1. The U.S. got involved in WWI because of the international commitments and obligations that the country had decided to take on. Several allies of the United States were in the war because they were becoming exhausted and felt the need to get involved. There were also other factors such as trade with European countries, the sinking of the Lusitania, being blocked off, and the heavy immigrant population in America that felt like it was their duty to protect their home country. In 1914, the United States had been deeply involved in the life of the world since at least the Spanish-American War, and in the early years of the twentieth century (under three internationally active presidents) the nation took on many more international commitments and obligations, which also helped prepare them to participate in modern warfare overseas. As a result, it should not have been a surprise that the United States entered WWI in 1917.
2. The question of whether America should make military and economic preparations for war provided the first issue over which pacifists and interventionists could openly debate. Another debate was between politicians, including Theodore Roosevelt, and President Wilson. Roosevelt argued that a voluntary recruitment process to raise the needed additional forces was necessary, while Wilson believed that only a national draft could provide the needed men.
3. American involvement in WWI was brief, decisive, and without great cost. Only 112,000 U.S. soldiers died in the conflict, half of them from influenza and other diseases rather than in combat. Economically, it was the source of a great industrial boom, which helped spark the years of prosperity that would follow. Also, the war propelled the United States into a position of international preeminence,
4. WWI had profound effects on the U.S. government, economy, and society. Mobilizing an industrial economy for total war required an unprecedented degree of government involvement in industry, agriculture, and other areas. It also required a strenuous effort to ensure the loyalty and commitment of the people.
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Thursday, April 20, 2017
WWI Propaganda #2
Article: https://www.loc.gov/collections/world-war-i-posters/about-this-collection/
1. The poster sets I reviewed did accomplish the goal of the American government during this time frame because the posters inspired, informed, and persuaded the people of America, and they used vibrant design trends to catch the eyes of people. Also, the poster sets accomplished the goal because they were a major tool for broad dissemination during the war.
Posters I looked at:
2. My eye is drawn to the word "don't" because it is written in big letters. It is also at the top of the page, making it the focus of the entire poster. Since it is written in white letters with a blue background, it also stands out and draws the attention of my eye.
My eye is drawn to the basket of fruits and vegetables in the middle of the poster. This is because all of the fruits and vegetables are a bright color, and they're in the middle of the poster. Also, the dark background makes the basket stand out even more, drawing the attention of my eye immediately.
My eye is drawn to the young boy saluting at the top of the page. This is because he is made one of the focal points on the poster. Also, since he is placed on a dark blue background, he stands out even more. Also, the words "Little Americans do your bit" stand out because they are in the middle of the page, they are written in big letters, and they are written in a bright red color.
My eye is drawn to the array of foods at the top of the poster. This is because they are in a large quantity and most are presented in a very bright color, which is why they draw the attention of my eye.
3. I think the artist hoped that people would see this poster and feel persuaded to save their food in order to help the troops. This is because the words "don't stop saving food" take up the entire poster, meaning the artist clearly wanted people to feel inspired to either start saving food or continue saving food.
I think the artist hoped that people would feel a sense of patriotism when looking at this poster, which would persuade them to want to save their food to help the troops. This is because the background of this poster is American soldiers with an American flag and the focal point of the poster is a basket of fruits and vegetables with the phrase "Food is ammunition. Don't waste it." As a result, the artist hoped that people would feel inspired to save their food to help the troops.
I think the artist hoped that young Americans would be persuaded to begin eating less wheat, so they soldiers could have more of it. This is because the main focus of this poster a little boy saluting with the phrase "Little Americans, do your bit." The artist hoped that young kids would see this poster and want to help the troops by eating less wheat.
I think the artist hoped that people would once again feel inspired to help the troops by eating less wheat, meat, sugar, and fats. The artist wanted people to feel the need to eat more of things like fish, poultry, fish, and vegetables. This is because the artist used a lot of words to get this message across rather than using images. He wanted to be straight-forward so that people would get the point that the troops needed more wheat, meat, sugar, and fats.
4. The ideal target for this poster is all people living in America. This is because the main point of this poster is to get people to save their food for troops, which is something that all people in America can do.
The ideal target for this poster is all people living in America. This is because the main point of this poster is that food is just as important as ammunition so it shouldn't be wasted. The artist wants to persuade people to save their food, which is something that all people in America can do.
The ideal target for this poster is young children in America. This is because the poster says "Young Americans, do your bit...Save the wheat for our soldiers." The artist is trying to persuade young Americans to make sure they aren't eating foods in excess that the soldiers need, like wheat.
The ideal target for this poster is all people living in America. This is because the main point of this poster is to get Americans to eat less wheat, meat, sugar, and fats, which are things that the soldiers need overseas. As a result, the artist wants people to feel persuade to eat less of these foods, which is something that all people living in America can do.
5. All of the posters in this set have a common theme of food, and they were made in an effort to make all people living in America not in the war effort feel like they were contributing in some way. On the other hand, the posters in the set that I previously looked at were all created in an attempt to persuade American men to enlist in the war.
1. The poster sets I reviewed did accomplish the goal of the American government during this time frame because the posters inspired, informed, and persuaded the people of America, and they used vibrant design trends to catch the eyes of people. Also, the poster sets accomplished the goal because they were a major tool for broad dissemination during the war.
Posters I looked at:
2. My eye is drawn to the word "don't" because it is written in big letters. It is also at the top of the page, making it the focus of the entire poster. Since it is written in white letters with a blue background, it also stands out and draws the attention of my eye.
My eye is drawn to the basket of fruits and vegetables in the middle of the poster. This is because all of the fruits and vegetables are a bright color, and they're in the middle of the poster. Also, the dark background makes the basket stand out even more, drawing the attention of my eye immediately.
My eye is drawn to the young boy saluting at the top of the page. This is because he is made one of the focal points on the poster. Also, since he is placed on a dark blue background, he stands out even more. Also, the words "Little Americans do your bit" stand out because they are in the middle of the page, they are written in big letters, and they are written in a bright red color.
My eye is drawn to the array of foods at the top of the poster. This is because they are in a large quantity and most are presented in a very bright color, which is why they draw the attention of my eye.
3. I think the artist hoped that people would see this poster and feel persuaded to save their food in order to help the troops. This is because the words "don't stop saving food" take up the entire poster, meaning the artist clearly wanted people to feel inspired to either start saving food or continue saving food.
I think the artist hoped that people would feel a sense of patriotism when looking at this poster, which would persuade them to want to save their food to help the troops. This is because the background of this poster is American soldiers with an American flag and the focal point of the poster is a basket of fruits and vegetables with the phrase "Food is ammunition. Don't waste it." As a result, the artist hoped that people would feel inspired to save their food to help the troops.
I think the artist hoped that young Americans would be persuaded to begin eating less wheat, so they soldiers could have more of it. This is because the main focus of this poster a little boy saluting with the phrase "Little Americans, do your bit." The artist hoped that young kids would see this poster and want to help the troops by eating less wheat.
I think the artist hoped that people would once again feel inspired to help the troops by eating less wheat, meat, sugar, and fats. The artist wanted people to feel the need to eat more of things like fish, poultry, fish, and vegetables. This is because the artist used a lot of words to get this message across rather than using images. He wanted to be straight-forward so that people would get the point that the troops needed more wheat, meat, sugar, and fats.
4. The ideal target for this poster is all people living in America. This is because the main point of this poster is to get people to save their food for troops, which is something that all people in America can do.
The ideal target for this poster is all people living in America. This is because the main point of this poster is that food is just as important as ammunition so it shouldn't be wasted. The artist wants to persuade people to save their food, which is something that all people in America can do.
The ideal target for this poster is young children in America. This is because the poster says "Young Americans, do your bit...Save the wheat for our soldiers." The artist is trying to persuade young Americans to make sure they aren't eating foods in excess that the soldiers need, like wheat.
The ideal target for this poster is all people living in America. This is because the main point of this poster is to get Americans to eat less wheat, meat, sugar, and fats, which are things that the soldiers need overseas. As a result, the artist wants people to feel persuade to eat less of these foods, which is something that all people living in America can do.
5. All of the posters in this set have a common theme of food, and they were made in an effort to make all people living in America not in the war effort feel like they were contributing in some way. On the other hand, the posters in the set that I previously looked at were all created in an attempt to persuade American men to enlist in the war.
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
WWI Propaganda Posters
1. I would define propaganda as something that is biased and it has a goal to persuade a certain group of people to do something.
Definition: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/propaganda
2. According to dictionary.com, propaganda is "information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc."
3. My eye is drawn to the man riding the horse. This is because he is wearing a yellow outfit, so my eye is immediately drawn to the bright color. It is also because this image is at the center of the poster and is made the focal point of it. My eye is also drawn to the words "YOUR DUTY." This is because they are written in all caps, and they are written in a bright color (orange).
My eye is first drawn to Uncle Sam. This is because he is clearly the focus of the poster, and he is pointing directly at me, which causes my eye to be drawn to him and his pointing finger. My eye is also drawn to the word "YOU." This is because it is written in all caps and is written in a bright color (red).
My eye is first drawn to the soldier. This is because the soldier is the main focus of the poster, and he pops out as soon as I look at the poster. My eye is also drawn to the phrase "I WANT YOU." This is because it is written in all caps, it is underlined, it is written in a bright color (red), and it is at the top right of the poster, immediately attracting my eye.
4. I think the artist hoped that people, especially men, would feel inspired to enlist into the war. I know this because the soldier in the poster is portrayed as heroic, so the artist hoped men would see this and believe that they would be seen as heroes of America if they enlisted into the war.
I think the artist hoped that people, especially men, would be persuaded to join the army. This is because Uncle Sam is looking and pointing directly at the reader. The artist hoped that doing this would make men feel as if the government is wanting them to join the war, which would maybe make them feel pressured into enlisting.
I think the artist hoped that people, especially men, would feel inspired to join the navy. This is because in the poster, a navy soldier is portrayed as a confident and handsome man. As a result, the artist hoped that men would see this and want to be like the solider portrayed, which would make them want to enlist into the navy.
5. The ideal target for this poster is U.S. men. This is because the poster was created to persuade people to enlist into the war and fight for the United States, which is seen by the message on the poster: "Come on, boys! Do your duty by enlisting now!"
The ideal target for this poster is U.S. men. This is because the purpose of the poster is to get men to join the army and fight in WWI. This is seen by Uncle Sam pointing at the reader with the message, "I want you for U.S. Army."
The ideal target for this poster is U.S. men. This is because the poster was created in order to inspire men to join the navy and fight for the United States. This is seen by the message on the poster, which is pretty much the same as the second poster's message: "I want you for the Navy."
6. I am very comfortable with the idea of the federal government spending tax dollars to create a propaganda campaign to convince people of something because if they aren't trying to persuade people and spreading the idea, then less people are likely to become involved. This is because they aren't very informed about the idea. Propaganda campaigns help persuade more people to support an idea and help people become more informed about certain ideas, which is a good thing because if more people are involved, then more money can result from it, and the tax dollars the government used to create the campaign can potentially be earned back plus more.
7. I believe that the federal government felt it was necessary to invest in producing propaganda posters during WWI because many men throughout the United States most likely didn't feel inspired to join the war or simply weren't interested in joining the war effort to fight for their country. As a result, they created propaganda posters and portrayed soldiers as strong and confident heroes, which helped persuade more men to join the war because they wanted to be like the soldiers on the posters.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Progressivism
1. How much control over the future do we have?
I think this can be looked at in two different ways. First, I can say that we have a lot of control over our future. Yes, there are some things we can't control because not everything can be expected; things catch you off guard. However, we can control what decisions we make and how we live our lives as a society to help better our future and ensure that we will be successful for several years into the future. Second, I can say that we have very little control over our future. As a country, we want to keep developing and becoming stronger. We want to become the best we can possibly be and ensure that America is the greatest place to live in the world. However, there are several factors that we can't control that can prevent that from happening. For example, if we want to become more technologically advanced within the next 5-10 years, we can't control whether something will be founded/invented in time for that to happen. This is why this question can be answered in two different ways: we can control what we do as individuals, but there are several things that happen in life that we have no control over.
2. What role do you see for individuals, governments, institutions, or other kinds of groups, or other factors, in shaping what happens in the future?
As individuals, we can make sure we are doing everything in our power to protect the environment around us. We can make sure we are making decisions that will only benefit society and help preserve the world around us. We need to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to make sure that the generations to come get to enjoy the world like we did in our lifetime. Governments can make sure that they are making decisions based on what would best help and benefit their country. They don't need to be making decisions that can put their people in danger, whether it be war or in an economic crisis. They need to do everything they can to make sure that the country is in a good position to be successful for many years into the future. We need to make sure that everyone is doing what they can to ensure that our society is always moving forward and becoming more advanced, rather than regressing into a less developed and less advanced society.
I think this can be looked at in two different ways. First, I can say that we have a lot of control over our future. Yes, there are some things we can't control because not everything can be expected; things catch you off guard. However, we can control what decisions we make and how we live our lives as a society to help better our future and ensure that we will be successful for several years into the future. Second, I can say that we have very little control over our future. As a country, we want to keep developing and becoming stronger. We want to become the best we can possibly be and ensure that America is the greatest place to live in the world. However, there are several factors that we can't control that can prevent that from happening. For example, if we want to become more technologically advanced within the next 5-10 years, we can't control whether something will be founded/invented in time for that to happen. This is why this question can be answered in two different ways: we can control what we do as individuals, but there are several things that happen in life that we have no control over.
2. What role do you see for individuals, governments, institutions, or other kinds of groups, or other factors, in shaping what happens in the future?
As individuals, we can make sure we are doing everything in our power to protect the environment around us. We can make sure we are making decisions that will only benefit society and help preserve the world around us. We need to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to make sure that the generations to come get to enjoy the world like we did in our lifetime. Governments can make sure that they are making decisions based on what would best help and benefit their country. They don't need to be making decisions that can put their people in danger, whether it be war or in an economic crisis. They need to do everything they can to make sure that the country is in a good position to be successful for many years into the future. We need to make sure that everyone is doing what they can to ensure that our society is always moving forward and becoming more advanced, rather than regressing into a less developed and less advanced society.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Thinking About the Future
First Source
1. Predictions of the Year 2000 from The Ladies Home Journal of December 1900
Ten 100-Year Predictions that Came True
2. I think these lists are both a wish list and an educated guess for what life would be like today. In the first article, the wisest and most careful men in the greatest institutions at the time were asked to predict what they thought the world would be like in 100 years, meaning the people making these predictions were very well-educated. In the second article, a civil engineer named John Elfreth Watkins made a number of educated predictions about what the world would be like today.
3. Predictions that seem to have come true are there would be about 350 million people living in America, Americans will be taller by one to two inches, toys and games will be designed to strengthen babies' muscles, photographs will be telegraphed from any distance, there will be wireless telephones all over the world, there will be digital color photography, there will be television, there will be tanks, and ready-cooked meals will be bought from establishments.
Predictions that turned out to be bizarre are there will be no street cars in our cities, there will be no mosquitoes or flies, there will be no X, Q, or C in the alphabet, a university education will be free to every man and every woman, rats, mice, and horses will be practically extinct, and everybody will walk 10 miles a day.
4. In these predictions, a common trend is the development of technology. These people who made these predictions seemed to think that the world today would be a much more technologically advanced and developed place, which it is. It is clear that they believed that the world would be a much better place because of its advancement in technology.
5. I believe that almost everything will have gone digital. I think that all big national chain stores will have their stores online and all shopping will be done online. There will also be a more effective way of delivering packages, making delivery times much faster.
1. Predictions of the Year 2000 from The Ladies Home Journal of December 1900
Ten 100-Year Predictions that Came True
2. I think these lists are both a wish list and an educated guess for what life would be like today. In the first article, the wisest and most careful men in the greatest institutions at the time were asked to predict what they thought the world would be like in 100 years, meaning the people making these predictions were very well-educated. In the second article, a civil engineer named John Elfreth Watkins made a number of educated predictions about what the world would be like today.
3. Predictions that seem to have come true are there would be about 350 million people living in America, Americans will be taller by one to two inches, toys and games will be designed to strengthen babies' muscles, photographs will be telegraphed from any distance, there will be wireless telephones all over the world, there will be digital color photography, there will be television, there will be tanks, and ready-cooked meals will be bought from establishments.
Predictions that turned out to be bizarre are there will be no street cars in our cities, there will be no mosquitoes or flies, there will be no X, Q, or C in the alphabet, a university education will be free to every man and every woman, rats, mice, and horses will be practically extinct, and everybody will walk 10 miles a day.
4. In these predictions, a common trend is the development of technology. These people who made these predictions seemed to think that the world today would be a much more technologically advanced and developed place, which it is. It is clear that they believed that the world would be a much better place because of its advancement in technology.
5. I believe that almost everything will have gone digital. I think that all big national chain stores will have their stores online and all shopping will be done online. There will also be a more effective way of delivering packages, making delivery times much faster.
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Industrialization/Urbanization and Professional Sports
From 1880 to 1920, which has been deemed the “golden age” of American sports, the rise of professional sports played a major role in helping the development of urban life for Americans. As a result of working hours declining in many factories, Americans were faced with something they had not had to previously deal with: leisure time. This increase in free time led to new forms of recreation and entertainment. One of the most important of these was professional sports. Sports provided entertainment for Americans all across the country and gave them something to do in their large blocks of free time. Whether it was watching something as big as the World Series or as small as a tennis match, the popularity of sports connected Americans all across the country. Several sports, such as boxing, football, and basketball, played a major role in the late 19th century and early 20th century in developing American daily life, but the most important sport was America’s Pastime: baseball.
Although baseball is believed to have been invented in 1839, the sport did not reach its peak in popularity until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By 1900, baseball had become the most popular and commercially successful sport in America. This is not only because professional teams began being created at this time, but also because Americans were given a lot more free time to watch and attend baseball games. Most of the professional teams were created in major cities, such as Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Cincinnati, New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis. I believe that this is because these cities had begun being industrialized and urbanized at this time, meaning there were hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people living in these cities. This large number of people would have provided great support for their hometown baseball team when they weren’t working. As baseball became more and more popular, more teams were being created in different major cities across the country. This eventually led to the creation of the National League
and American League, which were the two divisions of Major League Baseball. Another result of the increasing popularity of baseball was the need for bigger and better stadiums to be created. The first baseball parks had been jerry-built, flimsy wooden structures, but between 1909 and 1923, fifteen major league clubs constructed new, more permanent parks of steel and concrete. This allowed for more fans to attend games and provided not only a better atmosphere for players to play in, but it also provided better playing conditions. The rise of baseball’s popularity benefited Americans all over the country not only because it gave them something to look forward to in their free time, but also because it allowed people to share a common interest with others in different areas of the United States.
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| Yankee Stadium in the 1920s |
The most celebrated aspect of Major League Baseball was and still is the annual World Series, which made its debut in 1903. It quickly took its place alongside the Fourth of July and Christmas as one of the most popular annual rites. In 1911, Everybody’s Magazine said that the World Series was “the very quintessence and consummation of the Most Perfect Thing in America.” The World Series has always been played between the winner of the National League and the winner of the American League. The first World Series featured the National League champion Pittsburgh Pirates and
American League champion Boston Americans. Almost 19,000 people were present at Game 3 of the series, in which the Pittsburgh Pirates won by a score of 4-2. Since so many people were present and the stadium was not large enough to hold everyone, there were people standing on the field just beyond the outfielders’ regular positions. If a ball was hit into the crowd of people, it was counted as an automatic double. The first World Series had a best-of-nine games format, unlike today’s best-of-
seven. As time progressed, more and more people began attending baseball games, which is apparent through the 33,000 fans that were present at Game 8 of the 1919 World Series between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox, better known as the Black Sox Scandal. This series has earned that name because eight members of the White Sox were accused of throwing the series in exchange for money from gamblers. Ever since the first World Series in 1903, it has remained one of the most celebrated events that annually takes place in America.
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| An overflow crowd at the Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston prior to Game 3 of the 1903 World Series |
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| The eight members of the White Sox who were accused of throwing the World Series |
The game of baseball hasn’t developed much since its creation in 1839, but I do believe that the players have come a long way, not necessarily in a good way. For example, pitchers back then pitched as much as possible. Only six pitchers have logged more than 400 innings in a season since 1901, and they were all between 1902 and 1908. Also, 23 of 25 pitchers who have logged more than 375 innings in a season were between 1901 and 1917. Today, pitchers typically never throw more than 250 innings in a season. I believe that this is because nowadays, teams control how pitchers prepare themselves in between starts and appearances, how many pitches they throw, and how many innings they log. Regulations that controlled these things were nonexistent in the early 20th century. I think that if a modern-day player was put into a game back in 1901, he wouldn’t be nearly successful. This is because for pitchers, they would have no advance scouting reports on hitters, and they would be facing disciplined hitters who were trying to make contact rather than trying to hit homeruns every time. For hitters, they would be facing aggressive pitchers and playing
on fields as large as 500+ feet like the Polo Grounds, which was 500 feet from home plate to the center field fence before it was reduced to 483 feet. I personally prefer how the game was played in the early days of baseball: just a bunch of hard-nosed ballplayers who loved the game and weren’t trying to do too much. The pitchers didn’t necessarily throw 95+ mph and the hitters didn’t necessarily try to hit homeruns every time they went to the plate; they played the game the right way. Nowadays, professional baseball is dominated by world-class athletes. Professional teams will draft a player who can throw 95 mph but can’t throw several strikes and a guy who can hit homeruns but can’t play solid defense because baseball has developed into a game of pure strength and power. In my opinion, I wish i could’ve been around to see baseball in the early 20th century because I believe that those players would’ve just flat out fun to watch.
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| The Polo Grounds during the 1913 World Series between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Athletics |
Baseball isn’t the only sport that played a role in developing urban life in America. Sports such as such as boxing, football, and basketball also provided entertainment for Americans during their free time. Boxing emerged in the late 19th century as a sport that rivaled only baseball in popularity. It was dominated by immigrants like the Irishman John L. Sullivan. Professional football developed in the early 20th century as a working-class pastime in ethnic neighborhoods and industrial towns in the Midwest. In its early days, professional football was dominated by working-class Catholics. Professional basketball was invented in 1891 by an American, James Naismith. In its first 50 years, it remained an urban sport, dominated at the professional level by Jewish and African American teams.
The popularity and celebrity of sports heroes, such as Babe Ruth in baseball, Red Grange in football, and Jack Dempsey in boxing, were made possible by the proliferation of newspapers and periodicals. Cheap newspapers brought pictures and stories of sports stars to audiences throughout the nation. Newspapers also devoted page after page of coverage to significant sporting events. Radios played a major role in bringing together the entire nation with live broadcasts of sporting events such as the World Series or championship boxing matches. These three sports, along with baseball, were just a few of the forms of entertainment that Americans took advantage of during their free time.
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| Babe Ruth posing for a picture in 1920 |
I believe that without the media, like newspapers and radio broadcasts, and without the increase in free time for industrial working Americans, these sports would have never become as popular in America as they did. If working hours never saw a decline and people were always working, these sports would have never become popular because people wouldn’t have had the time to watch and attend events. The sports world can thank the industrialization and urbanization that took place in America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries because without it, the sports we know and love today would have never become popular and our lives would definitely not be the same.
"Baseball." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 29 Apr. 2014. Web. 3 Feb. 2017.
school.eb.com/levels/high/article/108487#229944.toc. This source focused on the history of the creation and development of Major League Baseball. It was very useful in writing the first two body paragraphs of the essay, since they both primarily focused on professional baseball.
"Baseball For Championship." New York Times. New York Times, 3 Oct. 1903. Web. 31 Jan. 2017.
res=9C0DE3DE1039E333A25757C0A9669D946297D6CF>. This source is an article from after Game 3 of the 1903 World Series in the New York Times. It was useful because it helped give me an idea of what the first ever World Series was like and how it was played.
Burns, James. "Sports." American History, ABC-CLIO, 2017. Web. 30 Jan. 2017.
terms=professional+sports&sType=quick This source focused on sports in America, starting at the earliest days of the republic and ending in the early 2000s. It was useful because it did focus on the time frame (1880-1920) and it was a good start to give me basic information on different sports that played a major role in developing urban life in America.
"Reds Defeat Sox in Eight Game and Win Series." New York Times. New York Times,
10 Oct. 1919. Web. 3 Feb. 2017.
This source is an article from the final game of the 1919 World Series, which later became known as the Black Sox Scandal. It was useful because it allowed me to compare the 1903 World Series to the 1919 World Series and gave me a better understanding on why the series is called the Black Sox Scandal.
Rymer, Zachary D. "Why Today's Baseball Players Don't Have the Same Skills as Old-
Timers." Bleacher Report. Bleacher Report, 16 Sept. 2012. Web. 03 Feb. 2017.
<http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1334652-why-todays-baseball-players-dont-have-the-same-skills-as-old-timers>.
This source compares baseball players in the early 1900s to baseball players today. It was very useful in my third body paragraph because I talked about how baseball players have developed over time. It also helped me make my own assumptions about the development of baseball players.
"Sports in American Society." History Study Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2017.
This source focuses on the impact and development of professional sports in American society. It was useful in my fourth body paragraph because it provided information about how newspapers and radios played a big role in helping sports move to the center of American consciousness.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Oakland Ghost Ship Warehouse
1. In general, the Oakland Ghost Ship warehouse was known as a "labyrinth of artist studios." Throughout the two story structure, there were various rooms filled with sculptures, musical instruments, and acting props. The night of the fire, the second story was used as the setting of an electronic music party.
2. The fire is believed to have been caused by overloaded electrical lines at the rear of the structure. There were so many victims because there was no direct route from the stairs to the exit. From the bottom of the stairs, the path to the front door led around three pianos, requiring two left turns and a right turn to reach safety. This made it difficult for the people to find the exit, especially with the smoke from the fire. As a result, 36 people died, trapped in the flames.
3. In both the Oakland Ghost Ship fire and the Triangle Fire, the people in the buildings were struggling to find a way out. The people in the Ghost Ship warehouse couldn't find the exit because of the complex layout. The people in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory couldn't escape because the doors to the exit stairs had been locked. The only other ways out were the fire escape, which eventually collapsed, the elevator to Washington Square, which filled up very quickly, or by jumping to death.
2. The fire is believed to have been caused by overloaded electrical lines at the rear of the structure. There were so many victims because there was no direct route from the stairs to the exit. From the bottom of the stairs, the path to the front door led around three pianos, requiring two left turns and a right turn to reach safety. This made it difficult for the people to find the exit, especially with the smoke from the fire. As a result, 36 people died, trapped in the flames.
3. In both the Oakland Ghost Ship fire and the Triangle Fire, the people in the buildings were struggling to find a way out. The people in the Ghost Ship warehouse couldn't find the exit because of the complex layout. The people in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory couldn't escape because the doors to the exit stairs had been locked. The only other ways out were the fire escape, which eventually collapsed, the elevator to Washington Square, which filled up very quickly, or by jumping to death.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Wounded Knee Massacre
- Wounded Knee Massacre
- This source goes into great detail about the events leading up to the massacre and then talks about the casualties of the massacre. It can be used because it mainly explains what caused the Wounded Knee Massacre rather than going into detail about the massacre itself.
- Wounded Knee
- This source goes into more detail about the cause of the massacre at the scene (Wounded Knee Creek). It talks about what could have caused the massacre to break out rather than the events that took place leading up to the massacre, which makes it useful.
The Wounded Knee Massacre was an event that took place at Wounded Knee Creek in 1890. One of the main contributors to the Wounded Knee Massacre was the Ghost Dance. The Ghost Dance was a spiritual movement that taught Indians that they had been defeated and forced to go to reservations because they angered the gods. The Lakota Sioux used the Ghost Dance as a way to discuss that the white man and his rule needed to be overthrown. The Sioux believed that a shirt known as the sacred ghost shirt would protect them from bullets during war. Sitting Bull was believed to be a Ghost Dancer. The whites tried to arrest him but killed him in the process, which caused the tensions between the whites and Indians at their reservation to increase. Another Sioux chief, Big Foot, and his band of Ghost Dancers (100 men, 200 women and children) were surrounded by 500 soldiers near Wounded Knee Creek. They were ordered to surrender their weapons, but they refused. As a result, fighting between the Ghost Dancers and the soldiers broke out. 150 Sioux, including Big Foot, were killed and another 50 were wounded. Only 25 soldiers died and 40 were wounded. The event is referred to as a battle but, in reality, it was an unnecessary massacre that could have easily been avoided.
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| Wounded Knee Massacre (link directly to picture) |
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| Ghost Dance (link directly to picture) |
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Native Americans In-Class Work
In this activity, the first step was to find a definition of the words "savage" and "savagery." According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a savage is someone who is "not domesticated or under human control" and is "lacking the restraints normal to civilized human beings." According to the same dictionary, savagery is "a cruel or violent quality" or "a cruel or violent act or action." The next step was to read pages 18-21 of an online textbook passage from 1887. The final step was to use the search tool to find where the textbook refers to Indians as "savages" and read each of those passages.
If I were an American student reading this text as part of my schoolwork, I would probably view Native Americans as a group of people who were very independent and were not very aware of the world and people around them. One reason is because the Native Americans were very secluded to themselves. For example, they lived in huts made of poles and tree branches with their tribes and didn't come in contact with other people very often. I would also view the Native Americans as very hard-working, with the women doing all the work at the huts and the men doing all the hunting and fishing to provide food for their families. I would also think that the Indians were very violent. This is because the textbook says that the men were always carrying a number of weapons and were considered very brave if they had numerous large cuts and scars. Also, I would think that they were illiterate because it says that they had no books and only communicated among themselves by using figures. My final conclusion that would be made about Native Americans is that they were, well, savages. The textbook refers to Indians as savages about 19 times, and in most cases, it has to do with conflicts between the Indians (savages) and settlers. As a result of this, I would definitely think that Indians were under their own control and power rather than human control.
If I were an American student reading this text as part of my schoolwork, I would probably view Native Americans as a group of people who were very independent and were not very aware of the world and people around them. One reason is because the Native Americans were very secluded to themselves. For example, they lived in huts made of poles and tree branches with their tribes and didn't come in contact with other people very often. I would also view the Native Americans as very hard-working, with the women doing all the work at the huts and the men doing all the hunting and fishing to provide food for their families. I would also think that the Indians were very violent. This is because the textbook says that the men were always carrying a number of weapons and were considered very brave if they had numerous large cuts and scars. Also, I would think that they were illiterate because it says that they had no books and only communicated among themselves by using figures. My final conclusion that would be made about Native Americans is that they were, well, savages. The textbook refers to Indians as savages about 19 times, and in most cases, it has to do with conflicts between the Indians (savages) and settlers. As a result of this, I would definitely think that Indians were under their own control and power rather than human control.
Friday, November 4, 2016
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Letters from the West
1. This letter was written by a man who is traveling west. He is writing to his wife and baby about the land available to purchase in Nebraska where he plans on building a house. In the letter, he also talks about how he misses his wife and child very much. He wants to get the house built, so his family can come and live with him again.
2. One thing that stood out to me was how the man said that he was going to build his house out of sod and that it was a very effective method. He says that he has seen sod houses that have been made to look very nice by smoothing the sod, sweeping it with a broom until the grass roots stick out, and plastering it. He says, "They are just the most comfortable house to keep warm you ever seen." I found this very surprising because I didn't think that a house made of sod would be a very protective and warm house, but, according to the man, building a house with sod was very popular and very effective.
3. The act of letter writing at this point in time to people migrating west was extremely important, especially since paper wasn't very common. People used letter writing to write to their loved ones to inform them about the progress of their journey. It gave their loved ones a way to feel involved in the their life and journey. To loved ones, letter writing made them feel important because if they received a letter, they would know that their friend or family member was thinking about them on his or her journey and was willing to take the time out of their journey to write to them.
From the Atlantic to the Pacific, Overland
http://www.over-land.com/diarybarnes.html
2. One thing that stood out to me was how the man said that he was going to build his house out of sod and that it was a very effective method. He says that he has seen sod houses that have been made to look very nice by smoothing the sod, sweeping it with a broom until the grass roots stick out, and plastering it. He says, "They are just the most comfortable house to keep warm you ever seen." I found this very surprising because I didn't think that a house made of sod would be a very protective and warm house, but, according to the man, building a house with sod was very popular and very effective.
3. The act of letter writing at this point in time to people migrating west was extremely important, especially since paper wasn't very common. People used letter writing to write to their loved ones to inform them about the progress of their journey. It gave their loved ones a way to feel involved in the their life and journey. To loved ones, letter writing made them feel important because if they received a letter, they would know that their friend or family member was thinking about them on his or her journey and was willing to take the time out of their journey to write to them.
From the Atlantic to the Pacific, Overland
http://www.over-land.com/diarybarnes.html
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Glory/12 Years a Slave Essay
The filmmakers of the movies Glory and Twelve Years a Slave both faced the challenge of trying to create an inspirational and moving film about slavery and the Civil War, which they successfully did. They both faced the obstacle of a time limit to cram years of historical events into a two-hour timeline. Nevertheless, they were able to produce a movie that kept people glued to their seat. Even though some of the events that were shown in the movie were changed a little in order to create an entertaining movie that people would want to watch, the end result of both films was an honest, riveting two hours that gave viewers a better understanding of the events that took place during slavery and the Civil War. These movies are not only informational but also very accurate, which makes them a good source to use in a school classroom in order to help students get a better understanding of life during slavery and the Civil War. They are just as good, if not better, than textbooks because they allow the student to achieve the same goals and improve the same skills as reading a textbook does.
It is possible to be just as analytical in your thinking while watching a movie as it is while reading a textbook. While watching Glory, for example, I was able to analyze how white regiments felt about having black regiments in the Union Army. Whenever the two regiments interacted with each other, I was able to see that the white regiments did not have any respect for the black regiments; they felt like the black men were worthless and didn’t stand a chance at helping the war effort. This was shown by the white men repeatedly calling the black men the “n” word, even if a black man had a higher rank than the white man. Since the movie was able to create these types of scenes in order to give the viewer an understanding of the way black men were treated by white regiments, I wanted to do more research on the way black regiments were treated during the Civil War and whether or not they were successful in the war. According to ABC-Clio, I discovered that black regiments were given inferior weapons and health care, which is why over 37,000 black men died in service, 29,000 of which were from diseases. I also discovered that black men were paid $3 less than white men, which is something that the movie was able to show in a big scene where Shaw refused pay until his regiment received equal pay. I also discovered that 16 black men received the Medal of Honor, which proves that black regiments were a great help to the war effort and the defeat of the Confederacy. Because the movie sparked this curiosity in me, it proves that students can be very analytical in their thinking while watching movies.
Arguments can also be created while watching a movie, just like reading a textbook, and evidence can be used to support it. For example, while watching the movie 12 Years a Slave, I developed an argument that Solomon wasn’t just a character in the movie; he was a symbol for so many more people than just himself. This can be proved because, while reading a New York Times movie review, I came across a statement that said that in the movie, Solomon “represents all free black men that were kidnapped and forced into slavery.” This supports my argument because, in the movie, Solomon didn’t just want to be freed from slavery; he wanted to live. His desire for freedom is what drove him to never give up and to keep fighting for freedom. This is how all kidnapped slaves were; they wanted to regain their freedom because they knew that it was wrongly stolen from them. Solomon is a symbol for injustice throughout the movie, and he is also a symbol for all the men and women whose freedom was taken away from them. This proves that arguments can be made from movies and can be supported.
I understand that a filmmaker faces the difficult challenge of trying to take several years of historical events and trying to fit them all into a two-hour movie without changing the facts too much. However, by condensing all of the events, it keeps the audience engrossed by the action occurring on screen, ensuring that the audience stays in their seats and keeps watching the film. Also, by making certain historical events more intense and by killing off an important character during a war scene (like in Glory), it actually causes the audience to be empathetic towards the historical event and the people that experienced it. For example, according to a New York Times movie review on the movie Glory, it says that some of the events in the movie, especially the ones at Fort Wagner, were made more dramatic than described in Shaw’s real-life journal. This makes the movie much more interesting because if, for example, Shaw’s death wasn’t made a focus point in the movie, then the audience wouldn’t realize what caused the black regiment to suddenly surge and fearlessly attack the fort. By focusing on his death and the way his men reacted after his death, it shows that Shaw, a white man, was willing to give up his life for his regiment, proving that he truly cared for them. The way his regiment went on to charge into the fort after he was killed proves that his regiment respected his bravery and truly valued what Shaw had given up to put his men in a position to succeed. Filmmakers do have a disadvantage when it comes to fitting years of historical events into a two hour movie, but they have proven to do a very good job of making the most out of their time by creating an empathetic aspect that textbooks cannot do.
Textbooks do a very good job of giving students a good understanding of historical events and the facts of those events, but what they cannot do is create a sense of empathy for the reader towards the men and women that actually had to experience those events. The producers of Glory and 12 Years a Slave successfully created a connection between the audience and the characters in the movies in order to cause the audience to feel sorry for the people that actually had to endure slavery and fighting in the Civil War. The movies create a sense of chaos and brutality that is very similar to the way life was during these times. I believe that learning from movies is just as useful as learning from textbooks because the same goals are still able to be accomplished, like being analytical in your thinking and being able to create and support an argument.
Works Cited
Berr, Jonathan. "The Surprising Success of "12 Years a Slave"" CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 7 Mar. 2014. Web. 23 Sept. 2016.
<http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-surprising-success-of-12-years-a-slave/>.
<http://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-surprising-success-of-12-years-a-slave/>.
Canby, Vincent. "Black Combat Bravery in the Civil War." The New York Times. The New York Times, 14 Dec. 1989. Web. 23 Sept. 2016.
Dargis, Manohla. "The Blood and Tears, Not the Magnolias." The New York Times. The New York Times, 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/18/movies/12-years-a-slave-holds-nothing-back-in-show-of-suffering.html?_r=0>.
Heidler, David S., and Jeanne Heidler T. "U.S. Colored Troops." American History. ABC-Clio, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2016. <https://americanhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/290052?terms=black%20soldiers%20in%20civil%20war&webSiteCode=SLN_AMHIST&returnToPage=%2fSearch%2fDisplay%2f290052%3fterms%3dblack+soldiers+in+civil+war&sType=quick&token=479A9E1AAEC21A7DE6158DFBAAD73E45&casError=False>.
"List of Glory Awards." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2016. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097441/awards?ref_=tt_awd>.
Slaughter, John. "The Roots of the Southern Workers and Poor." The Roots of the Southern Workers and Poor. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2016. <http://www.lrna.org/2-pt/555/v16ed2art1_roots.html>.
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Twelve Years a Slave Paraphrasing Activity
"But films that are actually about American slavery are vanishingly rare — films that unpick slavery’s all-debasing power-plays, enumerate its everyday horrors, show us the rhythms and rituals that have left it lingering in that nation’s muscle memory. McQueen’s picture, nominated for 10 Baftas this week with Oscars sure to follow, does all of this, and could be the first of a new genre."
In this section of his movie review on Twelve Years a Slave, Robbie Collin said that there is a very small number of movies with the topic of American slavery being produced--meaning movies that truly focus on analyzing the different elements of the degrading tactics used by slave-owners on their slaves to enforce their power, movies that accurately depict the suffering that slaves suffered every single day, and movies that exhibit the brutality that slaves suffered, which is still on the minds of many Americans to this day. Twelve Years a Slave has the opportunity to win "ten Baftas" as well as a few "Oscar" awards because it accomplishes all of the goals previously listed that can make a film based on American slavery truly stand alone from all of the others.
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