An  American history question for those who can handle it!?
494736
The slave trade has been going on since before written history and continues to this very day.In days of old it was common practice to enslave a defeated enemy, in some civilizations you could even enslave someone for owing a debt. Civilization as we know it was built by slaves, ancient Eygpt, Persia, Geece, Rome, all built by slaves, at one point or another every group has been both the slave and the master. The african slave trade is by no means unique, slavery has been a fact of life in Africa since the beginning, slaves were always valued spoils of war among fighting tribes,Anyone that thinks the slave trade started because a boatload of europeans sailed down to Africa and started rounding up peaceful natives is sadly mistaken, at the time when european nations were getting involved in the slave trade there exsisted on the \nafrican continent a number of very large and powerful kingdoms, each with a large and powerful army, slaves were just one of a number of traded commodities, it should be noted that at the time when europeans were trading for slaves to sell in the americas, arab and african pirates were raiding european coastal villages for white slaves to sell in northern africa. There is no innocent guilt-free party here, everyone has blood on there hands. The slave trade in Africa continues to this day, why doesn't anyone talk about that? Slavery in america is a disgrace this country has to deal with, as are the segregation years that followed. This is still a fresh wound for america, slavery exsisted for three hundred years before the civil war and it's only been fifty years since the civil rights movement, we still have a long way to go, but giving away money doesn't solve anything, if you want to throw money at the problem throw it at education, health care, job training, things that actually do some good.I am not responsible for the sins of my forefathers, I cannot affect the past, only the future,personally, I think we need to spend more energy working on tomorrow than crying about yesterday.
542800
Trying to figure out how this new "War on Terror" justifies suspension of our Constitution.  In 1812, with a foreign enemy burning down Washington D.C., NO PART of the Constitution was re-written or suspended.  Emergency provisions did not ever give the president the power to unilaterally enforce the law before.  This was in the face of our absolute destruction with an very real enemy on our soil.  Now we have a fantasy enemy over-seas that takes occaisional potshots at us, which we created through our own failed foreign policies, so we now need to give up every fundamental legal and expression freedom we have?  Do Americans just not have balls these days?  Why aren't the real conservatives trying to "conserve" our damned Constitution which has weathered EVERY CRISIS before this?  I just don't get it.\n\nIf you want to hunt me down, I'll be easy to find in the postage stamp sized "Free Speech Zone".  When I was a kid, everywhere was a Free Speech Zone...except maybe in church.
812586
It began after the First Continental Congress?  LMAO..  Research it, using wikipedia, the encyclopedia and other sources.  Then report as if you are a star chasing paparazzi, clamoring to view Washington's newest girl, Franklin's bling bling and Jefferson's mixed kids....have fun with it.
151189
Here is a good site that I use for research quite a bit. You can use this for all kinds of subjects, I have used it for current issues and past history.  I hope it helps you as much as it has helped me.
528343
steppenwolf--it,s a great political song --about the founding of the usa!!--a real eye opener!! the best version is on the steppenwolf live cd. song would make for a great discussion in a history class!!!
464348
I can't believe I get points for this one but,\n\nCould you repeat the question in American English?
53963
World History or American? (add in under "more details" and then I'll help ya out here!) :)
251732
HISTORY LESSON FOR TODAY.\nPAY ATTENTION NOW CHILDREN, GEORGE WASHINGTON WAS THE ONLY PRESIDENT TO GO INTO BATTLE, EVERY OTHER PRESIDENT SINCE, THEN ARE CHICKENS**T COWARDS. CLASS DISMISSED.\n(BOY WAS I GLAD I ATTENDED THAT CLASS).
741445
THOMAS JEFFERSON! it's basic US HISTORY!
402126
you people gave pretty decent answers, but you have neglected one very important item.  the item that gives you the ability to ask questions on yahoo like this.  criticize our government, vote and hundreds of thousands of men and women have fought and died defending it.\n\nthat item is:  FREEDOM!!!!
1057892
I have 2 passions, History and Geography and I have found that one enhances the other.\n\nI've been lucky to visit ancient sites where some kind of incident happened and was recorded in a book or a poem or an official correspondence.  What I have found, when I first read about the incident, is that I have an idea of how it happened... but when I actually visited the site, I could suddenly understand why things happened the way they did.\n\nIt's a real eye opener, especially when the geography of the area is a major part of the incident.\n\nBesides this, a knowledge of geography comes in handy for everyday things... how many people do you know who don't know which ocean borders the U.S. on the East and West Coasts? Or, which river is longer... the Mississippi or the Amazon.? etc.\n\nGet a good grounding in History and Geography and you will never be sorry you spent the effort.
210042
I have a masters degree in this and it will take a long time to answer your question.  I suggest that you take a look at any History of US Education book.
333709
Are there any native Americans left???I thought the genocide was fully succesful ... Naaa!I can't beleive that America failed in an easy task like that!!!This has blown all my dreams up about the americans now.:-PPP
941532
I think there is a lot of historical revisionism going on here...well thats assuming that you have any actual knowledge of what you are talking about. Certainly your knowledge of British history is lamentable. Are you suggesting that the American Revolution has been the only 'pure' revolution in world history? I don't understand the reference to communism. The doctrine of Communism was a 19th century one, which really didn't get into full swing until the Russian Revolution of 1917. What about the Glorious Revolution of of 1688 when Britain kicked out King James II and the barons and nobles installed William of Orange and his wife Mary to the British throne? No one died, there were  no battles (at the time at least) and there was a smooth transition of power. Not bad for a country that "always gave in to the king". (oh and as an aside, we had beheaded another King earlier in the same century... but perhaps we were too busy "giving in" to him to notice.) History is never as clear cut as you may want it to be. There was a large Colonial army that fought on the British side against the Revolutionaries that tends to be forgotten about, as it is always the victors that write the history books. It is interesting that many black americans fought in the Colonial army as they saw the British as a better bet for their eventual freedom than Washington et al. Mmmm. I wonder if they saw their so called masters as enlightened revolutionaries, or brutal slave owners who maintained their grip over these poor people by terrorising them with chains, whips and torture. I think we all need to be very careful before holding ourselves up as paragons of virtue.
904294
good question, because american's don't know history and you know the phrase, the those who don't learn from the past are condemned to repeat it.
878069
“Who Freed the Slaves?,” thought-provoking article written by James M. McPherson, asks who or what was responsible for freeing slaves in the United States. Was it Lincoln as most people presume or the slaves themselves?  McPherson explores many theories in this article, including ____________ , _____ and ________. For each theory he observes, probes and calls into question their stability from all points of view.\n\nI would summarize his theories in the blanks above, the way you had it listed before didn't make any sense.\n\nWhat was the assignment, just to summarize what the article discussed? Was there a conclusion in the article? If so, you should discuss the conclusion.
739266
Is there a document from America apologizing for what they did to the native American Indians?  Is there a document from America apologizing for what they did to all the immigrants who first came to this country and were stuck on Ellis Island?  Is there any documentation from America apologizing for ANY of the crap they've done?  \n\nEven if there is, who really cares?  \n\nThese kind of questions will not make that happen and do nothing but increase the ignorant fury of others who never knew the hardships of anybody from that time period - white or black.  There is no reason to understand why ANYBODY did not or will not say they are sorry for any indignation anyone was put through back then and now.  So stop expecting a miracle!  It just isn't going to happen!\n\nLet's move on in life and stop acting as if racism is the most important issue we have to deal with today.  Questions like these simply spur up that kind of nasty attitude from people who don't even know WHY they dislike a certain culture.  \n\nGood grief!