History Notes

Some Indigenous tribes in the Great Plains practiced incantation dances to - Raise the spirits of their ancestors. - Believe that these spirits would make them invulnerable to bullets fired by white settlers.
Historical context of the Wounded Knee incident: - Involved approximately a band of 100 individuals. - Attacked by cavalry units, leading to many casualties despite not posing a threat.

Manifest Destiny: - A belief promoting the expansion of the United States across North America. - Linked to a notion of racial superiority, where Northern Europeans and their descendants were viewed as the 'proper race'. - Associated ideologies include "survival of the fittest".
Cultural and societal implications: - Indigenous cultures deemed inferior, leading to policies aimed at dismantling their traditional societies.

Introduced to encourage Indigenous people to abandon communal rights linked to reservations.
Pledging to become American citizens meant: - Loss of identity and cultural heritage. - Receipt of individual land parcels, akin to land offers to settlers in the West.

Growing immigrant populations from diverse backgrounds from the late 19th century onward affected societal norms: - Targeted groups included those deemed outside traditional English-British values.
Children of immigrants seen as focal points for assimilation: - Education reform driven by the need to integrate immigrant children into mainstream society. - Founding of public schools aimed at transforming societal norms and providing basic literacy skills for industrialization: - Instruction in reading, writing, and arithmetic became necessary in industrial contexts. - Schools changed curriculums to align with American traditions, - Celebrating American holidays such as Washington's Birthday, Lincoln's Birthday, July 4, and Thanksgiving instead of traditional saints’ days.

Schools aimed at assimilating Indigenous children: - Example: The Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. - These institutions sought to eliminate perceived inferior cultures and integrate them into the dominant American culture.

By the mid-19th century, the United States lagged behind powers like Britain and Germany in terms of industrial strength.
Key factors contributing to America becoming a leading industrial power: - Innovations in processes and machinery: - Introduction of impactful technologies such as the cotton gin, spinning jenny, and later, advancements in telecommunications (e.g., telegrams) and railroads. - Government policy favoring businesses: - Provision of extensive land grants to railroads facilitated settler inflow and economic growth. - Legal interpretations often favored big businesses over labor rights, e.g., using the Sherman Antitrust Act against striking workers.

Emergence of large corporations influenced by: - Limited liability laws that protected owners’ personal assets from business debts: - Investors could only lose up to their investment amount in a corporation, fostering a willingness to invest. - Business risk was significantly lowered, enabling greater investment in corporate ventures.
Technological advancements facilitated operations across various geographical locations, allowing central management of diverse business activities. - Innovations enabled quicker communication and operational efficiency, e.g., through telegraphs and telephones.

Economic landscape shaped by: - Rapid industrial growth necessitated educational reforms to equip the workforce. - Government intervention through land grants and protective tariffs bolstered corporate growth. - The establishment of limited liability corporations encouraged investment and entrepreneurship.