What's the deal with Reconstruction?

What is/was Reconstruction? 

the restoration of the seceded states and the integration of the freedmen into American society after the Civil War ("reconstruction")

What went well? 

In 1862, Abraham Lincoln had appointed provisional military governors to re-establish governments in Southern states recaptured by the Union Army. The main condition for re-admittance was that at least 10 percent of the voting population in 1860 take an oath of allegiance to the Union. Aware that the Presidential plan omitted any provision for social or economic reconstruction— or black civil rights — the anti-slavery Congressmen in the Republican Party, known as the Radicals, criticized Lincoln's leniency. The Radicals wanted to insure that newly freed blacks were protected and given their rights as Americans. (Wormser)

What went poorly?

After Lincoln's assassination in April of 1865, President Andrew Johnson alienated Congress with his Reconstruction policy. He supported white supremacy in the South and favored pro-Union Southern political leaders who had aided the Confederacy once war had been declared. 

Southerners, with Johnson's support, attempted to restore slavery in substance if not in name. In 1866, Congress and President Johnson battled for control of Reconstruction. The Congress won. Northern voters gave a smashing victory -- more than two-thirds of the seats in Congress -- to the Radical Republicans in the 1866 congressional election, enabling Congress to control Reconstruction and override any vetoes that Johnson might impose. (Wormser)

Why is it relevant today?

The issues of Reconstruction—civil rights, states' rights and federal-state relations, racism, nationalism, government aid to individuals—continue to be relevant today ("Reconstruction in the United States")

News Excerpt

This month will be remembered for the arrival of an African-American at the pinnacle of American political power when Barack Obama is sworn in as president on the Capitol's steps. But it also is the anniversary of another, less happy political milestone on Capitol Hill: the farewell of the last member of the first generation of black congressmen. 

...

Between the end of the Civil War and 1901, two blacks served in the U.S. Senate and 20 in the House. All were from the South, most from the Deep South, where blacks comprised a majority, or nearly a majority, of the population (South Carolina, Mississippi, and Alabama). 

By the turn of the century, White was the only one left on Capitol Hill. He was the last of the African-American congressmen of the Reconstruction era.

And after his departure in March 1901, when his term ended, it would be more than 25 years before an African-American again took a seat in the House, more than 75 years before one was elected from a Southern state. Though his prediction that blacks would again be elected to Congress came to pass, he didn't live to see it. (Guthrie)

Media Saves The Beach In The News

A proposal to change the design of a long-planned desalination project and its accompanying pipelines won unanimous approval from the Carlsbad City Council on Tuesday… Environmental attorney Marco Gonzalez told the council during Tuesday's meeting that two coastal protection groups he represents — San Diego Coastkeeper and Coastal Environmental Rights Foundation — will likely file suit.

Gonzalez argued that the new pipeline routes, among other things, constitute substantial changes to the original plans and should be the subject of a supplemental environmental document… The plant, which has been working its way through the city and state review processes for several years, is proposed for a site that's roughly in the center of the Encina Power Station… Plans call for the desalination equipment to produce up to 50 million gallons of drinking water daily using seawater from the power plant's cooling system.

Project proponents have said that the proposed plant will give the arid San Diego region a secure source of locally produced drinking water, while opponents have said that the desalination equipment will prolong the life of an aging, water-cooled power plant and cause environmental harm.

But Gonzalez said that the revised pipeline routes included new stretches of roadway in south Carlsbad and thus should be the subject of additional environmental assessments. He said the council should be "ashamed" of how much the desalination project has changed since it was first approved in 2006.

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/carlsbad/article_8c9f6629-da9f-581c-bd6e-97c49b257358.html

Media Saves The Beach

I really think that this is going to be a fun project. I love photography so that is what I want to do for this project. 

Optional Assignment

—What is the origin of the phrase "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?" What was the original meaning (before it arrived in the Colonies)?

John Locke was a British philosopher that popularized the theory of 'tabula rasa'. Locke's political therory was based off the social contract theory. The original meaning was that Locke said that ‘life, liberty, and estate’ are necessary for survival.

  

—What were the Federalist Papers? Who wrote them and what did they say?

‘The Federalist Papers were written and published during the years 1787 and 1788 in several New York State newspapers to persuade New York voters to ratify the proposed constitution. The Federalist Papers are 85 essays saying how the government should be run. All of the essays were signed "PUBLIUS" and the actual authors of some are under dispute, but the general consensus is that Alexander Hamilton wrote 52, James Madison wrote 28, and John Jay contributed the remaining five.’ (“Federalist Papers”)

 

—Name three philosophers that were icons to the original founders of the US. What ideas were these philosophers famous for?

Immanuel Kant—‘he distinguished three forms of government, democracy, aristocracy, and monarchy with mixed government as the most ideal form of it’

Rousseau—‘argued that sovereignty (or the power to make the laws) should be in the hands of the people, he also makes a sharp distinction between the sovereign and the government. The government is composed of magistrates, charged with implementing and enforcing the general will.’

Thomas Hobbes— his theory of social contract

Society. Revolution. Fashion.

Constance Abram

During a summer photography class, I went to The San Diego Museum of Art to see Richard Avedon Portraits of Power. I was not excited. I assumed that it would be an other boring exhibit of some photographer I did not really care for.

I entered the exhibit. Along it’s white walls were Avedon’s innovations in fashion photography, that he did early in his career at Harper’s Bazaar. Around the corner the wall was covered from the floor to the ceiling with the work that he did for Rolling Stone called The Family 1976, which showcased 69 of the most powerful people in America during the 1976 election campaign. I continued to see a portrait of Malcolm X next to other pictures from the Civil Rights era. Nearing the end of the exhibit I saw, scattered systematically over one wall of the gallery, his final unfinished work Democracy 2004. Jon Stewart’s picture was the first to catch my eye followed by Bill O’Reilly and Karl Rove. My eyes then turned to the biggest picture in the section, a picture of Barack Obama, which was the last in the collection, as a prediction of the future.

Before I went to that exhibit, I thought of portraits as a boring and clichéd style of photography, reserved only for the non-artist. After seeing that collection of photography I realize how it is possible to capture one’s raw human emotions through the lens of a camera.

Avedon captured the real face of society in an unbiased way. Even Avedon’s fashion photography, influenced Alexey Brodovitch and Martin Munkacsi, revolutionized the way a photograph was perceived. Being an aspiring photographer, his portraits impacted my view on photography and my developing style. I plan to build on the innovations in Richard Avedon work.

American Icons Reflection

I discovered that I still had problems with writing. I created a scene in my artist statement. If I could do another draft I would write more. 


This sentence stands out because I really believe it:
'After seeing that collection of photography I realize how it is possible to capture one’s raw human emotions through the lens of a camera.'

American Icons Picture

Photography Techniques

Rembrandt lighting

Is a technique where there are is one light and a reflector and it creates shadows under the eyes and on the side of the face.
I would use this technique because this is the way that Avedon sometimes photogrpahed   

Posed Portraits

My portrait is posed because that is the way that Avedon posed his subjects












Rule of Thirds
The rule of thirds is where the photograph is divided into nine parts, where the lines cross are power points where it is good to place the subject

Artist Statement and Critiques

A museum curator once told me that people did not go to Richard Avedon to just get their portrait taken, they went to him so that people would know they had “made it”. During a summer photography class, I when to The San Diego Museum of Art, to see Richard Avedon Portraits of Power. I entered the exhibit. Along it’s white walls were Avedon’s innovations in fashion photography, that he did early in his career at Harper’s Bazaar. Around the corner the wall was covered from the floor to the ceiling with the work that he did for Rolling Stone called The Family 1976, which showcased 69 of the most powerful people in America during the 1976 election campaign. I continued to see a portrait of Malcolm X next to other pictures from the Civil Rights era. Nearing the end of the exhibit I saw, scattered systematically over one wall of the gallery, his final unfinished work Democracy 2004. Jon Stewart’s picture was the first to catch my eye followed by Bill O’Reilly and Karl Rove. My eyes then turned to the biggest picture in the section, a picture of Barrack Obama, that was the last in the collection.
Before I went to that exhibit, I thought of portraits as a boring and clichéd style of photography, reserved only for the non-artist. After seeing that collection of photography I realize how it is possible to capture the rawness of ones human emotions through the lens of a camera. Avedon captured the real face of society in an unbiased way. Even Avedon’s fashion photography, influenced Alexey Brodovitch and Martin Munkacsi, revolutionized the way a photograph was perceived. Being an aspiring photographer, his portraits impacted my view on photography and my developing style. I plan to build on the innovations in Richard Avedon work.

American Icons Resources

Richard Avedon
THE RICHARD AVEDON FOUNDATION. Web. 04 Sept. 2009.

Avedon, Richard. Portraits of Power. Photograph. San Diego Museum of Art, California

"Richard Avedon." American Masters. PBS. 1995. Television.

Stephen Sondheim 
"Stephen Sondheim." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. Oxford University Press, Inc., 2004. Answers.com 04 Sep. 2009.http://www.answers.com/topic/stephen-sondheim 

Depp, Johnny, Helena Bonham Carter, Jayne Wisener, Edward Sanders, Jamie C. Bower, Sacha Baron Cohen, Laura Michelle Kelly, and Alan Rickman. Sweeney Todd - The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street. By Stephen Soundheim. 2007. CD.

Westside Story. Dir. Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise, and Stephen Sondheim. By Leonard Bernstein. Perf. Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer. United Artists. Film.

Rogers and Hammerstein
Various Artists. The Sound of Music (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) [40th Anniversary Deluxe Editon]. Rec. 1964. Rogers and Hammerstein. MP3.

The Sound of Music. Dir. Robert Wise. Perf. Julie Andrews. 1965. DVD.

American Icon Ideas - Rogers and Hammerstein

Rogers and Hammerstein wrote many Tony award winning musical such as, Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, and The King and I. Many of their most famous work has been made into movies. The are said to be the greatest lyricist and composers of musical theater.I have loved The Sound of Music since the fourth grade, when me and my friends wrote down and memorized all the lyrics. I also know many of the songs from Cinderella because of the 1997 ABC movie, featuring Brandi, which I own on VHS. 
Rogers and Hammerstein are considered to have reinvented of the formula musical and made musical theater a significant American art form.  

American Icon Ideas - Stephen Sondheim

Stephen Sondheim is an award winning composer and lyricist that redefined Broadway musicals  with his innovative productions. He is known for classics such as Sweeney Todd, a dark musical that tells the story of a vengeful barber, and Westside Story, a modern musical interpretation of Romeo and Juliet. He wrote and co-wrote many other musical and is an inspiration  to millions. I am a big fan of musical theater and have over the years memorized all the songs from Sweeney Todd and most of Westside Story. Those two plays changed my view of musical theater and just made it fun to sing along.

I love the haunting and suspenseful the music is in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Tim Burton's 2007 adaptation made Sondhiem's musical more accessible to the masses and I quite enjoyed both Johnny Depp's and Helena Bonham Carter's performances in this film. My favorite song is No Place Like London, it's beautiful and tragic, full of hope and dispair.

I love drama and dancing in the 1961 film version of Westside Story. My favorite scene is The Dance at the Gym. The combination of dancing, fight scenes, and the culture clash in New York in the 1950's makes this musical socially significant.        

American Icon Ideas - Richard Avedon

To me Richard Avedon is one of the most iconic American photographers that many people have never heard of. He was first an innovative fashion photographer for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar and then moved on to do portraits and political pieces that explored the identity. His style was to shoot in black and white on a white background with flat lighting, to make the subject the focal point of the picture. I love how simple his approach was and how amazing his pictures turned out.

Richard Avedon is important to me because I want to become a photographer and his minimalist style to my budding sense. I first saw his exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Art this summer during a summer photography class. The exibxit Portraits of Power includes his last project, which was left unfinished due too his death on October 1, 2004. The project, Democracy 2004 features people like Barack Obama, Jon Steward, and everyday American citizens. It is a social commentary on American politics.

One of his most recognized works is when he was commissioned by Rolling Stone to chronicle the 1976 presidential campaign. This collection was of 96 photographs of the most powerful elite in the US and was called The Family.

Welcome back to school

This year is my first year at HTHMA and I am really excited to be here. I have many goals and hopes for this year. I hope to become more organized and outgoing this year.

In this humanities class I hope to gain better writing skills and learn more about the history of America in a fun and interesting way.