LAD #37 Brown v Board of Education

This was a landmark case that cancelled the ruling of a previous case, Plessy v Ferguson, which stated that separate but equal facilities are allowed for African American people. The reason this debate arose again in this case was because a little girl, Linda Brown had to walk a mile to school everyday just to attend an African American school that didn't even have equal educational opportunities. This case was brought to the Supreme Court and was ruled in favor of Oliver Brown and her daughter by a unanimous decision that would change the landscape of segregation in the future.

LAD #36 Truman Doctrine

Truman begins by addressing the Congress with his belief that the national security is threatened, this also is regarding Greece and Turkey. The Greek government sent an appeal to the US for economic assistance. Though peaceful, they had been ravaged by WWII and for a time a militant minority took power, but now they find themselves barely able to sustain themselves and require help to reconstruct. They are also currently being threatened by communist terrorists which they cannot fight against. Truman believed the United States must be the one to supply the assistance Greece so clearly needs.Truman also believed that a primary foreign policy of the United States is to create a world free of coercion, which is what WWII had been fought and the United Nations formed for. However, he states, many nations had recently had totalitarian regimes forced upon them.

LAD #35 FDR's Executive Order

This is an extremely controversial order in hindsight mainly because when FDR originally made this order that was delivered for the Secretary of War, he stated that it was just to create military zones that no one except military members could enter. The controversy comes in later because these areas were created but ended up being used as places to hold Japanese people who resided in America and had relation to a Japan living descendent. These were eventually given the name interment camps when it was clear their purpose. The whole reason that FDR and The Secretary of War felt the need to make these interment camps was due to the general feeling of that there was lack of safety in America because the Pearl Harbor attacks, and President Roosevelt made it clear that loyalty to America was vital during this time.

LAD #34 FDR's War Declaration

Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared that December 7th is, "a day that will live in infamy."  This was due to the attack on Pearl Harbor Navy base by Japanese fighter planes. ge stated that these brutal attacks were deliberate with the intenti9ns to hurt America's naval power. This is then proceeded by the statement  that it is in our best interest to go to war.  Then he asks for the support of Congress because the people of the United states already were in  support of going to war.

LAD #33 FDR's First Inagural Address

  FDR begins his address by acknowledging that during his time in office he will have to manage and relieve a severe economic crisis.  He tries to instill hope within Americans by stating that the depression is not as hindering as believed.  In this speech, FDR uttered among the most famous quotes of all time, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself."  Although optimistic, the President was not idealistic like Wilson.  He acknowledged the fact that the nation was suffering immensely and recognized the need for change.  He mentioned that there were various issues with inflation, savings, banking, and employment.  FDR mentioned the importance of decreasing the unemployment numbers. Roosevelt closes this address with optimism and encouragement towards the people that America will get out of this horrible economic period.

LAD #32 Kellog Briand Pact

This Peace Pact was made between many nations of the world but the original countries that signed it were the United States, Germany, and France. After these nations signed the treaty many others big and small joined in. The purpose of this treaty was to make sure that countries would not resolve disputes by reverting back to war. United States would also be the nation that sent out copies to notify other nations as to the signing of this pact.

LAD #31 Wilson's 14 Points

1: Public diplomacy and negotiations.

2: Absolute freedom of the seas.

3: Removal of economic barriers and creation of equality in trade.

4: Reductions by all nations of their armies to the lowest point consistent with public safety.

5: Adjustment of colonial claims to the interests of both the inhabitants of the colonies and the colonial powers.

6: Russian independence and evacuation of it's territory by other powers.

7: Evacuation and restoration of Belgium as independent.

8: Evacuation of France and the return of the Alsace-Lorraine territory to France.

9: boundaries in Italy based on nationality
10: Austria-Hungary set free
11: people out of Rumania, Serbia, and Montenegro
12: the "Turks" given freedom
13:Poland to be made
14: establishment of something like the league of nations
These 14 points were created by Wilson in order to maintain peace among nations across the world. Sadly these points, even though good in principle, were never fully achieved and as a result it would be considered unsuccessful efforts by Wilson, who could have been one of the best presidents ever.

LAD #30 Schenck vs. U.S.

Charles Schenck was an American man who promoted the avoidance of the draft. Schenck believed that the draft was a direct violation of the 13th Amendment, ironically he was later found to be in violation of the Espionage Act because he was interfering with the military. As a result of this case the clear and present danger rule was created, meaning that since he was a danger to the nation he doesn't have the right to freedom of speech.

LAD #29 Keating Owen Child Labor Act

Early 1900's large businesses and corporations aided the United States for economic reasons by gave little thought to the American people, especially those working for them. Workers in cities suffered grueling conditions, long hours and little pay. Often times, instead of working toward an education, children would be working day and night in factories, mills, and farms in order to bring in an additional profit for their family, even if just a small one. Problems in the workforce were worsened for young children as they did not have labor laws to protect their rights and they were often hired solely because they could fit into small, dangerous spaces and they could be paid less. Men and organizations like Lewis Hine and the National Child Labor Committee worked endlessly to put a halt to the atrocities. In 1916, their goal was achieved with the Keating-Owen Child Labor Act being put into action, making strides to reform many of the hardships that working youth faced. Its goal was to restrict child labor which would lead to more open jobs for adult men. The act prohibited the sale of goods produced in factories by children under 14 years old, and mines operated by children under 16 years of age. Furthermore, the Keating-Own Child Labor Act prevented children under 16 from working more than 8 hours a day, or at night.

LAD #28 Wilson's First Inaguaral

When Democrat Woodrow Wilson took office, the shift from predominantly Republican to Democratic took place. In his presidential address, he acknowledged the that Democrats now made up a majority of Congress, acquiring more influence in the government. However, he also stated that power within a political party is meaningless unless people use it reform and carry out necessary changes. Wilson also recognized the problems facing the nation such as large businesses and corportatioins taking advantage of the government and society as a whole. While these successful industries were economic advantages of the United States, their impact on the people needed to be considered. During his address Wilson additionally mentioned his disapproval of an extensive tariff, taxation, as well as businesses overtaking the government and people of America.

LAD #27 Clayton Anti-Trust Act

The Clayton Anti-Trust Act was passed by Woodrow Wilson's administration after being introduced by Alabama Democrat Henry De Lamar Clayton Jr. in October, 1914. The act was ordained to strengthen the power of government in dealing with monopolies, a vital part of the process. It also aided to set a foundation for the regulation of business presently practiced by the government. Before, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act was the only act which allowed the government to be involved in the control of  large businesses. Theodore Roosevelt utilized the Sherman Anti-Trust Act in order to become America's first trust buster. Furthermore, the Clayton Anti-Trust Act regulated the decisions of powerful corporations which often times got away with unlawful transactions. The most significant difference between the two acts is that the Clayton Anti-Trust Act can not be used against labor unions.

LAD #26 MLK's Speech

Two of his most important works including his letter from Birmingham jail as well as his "I Have a Dream" speech have remained vital. Today, they are still studied and analyzed by high school students and even prominent writers. King began his revolutionary "I Have a Dream" speech by declaring that it would be one of the most inspiring speeches in America which clearly was true. In his opening he begins with "Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation", an allusion to Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address. He goes on to speak of the Emancipation Proclamation which was meant to free the slaves and bring about equality, however it was unsuccessful. Blacks still faced countless prejudices and even dealt with the emergence of the Jim Crow Laws. They virtually received alteration in their rights as American citizens. With this, King states that change needs to take place now and that the American people, no matter one's race, need to come together and be treated as equals. He expresses his feelings that blacks need to receive and have their rights acknowledged in order for peace to emerge in America.

LAD #25 Dawes Act

The Dawes Act addressed policy over Native American's, and created a firm policy over how reservations will be handled and divided. It stated that each head of the family would receive a portion of land that would be divided amongst the family based on age. This act was attempting to assimilate Native American's to American culture that is based off land ownership. In creating this act it may seem that the United States Government was trying to be kind and provide good land to the natives, but in reality it once again took land  away from Indians, and also regulated how they could manage their land.

LAD #24 Cross of Gold

In this speech William Jennings Bryan addresses the economic problem of currency that was a prominent issue. Jennings Bryan believed that the distribution of silver 16x more than gold was foolish and would lead to many more problems. Granted, he was a businessman so this idea of continuing to issue gold in larger quantities than the Populist Party was bias, but Jennings Bryan was the voice for the hard working businessmen who were going to be hurt if this new 16:1 ratio of silver to gold were to happen. Lastly Jennings talks to the fact that the gold standard needs to remain strong during a time where the United States was not at its strongest.

LAD #23 Populist Party Platform

This Populist Party platform was important because the emergence of this party was relatively new. The Populist Party was now developing as the third major party and as a result they needed to state and explain their main beliefs, or platforms. One of the main points of this platform was to help strengthen the common person because big business had gained so much power in the years before that the economy was struggling and became stagnated. The way the populist party proposed to solve these problems was to focus on land, transportation, and economic stimulation. To go along with the transportation aspect, they wanted the railroads to be in control of the National Government. Also the improvement of coinage was a basic platform they held, and they planned to do this through implementing free distribution silver to a 16:1 ratio of gold. Overall this party brought new ideas that combined platforms of both parties, but also some new, never proposed ideas for fixing the problems in the United States.

LAD #22 McKinley's War Message

President McKinley delivered this message as a result of the continual disputes between the Spanish and Cubans. These two countries had many problems that needed to be resolved but when the USS Maine was sunk by the Spanish it really set off the United states, and as a result the support now leaned towards the Cubans. McKinley brought up this event in support of his statement that the United states has been economically and politically effected due to this unnecessary war. This was then followed with the topic of American intervention between the two to end all the disputes, but mainly to end their effect on American's.