15
Apr, 2025

Sam Walton

8G History Lesson 120 Assignment

This week’s assignment was to write a short article on an entrepreneur that had not been discussed in class. I will be writing about Sam Walton.

Life and Career

Sam Walton was born on March 29, 1918. His family moved a lot, and Sam did chores to make ends meet. They settled in Columbia, Missouri where his parents bought a farm. Walton attended college, receiving a degree in economics and then served in the military from 1942 to 1945.

While in the army, he realized that he wanted to go into business and retail. He bought his first small store in 1945. He started buying up Ben Franklin stores, which are basically like a modern-day Dollar General. By 1962, he owned 16 stores.

Walton started the first Wal-Mart in 1962. It was a type of discount store, and it was located in Rogers, Arkansas. He expanded the Wal-Mart (later renamed Walmart) chain, and added new outlets. It became a one-stop shop type of store, carrying many different kinds of goods.

Walton married Helen Robson, and they had 4 kids. Walton was also a Sunday school teacher in his local church.

At the time of Walton’s death in 1992, there were almost 2,000 Walmart stores across the nation. Sam Walton’s children are among the wealthiest people in the world today.

Sam Walton is remembered as an exemplary businessman, and his mark on America will never be forgotten.

Warren Harding

8G History Lesson 110 Assignment – Part 1

This week I was to write about presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge. I decided to split it into two essays, this is the first part.

Overview

Warren Harding was the 29th president. He promised to help the U.S. return to normalcy after World War 1, but he accomplished little in office. His short time as president was marked by many scandals, which upset many people. Most people consider Warren Harding’s time in office as one of the worst.

Life and Presidency of Harding

Warren G. Harding was born on November 2, 1865 in the state of Ohio. He grew up on a farm, but his father later abandoned farming and became a physician. Warren grew up the oldest of 8 children. He tried many different careers, and bought a small newspaper company in Ohio. He became interested in politics, and slowly became more well-known.

Harding served as a senator, and was a member of the Republican party. He ran for president in 1920, under the slogan “Return to Normalcy.”

Harding didn’t do much in office. His biggest acts were to increase tariffs, and lower taxes on business. But the thing he is most remembered for is the scandals that took place during his presidency. Harding wasn’t the most honest man, and he didn’t appoint very trustworthy people.

Harding died of a heart attack while returning from a vacation in 1923. This marked the end of his presidency, and Calvin Coolidge took over.

Reference:

www.britannica.com/biography/Warren-G-Harding

11
Apr, 2025

Calvin Coolidge

8G History Lesson 110 Assignment – Part 2

This is part two of my assignment for this week.

Overview

Calvin Coolidge was our 30th president. He became president after Harding died in office. In my opinion, he was one of the best presidents ever, but he is often forgotten.

Life and Presidency of Coolidge

Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872. He was an only child, and his parents raised him well. His father was a storekeeper, and taught Calvin many Puritan virtues. Coolidge loved reading and nature as a child.

Coolidge decided to pursue a career in law, starting in 1897. He married Grace Goodhue in 1905. Coolidge was chosen as mayor of Northampton in 1909, and was active in the Massachusetts government. He was a popular republican cantidate for Vice President, and made it onto the ballot with president Harding. They were easily elected into office by a 60 percent popular vote.

Coolidge was thrust into the presidency when Harding unexpectedly died. Harding had left Coolidge a seat surrounded by scandals. However, Coolidge was determined to restore the people’s trust. In 1924, he was nominated for president. He won more than half of the popular vote under the campaign “Keep Cool with Coolidge”.

Coolidge improved the U.S. economy and government in many ways. He was very supportive of business and the free market, and dramatically lowered the income and property tax rates. He also supported smaller government. His Secretary of the Treasury was Andrew Mellon. He believed that lowering taxes would help expand the economy. Coolidge vetoed the McNary Haugen bill 2 times, which Congress was trying to approve. This bill was a plan for the government to subsidize American crops. Coolidge’s move to veto it was a controversial one, and some people were not happy. He was also a supporter of racial equality, and tried to move the U.S. towards it.

Some people criticize Coolidge for his “lack of action”, and blamed the Great Depression on him. They thought that he should have taxed the rich more, and enact more laws that subsidized the economy.

Coolidge oversaw almost a decade of prosperity, and in 1928, he decided not to run again. 1929 saw the election of Herbert Hoover, and the biggest economic crash in United States history.

In summary, Calvin Coolidge was a somewhat controversial president, but I think the things that he did (and the things that he didn’t do) helped the economy and America as a whole.

Reference:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Calvin-Coolidge

Is College Worth It

Personal Finance Lesson 110 Assignment

In today’s assignment, I will look at the benefits and disadvantages of going to college, and decide if it is worth it. Then I’ll explore college alternatives.

What college provides:

  • Education: This is what most people think of when they hear the word college. It is (usually) the main function of a college.
  • Social activities: Some colleges also provide activities, events, clubs, and other entertainment options.
  • Temporary Housing: If you are paying the fee for living on-campus, you have access to a dorm.
  • Degree: This sits under the education category. Part of what you pay for going to college is the Masters or Graduates degree that you will receive if you stick with it.

Disadvantages of college:

  • Price: Colleges are notoriously expensive, even the smaller-town community colleges! You will be paying for the education of course, but also your room (if you decide to get a room on-campus), your textbooks which can be surprisingly costly, and perhaps your food. Also your TIME!! College takes A TON of time. There are some ways to avoid these high prices and the cost of your time. I’ll be discussing them later.
  • Loans: This fits under the price category. You will probably have to take out loans to go to college, and you may be paying them back for a long time!
  • Stress: College is a very stressful time, and it can take a toll on health
  • Travel: If you are in an out of state college, you must account for travel costs.

Whether you choose to go to college or not is a big decision, but there is no one-size-fits-all answer. It all depends on your circumstances. If you are thinking about going to college, think about the alternatives. You could take dual-enrollment classes while in high school. You can also take an apprenticeship, which is basically what it sounds like. You are apprenticed to someone in a particular field and learn about their job.

Overall, college offers a wide variety of benefits, and can be very fun! But it can also be expensive and stressful. Make sure to weigh your options and make your decision carefully. Personally, I think I would consider an apprenticeship or dual enrollment classes.

Thanks for reading!

Timeline of World War I

8G History Lesson 105 Assignment

This assignment will be a little different than the usual. I’ll be using a timeline format, covering the main facts, battles, and history of the war.

June 28, 1914

Archduke of Austria Assassinated

The Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand, and his wife Sophie are are assassinated by a Serbian nationalist while traveling in Sarajevo. This sparked violence against the Serbian people.

July 28, 1914

WWI Begins

World War I officially begins when Austria declares war on Serbia. Austria starts to bomb Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.

September 6, 1914

Battle of the Marne Begins

The Germans try to capture Paris, but are stopped by the British and French.

November 5, 1914

Ottoman Empire gets involved

France and Britain declare war on the Ottoman empire.

April 25, 1915

Second Battle of Ypres

The Second Battle of Ypres takes place. The Germans use chlorine gas on the Allied forces.

May 7, 1914

The Lustiania sinks

The Germans sink the British Lustiania, almost 1,200 people are killed.

February 21, 1916

Battle of Verdun

The Battle of Verdun begins. This is one of the longest and bloodiest battles in the war, over 300,000 are killed over the span of 10 months.

July 1, 1916

Battle of the Somme

In the first day of this battle, over 20,000 British soldiers are killed.

April 6, 1917

U.S. Enters the War

The U.S. declares war on Germany.

November 20, 1917

Tanks

Tanks are first used in large-scale combat by the British.

September 26, 1918

Battle of Meuse-Argonne

This is the last battle in the war. The Allied British and German forces drive out the Germans.

June 28, 1919

Treaty of Versailles

The Allies and Germany sign a peace agreement, ending the war.

The First World War had a large impact on the world. It saw the collapse of the Austrian-Hungarian empire, the Ottoman empire, and the Russian empire. It was extremely sad, as all wars are. If it was avoided, over 8 million more soldiers would have survived.

References:

https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-I