Sunday, April 18, 2010
Summary of Two Scholarly Sources
Please post your summaries of two scholarly sources here as a comment. Remember, I'd like you to summarize the source's main claim, a description of how the scholar created this study, a discussion of the major evidence that supports its claim, and an explanation of why this souce is significant for your research. (If you've already posted this as its own post, that's fine. Thanks!)
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“Abuse of Power: Andrew Jackson and the Indian Removal Act of 1830” by Alfred Caved discusses how there were discrepancies between the law and Andrew Jackson’s administration’s actions. The Indian Removal Act specified that Native Americans would be moved voluntarily to the west and that no one would be forced to do anything by the United States Government. Cave shows evidence from prior treaties with the United States Government and the Native American tribes and how Jackson’s actions violated these treaties. Cave also states how congressmen who supported Jackson tried to reassure the public that Native Americans would not be forced out of their homes. This research article helps be understand the rhetoric of the Indian Removal act so then I can compare it with Jackson’s persuasive message to congress about the act.
ReplyDeleteThe article, "Remembrances of Removal: Native Resistance to Allotment and the Unmasking of Paternal Benevolence” by Jason Black discussed how the Indian Removal act was the precursor to the anger built up in the Native Americans after the passing of the Dawes Act. The Indian Removal Act forced Native Americans to move west to Oklahoma. After some years, the Dawes Act passed, allowing the government to reduce the sizes of reservations in order to make room for westward expansion. The article argues that resentment from the Native Americans toward the government was building up after the Indian Removal Act then erupted after the Dawes Act and that the Indian Removal Act gave the government the idea of authority over the Native American community. The author uses statements from Native Americans who experienced the effects of both acts to get his point across. He also analyzes petitions and speeches by Native Americans after the passing of the Dawes Act to show the resistance that grew through the community. This article shows one of the consequences of the Indian Removal Act and Jackson’s policies, the Dawes Act.
“Alcatraz History”
ReplyDeleteThis site gives a very definitive and chronological history of Alcatraz Island. There is a long history that leads up to Alcatraz becoming a federal prison. This history starts with it’s original use as a U.S military base. Eventually, with progressing weaponry, it seemed more and more useless to the military, but ideal for a prison. The events leading up to Alcatraz Island becoming a prison will show the use and need of the penitentiary. This site also offers history and insight into Alcatraz when it was a prison, when it was shut down, and up until it today. This not only shows what it was like during its years as a prison, but the effects of it being shut down. Alcatraz was meant as a symbol of fear for criminals in the U.S after the Great Depression. The history of the disposition will show the arguments to dismiss Alcatraz and the rhetoric used.
“Alcatraz Is Inspected By Texas Solon”
This article provides insight into perceptions of Alactraz during the 1930’s. Alcatraz at this point had already held many of America’s most notorious criminals and public enemies. Wright Patman, A representative of Texas was one of the few who were allowed to see the prison during this time. He explained the prisoners daily routine in a rudimentary fashion as dictated by the prison authorities because they did not want their secrets out. Not only will this serve as a historical backround and setting of Alcatraz, this newspaper article also divulges into the feel of the prison itself. Wright Patman stated, “I was anxious to leave as soon as possible.” The prison was said to be impossible to escape from. This also gives insight into what it was like to be a prisoner in Alcatraz. This will be useful when showing the events that led up to the closure of Alcatraz.
The film “Camp Amache: The Story of American Tragedy”, Is a comprehensive look at how the internment camps of WWII effected the individuals in the camps. It also looks at how the families of those interned were affected. The director, Don Dexter, accomplishes this through interviews with those who experienced this tragedy first hand and also through those who felt the aftermath of them. By providing these first hand accounts, Dexter’s argument is supported through the personal stories. This is important to my research because I will be examining how attitudes change during wartime. I think that it is important to examine how it is easy to look at things on paper and agree with the hard choices people had to make but it becomes much more difficult to justify these decisions when you look at the real people involved and impacted.
ReplyDeleteOn the other end of the spectrum, I will be looking at President Roosevelt’s executive order allowing the Japanese Internment. As discussed in class, he does not ever directly say “there will be internment of the Japanese” which is a conscious rhetorical decision on his part. This is important to my research because it is a perfect example of how in wartime, people were able to justify this action because it seemed to be for the greater good of everyone.
Billy the Kid: A Short and Violent Life is a story written about “the Kid.” The eighteen chapters of the book encompass Billy from the time he was an adolescent, through memorable moments, into his capture, his sentence, his escape and eventual execution. Amongst the words are also pictures, those of historical figures, military men, and politicians, but also, of guns from the age of Billy the Kid and Maps. Maps of Lincoln, New Mexico are included, and also diagrams have Fort Sumner and the maps of the surrounding area. The preface draws the reader in, speaking of the execution that sent twenty-one year old Billy the Kid to his maker. The preface draws in the reader with this exciting story, foreshadowing an exciting story of a well-known character.
ReplyDeleteWith chapter titles such as “The Avenger,” “The Assassin,” and “The Shootout” it is obvious this book touches on the more violent past of the West. The notorious Billy the Kid is a character who has had many stories, books and even movies created depicting his life. As said in the preface, it was the newspapers that made Billy the Kid, before the newspapers began covering him; he was an outlaw, much like any other, with the exception of his skill and his age. It was the media who gave him the celebrity status he received until his death, only made greater by his escape, until the brutal execution.
The Gunfight at Blazer’s Mill was compiled by Rickards with the help of a number of scholars who invested themselves into Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County war in an attempt to separate “fact from fancy.” This short story contains background on the Lincoln County War, Billy the Kid, and obviously the gunfight at Blazer’s Mill, among other things. More importantly, the references at the end of the book include more in-depth stories and background to sections of the story, with the appropriate references within. The story is broken up into sections with different titles allowing for the information to be found more quickly, and some pictures from the time of the gunfights to give an insight into exactly what was occurring.
Map of Topeka , Kansas in “Cities of the West”
ReplyDeleteThere are two especially intriguing maps of the central plains in the book “Cities of the American West: A History of Frontier Urban Planning.” The first is a map of Topeka, Kansas drawn by A. Ruger in 1869 and the second is a map of Topeka, Kansas in 1880. The reason these maps are intriguing is because of the vast difference between them. Each map was created in order to showcase the landscape and land use of Topeka, Kansas. The main claim of the first map, created in 1869, leaves a lot of open space and keeps everything relatively natural and rugged. It also features the state capitol and the court house at the bottom of the map along with American flags. All these things work together to make the assertion that Topeka will be a place of governance and patriotism. It also makes the assertion that the land will be used for farming and that the land use will be conservative and less developed. The map created by Augustus Koch in 1880 makes a different assertion. It was drawn only eleven years after the first map was made but it suggests no conservative land use or boasts of governing bodies and patriotism by featuring government buildings and American flags. This map shows a very well developed Topeka, Kansas in which every bit of land has been streamlined and planned out. It features things such as barges in the river and trains. It has many houses, schools, public institutions suggesting that Topeka, Kansas is a modern city and worth investing in. These two maps are significant sources for my research, not only because they are vastly different from one another, but also because they make different assertions about the use of land in the developing west.
The Central Plains: Towns of Kansas in “Cities of the West”
The book “Cities of the American West: A History of Frontier Urban Planning.” is an interesting secondary source. The specific chapter that is of particular interest to me is the chapter titled “The Central Plains: Towns of Kansas.” In it, John W. Reps, discusses the development of Kansas. The source’s main claim is that Kansas was a very urbanized state and that its urbanization was due in part to its struggle concerning the issue of slavery and how that struggled attracted a lot of people. It also contributed to the amount of rivalry between towns and to the development of town. In the chapter entitled “The Central Plains: Towns of Kansas” it explains that in one instance, a group of proslavery men bought a tract of land after territorial legislation was approved. Major evidence that supports this claim is the descriptions of how each town was established and the fact that the maps that were drawn showcase dense population of the land. In the chapter entitled “The Central Plains: Towns of Kansas” it explains that towns were densely populated due to the convenience of the river as well as the use of the transcontinental railroad. It also explains that a lot of towns sprang up from the speculation of pro-slavery men who knew the landscape of Kansas very well. The scholar, John W. Reps created this study using various maps and primary sources such as the first-hand account found on page 428. This scholarly source is significant for my study because it gives an account as to how the towns of Kansas were developed as well as the manner in which the land was used.
"Resisting the Indian New Deal" is one of my primary sources that I retrieved from a very helpful book called "Native American Testimony" by Peter Nabakov.This particular article, "Resisting the Indian New Deal" by Rupert Costo is a very persuasive document discussing the underlying consequences related to the Indian Reorganization Act. Through Costo's charisma and sincerity, he is able to portray the severity of such an act as this one.
ReplyDelete"Roots of the Native American Urban Experience: Relocation Policy in the 1950s" is an online journal article that mentions one of the authors of my primary sources and it actually consists of an interview of Larry Burt with Alfred Dubray. Burt discusses the importance and impacts of the Indian Reorganization Act mentioning Dubray and questioning him regarding his positive stand on the Act. As Dubray is a member of Sioux tribe, it is incredible see him take a positive stand on the Reorganization Act.
"Baptism of Pocahontas." Architect of the Capitol. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. .
ReplyDeleteThis source describes the Chapman’s famous painting, Baptism of Pocahontas. The painting depicts scene from 1613, in Jamestown, Virginia, when Pocahontas was baptized in an Anglican church. Pocahontas is believed to be the first Native American to convert to Christianity. Her baptism along with her marriage to English settler, John Rolfe lead the establishment of peace between the colonists and Native Americans. The placement and clothing of the figures in the painting give the painting special meaning. The other figures in the painting observing the ceremony express a variety of emotions to represent the mixed feelings about this new engagement. Chapman painted multiple works that featured Pocahontas and John Smith. He created this painting in Washington D.C. in 1837.
Bassham, Ben L., William P. Campbell, and Louise F. Catterall. "Father and Son: The Works of John Gadsby Chapman and Conrad Wise Chapman." Library of Virginia. Web. 19 Apr. 2010. .
Chapman was born in 1808 and studied art in the United States briefly before moving to Europe to pursue his career. After two years he returned to the United States and painted in various states through out the East. In 1837 he was chosen by the Select Committee, along with three other artists to paint scenes of American history. In this period he painted his most famous work The Baptism of Pocahontas as well as other paintings featuring Pocahontas and the Jamestown Colony. Chapman, along with his wife and children moved back to Europe in 1848, and settled in an American Colony in Italy. There he painted small oil paintings of the Italian culture, which he sold to the American tourists. Unfortunately, the tourist population severely declined at the time of the American Civil War and Chapman left to fight for the Confederacy. Chapman lived with his son, Jack, after the death of his wife and passed away in 1889.
"Frémont in the Conquest of California"
ReplyDeleteThis is a secondary source by John Bidwell who was an American Pioneer who came to california in 1841 and worked at John Sutter's Mill at the time Frémont entered California before the Bear Flag Revolt. Bidwell was later stationed at Sonoma during part of the Bear Flag Revolt and was given a fairly high rank later on. This source will add the viewpoint of someone who served under Frémont and who was a resident of California before and after California was brought into the Union.
"San Francisco Gold Rush Chronology 1846-1849"
This chronology outlines many of the key events of the Revolt and clarifies numerous actions of Frémont and the Mexican government.
John L. O’Sullivan “Annexation”
ReplyDeleteO’Sullivan wrote this paper as a result of the ongoing political battle when deciding if Texas was to be admitted into the Union as a new state. In it, O’Sullivan started with a very nice and political tone talking about the struggle over the annexation of Texas. Then he moved on to explain the various reasons why Texas was already “supposed” to be considered of American domain. O’Sullivan writing is very powerful in the sense that it tries to avoid the real reasons why Texas even separated from Mexican government, and it makes the acquisition of the territory seem righteous as if a greater force had already set this event in motion therefore the term “destiny”. Also, in this document O’Sullivan used the term “Manifest Destiny” for the first time which is historically and rhetorically significant since shortly thereafter Texas became a U.S. state.
Robert D. Sampson “John L. O’Sullivan and His times”
I still haven’t been able to locate this book in the library but I went to Barnes and Noble to browse a few pages. From the preface the Author outlines the basis for this book which is to narrate the life of John L. O’Sullivan and relate that to his various pieces of writing in the Democratic Review from where he made a great impact on politics especially with the term he used as “Manifest Destiny. I’ll try to obtain a copy because I would like to see what this author has said about the life of such a controversial figure that had so much to do in the westward expansion in the 19th century, also O’Sullivan does not have any other biographical work as I have looked extensively but nothing on this guy’s story appears anywhere that could help me understand his rhetoric as a political writer and as a person.
“Physician Assisted Dying”
ReplyDeleteThis was a secondary source by Eli D. Stutsman who was an instrumental player in passing the Physician Assisted Suicide law in Oregon. The source discusses the political popularity of the law currently and at the time of its 51%-49% passage, he goes on to discuss how modern day political figures in Oregon all support the law. He wrote the piece in 2004, a decade after his group managed to pass the law in Oregon to show how as time went on the law became more popular. He lists reasons as to why people opposed the law and why people supported it, drawing on emotional and logical reasons to support the bill.