The art and craft of teaching
Featured Image context: two union soldiers post civil war.
The target student group for this quiz would be an 8th grade US history class. Students should have a basic understanding of the causes and effects of the US Civil War. Students will have learned about the Supreme Court’s 1857 decision in the Dred Scott case, and the ratification of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.
Feature Image Source Library of Congress
Context: The map shows “U.S. mail steam packets to California”. These are the routes that steam powered packet boats traveled via rivers and canals to transport mail across the country. The term “packet ship” originated from boats that were employed to transport post office mail (paquette) packets to and from European colonies. The term stuck and thus, packet boats were used in the United States throughout the 18th and 19th centuries to transport mail. This was the first time that packet boats were being advertised to travel to the West Coast.
Context: It has been estimated that Northern California was one of the most populated regions in North America prior to European conquest and the massacre of Native populations regarding disease, slavery and war. This illustration depicts the San Francisco peninsula (Montgomery Street) in 1846. This was after the Spanish mission had already commenced, and prior to the gold rush era.
Context: This illustration originally published in 1878 depicts “The city of San Francisco. Birds eye view from the bay looking south-west.” After the surge of migrants to California in 1849, San Francisco’s landscape saw drastic change through its development of infrastructure such as streets, wharfs, buildings, etc. San Francisco’s catastrophic fire of 1906 forced the city to recreate an entirely new grid system, which is how the city is organized today.
The learner will evaluate why the map and illustrations were created, and provide an opinion on the reliability of such resources.
Question 1: Prior to the 1840s, there were no formal methods of organizing mail to reach the West Coast. It would be astonishing to see a formal publication supporting the reality that now, there will be regular mail steam packets traveling to and from California. This would further encourage young men to commit their lives to the California Gold rush; providing them with an opportunity to communicate and send money to their families elsewhere in the country.
Question 2: The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo was pivotal in the shaping of the US with regard to its confirmation of the United States’ ability for expansion. After the treaty was signed, Americans on the East coast felt less likely to encounter violence on their journey westward. The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo supported the United States idea of manifest destiny, and occurred during a time that was supportive of the masses migrating to California; the treaty was coincidentally signed one year before prospectors noticed ample amounts of gold in the Sacramento area.
Question 3: Considering that the population of San Francisco grew from about 1,000 people in 1848, to over 25,000 in December of 1849, I would agree that by 1878 the illustration depicts an accurate representation of the San Francisco peninsula. The advances in development presented in the illustrations prove to be accurate with regard to the attention that San Francisco received during the 1849 Gold Rush; a multitude of boats in the harbor, crowded streets, etc. The large influx of American migrants aided California’s admission into the Union as the 31st state. This large influx of European descended migrants also brought disease, which in turn, negatively affected whatever native population was left after their losses from the Spanish’ missions.
Feature Image from flickr
Title: Keep off! The Monroe Doctrine must be respected
Context: The illustration represents the United States (Uncle Sam as an armed soldier) preventing passage to European Powers (France, Germany, Spain, Britain, and Portugal) into the Western Hemisphere via the Bering Strait . A sign on North America reads, “No Trespass, America for Americans”. Uncle Sam is standing in front of Nicaragua and Venezuela.
Icebreaker prompt: Does the image present any symbols of significance? In what context do these symbols fit in?
Response: One symbol that is worth pointing out is the fact that Uncle Sam is the only person in the illustration holding a weapon. This demonstrates the United States’ willingness to act on nations that disagreed with the Monroe Doctrine.
Another symbolic feature of this illustration is Uncle Sam’s stance between European Powers, and Nicaragua and Venezuela. It appears that Uncle Sam is protecting the Latin American nations from European powers.
Title: Uncle Sam’s Picnic
Context: The illustration shows Uncle Sam in a wagon full of United States citizens (children). The child to most recently have joined the wagon has a hat on labeled “Hawaii”. Uncle Sam is helping four girls labeled “Puerto Rico, Cuba, Phillipines and Ladrones” into the wagon. Two horses labeled, “Liberty” and “Union” are pulling the wagon. An old man wearing a hat labeled, “Monroe Doctrine” is sitting down nearby and asks Uncle Sam: “Ain’t ye takin’ too many in, Sam?” Uncle Sam replies, “No, Gran’pa; I reckon this team will be strong enough for them all!”
Icebreaker prompt: Brainstorm a list of questions and rank them in order of individual curiosity.
Response:
1.) Was the Monroe Doctrine of 1823 declaring that the era of colonization was over? Did the US continue to colonize other parts of the world after the Monroe Doctrine had been disclosed?
2.) At this time the US was declaring that no country should further colonize the western Hemisphere, how did the US justify its own right to further colonize the Western Hemisphere (Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, etc)?
3.) Did the US aid Latin America in finding democracy?
Title: Defining the (Monroe) Doctrine
Context: Caption at the bottom of the image states:
Venezuela – “Better mind your Monroe Doctrine! That German is making trouble.”
Uncle Sam – “The Monroe Doctrine will keep you from being kidnapped, but it won’t help you get our of your honest debts.”
Icebreaker prompt: The subjects in the image are having a conversation. What do you think the subjects are thinking? Create thought bubbles for the subjects in the image.
Response: Uncle Sam thoughts: “I will stay true to my word and oppose European Colonization in the Western Hemisphere, however, Venezuela sure does owe me for this one”.
Venezuelan boy thoughts: “First Spain, now Germany? Who will exploit my people next?”
Featured image photo by Miko Guziuk on Unsplash
Following the rise of Chinese Immigration to the United States during California’s gold rush years, congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, restricting Chinese immigrants from entering the United States. Despite the fact that Chinese American’s composed only 0.002 percent of the nation’s population during this time, President Chestur A. Arthur signed the Exclusion Act into legislation on May 6, 1882, regarding Chinese immigrants as unqualified for naturalization.
This newspaper published in 1882, includes an illustration depicting a Chinese man being prevented passage into the United States (Golden Gate of Liberty). A sign next to him reads, “Notice – communist, nihilist, socialist, Fenian & hoodlum welcome but no admittance to Chinamen”.
A completely separate and ironic feature of the newspaper article is an advertisement for curing opium addiction. “Morphine Habit cured in 10 to 20 days. The only known and sure remedy.”
The Opium Wars (1839-42, 1856-60), as well as western power’s leverage to increase the distribution of opium in China were the largest contributing factors for Chinese immigration into the United States during this era. This shines light on the vulnerability of Chinese immigrants and the lack of empathy that they received from their American peers.
During this era, Chinese immigrants contributed astronomical amounts of effort towards the development of the United States. This includes building the Western half of the Transcontinental railroad, building levees in the Sacramento River Delta, developing and cultivating much of the Western US farmland, among other tasks.
The photo, “Laborers and Rocks” shows Chinese laborers at work developing a tunnel. A frequent function of railroad development involved breaking up large pieces of rock with explosives then hauling out debris using primitive tools.
How did US citizens perceive Chinese immigrants in the 1870s? What does this say about the United States’ portrayal of asian immigration?
The United States advocated the distribution of Opium in China which persuaded Chinese people to find opportunity elsewhere. Chinese immigrants were exploited for cheap labor and then prevented asylum in the US’ with the Chinese Exclusion act of 1882. What does this say about the United States and its values during this time?