LAD #21: Dawes Act

The Dawes Act first allowed the President to survey and divide all Native American’s arable land into allotments for their individual uses. Section 2 however, says each Native American will choose his or her own allotment, and Section 3 says that an agent must certify each one, followed by Section 4 that says the natives cannot receive reservations of equal allotments, and then followed by Section 5, which says that the Sec. of the Interior will hold the allotments for the next 25 years. Section 6 says that after the completion of the Land Patent process, the holder of the allotment will be granted their citizenship also and the section which follows #7, gives the water rights of allotment with irritated land. Now Section 8 states that this act does not apply for the five civilized tribes however, and Section 9 gives certain funds to carry out the act. The last two Sections give the Power of Eminent Domain of the Congress and have power over the allotments, and also provides for the Southern Native Americans finally.

LAD #20: Bryan's Cross of Gold Speech

In 1896 on July 9th the Democratic National Convention was given a speech by William Jennings Bryan in the city of Chicago. The speech asked the question whether or not people would support the coinage of silver at the ratio of silver to gold at 16:1. This decision would cause much conflict and anxiety amongst all of the Democratic party, as one man said “they are all from Massachusetts, yet they want different things and each person comes up and says something different that they want,” showing the lack of order and failure to make up a solid decision. Instead of any longer petitioning these Democrats would simply try to defy the other, and keep arguing, mudslinging, and claiming unconstitionality among the others, when it came time for one specific income tax to be passed. On the other side of this, people are accusing them of resenting the national bank currency, while another thinks it is the governments job to coin the money claiming no one else has the power. But needless to say this speech was given to change the way money is coined based on these results.

LAD #19: Populist Party Platform

The Populist Party came about after the beginning of the Gilded Age after responding to the division of wealth into few big business owners’ hands while the rest of their workers fought for better conditions. Many of them felt that the majority of these people were not being fairly represented and in time the civilization would ruin itself due to so much corruption. As if they were were trying to make everyone happy, and then demand permanent labor union that stay protected underneath the law and the raise in wages so wealth is more fairly distributed. These people want RR regulation by the government, a set value ratio of gold to silver to be set to exactly 16:1, and more circulating currency so that everyone could cheapen it a bit and use it. They even believe that the government should regulate the telegraph in the common interest of it’s people and also try to help the money circulate as often and much as possible, and demand fair elections and the perseverance to favor the working class to get rid of the Pinkerton system.

LAD #18: McKinley's War Message

In the late 1890's, Cuban's revolted againt their Spanish rulers, while the United States decided to take a policy of neutrality, still however sending Madrid a letter requesting that Spanish stop all fighting and grant Cuba armistice. President McKinley, in support of the Cubans gave a speech to Congress explaining how Cuba was hurting their economy, trade was suffering, and on top of this much property we had in Cuba had been lost. The agreement was very important to the United States as they saw it as geographically important to remain in good ties with Cuba, and also felt that they owed it to Cuba to protect them and strengthen their once limited legal protection. Because of geography so close to the U.S, their issues went hand in hand to ours, and when the U.S's economy suffered they knew it was time to invtervene.After our ship the Maine was destructed, brutality had finally come to a head even as a neutral party. Wanting nothing more than a stable government to be headed through Cuba, the U.S promised to give provisions and continue to aid the Cubans as long as they were lacking these necessities and the President soon handed this issue over to Congress to deal with what he saw as a positive step towards saving the economy.