April 14, 1912

 

A moment that captured everyone's imagination still to this today was the sinking of the Titanic on April 14, 1912.  Everyone knows the story - the ship hit an iceberg and sank!

The real ship today under the ocean

It has become a cultural moment to know.  They even made a movie about it in 1997 with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kat Winslet.  It was the number one movie for months!  You see one group's experience on the Titantic!  So scary makes you think what you would do in that situation?  I hope none of us are in that situation.

There is even a Titanic Museum in Branson, MO.  If you have never been you should go!  I was blessed to go in 2019 - it was an amazing experience!  It is so personal.  You really get what a person on the Titanic felt!  Which is a huge reason why I love History!  I can put myself in the shoes of the person and imagine it!  

Outside the museum is a big Titanic and iceberg.  Here is a pic of my sister and I in front of the Titanic.  And the website!  Go if you can!  

Titanic Museum in Branson Website

King Phillip's War - 1675

 

King Phillip's War was the last attempt to expel Europeans out of the North East America.  King Phillip's real name was Metacom.  I always wonder why did they not call him by his name?  But the English wanted him to have a more English name - so they called him King Phillip.

Metacom united the tribes of the North East in an attempt to expel the Europeans once and for all!  Sadly Metacom and the united tribes lost to the Europeans.  Europeans had better technology than the natices.  The only thing that was better!

The Europeans made an example of Metacom.  He was beheaded and his family was sold into slavery!  So sad, but this moment reveals the Europeans were not nice, and the Natives did not like them!  All APUSH students need to know this moment!

Assassination of President Garfield

 

Four US Presidents have been assassinated.  There are two everyone remembers - President Abraham Lincoln and President John F. Kennedy, but there were two others!  President James Garfield and President William McKinley.  President Garfield's assassination got rid of the Spoils System once and for all.

President Andrew Jackson introduced the Spoils System, and it stayed for 40 plus years.  The Spoils System made the US Government extremely ineffective.  In the 19th Century it was seen as beneath the Presidential Candidates to campaign - so their supporters campaigned for them.  If they won then their supporters were rewarded with a government job.

But they did not know how to do the job!  So they just sat there and twiddled their thumbs!  Well when President Garfield campaigned for President, Charles Guiteau campaigned for him, and when Garfield won he expected a government job!  He even had a meeting with Garfield who said thanks for campaigning, but no job here!

Guiteau went home disappointed, and had a dream where God told him to kill the President.  God would never tell you to do that!  But Guiteau began to stalk the President, and learned his schedule.  When he was ready - he killed the president.

Charles Guiteau and the gun he used to kill the President

President Garfield died a few days later, and Chester A. Arthur became president.  The press called Guiteau "a disgruntled office seeker."  So President Arthur enacted the Pendleton Service Act where NOW government employees must demonstrate they know how to the job!  The Ancient Chinese did this thousands of years ago.  I guess it took a Presidential Assassination to figure this out for America.  The SPOILS SYSTEM is gone.  

Thank You Dr. Salk!!!