Chapter 7 : Defying the Ku Klux Klan

The Ku Klux Klan is an organization that thrives on hate and disregaurd for anyone not of their own Arian race. The most heavily tormented races from these arrogant people are the Jews, and African Americans. As if slavery alone wasnt enough to endure the Klux Klan commited vicious hate crimes such as hanging African Americans and burning down their houses and more. And the same amount of hate went aimed at the Jews as well. It is hard to believe that after all the innocent people that were stripped of their freedom and their dignity that people had enough hatred to not only dislike but go out of their way to make peoples lives unbearable.

THE FOURTH ESTATE

The fourth estate was key role in the fall of the Ku Klun Klan. The media helped expose the immorality of the Klan and pushed an agenda for reform. Without people being able to see and hear about the hateful acts and beliefs the Klan witheld who knows if the movement would have ever even started if they didnt know or see it firsthand. The fourth estates not only is a watchdog of political matters but a watchdog for humanity as well.

PRESENT

Sadly today people are still trying to keep the spirit of the Ku Klux Klan alive. In the video above we see Americans forming to hear about the misleading falsehood of the Klan. This is the only disagrement with the first amendment that i have. I feel there should be some control to what is portrayed to the masses if there is unjust hate being pushed to the public

Chapter 4: Attacking Municipal Corruption: The Tweed Ring

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William Magear Tweed

Born- April 3, 1823

 Died- April 12, 1827

MEMBER OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

From New Yorks 5th District

IN OFFICE: March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855 

  William "BOSS" Tweed was convicted for stealing an amount estimated by an aldermen's committee in 1877 at between $25 million and $45 million from New York City taxpayers through political corruption, although later estimates ranged as high as $200 million. Tweed began his rise to power in the late 1840's as a volunteer fireman in New York City.  He served as an alderman in 1852-53 and then was elected to a term in the U.S. House of Representatives, 1853-55. Tweeds focal point of interest were in state and local affairs, and he withheld a heavy title in Tammany Hall which was the organizational force of the Democratic Party in New York.

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  William Tweed was the leader and mastermind behind a controversial political force matured, to be known as "The Tweed Ring". The Tweed ring was responsible for countless injustices such as bribes offered of $600,000 to pass a new charter, taking over control of public services, for example the Department of Public Parks, garnishing huge profits from the development of the upper east side of Manhattan and more. The system was very well organized and illegitimate, yet very intelligent. Despite mass corruption through the various well constructed schemes involved, the development of New York City went full steam ahead and conclusively was accomplished in full. The corruption added up to put New York City in triple it's bond debt all the way up to 90 million dollars. Members of the Tweed ring included corrupt city official consisting of 

John T. Hoffman- Inaugurated Governor of New York State.

A. Oakey Hall- Mayor

Richard B. Connolly- City Comptroller

Peter Barr Sweeny- City Chamberlain

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CARTOON TO CONVICTION

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Tweed and his peers presumed that money could buy their immunity to any altercations that would cross their path pushing their agenda. One man's honor weighed more than its weight in gold in the media. Thomas Nast, one of the most prominent cartoonists of his era came up with simple yet impacting idea that shaped changed the public opinion and contributed to the conviction and following imprisonment of Boss Tweed. During the 1800's many New Yorkers were immigrants of foreign countries and could not speak English which meant they could not read the print in the papers either. It is said that a picture could paint a thousand words, and along came Nast who depicted with his political cartoons what could not be understood by the majority of New York's public in text. Images portrayed below started to gain public interest and caused a hype that Tweed tried to silence with a pay off bribe that Nast turned down and continued on his mission for justice. Had Nast been layed off by Harper Weekly the sequence of event would have been thrown way off course. This came as a shock to Tweed because of his ties to the media and left him and his followers in a vulnerable position for exposure.

   

http://paw.princeton.edu/issues/2008/09/24/pages/2698/   

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THE WATERGATE SCANDAL

 

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Although there is a lot of controversy with the Watergate scandal, i still believe Nixon wasn't such a bad guy. He made some mistakes but he was a good man and got caught up. In the Watergate scandal Nixon tried to get ahead by sending a group to break in and retrieve information to get the tip to win the election. His committee tried to create a cover up story but the power of journalism and the media created such a hype and exposure that he stepped down from office.

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On the evening of August 8, 1974, Richard Milhous Nixon announced that he would resign as the 37th President of the United States at noon the following day. Vice President Gerald R. Ford of Michigan would take the oath as the new President to complete the remaining years of Mr. Nixon's term.

Nixon got caught red handed when the video above leaked about his involvement in the scandal which crushed him as a man which after reading about him changed his life after the incident.

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"The way you have power is to take it"

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