Hi, everyone!
My name is David; I’m currently majoring in Human Services and am in my second semester here at GCC. I moved to Sunderland from Eastern Massachusetts in the Fall and have been excited for all the opportunities moving into a new area and trying new things has to offer! I’m very excited for this class and enjoy History and Politics (even in the current climate) but will probably need a solid week or two to acclimate to taking online classes - which is also new for me. I’m excited to learn more and continue to build upon my current foundation and hopefully come out of this class with tools that expand my ability to contribute.
When preparing to learn about the Reconstruction Era, it’s important to understand the zeitgeist of America leading up to The Civil War. The economics of the North and South, the attitude towards President Lincoln, what led to his election, and the significant acts taken during his administration and by Congress that changed our country forever and continue to remain ingrained in the lives of Americans. Understanding the sacrifice and bloodshed resulted in over 620,000 casualties (and likely more) with 1 out of 8 military-age men in the country losing their lives. What the emotional, physical, and economic toll that had on the country at the time. I also believe it would be beneficial to understand Ulysses S. Grant’s role leading the Union and his attitudes towards the Wartime effort and Reconstruction - as it helps contextualize his actions during his eventual Presidency during The Reconstruction Era - which we may find his actions somewhat relevant today.
Going further back, it would be helpful to take a moment to familiarize ourselves with America's Colonial history dating back to the Jamestown era. Understanding the Countrys, historically speaking, Puritan background, and the impact that continues to have on our culture, our laws, and our nations development. Asking ourselves - what role, if any, did that have with America’s relationship with slavery? And why did a monarchy (Great Britain) that ruled over America for centuries successfully abolish slavery over 30 years before the U.S. did? Especially considering America’s revolutionary attitude and background that continues to exude itself to this day. Which also makes me wonder what role that same attitude played into The Civil War - considering these were the grand and great-grandchildren of The American Revolution. All in all, I’m very excited to learn more in this class and certainly have been asking myself a lot of questions as I begin to ground myself to this pivotal era in American history.
Works Cited:
Hacker, J. David. “The Human Cost of War: White Population in the United States, 1850-1880.” The Journal of Economic History, vol. 61, no. 2, 2001, pp. 486–89. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2698030. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
“HIS-106-A-202501 | GCC.” Mass.edu, 2022, online.gcc.mass.edu/pluginfile.php/5313802/mod_resource/content/2/Digital%20History%20Art
My name is David; I’m currently majoring in Human Services and am in my second semester here at GCC. I moved to Sunderland from Eastern Massachusetts in the Fall and have been excited for all the opportunities moving into a new area and trying new things has to offer! I’m very excited for this class and enjoy History and Politics (even in the current climate) but will probably need a solid week or two to acclimate to taking online classes - which is also new for me. I’m excited to learn more and continue to build upon my current foundation and hopefully come out of this class with tools that expand my ability to contribute.
When preparing to learn about the Reconstruction Era, it’s important to understand the zeitgeist of America leading up to The Civil War. The economics of the North and South, the attitude towards President Lincoln, what led to his election, and the significant acts taken during his administration and by Congress that changed our country forever and continue to remain ingrained in the lives of Americans. Understanding the sacrifice and bloodshed resulted in over 620,000 casualties (and likely more) with 1 out of 8 military-age men in the country losing their lives. What the emotional, physical, and economic toll that had on the country at the time. I also believe it would be beneficial to understand Ulysses S. Grant’s role leading the Union and his attitudes towards the Wartime effort and Reconstruction - as it helps contextualize his actions during his eventual Presidency during The Reconstruction Era - which we may find his actions somewhat relevant today.
Going further back, it would be helpful to take a moment to familiarize ourselves with America's Colonial history dating back to the Jamestown era. Understanding the Countrys, historically speaking, Puritan background, and the impact that continues to have on our culture, our laws, and our nations development. Asking ourselves - what role, if any, did that have with America’s relationship with slavery? And why did a monarchy (Great Britain) that ruled over America for centuries successfully abolish slavery over 30 years before the U.S. did? Especially considering America’s revolutionary attitude and background that continues to exude itself to this day. Which also makes me wonder what role that same attitude played into The Civil War - considering these were the grand and great-grandchildren of The American Revolution. All in all, I’m very excited to learn more in this class and certainly have been asking myself a lot of questions as I begin to ground myself to this pivotal era in American history.
Works Cited:
Hacker, J. David. “The Human Cost of War: White Population in the United States, 1850-1880.” The Journal of Economic History, vol. 61, no. 2, 2001, pp. 486–89. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/2698030. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.
“HIS-106-A-202501 | GCC.” Mass.edu, 2022, online.gcc.mass.edu/pluginfile.php/5313802/mod_resource/content/2/Digital%20History%20Art