1. To Unite the Filipino under one flag

2. To Free the Philippines from the colonial oppresors

The governing body of the Katipunan was divided into three main groups. The Sangguniang Barangay Council was the lowest body of the Katipunan. The Sangguniang Bayan was the Provincial or City Council. The Kataastaasang Sanggunian or the Supreme Council ws the highest body of authority.

 The different flags of the Katipunan(Photo courtesy of  Filipino.ca)

The judicial body of the Katipunan was the Sangguniang Hukuman or Judicial Council. There  are also different levels of membership in the Katipunan. These leves were given passwords when entering secret meetings and gatherings to protect themselfs. The following are the levels: Katipon or Associate(Anak ng Bayan), Kawal or Soldier(Gom-Bur-Za), Bayani or Patriot (Jose Rizal).

The Magdalo which is Aguinaldo’s group and the Magdiwang which is Bonifacio’s, became allies to form a united resistance. 

The Kalayaan was an important organ of the Katipunan. It is the body’s newspaper. Members of the Katipunan worked at the Diaryo de Manila and stole printing equipment in order to produce copies of the Kalayaan.

Condition of African Americans Before and After the Civil War

Throughout much of the history of the United States, African Americans faced much hardship and unfair treatment. To escape these hardships, many slaves often ran away to the North or even to Canada using various methods, one of them being the Underground Railroad.  Some of the hardships include being enslaved, harassed, and abused. The nation was divided over many issues, one of them being slavery. The American Civil War was started for various reasons, and one of them included righting the wrongs done to the African American society. After the Union won the Civil War and slavery was abolished, African Americans enjoyed more liberties. However, the price of their new freedom came at the cost of new problems, which might make them worse off than before.

Before observing the conditions of African Americans after the Civil war, one should identify the causes of the war and the conditions of the African Americans before the Civil War. According to Adams,  “Past generations have cited the incompatibility of the southern and northern economic worldviews, incompetent and blundering policy makers, the breakdown of the Democratic-Whig party system, and the moral debate over slavery as the critical variable to explain secession and, perhaps more important, the long bloody war that followed.” The war resulted in the freeing of the enslaved in the South, causing the numbers of unemployment to increase greatly, and also destroying the South’s pre-modern agrarian mentality (Egnal). As a result, the North’s style of economy, American Capitalism, settled into the South. However, the South’s economy was still recovering from the war, and large numbers of African Americans moved out to search for work.

One of the most common ways of escaping from the hardships of slavery for African Americans was through the Underground Railroad. This rail consisted of “Conductors” and safe houses. The conductors would take in the runaway slaves and lead them on to the next safe house, where the runaways would continue their journey through the Underground Railroad to freedom. Many leaders, such as Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman, who were all former slaves, led many across state lines to freedom (Vacca). Even though the slaves were escaped to the Free states, they were not always safe. If they were demanded to be returned to their master, the Northern state would be forced to return them. Because of this Fugitive Slave Act, the slaves would sometimes continue all the way into Canada, and there they would finally be safe.

The most noticeable problem after the Civil War was the fact that the former slaves were now free, but still no longer equal. This was clearly seen through the state laws that placed heavy strains on the African American community. To combat this, several groups for the advancement of Black Rights were created, but discrimination persisted and caused many losses of opportunity for them, such as good education and well paying jobs. Even though there were many obstacles, several pursued their dreams and eventually got what they wanted, like owning a good business or getting a college education.

Segregation was also a major problem that began before the Civil War, but worsened once the war had ended.  As the African Americans moved in search of a new life, they would obviously be confronted by the White community there. Life was easier to live in some communities than in others for the freed slaves. A major part of the Black-White relations had to do with the situation within the communities, which was determined by geography and culture (Bigham). The existence of slavery and practice of paternalism, which is the practice of those in authority restricting the freedoms of their subordinates, in a certain area also determined such relations. Even though African Americans were now free, segregation and Jim Crow laws showed that they were not truly free or equal in the eyes of the people. Because of these laws, African Americans often had to go to separate schools, use separate busses, drink from separate fountains, and do many other things differently from the white community. Literacy tests and poll taxes were another issue that arrived in the Reconstruction era and prevented African Americans from voting freely. The poll tax continued on for African Americans until the 24th amendment was ratified in 1964, which stopped the use of poll taxes. Literacy tests were ceased in 1965 after the Voting Rights act was passed.

One last major problem that occurred for African Americans after the Civil War was the increased hate crimes and violence committed against them. Hostility in the South was far greater than in the North since many white supremacists still resided in the south and committed many of the violent acts against African Americans. The North, being tempered by many abolitionist thoughts and ideals, were often reserved in their actions. Although there were many reason for violence, one of the most common reasons was to preserve the status quo of White domination over the Blacks. While they were enslaved, African Americans were treated well by their masters because they were considered valuable. After they were freed, however, several White racist groups no longer had a reason to refrain from acting violently against them. Several of these organizations were formed, such as the Klu Klux Klan, and committed acts of murder, kidnapping, torture, and terrorism against African Americans. Many people also acted violently because of the fear they had for their own wellbeing. Due such a large population of jobless African Americans after the Civil War, large masses of them moved out in search for jobs. Many whites feared the loss of their own jobs to the now free African Americans and retaliated with violence and threats.

It can be concluded that the status of the African Americans were both improved and worsened after the Civil War. Some things, like being free from slavery and having the opportunity to have a new life and become educated were part of the good that came out of the Civil War. However, many problems that did not previously exist also came to be due to the changes both politically and socially. Even though they were considered equal to white men, African Americans were still discriminated against though segregation, abuse, and strong violence. Many of their hardships occurred because of a series of events that were probably not thought through, such as the Civil War ruining the South’s economy and sending masses of unemployed African Americans all over the nation. Because of the fear of losing jobs to the freed slaves, many white Americans retaliated out of fear and used methods of violence, hate speech, and other similar things to try to drive the blacks away, or to prove their supremacy over the African Americans. Despite these hardships, the African American community continued to thrive and grow by forming strong groups that would eventually bring them true equality.

Works Cited

 Adams, Sean Patrick. “Clash of Extremes: The Economic Origins of the Civil War.” Journal of Southern History 76.2 (2010): 448+. US History Collection

Bigham, Darrel E. On Jordan’s Banks: Emancipation and Its Aftermath in the Ohio River Valley. Lexington: The University Press of Kentucky, 2006. Print. 

Boyer, Paul S., Clark, Clifford E. Jr., and Kett, Joseph F. The Enduring Vision, A History Of The American People. Houghton Mifflin College Div, 2004

Boyer, Paul. Holt American Nation. Holt Rinehart & Winston, 2001

Egnal, Marc. Clash of Extremes: The Economic Origins of the Civil War. New York: Hill and Wing, 2009. Print. 

 Faverty, Brenda. “Bigham, Darrel E.: On Jordan’s Banks: Emancipation and Its Aftermath in the Ohio River Valley. “History: Review of New Books Winter 2006: 39+. US History Collection

Vacca, Carolyn S. “emancipating New York: The politics of Slavery and Freedom 1777-1827.” Afro-Americans in New York Life and History 32.1 (2008) P127+ US History Collection

The working conditions of slaves, in most cases, were harsh, physically demanding and unfair. Slaves were forced to do prolonged hours of work, both physically and mentally demanding. If you were a field worker, your work went all day with little rest, and then on into the evening and if you were a domestic slave, you were required to start work from dawn, up until everyone had  gone to bed, usually around 9 o’clock in the night. Delia Garlic states, in her recollections of slave life, that her work in the house of her master was, although not physically exhausting, difficult and unfairly punished. For example, in her memoir, Delia Garlic refers to a time when the baby she was supervising ‘hurt its l’il hand and commenced to cry’ for which Garlic was branded with a hot iron, even though it was not her fault that the baby was crying. On the other hand, in Source A, Sir Charles Lyell states that the slaves’ work was simple, easy and short. He explains that the work done by slaves in the field could be done in five hours, but is instead done in eight, and although he does not say so, this is probably because of the lack of a nutritional diet. In source C, Booker T. Washington, an ex-slave describes the work as highly time consuming as well as physically and mentally draining. In his autobiography, Washington states that his mother did not have time to prepare food for and feed the children all day because of her work, so she had to wake them up in the midnight in order to feed them. The underlying message of these sources in relation to working conditions is that work hours were long and the work was both physically and mentally exhausting. 

For slaves, living conditions were often rudimentary and in some cases brutal. More often than not slaves suffered from malnutrition, had no education and had little to no medical care. In Source B it is highlighted that the slaves slept on beds of moss and used filthy blankets, often with two families in the one small hut in contrast to their masters with lavish estates. The slaves of Colonial America received only meagre scraps of food and often received limited amounts of clean drinking water. In source C, Booker T. Washington describes his meals as “…a piece of bread here and a scrap of meat there.” As a result of this many became sick and were sent to the plantation hospital, which was distinct due to the melancholy howls of pain and suffering which echoed around the plantations surrounds. The medical care was basic and the slaves were frequently neglected and misdiagnosed, leading to many deaths. Kemble makes this point clear: “…Here lay women expecting every hour the terrors and agonies of childbirth…Here lay some burning with fever, others chilled with cold and aching from rheumatism, upon the hard cold ground, the drafts and dampness of the air increasing their sufferings, and dirt, noise and smell…” The living conditions which the slaves endured were barbaric and haunting, belittling them to a point of no return.

Family life played a minor part in the experience of a slave. From the time they were captured, the majority of slaves were disconnected from their families and children were taken from their mothers and sold. Delia Garlic, a former slave, said: “I never seed [saw] none of my brothers and sisters ‘cept brother William. Him and my mother and me was brought… den we was… sold to the highest bidder. I never seed my brother William again.” Caused by the extensive hours of required work, families who were kept together spent little time with each other. Mothers especially spent little time with their children and as a child reached the age of 12, they were forced to work like any other slave and were not given time with their family. Families captured would be separated when they were individually resold to a different master. Family life was a trivial aspect of a slave’s experience. The insight that the sources provide on the experience of slave’s family life, further supports that the ordeal undertaken by the Africans was overwhelmingly arduous and emotionally intolerable.

Judging by the sources provided, the time for leisure and recreational activity afforded to slaves in colonial America varied drastically between plantations, but was, in many cases, lacking and basic. The strenuous and lengthy working day of most slaves left them little spare time, and even this was often spent caring for children or attending to other necessities. This is highlighted in Source C, where Booker Washington recounts her mother’s duties as a slave as leaving her “ . . . little time . . . during the day. She snatched a few moments for our care in the early morning before her work began, and at night after the day’s work was done”. This experience, however, was not universal. In Source A, Charles Lyell invokes a vastly different picture of the leisure and recreation time enjoyed by slaves in his description of the Hopeton plantation: “When willing to work hard . . . (the slaves) get through the day’s task in five hours, and then amuse themselves in fishing and sell the fish they take . . . or make canoes, which they can sell”. Lyell’s account also cites chatting, merry‐making, preaching and psalm‐singing as regular pastimes of the slaves. It is clear from sources A and C that while some slaves enjoyed many hours of free time in which to fish, build canoes and engage in social and religious activity, many others were granted very little access to leisure time and recreation, with the vast majority of their waking hours spent on labour duties and daily necessities.

The evidence provided by those who lived through the experience of slavery clearly indicates the intolerable nature of this institution. While many ‘benevolent’ plantation owners saw themselves as providing their slaves with a better existence this view was driven by a mindset which saw black people as having needs and expectations different to those of white people. The bottom line for slaves, however, was that they were not free to control these most basic parameters of their lives.

Recently, I have noticed that the Confederate Flag has had an increase in popularity, especially among young adults in both the digital and physical communities.  I have seen it on numerous Facebook profiles, as well as bumper stickers, as curtains in windows and decorations on walls.  I acknowledge that in the South, the flag continues to be a symbol of southern pride.  I acknowledge that some who display the flag do not view it as a racist symbol and will argue for its other meanings.  However, I still have to insist that a symbol that has been embraced in such a universal way by the racist community will always be tainted by this interpretation. 

Before making this statement in print, I decided to research the flag, its history and its meaning.  I found that it was one of five flags that represented the Confederate army during the Civil War (see www.confederatewave.org).  It became known as “the Rebel Flag”, a symbol of the rebellion against the agenda of the U.S. Government at the time.  Many considered (and still consider) the flag to be a symbol of a revolution.  As many know, the Civil War was about more than slavery.  It was about states keeping the right to have their own power, above and beyond that of the federal system.  It was not completely without basis and I can understand and acknowledge that.  Yet, there is a clear association between the Confederate flag and racism.  It is a fact that is difficult to deny, no matter how much pride one wishes to have in their heritage, their geographic affiliation, or their political desires.  It has become a symbol adopted by the KKK, the backyard racist, and almost all white supremacy groups.  It is flown and displayed with a clear message, one that is not just recognized in the United States, but internationally.  No matter what the original intent, the Confederate flag is a symbol of racism and hatred .

A similar fate fell upon the swastika, which for more than 3000 years was a symbol of peace (history1900s.about.com/cs/swastika/a/swastikahistory.htm).  After the Holocaust, some attempts were made to create an awareness of the “good” history behind Hitler’s symbol.  However, the swastika continues to cause a great deal of negative emotion and has expanded beyond anti-semitism to also represent racism and bigotry in all of its shapes and forms. 

The point?  The Confederate flag is a racist symbol.  It will cause discomfort in those who have been affected by racism, or who oppose oppression and inequality.  It will cause conflict and discord and to have pride in such a symbol, one should realize that they represent what it is interpreted to be.  It saddens me to see that some still find it acceptable, in the north as well as the south, to display a symbol that expresses the belief that any human beings should be valued less based solely on their heritage.  It is my hope that as people become educated, they see this.  It is my hope that the recent popularity of this symbol can be attributed primarily to ignorance (a condition that can be corrected) rather than intent. 

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Just lately I have noticed as I wander around the creative grounds of Triond Hall, something missing – Stop wait a minute – now come on, as an opening line that is a classic… No? – Heathens.

Anyway back to the point of this mess I call an article.

I have noticed that there seem to be very few articles about Barack Obama. Surely a black President would attract an article or two. What about his name? – Now that is not is not an American name is it? – He must be a Muslim or something. If he is a Muslim – now I would not make a statement like that, But if he was a Muslim – he would go easy on other Muslims – because we all know that if you are a Muslim, then you are also a terrorist – right?

If he is a Muslim, with a funny name, different skin colour to a Klan member – He is not American then, his birth certificate must be fake – should he even be the President.

Is Ozzie Bin Laden really dead? – Give Obama a greying beard and he looks a little similar – Hmmmmmm. Also have you noticed that Ozzie and Obama have not been seen together in the same room – THE SHOCK!! – Ozzie faked his own death, to assume the identity of Barack Obama. LORDY, the Anti-Christ is in the White House.

Seriously though – there are far too many crap articles claiming to be revelations about Barack Obama – He is Black, Gay, Muslim, Anti Christ or Un-American, does anyone even read this shit.

I wrote the above article to be as ridiculous as possible, scary thing is though – some of the Obama articles are more unbelievable than the one that I wrote.

So there we go, I have lost my Obama article virginity. I don’t feel any different and I think it was a little over rated

MATESGATE

ALL YOUR LINKS

For one, they both are rabidly intolerant of certain groups of people. The KKK doesn’t like minorities. Westboro doesn’t like the LGBT community.

And, secondly, both groups turned up on Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery. Westboro was there to protest the proceedings, while the KKK showed up to protest… Westboro.

“Imperial Wizard” and founder of the KKK group the Knights of the Southern Cross Dennis LaBonte was upset that Westboro was choosing to protest military funerals. “It’s the soldier that fought and died and gave them that right to free speech,” LaBonte told CNN.

Westboro’s response? A classic “pot calling the kettle black” statement that the KKK group had no “moral authority” whatsoever.

A group of 70 counter-protestors against Westboro was also present at Arlington. The counter-protestors were separate from the KKK group, according to CNN.

Westboro had earlier won a Supreme Court case that allowed them to carry out their protests during military funerals. They won this right based on the principles of free speech, and that their speech was a matter of public concern on public property that was conducted peacefully.

Unfortunately, as morally repulsive as it may seem for many who believe that families of soldiers killed in war should be able to bury their loved ones in peace, Westboro’s actions are constitutionally protected.

Westboro’s actions will probably continue. A small church of about 100, many of the church’s members are related to one man, Fred Phelps. And, 11 out of Phelp’s 13 children have law degrees. Most likely, all are very well-versed on the right to free speech.

So, who knows – maybe the KKK and Westboro will meet again to protest each other’s protest.

      I agree that leaders are an important part of trying to make a movement. They need to lead a crowd and pump them up so that they fulfill what they are trying to achieve. Some leaders made a huge difference in the Civil Rights Era that probably wouldn’t have been accomplished without them. A leader needs to have bold characteristics that make them stand out and make them able to lead a crowd.

     Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most know leaders of the Civil Rights Era. He is known for giving his “I Have a Dream” speech in front of a crowd in Washington. This speech caused other people to realize what he was saying and join in on protests to fight what they were fighting for. Another leader was Malcolm X who was in an Islamic group that used violence if needed unlike MLK who didn’t use violence under any circumstances. Malcolm X was very fond of using lynching as a way of getting what he wanted from people. If they messed with him, he would mess with them back. One flaw in his method of leading was that when his group didn’t agree with him at one point, they shot him down. Those two groups of people had a leader to rely on and give them orders in order to achieve their goals

     The things that make up a leader are very important. A leader must be able to speak out in a crowd without hesitation and be able to argue an opinion. Another thing that a leader must have is organization skills because an unorganized group usually doesn’t end up well in most cases. One of the last things a leader must have is sportsmanship for his or her people because the people need a good pat on the back once in awhile. Leaders should always try getting the crowd on their good side in order for those people to believe in what they are saying.

     Leaders are an important part of the Civil Rights Era. They must have the confidence and courage to lead a crowd to victory. They also must not be afraid to speak up for themselves and try making a difference. People like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X are two key Civil Rights leaders that lead their groups of people into fighting for their freedom or rights.

While he was avoiding all leadership responsibility and any work in the American interest (as usual) on a recent junket to Brazil he signed an executive order to “loan” $2 billion of our money to a Brazilian company to drill for offshore oil all of which is contracted to be delivered to China. The largest shareholder in this company is the Rothschild stooge, George Soros, who bundled most of the illegal offshore contributions that bought the 08 election for The Suit.

Flying home from Brazil on our dime, he stopped in El Salvador to say he was going to push an amnesty for illegal aliens (including Salvadoran MS-13 gang bangers.) My next websites will be ImpeachtheSonofaBitch.com, ImpeachPAC.com and TreasonPAC.com.

Stay tuned. Help Boot the Suit.

Before anybody accuses me of racism, let me mention a few things. As I said many times after the Billion Dollar 2008 Election, I did not have a problem with a black president per se. I just would have preferred Bill Cosby or one of the many unsung heroes who have worked so hard to

help lift the black underclass out of their degradation and victimhood and move them off the plantation. Speaking of Plantations/Life in the Big City, read my capsule version of my multi-year campaign to rebuild America’s inner cities and create thriving local economies with locally owned housing plants and satellite businesses: Urban Redevelopment Background

There is probably more deep-set, hardcore racism in The Suit, Mrs. Suit, the Attorney General, the Suit Supervisor (Valerie Jarrett), the Spiritual Advisor to the Suit (Rev. J. Wrong) and the whole damn gang than there is in all the remaining 213 members of the KKK. Boot the Suit.

JDK

James D. Kirk, Jr., President

Society for American Industry/The SAI Group

P.O. Box 3801

Oak Brook, IL 3002-3801 

630-627-7922             Fax 630-463-5279

info@SocietyforAmericanIndustry.org