http://certaintrouble.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] certaintrouble.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2007-10-25 09:47 pm
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US History- Thursday, Cctober 25

Chuck stormed into the room. Someone was still a little cranky. Chuck sat down at his desk, apparently too defiant to teach standing up.



“The Civil War. It was bloody and terrible, and essentially ended up maintaining the status quo. The nation didn’t really change. It was the same size, with a smallish drop in population.”

“As you’ve been told since kindergarten, the president during the Civil War was Abraham Lincoln. He’s been heralded by many as the best president. But it’s not generally known that the occupation of president was not his first choice. His career in law was only meant to be a side-job. Lincoln’s real passion? Show business.

His comedic abilities became known around the age of nineteen. Young Abe was quite the practical joker, and strove to garner more and more laughter from crowds. His successful law techniques were never meant to be used in a courtroom; they began as exceptionally dry deadpan. He continued to work Cracker Barrels and luncheons, waiting for his big break. However, fate dealt him the cruelest hand of all. It was the only thing that could have ruined such a brilliant career.

He got married. And boy did he get suckered into a raw deal, even for marriage. Mary Lincoln was a crackpot. Insane, possessive, she sometimes ran off into the woods claiming to hear messages from Orson Wells. As Mr. Wells had not yet been born, that was something a big problem for Mrs. Lincoln. She took her frustrations out on Abe. She nagged a filibuster from morning to night. “You wanna be a two-bit lawyer all your life?” “Don’t you wanna live in the White House?” Driven to the extreme, Lincoln ran, and won the presidency. He was constantly unhappy, and, as so many saddened people would do, confided in his friends. His need for companionship outside of the house led him to Ulysses S. Grant, with whom he would be friends for years.

This is as good a transition as any, so let’s talk about Grant. How did this brilliant general win the war?” Mr. Noblet grabbed a piece of chalk and wrote a single word on the board.

“Booze. The man was near-constantly drunk. As he once wrote, “A sober life’s a hard life/ the sort of a life with which I’ve clashed/ for though I sympathize the tantrums/ there’s a lot be said for being smashed.” As you can tell, he was dedicated to both his tactics and his beer, which he continued to use once in office as president of the US. The custom of the president working drunk is one that continues to this very day.

The Civil War ended in the Appomattox courthouse, a remarkable building designed and hand built by Eli Whitney himself. It was a rather jovial time, and there were no hard feelings, despite the occasion. Well, there were no initial hard feelings. But when Grant insulted Lee by refusing to accept his sword, things got a little testy. Lincoln smoothed things over with a few jokes, and tragedy was avoided.”

Chuck looked at the clock. “You have five minutes to ask questions. Say them really quickly. Go!”


[OOC: Sorry that this is so late...]

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