LAD #26 Martin Luther King Jr. "I Have a Dream"

Martin Luther King starts off his speech speaking of the Emancipation Proclamation. However he is very upset about  the conditions in which the African Americans are faced with. King in Washington says that today they are ready to cash in their check, which was promised to every american citizen in 1776. King continues to use the phrase "I have a Dream" to make this powerfull statement fill the hearts of each and every citizen that is there. King also "reminds America of the fierce urgency of Now", and that there is "no time to...take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism". However he does not want the African Americans to use non-violence. He pushes them to continue fighting untill they have the same rights as every other american. He dreams of a time when former slaves and slave owners can be friends, and black children and white children can sit together and play. This speech was a influential speech that goes down in history and has been heard by millions.

LAD #25 Dawes Act

The Dawes Severalty Act of 1877 was based upon native American's rights. After being forced onto reservations, this act allowed natives to own land on those reservations. Because there was very little land on the reservations, there was restrictions on how much land an Indian can own depending on their size of their family and age. The natives also got to pick where their land would be, however if two people picked the same plot of land, it would be divided and then they would also be allowed to pick another piece of land that would equal the land that they lost. This all seems great, but there was more restrictions, including, if you didnt pick your land in 4 years, the government would pick it for you. The native americans were given patents for their land and now were granted protection under the law as well as punishment for crime. In addition, if a native american was no longer associated under a tribe, they would be granted citizenship, for some tribes, like the Sioux and Iroquois, were not given this opportunity. This law shows how the American government wanted to be able to know where and who all of the Indians were in a way making it seem like they were doing something kind.

LAD #24 Bryan's Cross of Gold Speech

On July 9th 1896, William Jennings Bryan gave his Cross of Gold Speech at the Democratic Convention. Bryan began his speech by appreciating the American Worker, and how much they have done to keep the country going. Bryan, a "Silver Democrat" believed the way to fix the hurting economy was to replace the money system with silver instead of gold, because of it's availability. This was not only going to help the economy, but the average American farmer as well. Jennings emphasized that doing this would help all Americans that were hurting because of the overtake of big business. And this was important because it would help a majority of the population, instead of the "1 per-centers" that ran the businesses. With this change in standard, farmers would easily be able to pay off their debts because silver is 1/16th of the price of gold. Bryan also said to benefit the people, an income tax must be emplaced. Bryan ends his speech by saying, "You shall not crucify a man upon a cross of gold."

LAD #23 Populist Party Platform

The Populist party or better known as the "People's Party". In the 19th century, the Populist Party arose from the former farmers alliance as a new independent party. The Populist were usually farmers from the south and they were against big business because it hurt the farmers increasingly. Also they opposed money being in the hands of very few wealthy people. The Populist believed that workers during the industrial age were being denied basic rights and this created even more corruption in Washington. While supporting workers, they also supported workers forming Unions to protect themselves. Populist were against immigrants coming to America and taking jobs from Americans. The other parties were unable to take any action and the populist party believed that the only way to fix the government was to put the money back into the hands of the "Plain People" However they supported the government interfering to create public transportation as well as communication.  And that is the Populist Party.