The Iran Hostage Crisis

In 1979 terror struck the United States. For our nation it would be the start of many more terrors to come. The Iran Hostage Crisis took a toll on the people of America, otherwise known as the American public. It did not matter of what political party someone was, it was a effected everyone the same, with terror and warning that this could happen again. It did, however, play a big role in the presidency of Jimmy Carter. Not only did it make fear terror, but it also made him worry, worry that he wouldn't be reelected for a second term. This fear is shown through a quote Jimmy Carter once said, " I often want to drown my troubles, but I can't get my wife to go swimming." 

Before I tell about the Iran Hostage Crisis, it is important to know what an Embassy is. An embassy is a place in another country where a different country has headquarters for their ambassador. In the embassy is also the embassy staff. This is where the ambassador has position and responsibility for a mission of function. On November 4, 1979, an angry mob of 300 to 500 Iranians stormed and seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran. This group of Iranians called themselves "Imam's Disciple's." They took over the Embassy and captured 66 Americans that were inside. They soon freed the women and the African Americans, so all that was left were 52 white male Americans. These men for held hostage in the Embassy for 444 days. Although this seems random, there was a reason for this Crisis. Mohammed Pahlavi was the rule of Iran called the shah. During "Operation Ajax" Iran made an agreement with the US that if the Us got oil from Iran then the US would aid Iran. Pahlavi, however, made many bad decisions in his country, like keep all of the wealth to himself instead of his people and was forced to leave. A new ruler came to power named, Ayatollah Khomeini, who hated the US. He referred to the US government as "Great Satan." Soon the ex-shah became very sick and the US, since we had already made amends with him, was hospitalized by the US government. This angered Khomeini and the other Iranians who hated the shah and the US. This caused the storm of the Embassy. The Iranians thought that the US might be planing to help the shah return back to power. What happened inside the Embassy was awful. It was a series of cruelty and a violation of diplomatic rules. The males inside under went various sorts of indignities, having loaded guns pointed at there heads, being blindfolded, being chained, and being bounded and stretched on the floor for hours at a time. The Iranians also threatened the Americans with a trail on spy charges. 

Another very important part of the Iranian Hostage Crisis is the Canadian Caper. A pair of six American diplomats who were the only ones to escape the storming of the Embassy, where called "The Tehran Six." 

By a joint force of the US Central Intelligence Agency and the Canadian government they were able to escape. This is why it became known as the Canadian Caper. There was a top secret memo written in the President, Jimmy Carters, daily report file, talking about the Canadian Caper.  It was a report from Iranian Charge Nostratollah. He said they all of the six were home safely and happily. He also hoped that the president would remain "very strong" in dealing with the students, or the Iranians. This was a major mile stone in Carter's presidency.

For Jimmy Carter, this was the most profound crisis of his presidency. He committed himself and his time to the safe return of the hostages, but at the same time protected the interests of fellow Americans. The Cold War volume 8, says that Jimmy Carter's 1977 election was a "blow" to the shah. Carter was focused on foreign policy, but more specificity, human rights and arms reduction. Ardeshir Zahedi, how was a part of the Washington Embassy said that Carters political slogan caused confusion. This is a possible factor in the Hostage Crisis. In Iran there were many human right violations, like recession, unsanitary towns and conditions, and corruption of the royal family. Carter was not aware of all these violations, but he was impressed, or he thought he was impressed by the progress these violations had made under the shah's rule. The shah actually had Carter fooled. At the start of his presidency he was ambivalent. He was not opposed of the shah and was aware of the influence that American words and presidential polices had on Iranians and the shah. Since American influence was growing in 1977, before the Hostage Crisis was even thought of, the question was, as The Cold War Volume 8 puts it, whether the human rights in Iran or Iran's strategic plan would take priority. This question began because of the influence of the US in Iran. Since the US formed relations with the shah the influence grew into things like public and president pronouncements, private advice to shah from Carter, arms supplies policies, riots controlled, and training and upgrading the Iran military force. It soon seemed like Carter and the Shah were good friends. As things got worse in Iran with Khomeini, Carter was inclined to support the shah. In the Cold War Volume 8, Carter is quoted by saying, "Personally an through the State Department, I continued to express my support for the Shah, but at the same time we were pressing him to act forcefully on his own to resolve with his political opponents as many disputes as possible." 

After the Crisis occurred the question was how Carter was going to set the Hostages free. At first the US tried to resolve things by diplomatic means through intermediaries. They asked Algerians, Syrians, Turks, Pakistan, etc to intervene on behalf of the hostages release, but they declined. Since this matter couldn't be handled in a civilised manner, Carter took things into his own hands. He stopped imports of Iranian oil to the US and froze 12 billion dollars of Iranian funds in US. The US even tried to remove the Shah from the US and relocated him to another hospital , hoping Khomeini would see they wanted the Hostages free. It got to a place where the US just kept trying to negotiate, but Khomeini still said no. Carter's presidency was overall greatly affected by this. Carter didn't use force at first but instead tried to negotiate with Khomeini, which made him unpopular with the people because they wanted a immediate fix. Carter was a victim of indecision as well. After the Carter decided to use force he came up with a rescue plan. The rescue mission was called Operation Eagle Claw. A special team called "Delta" was ordered to fly to a desert on helicopters, not far from Tehran, then they would land and go through a series of obstacles, finally reaching the Embassy and freeing the hostages. After a helicopter was accidental destroyed and men were killed the rescue mission was aborted. The fail of the the rescue mission was a second blow that contributed to his presidency and his prestige. If the mission went smooth and the hostages were rescued then he could have possible regained his trust with Americans and maybe would have been reelected. But instead the failure of this mission contributed to him not being reelected for a second term. Finally after the rescue mission failed, Khomeini came to terms with himself and wanted to negotiate. On January 19, 1981, he signed, saying he would release the hostages after 444 days. He delayed the release until January 20, 1981, at 12:30 p.m., 30 minutes after Carter was resigned and Reagan wad inaugurated. 

Reagan was inaugurated thirty minutes before the hostages were released. This put Reagan in the spot light of the Americans, because in there point of view he was the one that freed the hostages, something that Carter couldn't manage to do. There were rumors that Reagan had planned with the Iran government to release the hostages on the day of the inauguration, but Reagan denied all of these to be false. The Hostage Crisis was in the background of the election. For his second time running for president Carter proved himself in able to solve a problem, which made him weak and ineffective as leader. While Carter kept trying and failing to bring the hostages home, it kept him away from focusing on the election, which gave Reagan an advantage. Reagan also agreed to never get in private affairs with Iran again. When Reagan announced that the planes were coming home, he let Carter greet them at their first stop in Germany. 

It's been years since the hostages have been released, but surprisingly they are still seeking justice. I read in an article from AVL, that some of the hostages are starting a campaign for justice. Steven Lauterbach and Leland Holland, who were former hostages have a campaign to seek relief and justice. In 2012 they sent there campaign to Congress. Leland said that the thing he remembers most was being beaten with rubber hoes and phone books. These men have been seeking justice for 33 years. The people of the Iran Hostage Crisis were among the first terrorism victims, but they never received court judgement. They have tried and failed change US policies towards terrorism. The government, they said, has much more to worry about since the Crisis then for them to seek justice, but its not only for them to change the law, but because of the emotional side effects too. The movie Argo, about the Iran Hostage Crisis, came out and there was still no change. Steven Lauterbach said on the issue, "It's never completely in the past. You're always in the shadow of it, psychologically." Terry Reed, an attorney of the hostage victims, who is also mentioned in the article said that "only victims of Iran's hostage taking and terrorism have been left behind....others have gotten justice." The 9/11 victims and victims of the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Lebanon have all gotten justice. 

Overall, the Hostage Crisis goes down in history as surprising and memorable. It could be classified as the first "terrorist attack on American people." It proved that terrorism could be used as a way to achieve objectives because Americans are very vulnerable. If this Crisis wouldn't of happened the course of history could of changed as well. Carter would have been elected for a second term instead of Reagan. It just goes to show that even though history is scary, sometimes it happens for a reason.

Inauguration Day January 20,1981 right after the hostages were released.

Iranians invading the U.S. Embassy

Students marching against the Iranians in America

A man protesting for the Iranians to leave.

Americans that were held hostage for 444 days. 

Sources 

The Cold War Period 1945 - 1992 Volume 8 By Leora Maltz I used this source when talking about the shah and the background of the cause of the crisis. 

America Held Hostage By Don Lawson I used this source to find out about Reagan and how this effected the beginning of Reagan presidency. 

The Iran Hostage Crisis on the History Channel Website I used this source for information on the reelection.

The Jimmy Carter Library I used this source when talking about the effect that the crisis had on Carter's presidency. 

Top Secret Memo from the White House - Primary Source

Article on Former Iranian Hostages - Primary and Secondary Source

UM Iran Hostage Crisis I found out alot of basic information about the crisis from this site. 

Youtube Video of Jimmy Carter's Speech - Primary Source

Obesity and Politics

When people think about obesity they think big. Words like out of shape, sick, large, and huge may come to mind. Now a days we see obesity everywhere. Reality TV shows, magazines, and all over the breaking news. It  has become something that people are famous for. Whether you may think this is funny or ok thing, I do not. I don’t think obesity should be viewed as a “good” thing. Let’s take a look back to the past  to the present on obesity in politics. Is it bad to be a leader of a country or a organization and be obese?

William Howard Taft was the 27^th president of the United States. He was obese, and often remember by this characteristic. When he took office  in 1909 and was there until 1913. Everyone that knew him said he was a nice and good natured guy. He was a member of the Republican Party. Although he was nice and kind, this didn’t mean he was a good president. He thought of his job to be more fun than  viewing is as the leader of the nation. He also was not liked by other presidents, such as Teddy Roosevelt. He was very smart person.  People often said that his figure didn’t match up with his mind. He graduated second in his class at Yale. This also didn’t mean he made very smart decisions as president. The most important thing about Taft’s presidency was that he knew for himself that he wasn’t a good president. This may have been part of the problem of his growing obesity.

When Taft entered office he weighed 300 pounds. He couldn’t help it though. He was a big baby which got him the name Big Lub and later on the name Big Bill. At the beginning of his campaign, before he took office, reporters were mad. They said his campaign was straying. Taft’s response, after he said he was losing weight by exercising  was “It’s not easy to be a presidential candidate, not much easier than it is to keep down ones flesh” (McPherson). Taft’s troubles only grew worse once he took office. He became stuck in the White House bath tub because of his size. The White House had to install a bigger bath tub just for Taft. It was seven feet long and 4 feet wide. This bath tub could fit 3 of the workers who installed it. Food became Taft’s go to. He no longer listened to his wife’s strict diets. He hid his food, and sneaked out to get snacks. He also planned trips he knew would have extreme banquets with lots of food. Since his weight went up and down during his presidency, he gained 50 more pounds in office. Historians believe the reason for his weight problems were pressure. They say he must have eaten under pressure. Food gave him comfort during hard times.  A quote from the book “ To the best of My Ability”, says “He’ll never be regarded as a great president, or even as a good one, but perhaps someday his obesity may cease to be his legacy” (McPherson).

In the present day a new leader is affected by this same problem. Chris Christie. He is the governor of New Jersey. He is also of the Republican Party. He tried to run for president during the 2012 election, and is now trying to regain popularity and run in the 2016 election. Since Taft there as only been a handful of obese presidents. Bill Clinton often had to worry about his weight and keep it under control. The questions and concerns that arise about Christie as he thinks about running are his body size, being a national leader verse the obesity epidemic present in America today. Christie is well liked and well known. He has been fighting with this issue on a personal level for three decades, now he has to face it on a political level. One of the concern is the TV. When he is making public speeches people can see him on TV and this will make a impact on their views. He is aware that he has problem and is will and making an effort to fix it. Chris Christie said this about himself, “I mean listen, I need to lose weight, there’s no news flash there, and I’d be healthier if I did. But the objective indicators of my health, you know, my blood pressure, my cholesterol, my asthma, is very much under control… But I also know that I’d be a lot healthier if I lost some weight. It’s a constant struggle. I’m trying. I go up. I go down. It’s an effort” (Christie).

Now with the issue of obesity at our feet in America. Obesity is when someone is over ten percent of their recommended weight. More than one third of the population of 20 and older people in America are obese. Another one third are overweight. Obesity causes 400,000 deaths a year. Obesity is now affecting the younger generations too. Fifteen percent of the population under the age of 18 are obese. There are many causes for obesity, some not as extreme as others. Environmental factors, eating habits like eating fast food, genetics, and emotions all affect obesity. Where does this leave us? It leaves us at our country only getting worse.

Overall obesity is a large problem that has built up little by little over time. From Taft, whose weight will be remembered through game shows and trivia question, to Chris Christie, who could be our next president. I believe that the concerns we as a nation have with obesity are valid. What we consume is not healthy for our bodies, our minds, or our country. With Chris Christie people will judge. They will say that someone his size has no room to talk about health concerns facing America. All Christie along with other Americans facing this problem can do is try and make a effort. 

                                                  Chris Christie, the Governor of New Jersey

                                             William Howard Taft, the 27th president of the US

                                                      The specially made bath tub for Taft

                                            A chart of the rate of growing obesity in the USA


Sources
"To the Best of My Ability," by James M. McPherson  This source is my primary source, but also helped me find general information on Taft's presidency, along with some information about his obesity.

"The History of the American Presidency" By John Bowman This book source, a secondary source, helped me to find about the starting weight of Taft.

AVL- Biography on William Howard Taft  This source helped me learn about the pressures of Taft's obesity and how it affected him in office.

An Article on Chris Christie's Weight Problems This source helped me to learn about the weight problems that Christie faces and how they will affect him if he becomes president.

"Has Chris Christie Passed His Sell-By Date?"  This source I used as a primary source as well as a source about Chris Christie politics.

 A website on Obesity in America This source helped me learn get some facts on the basic epidemic of obesity. 

Music and Song of World War I

The Great War was the second greatest conflict of all time. It was often referred to as the war to end all wars, lasting four years. Those who fought in this war may call it something else. They call it the Singing War. In the United States, Woodrow Wilson's citizens were making music on a large scale. The scale was large enough to support the making of dozens of pianos, public sheet music, and sound recording. During this time, right before the war started, sheet music publishers thrived for five years. They marketed 7,300 songs. The sheet music publishers contribution of patriotic and war songs is what made this war so focused on music.

With all the information that we have today on the history of music of the Great War, we can picture the same recordings or authentic echoes of the songs that provided courage to those heading east across the Atlantic or Southward to the English Channel, fearing a moment of diversion for those in the trenches and some comfort to the lonely and scared left at home. There were many songs that were popular during war that served as the soldiers anthems. The most popular one was Over There. It was written by George M. Cohan in 1917, at the beginning of the war. Its arrogant enthusiasm characterizes the music and the spirit of those men who have not yet seen the realities of the battle. Les Cleveland once said, "The music industry also promoted an alternative view of the war as an opportunity for adventurous excitement implicit as large George M. Cohan's, Over There." The lyrics of Over There promise that the Yanks are coming and make the boast, it wont come back til its over there.  Keep the Home Fire Burning was an other song very popular during the war. Though it originated in England, it was very popular in America as well. It was written by Ivor Novello, and it was his greatest hit. Another very famous war song is Its a Long way to Tipperary. It was very popular with soldiers on the western front during the summer of 1914. It was written by Jack Judge and Harry Williams in 1912, before the war. 

David Bishapm wrote an article in the New York times in 1916, talking about the songs of war and his opinion on what they will become. He said that the extraordinary events that were taking place would have a great effect on music, which was true. He said because composers weren't able to put pens on paper due to the tragedy of war they couldn't write. He says of the famous George Cohan on writing Over There, he was just trying to please the public by not stopping until he created a successful piece. He also believed that war was was turning American composers away from their calling. He said the young composers enjoyed war too much to write but, its up to the elders to keep the torch burning. David believed that classics should be banished and no related to war since they were written centuries ago with countries that the US is now at war with. Even though much of his article is his opinion, the majority is true and its a primary source. He talks of how not all music was written to arouse patriotism like Tipperary. It was written before the war for vaudeville performances. While this is true, its his opinion that its should be withdrawn. Another song he believes that should be withdrawn is Hand of Hope and Glory. There was no war in its inspiration, because it was written to bring King Edward VII to the throne.


The use of songs in war for the soldiers is the most important and influential topics. Soldiers gathered hundreds of songs from multiple sources, sheet music composers of all ages. They gathers popular songs of the day, written before the war or hymns for around the world. Along with making up songs, they made parodies of all the songs they found, made up by warriors who took the known melodies and changed the words to suit their needs. Singing was a group action for the soldiers. Singing formed bonds of comradeship, reinforced belonging to a group, helped them to get to know each other, and helped the soldiers endure the strain of unending combat and service. They main idea of songs from this time is that these songs were theirs.They had the right to sing them. They were the ones in the trenches, fighting for their countries, and trying to survive. Songs that they already knew were played through out the trenches using a phonograph, or a gramophone. They gramophone was portable. It provided some entertainment for the many that were knowingly about to die. The industry in the US for the gramophone was booming. They are much like a portable record player, just smaller and more compact.


Over all music and song played a big role in World War I. They provided hope and perseverance for soldiers. Songs like Over There and Tipperary lead the way for soldiers. The gramophone was also a useful tool for the trenches. The music and song of World War I, lead the way for the same thing to happen in World War II.

The poster for "Tipperary"

       The Album cover for the song Over There. 

                             

\                                             A Gramophone that the soldiers often carried. 

                                                        Over There by George Cohan

Sources 

The Lyrics and Music of the song Over There - Primary Source I used this source to look at what the lyrics actually meant to the soldiers.

Songs from the World War I Era - AVL I used this source to find the different songs from the war.

The lyrics and information of Tipperary I used this source to understand the lyrics of Tipperary.

A Quote on the song Over There. - Primary Source I used this source as a perspective on Over there.

David Bishapm's Article - Primary Source I used this source to get information and a different opinion of the songs of the war.

Canadian Soldiers I used this source to find about how music effected the soldiers.

Sources

Newspaper article from the Fleets arrival in San Francisco




Different Places the Fleet traveled



Us Navy History 




Article from Naval History



Article from Military History

Great White Fleet

I am currently working on a project on the Great White Fleet. Im writing all of my information onto my postcards. I have to get them all in order by date and organize my information into sentences. I also am working on finding pictures that will fit onto my notecards.