Political Cartoons: When Words Cease

One of my favorite ways to learn about history is through political cartoons. These images, often exaggerated to make a point, can range from entertaining to enlightening.

For this week's blog, I want you to search for a political cartoon about ONE of the following topics...
1-Panama Canal
2-William Howard Taft
3-Spanish-American War

You political cartoon should be from the era we are studying (not a modern cartoon about these events).

Post the cartoon you chose in the comments section and use your 200 words to explain why you chose this cartoon.

You cannot post the same cartoon as someone else, so getting this done quickly is best!

Teddy Roosevelt: The Most Interesting President

Since there is so much I could say (and will say in class) about Teddy Roosevelt, I feel it is best to be brief in this week's introduction.

Simply put, Teddy Roosevelt lived the most interesting life of any president we have ever had.

For this week's blog, I want you to independently research the life of Teddy Roosevelt. Watch YouTube videos, read articles etc.

For the comment section, I challenge you to create a "Top Ten List" for Teddy. Call it..."The Top Ten Most Interesting Facts About T.R.". To up the ante a little, rather than giving +5 for the first post and +5 for the best post, I will give +10 to the best list. So...make yours good!

*The list does not have to be in complete sentences, but the total word count still must be at least 200 words.*

Social Gospel Movement: A Response to Immigration

As the cities of America became quickly overcrowded after the Civil War, there were two diverging responses to the growing crises.

Response One: Nativism
-Nativists essentially blamed the ills of America on the rising immigrant population. Anything "new and different" (i.e. skin color, ethnic background, languages, cultures, clothes, food, customs, religious practices, economic beliefs etc.) were automatically dismissed as not only bad...but dangerous and problematic.

Response Two: Social Gospel
-The Social Gospel Movement saw the immigrant crisis as an opportunity to help and serve. Citizens, both men and women, saw the needs of the poor in the cities and were moved with compassion.

Read this account of the origins of this movement. Answer TWO of the following questions for the comment section. Additional research may be necessary.

1) What role did Jane Addams play in this movement?

2) In what ways, specifically, did this movement seek to help in our urban centers?

3) Explain the "social survey movement" in regards to how it was used by the Social Gospel Movement.

4) What role did churches (and religion in general) play in the Social Gospel Movement?

5) How does the Social Gospel Movement differ from the Social Darwinism Movement (which was occurring at the same time incidentally)?

Gilded Age: College Football

During this Gilded Age era, one of the interesting modern developments we begin to notice is the onslaught for public entertainment. People, now moving to the cities in droves, needed stuff to do after they got off work (sound familiar?). Remember, this is the first time in American history where more people are living in cities than in rural/agricultural areas.

One of the "American inventions" of this age was college football. While not the money-making machine it is today, college football was certainly very popular...and very dangerous. The athletes back then certainly were not as fast and strong as they are today...but their equipment (pads, helmets etc.) certainly weren't as safe/protective as our modern versions.

Then, just like now, people questioned the brutality and popularity of this sport.


Watch this professor talk about the similarities between the Roman Gladiator system and our modern fascination with College Football. (Find the video link under "Chapter Five-Spectator Sports")

Read this article about Teddy Roosevelt's defense of college football in the early 20th century.

In the comment section, answer ALL THREE of these questions...

1) Based on the video, how does the Roman Gladiator system compare to college football today?

2) What were the complaints about football during Teddy Roosevelt's day and how did he intervene?

3) In your opinion, why does America seemed obsessed with football? Is this good or bad for our nation?