AOD #5

Our United Nations simulation last week was a perfect example of negotiation. When the idea was brought up about splitting up into many small groups instead of one big group to get more things accomplished it caused a problem. Some countries were concerned that small groups would be more vulnerable than a larger group. But other countries thought that small groups would be able to accomplish more than one larger group. So we had to negotiate the pros and cons of each choice and then negotiate as to what was the best choice for all the countries. This was somewhat difficult because both sides ended up just restating their arguments over and over again. But what we really had to look at what the key interests of both sides were and what we were willing to give up and what we could not give up. Eventually, I think we came to a conclusion.

Midterm Practice

“[W]hen he shall make us a praise and glory that men shall say of succeeding [colonies], ‘the Lord make it like that of New England.’ For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us[.]” This quote is just a small piece of an important speech by John Winthrop in 1630. It had a big impact on the young, developing colonies of New England.

John Winthrop wanted to express to the immigrants in the New World that they were being watched by everyone. That they were being held to a higher standard and they must keep to that standard. They were still trying to establish the New World so this was a crucial point for them. Since they were still being established the whole world was watching them. He is saying that they needed to make themselves look good and appealing to other countries. Also, he is saying that they have an influence on the colonies that follow them, that he wanted them to be able to say that God made their colony like New England. He wanted other colonies to want to be as great as New England.

I think that John Winthrop is right that the world is going to be watching them. This was undiscovered territory that nobody really knew about so I'm sure the other countries would be curious as to how it was going to play out. They wanted to see if it was something that maybe they should try and go after, if it was worth it to them or perhaps if this did not work for England, if maybe they could do better. The world thrives on competition. Whenever you have competition of some kind you are going to watch that competition to see if there is a spot where maybe you can get ahead. To see if what their strengths and what their weaknesses are so you can take advantage of those for your own gain. I think this is what the other countries were doing. To see if maybe this New World was worth doing business with and if that would help their country or not. So I think John Winthrop is right that they needed to make themselves look good to other countries because if they did not then the other countries would not bother with trading with them and their networking with other countries would have been more difficult.

This speech was for motivational for the immigrants in New England and probably encouraged them. The development New World was a very influential time for England and for the colonies in New England. This speech might have made the colonies step it up some to show other countries that they were thriving and would survive. This is a world of competition and New England was trying to be competition.

AOD #4

My friends will get into arguments quite often, usually due to a misunderstanding or miscommunication. I get so lucky as to be the person they feel the need to talk to about these arguments. So I usually get involved and get dealt the job of patching things up and mediating the situation otherwise the world is going to come to an end. When this happens I am usually talking online with my friends and they tell me about the situation. When this happens I open up both of their conversations on my screen and listen to both sides. Then I usually get both people to reveal their true feelings on the subject. Most of the time all it takes to bring things back to peace is to simply reiterate what the other person has said in a friendlier way of saying it. Once they hear this from the other person they will agree to talk to each other again. Then they start talking to each other and in a little while I usually get a message saying “everything is fine again”.

This is my process for solving my friends’ problems and I usually find it quite successful. When I saw that mediating was on this list I actually thought that that fitted it quite well because when I looked back at my process it sounded just like mediation and what I have heard about student mediation and that sort of thing.

Essay #1 Reflection Post

How do you think you did?
I honestly think I did ok. I think I could've done better. It was not my best work. I did things kind of last minute like I used to do in high school. This helped me to realize what kind of things I need to do before and that I should do them earlier than I did them this time. I realized that I really need to step it up and to try and get ahead when I can so that next time I will be able to do my best.
What have you learned about your....
...writing process:
I have learned that my writing process involves writing things out multiple times and doing multiple outlines and drafts and lots of time which I do not give myself enough time to do all of it. I start out by just "vomiting on the keyboard" then I sort through everything I typed and organize it into an outline. Then I do multiple outlines and add more information and more detail until it's almost a paragraph, then I write it out into paragraphs. This is what I do when I give myself enough time to do all that but generally I don't give myself enough time so I end up skipping a lot of steps and missing a lot of detail.
...writing philosophy:
I still agree with my first reflection of my writing philosophy. I use my writing as a way of expressing myself. It is hard to express yourself in an essay when it has a certain prompt or topic but it is still your writing so it still has some of you in it. Writing should show who you are. It should show your thoughts and feelings on whatever you are writing about.
What have you learned about college writing vs. high school writing?
I have learned that there is a lot more expected of you in college writing. You have to figure things out by yourself rather than it all being spoon fed to you by the teacher. Also, you really have to make sure that the sources you are using are legit. You have to make sure that your information is reliable. In college writing you put more of your opinion into it. High school writing was more like summarizing what we'd already learned or what they had told us and putting it into essay form. High school writing is five paragraph essays and have a standard format that it has to fit. College writing is more free form and you have more freedom in what you can write. But you still have to fit with the assignment.
What changes will you make for next time?
Next time I will give myself more time and not wait until the last minute. When I do that I will be able to pay more attention to detail in my essay and have enough time to make sure everything is the way I want it to be. Also, I will check my sources to make sure they are legit and that I am getting the most reliable source of information and make sure it's what I'm looking for. Most of the changes I would make depend on me giving myself more time by starting earlier so I can get ahead.

Bacon's Rebellion Essay Final Draft

The making of America was not as simple as people coming here and settling down. There were natives that had already claimed the land for themselves. Bacon's rebellion is all about ownership. Who has the right to what land. All of this caused confusion and frustration for the colonists in the Chesapeake. When the confusion and frustration provided no solution the poor, landless farmers chose to rebel. The rebellion and the conflict leading up to the rebellion influenced Chesapeake society even if it wasn’t as major of an event as the American Revolution.

Bacon’s rebellion was brought on by the differences in the classes of the Chesapeake colonies. Until mid-century, classes were not separated by how much money you had, but by whether you were free or not. Towards the later half of the century, three changes in the economy occurred that changed the social classes. First, tobacco prices decreased because so much of it was being exported that it became less of a luxury. This made it harder for freed servants to save up enough money to buy their own land. Second, the mortality rate in the Chesapeake lowered, so more servants survived their indentures, leading to more free landless men. Finally, since the mortality rate was declining, planters lived longer so they had more time to make money and become wealthier. This created a planters elite (3). I agree that this would cause a gap in society. When the poor are not getting money as fast and the rich are getting more money faster then it makes sense that that would cause a gap. But I don’t think money was the only reason that the two social classes grew farther apart. I think it was also their view on the Native Americans. Since the two classes had different ideas about the Indians it pushed them apart even more. Because people with the same views and opinions, generally, clump together.

The Native Americans were a great ally to the colonists and they should have kept their friendship with them at all costs. To try and do this “William Berkeley, the colonial governor, hewed to a policy that honored alliances with friendly tribes, which in turn acted as buffers and allies against the hostile tribes” (2). This statement makes a good point in saying that the friendly tribes would protect them from the hostile tribes. Since the colonists had had other attacks by Indians this was a smart idea. The friendly tribes could communicate with the hostile tribes for the colonists or they could help them if the hostile tribes ever attacked. But the lower class failed to see the protection that this friendship would bring because they were too worried about finding land to buy and settle on. The elite farmers did not care so much about the little amount of land available because they already had their land and were making a good profit off of it (2). It was the landless farmers that were trying to find land to buy and could not find it because of Berkeley’s loyalties to the Native Americans (4). Because of this, the lower class thought that the elite farmers were operating the government for their own gain because they did not do anything about the lessening amount of free land on the western frontier (4). I believe the landless farmers have a right to be angry because the elite were operating in a way that only benefited them personally. The friendship with the Native Americans was going good for the elite farmers so they were okay with it and did not plan to change it. But I also believe that the landless farmers took it a little too far with the rebellion, even if they did get their point across. In the end Governor Berkeley and the elite had to choose “the lesser of two evils”. This situation enraged the Chesapeake’s lower class which caused the rebellion. When the rebels started looking for a leader that would support their views, “Nathaniel Bacon embraced the opportunity to elevate his local standing and agreed to lead volunteer militia units” (2). This seems unusual that Bacon would choose to be the leader of this rebellion when he was the cousin of Governor Berkeley by marriage and was not in the lower class of the landless farmers and freed servants (2). He was welcomed into the elite society when he arrived in Virginia in 1674 (2). So it is strange that Bacon would choose to lead the lower class against the upper class when he was originally in the upper class. And much less so that he could increase his local standing with the people. Leading a rebellion does not seem like the way to make you really popular in society accept maybe with the rebels. But now Nathaniel Bacon is famous for what is considered his rebellion which is really a battle between rich and poor.

Bacon’s rebellion really pushed the switch from indentured servants to African slaves. Although the grandees still remained in power of the council, the tension between the two classes lessened, but the tensions between races increased (3). Some believe this is because after the rebellion, most planters and land owners made the switch to African slaves instead of indentured servants (2). I agree with this statement because after Bacon’s rebellion I would understand why farmers would not want indentured servants because they would be afraid of them rebelling or causing trouble once their indentures were over. So with the increase of African slaves that created a new lower class. Berkeley and the elite society realized that keeping a friendly relationship with their fellow white men was more important than their relationships with the Native Americans (3). This was a smart decision on their part because there were not as many of the natives and the farmers were not going to be shoved aside. Also, if they were trying to build a colony then they’re going to want to expand so they’re going to want those farmers to find land so that they can expand their colony.

There are still situations like this today. At first, the elite sided with the Indians because they benefited more since they were able to trade with them and for protection against hostile tribes (3). Just like today the bigger companies are hiring more immigrants because it benefits them since they can do the same amount of labor and the same quality for cheaper than if they hired the average American citizen. This is because the immigrants will accept the lower paying jobs.

The lack of land and the problem of ownership caused Bacon's rebellion. The landless farmers wanted land so that they could make money of their own and settle down. Governor Berkeley and the elite farmers wanted to keep their relationship with the Indians for trade and protection, but also wanted to keep their relationship with the poorer, lower class. The landless farmers wanted a decision so they decided to act. Bacon's rebellion changed Chesapeake society. The differences between the classes decreased and the differences between races increased as more African slaves were sold instead of indentured servants. Bacon's rebellion was very influential even if it was not as major as the American Revolution or other rebellions in history.

(1) http://caho-test.cc.columbia.edu/sim/15005.html
(2) http://www.bookrags.com/research/bacons-rebellion-aaw-01/
(3) The American Promise

Bacon's Rebellion rough draft #2

The making of America was not as simple as people coming there and settling down. There were natives that had already claimed the land for themselves. Bacon's rebellion is all about ownership. Who has the right to what land. All of this caused confusion and frustration for the colonists in the Chesapeake. When the confusion and frustration provided no solution the poor, landless farmers chose to rebel. The rebellion, and the conflict leading up to the rebellion, influenced Chesapeake society even if it as major of an event as the American revolution.

Bacon’s rebellion was brought on by the differences in the classes of the Chesapeake colonies. Until mid-century, classes were not separated by how much money you had, but by whether you were free or not. Towards the later half of the century, three changes in the economy occurred that changed the social classes. First, tobacco prices decreased because so much of it was being exported that it became less of a luxury. This made it harder for freed servants to save up enough money to buy their own land. Second, the mortality rate in the Chesapeake lowered, so more servants survived their indentures, leading to more free landless men. Finally, since the mortality rate was declining, planters lived longer so they had time more time to make money and become wealthier. This created a planters elite (3). I agree that this would cause a gap in society. When the poor and not getting money as fast and the rich are getting money as fast and the rich are getting more money then it makes sense that that would cause a gap. But I don’t think money was the only reason that the two social classes grew farther apart. I think it was also their view on the Native Americans. Since the two classes had different ideas about the Indians it pushed them apart even more. Because people with the same views and opinions, generally, clump together.

The Native Americans were a great ally to the colonists and they should have kept their friendship with them at all costs. To try and do this “William Berkeley, the colonial governor, hewed to a policy that honored alliances with friendly tribes, which in turn acted as buffers and allies against the hostile tribes” (2). This statement makes a good point in saying that the friendly tribes would help them with the hostile tribes. Since the colonists had had other attacks by Indians this was a smart idea. The friendly tribes could communicate with the hostile tribes for the colonists or they could help them if the hostile tribes ever attacked. But the lower class failed to see the protection that this friendship would bring because they were too worried about finding land to buy and settle on. The elite farmers did not care so much about the little amount of land available because they already had their land and were making a good profit off of it (2). It was the landless farmers that were trying to find land to buy that could not find it because of Berkeley’s loyalties to the Native Americans (4). Because of this, the lower class thought that the elite farmers were operating the government for their own gain because they did not do anything about the lessening amount of free land on the western frontier (4). I believe the landless farmers have a right to be angry because the elite were operating in a way that only benefited them personally. The friendship with the Native Americans was going good for them so they were okay with it and did not plan to change it. But I also believe that the landless farmers took it a little too far with the rebellion, even if they did get their point across. In the end governor Berkeley and the elite had to choose the lesser of two evils. This situation enraged the Chesapeake’s lower class which caused the rebellion. When the rebels started looking for a leader that would support their views, “Nathaniel Bacon embraced the opportunity to elevate his local standing and agreed to lead volunteer militia units” (2). This seems unusual that Bacon would choose to be the leader of this rebellion when he was the cousin of Governor Berkeley y marriage and was not in the lower class of the landless farmers and freed servants (2). He was welcomed into the elite society when he arrived in Virginia in 1674 (2). So it seems odd that Bacon would choose to lead the lower class against the upper class when he was originally in the upper class. And much less so that he could increase his local standing with the people. Leading a rebellion does not seem like the way to make you real popular in society accept maybe with the rebels. But now Nathaniel Bacon is famous for what is considered his rebellion which is really a battle between rich and poor.

Bacon’s rebellion really pushed the switch from indentured servants to African slaves. Although the grandees still remained in power of the council the tension between the two classes lessened, but the tensions between races increased (3). Some believe this is because after the rebellion, most planters and land owners made the switch to African slaves instead of indentured servants (2). I agree with this statement because after Bacon’s rebellion I would understand why farmers would not want indentured servants because they would be afraid of them rebellion or causing trouble once their indentures were over. So with the increase of African slaves that created a new lower class. Berkeley and the elite society realized that keeping friendly relationship with their fellow white men was more important than their relationships with the Native Americans (3). This was a smart decision on their part because there were not as many of the natives and the farmers were not going to be shoved aside. Also, if they were trying to build a colony then they’re going to want to expand so they’re going to want those farmers to find land so that they can expand their colony.

There are still situations like this today. At first, the elite sided with the Indians because they benefited more because they were able to trade with them and for protection against hostile tribes (3). Just like now how the bigger companies are hiring more immigrants are sending work out of the country because it benefits them because they can do the same amount of labor and the same quality for cheaper than if they hired the average American citizen.

(1) http://caho-test.cc.columbia.edu/sim/15005.html

(2) http://www.bookrags.com/research/bacons-rebellion-aaw-01/

(3) The American Promise

AOD #3

Community meetings are a perfect example of public dialogue. Public dialogue is public talk on matters that concern us all, which is exactly what we do in community meetings. We discuss matters that concern all PSEC students and staff. And we discuss these matters all together. Community meetings are setup so that there is a chance for every student or staff to participate that wants to participate and give their input. Every student and staff’s input is important because it has an effect on everyone in the community. The meetings are also conducted in a way so that the dialogue is a discussion and not just a lecture and there is always room for changing, adding, or correcting anything that is said or done in the meeting.

Bacon's Rebellion Essay Rough Draft

Bacon’s rebellion was brought on by the differences in the classes of the Chesapeake colonies. The classes changed and evolved throughout the century. Until mid-century, classes were not separated by how much money you had, but by whether you were free or not. Towards the later half of the century, three changes in the economy occurred that redrew the social class lines. First, as more and more tobacco was grown, it made tobacco prices decrease because it was not as much of a luxury anymore, this decreased planter’s profits. So it took freed servants longer to save up enough money to buy their own land. Second, the mortality rate in the Chesapeake lowered, so more servants survived their indentures, leading to more free landless men. Finally, since the mortality rate was declining, planters lived longer so they had more time to make money and become wealthier. This created a planters elite. These three changes separated the colonies into two different classes. The upper class was made up of the elite planters and yeoman planters and the lower class was made up of the landless colonists who were mostly freed servants. These two different classes had completely different lifestyles. The freed slaves were trying to find land to buy and make enough money to buy it which was more difficult because the elite society, including Berkeley, wanted to keep relationships with the Indians for trade and other purposes.

Class had a big impact on Bacon’s rebellion. Governor Berkeley felt like the Indians were more of a threat than the lower class, freed servants. Therefore, Berkeley made sure to keep relations with the Native Americans and give them plenty of land even if it meant not giving the lower class what they wanted. This caused a lot of conflict between the landless farmers on the western frontier and then Indians trying to protect their land. The elite farmers did not care as much about the little amount of land available because they already had their land and were making a good profit off of it. It was the landless farmers that were trying to find land to buy that could not find it because of Berkeley’s loyalties to the Native Americans. Because of this, the lower class thought that the elite farmers were operating the government for their own gain because they did not do anything about lessening amount of free land on the western frontier. Berkeley and the elite wanted to keep their ties with the Indians for trade and to keep the peace with them since there had been problems with Indians before. If all of the freed servants had already had land or if enough land was already available then there would not have been a problem, accept for the fact that many indentured servants were living out their indentures so they were free so there were many newly freed servants. This situation enraged the Chesapeake’s lower class which caused the rebellion. The rebels looked for a leader that would support their views and Nathaniel Bacon saw this as a good opportunity to increase his local standing so he agreed to lead volunteer militia units. This seems odd that Bacon would choose to be the leader of this rebellion when he was the cousin of General Berkeley by marriage and was not in the lower class of the landless farmers and freed servants. He was welcomed into the elite society when he arrived in Virginia in 1674. So it seems odd that Bacon would choose to lead the lower class against the upper class when he was originally in the upper class. And much less, so that he could increase his local standing with the people. Leading a rebellion does not seem like the way to make yourself real popular in society, expect maybe with the rebels. But now Nathaniel Bacon is famous for what is considered his rebellion which is really a battle between the poor and wealthy.

This rebellion changed the Chesapeake colonies immensely. Although the grandees still remained in power of the council the tension between the two classes lessened. But the tensions between races increased. Some believe this is because after the rebellion, most planters and land owners made the switch to African slaves instead of indentured servants. This was the start of the racism to come, not only for the African slaves but also for the Indian tribes. Both were looked down upon more after the rebellion. And Berkeley and the elite society realized that keeping friendly relationships with their fellow white men was more important then their relationships with the Native Americans. We still see something like this in society today. At first, the elite sided with the Indians because that benefited them more because they were able to trade with them. Just like now how the bigger companies are hiring more immigrants and sending work out of the country because it benefits them because they can do the same amount of labor for cheaper than if they hired your average American citizen. History does repeat itself. Hopefully, there will not be another rebellion.

AOD #2

I was watching a show yesterday and then when I was thinking about what to do my blog on today it popped into my head. In the show the main character was in class with her friends and the teacher was explaining an assignment. The teacher was going to talk to them individually and ask them questions about what they were interested in for a career when they graduated and what their interests were. Based on their answers the teacher picked an internship for them and they interned wherever he told them to for a week. The main characters ended up getting jobs that had nothing to do with their answers. They had to give presentations about their internships and the students learned that their careers they had thought they wanted to do did not match up with their values. At the end of the show they realized that their values would change over the years and so they couldn’t base their ideal job off of what they wanted right then because those jobs were not all that realistic and most of them thought they were going to have their perfect job right away.
When I was looking at the list of Arts of Democracy concepts, I saw the political imagination concept and thought this show fit it perfectly because it talks about futures and how those match up with our values.

Bacon's Rebellion Brainstorming

Choose one: Race, Class, Politics, Economics
-How it was resolved by Bacon's Rebellion?
-How it was resolved by Bacon's Rebellion?
-How that resolution contributed to transforming the character of Chesapeake society in the colonal period?
-Relate theme from this historical episode with a common theme of American life today.


From The American Promise:
-Bacon's Rebellion was a dispute over Virginia's Indian policy
-Indians relinquished claims to land already settled by English
-Land beyond English settlement was supposed to be reserved for Indian use only
-Freed servants pushed beyond treaty limits
-During 1660s and 1670s violence between colonists and Indians happened frequently
-Government tried to reestablish peace
-Frontier settlers wanted revenge
-Bacon charged that the elite planters ran the government for their own personal gain
-Governor Berkeley pronounced Bacon a traitor
-He called new elections and local leaders were elected, including Bacon
-New legislature passed Bacon's Laws
-Bacon declared war against Berkeley
-Bacon unexpectedly died in October
-Allies of Bacon's were hung and the rebellion died
After:
-Grandees were not dislodged from powerful positions
-Berkeley was replaced
-Bacon's Laws were nullified
-Export tax on every hogshead of tobacco
-Tensions between great planters and small farmers lessened
-Ruling elite decided it was better for colonists to fight Indians rather than each other
-Colonial government reduced taxes by 75% between 1660 and 1700
-Declined importance of the servant labor system
-Differences between poor farmers and rich planters minimized
-Differences between whites and blacks magnified

Other sources:
http://www.nps.gov/archive/colo/Jthanout/BacRebel.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p274.html
http://www.virginiaplaces.org/military/bacon.html

Tobacco Industry

The tobacco industry helped the colonists in the beginning of America, but the tobacco industry has done nothing to help US citizens of today. Tobacco was a luxury for the colonists. It was a way to make money so that they could start their colony in the New World. The colonists had trouble growing enough corn to feed themselves but they had much more luck with tobacco. Which quickly caused tobacco to become a major export for Virginia. With so much success, planters were in need of more help which provided many new job opportunities. Today tobacco is no longer a luxury, but a killer. According to http://www.thetruth.com/, "tobacco companies' products kill 36,000 people every month." Tobacco companies' products are no longer in demand as much as they used to be but they are still popular enough for the companies to not go out of business. That is the only reason they are still around. Tobacco companies are not as important as they were, in fact, they are not important at all unless you smoke. They do not provide as many jobs and it is no longer a major export that sells for a high price. There are also many different ingredients rather than just tobacco causing them to be much more dangerous and poisonous. It is not needed to help establish a country or colony because one is already established. Today, tobacco only causes death and disease. Tobacco companies helped early US citizens, now it only kills US citizens.

ARGs

I am still unsure as to why we were supposed to read this article on ARGs. It is an interesting topic but I do not see how it relates to writing. Unless we are possibly playing an ARG...I can't really think of any other reasoning for reading this. This might impact me if I wanted to know more about ARGs or if I wanted to know how they work. This situation calls for lots of analysis as to why we were supposed to read the article. Unless perhaps we are in an ARG and we have to figure out what the rules are and how it works like the article said. We figure things out as we go along.

AOD #1

Puget Sound Early College is a very diverse school and that surprised me some at first. There are many people that come from different countries, have different religious values, are from different cultures or just from different backgrounds. This causes school to be a very interesting place and it often starts many different debates/arguments during FaCT time.

I remember sitting with a group of friends on the second day of school and someone mention that two people were having a religious argument/debate again. I instantly realized that many different beliefs, values, along with other things, were going to be challenged during this school year.

PSEC is a great example that everyone is different. Lots of people have different personalities and different backgrounds which will make working with other people in groups for projects quite exciting and possibly frustrating.

Community Service Project

For the community service project on Friday we went to a lady's house and did housework and yard work for her and her husband. We cleaned her bathrooms, vacuumed, and organized their office. The client was blind and took care of her son and grandson. She was very kind and willingly accepted our help. She would talk to us while we were working. She had two dogs (one was her seeing eye dog), two cats, a bird, and an aquarium. One of their cats (the big, white, fluffy one) decided that my sweatshirt would make a nice pillow so it curled up on it and went straight to sleep. I didn't mind so I let it sleep. I felt bad about moving it when we had to go. They also had many things in their house which we tried to organize while we cleaned. While we were organizing their office we saw that she had the whole Bible in braille on their shelves. I thought this was really cool. It was a great experience and it felt good to help someone who really could use our help. We did some work outside like weeding and mowing the lawn. Their yard was in pretty good shape and the client's husband worked with us out in the yard. The fact that they accepted our help made it easier for us to help them.