Farewell and good luck

Remember that (theoretically) this blog will survive virtually forever, and that people doing Google and other searches will read your work months and even years from now -- and you should be very proud, because your Blog Entries and Comments are generally comprehensive, thoughtful and perceptive.

Thank you all for a terrific class!

****REMINDER**** Blog Comments!

Don't forget your Blog Comments! Make sure you have written a total of SIX (6) Comments for all the Blog Entries by Wednesday at noon.

And be sure to follow all the directions for these comments, and support your opinions with a specific example or quote from one of our sources.

Also, don't worry about reading Chapter 31! Just finish up with Chapter 30 and the readings in Constructing the American Past.

Final Exam Format and Scope

As we discussed, this exam will combine an objective portion with an essay question. The objective portion will resemble the midterm and include identifications, fill-in-the-blanks, matching, and chronologies.

The questions will cover the period between 1941 and 1988, and will focus on important events, people, concepts, and legislation discussed in the textbook and our lectures. As you already know, your class outlines should be especially helpful in identifying key facts from our lectures, and the textbook provides useful chronologies and overviews. The outlines from tonight and for our final class meeting tomorrow have all been posted on the Course Outlines page.

The essay question will be cumulative and will ask you to consider the important topics, themes, people, events, concepts, social movements, legislation, etc. of the different historical eras we have studied and present your own conclusions and interpretations. A successful essay will demonstrate a solid knowledge of historical facts and a clear understanding of their significance and skillfully weave them together in a coherent and persuasive narrative.

Final Team Standings

Congrats on another good game, teams! I hope you found them useful -- I have enjoyed them.

Bull Moose Party 65 Cumulative 260 THE WINNAH! WAY TO GO!!!

Team Connery 55 Cumulative 225 A valiant effort!! Great job!!!

The Arsenal of Democracy

Megan
Response #8

1. “99 Ways to Share the Meat” This bulletin was distributed during WWII to stress that food consumption should be moderated. The reduction of meat consumption by everyday citizens helped America because then there was more to feed the troops. This struck me as being stereotypical to ask the "home front" which consisted of mostly women to obtain because the big, tough men needed the meat to fight the enemy. However, after the war, it was a noticeably male-centered society where no one would blink an eye at this poster. The poster also suggests that minimizing meat intake was a patriotic act, for it was good for the nation. The bottom tagline reads "Share and share alike is the American Way."

2. “A Children’s Charter in Wartime” · Why would children become important in this conflict? Children were an important aspect of WWII on the home front because they were the ones who would later be responsible for the US as one of the most powerful nations on earth. It was in the nation's best interest to keep the children healthy (as to not tie up funds in children's medical costs) - ready to grow up to be a productive member of society. Children's welfare was so integral that the Commission goes so far as to saying that it was our "wartime responsibility" to safeguard the nation's children (A Children's Charter in Wartime, Pg 1). The U.S. government's goal was not only to protect freedom overseas but keep our nation's democracy secure for the future. The belief was that if America's children were healthy and strong, America's future was healthy and strong. It does make sense.

3. "A War Job in Your Own Home"
Through simple human psychology, the U.S. government motivates housewives to save cooking fats. The bulletin suggests that housewives in particular are urgently needed in a crucial war effort. Their task is both a "vital" and special one. This creates women who feel that they are valuable, needed and appreciated members of society. They are participating in the war, helping their loved ones on the front lines. When women were recognized as beneficial and essential to the war, it made women happy and supportive. Another motivating tactic is to play upon ideas of civic duty and nationalism. If you do this action, you are a good, patriotic American. The bulletin makes the task seem like it is an absolutely crucial one for the war effort. In reality, the conserving of fats was probably low on the list of ways to win the war. But, more important than conserving cooking fats was boosting the morale on the home front --which was what this bulletin did.

4. “Indian’s in the War”
This document served as positive P.R. for America’s relations with the Native Americans. It honored their dead, told stories of their heroism and sacrifice. This created a feeling of community – the Native Americans as an important, valued part of the United States. The document hoped to convey to the Native Americans that the U.S. government recognized them as a strong, respected people. Again, the government uses psychological tactics in public relations to gain support for war efforts. The language used to describe the Native Americans was kind of ignorant. They were spoken of as if they were strange, exotic people who were assimilating to society from their barbaric history. They were praised for their action the way a parent praises a young child who performed a remedial task correctly for the first time. Their culture struck the reporters, such as Ernie Pyle, as primitive. He comments on two brothers who do not share the same family surname, “I guess that’s the Navajo custom, though I never knew it before” (Pg 12). They are described as “these people” – not “us” but “them.” I think it’s worthy of noting because it shows Americans unchanged cultural prejudices. The The ceremonial dances were portrayed in a circus-like, barbaric ritual to the “great gods of the sky.” This seemed to distract their fellow soldiers. The language barrier is mentioned as whites are frustrated that they do not understand what the Native Americans say. Pyle writes that the secret orders were given in Navajo and since “practically nobody in the world understands Navajo except another Navajo” his Indian friend had to translate it. The women were barely mentioned except that they were the wives of fallen soldiers.

5. “Labor Goes to War”
The purpose of the document was to rally the mass factory and industry workers of the American public to rally behind the war. It did this not by asking but by telling them, reminding them of their pledge to the country (even though this never did exist) of “full cooperation and participation.” The labor targeted is the low to middle class unskilled and skilled labor, primarily in urban areas. This meant poor whites, African-Americans and immigrants. Since the men were at war, women and children were actively working in industry. The document conveyed that their sacrifice (enduring bad working conditions, not striking & boycotting industry) was holding the seams of American democracy together. It tells labor that they are not only important but just as important as the soldiers fighting on the frontlines. Dissent was not a possibility for labor –they were that their jobs, unfulfilled would lead to dire consequences. The message is clear. The Special Assistant to the President signs off, “Labor will never fail the cause of freedom.” The target audience was one that valued the freedoms that America granted to them. The document pushes the importance of their cooperation as crucial to the survival of these freedoms they cherish, that their grandparents immigrated to America to give them.

Civil Rights

Megan
Response #10

We Shall Overcome: African Americans and the Second Reconstruction, 1945 - 1965

1. Music of the Civil Rights Movement

The music reveals that the Civil Movement wenergizedzed and hopeful of what the future held. African Americans were no longer letting themselves be disrespected -- they were taking a stand for thedignityity. And there was nothing that anyone could do to change that. They sung about the hate and violence they endured like in the song "In the Mississippi River" which was written as a result of the discovery of the bodies of civil rights leaders in the Mississippi River. But no matter how bad it got, they held on and 'kept their eyes on the prize.'

Back since the days of slaverAfricancAmericansans have been rooted in their religious faiths. The people found solace in their belief in what the Scriptures told them about salvation in heaven. Religion was so important to the slaves that they would go to church even though when they returned they would be beaten for it. African American churches were the focal point of their communities. "We Shall Overcome" is an example of how religious spirituals carried on generation after generation from the days of slavery. Originally the song was sang by slaves tired from a long day working on the fields (History of We Shall OvercomeReligiousous overtones were not hidden. They were spoken clearly and proudly as in "Woke Up This Morning with My Mind on Freedom," the refrain echoes "Hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah."

They sang the religious spirituals calling on God to help them in the faces of those who persecuted them. As a result, the songs functioned in forcing those persecuting them to reflect and possibly recognize injustice. It posed the question, 'If these people were on the side of God then whose side am I on?" That questiresonatedded heavily in the minds of Americans.

The songs functioned in the civil rights movement in uniting it. It was non-combative and impossible to ignore. The songs of the people were loud, proud, and powerful. They were instrumental in boosting weary spirits.


The strong role of the federal government supporting the supreme court rulings was a crucial to the Civil Rights. But their intervention did not come naturally. It took Arkansas Governer George C. Wallace to test the power of State government in overriding civil rights rulings for the federal government to act.

In terms of getting the federal government to intervene, the support of the public was necessaryarticlertical mentions television reporters and journalists presence at these conflicts. Their reporting the violent conflicts helped gain that public support for the civil rights movement.

"I don't see how President Johnson can send troops to Vietnam - I don't see
how he can send troops to the Congo - I don't see how he can send troops to
Africa and can't end troops to Selma, Ala.," Martin Luther
King said.
3. Malcolm X

The Nation of Islam advocated nationalism and racial seperatism. This clip resonates these beliefs -- Malcom X calls for strong black unity and respect for themselves, their people and their history. His beliefs evolved farther left anradical than calthan the Nation of Islam and he eventually left the Nation. Outspoken, he preached self-defense and liberation of blacks -- both of which by any means necessary. This starkly contrasted to the non-violent beliefs of Martin Luther King Jr. who advocated peaceful resistance. Both civil rights leaders were inspired by leaders of the Middle East -- Malcom X had Elijah Mohammed and King had Ghandi. Both meintelligentllegent men deeply rooted in good morals. In the audio of Malcom X, the leader condemns alcohol, prostitution, gambling and organized crime. Both King and Malcom X feel these evils of society are tearing the black community apart. They both want the white community to be shocked and awaken themselves to the injustices in America. They both are eminent speakers -- when they spoke, they were heard loud and clear. Their voices inspired people to act.

The Sleeping Giant Awakes: Mexican Americans, 1962 - 1975

Cesar Chevez and Dolores Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers of America that began as an organization that functioned to get workers unemployment insurance and quickly formed into a union of farm workers. The UFW became very powerful and launched boycotts and strikes that were instrumental in advancing the interests of farm workers.

Previously, Mexican-Americans rarely voted for a number of reasons. For one, the process of voter registration were particularly difficult for Spanish-speaking workers. Secondly, the American political system was not properly explained so the workers remained ignorant to the importance of their lost vote. But with the Crystal City election, Mexican-Americans attracted the attention of America when they emerged as the "Sleeping Giant" of American politics. This group of Mexican-Americans in Crystal City, TX developed into the Raza Unita Party, the first time a third-party in US politics had formed on ethnic lines.

Interestingly enough, Jrez Angel Gutierrez, a Mexican-American leader in Crystal City, TX attended law school at Southern Methodist University.

The Mexican-American movement was shaped by the non-violent beliefs championed by Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi. Chavez fasted to draw media attention. They used boycotts, strikes, and sit-ins like the African-American movement. But, like the African-American movement, the Mexican-American movement was not free from violent conflicts. The National Labor Relations Act was a direct result of the violence directed towards their efforts.

500 Years of Surviving in a Land that Once was Ours: Native American Movement

The Indian Movement, unlike the African American movement used takeovers to gain media attention. One of the more well-known takeovers is that of the takeover of Alcatraz Island. The differences in the way it was reported varies. Some saw the stand on Alcatraz as criminal treachery against the US government. The Indians were proud that they took a stand for their land that was taken from them -- asking the government to grant them juristiction over it.


Wounded Knee:

The native Americans are described in savage, barbaric wording. Their cultural differences are viewed as silly, unimportant. They were clearly looked down upon by the whites, even in 1973, almost 100 years after the initial 1890 massacre. It showed that not much has changed in terms of prejudice in America and that the Native American movement still had lots of ground to cover.

The Cold War

Megan W.
Response #9

1.) Why are these important speeches and events in the origins and course of what came to be called the “Cold War?”

Truman Doctrine, 12 March 1947
The Truman Doctrine authorized US support to (anti-communist nations) Germany and Greece. The Truman Doctrine gave precedent to justify support to any country the American government considered to be threatened by communist (USSR) expansionism. This policy was called the Containment Policy.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), 4 April 1949
According to this article in the Dallas Morning News published the day before NATO was official, NATO was a “grande alliance between the non-Communist Western World…. to pool their defenses against Russia.” This event is significant in the climate of the Cold War because it further advances the playing ground between the US and USSR. In response, the USSR and Western Germany formed a similar agreement called the Warsaw Pact.

Marshall Plan, 3 April 1948
The mission of the Marshall Plan was to help rebuild the Allied nations in Europe. This included Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Demark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. The US hoped that their support would result in repelling communist expansion. It worked.

The “Iron Curtain” is a phrase that Churchill spoke in his significant 1946 speech in the heartland that refers to as the boundary line which separated Europe into two divided areas of political power. It was heard loud and clear. His words resonate in the minds of Americans, “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.” There is now a concrete ‘wrong side of the tracks’ to Americans and the Allies. The significance of this is that the tensions and divisions with the Soviet Union were clearly articulated by the President of the United States. The speech led to a rallied the opposition (throughout America and Europe) to USSR expansion worldwide. This really unified anti-communist countries together and resulted in a powerful force to be reckoned with.

"The Domino Theory"

The significance of Eisenhower’s own words (1954) describing what he thought would happen if Communism expanded stirred the American psyche. This alarmist response, in line with similar responses that led to the Red Scare, rallied support for this foreign policy theory – that if one country came under Communist power then more would naturally follow in sequence like dominos. Later on, this same idea was applied to the United States role in Vietnam. The image of dominos falling one after another was frightening to any Democracy-loving citizen of the world and fostered mass support for the ideas of containment (i.e. Truman Doctrine).

2-3.) Why was it called a “cold” war? Where were the battlefields of the Cold War, and how was it fought between about 1946 and 1963? Provide specific examples.

Walter Lippmann coined the term cold war in 1947 in his book that outlined how the USSR and the allies’ post-WW2 years had led to a climate of war without actual military warfare. Instead of direct military action, the was between the US and USSR was more of an arms (including nuclear) race that climaxed with the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 which was as direct a confrontation that the war produced. Although there were no military battles, the governments of US and USSR were clearly in a wartime mode – alliances developed, propaganda spread, and espionage flourished. It was more of a psychological war than one of brute physical force like those in the past (WWI, Spanish-American, et.) involving military battle.

The Cold War was a power-battle between America and the USSR and was fought in a variety of ways. Since the combat never came to physical blows, the most important battles are not as obvious as those in WWI and WWII seen in mass bloodshed and revolution.

Unlike most races, there is an intended goal in an arms race other than be in front of the competition – no matter what. The arms race began as a struggle for military domination between the US and USSR. In order to out-do the other nation, the nations would constantly try to surpass the other in military strength, strategic colonization, technology and weaponry.

Struggle over military dominance is clear in the crisis in Berlin, Germany in 1948-1949 when the USSR blocked West Berlin, later dividing into East and West Berlin.

The Korean War (1950-1953) displayed how the Cold War played out in global conflicts. The USA saw the war in Korea as evidence for their reasons to take action against communism. It was the domino theory in action. The American involvement is regarded by the US as a police action (Roosevelt Corollary) rather than war. With the Korean War came increased technology in fighter jets, radar and infa-red driven by the race between Americans and Soviets.

The nuclear arms race that escaladed between the two nations caused the most impact to everyday American life. People dealt with the threats of the Cold War in daily life – safety procedures and bomb shelters were common. The threat of nuclear war was a historical first that the Cold War presented. When the Russians announced they had nuclear weapons, Americans – frightened and panicked, rallied stronger than ever to win the battle between the US and USSR.

And to win battle, the constant one-upmanship between the two nations applied to everything – colonization, education, military, space exploration, economy, to name a few. The Russians launched Sputnik, the first satellite, and Americans were really angry that they had won the “Space Race.” NASA was pushed as well as strong math and science education.


4. How did this war abroad affect domestic events and policies, and vice versa? Provide specific examples.

The Cold War dictated how the US and USSR operated – especially their foreign affairs. The policy of containment remained the foreign policy of the US against Soviet expansion after Churchill declared that “an iron curtain has descended across the [European] continent.” The Truman Doctrine (1947) pledged the United States to the containment of communism. The Marshall Plan (1947) helped support the Allies in Europe to re-build after WWII. The help was not for good will but in the interest of suppressing Soviet imperialism.

The policy of containment led to the development of military alliances: the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (1950). In response to NATO, the USSR collaborated within months to form the Warsaw Pact, which included East Germany.

Domestically, the Psychological Strategy Board was created for the purpose of creating anti-Communist propaganda campaigns in 1951. The next year, the Immigration and Nationality Act tightened immigration and barred homosexuals from the United States. This is an example of the anti-communist paranoia spreading to other avenues of dissent.

Idaho WWII prison camp controversy flares

Idaho WWII prison camp controversy flares
By CHRISTOPHER SMITH, Associated Press Writer Fri Jun 23, 3:07 PM ET

HUNT, Idaho - The National Park Service wants Congress to remove the word "internment" from the name of a national park commemorating a World War II prison camp for Japanese-Americans.

In a management plan for the Minidoka Internment National Monument finalized this week, the Park Service says the term legally means imprisonment of civilian enemy aliens during wartime and does not accurately reflect the government's forced relocation of thousands of U.S. citizens of Japanese descent.

The agency wants the name changed to Minidoka National Historic Site, which would match with the only similar prison camp under its protection, California's Manzanar National Historic Site.

[snip]

Some felt "internment" did not accurately describe what happened there, while others wanted to emphasize the injustice by changing the name to "Minidoka Concentration Camp National Historic Site," King said.

James Azumano, leader of the internees' association, said his group plans to discuss the name during a pilgrimage there next month.

"It is a real dilemma and a constant challenge: How politically correct do you want to be over what at the time was a civil rights atrocity?" said Azumano, of Salem, Ore. "It's a struggle with terminology that continues today. What are you going to call Guantanamo 50 years from now?"

At its peak in 1943, the Minidoka camp became one of the largest cities in Idaho, housing 9,397 people, primarily from Seattle and Portland, Ore. It closed Oct. 28, 1945, and was dismantled. The 73-acre park was created in early 2001 by President Clinton.

All Web Assignments have been posted

Your next set of Blog Comments should follow the same format as the previous comments.

• Comments #1 & 2: For each of your other classmates' Blog Entries, identify an argument or opinion with which you agree or disagree, and explain why, and support your own argument with an example from either the Web Assignments or other evidence we have reviewed, being sure to properly cite your source.

The first 2 of the three final Web Assignments, #9 & #10, have been posted

A bit out of order for now, as I will post #8 later.

Please let me know immediately if you have any trouble accessing any of the documents, images, video clips, audio files, or music files.

Read each assignment and all the questions carefully, and respond completely to all questions asked.

All Blog Entries must be completed no later than 6:00 p.m. Monday, June 26. All Comments must be completed no later than 12:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 28.

Good luck and as always, I look forward to reading your entries.

Was J. Edgar Hoover a cross-dresser?

Well, Lucas, as I told you, I didn't think that story was true, and the credible evidence seems to indicate that he was not. But read these for yourself and see what you think.

7-15-02
Did J. Edgar Hoover Really Wear Dresses?
By Ronald Kessler

"Mr. Kessler is the author of a new book on the FBI, The Bureau: The Secret History of the FBI, available from Amazon.com.

In 1993, Anthony Summers, in his book Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover, claimed that Hoover did not pursue organized crime because the Mafia had blackmail material on him. In support of that, Summers quoted Susan L. Rosenstiel, a former wife of Lewis S. Rosenstiel, chairman of Schenley Industries Inc., as saying that in 1958, she was at a party at the Plaza Hotel where Hoover engaged in cross-dressing in front of her then-husband and Roy Cohn, former counsel to Senator Joe McCarthy.

[snip of a couple of lurid tales]

It was episodes such as these, Summers declared, that the Mafia held over Hoover's head. "Mafia bosses obtained information about Hoover's sex life and used it for decades to keep the FBI at bay," the jacket of the book says. "Without this, the Mafia as we know it might never have gained its hold on America."

Rosenstiel, a former bootlegger during Prohibition, was well-acquainted with Mafia figures such as Frank Costello, originally Francesco Castiglia. He was also friends with Hoover, having endowed the J. Edgar Hoover Foundation in 1965 with $1 million. But Susan was Summers's primary source for the cross-dressing story, and she was not exactly a credible witness. In fact, she served time at Riker's Island for perjuring herself in a 1971 case.

[snip]

While there was always speculation about Hoover and Tolson, there were never any rumors about Hoover cross-dressing. Oliver "Buck" Revell, a former associate director of the FBI, noted that if the Mafia had had anything on Hoover, it would have been picked up in wiretaps mounted against organized crime after Appalachin. There was never a hint of such a claim, Revell said.

Hoover was more familiar to Americans than most presidents. The director of the FBI simply could not have engaged in such activity at the Plaza, with a number of witnesses present, without having it leak out. The cross-dressing allegations were as credible as McCarthy's claim that there were 205 known Communists in the State Department, yet the press widely circulated the claim without further investigation. That Hoover was a cross-dresser is now largely presumed to be fact even by sophisticated people.

Ronald Kessler, "Did J. Edgar Hoover Really Wear Dresses?" History News Network, 15 July 2002, http://hnn.us/articles/814.html (21 June 2006).

From a site called The Straight Dope:

"But as a matter of fact, the alleged transvestitism of John Edgar Hoover, director of the FBI from 1924 until his death in 1972, has never been established, and reputable historians say it's an urban legend. The story probably got its start because of much more plausible rumors that J. Edgar was gay. He and his right-hand man, Clyde Tolson, were constant companions for more than 40 years, even vacationing together, and both remained lifelong bachelors. (Hoover lived with his mom until she died in 1938.)"

"Was J. Edgar Hoover a cross-dresser?" The Straight Dope, 6 Dec 2002, http://www.straightdope.com/columns/021206.html (21 June 2006).

This one reminded me of the New Deal "striking baby"

SOURCES: Micah Wright, "The Propaganda Remix Project," http://homepage.mac.com/leperous/PhotoAlbum1.html (21 June 2006); LC-USZC2-939, WPA Federal Art Project, circa 1936-38, "By the People, For the People: Posters from the WPA, 1936-1943," http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wpaposters/wpahome.html (21 June 2006).

These also strike me as especially interesting and provocative...what do you all think?

SOURCE: Micah Wright, "The Propaganda Remix Project," http://homepage.mac.com/leperous/PhotoAlbum1.html (21 June 2006)

Visions & Collisions - 21st Century

I came across The Propaganda Remix Project while researching for Web assignment #6. The Propaganda Remix Project is artist Micah Wright's rendition of WWI propaganda posters "with political commentary to deliver a scabrous take on the State of the Union."

Although I do not share all of Wright's views on politics, I believe that the collisions of these visions is necessary in order for democracy to thrive. I do respect both his freedom of speech and clear artistic talent.

U.S. urged to apologize for 1930s deportations

U.S. urged to apologize for 1930s deportations
Updated 4/5/2006 6:57 AM
By Wendy Koch, USA TODAY

[snip]

"They came in with guns and told us to get out," recalls Piña, 81, a retired railroad worker in Bakersfield, Calif., of the 1931 raid. "They didn't let us take anything," not even a trunk that held birth certificates proving that he and his five siblings were U.S.-born citizens.

The family was thrown into a jail for 10 days before being sent by train to Mexico. Piña says he spent 16 years of "pure hell" there before acquiring papers of his Utah birth and returning to the USA.

The deportation of Piña's family tells an almost-forgotten story of a 1930s anti-immigrant campaign. Tens of thousands, and possibly more than 400,000, Mexicans and Mexican-Americans were pressured — through raids and job denials — to leave the USA during the Depression, according to a USA TODAY review of documents and interviews with historians and deportees. Many, mostly children, were U.S. citizens.

"How We Advertised America"

Megan W.

Response #6

Rallying support and minimizing dissent was a crucial and significant part of the mobilization of the United States for WWI military action. The Zimmerman note fueled American's hypersensitivity to dissent. For example, this poster actually suggests that dissent, which is regarded as an act of treason -- leads to the attack of the US navy. It is true that exposing US military secrets with enemies is a threat to our national security. However, the actual percentage of the population seen as this kind of threat is very insignificant to even produce and distribute this flier. Creel writes that a voluntary agreement "safeguarded military information of obvious value to the enemy, but in all else the rights of the press were recognized and furthered." Although this may have been Creel's accurate memory of the time, I believe that the freedom of speech, such as views from the left, must've lacked government support.

I take away a clear sense of America's values from the images seen in poster after poster of propaganda during World War I. They had a strong belief that the duty of an American was to support the nation -- through good times and bad. As Creel puts it, "Democracy depends upon the degree to which each one of all the people of that democracy can concentrate and consecrate body and soul and spirit in the supreme effort of service and sacrifice [towards democracy]." (Creel, 6) After the war, the Committee for Public Information even ventures to promote the stop of venereal disease as pro-American. I thought that was a particularly interesting poster.


The message to "Support our Troops" is not something new -- it is a fundamental American cornerstone. And in World War I, those called upon in largest numbers to support the war efforts were women. Whether it is working in factories or preserving food properly, women were an integral element in winning the war. And the Government knew it! In this poster, an older woman is depicted supporting the war economically by purchasing liberty bonds. This poster in particular shows how the CPI used psychological research, like targeting the maternal instincts of women, to gain support.

Before the era of art deco, US propaganda bent reality with a clear cut, two dimensional world. The Germans were portrayed with the theatrics of a children’s cartoon, big bad and evil. There was no middle ground. You were either with us or against us. And although Creel disagrees that the US propaganda was misleading, there is a clear slant biased against America's opponent in the war.

Just as the CPI portrayed the war to benefit their own objectives (to rally support for the war), I think that Creel portrays the CPI in a self-beneficial manner. Creel, an intelligent man, is at the ready with a barrage of facts to support himself against nay-Sayers. Yet for the most part, Creel simply does not address his opponent's facts - or does so in an insufficient and round-about way. In his final words, Creel dismisses a wellspring of newsworthy concerns like dusting dirt of his shoulder. The inaccurate press coverage of American lynchings, strikes, riots, and the disparity of wealth, he argues, is the fault of the unreliable news organizations. Creel leads the reader to believe that the international news organizations had inaccurately reported the state of America by sensationalizing insignificant issues. I disagree. In the textbooks, lectures and my own research on the subject I believe that the lynchings, strikes, riots, and the disparity of wealth of the era were in fact very real and newsworthy issues.

In conclusion, I have thought about the above historical evidence, and I have come to the following conclusions that today, just as much as the past, visions are constantly in conflict. I could continue at length comparing and contrasting WWI era to today -- there is just so much to explore.
Through examining WWI primary sources like CPI posters and George Creel's "How We Advertised America," it is fair to say that there were a number of conflicting accounts of the state of affairs. Each citizen's reality is perceived differently; Visions naturally collide. However, the difference with this period of American history is that visions that were perceived as anti-American were prosecutable.

"Heartland Security and the FSA"

Megan
Response #7

Image #1 Mother and 9 Children, 1939
This photograph of a Tennessee mother with three of her nine children photographed by Carl Mydans must have struck a particularly powerful cord with Americans. The woman, the symbolic heart of the family, looks shattered. Words that come to mind when I imagine the troubled woman -- disarray, shame, disgrace. Her clothes are very tattered and torn to pieces. Even her burlap potato sack skirt has holes from wear and tear. Her hair is unkempt and her feet are dirty. The sun shadows her facial expression but what we do see is a blank, hopeless look. Surrounding her are her children who are similarly disheveled. The boy to her left has almost the exact same expression, the sun shading a lower portion of his face. This mother who is struggling to meet her own needs can barely function as the nurturing caretaker of her nine children. Child labor criticism spanned both urban and rural areas nationwide.

Image #2 The Okies - Children
These boys displaced by the fury of the Dust Bowl are finding solace in the shade of a barn. They could even be hiding to get a break from a long day of work. They are both dressed in their matching farm bibs. Their faces and fingers blackened by the sun mirror their burnt out sad eyes. The standard blonde haired, blue-eyed Anglo-Saxon features of these two boys is important to this picture. It is the ideal American look. And this is a very less than ideal situation for these two boys to be in. Clearly these boys are dreaming of the good old days -- sketching flowers from their memories. The country, likewise, quite clearly remembers the days of the roaring 20's - come and gone. The need for education raises questions of child labor reform.
Innocent America corrupted by the consequences of hasty Westward Expansion.

Image #3 Yuba City Agricultural Farm Workers Community
I found this image to be particularly interesting. At first glance, the photo looks like the photographer came across this sample set of Okie children organically. But in context I think this photo was taken with outside interests in mind. First of all, the girls in this picture outnumber the boys by more than half. In addition, the one boy shown in the foreground is dark skinned. While the other white children are dressed in their Sunday best, the Mexican child twiddles his thumbs in the pockets of his jean overalls. The clean-cut white boy stands behind the rest with a look of satisfaction and ease. The racial and ethnic divide prevails.

Tiny buildings near the top of the picture are probably the Farm Security Administration camps which were set up in California for displaced farmers. I find these kids suspiciously clean and well-dressed. Compared to the previous batch of images portraying filthy unkempt Okie children, the inconsistency is clear. Taken after a school day, I see a focus on gender and ethnic equality. Girls and one minority were being educated just as the white boys were. This was probably not the case. The photographer also seemed to find the only healthy looking tree in the barren country to round the children under. The dry soil tells the true story.

Course Themes
1. Power and Participation
- Women's Suffrage : Women gained the great power and influence during this period. Woodrow Wilson felt that granting women's rights was a "war measure" and in 1919 Congress passed the 19th Ammendment granting women the right to vote. Jane Addams established the Hull House in Chicago, furthering the Settlement.

2. Visions and Collisons- Labor Reform: The visions of big businessmen and daily laborers met one another for the first time in this period of American history. Labor unions gained power such as the American Federation of Labor and Industrial Workers of the World. Big business discovered the benefit of mediating with unions to avoid worker revolt. The greatest reform was the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938. This eliminated "labor conditions detrimental to the maintenance of the minimum standards of living necessary for health, efficiency and well-being of workers," established a 40 hour work week, minimum wage and outlawed child labor. This was a huge win for Progressive policy.

3. People and Land- The Dust Bowl: The those who took a chance on the American dream to go West and prosper were not prepared for the grim outcome of the Dust Bowl. Drought, heat, erosion, dust and wind contributed to the horrifying conditions of the Dust Bowl. This was a period when Americans learned the importance of taking care of the land and preserving it for the future.

Sources:
Spartacus Educational.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk.
The Journal of San Diego History.
http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/89spring/eating.htm.

Response to "From Lithuania to the Chicago Stockyards, 1904"

Megan W.
Response #5


Pull & Push Factors
Antanas Kaztauskis reveals some of the pros and cons that immigrants would
formulate before choosing to immigrate to the US. Push factors were reasons that pushed forward ones decision to come to the new world. The pull factors were the reasons that would pulld one away from wanting to immigrate. For example, in the interview with Kaztauskis push factors such as poor living and working conditions are stressed. His family was aware that the life of an immigrant was a tough way of life, "If you are sick or old there and have no money you will die." (Paragraph 15)

It was hard to focus on the cons when the hopes of freedom were so high. These pull factors were very significant, especially for A.K. and family. In the memory discussed in the interview, his father stressed the high value that his son must hold these beliefs. He says, "We know these are true things-- that all men are born free and equal -- that God gives them rights which no man can take away -- that among these rights are life, liberty and the getting of happiness," then repeats, "life, liberty and the getting of happiness. Oh, that is what you want." (Paragraph 18)

Female/Gender Roles
A.K.'s mother is described as an emotional wreck when her husband first spoke of their son immigrating to America. This must have been an understandable, natural reaction of a mother at this time. There were no telephones and mail was unreliable at best. So, for mothers it could very well be the last time they ever see their own sons. Even if they decided to later immigrate, locating loved ones was not an easy task. Also notice that the opinions and interests of both his mother and his lover are not even considered in the matter of Antanas going overseas.

Patterns of Settlement/Adjustment
It was clear that families sent their young men to America before they sent anyone else. The narrator goes to America without any concrete information on what he was to do once he got there except to hope that those who he is supposed to meet and stay with are still alive and well. The adjustment to American life is harsh. The living conditions are cramped and the working days are long. These men, raised in cultures that put high value on the strong family unit, are emotionally exhausted as they are physically. While not fatal, homesickness caused depression among immigrants.

Great entries so far

Let's try to hold off on the blog comments until all the entries are posted tonight -- if you don't get your comments in until tomorrow before class, that would be fine -- I'd rather you write something substantial instead of something fast and sketchy.

Oh, and if you need to delete your comment and start over, no problem -- I can clean up all traces of the deleted comments later.

See you tomorrow!

Your midterm exams are OUTSTANDING!

Wow! Really impressive. I hope you didn't find it too dreadful, but I think you will be very pleased with your results -- I know you worked hard and it really paid off for you.

I look forward to reading your Blog Entries!

Midterm Format and Scope

As we discussed, this will be an objective exam and there will be several different types of questions: identifications, fill-in-the-blank, matching, chronologies, and possibly a map (for extra credit).

The questions will cover the period between 1863 and 1941 and will focus on important events, people, concepts, and legislation discussed in the textbook and our lectures. Your class outlines should be especially helpful in identifying key facts from our lectures, and the textbook provides useful chronologies and overviews (see, for example, the chronology on p. 611, or p. 652, "Key Legislation of the First New Deal).

If you have any questions, let me know -- otherwise, see you tomorrow!

All Web Assignments (#5, #6, and #7) for this week have been posted

Please read and follow ALL instructions carefully!

Your next set of Blog Comments should follow the same format as the previous comments. However, do make sure you read these instructions carefully, and cite your own sources where required.

• Read all your classmates’ Blog Entries and feel free to comment on any of them at any time.But for your formal Blog Comment, open the comment box and write your name and Comment #1 or #2, and then write your response.
  

• Comment #1: Choose a Blog Entry that expresses an opinion with which you agree or disagree, and explain why, and support your own argument with an example from either the Web Assignments or other evidence we have reviewed, being sure to properly cite your source.
  

• Comment #2: Choose the Blog Entry that was most helpful to you in understanding the historical evidence in relation to the course themes, and explain why, illustrating your opinion with a specific example or quote from the Blog Entry.

Game Two: Team Standings

Another great game, teams! And I do hope you found it helpful in preparing for the midterm. I am certain you will all do very well.

Bull Moose Party 95 Cumulative: 195

Team Connery 95 Cumulative: 170

And I hope you enjoyed the visit from Dr. Martin, and that you found her discussion about an important, constantly shifting cycle in U.S. history -- citizens' faith in government -- useful in understanding a significant theme of the different periods we have studied to this point -- Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, the Progressive Era, World War I, the 1920s, the Great Depression, and the New Deal. Can you see how that type of model could be applied to other topics or themes -- civil rights, perhaps? Or some other cycle that you think is particularly compelling?

I'll probably post some final thoughts/tips about the midterm later this week.

Look for the Web Assignments by tomorrow afternoon. They will be due by Saturday night.

See you Saturday morning at 11:30 at the steps of Dallas Hall.

Congrats, teams, on a good game!

Team Standings:

The Bull Moose Party: 100 points

Team Connery: 75 points

We will play again tomorrow, reviewing material from Chapters 20 - 24 (or as far as we manage to get before the end of class). Questions will also be drawn from people, dates, and events referenced in the outlines.

We will be doing the review session tonight, instead

See the previous post for more information.

Another reminder about tonight's agenda

We will be reviewing important EVENTS, DATES, PEOPLE, etc. in preparation for our Midterm on Saturday. Look at the chronologies in Out of Many for all of the chapters we have read up to this point before class this evening.

See you later!

This week we will start with Progressivism and end with the New Deal

and we will follow a number of important links beween these two eras as we begin with Theodore Roosevelt and end with his fifth cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

For our class of tomorrow, June 12, recall the political, economic, and social problems and issues that arose out of the transformations we examined last week: incorporation, industrialization, and urbanization.

• displacement of artisans and skilled workers
• grueling, dangerous working conditions
• labor resistance & strikes
• concentration of wealth and political power
• corruption at all levels of government
• slums, disease, inadequate or poor city services

We will also discuss immigration, one of the most significant topics in U.S. history, focusing on the "New Immigration" (1880 - 1920), the various reasons why people migrated to the United States, patterns of settlement and adjustment to American life, and the response of native-born Americans (nativism, anti-immigrant organizations, and federal immigration laws).

As you are reading Chapter 21 in Out of Many, pay close attention to:

• The people: Who are the "Progressives?" Who are some of the leading figures?
• What issues and problems are Progressives concerned about?
• What are their influences and methods?

See especially p. 565 and the chart titled, "Currents of Progressivism."

In reading Chapter 22 about World War I, note how U.S. involvement and mobilization for the war drew upon Progressive ideas about the role of the federal government in organizing and regulating industrial production. The authors also point out that Woodrow Wilson believed that the U.S. "must actively use its enormous moral and material power to create the new order" of the postwar world (Out of Many, p. 592), reflecting Progressive ideals about U.S. democracy and civilization. How did the war impact America and Americans?

Megan's "Reconstructing Memories" (Web Assignment #1)

After reading selections from the interviews of James Reeves and Frank Wise I was surprised that it wasn't what they said that was the most significant part of the interview but how it was said and what was not said. For instance, it was clear that the family unit held importance to them. Mr. Reeves and Wise recounted the names and kin of their immediate families. It is noteworthy that the whereabouts of many family members were unknown. The slaves led lives where family members simply vanished without a trace and that was that. It is hard to imagine living like that. The people and land were entwined as the former slaves knew whose plantation their family and relatives lived on and how it affected the family. As significant the family was to these two men, they did not voice any emotion in regards to how angry it made them when the white men would beat up and kill family members like their mothers and grandmothers. This strikes me as peculiar as I would expect to hear a passionate verse or two expressing hatred towards those that wronged their family. I question how they have been conditioned to regard one another as property rather than people. It was a hard time and it was clear that the family unit suffered from slavery.

Aside from the brief summary each gave on their family background, the bulk of the interview was spent discussing the way of life for these men as slaves and as newly freedmen. The Ku Klux Klan were very prominent threat to these men and their families. They would terrorize them at night, keeping them away from voting and keeping their working conditions poor.

The widespread lawlessness of the West was clear. The brutal whippings and beatings of the slaves was commonplace. Reeves grandmother had lost her eyesight to particularly gruesome treatment. His mother's wounds stayed with her to the grave which again speaks of the ruthless treatment of women. Noted by Reeves, "She never did like to tell the details. But the scars were awful." It is understandable that the slaves, disrespected time and time again by whites, were never forthcoming with tales of violence. It was a way of life. However, this code of "don't ask don't tell" is instrumental in studying the history of the slaves for it is nearly impossible to know exactly what went on. People might have only been able to handle what they were going through and did not want to hear the troubles of others. This is a possibility of why the big picture of slavery could be less than wholly accurate and reliable.

To gauge what these men placed importance upon in their lives, the interviewer could have just asked "Tell me about your life" or some broad prompt. Instead, the interviewer went by a checklist-like barrage of statements which the men then responded to. I thought this could take the time away from what they would have wanted to talk more about - like how they felt about these atrocities their families had suffered.

Power and participation is prevalent in the lives of these men. The whites are in, what they believe, a constant power struggle. This leads to the patrollers, voting laws, violence, and anti-black organizations. They feel that the blacks are taking what is not rightfully theirs -- such as land, education, money, respect, and most importantly, power in government.

Megan's "Race, Markets and Imperalism"

Web Assignment #4 Race, Markets, and Imperialism

In the Cleveland Gazette, the tone is shameful, angry, and horrified by the atrocities of the US overseas. This anti-war stance is clear as the native "liberty-loving" Philippines are described as being "hunted and slaughtered" by US soldiers("Slaughter in the Philippines," p. 1). And compared to the Dallas Morning News' take on the situation, almost justifying the actions of the soldiers, "[America] must do it's duty and use its great power in the interest of humanity and civilization. ("America as a Pacific Power," p. 4) This manifests what we learned about earlier this week about the white man's burden to culture the uncivilized peoples. In these articles, it is evident that just like today, people's realities are vastly different from one another. Some think that things are going great, others think everything is falling apart and needs change. Realities differ between people, so do historical sources. What I take away from this is that to wholly know an event in history, you have to dig for all the different perspectives on the who, what, where and why and then formulate your own ideas.

From 1863 to 1900, the economy shifted from primarily farming into a more widespread industrial one. Work was that of logging, mining, fur trading -- all marketing the great natural resources of the West. The settlers drove the Indians away from their land and means of survival. They disregarded the native Americans as equals but as brute savages -- unworthy of fair trials, basic civil rights and freedoms. Women, blacks and even some immigrants were not granted the power to vote. Although blacks won power when freed from slavery, they were infinitely far from being seen as equals to white men. But relative to the centuries of slavery, the African Americans gained power at this time. This is very significant because it pushes civil rights of immigrants, native Americans, women and suppressed people worldwide closer to equality.

I have thought about the above historical evidence, and I have come to the following conclusions. Primary sources, in particular works of art, offer infinite perspectives into history. In addition, the context in which the art was created tells even more about that moment in time. Especially at the time before the turn of the 20th century before television and radio, these pieces of art had a huge impact if published in newspapers and magazines. An entire nation could be easily swayed, angered or impassioned by the portrayal of the West or of war in one single drawing. It is almost scary to think about how much power and impact these artists had on the nation, as did the editors and journalists of this time as well.

Overall, I am very pleased with your Entries & Comments so far!

They display a serious attempt to grapple with (most!) of the assigned material and answer the questions I asked in a thoughtful and comprehensive manner. I found your observations and insights about both the primary sources and your classmates' comments quite fascinating and often very astute. I also found some major factual errors and some big "holes" in your knowledge, but these just help us focus our attention on areas that need review, and we will discuss them further in class.

Please continue to check in here at the blog at least once prior to class each day, for important reminders and information about readings, quizzes, etc.

Megan's "Illustrated Lecture"

Web Assignment #3 Illustrated Lecture

Stereopticon are two lanterns that would be lit close to one another so that together they would produce one image. I think this poster is supposed to show us that the people did not get the entire story of imperialism- just what was presented to them, like at a town hall presentation on the stereopticon. I bet that the presentation told stories of great heroism in battle against a evil, savage people to gain support for the war.

Your posts are also at WordPress

As you each finish the entire assignment, I will post each of your entries at WordPress, too. So if for some reason you can't post your Blog Comments here, you can do so there.

REMINDER: Blog Comments

Conclude this first Writing Assignment by posting two Blog Comments.

1. Read all your classmates’ Blog Entries and feel free to comment on any of them at any time. But for your formal Blog Comment, open the comment box and at the top of it write your name and Comment #1 or #2, and then write your response.

2. Comment #1: Choose a Blog Entry that expresses an opinion with which you agree or disagree, and explain why, and support your own argument with an example from either the Web Assignments or other evidence we have reviewed, being sure to properly cite your source.

3. Comment #2: Choose the Blog Entry that was most helpful to you in understanding the historical evidence in relation to the course themes, and explain why, illustrating your opinion with a specific example or quote from the Blog Entry.

Megan's "Visions of the West"

Web Assignment # 2

Visions of the West

1. The most prominent theme I take away from Emanuel Leutze's painting is one of the American dream, or ideal. This meant, especially to Americans during Westward expansion, equal opportunity for land to raise a family (women and children are pictured), to build a home, produce goods (the land looks fertile), cultivate the land -- to essentially practice the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness that America was founded on just a century before Leutze's painting. The most striking images that lead me to this conclusion is the landscape. The snow topped mountain, the amber waves of grain, the sea to shining sea -- all very idyllic American imagery. It is important to notice the differing apparel and appearance of the men and women. One man in particular is standing tall above the rest, hatless with a healthy head of hair. I will guess that he is a young, wealthy, robust young explorer. The rest of the men and women are cloaked in ragged cowboy hats, tired and frazzled faces, hurrying to the top of the ridge. They do not seem as at ease as the fine young gentleman at the top.

The native American Indians are not shown in the painting but their presence to the men is clear -- their guns are drawn, waving freely in the air ready to defend themselves against Indian attacks. The image depicts a flurry of emotion - all that craving this American dream. There is great anticipation among these roused yet weary men.

I think this image portrays a glossy side of travels westward. The image is only that of the happily ever after picturesque moment and fails to address the grueling means that these people survived to achieve this kind of image. It could have been very well used as propaganda to fuel the sale of Homesteads out west.


2. Fanny Palmer's depiction of westward expansion not only shows the new railroad(including the exhaust pollution) and schoolhouse but also the native Americans which can be seen with their horses perhaps deliberately on the wrong side of the tracks. The settlers are all of Anglo-Saxon origin. Unlike the Indians way of life of preserving the earth's natural resources, the white men are mining and profiting from it. The native Americans are shown on their horses, wearing some headdress and holding a spear watching the smoggy train roll past the new town.

3. In "Pioneers of America" could easily be mistaken for a Folder's advertisement of the old West, the tall, dark, handsome father doting over his American born son before a hard days work logging. Again, the ideal situation is portrayed in these portraits of the American West. Her work stops short of addressing the constant harsh weather, deadly illnesses and generally difficult way of life of these people.

In this work, the woman is shown faintly in the background, her face is covered by her bonnet and she is perhaps washing clothes or pumping water for her family. The men are front and center, denoting the emphasis on a man's importance. Leutze's mural portrays women as an integral part of the wagon train - caring and tending on the children and men. Although still farther in the background, the woman's face is shown clear as she protects her child.

4. Progress is inferred through images of both the traditional and the more stately, improved driver-equipped covered wagon. In the far background, sailboats and water transportation is shown - the world of commerce is expanding from the west worldwide. Crops being irrigated and fertilized is shown as well as the buffalo running off the land that they once roamed free. In relation to one another, the artist shows the expanding and booming industrialized world running the old world away until they are almost extinct. The ships coming into the port, the rivers running down from the port into the mainland -- the covered wagons, the rail, the telephone lines.

5. The notion of the white man's burden, that whites must pillage forward and culture savage civilizations because, as Berkeley poignantly concluded in his poem, "time's noblest offspring is it's last." It is in direct agreement to that the new settlers are much more intelligent creatures than those who were living on the land before them.


6. In your opinion, are these works of art accurate representations of the Anglo-American settlement and incorporation of the West? Why or why not? What role (if any) do you think they played in shaping American beliefs and opinions about subsequent political, military, and foreign policy decisions and events?

I think I already addressed how accurate these images portray the west but to reiterate, these are all very glossy versions of life of a western settler and I believe could have easily been used as propaganda to entice more families to forge west to fuel America's emerging industrial economy.

----

Tom's Week 1 Blog Entry

Web Assignment 1:
The main topic of this article is the ways African-Americans were oppressed during slavery and closely after slavery. They talked about the different forces that oppress them such as the slave owners and the Ku Klux Klan. They also talk about the lives of their family members during and after slavery. They mention things like how they found out they were free or some of the troubles they had when they attempted to vote. "The nigger would ask right back, 'How you goin' to vote?' The white man would say, 'I'm goin' to vote as I damn please.' Then the nigger would say, 'I'm going to do the same thing.' That started the trouble." (Reeves, p.7)
These two narratives bring up voting issues, Ku Klux Klan issues, and life during slavery for African Americans. All three of these topics were examined in our discussion on Reconstruction. "The Ku Klux didn't have no particular effect on the Negro except to scare him" (Reeves, p.6).
The voting issues covered in the two narratives represent the theme of "power and participation." The whites knew that by giving the African Americans the power to vote and the chance to participate in the country's government, gave the African Americans a lot more power and freedom than they previously had. The whites did not like the idea of such a great change occurring. The Ku Klux Klan issues and the descriptions of life during slavery for African Americans both touch on the theme of "visions and collisions." Both narratives, specifically Reeves', give a specific account of how the Ku Klux Klan treats African Americans with violence and hatred after the civil war. The second hand accounts of the family member’s lives during slavery mention things like how the slaves were punished or what they did for amusement.
I believe it benefited the narrative because it gave the individuals more time and experience to relate their experiences right after the war to the ones they have later in their lives. Many changes in the ways African Americans were treated took place during those decades from when they were set free to when they were interviewed. I do not think that the time interval affected the reliability of the narratives. The interview himself says "His failure to talk on details of his early life seem to the interviewer due to unwillingness rather than lack of memory" (Wise, p.3).
I believe the experience since slavery time has made the individuals being interviewed view slavery worse than they originally had. This is because right after slavery, they were use to being treated so poorly. Now that they have been free for a fair amount of time, they experience many of the freedoms they never had before. This allows the African Americans to see actually how unfairly they were treated during slavery.
I think that the interviewers used some of the same questions because the two individuals being interviewed touched on almost all of the same topics. This caused some correlation and commonality between the two narratives. In my opinion, not unusual or disturbing stood out from these documents.

Web Assignment 2:
In Emanuel Leutze's mural, he touches on many different themes of Westward movement and exploration. He gives images of the different kinds of people who are going to be settling this new land. He also gives images of the different natural monuments and perils that the people moving westward faced on their journey to the coast. Leutze includes some images of the native peoples. He shows an Indian preparing to fire an arrow at a hunter and he has an image of various Native Americans creeping around behind trees and boulders. The lighting and over all feel one gets from the mural is hope and a bright future. The images of the settlers show that the west will fulfill many hopes and dreams. Everyone in the mural seems like they have already experienced a lot of their life and have been through a lot to get to where they are in the painting. The west feels like a final destination and home to them.
In her version of the painting, Palmer takes a much more industrialized and civilized approach. This is because she uses images such as telegraph lines, railroads, mining, and lumber. All of these images have an economic theme. Her lithograph shows images of a much more civilized west. She does this by using images of log houses and small villages. Leutze's work is much more based on exploration and future prosperity than economics and domestication of the land. In this piece, Native Americans are riding on their horses behind a train while smoke and steam from the train and blowing in their faces. This shows that the whites have no respect for the Native Americans and feel they should move out of the white mans way.
Many of the stereotypes are that the man has a beard, the family lives in a log cabin, the wife does all of the work at home, and the son looks up to his father. It views the settler in a positive light because it shows how satisfied and content with his day of hard work and life in the West. It shows that he has a son who is willing to help his father work and respect him. It also shows the woman tending to the house needs, which was a very honorable and common thing at the time.
In this picture there are many different images of progress. The image of the train, the angel carrying the telegraph line, the spreading farms and domestication, and the fleeing natives from the white men all show American progress into the west. Gast shows the prey of the white man moving and fleeing to the left and off of the scene while the animals owned by the white man, such as oxen and mules, are moving into place. Gast is showing many images that the white man has in the East slowly moving towards and taking over the West.
Berkeley's poem talks about many of the good and beneficial things that would come out of the movement to the West. I feel these paintings show a similar positive light on the movement to the West. They all show the hopes and dreams that will be fulfilled in the west and all of the works show the bright future that living in and civilizing the West will bring. I feel that the images are very accurate, specifically in portraying Americans attitude towards civilizing and settling the west. I feel that the images of the Native Americans shows the dislike the Americans had for the Native Americans. The images of the trains show Americas desire to connect the country.

Web Assignment 3:
A stereopticon is a magic lantern of sorts, which has two lenses that are used to dissolve between images when projected. These lanterns were used as education and entertainment before moving pictures. In this poster, the most significant thing was how the story was going to be presented. Other than by orally telling the story, the stereopticon was one of the more common ways to portray an event or tell a story with images. I believe Mr. Mumpher told a first hand account of his experiences in the war in the Philippines. I think he supported the war effort because the poster seems to excite people about the great and unique experiences of war. No one wants to hear upsetting and negative things about war for entertainment.

Web Assignment 4:
All three of the articles focus on the reasons why America is the right country to be in charge of the Philippines. All the articles explain the domestic, economic, and ideological reasons for why the United States has the liberty and obligation to take control of the Philippines. In "America as a Pacific Power," the author explains the economic reasons for why America should occupy the Philippines. He states, "San Francisco is nearer to Asiatic ports than any of the commercial centers of Western Europe. In developing this trade Hawaii, the Ladrones and the Philippines will be of incalculable value,..." (America as a Pacific Power, p.4).

Conclusion:
The age between 1863 and 1900 marked the time in history where the United States began to become one of the most powerful nations in the entire world. At the beginning of this time period, the United States brought into question and answered many internal issues about race, freedom, and other social issues. Once done with these internal problems, the United States turned westward and in search of completing Manifest Destiny. This continued on till the end of this time period, but what is so significant about this time was the amount of growth and expansion the United States made. The United States became an economic powerhouse during this era with the Second Industrial Revolution and changed American economy forever. If this time period were to be named anything, it should be name "The Era of Learning" because the United States realized it had problems and mistakes and then fixed and learned from them.

Hi, new team members!

To begin posting here, either go to Blogger.com and sign in with your username, and then click on our blog, or click on the orange "B" in the upper left corner and sign in.

THE WRITING ASSIGNMENT FOR THIS WEEK CONSISTS OF ALL FOUR (4) OF THE WEB ASSIGNMENTS!

MAKE SURE YOU READ EACH ONE CAREFULLY AND ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS COMPLETELY!

I look forward to reading your entries!

Blog Entries are due today!

You need to sign up for your Blogger or WordPress acounts immediately! All Blog Entries must be posted today so that you can then write your Blog Comments for tomorrow.

If you didn't get my email invite, let me know ASAP. Or From this page, click on the orange B at the top left and get your own blog.

Also, remember that if you click on this page and it doesn't look like anything new has been posted, click on the "refresh" symbol in your browser to reload the page.

******ALL WEB ASSIGNMENTS HAVE BEEN POSTED*****

Blogger is back up, at least for now, so you should be able to post your Blog Entries as scheduled.

******IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!!*******

Hi, everyone,

Please note that I have posted Web Assignments #1 and #2, but due to a technical glitch, I will not post the last two Web Assignments until later on today. However, feel free to begin working on them at any time, and to save your post as a draft, if you like.

ALSO REMEMBER TO SCROLL DOWN TO SEE ALL NEW ADDITIONS TO THIS PAGE!

This name should sound familiar! And remember Robby Bee and the Boyz from the Rez?

THIS IS NOT AN ASSIGNMENT!!! It's just interesting and highly relevant to this week's topics. And, if you wish, you may cite it as a source in responding to any of the assignments.

A Tribe Takes Grim Satisfaction in Abramoff's Fall

By Peter Whoriskey
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, January 7, 2006; A01

ELTON, La. -- The dizzying downfall of lobbyist Jack Abramoff means more than just another Washington political scandal in this rural outpost of tin-roofed homes and fraying trailers.

It is a measure of vengeance.

Led on by what they say were his false promises of political access, leaders of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana, which is based here, paid Abramoff and his partners about $32 million for lobbying and other services -- more than $38,000 for each of their 837 tribal members. By their accounting, they got very little in return.

It was thievery, tribal members said, that echoes the historic losses of Native Americans to European settlers.

"Abramoff and his partner are the contemporary faces of the exploitation of native peoples," said David Sickey, a member of the tribal council. "In the 17th and 18th century, native people were exploited for their land. In 2005, they're being exploited for their wealth."

The money the Coushatta Tribe and other tribes with casino interests paid to Abramoff helped him spread favors and gain access in the nation's capital -- the subject of speculation about a widening political dragnet. But even more rankling to many Coushattas is the knowledge that Abramoff had, in released e-mails, referred to some of his Native American clients as "monkeys," "troglodytes" and "morons."

"That hit a nerve," Sickey said, frowning and pausing. "That really hit a nerve."

It was in part the revelations of Coushatta Tribe members about the exorbitant sums Abramoff was commanding that drew attention to his multifaceted operations and led to his guilty plea to charges of conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion this week. But the origins of the scandal are in some ways much broader, the product of the competition for the government gambling permits that has led to the spread of Indian casinos and waterfront operations across many rural parts of the country.

Read the rest of the article here.

****UPDATE Re: Blog Comments***

Please note that instead of 250 - 300 words, the Blog Comments should be about 150 - 200 words, or equivalent to about half a double-spaced page.

Also note that you do not have to be logged in to make a comment on any post.

SAMPLE: Your first name or initials Blog Entry #1

Web Assignment #1

[insert your text here, one or more paragraphs, depending on how many sources you viewed for this exercise]

Web Assignment #2

Web Assignment #3

(etc.)

Consider these sources in conjunction with all the other information and sources that were presented in class during the week, including music and films. You will then answer a final question and conclude this entry with a paragraph that presents your own opinion and argument about the sources and the historical periods and issues.

The number of Web Assignments will vary in number and length, but upon completion of the entire Writing Assignment, each Blog Entry should probably be equivalent to 2 to 3 double-spaced typed pages.

If you have any questions or problems, please email me, or even post them here, if you wish -- the answers might be helpful to others.