Coca~Cola advert.

Coca Cola began in 1886, and since then their adverts have also included particular images and themes of the current time. From the beginning they have had adverts which show ladies smartly clothed in Victorian style dresses and similar decor, current themes continue showing typical American sports such as baseball. This shows the consumer does buy into the patriotic sense of these adverts, and other nations buy into the 'Americanisation' and desire of wanting to be part of American life.

This advert shows stereotypical American images such as; Elvis, Audrey Hepburn, Rolling Stones, American flag, hot dog, cars, baseball and so on, in the outline of a Coca~Cola bottle. This cult classics along with the slogan 'A classic never goes out of style' suggests that Coke is as symbolic and an iconic image along with these famous world wide known images.

The use of the red and white colour could either be simply as it is the colour of Coca~Cola or could be the colour of the American flag, which again supports the idea of America as a great 'classic' nation and the patriotic sense from Americans that all of these images, colours and the concept of Coke is American rather than British/European etc.

The Horatio Alger myth.

The Horatio Alger myth consists of people not believing in the American dream and the rags to riches story seen in Ragged Dick. In Fight back news - news an views from the people's struggle, they suggest that although dick does work hard and does achieve success in the end of the book this is more to do pure luck and help from wealthy individuals. They also suggest that even after WW2 people were able to succeed in life through buying houses and sending their children to college, however again like dick this was not necessarily achieved from hard work but rather from the strength of the unions who forces businesses to pay a sustainable wage to live.

Although today the story of Ragged dick is seen as a myth and of pure facts and figures that go against what the story tries to represent. As today the gap between the rich and poor is steadily widening and opportunities also seem to be dramatically descending, its estimated that only 10% of young boys with less educated poor fathers will succeed in life, but this means that a staggering 90% of young boys will stay in the 'lower class' citizens and will never achieve the American dream.

I then looked at a blog 'Discipline disciple-husband-son-brother-friend-teacher' this argued whether or not Horatio Alger's Ragged dick is a myth or reality. He also used many facts and figures to show how this isn't always true with many people still considered 'poor' in America. He uses this quote from the Treasury report in November 2007 that suggest that the rich are actually losing out on money and poor and gaining a 91% increase in their incomes. This goes against ragged dick as the 'rich' may have worked hard through out life to receive a well paid job however they are now losing out on the dream.

Overall i believe that for some people luck enables them to have the American dream and a successful life whether by chance or by them working hard, although there will always be a gap between the rich and poor which means some people will never succeed in life and will always be ragged dick Rather than Richard hunter.

"Face it, You'll Never Be Rich" The Horatio Alger myth.

The Horatio Alger Myth is generally used as a synonym of the 'rags to riches story'; Horatio Alger being a popular novelist in 19th century who was famous for his (admittedly formulaic) stories of young boys (such as Ragged Dick in Ragged Dick) who though hard work and virtue 'make it big'. However there is a discrepancy between the myth (indeed 'The Horatio Alger Myth' is indeed true in that it's a myth) and what was written by Horatio Alger. In Ragged Dick the character does not rise to a position of fabulous wealth but rather a respectable middle-class position of office clerk. Furthermore, Alger writes that it's better to be middle-class and honest in your income acquisition rather than be a 'robber baron'. So in reality the Horatio Alger Myth is flawed in it's very inception. Ultimately however Horatio Alger weather intentionally or not gave off the impression though his writing that one could rise up to wealth from petty poverty. Michael Moore is known for both his blowharding whistle-blowing and girth, and in this article from 2003 he regards the Horatio Alger myth as a destructive drug which placates the general population as so: "The other drug is nicer. It is first prescribed to us as children in the form of a fairy tale - but a fairy tale that can actually come true! It is the Horatio Alger myth... because we're still addicted to the Horatio Alger fantasy drug. Despite all the damage and all the evidence to the contrary, the average American still wants to hang on to this belief that maybe, just maybe, he or she (mostly he) just might make it big after all." Suffice to say he is scornful of the ideas given out by Horatio Alger (which as discussed were not really his intended ideas)that people can rise up the social ladder and become millionaires. The reason for this (he says) is that it makes the people sympathetic to the rich, that they have worked hard for their money and increasing taxes against him is bad "So don't attack the rich man, because one day that rich man may be me!". In conclusion Michael Moore has fallen into the heffalump trap of believing that Horatio Alger's characters rose from rags to riches when in text they merely rose from rags to respectability.

Horatio Alger Myth: Contemporary usage vs. Ideas posed in the book

Ideas weather or not the Horatio Alger Myth is still prevalent, or ever was at all does indeed divide opinion. When looking for a site really pushing the ideas behind the Horatio Alger myth, I struggled. The reasons behind this is obviously because time and realism has made the general population realise that other factors affect you're social standing and mobility. Obviously, other than just hard work.

I believed that the best place to find a good contemporary usage of the term the Horatio Alger Myth would be used, is by user generated content. The Horatio Alger Myth is Still Alive and Well in American Culture pushes the idea that the Myth still exists and that anyone, with enough hard work and determination can propel themselves up the social ladder and become more wealthy as time goes on. She also believes that decisions that are made will ultimately decide whether one is successful in maintaining the wealth that they achieve.

These ideas that are posed by this woman on associated content is very true to the novel. Alger believed in the 'rags to riches' mentality and that success could easily be obtained of the person was industrious and hard-working enough to do so.

With that being said, the article believes that it takes more than just one generation to be able to bring fortune to ones self, it takes generations of hard-work. Something not depicted in the book. He starts off as a boot-black and someone of not great social standing, to somebody who has made something of himself and has money in his pocket.

Gun Control Issues.

One of the prolific ongoing debates in the United States for the current and previous century is the issue of gun control. About 97,820 people are shot in a gun-related incidents each year. The Constitution of the United States states in it's second amendment that: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the citizens to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed" This statement is central to the debate and the battle between tight and loose constructionists of the Constitution is still ongoing. The web-pages I chose represent two sides of the argument, i.e. those in favour of gun control and those in favour of gun ownership. The Pro-Gun website I selected was the NRA's official web-page, the National Rifle Association was created in 1871 to educate the population about gun safety and to represent different gun owners, it has since grown in membership and is now a major lobbying group. The website is essentially a portal to many different pages such as NRA-ILA which details current proposed bills and news articles on guns; including a 'Spotlight' feature on an 'armed citizen' who took down a armed thief at a convenience store, highlighting the benefits of gun ownership in citizen law-enforcement, which is one of the key arguments the NRA uses. Other websites are focused on gun safety and where to find gun clubs near you. One interesting article was the "Outrage of the week", which criticised journalist Alex Wagner for attacking the second amendment, however it didn't really give reasons why the second amendment was necessary apart from the fact that it protected freedom. However overall the NRA website does not give out a list of the benefits of gun ownership, which is understandable seeing as they are currently 'on top'. The Pro-Gun control website I chose was the Brady Campaign website, The Brady Campaign is named after James Brady, who was permanently injured as a result of an assassination attempt on Ronald Regan in 1981. It seeks to promote legislation which regulates and controls gun ownership, such as banning assault rifles and large ammo clips. The website has many lists of statistics such as the number of gun related injuries and that higher household gun ownership correlates with higher rates of homicides, suicides and unintentional shootings. Overall I felt that the Brady Campaign had a very strong argument, but the problem is is that cat is already out of the bag in America and simply trying to restrict gun ownership is futile. The other problem is is that if guns are banned violent crime is not going to be reduced, it will instead switch to knife crime or some other means. So I would agree that legislation to prevent people with criminal records is necessary I feel that gun ownership is a sign of a covenant between a government and it's people and that it trusts them to look after themselves.

Week 9 Group 2: Tutorial......

What are your views of the Columbine 'incident'? - should teachers be armed - as said the NRA? Or, is this an over-reaction from Michael Moore?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQo-orO8UHU

I shall be interested to hear you views - and what does the map tell us about gun use?

For background information, read this website:
http://debatepedia.idebate.org/en/index.php/Debate:_Concealed_carry_vs_open_carry_gun_laws

Gun Control

http://www.csgv.org/about-us

The coalition to stop gun violence is a Pro-gun control website that aims to maintain a slipping freedom, from gun violence. It outlines many problems in the system and highlights issues such as the Gun Show Loophole, which enables anyone to purchase guns from unlicensed dealers without background checks. This means just about anyone can get a hold of a firearm easily. The website has articles that highlights big flaws in the campaign to push conceal and carry permits forward, such as the lack of/missing disqualifying records which are crucial in the screening process to obtain a permit, which subsequently means individuals with past criminal convictions, minor offenses, or a past in domestic abuse could easily acquire a conceal and carry permit. CGSV want tougher gun laws and a stricter grip on gun owners in America and furthermore to give politicians confidence to speak up against anti-gun control organisations such as the NRA.

http://gunowners.org/

Gun Owner’s of America is a anti gun control website which argues that along with the ownership of a gun comes freedom. Like many other anti- gun control groups I looked at on the internet, this website pointed out how their cause was to protect the interests of the 2nd Amendment and had a " NO COMPROMISE!" policy. They, like a lot of gun enthusiasts who follow them, believe the American people’s rights are threatened if their right to ownership is taken from them. What’s evident from just looking at the website is republican presence and how highly involved they are in the government politics surrounding their cause. The GOA boasts a "...board of directors who bring over 100 years of combined knowledge and experience on guns, legislation and politics." Unlike the pro-gun control, the GOA website’s approach to their campaign against gun control is quite politically tactical and calls on people to use their voting power to voice and undermine legislation that goes against their cause. For instance on the website they have drawn up action plans for members to take or send to their Senators. Unlike the pro gun control websites who appeal to people’s hearts with their shocking statistics, e.g "...a person dies from gun violence every 17 minutes in America...but without easy access to guns it would be a lot harder." The GOA dismisses the opposing argument held by pro gun control campaigneers as gun haters, and describe Illinois as stuck in the dark ages, for being the only state left to not allow its citizens to conceal and carry.
I think the pro gun control website had a stronger argument, was better presented and well supported by statistical evidence which would make many think twice. The anti-gun control argument had a very limited argument I felt, and it had no concern of how some of the rights they are fighting for, at times fatally affect normal Americans.

Handguns are used for protection against criminals in America nearly 2 million times per year. That's up to five times more often than they're used to commit crimes and nearly 128 times the total number of murders in the United States. With statistics such as these it is hard not to at the least acknowledge that being a gun carrier in America has some advantage. Phil Valentine emphasises this statement with his excerpt 'guns are good' . In this the audience are forced to recognise the benefits of arming oneself with a gun and gives the example of Wayne Nance whence good conquers evil 'This is but one example of literally millions of times that guns have saved lives, something the anti-gun nuts don't want you to know. But now you do.' Valentine further highlights the hypocrisy of those openly opposing the right to bear arms, such as Rosie O'Donnell 'In other words, if she and her family are threatened, then they should be protected with guns. However, if you and your family are threatened, you should not be allowed access to guns. Very nice.' He claims that her and the other advocates of the anti-gun policy is an 'emotional response and not one based on facts' and that 'banning guns is adding to the problem ‘that not having a gun hinders those in need an makes them a target with the inevitable repercussion of death, 'Imagine how less tragic Columbine could've been if only some responsible citizen with a gun had been there to stop it.' Valentine obviously is educated in the benefits of owning a gun and states some truth especially focusing on the media, and it’s ‘refusal to recognize the role guns play in thwarting crime.’ However he is perhaps too radical in his right wing opinions to fully appreciate the truths of which he explores.
“I guess the truth is too politically incorrect to be printed. Apparently, it doesn't fit some of the leftwing reporters' agenda – an agenda to rid this country of guns. That's really what all this comes down to. If there were not a concerted agenda on the part of many in the news media to rid the United States of guns, you would have equal attention given to other forms of murder. Glaring examples of the double standard can be found in some of this country's most high-profile murders. Something overlooked by many in the so-called "Crime of the Century," the O. J. Simpson trial, was that Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman were not murdered with a gun, they were stabbed to death.”

In comparison, however the Brandy campaign to prevent gun violence gives statistics,
31,593 people died from gun violence
􀀹 12,179 people murdered.
􀀹 18,223 people killed themselves.
􀀹 592 people killed accidentally.
􀀹 326 killed by police intervention.
􀀹 273 died but intent was not known.
This website set in its nationalistic colours provides support for those ‘left wingers’ who wish to rid America of the constitutional right of bearing arms. As an audience we are firstly introduced to the faces of ‘dangerous people’ or ‘concealed carriers’ their faces are not typical of those of a serial killer however the agenda of the site is to highlight that dangerous people are hidden everywhere in the faces of today’s society. There too is a tally of ‘people shot so far today,’ at this given time being 102, thus making the reader shocked and disgusted, opening their eyes to the reality. The website offers a neutral opinion on gun violence allowing the reader to form their own opinions based on the facts and information given about gun violence, unlike that of Valentine. Furthermore the options of taking action or donating to the cause get the chosen audience involved, their claim is merely ‘to protect you, your family and your community from gun deaths and injuries. In America, we make it too easy for dangerous people to get dangerous weapons. There are only a few federal gun control laws on the books, and even those have loopholes. This leads to senseless gun violence affecting tens of thousands.’ Overall this website is thought out to make the audience interact and mould their attitudes in this seemingly neutral, polite, caring environment whereas Valentines was more on the attack.

Pro and Anti-Gun control... The Big Debate

Pro-gun control: The Brady Campaign is a site that aims to bring in more legislation and control in terms of arms in the United States. Their modus operandi behind the want for new laws and regulation is to try and bring down the amount of violence, whether it be homicide or a wounding, that guns have brought to America. A part of their mission statement reads:

"We are devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities."

The campaign itself works to make the United States a freer place for everyone from gun crime. Even though this argument for more gun control may seem unconstitutional and goes against the second amendment, it argues that the country would be a freer one, free from the threat of gun violence, something which in itself has echoes of the constitution.

This website has many convincing elements, one of the most being the 'hit counter' in the top right hand of the screen. This shows the number killed within the year and also within the day. The numbers were shocking to say the least, as I sit here 157 people were shot across the United States - which is a startling figure.

However, do not confuse their aim with banning guns completely, they aim merely to create a condition within the United States where guns are better regulated, below you will see a couple of the ways in which they hope to achieve this and what regulation they want to put in place:

• Tell Congress 'No More Large Ammo Clips!' this is because large ammo magazines are used to wipe out large numbers of people in quick succession without the need to reload, so therefore, this is not needed in terms of self defence or hunting.
• Irresponsible Gun Show Loophole because people are able to buy guns without being properly vetted or checked - making it 10 times easier for the gun to fall into the hands of the wrong person.

It is important to understand that the aim of this particular campaign/website is not to encroach on the Liberty that Americans' hold so dear, it is simply to make their life safer - something of which that I highly agree with in the long term because of the number of deaths that occur in America are more often than not needless and due to poor regulation.

Anti-Gun control: Gun Owners of America, also known as GOA believe that anti-gun laws prevent people from their consitutional right in the second amendment and that states that impose gun regulation are 'living in the dark ages'.

They have a whole section on their website dedicated to people who might hold some scepticism against the legal carry of a gun. One section that I looked at in particular was the section about how Gun Control causes needless problems in the United States and can prevent people from saving their lives. For example, there is an article: 'When Gun Safety Locks Kill' arguing that safety locks cause problems and issues in terms of self-defence.

They also see themselves as a 'no compromise' organisation, pretty much meaning that they believe that any regulation encroaches on their civil liberties.

What I think: I believe both sides of the argument are both convincing and that both have large relevance to life in America. I believe that the most convincing website is the one pushing for more Gun Control. Whilst the pro-gun ownership website makes some good points about the dangers of over regulating, with well backed up arguments from real life events but still leaves an uncomfortable resonance with me. I believe that some of the laws, or their lack of, in terms of gun control and regulation leaves a lot to be desired. Especially with people being able to buy these guns without being vetted at gun shows and magazines being bigger than needed for hunting and such purposes.

pro-gun control or anti-gun control?

In 1991, in Littleton, two 18 year old senior high school boys killed 12 fellow students, 1 teacher and injured 24 other students. They did this by illegally buying 2 shot guns, due to them being underage at the time. Only days after these innocent school children had been killed the NRA led by Charlton Heston arrived in Littleton where the shootings had taken place. I have chosen two website, 1 by the family of Daniel Mauser one of the victims on the day and The NRA website who only 10 days after the massacre came to the area for a rally. Both have contrasting views to gun control, the memorial website wants gun control so that guns aren't so available to people, whereas the NRA are in support the people should be allowed to have guns for 'protection.'

http://www.danielmauser.com/

This website details and celebrates the life of Daniel, explores the violence in America and their view on guns and how they should be controlled. They write about how we should get involved as the first step to raise awareness and make real change.

What is really interesting is that they explain how they have previously written letter and made phone calls to Charlton Heston and the NRA, however received no response. My view on this suggest guilt, that he wouldn't know quite what to say to the family, or explain how his views can be linked to their feelings and emotions about gun crime. The family also say how they were arrested when protesting outside the NRA headquarters for 'trespassing.' All these factors made me side with them as it's clear the NRA don't know how to react to the events that occurred.

http://home.nra.org/#/home

The first thing i noticed about the NRA website is the news broadcast headed 'Outrage of the week.' It goes on to say that Alex Wagner from the MSNBC was asked 'what would you change in the constitution?' She responded by saying '"I think get rid of the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms.' This quickly sums up the views of the NRA and how they find this a 'naive' and 'ridiculous' statement. Every time you click on a topic it sends you straight to another website. This may be done to increase the knowledge and teach people more widely how guns can be positive and how many people support guns and the NRA. They say they are 'America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights' and that they are an 'educational organisation.' I find that shocking as although they do do training for firearms, they aren't educating people on the effects of gun crime and how they are a dangerous weapon. They could be teaching people to protect themselves in safer ways, after all if America is a this land of freedom, opportunity and hope surely guns aren't necessary!!

Over all i think the memorial website has a deeper impact and more convincing views as although it does badmouth the NRA it does have good reason too. It also explores the gun culture in America fairly, compared to the NRA who only see their view and will not be open minded, even though every year hundreds of people are killed by guns.

Running With Buffalos

The painting is by George Catlin from 1832 and is titled Hunting Buffalo Camouflaged with Wolf Skins. It shows one of the traits that the natives were praised for in many accounts: Hunting. I think the painting encapsulates so many characteristics of the natives as a people, which I think Catlin was trying to put forward to the settlers and many others outside America who would see his paintings. The painting displays their remarkable athleticism, physical strength and intelligence involved in executing their hunts.
This hunting method that Catlin captured not only highlights the obvious physical abundance the natives possessed, but also the abundance and wealth of their culture/ customs. The painting demands respect and offers a smart way of looking at the Native Americans. The barbaric nature that is sometimes familiarised with them, is put aside and shows the craft, skill and elegance of the ways of Native American men. There is a simple but yet ingenious understanding that the natives held over their environment and its inhabitants, that is depicted so well by Catlin. The painting almost echoes  People of the Land.
And in a way, for me, there is some kind of peaceful spirituality in the way the Natives are hunting the buffalos, in comparison to the slaughter of millions of herds by the settlers.

Running With Buffalos

"Win-Jun-Jon (The Pigeon's Egg Head), Assiniboine Chief, Going To and Returning From Washington, D.C." By George Catlin.

The picture I chose to analyse is one by George Chatlin; a man who had accompanied General Clark of Lewis and Clark fame and specialised in painting Native Americans, mostly in the Mid-West. He felt that they were a 'vanishing race' who needed their customs and lifestyles to be record, which he did in several journals he wrote when he was in the west. The picture itself is fairly simple, it is essentially a early version of a 'Before and After' picture with the Indian Chief Win-Jun-Jon as he appeared in 1837 on the left and as he appeared after returning from Washington D.C. in 1839. The picture shows how Win-Jun-Jon's appearance has changed after being exposed to civilisation for a period of two years, after going to Washington he has taken to wearing European clothing such as a top hat and a suit. However there are a few personal touches made to the attire; firstly, Win-Jun-Jon's hair is still cut in a very un-European fashion, i.e. long and braided, he is also holding a fan, which was used by women rather than men. This illustrates the Chief's lack of cultural knowledge whilst at the same time trying to impersonate the European style of life. One could regard this as a sign of the decline of Indian culture if a Chieftain is willing to turn 'European', indeed it is very much like conquered people in the Roman Empire dressing and acting like Romans, which in turn helped speed up the conquest of said people. However like the people Rome conquered Win-Jun-Jon has adapted European dress and kept some personal touches such as his hairstyle, so one could argue that like the Gauls and Britons he is accepting the inevitable and adapting to fit the wave of change, whilst keeping reminders of who he was.

The Death of a Culture... or almost.

The attempted eradication of the Native Americans was not just done through the medium of genocide but also through the attempted subjugation and 'civilisation' of the native population. George Catlin's painting 'Win-Jun-Jon' was critical of the Americanisation and modernisation of the Native American. The photograph that I have chosen (see above) really does encapsulate the idea that the Native American's were modernized. It is the funeral of a Native American chief. More explicitly, Santank, the chief of Kiowa. The people pictured are seen wearing dresses and suits, which was obviously brought over by settlers that came over to the continent. These new ways of living certainly did come at a cost, as many of the natives lost their sense of identity or felt pressured into conforming to the way of life of the people who settled in America.

However, the fact that this photograph is even showing the burial of a chief shows that the culture was not dead after all. You would imagine that if the colonization and the wish of these colonies to civilize the native Americans, that the hierarchical system of chiefs and such, would dissolve.

The Manifest Destiny - to go westwards and conquer and flourish across the continent obviously had a profound affect on the Native Americans, from tribe to tribe. They believed that it was not only their divine right to the land and the bounty upon it but also to show the 'savages' God.

Native American portrait.

This painting was created in 1890 and details how the Native Indians were treated by the Americans and 'cowboys.'

The scenery shows the rural state of West America and how vast the land was and undeveloped it was. This demonstrates how they exiled the Native Indians to areas of land that weren't sufficient enough in rich soils for themselves.

Also in the scenery is a wooden wagon wheel which could mean that the native Americans were travelling in a wagon and it was destroyed by the cowboys. This is also emphasised by the smashed bottles, broken boxes and their personal belongings laid out on the ground.

The cowboy on the left hand side if pointing at the Native Indians which could be either seen as he is mocking them by pointing and laughing as they have nothing, or debating what to do with them. One Indian does have a large feathered head piece of which could mean he is the chief, which is more shocking that the chief of a village would be removed from his settlement. He is also surrounded by children, which shows the brutality of how they were treated, whether men, women or children.

In the background there seems to be a buffalo skull, this is properly used as a metaphor of how the Americans killed so many Buffalo's for their own selves and again taking from the Native Indians which once was theirs and how they killed so many Native Indians for no valid reason.

The trail of wagons through the valley is heading towards the west, which demonstrates how they moved across the land to expand. Also as they have wagons, cows and personal possessions this shows how much more they did have than the Native Americans, as they are left there with one horse between them, no wagon and most possessions broken from a possible attack.

The Twitter of The Tea Party

At a personal level I find the Tea party to be fascinating due to the way they voice their bigoted opinions and politics, on average they do not seem to hold any inhabitions or care about relevant social issues, such as racism. For me they uphold the image of the All-American Redneck,

(Tea Party candidate Ken Buck, after being asked why people should vote for him for the Colorado GOP Senate nomination) ''Because I do not wear high heels. She has questioned my manhood, and I think it's fair to respond. I have cowboy boots, they have real bullsh*t on them. And that's Weld County bullsh*t, not Washington, D.C., bullsh*t.'' Buck was referring to an ad run by his opponent, which decried third-party spending on behalf of his campaign and urged Buck to ''be man enough'' to run the ads himself (July 21, 2010)

A website of particular interest that gives a personal insight into that of the Tea Party mind is http://twitter.com/#!/teapartynews their 'tweets' constantly refer to Hitler, and indeed some of their photos posted include the figure referring to the governemnt mirroring the dictator. The image chosen for the site is the American flag, although not particularily inventive it connveys the message of patriotism to the 'simple' minds of the followers and what the political party is fighting for. Which for me what the picture above highlights, found on their site, claiming America committed suicide voting in the current President Obama with the caption, "Let's prove we can pull it back from the brink!" That their political values will save America, as seen in other pictures and Tweets on the page.
The page also deals with negative criticism for example,
'I love how nothing at the teaparty matches. Not the chairs nor the cups.' To which they directly attacked back.
Another important feature of the site is the many images of multi-raced little girls having tea parties, tea parties in general, home made cakes and images of people learning how to sew furthermore of the crowds at rallies and political leaders. All of these images hold the value of an old fashioned 'good, clean, fun' portraying the statement that the tea Party are non corrupt and have the simple hearts of Americans, who wish to uphold that aspect of America.

The Tea Party

The website I've chosen for analysis is the functionally named TeaParty.org which like other websites discussed claims to be the 'official' website of the party. Like many other sites it has a wide range of media such a videos, raido shows, blogs and news articles. It also give methods of contacting government officials via faxes.

The news articles are taken from a variety of sources such as The Washington Times and Yahoo and generally seem to focused on either the economy and Obama, usually casting him in a negative light, although that is the opinion of the original article as opposed to the main page.

The Web page is a little confusing due to the fact that the more opinionated side of it can be found by clicking the link "Join the Party". Which leads to a section filled with links to blogs, photos, online radio shows and even a shop.

The blogs range in length and quality but nearly all are of an anti-Obama/Democrat bent.

The Radio shows plays (some quite good) music (patriot of course) and has discussions about the economy and gives out information. the generally running theme is usually about "restoring our country".

The simple fact that there are more than one webpages that claim to be the official site for the Tea Party movement shows the fractured nature of said movement. Indeed one of the current topic of discussion that seem to be causing a rift is whether or not to support the 'Occupy Wall Street' movement; some bloggers say they are leftist scroungers who are attacking the hard working, whilst others say the big bosses of Wall Street are to blame for the economic collapse and the government should have let the banks collapse in order to profligate the free market.

One comment that was really interesting to note was one which was in support of economic regulation: "Free enterprise/free trade has put our economy under, we were sold out over 20 years ago, when it first began. Our "heavy industries" were the first to be phased out" which again puts the Tea Party movement into a more Democrat position!

In my own personal opinion the Tea Party movement has many genuine concerns for the American economy and the apparent loss of communication between the governed and the government. In fact at it's heart the Tea Party is a very egalitarian, patiotic and populist movement, however like many such movements in the past it is corrupted and distorted by moralistic tendencies and a discordance in it's opinions. In short, like America itself it is very varied in it's goals and opinions and ultimately that's it's downfall; it is too divided to be a political force.

The Tea Party Patriots: Protected the Country and the Constitution for which they were founded.

The website that follows the 'Tea Party' ethos is that of the Tea Party Patriots. There are many factors and attributes to this website that really do encompass the historic values that were put forward in the Constitution. This website is also connected to http://www.teapartypatriots.org/ (2nd Nov 2011), which is currently under construction. They post a threads of news reports and issues that they believe is a substantial relevance to their cause. For example, articles about illegal immigration and what their Tea Party organization is going to do to prevent this problem or to try and elevate some of the problems caused.

They also have a radio station, where they put their perspective on the days news and current events - but also allowing the audience to be able to become involved with the politics that the propagate through the medium of the Internet and from the radio station.

The American Flag is very much a massive part of the design layout and house style of this website. It really does connote the extreme Patriotism that this movement holds and the mentioning of the constitution in their sort of modus operandi/mission statement, really does lend the idea to the audience that they still follow almost a traditionalist and unprogressive - due to the fact that some of the ideologies that the united states now have evolved from what was previously mentioned in the Constitution.

There is also a photo slideshow on the main part of the website. One of the main trending photographs that I noticed was guns - which to me appears to be supported by those who are quite republican. There is also an image of a Tea Shirt with 'Fight The Left' and other images that show a very clear support of right wing ideologies and views.

The Tea Party.

In 2009, the modern Tea Party movement started again not long after President Barack Obama took office. Obama and House Democrats then passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - this act looked to save and create jobs and to provide temporary relief programs for those most impacted by the recession and invest in infrastructure, education, health, and ‘green’ energy- this law then passes in February. The 'TEA' is referred to as 'taxed enough already' as the movement believe in tax resistance. As Obama introduced this act this has created a backlash of protesting against himself and his policies. - see above picture, detailing how the tea party movement see Obama.

The tea party patriots website is the offical home of the American tea party movement. Their mission statement is 'The impetuses for the Tea Party movement are excessive government spending and taxation. Our mission is to attract, educate, organize, and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with our three core values of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets.'
This website uses many different media to project their message such as videos, pictures, radio and blogs so that they can be seen and heard by many different people to hopefully influence and persuade them to join the tea party movement. However to view these items on the website you had to join and become a member, i found this interesting as i would have presumed they would want anyone to be able to see what they represent, as joining may put some people off.

Once i had joined i began looking at the videos, most themed about economic failure in America, for instances;Economic Collapse 101 for Dummies - this looks at the economic problem and how to avoid them, The Cartel - this video examines how American schools are failing even though a lot of public spending is being put into them and WARNING TO : WE THE PEOPLE OF CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC.avi - looks at how our 'founding fathers' didnt want to create a democracy. This videos will persuade individuals into believing certain ideologies about the current economic state of America, Obama's influence and how to stand up against these rules and regulations.

Unfortunatly i didnt get to listen to the radio show, however their description seems to get people to come and speak, presumably to shed negativity onto America's economics and politics, and they speak of the new today and explain their views. I can only presume that they would try and use this as evidence that this isnt an irrational group trying to cause problems, but actually they views are supported by others and facts from the news.

On every page if you are a member they do try and insist you invite other people, this would be so they can spread their message, they currently have around 90,437 members, so their is clearly a similar view and ideology that is shared by many Americans.

I would say this website constintly tries to persuade the reader to join them and see their points of view, which may be seen as quite intimidating and full on for many people, although they do raise interesting points and support them by all the different media footage they have.

Mark Zuckerberg. A New And Exceptional American.

Mark Zuckerberg is one of the most successful young persons today; having become a billionaire by the age of 23 though his hugely popular website Facebook, now used by over 800 million people. Whilst he didn't invent the idea of social networking the reason why he was able to succeed was because he took existing ideas and added his own creative input along with the input of others to create a very easily accessible and widely marketable system anyone can use. Certainly the story of Facebook and it's founder in my opinion is an example that the new and exceptional American that De Crevecouer puts forward. It also alludes to another idea of De Crevecouer; the fact that a man as young as he can strike it rich and become one of the wealthiest people in the world on the grounds of a new idea and during a massive economic downturn is very much in the vein of De Crevecouer's idea that in America "The avenues of trade are infinite".

Bill Gates.

Bill Gates encompasses some of the key idea put forward in Crèvecœur's Letter from an American Farmer. There is a strong sense in the book that America was a place where, if you are industrious, you could flourish and reap rewards based on how hard you work. Bill Gates' has obviously achieved this. He is a Havard University drop-out and was arrested for a traffic violation in 1977. Despite these, with ingeunuity and inventiveness, he has become the 10th most powerful man in the world (According to the Forbes list has of 2011 - http://www.forbes.com/wealth/powerful-people#p_1_s_arank) and is the second richest man on the Planet.
It is said by Crèvecœur in the novel: "How thankful ought we to be, that they reared us in a Land, where sobriety and industry never fail to meet with the most ample rewards!" This is still alive today and many people in America still hold this value. Take, for example, Facebook founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, along with the aforementioned buisnessman, Bill gates.

Obama !

I chose this image of Barack Obama to represent how America still is the land of the 'new' and 'exceptional.'

I believe this image shows this, as only 200 years ago black people would have been sold and bought as slaves and less than 50 years ago Martin Luther King made his memorable 'i have a dream' speech to try and bring equality to black people. Although by 2008 America had a black president. This is seen as astonishing that we would see this in out life time and amazing that a black man was able to run for presidency, let alone win the campaign and become president of America.

Letters from an American farmer details how black slaves from Africa were mistreated in America ' a negro, suspended in the cage and left there to expire!'

This in comparison to a black man being able to run America shows the 'new' change of America and how this 'new' is still a surviving image of the nation.

This emphasises the idea of America as a 'new place' as in letters from an American farmer, America is seen as the land of opportunity and a better country than any other in the world. This is still recognised today with many people immigrating to America to live the 'dream.' For Barack Obama whose ancestors would of been seen as second class citizens, by being 'born' in America or 'coming' to America has allowed him to chase the American dream and change the original ideology of the 'new.'

This is why it is also seen as 'exceptional' that a black person only a few years back would have not been equal to have their say or equal rights and opportunities as others, could then be running one of the worlds most powerful nations. I think it's also important to look at the ideologies around this concept as over time this has changed and developed. From the book letters to an American farmer, the whole land was new and you could be whoever you liked and at this point in time this was recognised as what you wanted to achieve, to be in the land of the 'new.'

However in today's society due to the slave trade and the inequality black people have faced it would seem that they would want to achieve being an influential and powerful representatives for your nation. So i believe that the ideas around America still being 'new' and 'exceptional' are still a clear vision for many, due to people becoming equal and being able to do and say as they please, which is represented through Barack Obama.

Christopher Columbus 'discovers' America

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/columbus.htm
This is the link to the website that holds an extract of Christopher Columbus's account of finding America.

This account/ diary explains more of what they think when they first arrive to the island and there initial expectations.

"Having landed, they saw trees very green, and much water, and fruits of diverse kinds. The Admiral called to the two captains, and to the others who leaped on shore, and to Rodrigo Escovedo, secretary of the whole fleet, and to Rodrigo Sanchez of Segovia, and said that they should bear faithful testimony that he, in presence of all, had taken, as he now took, possession of the said island for the King and for the Queen his Lords, making the declarations that are required, as is now largely set forth in the testimonies which were then made in writing."

I believe that this part of the extract is key in understanding why they were so keen on taking America as there own. The sight of fertile land, water, fruit (an almost tropical setting) would have very strong allusions to that of the Garden of Eden. Many devout Christians in Western Europe believed that the land and country was corrupt, so this asserts the belief that America was a second chance for the settlers to start a fresh new life of worship, free of Sin.

However, the mentality of ownership is extremely strong. That now they have found this Island, it is theirs for the taking and even wrote up documents stating that they would own or possess the 'said island.'

Such ownership was seen in the extract shown in the Exploration and Expectation lecture. More specifically, http://www.yoism.org/?q=node/60.

In this, ownership is raised again when it is said that the Natives found living upon the Island would make 'perfect slaves'. Of course, by today's standard, this is extremely barbaric, cruel and most definitely unchristian.

His findings obviously documented some curiosities about the land that they had come to find. They were obviously thrilled with the Land, which was indeed Adarmic in nature. However, they were also fascinated by the people that populated the Island.

"They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features"

It appears here that Columbus refers to the people that they find among the Island more like cattle or a commoditiy than actual human beings - which is very reflective of the time, but also indicates the intentions that he himself, and the people who have arranged the Voyage have.

A Map Of Virginia - 'Written by Captaine Smith, sometimes Governour of the Countrey'

Oringinally loading an account by a Captain of a ship that sailed to America, I couldn't ignore his, and many others continous references to a certain Captain John Smith. John Smith a highly publised character due to the famous Disney film, gives a very intriguing account on Virginia.
<http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/jamestown-browse?id=J1008>
His account starts with those that have passed then continues with words and sentances used by the Native Americans, thus proving that he did spend a great deal of time with them and almost showing respect for them as human beings rather than a curiosity unlike those reading his account 'Because many doe desire to knowe the maner of their language.'
Advancing further he goes on to explain what Virginia is like, he paints a picture of a bountiful land, indeed he suggests,
'Within is a country that may have the prerogative over the most pleasant places of Europe, Asia, Africa, or America. for large and pleasant navigable rivers: heaven and earth never agreed better to frame a place for means of habitation being of our constitutions, were it fully manured and inhabited by industrious people.'
John Smith seemingly fully embraces this new world, you almost imagine him to be standing in an open plain ' as God first made it' looking towards the mountains which are covered with snow in the winter 'as if art it selfe had devised them' with his feet submerged in the 'solie lusty and rich,' he is a portrait of heriocness, romanticising his surroundings therefore leading the audience to do the same, to imagine the garden of Eden an open Nivarna. His narrative focuses on the positives rather than to dwell on the negatives of drought or flood.
Continuing farther he adresses the bordering rivers and tribes, however what surprised me was he talks about the inhabitants, especially the men as being 'serviceable ' and 'able' thus already thinking of using the men, to introduce them as one society rather than the us and them. Futhermore how the inhabitants are so well adapted to their surroundings, how their voices are like 'echoes', their stance 'seemed the godliest man that ever we beheld.' He has chosen words that describe the Native Americans as a non threatening presence, indeed they are tall, with muscular physics, long hair, graceful strides and odd but beautiful trinkets, being 'Giants to the English' however are 'of an honest and simple disposition.' This New World offers plenty and variety throughout all seasons from fruit to birds to fish with land that is ripe for planting.
Towards the end we learn about how Captaine Smith has come to learn of the ways of the tribes, "they found Captaine Smith in the discoverie of the head of the river of Chickahamania, where they slew his men, and tooke him prisoner in a Bogmire; where he saw those exercises, and gathered these observations. " This does not seem as friendly of a picture he has painted to us before, thus in providing us with that small statement he again has kept his herioc stance, also now he knows everything about them they no longer are of a threat, however this does not seem a situation that could have have been avoided yet he is quick to leave the subject.
The last paragraphs gives us an insight into the objective of this narrative "I have purposely collected, to satisfie my friends of the true worth and qualitie of Virginia. He suggests that Virginia is a new beginning a land of opportunity, I found this account to be one of interest as this narrative allows you to identify with the land and the curiosities it beholds within.

"Nova Britania: Offering Most Excellent Fruites By Planting In Virginia"

http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/jamestown-browsemod?id=J1051

The account I chose to analyse is one by an early settler whom we know only as R.I. and was printed in 1609 as a pamphlet for investors in the Virginia Company, and is addressed to Sir Thomas Smith, treasurer of the Virginia Company.

The main weakness of this source is that we know very little of it's provenance; we do not even know the name of the person who wrote it, simply his initials, let alone whether he went to America or not and how much of his account is based on hearsay. However I chose it nonetheless because it is essentially trying to promote investment and settlement in America, much like De Bry's engravings.

N.B. The version of the text I chose was the modern spelling one, the original spelling is available on the site as well.

Much of the text talks about the history of settlement and discovery in America by the Christian Kingdoms of Europe,I cannot say in perfect honesty that I understand it, even in modern English.

These paragraphs however provides a good insight into Jamestown and the surrounding area:

"The country itself is large and great assuredly, though as yet, no exact discovery can be made of all. It is also commendable and hopeful every way, the air and climate most sweet and wholesome , much warmer then England, and very agreeable to our Natures: It is inhabited with wild and savage people, that live and lie up and down in troops like herd of Deer in a Forest : they have no law but nature, their skins of beasts, but most go naked: the better sort have houses, but poor ones, they have no Arts nor Science, yet they live under superior command such as it is, they are generally very loving and gentle, and do entertain and relieve our people with great kindness : they are easy to be brought to good, and would fain embrace a better condition: the land yields naturally for the sustentation of man, abundance of fish, both scale and shell: of land and water fowls , infinite store: of Deer , Kaine and Fallow, Stags , Coneys, and Hares, with many fruits and roots good for meat .

There are valleys and plains streaming with sweet Springs, like veins in a natural body : there are hills and mountains making a sensible proffer of hidden treasure, never yet searched: the land is full of minerals , plenty of woods (the wants of England) there are growing goodly Oaks and Elms , Beech and Birch, Spruce, Walnut, Cedar and Fir trees, in great abundance , the soil is strong and lusty of its own nature, and sends out naturally fruitful Vines running upon trees, and shrubs : it yields also Rosin, Turpentine, Pitch and Tar , Sassafras, Mulberry -trees and Silk-worms , many Skins and rich furs , many sweet woods , and Dyers woods , and other costly dyes: plenty of Sturgeon , Timber for Shipping, Mast, Plank and Deal , Soap ashes, Caviar , and what else we know not yet, because our days are young. But of this that I have said, if bare nature be so amiable in its naked kind, what may we hope, when Art and Nature both shall join , and strive together, to give best content to man and beast? as now in handling the several parts propounded, I shall show in order as they lie."

The two main points this extract tells us and the intended audience is A, the land's inhabitants are primitive and uncivilised, yet friendly and easy to control, and B, the land is very suitable for settlement and is full of wild animals and fishes to be eaten.

The latter's allure to a potential settler or investor is clear, this new world is plentiful in resources and will yield a good lifestyle/good profit for people who settle or invest there, in the second it further details the resources that are available as well as the untapped ones ("there are hills and mountains making a sensible proffer of hidden treasure, never yet searched"), all of which can be harvested and sold back in Europe for profit. Of course the account neglects to mention the close proximity of the settlement to a swamp and the fact that it is surrounded by woodland.

The former point also has a allure to settlers, which is that the native people are weak and therefore the likelihood of being driven out by them is unlikely, and, more to the point, when the area of settlement is full settling the lands of the natives via conquest will be easy. Indeed earlier in the account R.I. states:

"their (the Indians) strength and means far inferior to their aspires ... their best and chiefest residences were scattered with so poor and slender troups, that with handfuls of men (at sundry times) we ran through all, surprising and sacking their strongest forts and towns in those parts, and might long since with ease, following and seconding our forces, have set them to their stint."

It is clear therefore from this account that the interference of natives should prove to be no problem for the settlers, at least according to the account. The reality of course was different.

#will finish later#

Geographical Destiny.

I found this map quite interesting as it illustrated how the world would look if land distribution was arranged according to population. Although this isn’t a map of America,I felt it spoke volumes about the present attitude Americans have towards their nation. The fact that in this map America (along with 3 other countries) doesn’t move, echoes views dating back to Abraham Lincoln times. Views such as the United States is “God’s chosen nation...the last best hope on earth.” The map to an extent supports the image America has as a big power geographically suggesting it is a preordained nation almost, which fits in nicely with idealistic American views of their great country. While other countries are disorientated by the hypothetical geographical swaps, America’s role in the world seems steady, unmoved. Predestined.

America

The first image I chose is of a person with a placard with a caption about the American dream. Firstly because, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of America is the 'Great American Dream'. The fact that the person is faceless almost suggests that the message this person is trying to put across can easily be identified and related to by many Americans today. I found it quite interesting as well that at a time like this when America and their president stands for new hope and perseverance there are still some who beg to differ, and are not seeing this ever evolving America that we all see.

The second image I have chosen as the positive one is a classic American pin up poster. I'm not sure when or where the picture is from but it echoes so many characteristics that creep into my head when I think or hear about America. It has got aspects of firstly Glamour, hard work, an optimistic almost arrogant confidence in the many things they can do for you. "We can fix anything, any make, any model, foreign or domestic". It reinstates that image of America as a land of opportunities for anyone and everybody.
I also thought the use of the colours of the US flag silently screamed that little bit of American patriotism.

An Americans account.

I have chosen a first-hand account from Captain Anthony Chester and other passengers who participated in the expedition, to Jamestown in 1620.

They first detail their voyage and contact with two Spanish ships but then explain a massacre by the Indians to the new English settlers.

I choose this extract as i found it interesting as we are too believe that the Americans created an almost 'holocaust' to the native Americans, however this details their fear of attack. This could mean either the Native Americans were just as bad as the new settlers in causing conflict, or that the English had been disrupting their way of life and initiated a retaliation from the Natives, and then tried to portray them badly.

'At the time of this massacre a party of Indians embarked in four boats for
Jamestown, with the intention of attacking and murdering the English in this
town.'

From their use of words such as 'massacre', 'attacking' and 'murdering' we do feel sympathy for the English as we perceive them to be the victims in this conflict. It also sounds that they may have been or just felt outnumbered by the Indians, due to the expression of 'party' of Indians. However earlier in the account it explains that Mr.Thorpe had been trying to convert them into being Christians. This can lead us to believe that as they tried to change their way of life, and have already taken over some of their land, that they would of actually deserved a 'massacre' to some respects.

It also says that many of the Indians were in 'employment' to the new settlers, however it is unclear on whether this was forced or if they willingly wanted to.

'When the boats bearing the savages hove in sight, but as soon as we opened fire
upon them with our muskets they retreated in a cowardly manner.'

This quote was interesting and very contradictory towards the English. Again they call the Indians 'savages' so that they can be seen as victims and they are seen as almost not human. However earlier they account they were scared by them - so they where then the cowards as they didn't make a plan or fight back and just scared away - but as soon as they arrive they begin shooting at them, even though there is not indication that the Indians were attacking them. The English seem more cowardly as the Indians weaponry wasn't as powerful, but at this time they may not now what the Indians want and rather than talking they decide killing them is a better solution.

'When the occurrence of this massacre became known in the mother country, the
English were ordered to take revenge by destroying with fire and sword
everything of the Indians.'

This last quote again is quite amusing, i find it interesting that they were 'ordered' to destroy and presumably kill the Indians for revenge. However by researching into this further Jamestown was not attacked due to an early warning of what had happened in the colony of Virginia. The Indians are said to have torched the houses of many Englishmen in Virginia and killed half the population, although by the English doing exactly the same to the Indians seems weak and cowardly.

Anti-America: A Blog

This is a user generated Blog (created on this site) about America. http://bens-blogg.blogspot.com/. The title is 'Bens Anti-American Blog' and it is produced by somebody from Finland. The blog is a mixture of images and textual blog posts, all offering what is a negative viewpoint of what it means to be an American and what American's are capable of.
The images show negative actions committed by the Army, for example, the degrading treatment of Iraqi prisoners photographed by Lynddie England and Charles Graner. Obviously, this is extremely negative and would be deemed a disgrace by almost anybody who see's them. However, there is an innate problem with using such images to categorise America as 'evil' or 'bad'. To judge an entire nation over the actions of the minority is an extreme over generalisation and can be considered discrimintory.
The blog also tends to be negatively bias, concentrating on all the bad parts of a very vast and diverse nation. Something which would not offer a true reflection of the United States and the people that live there. The negatively bias nature of the blog because evermore obvious to me, with this particular post:

"Thursday, January 08, 2009: A note to SA
A friendly note to my reader SA. Could you perhaps write your comments in English and not Hungarian so that also our non educated Americans could understand what you write."

This statement indicates more of a hatred of everything American that would almost defintely cloud the judgement and reliablity of the blog that is being produced. How can you deem something credible if arguements are unsupported and comments such as the aforementioned are used as a defensive and offence mechanism.
However, there are some positive elements to this blog. It's judgement can be considered more refined that most views of America as the points of view and the posts offered are not affected by the more positive images given to us in the Media. For example, television programmes such as Glee, where everyone is seen to be given an equal oppotunity. The creator of the blog also appears to be aware of the 'falsely obvious', this is in relation to the extract taken from the blog below:

"Tuesday, November 25, 2008: Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving will be celebrated this week in the USA. Thanksgiving is the feast when the Americans remember the biggest genocide in world history, when the sinister Americans brutally killed 8 million native Americans."

I choose a website which is published by a man named Vexen Crabtree who specialises in sociology, psychology and religion and his website aims to 'force humanity onwards'.

His article about 'why people hate America - a summary of anti-Americanism' was extremely interesting as he explored many different aspects of why and who hates America and tries to give examples and evidence to support their views. It's sectioned off to who hates America, Invalid criticism of America, why do people hate America and the results of these feelings. This allows him to build up an argument and offer different points to the evidence shown. I also believed it to be a valid source as he did use other books to show evidence, which means they aren't all his feelings of that matter, so it shouldn't be too bias in either way.

His view point on American police force is interesting, as he explains that he does understand that the American government is prone to corruption, although it is a universal problem and the blame can't be but on America alone. There is a statement from the BBC news in 2002 saying 'opinion polls show that half the German population is openly critical of US leadership for a number of reasons; it's failures to consult it's allies as promised, it's refusal to sign up to joint action against global warming and it's protectionist stance on trade issues such as steel and agriculture.' It also goes onto say that many Muslim and Arabic nations hate America due to the bombing, suppressive attitudes and the restriction on financial, commercial and political. These points are all valid as we all know and understand what America is 'trying' to achieve in Iran, Iraq and other countries.

The website below continues to give different view points on why people may hate America for instants, their power over less developed countries, success and jealousy.

I think some of the statements may be influenced by him being American, however he does give two sides to the argument which does allow for debate and discussion over the given information.

http://www.vexen.co.uk/USA/hate

GDP comparison

This image is fasinating when you first look at it, as the artist of the map tries to manipulate us to believe that some states in American have the same GDP as some third world countries. This means automatically we assume that America may not be the rich nation we know. Oregon is estimated to have the same GDP as Israel as $219,400. Although this may seem shocking, you then have to take into account the population of the state and the country compared too. The population of Oregon is 3,825,657 where as Israel's population is 7,441,700 which is nearly double the amount. This demonstrates that although they have the same GDP, Oregon is actually much richer due to the less populated area.

This is similar to the comparison of Wyoming and Uzbekistan. They are said to have the same GDP, however again the artist has not taken on board the differences in population. Wyoming only has around 544,270 people where as Uzbekistanhas nearly 27,000 more people, which again means that Wyoming is a much richer state, even though they do have the same GDP.

This is why i found this map very interesting, as at first look i and others were astonished to think what we presummed to be a rich nation, that actually some states could be considered as less developed or even 'poor'. However after researching into it, you discover that the artist has manipulated the audience into believing something that isn't actually true.

Above shows a map of a map of random revelation also known as auto-complete on Google. The principle of the map is to type in one of the States of America and see what the most popular phrase linked to that State is.

One immediate obvious observation is that sports fans dominate the US of autocomplete, shown by the blue States. The red states refer to semi-eponymous newspapers. The rest however are divided, such as the State of Kentucky which relates to the popular food chain that bears it's name or Maine which results cheifly as a holiday destination.

I chose this map as it gives an insight into an American's life in that specific State and what that individual State is popular for. It is a clever piece of statistics and offers a fascinating insight into the mind of the 'Great Online Public.'

Week 3: Americans on the move.....

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/10/us/20090310-immigration-explorer.html

This is an interactive map which shows the patterns/distributions of the American population.
What patterns of change can you identify?
Why do people move and migrate? Why are Americans so mobile?
Are they same reasons for each period of history?
Are the patterns the same for each ethnic group?
Is there evidence that environmental factors" are influential? - eg the Population patterns of the Great Plains?
Plenty of questions but, remember, the simple approach - Where? And, why there?
Good wishes,
John

American Map 2. Electric Boogaloo

This map help shows the diversity within American States and how their problems and negative aspects vary, some of them are quite serious, like Louisiana having the highest rate of gonorrhoea, whilst others are less serious, such as South Carolina having the most number of mobile homes. Often foreigners tend to tar the United States as a whole with the same problems but they forget that because it is so vast there are many regional differences. the problem with this map is that whilst it may be true that a particular state is the worst in one area it might be neglecting a far worse quality it has, for instance having the 'Highest Air Pollution' cannot possible be the worst thing about California.

American Map. Territorial Claims Of The Thirteen Colonies

I chose this map of the USA because it is not only interesting but it also demonstrates two things which drove early America. The first and more obvious one is the idea that the early American settlers want to expand westwards until they reach the pacific ocean, and in the process of doing so civilize and harvest the land for it's resources. You can see this clearly from the fact that most of the colonies land claims go much farther westwards than their modern borders do, the most interesting example being Massachusetts which claims a large part of modern Illinois as part of it territory! Other maps even disregard French Louisiana (which at this point in time was barley even settled compared to the British colonies) and just chart the colonies as stretching across the (then uncharted) American continent to the Pacific ocean, how far that was they didn't know.

This then leads on to the second driving force behind early America, independence; for one of the main driving forces for independence from Great Britain especially in Virginia was the fact that the British Government (perhaps not unreasonably) forbade any further westward expansion beyond the Appalachian mountains because it would risk war with the French and Indians, which due to the wish to expand westwards as explained in the previous point got the Americans rather miffed.

The Death Penalty - What it says about America through maps.

This map of the United States indicates which state uses what form of capital punishment, if at all. This map shows us which state uses which form of death penalty, for example, Arizona uses death by gas chamber and lethal injection. The states filled in with grey are states which do not use death penalty. The reasons why a state would opt out of the use of death penalty are usually based on moral, practical and religious grounds. Along with this, the argument that the death penalty can be considered unconstitutional seems to prevent states that have abolished the death penalty for it repealed. The states with no capital punishment also notice a lower homicide rate. Which also questions the relevance of the death penalty in modern day US.

It is not only clear that the states are divided in the view of Capital Punishment but an interesting correlation begins to unfold. For the most part, the states where the death penalty is abolished are also Democrats. Perhaps showing that the views on such matters of capital punishment find their bearings politically.

The map below also shows the numbers of how many people have been executed, per state, since 1976. In 1972, the death penalty was suspended, due to the case Furman v Georgia. In the map below, you can see even more clearly (due to it's more in depth nature) the states who carry out he most. Unshockingly, Texas is the state who have carried out the most executions since 1976 (the number lying at around 471) and if looked at in terms of the Nine Nations, more than just per state, Dixieland/The Bible Belt have seen a total of 858 executions since 1976. This could be to do with the strong ethics and morals which find themselves engrossed in Republican and Fundamental Christian ideologies.