james Fester
eNotes Educator
Achievements
9
Educator Level
429
Answers Posted
160
Answers Bonused
About
I've taught History in California for grades 5-12. I currently teach middle school in Marin County.
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eNotes Educator
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Recent Activity
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Answered a Question in History
Prior to the Trail of Tears, Cherokees were most concerned with protecting their lands from encroachment by white settlers. After the discovery of gold on Cherokee land, prospectors and squatters... -
Answered a Question in History
The Nullification Crisis was the first real secession crisis in U.S. history. It was caused by a tariff, or import duty, on foreign goods. The idea was to spur American manufacturing, and with... -
Answered a Question in History
Total war refers to a state of conflict in which the entire population is mobilized to support the war effort. As such, there is little to no distinction made between civilians and combatants. The... -
Answered a Question in History
Spain enjoyed a virtual monopoly on the New World trade for several decades before other European nations began to try and take over parts of the Columbian Exchange. First, other countries... -
Answered a Question in History
There are several key points that you should mention in your essay whether you support Jackson or Adams. Include background regarding the state of American politics in 1828. Since more and more... -
Answered a Question in Pre-Columbian Civilizations
The Inca were able to unify their vast empire thanks to many different factors and inventions. First, they developed an amazing system of roads which allowed for fast communication throughout their... -
Answered a Question in The Market Revolution, Industrialization, and New Technologies
The industrial revolution had both negative and positive consequences for American and British soceity. The mechanization of production allowed consumer goods to be more easily produced. Items... -
Answered a Question in History
Augustus was made consul after his defeat of Cleopatra and made a big show of relinquishing his dictatorial powers to the Senate. However, he wasn't done exercising his newfound power to reshape... -
Answered a Question in European Exploration of America
Historians have long debated where exactly Columbus first landed when he voyaged to the New World in 1492. It is clear from his records that he landed somewhere in the Bahamas, but the actual... -
Answered a Question in History
Rome's rise as a civilization was heavily influcenced by geography. The Latin people who first settled on the Latin Penninsula chose to build their city near the Tiber River. The river's waters... -
Answered a Question in History
The Pueblo Revolt occured as a result of the repressive nature of Spanish rule in colonial New Mexico. The Spanish repressed the religious ceremonies of the Pueblo indians, used Mexican Indians to... -
Answered a Question in History
Thomas Hobbes had a jaded view of human nature and an even more jaded view of government. He believed that governments were founded for the purposes of self-preservation and that they were... -
Answered a Question in History
The British American colonies could be divided up into three distinct cultural regions; New England, Middle, and Southern. Although the Middle Colonies began to take on aspects of their closest... -
Answered a Question in History
John Brown’s Raid on Harper Ferry could be considered the turning point in the American Civil War when arm conflict seemed all but inevitable for several reasons. First, it represented the... -
Answered a Question in European Colonization of North America
The Spanish, English, French and Dutch all had a different methods of colonization in the New World. The Spanish came to conquor and exploit the weath that already existed. They detroyed the large... -
Answered a Question in History
The tale of Romulus and Remus is one of the most famous myths in World History, and most historians agree that it is a legend, and there is very little historical evidence to support any other... -
Answered a Question in History
When compared to the rest of the world, colonial Americans enjoyed a degree of self-rule that was found almost no where else. Colonial government arose out of the need for timely leadership. The... -
Answered a Question in History
The English had a long history of colonial policy making in relation to Ireland. Years and years of bloodshed and dissent had made the English so sensitive to popular protest that when the American... -
Answered a Question in History
Pancho Villa is one of the most complex characters associated with the Mexican Revolution. He has been called both hero and villain, and to be fair deserves both titles for different reasons. Villa... -
Answered a Question in History
The Hundred Years War can be divided up into three stages. This is due to lulls in the fighting where peace was discussed but later gave way to more fighting as the war continued in the 1400's. The... -
Answered a Question in Mesopotamia
Since Mesopotamia is widely regarded as the "crucible of civilization" there are many different examples of cultural diffusion that can be pointed out when looking at Egyptian culture.... -
Answered a Question in History
The House of Representatives was originally set up to represent the will of the people of the United States. Unlike the Senate, it's members were always elected directly by the people, reflecting... -
Answered a Question in History
The Yellow River has long been known as the cradel of ancient Chinese civilization. One of the first to spring forth in this area is sometimes called the Huang He, Longshan Culture or Yellow River... -
Answered a Question in History
Japanese clothing was unique because of its production method and that fashions were unisex. During the Asuka period when the Soga clan was in power the kimono was introduced as the de facto... -
Answered a Question in History
The Cold War finally began to end towards the close of the 1980’s. There were several reasons for its conclusion, which ended with the break-up of the Soviet Union. Prior to the 1980’s the Soviet... -
Answered a Question in History
Spain rise from fragmented, occupied peninsula to global power was due to many different factors. First, the Reconquista, or expulsion of the Moors, left Spain with several advantages. Isabela and... -
Answered a Question in History
Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton were both important founding figures in American history, but ultimately they had different ideas of what was best for the young nation of America. These two... -
Answered a Question in European History
The Treaty of Versailles ended World War I and had profound effects on the country of Germany. Because of this treaty, Germany would enter a severe recession, which provided fertile ground for the... -
Answered a Question in The Missouri Compromise
The Missouri Compromise was one of a series of compromises over the expansion of slavery. It is usually identified a key event in causing the American Civil War. Before 1820, congressmen... -
Answered a Question in History
Although the southern states seceded for morally questionable reasons, one could argue that secession was a right that states in the U.S. retained prior to 1868. Secession had been a hot topic in... -
Answered a Question in Abraham Lincoln's Presidency
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Lincoln declared that his main goal was the preservation of the Union and not the freedom of slaves. After the first few terrible years of the war, his views on... -
Answered a Question in History
In an effort to preserve the relevance of the government for future generations, the founding fathers made the constitution a living document. This means that the form and function of the... -
Answered a Question in History
Mao Zedong was a Chinese revolutionary and communist political philosopher who became the leader of the Chinese communist revolution. He is widely recognized as the founding father of the People’s... -
Answered a Question in History
The Cuban Missile Crisis has been described as one of the tensest moments in the entire history of the Cold War. It brought the world to the brink of nuclear war and the results helped shape the... -
Answered a Question in Western Expansion, Manifest Destiny, and the Mexican-American War
Westward expansion shaped the character of the United States in many different ways. Westward movement, also known as Manifest Destiny, dictated American’s course as a nation for almost 200 years.... -
Answered a Question in History
Pancho Villa’s activities during the Mexican Revolution can be attributed to his time as a youngster in pre-revolution Mexico. Villa first became involved in the revolution when he was a... -
Answered a Question in History
The language of Latin has had a profound effect on the evolution of the English language. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, approximately 50% of all English words have Latin roots or... -
Answered a Question in James Monroe's Presidency
During the early 1800’s, many Latin American countries began to win their independence from European countries. Most of them followed the U.S. model of democracy, even going so far as to copy our... -
Answered a Question in The Cold War
The role of America as a world power changed greatly between the years of 1914 and 1950. During the First World War, the U.S. remained in isolation for much of it, not wanting to get involved in... -
Answered a Question in Andrew Jackson's Presidency
The Jacksonian period had long been touted as the “Era of the Common Man” due to the economic and political changes that occurred during the presidency the era’s namesake, Andrew Jackson. Andrew... -
Answered a Question in History
The Berlin Airlift was a pivotal event early on in the Cold War. It refers to an event in which the United States and it’s western European allies attempted to supply aide to the residents of West... -
Answered a Question in History
Imperialism can best be describes as the creation of an unequal relationship between two states. It can take many different forms and is usually the result of the establishment of an empire. One... -
Answered a Question in History
Many radical changes took place as a result of the transition between the early and later Vedic periods. The later Vedic period began around 500 BCE. The transition between the two is marked by the... -
Answered a Question in History
The musket was an infantry weapon first developed in Asia and was rapidly assimilated and improved in the Middle East and Europe. The weapon was originally developed as a lightweight alternative to... -
Answered a Question in History
Between the 1890’s and the 1920’s the lives of American women changed drastically. This change was most visible for younger women or those in the rich, elitist upper class. Female education was... -
Answered a Question in History
The Embargo Act of 1807 was a law passed at the behest of president Thomas Jefferson to protect American shipping. Jefferson had inherited a serious foreign policy problem from his predecessors.... -
Answered a Question in History
The government structure of the Aztecs was based on the family unit. Multiple family units owned land collectively, and these groupings were known as calpulli. The calpulli was around long before... -
Answered a Question in History
Indian Removal refers to policies enacted by the U.S. in regards to Native American tribes being forced from their traditional homeland. Some tribes submitted to removal orders, such as the Choctaw... -
Answered a Question in History
Japan could be considered a victor in the cold war for several reasons. First, the American occupation at the end of the war had many beneficial effects for Japan. The Emperor was removed from... -
Answered a Question in The Great Depression
The Great Depression was a global economic downturn that occurred in the 1930’s. This transnational panic had many causes depending on where in the world you are talking about, but there were some...
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