NationStates Jolt Archive


Low Points in American History

Wilgrove
25-05-2007, 05:49
What do you guys think was the lowest point(s) in American History? Also to prevent this from becoming another Bush-Bash fest (we have enough of those), American History will go from 1600s to 2000. So what do you guys think was the lowest point in American History? For me it would have to be the following.

1. Salem Witch Trials. One of the reason we came here is for religious freedom, and what did we do, we burn witches, great.

2. Slavery: Freedom for all...well...some....

3. Jim Crow Laws: Well you blacks are free....well...not really....

That's pretty much it for my list.
Siriusa
25-05-2007, 05:53
The Civil War is pretty low.
CoallitionOfTheWilling
25-05-2007, 05:54
Vietnam war protests.
When the federalists created laws banning criticism of the federal government.
Troglobites
25-05-2007, 05:55
The Trail of Tears (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_of_tears) and the Massacre of wounded knee (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wounded_Knee_Massacre)...

Pretty much whatever happened to the american indians:(
IL Ruffino
25-05-2007, 05:55
Prohibition.
Siriusa
25-05-2007, 05:57
The Great Depression

Why hasn't anyone said that yet?
Mikesburg
25-05-2007, 05:57
The American Revolution.

Come back to Mother Monarchy...
Wilgrove
25-05-2007, 05:59
The American Revolution.

Come back to Mother Monarchy...

Never!
Deus Malum
25-05-2007, 05:59
Prohibition.

It figures :p
Andaras Prime
25-05-2007, 06:01
Well to have a low point you need a high or moderate point correct? I see no such times.
Mikesburg
25-05-2007, 06:01
Never!

Awww... Come on! Pleeeeaaaaaassssseee!?
Deus Malum
25-05-2007, 06:02
Well to have a low point you need a high or moderate point correct? I see no such times.

This from an Australian.
Sarkhaan
25-05-2007, 06:04
slavery, trail of tears, witch trials (salem and otherwise), civil war, Spanish American war, Vietnam, Korea, Cold War, lack of universal civil rights (continues today), great depression, Hawai'ian overthrow and annexation, the movie Gigli, Japanese internment in WWII, lynchings, McCarthy/Red Scare...


oh, and puritains came here so they could practice their religion without antagonism. It had little to do with religious freedom or tolerance of other religions (hence why we have Connecticut and Rhode Island, and not just Massachusetts)
Troglobites
25-05-2007, 06:06
This from an Australian.

Wouldn't he count the Australian fad of the early ninties a high point?

But we drop it like everything else:D
Andaras Prime
25-05-2007, 06:06
This from an Australian.

joking, i know we are all convicts
Siriusa
25-05-2007, 06:07
Star Wars Episode I
CoallitionOfTheWilling
25-05-2007, 06:08
Star Wars Episode I

Pfft, Ewoks were worse.
Neo Art
25-05-2007, 06:09
I really don't know if it's historically accurate to call the witch trials a part of american history, given that they were british colonies at the time...
Wilgrove
25-05-2007, 06:09
I really don't know if it's historically accurate to call the witch trials a part of american history, given that they were british colonies at the time...

Eh if you learn it in American History class, it's a part of our History. :p
Siriusa
25-05-2007, 06:10
Pfft, Ewoks were worse.

Jar-Jar was 1,000,000 times worse than the Ewoks
Sarkhaan
25-05-2007, 06:11
I really don't know if it's historically accurate to call the witch trials a part of american history, given that they were british colonies at the time...

He said back to the 1600's. Salem was 1692. Prior to that, Hartford hanged the most witches, starting nearly at its founding and continuing well into the 1700's (as did all of New England...and most of Europe and the Mid Atlantic.)

Just because it was before 1776 doesn't mean it isn't part of our history.
New Stalinberg
25-05-2007, 06:13
We have no low points.

We are a perfect nation and always will be.

You hear me? ALWAYS!
Thumbless Pete Crabbe
25-05-2007, 06:13
Civil War is the obvious one. All our other wars combined haven't killed as many as the Civil War, and it created all kind of resentment that made for continued violence for years.
Sarkhaan
25-05-2007, 06:14
We have no low points.

We are a perfect nation and always will be.

You hear me? ALWAYS!

*pats on head*


*leads back to nice padded cell*:)
Sarkhaan
25-05-2007, 06:15
Civil War is the obvious one. All our other wars combined haven't killed as many as the Civil War, and it created all kind of resentment that made for continued violence for years.

to be fair, the civil war didn't create the resentment (which, at least in my opinion, continues to some extent today) but was the most extreme product of it.
Thumbless Pete Crabbe
25-05-2007, 06:15
We have no low points.

We are a perfect nation and always will be.

You hear me? ALWAYS!

Aren't you forgetting something? There was that one incident..

That's right, the Teapot Dome Scandal! :eek: It haunts us always.
New Stalinberg
25-05-2007, 06:16
*pats on head*


*leads back to nice padded cell*:)

Oooh! It smells like clean happy chemicals!

Uh, what are you doing with that needle?
Sarkhaan
25-05-2007, 06:17
Oooh! It smells like clean happy chemicals!

Uh, what are you doing with that needle?

nuffin :)


*whistles innocently*



*jabs*


shh...just sleep...just sleep.
Andaras Prime
25-05-2007, 06:19
Tonkin Gulf/WMD's
GeneralDontLikeMe
25-05-2007, 06:32
The nigh-complete annihilation of the indiginous people.
Demented Hamsters
25-05-2007, 06:42
Steven Seagal.
Terrorist Cakes
25-05-2007, 06:43
'Nam.
Das Viertel Reich
25-05-2007, 06:44
Prohibition is up there. The American Civil War is definitely on the list as well. Some of the events during the black rights movement are pretty shameful. I'm somewhat surprised no one has said anything about the use of nuclear weapons on Nagasaki and Hiroshima (not that I agree with that.)
Oh and, as far as I recall, first post here :D
Sarkhaan
25-05-2007, 06:47
Oh and, as far as I recall, first post here :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v306/zbronto/040207-myjob.gif
IL Ruffino
25-05-2007, 07:10
hanged

.. you're really an English major?

I fear for your liver. :(
Sarkhaan
25-05-2007, 07:15
.. you're really an English major?

I fear for your liver. :(

...people are hanged, objects are hung. Unless you are talking about a guys junk, in which case, he might, in fact, be both hung and hanged.
Delator
25-05-2007, 07:16
Pretty much all Federal, State, and Local policies towards Native Americans up until recently.

The internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.
Dosuun
25-05-2007, 07:20
One huge low point that a lot of people don't know about were the Japanese internment camps set up in '42. They may not have sent people on death marches but they weren't treated great and the US government had no right to do what it did to those civilians. Just 1 step away from becoming the enemy.
IL Ruffino
25-05-2007, 07:20
...people are hanged, objects are hung. Unless you are talking about a guys junk, in which case, he might, in fact, be both hung and hanged.

.. my english teacher is a fucking whore..
The Parkus Empire
25-05-2007, 07:21
What do you guys think was the lowest point(s) in American History? Also to prevent this from becoming another Bush-Bash fest (we have enough of those), American History will go from 1600s to 2000. So what do you guys think was the lowest point in American History? For me it would have to be the following.

1. Salem Witch Trials. One of the reason we came here is for religious freedom, and what did we do, we burn witches, great.

2. Slavery: Freedom for all...well...some....

3. Jim Crow Laws: Well you blacks are free....well...not really....

That's pretty much it for my list.

To limit it to the last 100 years, I'd say the 60's was the all-time low-point.
Sarkhaan
25-05-2007, 07:21
.. my english teacher is a fucking whore..

haha...in a few places, hung is acceptable instead of hanged, but US English has hanged as being proper in this case.
Thumbless Pete Crabbe
25-05-2007, 07:22
.. my english teacher is a fucking whore..

Actually, I think "hanged" is a regional thing, and would be incorrect in England. So she'd be right if she told you 'hanged' was no good. I might have to check on that, though.
Demented Hamsters
25-05-2007, 07:27
.. my english teacher is a fucking whore..
all english teachers are. It's an entry requirement.

edit: isn't that phrase a tautology? Has anyone ever heard of/seen a non-fucking whore?
Sarkhaan
25-05-2007, 07:28
Actually, I think "hanged" is a regional thing, and would be incorrect in England. So she'd be right if she told you 'hanged' was no good. I might have to check on that, though.

From OED:
Hanged, ppl, a.
2. Put to death by hanging by the neck.


in some areas of England (mostly southeast), hung is used, but isn't really the most proper

Not to mention, English from England isn't proper in the US. US English is.
IL Ruffino
25-05-2007, 07:30
haha...in a few places, hung is acceptable instead of hanged, but US English has hanged as being proper in this case.
I nominate US English as the lowest point in American history.
Actually, I think "hanged" is a regional thing, and would be incorrect in England. So she'd be right if she told you 'hanged' was no good. I might have to check on that, though.

I live in USA (ignore the location, I likes to lie), so I guess she was either wrong, or like me, thinks "hung" sounds correct.

.. unless PA has its own set of grammar rules..
Thumbless Pete Crabbe
25-05-2007, 07:49
in some areas of England (mostly southeast), hung is used, but isn't really the most proper.

Ah, that's what I remembered.
Free Soviets
25-05-2007, 08:22
What do you guys think was the lowest point(s) in American History? Also to prevent this from becoming another Bush-Bash fest (we have enough of those), American History will go from 1600s to 2000.

well, with that cutoff i guess i have to say jamestown
Good Lifes
26-05-2007, 05:31
Since people have mentioned the older ones.

In last 50 years:

Tinkle down economics which starves the weak, squeezes the middle and gives aid to the strongest and richest. Ignoring the monopoly laws which does the same.

Doing away with the energy conservation tax breaks which have led to two wars and a major attack.

The war that we have chose to fight without provocation.

Not aiding the Palestinians economically which has led to constant war and terror attacks. If we were a "Christian" nation we would have treated them with love rather than hate. Hate breeds hate.

The Tonkin Gulf lie which led to the Viet war.

Someone said the '60s in in general. I lived in the 60s. I have to say they were the "best of times and the worst of times." During the 60s we saw how wonderful the nation can be in helping the poor, weak, downtrodden, everything that a "Christian" nation should do. At the same time it was an era of extreme hate, violence, prejudice, killing, unjustified war.

I truly feel sorry for those of you that are too young to remember the 60s. You will never know how great this country can be, or how evil it can be. It has been over 30 years since the US tried to live up to it's ideals of equality and justice for the weak. Unfortunately, while the evil hasn't been as intense , it has gained power and continues under the label of "Christian".
XDoLEx
26-05-2007, 06:07
their has been soo much wrong doing in america. Just look at the start. chritopher columbus comes over. The island he comes over to hispanola he massacures, murders, and tortures the natives to that island. Soon their are NO more natives on that island. Sad...

Just one...
Cookesland
26-05-2007, 06:09
probably The Iranian Hostage situation with Carter
CoallitionOfTheWilling
26-05-2007, 06:12
probably The Iranian Hostage situation with Carter

hmmm, that one is pretty bad, as it is seen as the starting point of modern Islamic terrorism.
H N Fuffino
26-05-2007, 06:48
Aren't you forgetting something? There was that one incident..

That's right, the Teapot Dome Scandal! :eek: It haunts us always.
A mere kerfuffle compared to the dark days of the Star Route Frauds.
*shudders*
H N Fuffino
26-05-2007, 06:50
well, with that cutoff i guess i have to say jamestown
Saying that Jamestown was a low point implies that what came after (seizing of native-owned lands, industrialization, colonization, etc) was an improvement, though.