Class Update: 12/7 & 12/10

Last Friday, we did not have class due to the half day. Today, we started the unit on the Civil War. We read documents about the "unalienable rights" that all Americans are given, and how President Lincoln viewed the rights of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." He compared this concept to a proverb about golden apples and silver settings. The natural rights were like a golden apple. The founding documents of the US (Declaration of Independence and the Constitution) were like silver settings to protect and preserve the golden apple of "Liberty for all." The concept of "Liberty for all" gave Americans the gift of opportunity. To some extent, that principle is still alive today. For example, all American children are given the opportunity and privilege to attend school. This gives them possible opportunities for the future, if they have the initiative to take this advantage. Maybe some Americans did not believe in "Liberty for all," contributing to the conflict that would lead to the Civil War.