July 9-- South Sudan becomes a nation. After more than 50 years of arguing, the Republic of South Sudan declared independence.
July 16-- Japan beats USA in the Women's World Cup. It was a close battle as it went into post-game penalty shots.
August 6-- Violent riots occur in Great Britain. It was said to be over the unjust shooting of Mark Duggan.
August 7-- Yemen's President was issued to leave the hospital. He had come to a full recovery of all of his injuries sustained in the presidental compound attack.
September 9-- Texas experiences the worst wildfires the state has ever seen. It consumed tens of thousands of acres of land.
September 27-- Listeria outbreak causes many deaths. Canteloupe was the substance giving off the deadly disease.
October 20-- Quaddafi is captured and killed. Initial reports are unclear on the cause of death.
October 23-- A 7.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Turkey. At least 360 were killed.
November 3-- Occupy Wall Street Protests continue. It even turns violent in Oakland, CA.
November 28-- Iran decreases relations with Britain. They are outraged with western nations, especially Britain.
December 3-- Herman Cane pulls out of presidental race. Accusations of a 5th sexual affair are brought to the table by Ginger White.
December 7-- Jerry Sandusky is arrested again as two more victims come forward with evidence of child molestation. He now faces more than 50 accounts of child sexual abuse.

Events of 2011

January 8-- Arizona Representative Gabrielle Gillfords was shot in an assassination attempt. She was one of at least 17 shot in the shooting, six being fatally injured.
January 24-- A suicide bombing in Moscow, Russia kills at least 35 and wounds more than 168. The bombing occurred in Moscow's airport.
February 14-- The sun erupts with the largest solar flare in four years. It jammed radio communications in China.
February 17-- The solar flare makes the northern lights much more visible. They are even visible in the northern tier of the United States.
March 7-- Yemen's President refuses to step down. He calls the opposition's proposal undemocratic and unconstitutional.
March 25-- Syria's military open fires on peacefully protesting citizens. At least 20 were killed.
April 7-- A gunman open fires at a former school of his. He killed at least 12 kids before shooting himself in the head. It was the worst school shooting Brazil has ever seen.
April 27-- Being one of the worst tornado seasons in the U.S., 137 tornados have been reported killing nearly 300 people. Most of the deaths have occurred in Alabama.
May 1-- Osama bin Laden is killed in Pakistan. He was shot after refusing to surrender to U.S. troops.
May 5-- Syria's military forces go door-to-door to make arrests. They claim it was done to better enforce their rule.
June 4-- Drugs reduce risk of breast cancer. Exemestane, a drug used to keep breast cancer from reoccurring can also reduce the risk of getting it in the first place.
June 6-- Flooding in Iowa causes hundreds to flee. Two levees have been ruptured sending flood waters into small communities.

Monroe Vs. Marbury

          John Marshall was appointed by John Adams during the last days of his presidency. The Judiciary Act of 1801, one of the final laws passed by Adams and the Federalist-controlled Congress, created sixteen new federal judgeships and other judicial offices. The appointment of these “midnight judges” enraged Republicans.The Republican-dominated Congress fought back by repealing the Judiciary Act of 1801. When Secretary of State James Madison refused to deliver a commission to William Marbury, one of Adams’s midnight appointees, Marbury sued for its delivery. The case of Marbury v. Madison went to the Supreme Court, which was led by John Marshall, the Federalists’ most powerful member and Jefferson’s distant cousin.
         The Court’s unanimous opinion, which was written by Chief Justice Marshall, stated that Marbury deserved his commission, but the Court had no jurisdiction in the case. Marshall then ruled that part of the Judiciary Act of 1789, which dealt with the authority of the Supreme Court, was unconstitutional. With his decision, Marshall answered the controversial question regarding who had the authority to determine the meaning of the Constitution. Marshall created the precedent of judicial review, empowering the Supreme Court to rule a federal law unconstitutional and impose its will on the states.

The Monroe Doctrine

          The Monroe Doctrine was written by the famous James Monroe. It basically has two points. First of all, it proclaimed that the era of colinization in the americas was finished. It says, "The American continents, by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintain, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers." Secondly, it stated that the U.S. would not interfere with any current European countries in North or South America. Also, it said that they would not interfere with foreign affairs with any European country.

4th Amendment

          The 4th Amendment allows for some basic privacy on citizen-owned land. This amendment prevents random searches from taking place, unless a warrrant is issued. No warrants can be issued without probable cause of illicit activities. One case of this is Bond v. The United States. Bond was suspected of possessing and distributing methamphetamine. A warrant was issued and he was convicted of this crime after finding evidence in his home. Another example of a case that is related to the 4th Amendment is Kyllo v. The United States. He was suspected of growing marijuana in his home. They used a spectral imaging device in order to search his home. They found evidence of this and he was eventually convicted of his crimes after much fighting. The 4th Amendment is a vital part to much of how the government deliberates on certain cases.

Who We Met...

          While on our expedition, the groups of people were mostly Indian. One group of people was the Missouri and Oto Indians. We met them along the Missouri River living in small villages. They had been nearly wiped out from an epidemic of smallpox. Although we had tried to remain peaceful, we were unsuccessful. Some other groups we met were the Yankton Sioux and the Teton Sioux. They were found near the mouth of the James River. We were able to make a trade agreement with the Yankton Sioux, but they warned us about the dangers of the upriver nations, such as the Teton Sioux. Along meeting the Teton Sioux, we were faced with a three day fight. Even with us trying to be as peaceful as possible, most Indian tribes have just seen us as intruders and won't welcome us. We are still trying to make these efforts though.

Expanding America

October 7, 1805

          Making progress across the Rockies today, we discovered many new animals and covered a great distance considering the circumstances of the mountain barriers. Some of the beautiful creatures we discovered were the Blue Catfish, the Oregon Ruffed Grouse, the Stellar's Jay, and the Franklin's Spruce Grouse. The mountainous region we are crossing has really placed a difficult task on us. Game is very scarce in this region, which is causing a bit of a food shortage. Although, these mountains are becoming quite the burden, we should be nearing the end of them as we have just passed the end of the divide.