As this week is going to be a busy one for everyone, I think this would be a great time for an optional assignment. Here's how it works: if you do the assignment I will exchange a zero on a previous assignment with a 100. If you have done late assingments and received a score that is less than 100 (such as a 50 for a REALLY late assignment) I will add up to 100 points for doing this assignment. For example, if you have two previous assignments from this quarter for which you have received 50s I will change both grades to 100s. Pretty cool, huh? Here's what's up:
Next week's assignment will focus on the changes in America's economy and social structure at the dawn of the twentieth century. However, in lecture we will also discuss the change in America's standing in the international community (Age of Empire) and the acquisition of new territories through war and annexation. Your assignment is something of a geography exercise. You are to research an American territory and report back on your findings. Here's what I want to see:
1) A brief summary of the territory's history;
2) An explanation of the current governmental structure;
3) and details about the people and culture.
Answer the question, "What do you see as being the future of U.S. territories?"
Your essay schould be at least 200 words long and include reference citations. Respond to at least two other posts with at total of at least 150 words. Thanks and God bless!
I decide to take this opportunity to make a better score in my US History. At first I have to talk about the territory's history. First of all, a US territory is a region under the jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States. Normally it's divided in organized territory and unorganized territory. The unorganized territories were set aside for Native Americans and other indigenous peoples in the United States. After the Spenish-American Wor, the USA had to decide how to deal the new territories, even if they weren't part of the USA. So the Supreme Court decided to divided the territories in incorporated and unincorporated territories.
ReplyDeleteToday the governmental structure of the US is diveded in three: the legislative, the executive and the judicial branch. The US President shares his powers with Congress and the Judiciary . In the executive part there are the President, the Vice-president and the executive Office Of the President.
There are different people and thinking way in the US. An example is that the Northern people are more focus on work. American culture is almost the same. For example you can go in California or in New York that July 4th is celebrated.
Honestly I don't really know how to answer to the last question :(
Thank you,
Marta
United States Territory: Guam
ReplyDeleteThe first European colonization of Guam were from Spain, they built a harbor there. After the Spanish-American War 1898 America took control over the Island. On December 8, 1941 the Empire of Japan invaded the Island. During the time of Occupation by Japan, the people had to work in concentration camps and do other horrible things. During the Occupation circa 1000 people died. After World War 2 Guam became an unincorporated organized territory of the United States, that means that the people have U.S. citizenship mostly all the rights of a normal U.S. citizen and the people can govern most of their things . The only thing they cannot do is to vote for President, in Congress and the House of Representatives. The culture of Guam is a mix between the old Island , the Spanish and the U.S. culture. A lot of the old traditions are now lost since the people were under foreign influence so long. But the Island still has prevented some in Food, games and songs.
I think Guam should be an American State, because it would bring the people the right to vote and help to built a stronger connection between the mainland and Guam. Guam is also a very important military outpost in the Pacific and when it would be a state it probably would make it easier to defend it.
@ Marta
ReplyDeleteHey Marta, since you are the only other person who posted I have to write 150 words to your essay. First of all, you did a really good job with explaining what a U.S territory is and what the different forms of government are. But I think you misunderstood the question. You were supposed to write something about a special territory, e.g. Guam, but I think you still did a very good job with explaining what a territory is and how it works.
@ Christian
That’s kind of dump… Hey Christian I think you did a good job with writing your essay, but I think you should have written more about the pre-Spanish culture of Guam like what is different and special you also could have written more about the History before the colonization. But the rest is pretty good, just keep going like this. (I am felling really dump now ;-) )
This week, I decided to write the bonus homework assignment, because I didn’t know much about U.S. territories. I want to learn some about this. United States territory is any extent of region under the jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States, including all waters and including all U.S. Naval carriers. Territories of the United States are one of the four types of political division of the United States, overseen directly by the federal government of the United States and not any part of a U.S. state. These territories were created to govern newly acquired land while the borders of the United States were still evolving. Territories can be classified by whether they are incorporated and whether they have an organized government. The American Revolution marked a departure in the concept of popular sovereignty as it had been discussed and employed in the European historical context. The doctrine known today as “popular sovereignty”, was rooted in the American Revolutionary, belief that a whole people, rather than a monarch or single individual, could serve as the sovereign of the nation. This was a matter of common agreement in America after the Revolution. In 1846, as the dispute over slavery in the United States developed in the wake of the Mexican-American War, the use of the term “popular sovereignty” began to gain currency as a method to resolve the status of slavery in the country. Some moderates asserted that slavery in the territories was not a matter for Congress to resolve. The people in each territory, like the people in each American state, were the sovereigns thereof, and as that sovereign they could determine the status of slavery for themselves.
ReplyDeleteMarta,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, you did a really good job. You choose to do it, and then you will have a better grade☺. You said you really don’t know how to answer the last question, it’s ok, I didn’t know if I did it right or not, but as long as we tried. Then is great☺. Nice job on your essay.
Christian,
(Oh my goodness!) (How do you know those stuff?!) (Every time…) But anyways, good job on your essay. I learned stuff from it; this is really nice. Things you talked about, I’ve never think about it, so this time I learned it and I know more. You did a really good job☺
Puerto Rico
ReplyDeletePuerto Rico is one of the more well known of the United States territories. The capital of Puerto Rico is San Juan and they have a population of around 3,977,663. Puerto Rico’s governor is directly elected for a 4 year term and the whole place is run on a bicameral legislation. As of right now Puerto Rico is labeled as a commonwealth. Christopher Columbus got there around 1493 but no economical development really happened until 1830. The people of Puerto Rico were given American citizenship through the Jones Act in 1917 then they were permitted to elect their own governor in 1948 and now they are able to completely administer their internal affairs under a constitution approved by the U.S. Congress in 1952. Just as some food for thought there is the fact that both English and Spanish are dominantly spoken and Catholicism is the dominate religion, very few are protestant. And another thing I found somewhat interesting was although weddings are usually pretty similar around the world when it comes to the basics, in Puerto Rico culture there is a ‘bridal doll’ that is an exact replica of the bride all the way down to the dress in every detail, the doll is passed around to the guests and if they feel generous they will pin money to the doll as an extra gift to the couple. Well there’s a summary of current day Puerto Rico (:
I know it's a late assignment but i didn't know there was a bonus opportunity.
ReplyDeleteI am going to write about the terrytory of Alaska:
it was an organized incorporated territory until 1953 when it became the State of Alaska.
In 1955 the territorial legislature passed legislation authorizing a constitutional convention. Alaskan voters elected 55 delegates from across the territory of Alaska. In the same year they wrote a constitution for the new state. Alaskans voted approval of the constitution in April 1956. The new constitution was to take effect when the Congress granted statehood for Alaska.
Alaska is the largest but least populated state of the U.S. and it was purchased by Russia on 1867 for 113 million in today's dollars.
Now the government of Alaska is just like all the states, with an executive branch, a legislative branch and a judicial branch.
The majority of the people in the state is white, then american indians or alaska natives. The 84% of the people speak spanish at home and the 3.5% speak spanish at home, the rest of the people speak asian lenguages or alaskan lenguage.
I think the U.S will get more territories from the middle east and small countries from Asia that are harmless or inoffensive.
Daniel González (:
This week I decided to talk about Puerto Rico because I have an Aunt who is from Puerto Rico. The capital of Puerto Rico is San Juan with a population around four million people. When most people think about U.S territories the first thing people think about are usually Puerto Rico and Guam. (At least those are the two I think.) As of now there is a governor that is elected every four years, and the government is a bicameral government. The Puerto Ricans speak Spanish and English and the dominant religious belief is Catholicism and a very little percentage of Protestants. I am also to talk about the history of territories in general. A United States territory is under the jurisdiction of the United States, but doesn’t have to send taxes to the United States like a state does. The idea started after the American-Spanish war and was a compromise which stated that Native Americans and other immigrants could live while the whites lived everywhere else. Later the Supreme Court would decide that there would be territories in the United States and outside their borders. Most territories consist of a military base, so they receive protection from America while we get a base we can send troops quicker to different places all over the world. There is my essay on American Territories.
ReplyDeleteThis week I decided to talk about Puerto Rico because I have an Aunt who is from Puerto Rico. The capital of Puerto Rico is San Juan with a population around four million people. When most people think about U.S territories the first thing people think about are usually Puerto Rico and Guam. (At least those are the two I think.) As of now there is a governor that is elected every four years, and the government is a bicameral government. The Puerto Ricans speak Spanish and English and the dominant religious belief is Catholicism and a very little percentage of Protestants. I am also to talk about the history of territories in general. A United States territory is under the jurisdiction of the United States, but doesn’t have to send taxes to the United States like a state does. The idea started after the American-Spanish war and was a compromise which stated that Native Americans and other immigrants could live while the whites lived everywhere else. Later the Supreme Court would decide that there would be territories in the United States and outside their borders. Most territories consist of a military base, so they receive protection from America while we get a base we can send troops quicker to different places all over the world. There is my essay on American Territories.
ReplyDeleteJess, I really enjoyed your essay on Puerto Rico because it was very informative and it discussed not only political culture but the daily culture of the people that live there. I also enjoyed because of my connection to Puerto Rico through my Aunt and her family. Although she now lives in Tennessee and her parents live in Florida they still have a love for the people and have been to Puerto Rico twice. I also found the wedding ritual to be very different too, very good essay.
ReplyDeleteHeinz, I liked your essay on Guam also. I chose to comment on your essay because I never really knew that much about Guam, besides it being a United State territory and I learned a lot about it in your essay this week. It was a very informative essay about the culture of the people that live in Guam. I liked how you included the fact a citizen of a territory gets most of the rights of citizens of the US beside the right to vote for president.
Daniel,
ReplyDeleteYour essay was wonderful and very informative, I never really knew exactly what Alaska was I mean it's been labeled as a state for as long as I can remember... but to me that never made a whole lot of sense so thanks for clarifying. I got a lot out of this reading and you laid out all of the info very well. Again though great job on your essay.
Nathaniel,
I didn't realize you had such a connection to Puerto Rico but thanks for your comment... Your essay was very good and it definitely filled in a lot of details I missed. Great job!
Cindy,
I really like the take you took on the assignment... you gave a great overview and taught me a lot about the territories of the U.S. To be quite honest I had never known much about them it's just never a topic I've worried much about, but I actually enjoyed learning about it a lot. Great essay.