Discussion post

1. How were Tecumseh and the War of 1812 connected?

2. What was the role that identity and ideas of who was and was not an “American” in the conflicts which culminated in the War of 1812?

3. What has been something we’ve learned in this class that has surprised you? How has this changed your perspective on the history of the United States?

After reading both of these, answer the following questions (1&2 are about the Emerson piece, 3&4 are about the Thoreau).  “Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The American Scholar”  and “Henry David Thoreau, Walden

4. Why does Emerson feel that American writers and artists are “cowed” and need to develop more boldness and originality?

5. Why does Emerson describe self-reliance as a “manlike” quality?

6. Thoreau’s statement, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation,” is one of the most famous lines in American literature. What does he mean, and what does he think is the cause?

7. What does Thoreau mean when he writes, “We do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us”?

Please number each response