Post #5: The Good, Bad, and Ugly

            Jatraria: Land of Opportunity

he nineteenth century was a time of cultural contradictions and differences. Divisions and borders could be seen in religion, class, and politics. Though many sought to remove this form of ideology, mainly the Jeffersonian Republicans, others clung to it out of necessity. As we all know, money makes the world go round. Many communities that came from wealth did everything in their power to remain superior. This included the segregation of other classes and the exploitation of others not included in their sphere of influence. Thus, our Utopia is a reflection of the Federalist ideologies that were common in those times; therefore, our design shows the separation between two cultures-the wealthy and the poor.

Unlike many other segregations of people which are more of a state of mind, (such as discrimination) the division among the members of our utopia is a physical one. This division consists of a river, a bridge, watch towers, and security. The entire left sector of the community is devoted to the upper class. The area is surrounded in lush vegetation, vast forests, and intricate orchards. There are various types of architecture that serve religious purposes as well as for entertainment. The entrance to the wealthy side is guarded by soldiers to prevent any mixture with immigrants. The safety of the elitist on the left has to be insured due to the massive amounts of new immigrants coming not only into the United States everyday, but into Jatraria as well. "In the 20 years from 1820 to 1840, about 700,000 newcomers had entered the United States. That figure jumped to 1.7 million in the 1840s, then to 2.6 million in the 1850s...Factories came more and more to depend on immigrant labor, including children, since newcomers would work for lower wages and were less prone to protest harsh working conditions" (Davidson 403-404). This clearly demonstrates the elitist characteristic of the federalists.

While the left side of the utopia is dedicated to the wealthy Americans, the right side contains the labor which generates the businesses. In this sector, there are many businesses and factories that are aligned next to the Jatrarian River. These businesses specialize in everything from ship-building to steel production. Using the river as transportation, the Jatrarian Society exports many of its products to Europe. Unfortunately, due to the stressed importance of commerce, housing areas for the mainly immigrant population on this side of the water is severely ignored. "Immigrants who could barely make ends meet were forced to live in overcrowded, unheated tenant houses, damp cellars, and even shacks. Urban slums became notorious for crime and drinking, which took a heavy toll on families and the poor. In the eyes of many native-born [Jatarians] immigrants were to blame..." (Davidson 404). True to form, the main goal of the entire community is to generate as much profit as possible--no matter the cost. Because of this, the people who live on the right side of the river are severely exploited by their wealthy counterparts.

By separating the social classes, focusing on industry, and looking toward Europe for inspiration, our community clearly demonstrates the true characteristics of a Federalist society in the early nineteenth century. Our society has no regard for moral ethics or any concern for the immorality in commercial life. We, as Jatrarians, epitomize the belief in Federalism. Like it, or not.

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Work Cited:
Davidson, James W. Nations of Nations: A Concise Narrative of the American Republic. McGraw Hill: New York, New York. 2006.

Images:
http://www.chicagohs.org/DGBPhotoEssay/gif/dgb15s.jpg
http://housatonic.net/faculty/ABALL/Paintings/cartoon.gif
http://www.illinoisleader.com/content/img/f13376/federalists.jpg

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Group Report:
Due to the holiday weekend, our group as a whole was unable to meet because we have several commuters in the group. Also, we all agreed that it would be much better to work together as a group to decide on the Utopia details and ideologies. After class on Tuesday: Richard, Juan, Asma, and Tim all met at the Enterprise lab to create the map and to begin the blog. Ashley was unable to meet there because she had a class immediately after history. However, we made sure to email her to details of what we started. Then, on Wednesday, the entire group met again (without Ashley for the same reason) in order to complete the blog and the map. Richard then got in touch with Ashley on Wednesday afternoon to send her the blog. Ashley then edited the blog for grammatical errors, incorporated quotes from the text; as well as, found a few pictures to help create a more complete picture of what our Utopia was like. The map turned out great, and the blog was done to the satisfaction of all members of our group.