History 1700
On the Gangs of New York
By: Nichole Green and Jonathen Green
By: Nichole Green and Jonathen Green
Martin Scorsese’s 2002 film, Gangs Of New York, is an epic American historical drama. It is a story about a young man who seeks to discover his place within the gang culture of New York City's Five Points District. As he grows up, he is forced to make a choice between leaving the gang life with his lover, or leading the gang of his murdered father and avenging his death. I think it is interesting those who were born in the States, called themselves the Natives. These same people whose ancestors were themselves immigrants who displaced the Native Americans. Isn’t it ironic that the colors for each gang’s sashes are those same colors of our U.S. Flag, that at the same time was engaged in Civil War?
The 5 points district was its own Civil War. It was a bloodbath. Everyone fought to claim their right to live here. War and Poverty forced the people to competed over access to the most basic of necessities. Food, shelter, security, and the right to work. The gangs of New York were founded out of necessity; to provide themselves security while an indifferent police force protected only the privileged few. All American’s are minorities in one way or another. Everyone is a mix of different nations and tribes. We all seek to preserve our cultures defend our beliefs. We all want to pass on better future to our children? How hypocritical are we to think we can judge who has the right to live here? This movie reminds me of the hysteria within our Presidential debates. After all these years, the events at the 5 point is still disturbingly relevant. We still fight over these same issues. Still we argue about whether-or-not others to should live here. Our Nation is still, as deeply divided as ever.
But it is not only ludicrous that we, who are such a wonderfully rich and diverse medley of half-breeds and mutts, stupidly fool ourselves with our lies about purity.
No, it is also shameful. Because We then use this lunacy as justification to invoke the name of God and murder one another; fighting over a claim to something that is in itself the divine and natural blood right of all people. The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Whether we come from the native-born or the invader, or the refugee or the abducted, I believe that America is not only a nation that is founded upon the backs of us immigrants, but it is also founded on our hopes and dreams. I believe that it is our rich and colorful and at many times unforgivable struggle that has always made America Great. I believe that it is what makes America Great still. It is our diversity that unites us.
The 5 points district was its own Civil War. It was a bloodbath. Everyone fought to claim their right to live here. War and Poverty forced the people to competed over access to the most basic of necessities. Food, shelter, security, and the right to work. The gangs of New York were founded out of necessity; to provide themselves security while an indifferent police force protected only the privileged few. All American’s are minorities in one way or another. Everyone is a mix of different nations and tribes. We all seek to preserve our cultures defend our beliefs. We all want to pass on better future to our children? How hypocritical are we to think we can judge who has the right to live here? This movie reminds me of the hysteria within our Presidential debates. After all these years, the events at the 5 point is still disturbingly relevant. We still fight over these same issues. Still we argue about whether-or-not others to should live here. Our Nation is still, as deeply divided as ever.
But it is not only ludicrous that we, who are such a wonderfully rich and diverse medley of half-breeds and mutts, stupidly fool ourselves with our lies about purity.
No, it is also shameful. Because We then use this lunacy as justification to invoke the name of God and murder one another; fighting over a claim to something that is in itself the divine and natural blood right of all people. The right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Whether we come from the native-born or the invader, or the refugee or the abducted, I believe that America is not only a nation that is founded upon the backs of us immigrants, but it is also founded on our hopes and dreams. I believe that it is our rich and colorful and at many times unforgivable struggle that has always made America Great. I believe that it is what makes America Great still. It is our diversity that unites us.
Wounded Knee #1
By: Nichole Green
By: Nichole Green
Black Elk- “When I look back now from this high hill of my old age,” he told writer John G. Neihardt for his 1932 book “Black Elk Speaks,” “I can still see the butchered women and children lying heaped and scattered all along the crooked gulch as plain as when I saw them with eyes still young. And I can see that something else died there in the bloody mud, and was buried in the blizzard. A people’s dream died there.”1 In 1877, Sitting Bull, Black Elk and many others fled to Canada, So they wouldn’t have to live on reservations. Sitting Bull remained in Canada for four years, but Black Elk returned to the United States. Black Elk settled near Wounded Knee Creek; He was only 19 years old at the time, and he had become a healer in the tribe.
In 1889, he became involved with the Ghost Dance Movement, Which is a ritual of Dance and Song that would cause white men to leave and the Buffalo to return and the Native American Culture to be reestablished. This movement reached the Sioux at Pine Ridge in early 1890. The Ghost Dance Movement scared the U.S. Government, and the U.S. Officials arrested many tribal leaders, Including Sitting Bull, who was killed during capture. Two weeks after capturing the Chiefs the U.S. 7th Cavalry surrounded and brutally attacked the Sioux encampment at Wounded Knee Creek. The Cavalry demanded the surrender of all guns and Amo. During this time, a gunshot went off that started the massacre. And to this day, no-one knows which side fired the gun that started the slaughter.
More than 200 American Indians were brutally killed that day with more than half of them being women and children. The Cavalry also lost 25 men. Black Elk ended up wounded after trying to retaliate and he ended up surrendering and later changed his name to Nicholas Black Elk. In 1930, he finally told his story to writer John Neihardt, who then published the top selling book “Black Elder Speaks” in 1932. Many people believe that this was an end of the “long war between the United States and the Native American tribes indigenous to the Great Plains.” 1 But I believe that this war has never ended for the Native American’s How could it when the U.S. took everything they had and murdered their people and to this day they are still almost forced to live on reservations. It sickens me knowing what they have endured in the past and to this day.
http://www.history.com/news/remembering-the-wounded-knee-massacre
In 1889, he became involved with the Ghost Dance Movement, Which is a ritual of Dance and Song that would cause white men to leave and the Buffalo to return and the Native American Culture to be reestablished. This movement reached the Sioux at Pine Ridge in early 1890. The Ghost Dance Movement scared the U.S. Government, and the U.S. Officials arrested many tribal leaders, Including Sitting Bull, who was killed during capture. Two weeks after capturing the Chiefs the U.S. 7th Cavalry surrounded and brutally attacked the Sioux encampment at Wounded Knee Creek. The Cavalry demanded the surrender of all guns and Amo. During this time, a gunshot went off that started the massacre. And to this day, no-one knows which side fired the gun that started the slaughter.
More than 200 American Indians were brutally killed that day with more than half of them being women and children. The Cavalry also lost 25 men. Black Elk ended up wounded after trying to retaliate and he ended up surrendering and later changed his name to Nicholas Black Elk. In 1930, he finally told his story to writer John Neihardt, who then published the top selling book “Black Elder Speaks” in 1932. Many people believe that this was an end of the “long war between the United States and the Native American tribes indigenous to the Great Plains.” 1 But I believe that this war has never ended for the Native American’s How could it when the U.S. took everything they had and murdered their people and to this day they are still almost forced to live on reservations. It sickens me knowing what they have endured in the past and to this day.
http://www.history.com/news/remembering-the-wounded-knee-massacre
Amistad CA #3
By: Nichole Green
By: Nichole Green
The movie Amistad (1997) directed by Steven Spielberg is a historical courtroom drama about the enslavement of African men, women, and children and how it was fought in court to give them their freedom. I think that this movie is an important great portrayal of the events that took place on the Amistad slave ship and then the court case that took place in 1839 after the mutiny on the vessel. I have seen this movie several times before, but I had not realized that it is based on actual events. So watching it again, awakened me to the truth about how Africans were treated at that time. Because of the color of their skin, the Africans were treated by Americans as though they were not even people, and because of the language barrier, their voice and opinions were discounted as being irrelevant.
The movie tells the story about Cinque, who was one of the many Africans that was abducted and then entrapped aboard the ship La Amistad. After he led a successful rebellion and mutiny aboard the ship, he and the other Africans were captured and imprisoned in America. After a complex and controversial legal battle, Cinque was one of the people that began to change the outlook on how the United States perceived slavery. The outcome of the court case depended on whether or not they were born into slavery as plantation slaves as alleged, or whether they were illegally kidnapped and then brought to America. Throughout the process, the African’s legal defense repeatedly proved that the Africans were brought here illegally, but because of prejudice, the courts simply refused to accept it..
After escalating the case to the Supreme Court, the attorney and former U.S. President, John Quincy Adams got reluctantly became involved. After an emotional battle as he represented the defense of the Africans, he argued and proved that they were never plantation slaves, and that they were illegally captured. The Africans were then freed and allowed to return home to Africa. Cinque went back to his village with many others. Sadly he was never reunited with his family, and no-one knows what ever happened to them. I believe that his family was most likely also captured and forced into slavery.
The movie tells the story about Cinque, who was one of the many Africans that was abducted and then entrapped aboard the ship La Amistad. After he led a successful rebellion and mutiny aboard the ship, he and the other Africans were captured and imprisoned in America. After a complex and controversial legal battle, Cinque was one of the people that began to change the outlook on how the United States perceived slavery. The outcome of the court case depended on whether or not they were born into slavery as plantation slaves as alleged, or whether they were illegally kidnapped and then brought to America. Throughout the process, the African’s legal defense repeatedly proved that the Africans were brought here illegally, but because of prejudice, the courts simply refused to accept it..
After escalating the case to the Supreme Court, the attorney and former U.S. President, John Quincy Adams got reluctantly became involved. After an emotional battle as he represented the defense of the Africans, he argued and proved that they were never plantation slaves, and that they were illegally captured. The Africans were then freed and allowed to return home to Africa. Cinque went back to his village with many others. Sadly he was never reunited with his family, and no-one knows what ever happened to them. I believe that his family was most likely also captured and forced into slavery.