MODULE 3
Document 106. Jorgen and Otto Jorgensen, Homesteading in Montana (1908)
-Under the homestead act, many families were able to acquire land at little to no cost, allowing them to establish farms and build new lives in the vast landscapes of the American West.
-Jorgen Jorgensen was one of the many pioneers who seized this opportunity, eventually cultivating a successful farm that contributed to the local economy.
-In what ways do ideas about freedom affect the family’s decision to move to Montana?
The Jorgensens were driven by the prospect of personal autonomy, seeking a life unencumbered by the restrictions of their previous environment, and the allure of owning land also represented a form of independence from societal constraints.
-Why do you think Otto believes that the pioneer spirit is “a thing of the past”?
Otto likely feels this way because modern society has evolved, and many individuals now rely on systems and technologies that diminish the need for self-sufficiency and resilience that characterized earlier generations. Additionally, he may perceive the contemporary focus on convenience as a departure from the hard work and determination that defined the pioneers.
Video Notes:
-American Progress painting shows the east to west expansion of the United States, symbolizing the idea of Manifest Destiny, where settlers believed it was their divine right to occupy and cultivate the western territories.
-Manifest Destiny: widely held belief during 19th century
-it is the “manifest destiny” of the US to expand to the West until it fills the continent
-Religion connotation: this expansion is though to be divinely mandated
-1862 - Homestead Act - congress allots 160 acres of federal land to qualified settlers who agree to farm the land for five years
-1869 - completion of the transcontinental railroad that eases movement to the West. A trip that had taken 6-8 weeks by wagon took 7 days by train
-A Gold Prospector: person who sought to find gold, often leading to rapid population growth in certain areas and the establishment of boomtowns.
-started with the first sight of gold in california
-Comstock Lode (Nevada): A significant silver mining discovery in 1859, which contributed to the mining boom and attracted thousands of prospectors to the region.
-The Long Drive: large cattle drive from Texas to Kansas, which played a crucial role in the beef industry during the late 19th century as ranchers sought to transport cattle to railheads for shipping to markets.
-Barbed Wire: revolutionizes cattle business; allows large cattle ranches to enclose their land, driving small ranches out of businesses.
Document 111. Chief Joseph, “Let me be a Free Man” (1879)
- Chief Joseph leader of the Nez Perce Indians, delivered a speech in Lincoln Hall, Washington DC.
-Joseph had led his tribe on a 1700 mile trek through the far west to escape the U.S. Army, demonstrating incredible bravery and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. His speech emphasized the importance of freedom and the rights of indigenous peoples, calling for justice and understanding from the American government.
-How does Chief Joseph define freedom?
Joseph defines freedom as the fundamental right to live without oppression, to maintain their cultural identity, and to practice their traditions without interference from external forces.
-What are Chief Joseph’s main complaints about the treatment of his people?
Chief Joseph's main complaints about the treatment of his people include the forced removal from their ancestral lands, the broken treaties made by the government, and the continuous violence and discrimination faced by indigenous communities. He argued that these actions violate their inherent rights and dignity as people.
Video Notes:
-Plains Indians Wars
-circa 1865-1880s
-white american settlement in great plains encroaches on Indian lands
-white settlers regularly break treaties and invade reservation lands
-sand creek massacre
a tragic event in 1864 where Colorado U.S. Volunteer Cavalry attacked a camp of Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 150-500 Native Americans, primarily women and children.
-little big horn: george armstrong custer attacks main encampment of sioux warriors led by sitting bull and crazy horse
-chief joseph and the nez perce: leads followers on 1400 mile march to canada rather than accepting reservation
-Ghost Dance: all indians must dance and with that a flood would kill all white people and all their people would be restored/more cattle
-massacre at wounded knee: US troops opened fire on sioux dancers near wounded knee creek, south dakota resulting in the deaths of hundreds, marking a tragic end to the Indian Wars.
Document 112 Luther Standing Bear, Life at Boarding School (1879)
-In the 19th century, the federal government established boarding schools that, during their existence, housed hundreds of thousands of Indigenous children.
-”Kill the Indian and save the man”
-Carlisle School in Pennsylvania: Founded in 1879, it became one of the most well-known boarding schools, aiming to assimilate Native American children into Euro-American culture through education and cultural eradication.
-In what ways do the teachers try to assimilate the Indian students into white society?
Teachers impose English language instruction, enforce Western dress codes, and instill Christian religious values while discouraging the use of Native languages and traditional practices.
-Why do you think Standing Bear concludes that must learn “the white man’s ways”?
This conclusion likely stems from the belief that adapting to the dominant culture offered greater opportunities for survival and success in a rapidly changing society.
Video Notes:
-Civilizations and Assimilation
-refromers disgusted with violence of plains wars seek a new approach to indian affairs
-assimilate to white patterns of living
-End of the treaty system
-1871 the fed gov changed relations to indian tribes by declaring that tribes would no longer be recognized as sovereign nations, thus ending the longstanding treaty system and promoting assimilation policies instead.
-Education: indian education acts 1891-1893 make boarding school attendance compulsory for native children
-Dawes Act (1887)- named after senator henry dawes
-allotment: dissolves tribal land holdings into 160 acre plots distributed to family heads
-white settlers may purchase excess land
-civilizations and assimilation- force indians to embrace white patterns of landownership
Document 113. Saum Song Bo, Chinese American Protest (1885)
-By 1880, 105,000 persons from Chinese descent lived in the US
-republicans called them “odious, abominable, dangerous, revolting”
-In 1882, Congress excluded immigrants from entering the country altogether
-During the mid 1880s, a national campaign sought to raise funds to build the pedestal on which the Statue of Liberty would rest.
-Saum Song Bo, a writer contrasted American’s celebration of liberty with their actual treatment of the Chinese
-Why does Bo feel that the Chinese do not “enjoy liberty” in the same way as other Americans do?
This sentiment stems from the widespread discrimination and exclusionary policies that targeted Chinese immigrants, which barred them from the same opportunities and rights afforded to their American counterparts.
-Why does Bo refer to France’s treatment of its colonial subjects in making his argument?
By drawing parallels to France, Bo highlights the hypocrisy of liberal ideals that claim to support freedom while simultaneously imposing imperialistic control and oppression over marginalized groups, thus emphasizing that true liberty cannot exist in an environment marked by systemic inequality.
Video Notes:
-chinese railroad laborers provided most of the labor into building these roads
-San Francisco, CA contained chinatown
which became a cultural hub for Chinese immigrants, fostering a unique community despite prevailing discrimination.
-chinese would work the jobs that many americans did not want to do
-economic problems were blamed on chinese immigrants leading to their hatred by other people
-workingmens party: led by dennis kearny opposed chinese immigration and did not accept products from china
-anti chinese violence: day to day violence on chinese workers
-chinese exclusion act of 1882: responding to pressure from western states and banned chinese immigrants to the US
-first time in us history that a group is denied entry based on race
-The Chinese must Stay: by yan phou lee highlighting how Chinese immigrants endured systemic discrimination and violence, while also advocating for their rights and contributions to American society.
Document 118. Ida B. Wells, The Crusade for Justice (1892)
-Between 1883 and 1905, more than 50 Black men were murdered or lynched by a mob
-Many lynchings were accused after deaths of having raped a white woman as a way to justify violence against Black people for protecting the innocence of white women
-What social conditions gave rise to the Memphis lynching?
The social conditions that contributed to the Memphis lynching included deeply entrenched racial prejudices, economic competition for jobs, and the pervasive belief in white supremacist ideals that dehumanized Black individuals.
-What does Wells see as the contributions of the antilynching movement?
Wells viewed the antilynching movement as a crucial force in raising public awareness, mobilizing activists across racial lines, and advocating for legal reforms that would protect Black individuals from racially motivated violence.
Video Notes: Jim Crow began
-African American Political Disfranchisement
-franchise: right to vote
Disfranchise: to deny someone the right to vote, a tactic often employed to suppress African American political representation.
since reconstruction, african americans had voted across the south
by the 1890s white supremacists seek to remove black southernersfrom the electoral process through measures such as literacy tests, poll taxes, and outright intimidation tactics.
-disfranchisements technique
-poll taxes (annual fee)
-literacy tests- must prove ability to read
-understanding clause - must translate/explain passage from constitution or other document
-grandparent clause- protects white voters. If your grandfather voted in 1860, you are excluded from tests (only white people voted in 1860)
-segregation
-certain spaces are reserved for white people, others are for black people only
-plessy vs ferguson (1896)
-trains are early site of segregation
- buildings/transportation for black people were always older and dirtier
-Homer Plessy
-black man who sat it a whites-only train car, leading to his arrest and the landmark Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson which upheld racial segregation laws. “separate but equal” doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson justified the use of segregated facilities, claiming that as long as the separate entities were of equal quality, the segregation was constitutional.
-1882-1951: 4,900 people lynched in the US
-most victims were lynched; they made a clear statement about power and lines of belonging
-Jim Crow three legs
-disfranchisement
-segregation
-lynching
-jim crow laws was about power more than race
-this remained across the south until the civil rights movement of the 1940s- 1960s
Document 119. Josiah Strong, Our Country (1885)
-The US emerged as a ruler of an overseas empire as a result of the annexation of puerto rico and the philippines from the spanish american war.
-Minister Josiah Strong published “Our Country” which achieved great popularity as it combined with the gospel to solve the nations social problems.
-How does Strong justify the idea of world domination by Anglo Saxons?
Strong argues that Anglo Saxons have a divine obligation to spread their beliefs and culture to 'lesser' civilizations, viewing this expansion as both a moral imperative and a means to uplift societies deemed inferior.
-What does Strong believe “inferior” races need to do to avoid extinction?
Strong believes that "inferior" races must adopt the social, political, and economic frameworks of the Anglo Saxon culture, essentially advocating for their assimilation into what he deems a superior civilization to secure their survival.
Video Notes:
-Imperialists: US should create an empire for military and economic reason
-Anti Imperialists: it is a violation of the nation’s founding creed and the legacy of the American Revolution
-Spanish American War
-1895 - cuba ( a spanish colony) revolts against spain US not involved
-1898 - explosion of the USS maine in havana harbor, president mckinely declares war
-a splendid little war: lasted a month;admiral dewey destroys spanish fleet in manila harbor philippines
-the spoils of war
-us gains new territories from spain as a result of the war: cuba, puerto rico, guam, the philippeans
-paths to empire
cuba: platt amendment constitution grants us the right to intervene in internal cuban affairs at will
puerto rico: territorial status granted, with US citizenship offered later to residents
guam: established as a strategic naval base in the Pacific
the philippines: underwent a contentious transition, leading to the Philippine-American War and debates over imperialism.
Hawaii: american sugar corporations establish plantations in 1870s
-queen works to increase native hawaiian influence
-sugar planters, backed by US ambassador and marines, overthrow the queen and request annexation
-us annexes hawaii in 1898
-After 1898: An Imperial Nation: US had established itself as an imperial power, expanding its influence across the Pacific and establishing strategic military bases that would enhance its geopolitical standing.