How do historical and artistic depictions of the American landscape connect to the idea of an American empire? Pay special attention to "manifest destiny" and the Turner Thesis.

Miss the video? See it HERE.

To help you better understand what the Turner Thesis is, the video below provides a novel approach at explanation:

An Introduction to Frederick Jackson Turner's The Significance Of The Frontier In American History from Macat on Vimeo.

>>SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL(S) HERE<<

Here is a link to a journalistic example (using a very similar method).

RECENT CONTEMPORARY ISSUE: In his State of the Union address...President Obama celebrated the fact 'that for the first time in 40 years, the crime rate and the incarceration rate have come down together.'"

WHY QUESTION: Why does the USA incarcerate such a high percentage of its population, despite falling crime rates?

ANSWERS:

1. Crime surged during an era of social upheaval (historical look-back)
2. The federal government got more involved in local law enforcement.
   
3. A War on Drugs was launched.
   
4. Politicians changed sentencing laws.
   
5. More?? Others? Consider the role of race.

"Coming up with good questions in history is often more difficult than the answers."--Stephen Berry. @CWI_GC

— Kevin M. Levin (@KevinLevin) March 9, 2021

Need more help understanding proximate versus ultimate factors (causes)? Perhaps this will trigger your memory:

Due TUESDAY! 

If you're struggling with the 3rd requirement (conditions in Parchman Farm Penitentiary in Mississippi), you should watch this 18-minute clip from The PBS film, Freedom Riders. And/or read this article about Hezekiah Watkins, a 13-year old put on death row in that very same prison.

2001 interview with John Luther Dolan:

The following sources may give you more insight:

And/or watch an 18-minute excerpt from American Experience: Freedom Riders by clicking below:

This is an ANONYMOUS survey, so feel free to be as honest as possible, keeping in mind my role as a mandated reporter. This will make more sense once you have seen the assessment for John Dolan, the young Freedom Rider working with CORE.

UPDATE: after reading so many of your heartfelt comments, I listened to this show about sleep deprivation, competition, grades, homework, and parental pressure. If you get a chance, it's worth a listen: 

DUE TUESDAY. If you need access to the primary source materials, please see below:

Please leave your slide annotations (as comments) using the appropriate link below:

Period 5 

Period 6

Why did it take approximately 100 years for basic civil rights to be granted to Black Americans? What were the proximate and ultimate factors contributing to the passing of Civil Rights legislation?

Please read OpenStax by clicking here. The assessment (based on both the reading and the presentation below) will be formally assigned once the presentation is concluded. But early commenters can get feedback in class.

NOW, consider the following requirements:

1. Choose 2-3 adjacent slides, minimum.
2. Leave thoughtful and thorough comments (annotations) as text, audio, or video (w/ partner, only)
3. The strongest comments are tied directly to the textbook (cited), but you may also respond to another student's comments, and/or provide an original analysis for slides, images or documents not covered in class. Other comments can and should provide narration, but won't be assessed as highly as textbook-based or original analysis kinds of comments.
4. Ask yourself: "How can I corroborate or contradict, analyze what is in the frame, or provide empathetic narration on this particular slide?"

Note-taking guide below or make a copy HERE.

Think about the "bump back" mentioned in Ellison's Invisible Man. What were the proximate causes of the legislative changes the United States enacted in the the mid-1960s? As you watch the film, Eyes on the Prize: "Ain't Scared of Your Jails" (linked below), fill in the study guide with specific details from each technique used by activists:

1. FILM: click here to watch (no need to download)
2. STUDY GUIDE: 
   Download EYES_ON_THE_PRIZE_Ain_t_Scared_of_Your_Jails.pdf
3. TRANSCRIPT:
   Download Ain_t_Scared_of_Your_Jails_transcript.pdf

Given the stakes, why not give it a try? Start with this NPR article. Click the image below for the original challenge put out by the New York Times:

In order to better understand the ultimate factors (long-term causes) leading to civil rights, please watch the first episode of the legendary documentary, Eyes on the Prize and fill out the guide below.

Please wait until you have presented to respond. Click image below to submit:

Consider his answer in light of your Reconstruction Rebooted plans...

Note: this is NOT homework.

Kerry James Marshall: Heirlooms and Accessories from Smart Museum of Art on Vimeo.

Here's an interview with Eric Foner, who has a complicated view of the assessment of the Reconstruction era. The second half of the podcast has some key information and critiques of the Reconstruction Amendments (13, 14, 15) that should help you decide how to proceed in your plans. (If you click on the link above, you should also see a transcript which might be faster in finding what you need.)

Shareable Google doc click here. Read Chapter 16 of OpenStax and bring any questions you have to class.

Student leaders are listed in bold italics at the top of each group. Group "names" are optional and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of the named characters! Click here for a copy of the planning document (optional). Here's a short video on the extraordinary era of Reconstruction featuring Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Eric Foner.

This radio piece is from a very recent interview with Steve Luxenberg, author of the recently released Separate: The Story of Plessy v. Ferguson, and America's Journey from Slavery to Segregation. It may guide your understanding of 19th C. racial politics and Supreme Court decisions.

1. David Brooks
2. Ta-Nehisi Coates
3. Charles Ogletree

Please fill this out ASAP (otherwise no credit will be given). Direct link HERE.

If you missed class, please read the primary source and answer the following questions (or type):

How will you approach the "new field" of the Reconstruction era?

And for those of you who can't get enough military history, here is a low-rez version of "The Civil War in 4.5 Minutes":

How far were the abolitionists willing to go? Although Garrison, for example, was a radical pacifist, most like-minded reformers were willing to enlist in the army in order to fight in the Civil War for their ultimate goal: abolition.

Glory (1989), directed by New Trier graduate, Ed Zwick, was revolutionary not only in its subject matter, but also in its marketing. Consider this cover art:

As you view the film (click link), consider the quote on the very last page of the study guide (click here for a Google doc version). It will inform our next assessment.

Why did Ed Zwick make this film? It might have been because of this man:

Click here for a Google doc version of the worksheet. If you missed class, this is due on paper at the beginning of our next class.

Any/all of the following may be utilized (as long as they are cited) when you write your Douglass paper.

(examine primary source images here)

David Blight's FAN interview on January 25, 2019 and my notes (below):

Here is a link to a positive review of David Blight's biography of Frederick Douglass.

And Blight's commentary over a reading of the Narrative:

Note: this video series (DVD) is available in the NTHS Library or may be available to stream if you have Amazon Prime. Otherwise, please click here to view the film. Due on paper at the END of class. Need an electronic copy? Try this.

After viewing the PBS film, The Abolitionists (click to view), ask yourself how monolithic were the opponents of slavery (Stowe, Brown, Garrison, Grimke, etc.)? Which of their methods did you think was most effective?

Transcript is available below:

Please take detailed notes and ask questions in class, as this process will be critical in aiding you on your next summative assessment:

How to do the annotation assessment on Google Slides. Consider the following requirements:

1. Choose 2-3 contiguous slides, more or less. Claim them before others do.
2. Leave thoughtful and thorough annotations as comments which will be awarded with the following feedback (ST, OK, NW) based on your choices below:

• → Short textbook quotes which are explained in relation to the slide content (up to ST)

• → An original analysis of images or documents covered (or not covered) in class* (up to ST)

• → Comments as pure narration (up to OK) which is the min. req't for ALL students

• Click here for bUSH5 or click there for bUSH6

For our next class, you need to complete the following:

• Responses to Abolition(ism) primary source analysis 
• Feel free to click the above link to access the images in higher resolution