Joe DiMaggio or Ted Williams?

    This has been a debate between baseball fans for over 60 years.  Who was better, the Yankee Clipper or the Splendid Splinter.  In 1941, both men enjoyed the best years of their careers, Joe DiMaggio would hit safely in 56 consecutive games and Ted Williams would end the season with a batting average of .406.  Both of these records remain unbroken today. Fans across New England and New York would side with their hometown hero. 

      Your baseball loyalties aside, the goal of todays class is to prove who was the better player based on the sources that were provided in class.  

   For the groups that were assigned to prove that Ted Williams was a better ball player then Joe DiMaggio the following sources would be helpful:

1. Ted Williams obituary 

2. article "Why We Think Joe DiMaggio is overrated." 

3. statistics provided from the book Teammates by David Halbastram.

You can also use any facts or references from baseballencyclopedia.com or baseballreference.com

For the groups writing about how DiMaggio was a better ball player than Ted Williams, the following might be helpful:

1. New York Times obituary of Joe D.

2. Italian American Tribune obituary of Joe D.

3. Summer of '49 by David Halbstram, 

4. New York Times article on Joe D's 56 game hitting streak

5. New York Times article on Joe D's retirement

For the groups writing about how DiMaggio was a role model for Italian-Americans, use the following sources:

1. Joe DiMaggio editorial from the Italian-American Tribune

2. Joe DiMaggio biography by Richard Ben Creamer

3. Summer of '49

4. NY Times obituary of Joe D.

Tonight you need to work on your rough draft for the paper.

For your rough draft follow these guidelines:

1. Times New Roman font, size 12 font

2. 1-2 pages

3. Bibliography (does not count as one of the 1-2 pages)

4. Coverpage (does not count as one of the 1-2 pages)

This paper is practice for your upcoming paper for the second quarter.

Transportation Revolution

   One of the many concerns for a business regards shipping their products to customers.  Whether the business is Microsoft or the U.S. Postal Service, shipping costs can take a big bite out of profits.  Businesses are always looking for a cheap and efficient way to move their products.

    During the early days of the 19th Century, there was a series of changes made in the methods of transporting people and goods.  These changes would unite towns and communities with urban centers and ports, linking regions together.  Some of these changes were motivated by profit, others by the need to make improvements. 

   One of the first changes to occur during this time period was regarding American roads. Traveling on early American roads were often dangerous and slow going.  Wagons tended to get stuck in mud or clay following a rain storm or the melting of snow in early spring.  Tree stumps, logs, and ruts from wagon wheels, all posed as hazards to travelers.  It could take weeks to travel between cities.  

   A group of investors in Pennsylvania created the first private road in the United States.  This turnpike was 60 miles long and paved with gravel.  The turnpike charged a toll to use it, but the cost of that toll provided for the maintenance and care of the turnpike.   During the 1820s, the Cumberland Road was created by the U.S. government that would connect Maryland to Illinois.  The Cumberland Road became a popular method for travelers to head out West.  Towns and villages popped up along the route, providing travelers with hotels, inns, taverns, and places to purchase supplies.  

   Soon turnpikes began appearing in different states.  The federal government encouraged the creation of roads hoping to improve commerce.  Tolls provided revenue for the states and federal government.

 The downside of the turnpike system was that it still took a long time to move goods.  The tolls also meant that it would not be cheap to move your products.

    During the 1820s and 1830s, the federal government as well as various state governments began sponsoring the construction of canals.  These manmade waterways connected two bodies of water.  Towns that were miles from the ocean or a river now had access to a port.  It was cheaper to move products using a canal then by turnpike. Canals made it possible to move goods from Ohio to New York City.

      Robert Fulton proved that it was possible to have a steam engine on a vessel.  Soon afterwards, steam boats began to appear on major rivers in the U.S.  With a steamboat a merchant can chip goods upriver against the current much easier and faster. Prices of goods were lowered between 75% and 90%, now that merchants had a cheap reliable method of getting their products to the people.  It became easier for cotton from the South to get to the cities of the North.  People living in the West now had a way of getting goods from the East.

     While steamboats made it possible to navigate rivers such as the Ohio and the Mississippi, they could not make the journey across the Atlantic.  Ship makers began redesigning ships giving them smaller hulls and larger masts to fit more sails.  With a smaller hull, these ships were able to slice through the water at a fast clip.  Known as clipper ships, these vessels began to break records for crossing the Atlantic in a matter of days.  American merchants now had quicker access to cities in Europe and Asia.

      The downside of the clipper ships was the size of the ship. Since the hull was so small, they could not carry large amounts of cargo.  This method of transportation was very fast, but also very expensive.

    Finally, one of the most influential changes in transportation occurred with the invention of the locomotive.  In the 1830s and 1840s, railroads began to be constructed in parts of the Northeast.  These trains relied on steam engines that made it possible to move goods at the then exciting speed of 13 miles per hour.  These early trains made it possible to ship a large amount of goods at a cheap rate.  

      The technology was still brand new during this time and not fully understood.  Accidents were common, as rails tended to bend and break under the heavy weight of the trains.  Engines also tended to overheat and the locomotive would explode.  

As time would go on, the railroad would link major cities such as Chicago and New York.  People, goods, and ideas, all were able to travel faster in the U.S. 

Tom and Alex Get in a Fight

   Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were two of the most talented men to ever serve in government.  Both men, brought an insight into philosophy and human behavior and a passion for the nation.  Hamilton and Jefferson would serve in the Cabinet together from 1790-1793, by the end of 1793 they were no longer speaking to one another.

    

      Jefferson and Washington were both from Virginia.  Both men inherited a large sum of money as young men.  The two considered themselves to be farmers, and prided themselves on the quality of their plantations.  They both owned slaves, and both married wealthy women.  Despite having a very similar background, Washington tended to side with Hamilton over certain issues. This frustrated Jefferson, who felt that Washington was valuing Hamilton's ideas over his.   

     When fighting broke out in Europe following the French Revolution, Jefferson felt that it was the obligation of the United States to support the French in their struggles. Jefferson felt that it was the duty of the U.S. to support another democracy and spread the ideas of liberty and freedom.  Having spent several years in France, Jefferson sympathized with the French and hoped that they would emerge victorious against Britain.

      When Washington declares that the U.S. would remain neutral, Jefferson feels that it is the President's way of siding with Hamilton.  

   In regards to the economy: Hamilton's plan for a National Bank and a tariff on imported goods, made Jefferson feel that the American government was not following the Constitution faithfully.  The Bank would be giving the National Government tremendous power, that Jefferson felt could lead to a dictatorship.  

    Out of protest Jefferson sends Washington a letter of resignation in 1792.  Washington encourages his Secretary of State to wait until the end of 1793 before he considers leaving again.  During the year of 1792-1793, Jefferson grew in frustration and officially resigned on December 21, 1793.

     He returns to his plantation of Monticello and promises to stay out of politics.  His retirement is about as long as Brett Favre's.  From his plantaion, Jefferson writes a series of articles that attack Hamilton and his policies under fake names.

      Hamilton's background, his morals, and intentions are all brought under scrutiny. Some newspapers in Philadelphia and Virginia carry these lambasting articles that have authors with Roman and Greek names. 

   With the help of James Madison who is serving in the Congress, Jefferson is able to gather support from newspaper editors, Senators, and members of the House of Representatives.  His followers refer to themselves as Democratic-Republicans.  They believed the following:

1. Strong state government, weak national government

2. encouraging a nation of farmers over one of bankers and merchants

3. support for the French

4. strict interpretation of the U.S. Constitution

Many farmers and planters agreed with the policies of Madison and Jefferson, and Democratic-Republican clubs formed in the South.  Soon in Congress, members found themselves split between those that supported Jefferson and Madison and those that supported Alexander Hamilton.

As the nation's leaders became split over politics, the President became frustrated and concerned with the rise of factions in the nations. 

Washington's Cabinet

With Europe engulfed in war, President Washington faced the difficult task of deciding what the foreign policy of the U.S. would be. The Republic of France found itself fighting against five nations: Great Britain, Prussia, Austria, Russia, and Sardinia. The country was divided over what to do.

Britain was America's number one trading partner. A war with Britain would be devastating to the U.S. economy. Many Americans felt that since there were strong cultural ties with Britain the U.S. should side with the British in their struggles against France. The American government was in debt to the British government. By support for the British in war would offer a way to pay off that debt. The government of Spain threatened to close off the port city of New Orel ans, and end trade on the Mississippi River. By supporting the British, the American government would ensure that New Orleans would stay open, and that trade in the West would not be disrupted.

The U.S. had signed a treaty with the French in the 1780s. This treaty promised that the U.S. would be allies with the French and come to their aid if the nation was ever attacked. Many Americans felt that since the French had come to our aid during the Revolutionary War, it was our duty to help them in their time of need. The attack of the world's only other Republic, made many Americans believe that the U.S. should support the spread of democracy.

Since the treaty was signed with the French king, and the king was now dead, some Americans felt that the treaty was no longer valid. A group of Americans wanted the country to remain neutral and not get involved in the European conflict. Since the U.S. was in debt, it would not be prudent to start a war that would put the nation further into debt. The fighting in Europe had already claimed the lives of thousands of soldiers. If it w Department as possible to avoid shedding American blood, why not stay out of war?

Washington had assembled five very talent and qualified men to help run the country. These men became the heads of the State Department, Treasury Department, War Department, Justice Department, and the Postal Service. Washington relied on these men for guidance in decision making, and support for his policies. Three of his Cabinet officials were his most trusted adviors.

Secretary of State: Thomas Jefferson from Virginia. Jefferson believed that the French Revolution was a good thing. To Jefferson, the Revolution was a sign of the growth of Democracy. He felt that the U.S. should encourage another Republic, and help France defeat Great Britain.

Secretary of the Treasury: Alexander Hamilton from New York. Hamilton was a financial genius who served under Washington during the American Revolution. Hamilton saw the violence in Europe as a sign of the unpredictable and violent nature of man. He wanted the U.S. to side with the British. Since Britain was America's #1 trading partner, he thought that it would be best for the American economy to support the British in their struggle against France,

Secretary of War: Henry Knox, from Cambridge Massachusetts. Knox was one of Washington's most trusted generals from the Revolutionary War. Knox was in charge of the War Department of the new nation. The U.S. army was very small in 1793 (about 600 men) and there was no navy. Knox wanted the U.S. to not get involved with the war. believing that the U.S. was not prepared to fight a war.