chinese province  and open to trade equally without any international power controlling it, which you could argue that it gave the America a good place to trade.

The negotiations took place in August of 1905 in Portsmouth, New Hemisphere and wasn't signed until September of the same year.

Japan wanted "recognition of their power in Korea, withdrawal of Russian troops from Manchuria along with economic concession, cession of Liaotung Peninsula, Sakhalin Island, and Port Arthur Railway, payment of indemnity, and a promise to not allow a Russian fleet to be based in the "Extreme East" "

The Russian delegates knew that they were losing the war, but Czar Nicholas II did not see it this way. On top of the lost of the war, the Russia government was dealing with political and social unrest caused by the Revolution of 1905. With this accounted for, the delegates wanted to win the peace as soon as possible, but not with the terms Japan had given them. Russia did not want to give any indemnity and any unnecessary concession 

Roosevelt then suggested that both Russia and Japan should compromise the "issue of naval vessels and naval limitation and control of Sakhalin" after hearing that Britain and France want to join in on the intervention. 

Russia's final proposal was "the cession of the southern half of Sakhalin with no indemnity", which the Japanese accepted for Roosevelt had said that another year of war would cost Japan more than it can recover

Final Result:The Treaty of Portsmouth it recognized Japan's dominance in Korea and Manchuria (including Port Arthur and the railway) and ceded the southern half of Sakhalin to Japan.

If you want to read more: 
http://www.russojapanesewar.com/TR.html
http://www.russojapanesewar.com/top.html
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/portsmouth-treaty
http://www.russojapanesewar.com/documents.html

I hope this was somewhat informative and interesting.