Monday, March 24, 2014
Freedom Riders Comment
The Freedom Riders were extremely brave individuals who were fighting for what they believed was right. There were many things in this documentary that I found surprising. One thing I found surprising was when the bus was in Anniston, and got flat tires from the mob, the bus driver just walked away and left the travelers alone on the bus to fend for themselves. Another thing I found interesting was that along with the black freedom riders, there were whites who joined the rides too. I found those people as very brave. One last thing I found interesting was that the police in cities like Birmingham and Montgomery wouldn't protect the riders until the federal government told them to.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Blog Three: The Great Depression, the New Deal, Worl War Two and the Cold War
Textbook Readings:
Chapter 23 of our textbook, American Horizons, talks about the Great Depression and the New Deal. The New Deal was FDR's program to restore the economy and save the nation form the Great Depression. During his presidency, FDR dramatically expanded the role played by the federal government in managing the economy and improving human suffering. He made government more inclusive and attentive to the needs of small farmers, workers, women and African Americans. During the Great Depression, there was major unemployment. Employers couldn't afford to keep workers, which led to the huge levels of unemployment. It was nearly impossible to find a job. To fix this problem, FDR called on the states and federal government to create relief programs, unemployment insurance and old age pensions. He pledged to use federal power to ensure a more equitable distribution of income and promised "bold experimentation" in pursuit of the New Deal. While in office, FDR held fireside chats, which were fourteen minute radio addresses discussing the causes of the Great Depression and how it was going to be fixed. On Monday, March 13, after listening to the fireside chats, people began depositing cash in newly opened, federally supervised banks. FDR's first hundred days in office became famous. In this time period, he overcame Congress to pass fourteen major pieces of legislation. He stabilized the banking system, regulated the stock market, protected property owners, helped farmers and provided emergency relief to the unemployed. The Social Security Act was also passed. This act had each generation of younger workers contributing to the system that financed the retirement benefits received by older workers, and in return they would benefit in the same way when they reached age 65. Many people were against this act, however. They didn't want to pay taxes, or they denounced government involvement in worker-employee relations. A new burst of reforms emerged, known as the Second New Deal. The largest program that came out of the Second New Deal was the Works Progress Administration, which gave the unemployed meaningful labor. Life in the 1930s began to change. There were still newspapers and magazines, but radio and movies, which had sound and color, began to take over life. Means of transportation also changed. For example, people now used flying on planes as a way of transportation. Women also became involved in the New Deal, supporting women's voting rights and industrial safety. The last major New Deal reform before World War Two was the Fair Labor Standards Act. This act banned child labor, established federal minimum wage starting at 40 cents per hour, and set standard work week at 40 hours. FDR's plan for saving the nation from the Great Depression was successful, and we still see some of the programs enacted during that time being used today.
In this chapter of American Horizons, economics, politics, culture and demography are all present. Economics is a major theme in this chapter. The nation's economy was in very bad shape due to the Great Depression. The unemployment rate was extremely high, and many people were in poverty. FDR's New Deal, his plan to save the nation, helped many of these people recover. It also helped the economy recover. This also helped FDR's political campaign. The American people believed in him so much that he was in office for a third term, the only president to have ever done so. Life in the 1930s began to change, which brings us to culture. Radio and movies became very popular, and movies had sound and color. People started flying on airplanes to travel, which was much faster. Finally, the demography of the people that were affected by the depression were middle class and poor people. The very wealthy people were still affected, but they were still wealthy. For the most part, they didn't go into poverty. The people affected by the depression were saved by FDR's New Deal.
The Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression:
This documentary by American Experience talks about the Great Depression and the crash of 1929.The 1920s, also know as the "Roaring Twenties" was a time of prosperity, and a New Era. The people thought this time of great prosperity would last forever. They became very involved in the stock market, which people saw as a new way to make a fortune. There were a number of men who became rich off the stock market, some being Jesse Livermore, William C. Durant, Charles Mitchell and Groucho Marx. This was also the dawn of the consumer revolution, where new products were being made and people could buy on credit. The phrase "buy now pay later" became the phrase for consumer credit. Many people involved in the stock market followed the advice of astrologers, and some even put their entire life savings into the stock market, life Groucho Marx. Most stocks were regulated by regulators, however, at this time that was legal. They would make the stock look like its doing well so people would buy it, then it crashes and people lose their money. Michael Meehan was one of the most successful Wall Street pools. Then a man named Roger Babson predicted that there would be a crash in the market, but no one believed him. The economy became dependent on buying on margin, and as a result of this everyone tried to borrow money to save their stocks. Charles Mitchell stopped the first crash of 1929 by giving $25 million of credit to cover stocks. The market was saved, but people were getting poorer and poorer and getting into debt. then on September 3, the market hit an all time high. After that the market kept going up and down. Then, on Tuesday, October 29, everyone wanted to sell their stocks, and as a result the market crashed. Everything the people had was gone, and many people were in serious debt. Some people resorted to suicide because they had nothing left, like Jesse Livermore. The crash left Mitchell $12 million in debt, but he made a remarkable comeback, and in 1936, Durant filed for bankruptcy. After the crash, no one knew the depression was coming, but deep down they knew the roaring twenties were over.
Some of the themes present in this video are economics, culture and demography. The economy of the United States became dependent on buying on margin, which caused people to get into huge debt. When the market crashed, so did the economy. Unemployment rates rose dramatically, and many people were in poverty. This caused a change in culture. People had to change the way they lived dramatically. They could only buy things the absolutely needed, and they had to search for a job every day. Everyone was effected by the crash, especially the people involved in the stock market. The people who owned stocks had to basically start over financially, because they had nothing. The stock market crash of 1929 caused many problems in the United Sates and around the world.
Grand Coulee Dam:
The documentary by American Experience discusses the Grand Coulee Dam. The Grand Coulee Dam became known as the "dam unlike any other," and it "contained the mighty Columbia." The Columbia River is 258,000 square miles, and was the economic lifeline of a nation, providing food (salmon) and a source of trade. Grand Coulee was a big ditch before the dam was built. Billy Clap was the man who thought of the idea to build a dam at Grand Coulee. Eastern Washington had good soil, but no water. It was like a desert. The dam would "make the desert into a garden" and provide people with electricity. When the stock market crashed in 1929, FDR saw building the dam as fitting in with the "plan for promised land." Part of the dam was to be built on Indian Reservations, which made the Indian people very unhappy. When the dam was being built, there was little consideration about the changes it would bring, such as the salmon traveling upstream, rapids and the Indian land. However, the dam was built anyway. The dam was going to deliver jobs, farms and electricity. In addition to the dam, a reservoir was going to be created for power and irrigation. As many as 100,000 jobs were created to build the dam, however the workers weren't treated very well. They never got a break, and the conditions were terrible. A total of 72 men died on the project. To give the dam publicity, Woody Guthrie was hired for a documentary about the dam. He wrote the song "Roll on Columbia." Then America entered World War two. The dam helped the war effort, and President Truman said that without the Grand Coulee Dam, the war wouldn't have been won. The Grand Coulee did a number of things, good and bad. It was known as the "greatest thing built by man", it put the Columbia salmon on the endangered animals list, it helped defeat the Japanese and the Great Depression, it made the desert into a garden, destroyed Indian life, and eliminated salmon.
In this documentary on the Grand Coulee Dam by American Experience, the themes of economics, and culture are present. FDR saw the creation of the dam as helping the economy recover from the depression. He decided to have it built, which gave thousands of people jobs. This helped the economy recover very much. The unemployment rate went down, and people were getting out of poverty. The dam also influenced culture very much. The dam provided electricity and made the desert into a garden. The dam also took away the Indian's land, and eliminated the salmon. The Indians had to change their ways of life completely because of the dam. Although the dam brought many good things, it also brought bad things for the Indians.
Textbook Readings:
Chapter 24 of our textbook, American Horizons, discusses World War Two. There were several issues that sparked World War Two, such as nationalism, competition for colonies, and security fears. In 1935, the United States passed the Neutrality Act, which states that if war exists between foreign nations, the United States government must impose an embargo of arms sales to the warring states, and stop United States citizens from traveling on their ships. The act, however, made no distinction between "aggressor" and "victim." Then in 1936 the act was expanded. It now barred government or private loans and credits and arm sales to warring nations, and did not restrict sales of raw materials. Then the Spanish Civil war made Congress pass the third Neutrality Act. This act extended the existing ban on loans and arms sales to warring nations, and the U.S. also covered factions in civil wars, such as Spain. Britain and France practiced appeasement on Hitler and Germany, which is essentially giving him what he wanted. When he attacked Poland after saying he wouldn't, Britain and France declared war against Germany. Then on December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, leading the United States to enter the war. There were many important events of World War Two, such as the Holocaust and D-Day, but there were also many important things happening on the American home front. Because of the Holocaust, the United States kept immigration restrictions from most European Jews. Also during the war, Congress ended many of the New Deal programs, such as WPA and CCC, but kept programs such as Social Security, farm price supports and minimum wage laws. Although the war was brutal and had many casualties on all sides, the American home front was experiencing good changes. The war improved life for many Americans. It ended unemployment, increased mobility, and laid a foundation for postwar economic surge. Like we saw in the Grand Coulee Dam documentary, many Americans got jobs and came out of poverty. There were also many advances in technology. Advances in RADAR and SONAR now made it easier for naval officers to detect oncoming ships and weapons. There was also a development in antibiotic drugs, computers, jet engines and guided missiles. Intelligence was increasing very rapidly. The Manhattan Project, which was a secret project to develop the atomic bomb, was well underway. Many famous scientists worked on this project that would eventually end the war. The draft was brought back too. It required males age 18-26 to join the military, although one could be omitted based on marital status, job skills or physical condition. While the men were at war, the women volunteered too. They took on the jobs men left behind, and also created programs to assist troops, such as the United Service Organization. They also volunteered in the military flying planes in non-combat zones, becoming nurses and joining the Red Cross. There was such a stereotypical scare in the United States against the Japanese that all Japanese were placed in internment camps. They were not injured or killed, just held there in case they were spies for Japan. Later in 1948, the United States acknowledged that mistakes had been made, and Congress offered token payments to wartime internees. The last major piece of legislation of the New Deal, the GI Bill, was passed. The bill provided returning servicemen unemployment benefits, medical coverage, home mortgage guarantees, small business loans, hiring preferences for government jobs and extremely generous education benefits. After 1945, the bill was the biggest, longest running and most successful New Deal legislature. FDR won re-election for a fourth term, with Harry S. Truman as his Vice President. FDR then dies on April 12, 1945, leaving Truman as president. Truman makes the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the war.
This chapter of American Horizons contains themes of economics and culture. During the war on the home front, there were many changes occurring. Women were volunteering in the war effort by joining branches of the military, such as flying planes in non war zones and becoming nurses, which had never been done before. There were also many advances in technology which would change American life forever. Some examples are new medicines, RADAR and SONAR, computers, jet engines and guided missiles. These improvements not only helped the war effort, but also at home. People would start to use computers in their everyday lives, and used medicine to cure their sicknesses. The war also helped the economy recover from the depression. It ended unemployment and brought people out of poverty. Since people were no longer in poverty, it was much easier for them to move up in class and become successful. Although there were many deaths and casualties on both sides of the war, it improved life for many Americans.
Casablanca La Marseillaise, Superman: Japoteurs and Superman: Secret Agent:
In each of the videos, Casablanca La Marseillaise, Superman: Japoteurs by Famous Studio and Superman: Secret Agent by Famous Studios, there is a strong sense of propaganda. In Casablanca, refugees from Nazi Germany begin singing their national anthem. Then the military starts singing their song louder, but the refugees sing even louder and get very emotional. All of the refugees are singing, overpowering the military.
This scene from Casablanca has aspects of culture in it. It is propaganda against Nazi Germany, displaying how the people will overcome Hitler and his Nazis. Although the people are saddened by the events of the war, they are string and will overcome it.
In the episode Japoteurs of Superman, the United States created the world's largest bombing plane. Clark Kent and Lois Lane go to see the plane, but when it is time to go, Lois Lane doesn't get off the plane. She stays to experience the first flight. However, the Japanese hijack the plane. Lois Lane calls for help, and the Japanese drop a bomb so the other planes cant get to them. Superman arrives and fights the Japanese. He saves the giant bomber, captures the Japanese and saves Lois Lane.
This episode contains the theme of culture, and a lot of American propaganda. The United States is displayed as the strong hero who will save the day, and no one can overpower them. The U.S. is strong, and will take down the Japanese and save its people, according to the propaganda. This shows how confident and patriotic the American people were in their country to win the war.
In the episode Secret Agent of Superman, a women, who is a secret agent, has a files of names on a group of men and their plan for destruction. This group of men are the Nazis, and the secret agent has to deliver the files to Washington D.C. As she tries to reach D.C., the men try and stop her. Superman comes and stops the men and brings the secret agent to D.C.
This episode also contains the theme of culture and American propaganda. Superman saves the day again by defeating the Nazis. This episode shows how the United States was going to succeed in stopping the Nazis in World War Two. America is a strong nation that will fight for what they believe in, and stop what they know is wrong. This episode shows how the United states cannot be stopped and they will defeat the Nazis.
Textbook Reading:
Chapter 25 of our textbook, American Horizons, discusses the Cold War. President Harry S. Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War Two. He had to decide between a full scale invasion of Japan with many casualties, both Japanese and American, or to drop the atomic bomb with casualties of Japanese civilians and military. Truman's decision to drop the bomb, along with other wartime decisions, led to 3 generations of competition with the communist Soviets that became known as the Cold War.
At the end of World War Two, the United States had a clear military and economic advantage over the Soviets. In the post colonial world, there was evidence that communism was a powerful force, and in order for the United States to succeed in the Cold War, Truman needed an appealing ideology to counter communist promises that gained popularity. The United States adopted containment as their foreign policy, and the Truman Doctrine was passed which said that the United States would fight communism wherever it might appear. Fear of communism spread all throughout the United States, which became known as the Red Scare. This Red scare led to restrictions of individual rights and systematic persecutions of diverse groups of American citizens. To take the Cold War a step further, the Soviets blockaded the city of Berlin, causing the United States to respond with the Berlin Airlift. U.S. transport planes carried food and coal into the city 24 hours a day for almost a year. The Soviets finally reopened the city on May 11, 1949. Then the U.S. received shocking news. On August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union successfully tested an atomic bomb. This meant that they were catching up to the U.S. in their intelligence. China then fell to communism under the leadership of Mao Zedong, and then communist North Korea invaded South Korea which lead to the Korean War.
At home, the Red scare was getting worse. People, such as government employees and actors in Hollywood, were being interrogated and tried to see if they had ties to communism. Future president Ronald Reagan was even tried to see if he was a communist. Women in America were also expected to move from being "Rosie the Riveter", back to the traditional role as a housewife. There was a lot of propaganda stressing that the best way for American women to help fight communism was by being homemakers. The Cold War in America was also a time of great racism. In the summer of 1946, there were a large number of lynching of blacks in the south by whites. President Truman's most significant Civil Rights achievement was the desegregation of the military. There was also desegregation in Major League Baseball. Jackie Robinson was the first black man to play in the major leagues. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and while playing he received a lot of hate form whites. However, that didn't stop him. He went on to win the National League Rookie of the Year in 1947. From the 1940s-1960s, many black southerners left the south to the north in seek of new opportunities and no racism. This, however, did not sit well with whites.
This chapter of American Horizons contains themes of demographics, economics and culture. As black southerners were moving to the north, the demographics began to change. This caused the whites to become angry, and worried about the effect of race and cheap black labor on the character of their communities. When it came to being tried to see if you were a communist, it didn't matter who you were. You could be a very famous actor, or a very powerful politician, but if there was suspicion that you were a communist, you were being tried. There is also a theme of economics. After World War Two, the economy recovered greatly. People now had jobs and were getting out of poverty. Finally, there is the theme of culture. When the war ends, the women are expected to give up their roles as "Rosie the Riveter" and return to being the traditional housewife. It was said that that was the best way for women to fight communism. The automobile also became a very popular and demanded form of transportation. Desegregation also began to emerge. Truman desegregated the military, and Jackie Robinson desegregated Major League Baseball. Although the Cold War was a time of competition with the Soviets, it was also a time of change on the American home front.
Duck and Cover:
During the Cold Warm after the Soviets successfully tested an atomic bomb, there was a possibility that they might use it in the United States, and the American people had to be ready. Around 1951, the Duck and Cover video came out. The video was shown in schools across America, and taught children how to prepare for an atomic bomb attack. The video begins with Bert the Turtle demonstrating ducking and covering. In schools, they practiced duck and cover for atomic bomb attacks like they practiced fire drills for a fire. Ducking and covering starts when you see a flash brighter than the sun. Sometimes you are warned of an atomic bomb attack, but other times you are not. So, when you see the flash, you duck and cover very quickly. You cover your neck and head, and stay down until the danger is over. Never duck by a window, because they glass will break and could cut you. Get against a wall and duck and cover. This video was shown in schools so children would be ready if there was an attack and there were no adults around to help them.
In this video, there is a theme of culture. During the Cold War, many Americans were terrified of the Red scare. They had to worry about fighting communism, and now an atomic bomb. However, many Americans didn't know the full extent of the damage that can be done by the atomic bomb. Most adults could figure out that there would be a lot of damage done, which made them scared. But for the children being showed these videos, they didn't know what was going on, and they didn't really care. The adults were the ones that had to worry about this kind of thing. There was a sense of fear in America during this time, and these videos were shown to prepare adults and children for an attack.
The House in the Middle:
Along with the Duck and Cover video, the video The House in the Middle came out around 1954. This video was to prepare homeowners and communities for the atomic bomb. The video contains a series of tests on houses that have different levels of cleanliness. There was a one house that was not taken care of and was neglected, another that was somewhat neglected, and then one that was very clean and taken care of. After all the tests, the clean and taken care of house, the house in the middle, was the one that withstood the bomb. The main point of this video was to keep your house and the community tidy, well painted and taken care of because if you don't, your house might be the one that is doomed in the atomic attack.
Culture is also a theme present in this video. People were going to do everything they could to try to protect their homes and communities from the atomic bomb. Many were afraid of the effects that the bomb could have, although many didn't know the extent of the damage and devastation. They were shown the video to be as prepared as possible for the atomic bomb, and they were expected to listen to the video.
Bibliography:
AllHistories, dir. "The Crash of 1929 and The Great Depression." Youtube. Youtube, 12 March
2010. Web. 20 March 2014.
apotheounSTK, dir. "Superman- Japoteurs." Youtube. Youtube, 12 July 2009. Web. 20 March 2014.
Bezis-Selfa, John, Greenwood, Janette Thomas, Kirk, Andrew, Purcell, Sarah J., Schaller,
Michael, Schulzinger, Robert D., Sheehan-Dean, Aaron. American Horizons. New York:
Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.
CortoMaltese86, dir. "Casablanca La Marseillaise." Youtube. Youtube, 6 October 2009. Web. 20
March 2014.
CrazyToonWorld, dir. "Superman- Super Agent." Youtube. Youtube, 23 April 2010. Web. 20 March
2014.
Ives, Stephen, dir. "The Grand Coulee Dam." American Experience. PBS, 2012. Web. 20 March
2014.
Jay P, dir. "Duck and Cover." Youtube. Youtube, 16 May 2006. Web. 20 March 2014.
Nuclear Vault, dir. "The House in the Middle." Youtube. Youtube, 28 August 2009. Web. 20
March 2014.
Chapter 23 of our textbook, American Horizons, talks about the Great Depression and the New Deal. The New Deal was FDR's program to restore the economy and save the nation form the Great Depression. During his presidency, FDR dramatically expanded the role played by the federal government in managing the economy and improving human suffering. He made government more inclusive and attentive to the needs of small farmers, workers, women and African Americans. During the Great Depression, there was major unemployment. Employers couldn't afford to keep workers, which led to the huge levels of unemployment. It was nearly impossible to find a job. To fix this problem, FDR called on the states and federal government to create relief programs, unemployment insurance and old age pensions. He pledged to use federal power to ensure a more equitable distribution of income and promised "bold experimentation" in pursuit of the New Deal. While in office, FDR held fireside chats, which were fourteen minute radio addresses discussing the causes of the Great Depression and how it was going to be fixed. On Monday, March 13, after listening to the fireside chats, people began depositing cash in newly opened, federally supervised banks. FDR's first hundred days in office became famous. In this time period, he overcame Congress to pass fourteen major pieces of legislation. He stabilized the banking system, regulated the stock market, protected property owners, helped farmers and provided emergency relief to the unemployed. The Social Security Act was also passed. This act had each generation of younger workers contributing to the system that financed the retirement benefits received by older workers, and in return they would benefit in the same way when they reached age 65. Many people were against this act, however. They didn't want to pay taxes, or they denounced government involvement in worker-employee relations. A new burst of reforms emerged, known as the Second New Deal. The largest program that came out of the Second New Deal was the Works Progress Administration, which gave the unemployed meaningful labor. Life in the 1930s began to change. There were still newspapers and magazines, but radio and movies, which had sound and color, began to take over life. Means of transportation also changed. For example, people now used flying on planes as a way of transportation. Women also became involved in the New Deal, supporting women's voting rights and industrial safety. The last major New Deal reform before World War Two was the Fair Labor Standards Act. This act banned child labor, established federal minimum wage starting at 40 cents per hour, and set standard work week at 40 hours. FDR's plan for saving the nation from the Great Depression was successful, and we still see some of the programs enacted during that time being used today.
In this chapter of American Horizons, economics, politics, culture and demography are all present. Economics is a major theme in this chapter. The nation's economy was in very bad shape due to the Great Depression. The unemployment rate was extremely high, and many people were in poverty. FDR's New Deal, his plan to save the nation, helped many of these people recover. It also helped the economy recover. This also helped FDR's political campaign. The American people believed in him so much that he was in office for a third term, the only president to have ever done so. Life in the 1930s began to change, which brings us to culture. Radio and movies became very popular, and movies had sound and color. People started flying on airplanes to travel, which was much faster. Finally, the demography of the people that were affected by the depression were middle class and poor people. The very wealthy people were still affected, but they were still wealthy. For the most part, they didn't go into poverty. The people affected by the depression were saved by FDR's New Deal.
The Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression:
This documentary by American Experience talks about the Great Depression and the crash of 1929.The 1920s, also know as the "Roaring Twenties" was a time of prosperity, and a New Era. The people thought this time of great prosperity would last forever. They became very involved in the stock market, which people saw as a new way to make a fortune. There were a number of men who became rich off the stock market, some being Jesse Livermore, William C. Durant, Charles Mitchell and Groucho Marx. This was also the dawn of the consumer revolution, where new products were being made and people could buy on credit. The phrase "buy now pay later" became the phrase for consumer credit. Many people involved in the stock market followed the advice of astrologers, and some even put their entire life savings into the stock market, life Groucho Marx. Most stocks were regulated by regulators, however, at this time that was legal. They would make the stock look like its doing well so people would buy it, then it crashes and people lose their money. Michael Meehan was one of the most successful Wall Street pools. Then a man named Roger Babson predicted that there would be a crash in the market, but no one believed him. The economy became dependent on buying on margin, and as a result of this everyone tried to borrow money to save their stocks. Charles Mitchell stopped the first crash of 1929 by giving $25 million of credit to cover stocks. The market was saved, but people were getting poorer and poorer and getting into debt. then on September 3, the market hit an all time high. After that the market kept going up and down. Then, on Tuesday, October 29, everyone wanted to sell their stocks, and as a result the market crashed. Everything the people had was gone, and many people were in serious debt. Some people resorted to suicide because they had nothing left, like Jesse Livermore. The crash left Mitchell $12 million in debt, but he made a remarkable comeback, and in 1936, Durant filed for bankruptcy. After the crash, no one knew the depression was coming, but deep down they knew the roaring twenties were over.
Some of the themes present in this video are economics, culture and demography. The economy of the United States became dependent on buying on margin, which caused people to get into huge debt. When the market crashed, so did the economy. Unemployment rates rose dramatically, and many people were in poverty. This caused a change in culture. People had to change the way they lived dramatically. They could only buy things the absolutely needed, and they had to search for a job every day. Everyone was effected by the crash, especially the people involved in the stock market. The people who owned stocks had to basically start over financially, because they had nothing. The stock market crash of 1929 caused many problems in the United Sates and around the world.
Grand Coulee Dam:
The documentary by American Experience discusses the Grand Coulee Dam. The Grand Coulee Dam became known as the "dam unlike any other," and it "contained the mighty Columbia." The Columbia River is 258,000 square miles, and was the economic lifeline of a nation, providing food (salmon) and a source of trade. Grand Coulee was a big ditch before the dam was built. Billy Clap was the man who thought of the idea to build a dam at Grand Coulee. Eastern Washington had good soil, but no water. It was like a desert. The dam would "make the desert into a garden" and provide people with electricity. When the stock market crashed in 1929, FDR saw building the dam as fitting in with the "plan for promised land." Part of the dam was to be built on Indian Reservations, which made the Indian people very unhappy. When the dam was being built, there was little consideration about the changes it would bring, such as the salmon traveling upstream, rapids and the Indian land. However, the dam was built anyway. The dam was going to deliver jobs, farms and electricity. In addition to the dam, a reservoir was going to be created for power and irrigation. As many as 100,000 jobs were created to build the dam, however the workers weren't treated very well. They never got a break, and the conditions were terrible. A total of 72 men died on the project. To give the dam publicity, Woody Guthrie was hired for a documentary about the dam. He wrote the song "Roll on Columbia." Then America entered World War two. The dam helped the war effort, and President Truman said that without the Grand Coulee Dam, the war wouldn't have been won. The Grand Coulee did a number of things, good and bad. It was known as the "greatest thing built by man", it put the Columbia salmon on the endangered animals list, it helped defeat the Japanese and the Great Depression, it made the desert into a garden, destroyed Indian life, and eliminated salmon.
In this documentary on the Grand Coulee Dam by American Experience, the themes of economics, and culture are present. FDR saw the creation of the dam as helping the economy recover from the depression. He decided to have it built, which gave thousands of people jobs. This helped the economy recover very much. The unemployment rate went down, and people were getting out of poverty. The dam also influenced culture very much. The dam provided electricity and made the desert into a garden. The dam also took away the Indian's land, and eliminated the salmon. The Indians had to change their ways of life completely because of the dam. Although the dam brought many good things, it also brought bad things for the Indians.
Textbook Readings:
Chapter 24 of our textbook, American Horizons, discusses World War Two. There were several issues that sparked World War Two, such as nationalism, competition for colonies, and security fears. In 1935, the United States passed the Neutrality Act, which states that if war exists between foreign nations, the United States government must impose an embargo of arms sales to the warring states, and stop United States citizens from traveling on their ships. The act, however, made no distinction between "aggressor" and "victim." Then in 1936 the act was expanded. It now barred government or private loans and credits and arm sales to warring nations, and did not restrict sales of raw materials. Then the Spanish Civil war made Congress pass the third Neutrality Act. This act extended the existing ban on loans and arms sales to warring nations, and the U.S. also covered factions in civil wars, such as Spain. Britain and France practiced appeasement on Hitler and Germany, which is essentially giving him what he wanted. When he attacked Poland after saying he wouldn't, Britain and France declared war against Germany. Then on December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, leading the United States to enter the war. There were many important events of World War Two, such as the Holocaust and D-Day, but there were also many important things happening on the American home front. Because of the Holocaust, the United States kept immigration restrictions from most European Jews. Also during the war, Congress ended many of the New Deal programs, such as WPA and CCC, but kept programs such as Social Security, farm price supports and minimum wage laws. Although the war was brutal and had many casualties on all sides, the American home front was experiencing good changes. The war improved life for many Americans. It ended unemployment, increased mobility, and laid a foundation for postwar economic surge. Like we saw in the Grand Coulee Dam documentary, many Americans got jobs and came out of poverty. There were also many advances in technology. Advances in RADAR and SONAR now made it easier for naval officers to detect oncoming ships and weapons. There was also a development in antibiotic drugs, computers, jet engines and guided missiles. Intelligence was increasing very rapidly. The Manhattan Project, which was a secret project to develop the atomic bomb, was well underway. Many famous scientists worked on this project that would eventually end the war. The draft was brought back too. It required males age 18-26 to join the military, although one could be omitted based on marital status, job skills or physical condition. While the men were at war, the women volunteered too. They took on the jobs men left behind, and also created programs to assist troops, such as the United Service Organization. They also volunteered in the military flying planes in non-combat zones, becoming nurses and joining the Red Cross. There was such a stereotypical scare in the United States against the Japanese that all Japanese were placed in internment camps. They were not injured or killed, just held there in case they were spies for Japan. Later in 1948, the United States acknowledged that mistakes had been made, and Congress offered token payments to wartime internees. The last major piece of legislation of the New Deal, the GI Bill, was passed. The bill provided returning servicemen unemployment benefits, medical coverage, home mortgage guarantees, small business loans, hiring preferences for government jobs and extremely generous education benefits. After 1945, the bill was the biggest, longest running and most successful New Deal legislature. FDR won re-election for a fourth term, with Harry S. Truman as his Vice President. FDR then dies on April 12, 1945, leaving Truman as president. Truman makes the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the war.
This chapter of American Horizons contains themes of economics and culture. During the war on the home front, there were many changes occurring. Women were volunteering in the war effort by joining branches of the military, such as flying planes in non war zones and becoming nurses, which had never been done before. There were also many advances in technology which would change American life forever. Some examples are new medicines, RADAR and SONAR, computers, jet engines and guided missiles. These improvements not only helped the war effort, but also at home. People would start to use computers in their everyday lives, and used medicine to cure their sicknesses. The war also helped the economy recover from the depression. It ended unemployment and brought people out of poverty. Since people were no longer in poverty, it was much easier for them to move up in class and become successful. Although there were many deaths and casualties on both sides of the war, it improved life for many Americans.
Casablanca La Marseillaise, Superman: Japoteurs and Superman: Secret Agent:
In each of the videos, Casablanca La Marseillaise, Superman: Japoteurs by Famous Studio and Superman: Secret Agent by Famous Studios, there is a strong sense of propaganda. In Casablanca, refugees from Nazi Germany begin singing their national anthem. Then the military starts singing their song louder, but the refugees sing even louder and get very emotional. All of the refugees are singing, overpowering the military.
This scene from Casablanca has aspects of culture in it. It is propaganda against Nazi Germany, displaying how the people will overcome Hitler and his Nazis. Although the people are saddened by the events of the war, they are string and will overcome it.
In the episode Japoteurs of Superman, the United States created the world's largest bombing plane. Clark Kent and Lois Lane go to see the plane, but when it is time to go, Lois Lane doesn't get off the plane. She stays to experience the first flight. However, the Japanese hijack the plane. Lois Lane calls for help, and the Japanese drop a bomb so the other planes cant get to them. Superman arrives and fights the Japanese. He saves the giant bomber, captures the Japanese and saves Lois Lane.
This episode contains the theme of culture, and a lot of American propaganda. The United States is displayed as the strong hero who will save the day, and no one can overpower them. The U.S. is strong, and will take down the Japanese and save its people, according to the propaganda. This shows how confident and patriotic the American people were in their country to win the war.
In the episode Secret Agent of Superman, a women, who is a secret agent, has a files of names on a group of men and their plan for destruction. This group of men are the Nazis, and the secret agent has to deliver the files to Washington D.C. As she tries to reach D.C., the men try and stop her. Superman comes and stops the men and brings the secret agent to D.C.
This episode also contains the theme of culture and American propaganda. Superman saves the day again by defeating the Nazis. This episode shows how the United States was going to succeed in stopping the Nazis in World War Two. America is a strong nation that will fight for what they believe in, and stop what they know is wrong. This episode shows how the United states cannot be stopped and they will defeat the Nazis.
Textbook Reading:
Chapter 25 of our textbook, American Horizons, discusses the Cold War. President Harry S. Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War Two. He had to decide between a full scale invasion of Japan with many casualties, both Japanese and American, or to drop the atomic bomb with casualties of Japanese civilians and military. Truman's decision to drop the bomb, along with other wartime decisions, led to 3 generations of competition with the communist Soviets that became known as the Cold War.
At the end of World War Two, the United States had a clear military and economic advantage over the Soviets. In the post colonial world, there was evidence that communism was a powerful force, and in order for the United States to succeed in the Cold War, Truman needed an appealing ideology to counter communist promises that gained popularity. The United States adopted containment as their foreign policy, and the Truman Doctrine was passed which said that the United States would fight communism wherever it might appear. Fear of communism spread all throughout the United States, which became known as the Red Scare. This Red scare led to restrictions of individual rights and systematic persecutions of diverse groups of American citizens. To take the Cold War a step further, the Soviets blockaded the city of Berlin, causing the United States to respond with the Berlin Airlift. U.S. transport planes carried food and coal into the city 24 hours a day for almost a year. The Soviets finally reopened the city on May 11, 1949. Then the U.S. received shocking news. On August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union successfully tested an atomic bomb. This meant that they were catching up to the U.S. in their intelligence. China then fell to communism under the leadership of Mao Zedong, and then communist North Korea invaded South Korea which lead to the Korean War.
At home, the Red scare was getting worse. People, such as government employees and actors in Hollywood, were being interrogated and tried to see if they had ties to communism. Future president Ronald Reagan was even tried to see if he was a communist. Women in America were also expected to move from being "Rosie the Riveter", back to the traditional role as a housewife. There was a lot of propaganda stressing that the best way for American women to help fight communism was by being homemakers. The Cold War in America was also a time of great racism. In the summer of 1946, there were a large number of lynching of blacks in the south by whites. President Truman's most significant Civil Rights achievement was the desegregation of the military. There was also desegregation in Major League Baseball. Jackie Robinson was the first black man to play in the major leagues. He played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and while playing he received a lot of hate form whites. However, that didn't stop him. He went on to win the National League Rookie of the Year in 1947. From the 1940s-1960s, many black southerners left the south to the north in seek of new opportunities and no racism. This, however, did not sit well with whites.
This chapter of American Horizons contains themes of demographics, economics and culture. As black southerners were moving to the north, the demographics began to change. This caused the whites to become angry, and worried about the effect of race and cheap black labor on the character of their communities. When it came to being tried to see if you were a communist, it didn't matter who you were. You could be a very famous actor, or a very powerful politician, but if there was suspicion that you were a communist, you were being tried. There is also a theme of economics. After World War Two, the economy recovered greatly. People now had jobs and were getting out of poverty. Finally, there is the theme of culture. When the war ends, the women are expected to give up their roles as "Rosie the Riveter" and return to being the traditional housewife. It was said that that was the best way for women to fight communism. The automobile also became a very popular and demanded form of transportation. Desegregation also began to emerge. Truman desegregated the military, and Jackie Robinson desegregated Major League Baseball. Although the Cold War was a time of competition with the Soviets, it was also a time of change on the American home front.
Duck and Cover:
During the Cold Warm after the Soviets successfully tested an atomic bomb, there was a possibility that they might use it in the United States, and the American people had to be ready. Around 1951, the Duck and Cover video came out. The video was shown in schools across America, and taught children how to prepare for an atomic bomb attack. The video begins with Bert the Turtle demonstrating ducking and covering. In schools, they practiced duck and cover for atomic bomb attacks like they practiced fire drills for a fire. Ducking and covering starts when you see a flash brighter than the sun. Sometimes you are warned of an atomic bomb attack, but other times you are not. So, when you see the flash, you duck and cover very quickly. You cover your neck and head, and stay down until the danger is over. Never duck by a window, because they glass will break and could cut you. Get against a wall and duck and cover. This video was shown in schools so children would be ready if there was an attack and there were no adults around to help them.
In this video, there is a theme of culture. During the Cold War, many Americans were terrified of the Red scare. They had to worry about fighting communism, and now an atomic bomb. However, many Americans didn't know the full extent of the damage that can be done by the atomic bomb. Most adults could figure out that there would be a lot of damage done, which made them scared. But for the children being showed these videos, they didn't know what was going on, and they didn't really care. The adults were the ones that had to worry about this kind of thing. There was a sense of fear in America during this time, and these videos were shown to prepare adults and children for an attack.
The House in the Middle:
Along with the Duck and Cover video, the video The House in the Middle came out around 1954. This video was to prepare homeowners and communities for the atomic bomb. The video contains a series of tests on houses that have different levels of cleanliness. There was a one house that was not taken care of and was neglected, another that was somewhat neglected, and then one that was very clean and taken care of. After all the tests, the clean and taken care of house, the house in the middle, was the one that withstood the bomb. The main point of this video was to keep your house and the community tidy, well painted and taken care of because if you don't, your house might be the one that is doomed in the atomic attack.
Culture is also a theme present in this video. People were going to do everything they could to try to protect their homes and communities from the atomic bomb. Many were afraid of the effects that the bomb could have, although many didn't know the extent of the damage and devastation. They were shown the video to be as prepared as possible for the atomic bomb, and they were expected to listen to the video.
Bibliography:
AllHistories, dir. "The Crash of 1929 and The Great Depression." Youtube. Youtube, 12 March
2010. Web. 20 March 2014.
apotheounSTK, dir. "Superman- Japoteurs." Youtube. Youtube, 12 July 2009. Web. 20 March 2014.
Bezis-Selfa, John, Greenwood, Janette Thomas, Kirk, Andrew, Purcell, Sarah J., Schaller,
Michael, Schulzinger, Robert D., Sheehan-Dean, Aaron. American Horizons. New York:
Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.
CortoMaltese86, dir. "Casablanca La Marseillaise." Youtube. Youtube, 6 October 2009. Web. 20
March 2014.
CrazyToonWorld, dir. "Superman- Super Agent." Youtube. Youtube, 23 April 2010. Web. 20 March
2014.
Ives, Stephen, dir. "The Grand Coulee Dam." American Experience. PBS, 2012. Web. 20 March
2014.
Jay P, dir. "Duck and Cover." Youtube. Youtube, 16 May 2006. Web. 20 March 2014.
Nuclear Vault, dir. "The House in the Middle." Youtube. Youtube, 28 August 2009. Web. 20
March 2014.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
New Deal Comment
Referring back to what one of my classmates said, Hoover didn't really do anything to help the people during the time of the depression. I found it very interesting that there were such odd ways that people wanted to deal with the unemployed during the depression, such as kill the old and the weak, and freeze the unemployed and thaw them out when prosperity returned. Those are very extreme ideas. The people needed hope, and FDR gave that to them by the New Deal. The programs helped them recover from the Great Depression.
Blog Two: Progressive Era, World War One and the Twenties
Textbook Readings: Chapter 20 of our textbook, American Horizons, discusses the Progressive Era. There was a "social problem", which included labor problems, poverty, slums, disease, social fragmentation and ineffective city governments. The progressives sought to change this. Progressives were a diverse international group of reformers who sought reform, not revolution. They demanded state intervention to offset the power of corporation and fought against monopolies. They also sought to connect diverse peoples and interests. There were many obvious problems in the cities that the progressives wanted to change, such as filth, pollution, unclean water, and a lack of sanitary sewage systems brought disease into the cities. They strongly believed in "good government", which is honest, efficient government that would work for good of all citizens. In a fight to achieve good government, the National Municipal League was formed that organized reform tickets that managed to get rid of some of the nations most prominent political machines, including Tammany Hall in New York City in 1901. There were also a group of progressives who fought for the ban of alcohol. Many people fought for Prohibition, and as a result the 18th amendment, barring the manufacture and sale of alcohol in the United States, was passed. Although the progressive era was about reform and change, it also caused racial segregation on the nation's cities. Jim Crow laws, or segregation laws, were created, black people were being lynched, and the court case of Plessy vs. Ferguson declared separate but equal. As a result, the National Association for Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was created. The NAACP investigated and publicized lynchings and condemned segregation of federal offices. One of the progressives main goal was good governments. They worked to achieve this by establishing the initiative, referendum, and recall. The initiative made it possible for voters to place legislation directly before the electorate for a vote in general elections, the referendum allowed voters to repeal state legislation they did not approve of and the recall gave voters power to remove any public official who in their view did not act for the public good. The 17th amendment was also passed, which mandated the direct election of United States senators. During this time, labor unions were rising to protect workers in the workplace. The most inclusive labor union in history was the American Federation of Labor. Another big part of the progressive era was when women got the right to vote through the 19th amendment. The progressives sought change in many areas of social life, and did many things to achieve that change.
In this chapter of American Horizons, politics, geography, culture and demography all have a role. During the Progressive Era, the left was looking to get rid of capitalism all together, and establish socialism or communism, where everyone is equal. On the other hand of the political spectrum, people still believed in liberalism, and laissez-faire. The geography of the progressive era is also relevant. Progressivism wasn't only in the United States, it was global. The progressives themselves were mostly young, optimistic, middle class educated people, which is where demography comes in. Finally, there is culture. The progressives were seeking reform of many social aspects, like reform in the workplace, cleaning up the city, and making living conditions much better. There were also many immigrants during this time living and working in the cities that the progressives wanted to reform, and some people expected those immigrants to assimilate to American culture.
The Triangle Fire:
In the American Experience episode "The Triangle Fire", by PBS, we learn all there is to know about the Triangle Shirtwaist tragedy. Max Blanck and Isaac Harris were immigrant tailors from Europe, and the owners of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. When competitors started rising, the owners decided to make the most product for the lowest price. This caused terrible working conditions. Most of the workers were immigrant women, teenagers and young girls who needed to work to help support their families. They had fourteen hour work days, and made two dollars a day. There were very dangerous conditions, and the workers were always being looked over, and they weren't allowed a break for a drink, or to go to the bathroom. If they messed up an article of clothing their pay was docked, and when the work day was over, Blanck ordered the foreman who watched the workers to search their bags for any stolen items. He also kept one of the exit doors to the street locked so the workers couldn't sneak out. The workers got fed up with these conditions, and decided to go on strike. Everyday for six weeks, the women stood their strike outside the factory. Blanck and Harris hired prostitutes to beat the strikers while they stood their strike. The workers wanted a union, shorter hours and higher wages. The Triangle workers got the shorter hours and higher wages, but no union, and no fixed conditions. Then, on March 25, 1911, tragedy struck the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. A fire was started on the eight floor of the building by a dropped cigarette. Blanck and Harris were on the tenth floor and got word of the fire. They were able to escape to the roof and go to the next building over. However, no one told the sewing girls on the ninth floor. When the girls realized, it was almost too late. The everyday exit was blocked by fire. Some made it to the fire escape and the elevator. But then, the fire escape fell from the building, and the last elevator made its trip, causing girls to fall and jump into the elevator shaft. The only other exit was the Washington Place stairway, but that was the exit that Blanck kept locked, and no one had the key. Not even the foremen who watch the women. When the firemen arrived to the scene and extended their ladders, they barely reached the sixth floor. They were helpless. Some women braced each other and jumped out the windows, others fell out when the glass broke. A total of 145 were dead in this tragedy. 53 jumped/fell out the windows, 19 in the elevator shaft, 20 fell of the fallen fire escape, and 50 burned to death. One jumper survived, but then died five days later. All but 23 women died. The bodies were lined up along the East River for identification. Max Blanck and Isaac Harris were charged for manslaughter, however, they were later acquitted because they claimed to have no way of knowing that the Washington place exit was locked. This tragedy set the standards for minimum wage, working conditions, and hours.
In this episode of American Experience, demography, culture and economics are present. The workers of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory were mostly immigrant women, teenagers, and girls. They were poor and needed this job to help support their families. The culture of these factories were all the same. Poor conditions, long hours, and very low wages. These women in the Triangle Factory were working to change these things, and they succeed. They achieved shorter hours and longer pay. Unfortunately, it wasn't until after the fire that the conditions were improved. Economics was also a factor. Blanck and Harris saw their factory falling behind the competition, so they had to keep up. They decided to make as much product for the lowest cost. They wanted to make as much money as they could without wasting any time and money.
It is really unfortunate and upsetting that change could only be brought about after a terrible tragedy. These women worked so hard to bring change to the workplace, and even though they made some changes, the one they needed most didn't come until they lost their lives.
The Poisoners Handbook:
In another episode of American Experience by PBS, "The Poisoners Handbook", we see how the science of forensics comes into light. Charles Norris was the chief medical examiner at Bellevue Hospital. Norris believed that murder convictions should be based on science and facts, not what connections you had with coroners. Norris then began working with Alexander Gettler, a toxicologist who built the toxicology lab himself. Norris and Gettler worked on murder cases involving poison, including cyanide, arsenic, methanol, carbon monoxide, denatured alcohol, radium and thallium. The episode gives examples of a case involving each poison stated above. One very interesting case is of a women named Fanny Creighton. Fanny was a young wife and mother, who took in her brother. He then one day dropped dead. Gettler found arsenic in the brother's body, and Fanny and her husband her charged with murder. They then got off by telling the brother's "side" of the story, which turns out that they made it up. Fanny was then charged with poisoning her mother-in-law, but then was found not guilty for that case as well. Many years went by, and Gettler and Norris were solving many other cases involving different poisons. Then in the 1930s, Ada Applegate was found dead with arsenic in her body. It just so happens that Fanny lived with Ada and her family. Using forensic science, Gettler was able to prove that Fanny killed Ada, and that she also killed her brother and her mother-in-law several years before. Fanny was then sentenced to death in the electric chair. Charles Norris and Alexander Gettler introduced forensic science into the world of crime, and therefore making it almost impossible to get away with poison murder.
In this episode, culture and politics are relevant. Norris and Gettler made forensic science the way to solve a murder crime involving poison. Before these two men, there was coroners incompetence, which is when if someone had the right connections, they could get away with murder. Norris, as the chief medical examiner, found this to be wrong. He and Gettler changed the system so that science was the deciding factor of the outcome of a case. They made it almost impossible to get away with poison murder. Politics also plays a role. When coroners incompetence was still around, anyone could commit a murder and get away with it if they had the right connections. Norris and Gettler changed this way of thinking.
Textbook Readings:
Chapter twenty-one of American Horizons discusses the Great War, World War One. World War One lasted from 1914-1918. The war led to the overthrow of the monarchies in Germany and Austria-Hungary, the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East, the replacement of the Russian czar by a revolutionary communist government, and the United States and Japan emerged as major world powers. What exactly caused the war? The war was essentially started when the Austrian heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated. The war split between two sets of allies, the Central Powers, consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Ottoman Turkey, and the Allies, consisting of Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy and Japan(after the war began). A majority of the war was fought in trenches. The soldiers basically lived in a trench in the ground and fought. They had rapid fire rifles, machine guns, long-range artillery with highly explosive shells and poisonous gas. The president of the United States at the time, Woodrow Wilson, issued a neutrality declaration, however when German U-boats torpedoed the Lusitania killing 1,200 of 2,000 passengers and crew, including 128 Americans, Wilson threatened retaliation against Germany unless they stopped submarine attacks on civilian vessels and paid reparations for the sinking. Then the United States intervened a telegram from Germany to Mexico, the Zimmerman Telegram, and German submarines sank five American ships, killing dozens of sailors and wounding many others. On April 2, 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany. The United States would enter the war as an "associated power" rather than a formal ally of Britain and France. The war caused changes at home in America. Propaganda emerged, posters with Uncle Sam telling you to join the war effort. There was also a draft. Wilson developed the 14 Points, and wanted to create a League of Nations, which was a world forum intended to incorporate the ultimate peace settlement. Germany surrendered from the war in November 1918, however the Versailles Treaty was rejected, along with the League of Nations membership.
In this chapter of American Horizons, economics, politics and culture are very relevant. War, as we know, is very costly. World War One cost every nation involved large sums of money. Damage had to be paid for, weapons had to be paid for, as well as food for the soldiers and things of that nature. War is also very political. President Wilson had to make the right decision when asking Congress to declare war on Germany. War also has an effect on relations with the countries it goes to war with. These relations can improve politically, however, they can also get worse. Culture is also relevant in this chapter. The culture in America was changing. War propaganda was emerging, and women began working to support the war effort and their families while the men were fighting the war. Economics, politics and culture are relevant in this chapter.
Finally, chapter twenty-two of American Horizons discusses the 1920s. The 1920s was a prosperous time. New technology emerged, such as the radio. The automobile industry also became huge. Henry Ford began mass production and used the assembly line, producing more cars faster and easier. Cars were also being sold abroad, and there were production plants in other countries as well. There was a new kind of advertising emerging. Famous people were now in the ads, attracting more people to the product that was being advertised. There was also a rise in interest in popular entertainment, such as movies and sports. Baseball was very big, and so were college football games. The new woman also emerged: the flapper. They flapper wore short skirts, and her behavior was seen as scandalous. The flapper embodied a new understanding of female sexuality. Some people were beginning to lose faith in traditional American values, and grew alienated after World War One. Although the twenties were very prosperous, there were also some setbacks. There were many religious disputes happening, between creationism and evolution. Prohibition was also during this time period, creating more organized crime, along with the creation of speakeasies(hidden bars) and bootlegging alcohol. Hostility of outsiders was also a setback. There were restrictions against immigration, and the KKK emerged again as anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic and anti-Jewish. However, the racism didn't stop the Harlem Renaissance. Many black authors and artists emerged during this time. They wrote poems, played jazz music, and made art. The 1920s was a time of great prosperity that would soon come to an end when the stock market would crash, causing the Great Depression.
This chapter of American Horizons has aspects of culture and economics. The culture of the 1920s is different than any time period before it. New technologies were emerging, cars were being developed faster and easier, entertainment was huge, and women were seen very differently. Not everyone liked the way the American culture was going, however. Some people wanted to maintain the traditional American values and didn't take part in the new way of life. Economics was also very prevalent. With all he new technology and entertainment, more money was being circulated. Also, cars were being sold and made abroad, strengthening ties in those countries and bringing in more revenue. The roaring twenties was a very prosperous time that would unfortunately come to an end with the Great Depression.
Bibliography:
Bezis-Selfa, John, Greenwood, Janette Thomas, Kirk, Andrew, Purcell, Sarah J., Schaller,
Michael, Schulzinger, Robert D., Sheehan-Dean, Aaron. American Horizons. New York:
Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.
Rapley, Rob, dir. "The Poisoner's Handbook." American Experience. PBS. Web. 5 Feb. 2014.
Wright, Jamila, dir. "The Triangle Fire." American Experience. PBS. Web. 6 Feb. 2014.
In this chapter of American Horizons, politics, geography, culture and demography all have a role. During the Progressive Era, the left was looking to get rid of capitalism all together, and establish socialism or communism, where everyone is equal. On the other hand of the political spectrum, people still believed in liberalism, and laissez-faire. The geography of the progressive era is also relevant. Progressivism wasn't only in the United States, it was global. The progressives themselves were mostly young, optimistic, middle class educated people, which is where demography comes in. Finally, there is culture. The progressives were seeking reform of many social aspects, like reform in the workplace, cleaning up the city, and making living conditions much better. There were also many immigrants during this time living and working in the cities that the progressives wanted to reform, and some people expected those immigrants to assimilate to American culture.
The Triangle Fire:
In the American Experience episode "The Triangle Fire", by PBS, we learn all there is to know about the Triangle Shirtwaist tragedy. Max Blanck and Isaac Harris were immigrant tailors from Europe, and the owners of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. When competitors started rising, the owners decided to make the most product for the lowest price. This caused terrible working conditions. Most of the workers were immigrant women, teenagers and young girls who needed to work to help support their families. They had fourteen hour work days, and made two dollars a day. There were very dangerous conditions, and the workers were always being looked over, and they weren't allowed a break for a drink, or to go to the bathroom. If they messed up an article of clothing their pay was docked, and when the work day was over, Blanck ordered the foreman who watched the workers to search their bags for any stolen items. He also kept one of the exit doors to the street locked so the workers couldn't sneak out. The workers got fed up with these conditions, and decided to go on strike. Everyday for six weeks, the women stood their strike outside the factory. Blanck and Harris hired prostitutes to beat the strikers while they stood their strike. The workers wanted a union, shorter hours and higher wages. The Triangle workers got the shorter hours and higher wages, but no union, and no fixed conditions. Then, on March 25, 1911, tragedy struck the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. A fire was started on the eight floor of the building by a dropped cigarette. Blanck and Harris were on the tenth floor and got word of the fire. They were able to escape to the roof and go to the next building over. However, no one told the sewing girls on the ninth floor. When the girls realized, it was almost too late. The everyday exit was blocked by fire. Some made it to the fire escape and the elevator. But then, the fire escape fell from the building, and the last elevator made its trip, causing girls to fall and jump into the elevator shaft. The only other exit was the Washington Place stairway, but that was the exit that Blanck kept locked, and no one had the key. Not even the foremen who watch the women. When the firemen arrived to the scene and extended their ladders, they barely reached the sixth floor. They were helpless. Some women braced each other and jumped out the windows, others fell out when the glass broke. A total of 145 were dead in this tragedy. 53 jumped/fell out the windows, 19 in the elevator shaft, 20 fell of the fallen fire escape, and 50 burned to death. One jumper survived, but then died five days later. All but 23 women died. The bodies were lined up along the East River for identification. Max Blanck and Isaac Harris were charged for manslaughter, however, they were later acquitted because they claimed to have no way of knowing that the Washington place exit was locked. This tragedy set the standards for minimum wage, working conditions, and hours.
In this episode of American Experience, demography, culture and economics are present. The workers of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory were mostly immigrant women, teenagers, and girls. They were poor and needed this job to help support their families. The culture of these factories were all the same. Poor conditions, long hours, and very low wages. These women in the Triangle Factory were working to change these things, and they succeed. They achieved shorter hours and longer pay. Unfortunately, it wasn't until after the fire that the conditions were improved. Economics was also a factor. Blanck and Harris saw their factory falling behind the competition, so they had to keep up. They decided to make as much product for the lowest cost. They wanted to make as much money as they could without wasting any time and money.
It is really unfortunate and upsetting that change could only be brought about after a terrible tragedy. These women worked so hard to bring change to the workplace, and even though they made some changes, the one they needed most didn't come until they lost their lives.
The Poisoners Handbook:
In another episode of American Experience by PBS, "The Poisoners Handbook", we see how the science of forensics comes into light. Charles Norris was the chief medical examiner at Bellevue Hospital. Norris believed that murder convictions should be based on science and facts, not what connections you had with coroners. Norris then began working with Alexander Gettler, a toxicologist who built the toxicology lab himself. Norris and Gettler worked on murder cases involving poison, including cyanide, arsenic, methanol, carbon monoxide, denatured alcohol, radium and thallium. The episode gives examples of a case involving each poison stated above. One very interesting case is of a women named Fanny Creighton. Fanny was a young wife and mother, who took in her brother. He then one day dropped dead. Gettler found arsenic in the brother's body, and Fanny and her husband her charged with murder. They then got off by telling the brother's "side" of the story, which turns out that they made it up. Fanny was then charged with poisoning her mother-in-law, but then was found not guilty for that case as well. Many years went by, and Gettler and Norris were solving many other cases involving different poisons. Then in the 1930s, Ada Applegate was found dead with arsenic in her body. It just so happens that Fanny lived with Ada and her family. Using forensic science, Gettler was able to prove that Fanny killed Ada, and that she also killed her brother and her mother-in-law several years before. Fanny was then sentenced to death in the electric chair. Charles Norris and Alexander Gettler introduced forensic science into the world of crime, and therefore making it almost impossible to get away with poison murder.
In this episode, culture and politics are relevant. Norris and Gettler made forensic science the way to solve a murder crime involving poison. Before these two men, there was coroners incompetence, which is when if someone had the right connections, they could get away with murder. Norris, as the chief medical examiner, found this to be wrong. He and Gettler changed the system so that science was the deciding factor of the outcome of a case. They made it almost impossible to get away with poison murder. Politics also plays a role. When coroners incompetence was still around, anyone could commit a murder and get away with it if they had the right connections. Norris and Gettler changed this way of thinking.
Textbook Readings:
Chapter twenty-one of American Horizons discusses the Great War, World War One. World War One lasted from 1914-1918. The war led to the overthrow of the monarchies in Germany and Austria-Hungary, the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East, the replacement of the Russian czar by a revolutionary communist government, and the United States and Japan emerged as major world powers. What exactly caused the war? The war was essentially started when the Austrian heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was assassinated. The war split between two sets of allies, the Central Powers, consisting of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Ottoman Turkey, and the Allies, consisting of Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy and Japan(after the war began). A majority of the war was fought in trenches. The soldiers basically lived in a trench in the ground and fought. They had rapid fire rifles, machine guns, long-range artillery with highly explosive shells and poisonous gas. The president of the United States at the time, Woodrow Wilson, issued a neutrality declaration, however when German U-boats torpedoed the Lusitania killing 1,200 of 2,000 passengers and crew, including 128 Americans, Wilson threatened retaliation against Germany unless they stopped submarine attacks on civilian vessels and paid reparations for the sinking. Then the United States intervened a telegram from Germany to Mexico, the Zimmerman Telegram, and German submarines sank five American ships, killing dozens of sailors and wounding many others. On April 2, 1917, Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany. The United States would enter the war as an "associated power" rather than a formal ally of Britain and France. The war caused changes at home in America. Propaganda emerged, posters with Uncle Sam telling you to join the war effort. There was also a draft. Wilson developed the 14 Points, and wanted to create a League of Nations, which was a world forum intended to incorporate the ultimate peace settlement. Germany surrendered from the war in November 1918, however the Versailles Treaty was rejected, along with the League of Nations membership.
In this chapter of American Horizons, economics, politics and culture are very relevant. War, as we know, is very costly. World War One cost every nation involved large sums of money. Damage had to be paid for, weapons had to be paid for, as well as food for the soldiers and things of that nature. War is also very political. President Wilson had to make the right decision when asking Congress to declare war on Germany. War also has an effect on relations with the countries it goes to war with. These relations can improve politically, however, they can also get worse. Culture is also relevant in this chapter. The culture in America was changing. War propaganda was emerging, and women began working to support the war effort and their families while the men were fighting the war. Economics, politics and culture are relevant in this chapter.
Finally, chapter twenty-two of American Horizons discusses the 1920s. The 1920s was a prosperous time. New technology emerged, such as the radio. The automobile industry also became huge. Henry Ford began mass production and used the assembly line, producing more cars faster and easier. Cars were also being sold abroad, and there were production plants in other countries as well. There was a new kind of advertising emerging. Famous people were now in the ads, attracting more people to the product that was being advertised. There was also a rise in interest in popular entertainment, such as movies and sports. Baseball was very big, and so were college football games. The new woman also emerged: the flapper. They flapper wore short skirts, and her behavior was seen as scandalous. The flapper embodied a new understanding of female sexuality. Some people were beginning to lose faith in traditional American values, and grew alienated after World War One. Although the twenties were very prosperous, there were also some setbacks. There were many religious disputes happening, between creationism and evolution. Prohibition was also during this time period, creating more organized crime, along with the creation of speakeasies(hidden bars) and bootlegging alcohol. Hostility of outsiders was also a setback. There were restrictions against immigration, and the KKK emerged again as anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic and anti-Jewish. However, the racism didn't stop the Harlem Renaissance. Many black authors and artists emerged during this time. They wrote poems, played jazz music, and made art. The 1920s was a time of great prosperity that would soon come to an end when the stock market would crash, causing the Great Depression.
This chapter of American Horizons has aspects of culture and economics. The culture of the 1920s is different than any time period before it. New technologies were emerging, cars were being developed faster and easier, entertainment was huge, and women were seen very differently. Not everyone liked the way the American culture was going, however. Some people wanted to maintain the traditional American values and didn't take part in the new way of life. Economics was also very prevalent. With all he new technology and entertainment, more money was being circulated. Also, cars were being sold and made abroad, strengthening ties in those countries and bringing in more revenue. The roaring twenties was a very prosperous time that would unfortunately come to an end with the Great Depression.
Bibliography:
Bezis-Selfa, John, Greenwood, Janette Thomas, Kirk, Andrew, Purcell, Sarah J., Schaller,
Michael, Schulzinger, Robert D., Sheehan-Dean, Aaron. American Horizons. New York:
Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.
Rapley, Rob, dir. "The Poisoner's Handbook." American Experience. PBS. Web. 5 Feb. 2014.
Wright, Jamila, dir. "The Triangle Fire." American Experience. PBS. Web. 6 Feb. 2014.
Progressive Comments
Progressives sought reform, not revolution. I knew that they wanted to reform the workplace, living conditions, politics and the cities, however I found it very interesting that they were doing nothing to help the black community. When I think of progressives, I think of people who want to help people and make the world a better place for everyone, including blacks so I was very surprised to read that nothing was being done to help them. I also found the Triangle waist company fire interesting. I remember learning about it in middle school, but only briefly. Its shocking that the doors were locked from the outside, especially in a factory where anything could go wrong and people would need to evacuate. Many lives were taken too early that day from locking the doors.
Blog One: The Guilded Age
Textbook Readings:
On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which freed the slaves in the rebellious states. Although it did not end slavery, it opened peoples eyes. Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865 and Andrew Johnson became the next president. Chapter fifteen of our textbook, American Horizons, explains how life in the south was after the Civil War. During Johnson's presidency, the Thirteenth Amendment was passed, which outlawed slavery in the United States. The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments were also passed. The Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed national citizenship and equality to former slaves, detailed changes related to the former confederate states but offered no specific protection of freed people's voting rights, and the Fifteenth Amendment prohibited the denial of voting rights on the basis of race. However, due to Johnson's clashing with Congress over the constitutionality of the Tenure of Office Act, he was impeached and Ulysses S. Grant was his successor. Even with these new amendments and a new president, life in the south for former slaves was not easy. It was very hard for former slaves to find jobs. Many worked on wage labor, rented land to farm themselves, were sharecroppers, or a combination of the three. The Homestead Act was also passed, which allowed families to claim 160 acres of land if they improved it over five years of residence. White southerners were not happy with the abolition of slavery, and as a result the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was created. The KKK is an organization associated with the bitterest and most violent opponents of Reconstruction and black freedom. Group members devoted themselves to denying African Americans any legitimate role in the public sphere, stressing supremacy of white, Protestant, Anglo-Saxon citizens. This kind of racism lasted all the way into the 1960's, where the Civil Rights movement began.
Before the abolition of slavery, the culture of the south was based on slavery. Almost everyone in the south owned slaves, and had them work for them, whether it be in their home or out on the farm or plantation. When slavery was outlawed by the Thirteenth Amendment, southerners didn't know how to react. Everything that they knew about life was completely different now. However, they found ways to bring slavery back. For example, many former slaves worked as sharecroppers. Sharecroppers were former slaves who rented land or farmed on shares and split the proceeds from the yearly crop with the landlord. They had to pay the landlord for the land, and then give them a potion of the money they made off the crops. As a result of the abolition of slavery and all of the racist feelings towards blacks and others, the Ku Klux Klan was established. This organization whipped, beat, burned and murdered people in the South. Because the South's culture heavily relied on the slaves, they reacted in racist and violent terms.
The South's economy also relied on the slaves. The slaves would work on the plantations, farming the crops for the season. Those crops would be used throughout the south and even the north. There was also new technology invented to make working on the plantations faster, easier and more efficient. For example, the cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney, made farming cotton so much more efficient by automating the seed separating process. Once slavery was abolished, the south had to find new ways to boost the economy. In addition to economy, geography played a big role in the south. The south was where all the farms and plantations were, and was where all the crops were grown. The reason the south had slaves was to farm on the plantations, and when slavery was gone they had to find new ways to farming the land.
In 1890, the census indicated that the western frontier was "closed". Chapter sixteen of our textbook, American Horizons, discusses how Indians were pushed off their lands. The US-Mexican War was from 1846-1848, and as a result copper was found in Arizona and cattle was brought to the states by the Spanish. The Fort Laramie Treaty was established, which erased the already existing Indian territorial lines. Then the Peace Policy was passed, which required Indian commissioners and leaders of various Christian denominations to provide Indians with food and clothing in exchange for promises to abandon cultural traditions and to assimilate to American society. Indian children were then taken away fro their homes and families and sent to boarding schools to assimilate to American society. The General Allotment Act, or the Dawes Act, was passed. The act divided Indian reservation land into smaller parcels of property. Indians were essentially being forced off their land to make room for American settlers traveling westward.
Geography, demography and economics each play a big role in this chapter and point in history. The geography of the west was open for settlement, however the Indians had to be removed from their land to make way for the American settlers. There is only so much available land in the west, due to natural factors, such as mountains. It is not very easy to live in a mountain range, so the Indians had to be moved off their land. Since the demography of the United States was growing, westward expansion was necessary. Americans soon had to migrate westward. Lastly, the economy of the west was a big factor. In the west, industry would become very big, along with ranching, farming, and mining. These aspects of the west would bring in money for the economy.
Chapters seventeen and eighteen of the textbook, American Horizons, talk about big business and immigration. The textbook states that big business equals industrial capitalism. Some examples of big business is Andrew Carnegie and big steel, J.D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil, and Cornelius Vanderbilt and the railroads. These men controlled the industries that they were involved with, and many Americans were not happy with that because it took away competition. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act was passed in 1890. The act dismantled the "combination in the form of a trust" that restrained trade. Workers who worked in factories experienced very poor conditions, low wages and long hours. In order to protect these workers, labor unions were rising, such as the American Federation of Labor, American Railway Union, and United mine Workers. Chapter eighteen talks about immigration. The textbook states that in 1900, sixty percent of those who lived in the nations twelve most urban centers were wither foreign born or had parents who were born abroad. Many native born Americans had the feeling of nativism, which is the opposition of immigrants and immigration. As a result of nativism, the American Protective Association advocated strict immigration laws. For the immigrants who were in the country, they lived in clusters not only by their ethnicity, but also by their region or village of their homeland. This chapter also talks about Tammany Hall, which was the Democratic political machine, headed by William "Boss" Tweed, who was very corrupt.
The main factors in chapter seventeen are economics and politics. Economics and politics go hand in hand when it comes to big business. Men like Carnegie, Rockefeller and Vanderbilt controlled their industries destroying competition, however also making money and circulating money into the economy from their businesses. A factor of chapter eighteen is also politics, along with culture. The country's nativist attitude toward immigrants displays the racist culture that is still present in the country at this time. Native born Americans only want natives to live in their country, not immigrants from foreign lands. Another factor is also politics. "Boss" Tweed's Democratic machine was very corrupt, which contributed to the politics of the time.
Finally, Chapter nineteen talks about imperialism, and the United State's expansion westward. During this time, the United States had an Open Door Policy, which asked only for unhindered access to markets where they believed could compete successfully against economic rivals. America at this time was in the process of expanding and trying to colonize different lands, for example Cuba and the Philippines. The USS Maine was stationed in Havana Harbor in Cuba to protect American citizens and property in Cuba. On February 15, 1898, the Maine exploded killing 260 of the 276 American sailors on the ship. As a result, the Teller Amendment was passed, stating the US would not colonize Cuba, and the United States would go to war with Spain. The Treaty of Paris of 1898 would end the war. There was also a war against the Philippines, and as a result the Philippines remained an American colony until 1946. When president McKinley was assassinated in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt became president. During his term, the Panama Canal was built, and added the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine which stated the nation's right to intervene in the international affairs of Latin American nations to ensure order and suppress European influence.
The main factor in chapter nineteen is politics. The United States has become very powerful, and now is their time to show just how powerful they are, through imperialism. By going to war with Spain and the Philippines, the United States shows that they are not to be messed around with. The United States is becoming a great power, and by colonizing different lands, the leaders of the Unites States are making a political statement.
History Detectives:
In this episode of History Detectives by PBS, the history detectives venture to discover if the artifacts they are given are indeed artifacts and not just trinkets. In this episode, the detectives investigate a picture frame which is believed to have been from the Titanic or the Lusitania, Woolworth Store signs in the time of the Civil Rights Movement, and Nazi spy toys in America. First the picture frame is investigated to see if two cousins stories of their great grandfather being on the rescue mission of either ship is true. In order to figure out which ship the frame came from, if either, we first see how the tree rings of the frame are tested and compared against the tree rings of the oak wood used in the Titanic in Ireland, and the oak wood used in the Lusitania in Scotland. The results showed the oak on the frame was most similar to the oak in Ireland, putting the Titanic in the lead. Then the detective met with a woman named Pat, who also had a very similar frame, and photos of her grandfather on a rescue ship, the Minia. While looking through the photos, they find one of Pat's grandfather, and a man who appears to be the cousins great grandfather. They go to the museum and find the sign in list of all the men who were on the Minia at the time of the Titanic rescue. There was Pat's grandfather's name, and there was also the cousin's great grandfather's name. That proves he was there. They were also told of the man who would make these frames, and that both Pat and the cousin's frame are almost certain to have come from the Titanic's grand staircase. The next story was of a man who had Woolworth store signs from Winston, Salem in the 1960s. He wants to know if these signs were the same ones that were up in the store during the lunch sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement. In order to find out, the history detective goes to the library to look for clues, but comes up short. Then he meets with one of the Civil Rights activists who was at the lunch sit-ins in the Woolworth store the signs are claimed to have been from, Carl Matthews. He told the detective that he hired someone to take pictured for him during the sit-ins. In the background of one of the photos of outside the store, the detective finds a frame that the signs could have been in. He measures the signs and the frame, and it is a perfect match. The signs did in fact come from the 1960s Civil Rights Woolworth lunch sit-ins. The last mystery of the episode is when a man comes to the detective with Nazi spy toys he says to have gotten from his childhood friend who's father traveled to Germany every summer and returned with these toys. Then in 1943, there was news of a Nazi spy in Detroit, Michigan where the man with the toys lived at this time. The spy turned out to be his friend's father, and then the family disappeared. He never knew what happened to them, and wants to find out. The detective goes to a toy expert to find out if the toys were really bought in Germany. He couldn't tell just from the toy itself, but he did find out that the toys were used as propaganda for Hitler in Nazi Germany. The detective then meets with an author who wrote of wartime spying in Detroit. Her research contained many files of the FBI case. The FBI made a woman a double agent, and the accused spy, Dr. Thomas, gave her information. Dr. Thomas pleaded not guilty, however was found guilty and sentenced for a 16 year term in prison. The verdict was later reversed on a legal technicality, and there is confirmed evidence that Dr. Thomas did not go back and forth to Germany every summer, and the toys were not a cover for suspicious acts, they were just toys and could have been bought in the U.S. The case against Dr. Thomas was dropped because the information was now believed to be public information, already printed in newspapers, and the double agent was no longer cooperating. The man's childhood friend survived and lived a very long and successful life, and passed away in 1999.
In this episode, politics and culture are present. Politics is present in the Nazi spy toy mystery. The American government was trying to crack down on Nazi spies in the Unites States, and as a result they falsely accused a man. Politics was also present in the Woolworth sign mystery, along with culture. The Civil Rights movement was going on in the times that these signs were hanging above the door of the store, with lunch sit-ins happening right inside. The culture of the south was segregated, and these sit-ins were happening with the hopes that segregation would no longer exist. The Civil Rights activists were strong and weren't going to give up until change was present in the south, and by doing so they were making a political statement. Culture is also present in the Titanic picture frame. In that period of time, craftsmanship was still big. One man carved many picture frames out of the wood from the Titanic wreck. It was part of the culture, and those frames will be in families for many years to come, along with the story behind it.
Time Team America:
In this episode of Time Team America, a group of archeologists travel to New Philadelphia, Illinois in search of the school house for black children established by the towns founder, a black man named "Free" Frank. Frank established the town in 1836, before the civil war, and was a free black man who bought himself out of slavery. In this town, whites and blacks would live among each other. The archeologists begin their search by digging in small areas of the lot of land where the schoolhouse was believed to be. They were on a fixed schedule, and storms got in their way. After two days they came up with no evidence of the schoolhouse. They found other things, such as remains of a blacksmith's store, a general store, houses and a black only cemetery. They found these things by digging up the ground and placing the dirt in a strainer, getting rid of the dirt so all there was left in the strainer was rocks, or artifacts. As the search continued, they found pieces of a writing slate and brick pieces, however no solid evidence of the schoolhouse.
Culture and geography are bother factors in this episode of Time Team America. When Free Frank's town was up and running and occupied by both black and white, the it is almost like the southern culture didn't exist. Although the Civil War has not been fought yet, it was still unheard of for whites and blacks to live together. These people who lived in Frank's town lived in a much simpler time, with only a few stores in the town and a few houses. There were no malls or superstores. The people had to live off the land, which brings us to geography. Frank's town was on flat land, there were no mountains or lakes or rivers to separate the town, which made it more closely knit. There was also a main road that rain through the middle of the town, which made traveling and communicating in the town much easier. Although the schoolhouse wasn't found by the team, they found other very interesting and fascinating things that proved that Free Frank succeeded in making his town.
Bill Moyer's Journal:
In Bill Moyer's interview with Douglas Blackmon, they talk about Blackmon's latest book, Slavery By Another Name. In his book, Blackmon talks about the period of time after the Civil War when slavery was "reinvented". During this period of time, the black codes attempted to recreate the slave codes, essentially recreating slavery. Across the south, emancipated slaves were arrested on made up charges, whipped, beat, stripped and chained. These emancipated slaves were being treated like they were still slaves, and worse. In one account, a freed slave was arrested, and the arresting officer forgot the charges, so he made up charges against the freed slave, even though he was doing nothing wrong. Emancipated slaves were being criminalized and being treated terribly, and the stories of this time have never been told until now in Blackmon's book.
Economics, culture and geography are all factors in this interview. Blackmon states that the southern economy, and the American economy as a whole were addicted to slavery. They didn't know how to let it go, so they found a way to get around the laws and reinvent slavery. This ties in with culture and geography. Southern culture is dependent on the slaves work, and when slavery is outlawed so is the southern way of life. The geography of the south is made up of farms and plantations that supply the nations with the crops it needs. When slavery is abolished, who is going to farm that land? The southern didn't want to give up the way of life that they knew, so they reinvented slavery, something that almost all Americans don't know about.
When I was done listening to this interview I was shocked at how this is a part of history that is not being taught in schools. I had no idea that this even happened in the south until watching the interview. It was like slavery was never outlawed. As freed slaves, they should have been able to live as free people, not being arrested on made up charges and beat, whipped, stripped and chained. I think that this should be taught in schools because it is a very important part of history after the Civil War.
The Rockefellers:
In this episode of American Experience by PBS on the Rockefellers, we learn just who exactly the Rockefellers were and are today. This documentary goes into great depth on the Rockefeller family. In 1839, John D. Rockefeller was born. When John was growing up, his father came and went as he pleased, and John soon learned that his father took a second family under a fake name. He then moved the family to Cleveland to carry out his second life. John knew that he wanted to have a much different life than his father's, and he dropped out of high school and began to work to support his family. He became interested in the oil business, and discovered that refining, not drilling, oil was where the steady money was. By the time he was twenty-five years old, his refinery was one of the largest in the world. After he got married to Laura Spellman, John set out for one giant company which was run and owned by him. He created Standard Oil. In two months, 22 out of the 26 Cleveland refineries were taken over by Rockefeller, which created a monopoly and took away competition. In 1883, John moved his family to New York, and by 1889 the family's fortune was more than $40 million. Although their family had enormous wealth, they did not show it. John and Laura kept their children cut off from the outside world, raising them like poor children. John was also a huge philanthropist, although not many people saw him for that. John became very stressed about work and all of the lawsuits against him and Standard Oil that he took some time off of work. Then in 1897, he retired from Standard Oil, leaving the company to his son, John Jr., however John Sr. retained the president's title. While Jr. was running the company, Sr. was living as a fugitive, hiding out in their home and keeping his whereabouts a secret. On May 15, the Supreme Court ruled Standard Oil as a monopoly, and it should be dissolved. John Jr. made it his life mission to get his father's good name back. Meanwhile, Sr. was becoming settled in his retirement. He became a whole new person; very happy and lively. He went outside in public and enjoyed his life. Then in 1928, Rockefeller Center in New York City begins to emerge. On March 23, 1937, John D. Rockefeller Sr. dies, leaving his legacy up to his son and grandsons. Jr.'s son Nelson becomes his right hand man at Rockefeller Center, and in 1952 the Rockefeller name and business is handed down to Jr.'s sons. Even though John D. Rockefeller was viewed as the most hated man in America, he created a legacy that is still alive today.
In this document on the Rockefellers, economics, politics and culture are all relevant. Rockefeller made so much money off of Standard Oil. Even though it was a monopoly and eventually dissolved, he made millions off of it. He made his money, and then circulated his money in the economy again by giving to many charities. He also founded the University of Chicago, supported medical research and even paid for the education of black women in Spellman College in Atlanta. John D. Rockefeller was known as this monster of America, however people didn't see him aside from Standard Oil. Politics is also relevant in this documentary. Standard Oil and Rockefeller became under investigation by Theodore Roosevelt, and Rockefeller's company was declared a monopoly. John Jr.'s son also ran for Governor of New York. Lastly, culture is also relevant. John Sr. made his wealth, but didn't express it inside his household. His children were raised like poor children, to teach them that success and wealth isn't just handed to them, they have to work hard for it and earn it. He made his children keep a log of their money; their income and their expenses. John Jr. Had his children do this too. It was part of the culture.
Although John D. Rockefeller Sr. was viewed as the most hated man in America, I don't see him that way. He grew up with barely anything, not even a father. He was fulfilling the American dream, by creating his own business and becoming successful. When Standard Oil began eliminating competition, monopolies weren't against the law. It was only until after was it illegal. No one ever talks about how much Rockefeller gave to charity, which is very important. I believe that Rockefeller was a man with a dream, and he accomplished that dream, while helping others along the way. He made his family a legacy, which still reigns today.
Talking History:
In this audio, Susan Lewis talks about businesswomen in Albany, NY from 1830-1885. According to Lewis, a businesswomen was any women who was making money but not through wages. In other words, a women who was self-employed. Many women during this time period had jobs such as dress makers, grocers, saloon keepers, dry and fancy goods dealers (materials), milliners, candy dealers, variety store owners, which carried small quantities necessities, and liquor dealers. These businesswomen ran their own businesses for a variety of reasons, some being because they were widows and had to support their families, and others being because their husbands were "worthless" and didn't do anything to support the family, so the women had to. Lewis gives many different stories of businesswomen of this time to help us get a better understanding of the businesswomen during this time period.
In this audio, the main factor that is relevant is culture. Traditionally during this time, and all the way up to the women's civil rights movements, women did not work in business. They stayed at home and took care of the children and matters at home. However, because of certain circumstances, some women were in business, and some were very good at it. Usually, women at this time were considered "not worthy" of credit, however successful women in business were worthy for credit, sometimes even more worthy than their husbands. This is a huge part of our culture, because from this time period, women were in the same workplace as men, which would usually have been unthinkable at this time. As time went on, however, our culture began to change and accept women into the workplace next to men.
Bibliography:
Bezis-Selfa, John, Greenwood, Janette Thomas, Kirk, Andrew, Purcell, Sarah J., Schaller,
Michael, Schulzinger, Robert D., Sheehan-Dean, Aaron. American Horizons. New York:
Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.
Bosch, Adriana, Deane, Elizabeth. "The Rockefellers." American Experience. PBS. Web. 23 January,
2014.
Lewis, Susan. "Businesswomen in Albany, New York, 1830-1885." Talking History. Talking
History. April 3, 2003. MP3.
"Bill Moyer's Journal." WSKG. PBS. 20 June 2008. Web. 23 January 2014.
"History Detectives: Titanic Picture Frame, Woolworth Signs, Nazi Spy Toys." PBS Video. PBS. 7
August 2012. Web. 25 January 2014.
"Time Team America: New Philadelphia, Illinois." PBS Video. PBS. 21 July 2009. Web. 25 January
2014.
On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation which freed the slaves in the rebellious states. Although it did not end slavery, it opened peoples eyes. Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865 and Andrew Johnson became the next president. Chapter fifteen of our textbook, American Horizons, explains how life in the south was after the Civil War. During Johnson's presidency, the Thirteenth Amendment was passed, which outlawed slavery in the United States. The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments were also passed. The Fourteenth Amendment guaranteed national citizenship and equality to former slaves, detailed changes related to the former confederate states but offered no specific protection of freed people's voting rights, and the Fifteenth Amendment prohibited the denial of voting rights on the basis of race. However, due to Johnson's clashing with Congress over the constitutionality of the Tenure of Office Act, he was impeached and Ulysses S. Grant was his successor. Even with these new amendments and a new president, life in the south for former slaves was not easy. It was very hard for former slaves to find jobs. Many worked on wage labor, rented land to farm themselves, were sharecroppers, or a combination of the three. The Homestead Act was also passed, which allowed families to claim 160 acres of land if they improved it over five years of residence. White southerners were not happy with the abolition of slavery, and as a result the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) was created. The KKK is an organization associated with the bitterest and most violent opponents of Reconstruction and black freedom. Group members devoted themselves to denying African Americans any legitimate role in the public sphere, stressing supremacy of white, Protestant, Anglo-Saxon citizens. This kind of racism lasted all the way into the 1960's, where the Civil Rights movement began.
Before the abolition of slavery, the culture of the south was based on slavery. Almost everyone in the south owned slaves, and had them work for them, whether it be in their home or out on the farm or plantation. When slavery was outlawed by the Thirteenth Amendment, southerners didn't know how to react. Everything that they knew about life was completely different now. However, they found ways to bring slavery back. For example, many former slaves worked as sharecroppers. Sharecroppers were former slaves who rented land or farmed on shares and split the proceeds from the yearly crop with the landlord. They had to pay the landlord for the land, and then give them a potion of the money they made off the crops. As a result of the abolition of slavery and all of the racist feelings towards blacks and others, the Ku Klux Klan was established. This organization whipped, beat, burned and murdered people in the South. Because the South's culture heavily relied on the slaves, they reacted in racist and violent terms.
The South's economy also relied on the slaves. The slaves would work on the plantations, farming the crops for the season. Those crops would be used throughout the south and even the north. There was also new technology invented to make working on the plantations faster, easier and more efficient. For example, the cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney, made farming cotton so much more efficient by automating the seed separating process. Once slavery was abolished, the south had to find new ways to boost the economy. In addition to economy, geography played a big role in the south. The south was where all the farms and plantations were, and was where all the crops were grown. The reason the south had slaves was to farm on the plantations, and when slavery was gone they had to find new ways to farming the land.
In 1890, the census indicated that the western frontier was "closed". Chapter sixteen of our textbook, American Horizons, discusses how Indians were pushed off their lands. The US-Mexican War was from 1846-1848, and as a result copper was found in Arizona and cattle was brought to the states by the Spanish. The Fort Laramie Treaty was established, which erased the already existing Indian territorial lines. Then the Peace Policy was passed, which required Indian commissioners and leaders of various Christian denominations to provide Indians with food and clothing in exchange for promises to abandon cultural traditions and to assimilate to American society. Indian children were then taken away fro their homes and families and sent to boarding schools to assimilate to American society. The General Allotment Act, or the Dawes Act, was passed. The act divided Indian reservation land into smaller parcels of property. Indians were essentially being forced off their land to make room for American settlers traveling westward.
Geography, demography and economics each play a big role in this chapter and point in history. The geography of the west was open for settlement, however the Indians had to be removed from their land to make way for the American settlers. There is only so much available land in the west, due to natural factors, such as mountains. It is not very easy to live in a mountain range, so the Indians had to be moved off their land. Since the demography of the United States was growing, westward expansion was necessary. Americans soon had to migrate westward. Lastly, the economy of the west was a big factor. In the west, industry would become very big, along with ranching, farming, and mining. These aspects of the west would bring in money for the economy.
Chapters seventeen and eighteen of the textbook, American Horizons, talk about big business and immigration. The textbook states that big business equals industrial capitalism. Some examples of big business is Andrew Carnegie and big steel, J.D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil, and Cornelius Vanderbilt and the railroads. These men controlled the industries that they were involved with, and many Americans were not happy with that because it took away competition. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act was passed in 1890. The act dismantled the "combination in the form of a trust" that restrained trade. Workers who worked in factories experienced very poor conditions, low wages and long hours. In order to protect these workers, labor unions were rising, such as the American Federation of Labor, American Railway Union, and United mine Workers. Chapter eighteen talks about immigration. The textbook states that in 1900, sixty percent of those who lived in the nations twelve most urban centers were wither foreign born or had parents who were born abroad. Many native born Americans had the feeling of nativism, which is the opposition of immigrants and immigration. As a result of nativism, the American Protective Association advocated strict immigration laws. For the immigrants who were in the country, they lived in clusters not only by their ethnicity, but also by their region or village of their homeland. This chapter also talks about Tammany Hall, which was the Democratic political machine, headed by William "Boss" Tweed, who was very corrupt.
The main factors in chapter seventeen are economics and politics. Economics and politics go hand in hand when it comes to big business. Men like Carnegie, Rockefeller and Vanderbilt controlled their industries destroying competition, however also making money and circulating money into the economy from their businesses. A factor of chapter eighteen is also politics, along with culture. The country's nativist attitude toward immigrants displays the racist culture that is still present in the country at this time. Native born Americans only want natives to live in their country, not immigrants from foreign lands. Another factor is also politics. "Boss" Tweed's Democratic machine was very corrupt, which contributed to the politics of the time.
Finally, Chapter nineteen talks about imperialism, and the United State's expansion westward. During this time, the United States had an Open Door Policy, which asked only for unhindered access to markets where they believed could compete successfully against economic rivals. America at this time was in the process of expanding and trying to colonize different lands, for example Cuba and the Philippines. The USS Maine was stationed in Havana Harbor in Cuba to protect American citizens and property in Cuba. On February 15, 1898, the Maine exploded killing 260 of the 276 American sailors on the ship. As a result, the Teller Amendment was passed, stating the US would not colonize Cuba, and the United States would go to war with Spain. The Treaty of Paris of 1898 would end the war. There was also a war against the Philippines, and as a result the Philippines remained an American colony until 1946. When president McKinley was assassinated in 1901, Theodore Roosevelt became president. During his term, the Panama Canal was built, and added the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine which stated the nation's right to intervene in the international affairs of Latin American nations to ensure order and suppress European influence.
The main factor in chapter nineteen is politics. The United States has become very powerful, and now is their time to show just how powerful they are, through imperialism. By going to war with Spain and the Philippines, the United States shows that they are not to be messed around with. The United States is becoming a great power, and by colonizing different lands, the leaders of the Unites States are making a political statement.
History Detectives:
In this episode of History Detectives by PBS, the history detectives venture to discover if the artifacts they are given are indeed artifacts and not just trinkets. In this episode, the detectives investigate a picture frame which is believed to have been from the Titanic or the Lusitania, Woolworth Store signs in the time of the Civil Rights Movement, and Nazi spy toys in America. First the picture frame is investigated to see if two cousins stories of their great grandfather being on the rescue mission of either ship is true. In order to figure out which ship the frame came from, if either, we first see how the tree rings of the frame are tested and compared against the tree rings of the oak wood used in the Titanic in Ireland, and the oak wood used in the Lusitania in Scotland. The results showed the oak on the frame was most similar to the oak in Ireland, putting the Titanic in the lead. Then the detective met with a woman named Pat, who also had a very similar frame, and photos of her grandfather on a rescue ship, the Minia. While looking through the photos, they find one of Pat's grandfather, and a man who appears to be the cousins great grandfather. They go to the museum and find the sign in list of all the men who were on the Minia at the time of the Titanic rescue. There was Pat's grandfather's name, and there was also the cousin's great grandfather's name. That proves he was there. They were also told of the man who would make these frames, and that both Pat and the cousin's frame are almost certain to have come from the Titanic's grand staircase. The next story was of a man who had Woolworth store signs from Winston, Salem in the 1960s. He wants to know if these signs were the same ones that were up in the store during the lunch sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement. In order to find out, the history detective goes to the library to look for clues, but comes up short. Then he meets with one of the Civil Rights activists who was at the lunch sit-ins in the Woolworth store the signs are claimed to have been from, Carl Matthews. He told the detective that he hired someone to take pictured for him during the sit-ins. In the background of one of the photos of outside the store, the detective finds a frame that the signs could have been in. He measures the signs and the frame, and it is a perfect match. The signs did in fact come from the 1960s Civil Rights Woolworth lunch sit-ins. The last mystery of the episode is when a man comes to the detective with Nazi spy toys he says to have gotten from his childhood friend who's father traveled to Germany every summer and returned with these toys. Then in 1943, there was news of a Nazi spy in Detroit, Michigan where the man with the toys lived at this time. The spy turned out to be his friend's father, and then the family disappeared. He never knew what happened to them, and wants to find out. The detective goes to a toy expert to find out if the toys were really bought in Germany. He couldn't tell just from the toy itself, but he did find out that the toys were used as propaganda for Hitler in Nazi Germany. The detective then meets with an author who wrote of wartime spying in Detroit. Her research contained many files of the FBI case. The FBI made a woman a double agent, and the accused spy, Dr. Thomas, gave her information. Dr. Thomas pleaded not guilty, however was found guilty and sentenced for a 16 year term in prison. The verdict was later reversed on a legal technicality, and there is confirmed evidence that Dr. Thomas did not go back and forth to Germany every summer, and the toys were not a cover for suspicious acts, they were just toys and could have been bought in the U.S. The case against Dr. Thomas was dropped because the information was now believed to be public information, already printed in newspapers, and the double agent was no longer cooperating. The man's childhood friend survived and lived a very long and successful life, and passed away in 1999.
In this episode, politics and culture are present. Politics is present in the Nazi spy toy mystery. The American government was trying to crack down on Nazi spies in the Unites States, and as a result they falsely accused a man. Politics was also present in the Woolworth sign mystery, along with culture. The Civil Rights movement was going on in the times that these signs were hanging above the door of the store, with lunch sit-ins happening right inside. The culture of the south was segregated, and these sit-ins were happening with the hopes that segregation would no longer exist. The Civil Rights activists were strong and weren't going to give up until change was present in the south, and by doing so they were making a political statement. Culture is also present in the Titanic picture frame. In that period of time, craftsmanship was still big. One man carved many picture frames out of the wood from the Titanic wreck. It was part of the culture, and those frames will be in families for many years to come, along with the story behind it.
Time Team America:
In this episode of Time Team America, a group of archeologists travel to New Philadelphia, Illinois in search of the school house for black children established by the towns founder, a black man named "Free" Frank. Frank established the town in 1836, before the civil war, and was a free black man who bought himself out of slavery. In this town, whites and blacks would live among each other. The archeologists begin their search by digging in small areas of the lot of land where the schoolhouse was believed to be. They were on a fixed schedule, and storms got in their way. After two days they came up with no evidence of the schoolhouse. They found other things, such as remains of a blacksmith's store, a general store, houses and a black only cemetery. They found these things by digging up the ground and placing the dirt in a strainer, getting rid of the dirt so all there was left in the strainer was rocks, or artifacts. As the search continued, they found pieces of a writing slate and brick pieces, however no solid evidence of the schoolhouse.
Culture and geography are bother factors in this episode of Time Team America. When Free Frank's town was up and running and occupied by both black and white, the it is almost like the southern culture didn't exist. Although the Civil War has not been fought yet, it was still unheard of for whites and blacks to live together. These people who lived in Frank's town lived in a much simpler time, with only a few stores in the town and a few houses. There were no malls or superstores. The people had to live off the land, which brings us to geography. Frank's town was on flat land, there were no mountains or lakes or rivers to separate the town, which made it more closely knit. There was also a main road that rain through the middle of the town, which made traveling and communicating in the town much easier. Although the schoolhouse wasn't found by the team, they found other very interesting and fascinating things that proved that Free Frank succeeded in making his town.
Bill Moyer's Journal:
In Bill Moyer's interview with Douglas Blackmon, they talk about Blackmon's latest book, Slavery By Another Name. In his book, Blackmon talks about the period of time after the Civil War when slavery was "reinvented". During this period of time, the black codes attempted to recreate the slave codes, essentially recreating slavery. Across the south, emancipated slaves were arrested on made up charges, whipped, beat, stripped and chained. These emancipated slaves were being treated like they were still slaves, and worse. In one account, a freed slave was arrested, and the arresting officer forgot the charges, so he made up charges against the freed slave, even though he was doing nothing wrong. Emancipated slaves were being criminalized and being treated terribly, and the stories of this time have never been told until now in Blackmon's book.
Economics, culture and geography are all factors in this interview. Blackmon states that the southern economy, and the American economy as a whole were addicted to slavery. They didn't know how to let it go, so they found a way to get around the laws and reinvent slavery. This ties in with culture and geography. Southern culture is dependent on the slaves work, and when slavery is outlawed so is the southern way of life. The geography of the south is made up of farms and plantations that supply the nations with the crops it needs. When slavery is abolished, who is going to farm that land? The southern didn't want to give up the way of life that they knew, so they reinvented slavery, something that almost all Americans don't know about.
When I was done listening to this interview I was shocked at how this is a part of history that is not being taught in schools. I had no idea that this even happened in the south until watching the interview. It was like slavery was never outlawed. As freed slaves, they should have been able to live as free people, not being arrested on made up charges and beat, whipped, stripped and chained. I think that this should be taught in schools because it is a very important part of history after the Civil War.
The Rockefellers:
In this episode of American Experience by PBS on the Rockefellers, we learn just who exactly the Rockefellers were and are today. This documentary goes into great depth on the Rockefeller family. In 1839, John D. Rockefeller was born. When John was growing up, his father came and went as he pleased, and John soon learned that his father took a second family under a fake name. He then moved the family to Cleveland to carry out his second life. John knew that he wanted to have a much different life than his father's, and he dropped out of high school and began to work to support his family. He became interested in the oil business, and discovered that refining, not drilling, oil was where the steady money was. By the time he was twenty-five years old, his refinery was one of the largest in the world. After he got married to Laura Spellman, John set out for one giant company which was run and owned by him. He created Standard Oil. In two months, 22 out of the 26 Cleveland refineries were taken over by Rockefeller, which created a monopoly and took away competition. In 1883, John moved his family to New York, and by 1889 the family's fortune was more than $40 million. Although their family had enormous wealth, they did not show it. John and Laura kept their children cut off from the outside world, raising them like poor children. John was also a huge philanthropist, although not many people saw him for that. John became very stressed about work and all of the lawsuits against him and Standard Oil that he took some time off of work. Then in 1897, he retired from Standard Oil, leaving the company to his son, John Jr., however John Sr. retained the president's title. While Jr. was running the company, Sr. was living as a fugitive, hiding out in their home and keeping his whereabouts a secret. On May 15, the Supreme Court ruled Standard Oil as a monopoly, and it should be dissolved. John Jr. made it his life mission to get his father's good name back. Meanwhile, Sr. was becoming settled in his retirement. He became a whole new person; very happy and lively. He went outside in public and enjoyed his life. Then in 1928, Rockefeller Center in New York City begins to emerge. On March 23, 1937, John D. Rockefeller Sr. dies, leaving his legacy up to his son and grandsons. Jr.'s son Nelson becomes his right hand man at Rockefeller Center, and in 1952 the Rockefeller name and business is handed down to Jr.'s sons. Even though John D. Rockefeller was viewed as the most hated man in America, he created a legacy that is still alive today.
In this document on the Rockefellers, economics, politics and culture are all relevant. Rockefeller made so much money off of Standard Oil. Even though it was a monopoly and eventually dissolved, he made millions off of it. He made his money, and then circulated his money in the economy again by giving to many charities. He also founded the University of Chicago, supported medical research and even paid for the education of black women in Spellman College in Atlanta. John D. Rockefeller was known as this monster of America, however people didn't see him aside from Standard Oil. Politics is also relevant in this documentary. Standard Oil and Rockefeller became under investigation by Theodore Roosevelt, and Rockefeller's company was declared a monopoly. John Jr.'s son also ran for Governor of New York. Lastly, culture is also relevant. John Sr. made his wealth, but didn't express it inside his household. His children were raised like poor children, to teach them that success and wealth isn't just handed to them, they have to work hard for it and earn it. He made his children keep a log of their money; their income and their expenses. John Jr. Had his children do this too. It was part of the culture.
Although John D. Rockefeller Sr. was viewed as the most hated man in America, I don't see him that way. He grew up with barely anything, not even a father. He was fulfilling the American dream, by creating his own business and becoming successful. When Standard Oil began eliminating competition, monopolies weren't against the law. It was only until after was it illegal. No one ever talks about how much Rockefeller gave to charity, which is very important. I believe that Rockefeller was a man with a dream, and he accomplished that dream, while helping others along the way. He made his family a legacy, which still reigns today.
Talking History:
In this audio, Susan Lewis talks about businesswomen in Albany, NY from 1830-1885. According to Lewis, a businesswomen was any women who was making money but not through wages. In other words, a women who was self-employed. Many women during this time period had jobs such as dress makers, grocers, saloon keepers, dry and fancy goods dealers (materials), milliners, candy dealers, variety store owners, which carried small quantities necessities, and liquor dealers. These businesswomen ran their own businesses for a variety of reasons, some being because they were widows and had to support their families, and others being because their husbands were "worthless" and didn't do anything to support the family, so the women had to. Lewis gives many different stories of businesswomen of this time to help us get a better understanding of the businesswomen during this time period.
In this audio, the main factor that is relevant is culture. Traditionally during this time, and all the way up to the women's civil rights movements, women did not work in business. They stayed at home and took care of the children and matters at home. However, because of certain circumstances, some women were in business, and some were very good at it. Usually, women at this time were considered "not worthy" of credit, however successful women in business were worthy for credit, sometimes even more worthy than their husbands. This is a huge part of our culture, because from this time period, women were in the same workplace as men, which would usually have been unthinkable at this time. As time went on, however, our culture began to change and accept women into the workplace next to men.
Bibliography:
Bezis-Selfa, John, Greenwood, Janette Thomas, Kirk, Andrew, Purcell, Sarah J., Schaller,
Michael, Schulzinger, Robert D., Sheehan-Dean, Aaron. American Horizons. New York:
Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.
Bosch, Adriana, Deane, Elizabeth. "The Rockefellers." American Experience. PBS. Web. 23 January,
2014.
Lewis, Susan. "Businesswomen in Albany, New York, 1830-1885." Talking History. Talking
History. April 3, 2003. MP3.
"Bill Moyer's Journal." WSKG. PBS. 20 June 2008. Web. 23 January 2014.
"History Detectives: Titanic Picture Frame, Woolworth Signs, Nazi Spy Toys." PBS Video. PBS. 7
August 2012. Web. 25 January 2014.
"Time Team America: New Philadelphia, Illinois." PBS Video. PBS. 21 July 2009. Web. 25 January
2014.
The West Comments
Geography- There was copper discovered in Arizona, which caused people to move out west. I found it interesting that in 1890, the census indicated the western frontier as "closed", and in 1882 the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed which barred the immigration of Chinese laborers. There were very strong feelings against immigration, and even against the Indians, who were being pushed off of their land in the west to make room for American settlers.
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