Friday, March 5, 2010

HW8

"Nonviolent resistance to injustice was a good strategy for southern civil rights leaders."
AGREE and DISAGREE (one paragraph each)

AGREE:
The Birmingham campaign in 1963 is an example of an effective nonviolent resistance to injustice. The Birmingham police's attacks on peaceful African American protesters shocked many Americans, drawing national attention to the injustice of segregation. As a result, desegregation of public facilities in Birmingham was achieved, without using violence.

DISAGREE:
Freedom Summer in Mississippi 1964 is an example where nonviolent resistance was a bad strategy. People in Freedom Summer used peaceful means to help African Americans participate in the government, but many were attacked and killed by the opposition. Sadly, these crimes went unpunished, showing the ineffectiveness of nonviolent resistance.

Monday, March 1, 2010

HW7

Find two historians who disagree with each other about the answer to your question.

"How important was Joan of Arc to the successful ascension of Charles VII to the French throne in the 1430s?"

Joan of Arc is important to King Charles VII’s successful ascension. She brought about his coronation at Rheims, which dealt a heavy blow to England’s claim to the French throne, and she was Charles VII’s source of courage as he continued fighting for the throne after her death.

(Patterson, Gail. Joan of Arc: Historical Overview and Bibliography. Nova Publishers, 2002. Print.)

However, in another point of view, Joan was not very important. Even without Joan, Charles VII, who was still wealthy and supported by a large part of France, would have slowly recaptured French territories under English control. Charles’ men were not too successful in battle, but they were still fighting.

(Neillands, Robin. The Hundred Years War. Routledge, 1990.)