All posts filed under: History Topics

Queen Liliuokalani: The heart of a leader

One cannot consider Hawai’i and it’s fallen kingdom without thinking almost right away of Queen Liliuokalani, the last recognized royal of the Kingdom of Hawai’i. In the late 19th century Hawai’i was a nation on the verge of collapse. The greedy haole (Hawaiian for “the white man”) businessmen looked to take whatever they could from the soil and sea.[1] Queen Liliuokalani could not have been prepared for the disrespect, humiliation, and abuse that she would endure at their will. There are three sources that I have assessed in order to get more information on the circumstances surrounding the downfall of Hawai’i’s Kingdom. Each is connected to the other by the Queen yet offers unique details and insight that have helped shape my own interpretation more clearly. The first source is a letter by the Queen herself dated January 18th, 1893 and addressed to the President of the United States, Benjamin Harrison, pleading her case for the preservation of her kingdom. The second is an article by an extensively educated artist, Paul X. Rutz, who enjoys …

African American Politics during Reconstruction

Published by Rhiannon_Therese

At the end of the Civil War, one of the most drastic and blatant matters was the millions of freed slaves whom required immediate attention for integration and securing liberty, and even life itself. There are several factors that came to be of importance to the African Americans, the majority of whom were adamant to see their freedom realized. Education became synonymous with freedom, so schools were built. Many black and white northerners heeded the call for formal teachers’ presence within the south in order to get freedmen’s children educated. Another factor was the religious institution. Churches became sanctuaries of worship while allowing African Americans to feel safe and comfortable amongst each other without the scrutiny and prejudice of white parishioners. Church also became a place for politics to be discussed and taught. A third aspect of freedom that African American’s held in high regard was the issue of land ownership. Owning land was one of the clearest symbols of being one’s own master and many felt that if the acquirement of land remained elusive, …

The Black Church: Meeting the Needs of Their People

Published by Rhiannon_Therese

All throughout history, humanity has been attached to the idea of spirituality and religion. From the Ancient Egyptians, to the Nordic Vikings, to the evangelical conservatives, religion has been a major factor in many human’s lives. African American’s are no different. Religion and the church have been a major contribution and epicenter for African Americans since the days of slavery. Church, music, and art have been an expression of black folks’ own struggles, hopes, dreams, and fears. Within the context of a congregation, there was found much safety and acceptance for African Americans for many decades following emancipation. One could attend church, and find themselves surrounded primarily by other African Americans, for as Martin Luther King Jr. has been quoted, “I think it is one of the tragedies of our nation, one of the shameful tragedies, that eleven o’clock on Sunday morning is one of the most segregated hours, if not the most segregated hours, in Christian America.”[1] While King certainly felt by 1960 that the natural segregation that occurred overtime within the church was …

Gaining Independence: The (Internal) Fight for Freedom

Published by Rhiannon_Therese

Boisterous parades, the aroma of apple pie, and colorful fireworks exploding over a summer landscape. What does this image portray to the average American? A celebration of independence. Instead of viewing America as a nation that was suppressed by British Rule in the colonial times, people might be better served by having a deeper understanding of the country’s birth. The pursuit of liberty was a noble cause, but it was met with uncertainty and challenges. There were many in support of the patriot’s rising, but there were a significant number of colonists whom could not support revolution. Were these colonists truly against liberty, or was there more wisdom and steadfast to their beliefs than most would assume? Most of the British colonists who opposed the revolution were likely pragmatic, because they enjoyed the benefits of being a distant extension of Great Britain, they believed Britain would be victorious if a war erupted, and they feared that the colonies were not strong enough to build a new nation. During the eighteenth century, colonists found themselves divided …

The Intercultural Marketplace

Published by Rhiannon_Therese

There is an oversimplification that most people believe and repeat concerning the colonization of America, yet the true events are far more complex and difficult to procure. Where the Puritans had big ideas of settlement, religious freedom, and quick prosperity, upon arriving to New England they realized that the land which surrounded them was not conducive to such fast success. Winters were harsh. They were grossly unprepared for growing sustenance or procuring medical necessities in the face of mass illness. They lacked basic needs like sturdy shelter and food supplies. But there were a people that they encountered, the natives of America, whom had learned to adapt and thrive within the environment for millennia, and many of these natives were willing at first to coexist and even help the foreigners who came across the ocean. Ultimately this willingness came at a drastic cost to their own people. One area that is worth exploring in these cross-cultural relationships is that of trade, for it is one that has an interesting history demonstrating the successes and failures …

Deep South Culture during Secession

Published by Rhiannon_Therese

Eighty-five years. That is how much time passed between the unity of a people, fighting together for an independent nation, and the breakdown of that unity. Yet much transpired in the eighty-five years that bridged 1776 and 1861. Massive population increases, economic growth and hardships, and an ever-growing landscape are just a few. It is no secret that leading into the American Civil War there stood two geographical areas that were in stark contrast to one another on some inflammatory issues and the question of slavery was not the least among them. But what motives had the South given as the truest for inciting secession and civil war? The answer is not simple, for although the issue of slavery is easy to target, the majority of Unionists did not have a strong conviction to abolish slavery. Nor is it satisfactory to claim that the Confederates were unwilling to develop past their archaic, bondage ways especially when one considers how few Southerners actually kept slaves. In investigating the reasons why Southern states were unable to compromise …