According to Dictionary.com, a "savage" is "uncivilized; barbarous" and "savagery" is "an uncivilized or barbaric state or condition; barbarity".
This passage was read from an online history textbook from 1887. The three pages briefly analyzed Indians' appearance and way of life. Their descriptions were obviously outdated, as they were portrayed in a negative, primitive light. It is unsettling that educators gave this information to students in 1887.
When the word "savages" was entered into the online textbook's search tool, it referred to Indians every single time, as if they were barbaric and uncivilized. The term was mostly used in the context of some sort of conflict. Either the "savages" were killing Englishmen, being attacked, being conquered, or defeating or massacring an enemy.
If I was an American student studying this text as impartial truth, I would view Native Americans as extremely violent people. I would think them unintelligent after reading that instead of books, they wrote "rude figures" on tree bark or stones. The descriptions of their methods of torture by burning alive is terrifying. Additionally, I would believe that they were ugly and unfashionable, since it describes Indians as having "small, deep-set, and snaky" eyes and wearing marks painted with "hideous devices." Overall, this book portrays them as destructive and unsophisticated. I would like to think modern text is more flattering.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Thursday, October 15, 2015
News About Indians and a Diary Entry
From the Library of Congress, I found a newspaper, the Weekly Arizonian, from 1869. It was based in Tucson.
One article called "The Indian" complained that Arizonians were victims of the Apache Indians. It said the Apaches stole and damaged the people's belongings and properties. It also claimed the Apaches injured and killed the people of Arizona. The article complained more about the military, saying it sent an inadequate amount of troops to Arizona to defend the people from the "brutal nature" of the Apaches. It then gave a huge list of all the Indian attacks in a period of eighteen months and stated that the next year and a half could be just as deadly if more help was not sent promptly.
After reading the rest of the front page of this paper and doing additional research on Tucson in this time period, I composed a diary entry from the perspective of a Tucson resident in 1869. It is found below. Britannica High School, the Library of Congress, and the City of Tucson website were used for the additional research.
July 17, 1869
Dear diary,
I must confess this long string of violence in the area is quite distressing, and I muss express my worries. For over a year, there has been attack after attack and raid after raid from the Apaches. The ladies at the market usually have some news about it. My husband wishes for the military to send more troops as aid. Many men have been killed, I'm afraid. I've even heard of two hundred of mules and horses being stolen, all at a time, between the Miembros and Apache pass. It distresses me even more when I hear of women being held captive by the Apaches. Now, wouldn't that be terrifying? Yet it seemed a bit impersonal until now. There was an attack on a wagon around Sulfur Spring about a week ago. The men were forced to flee, leaving behind the mules and other expensive property. One man even died from thirst, as they then trekked by foot. The newspaper did report all this recently, but I heard much of the details about it from my sister, Margaret. She is acquainted with the wife of the man who perished. They are very close, in fact. I cannot bear to think what comes next for that poor woman. I hear they have five children, and only one young son!
I suppose all of this violence is to be expected in such a new area. Why, Arizona was part of Mexico only about fifteen years ago- within even Thomas' lifetime- and only became its own territory in 1862. I can only hope there is not much violence here in Tucson in the future. It is the territorial capital, and about 3,000 of us live here. Does that not allow a higher level of safety and sophistication for its people?
Thomas is away, all grown. My, my. I cannot believe it. He is hard at work on the Memphis and El Paso railroad. Apparently, in the last four months, this railway has been endorsed twice, and it is before Congress. It seems all the men ever talk about is these new railroads being built across the country, but I am glad for Thomas and his bright future with the company. When he writes home, he tells me that the Memphis and El Paso will be built within five years. He told me that there was even a proposal for the first 300 miles to be up and running by October of next year. I suppose that is remarkable, yet it saddens me to think of the next five years his father and I will share alone, without him. I worry for him, as well. Back in last January, I heard about an Indian attack on a Colonel Lewis' train in Tubac. The driver was injured. There was another train-related attack on May 11 on Camp Grant Road where three men died. I'm sure their are similar accounts throughout the West. I hope nothing of the sort happens to my boy.
I do wish to express my thoughts about news circulating from the South. I heard some gossip in the market today about a ruling from the Supreme Court in Georgia. It created quite a ruckus even out here in the West! Marriage was officially prohibited between white and black persons for the rest of time. It seems a bit silly to me. My husband refuses to talk about it with me, though, so I can only note it here. He says I shouldn't worry of such things.
I must go! The market and my duties are calling.
Anne
(Here is an image that reflects this diary entry.)
After reading the rest of the front page of this paper and doing additional research on Tucson in this time period, I composed a diary entry from the perspective of a Tucson resident in 1869. It is found below. Britannica High School, the Library of Congress, and the City of Tucson website were used for the additional research.
July 17, 1869
Dear diary,
I must confess this long string of violence in the area is quite distressing, and I muss express my worries. For over a year, there has been attack after attack and raid after raid from the Apaches. The ladies at the market usually have some news about it. My husband wishes for the military to send more troops as aid. Many men have been killed, I'm afraid. I've even heard of two hundred of mules and horses being stolen, all at a time, between the Miembros and Apache pass. It distresses me even more when I hear of women being held captive by the Apaches. Now, wouldn't that be terrifying? Yet it seemed a bit impersonal until now. There was an attack on a wagon around Sulfur Spring about a week ago. The men were forced to flee, leaving behind the mules and other expensive property. One man even died from thirst, as they then trekked by foot. The newspaper did report all this recently, but I heard much of the details about it from my sister, Margaret. She is acquainted with the wife of the man who perished. They are very close, in fact. I cannot bear to think what comes next for that poor woman. I hear they have five children, and only one young son!
I suppose all of this violence is to be expected in such a new area. Why, Arizona was part of Mexico only about fifteen years ago- within even Thomas' lifetime- and only became its own territory in 1862. I can only hope there is not much violence here in Tucson in the future. It is the territorial capital, and about 3,000 of us live here. Does that not allow a higher level of safety and sophistication for its people?
Thomas is away, all grown. My, my. I cannot believe it. He is hard at work on the Memphis and El Paso railroad. Apparently, in the last four months, this railway has been endorsed twice, and it is before Congress. It seems all the men ever talk about is these new railroads being built across the country, but I am glad for Thomas and his bright future with the company. When he writes home, he tells me that the Memphis and El Paso will be built within five years. He told me that there was even a proposal for the first 300 miles to be up and running by October of next year. I suppose that is remarkable, yet it saddens me to think of the next five years his father and I will share alone, without him. I worry for him, as well. Back in last January, I heard about an Indian attack on a Colonel Lewis' train in Tubac. The driver was injured. There was another train-related attack on May 11 on Camp Grant Road where three men died. I'm sure their are similar accounts throughout the West. I hope nothing of the sort happens to my boy.
I do wish to express my thoughts about news circulating from the South. I heard some gossip in the market today about a ruling from the Supreme Court in Georgia. It created quite a ruckus even out here in the West! Marriage was officially prohibited between white and black persons for the rest of time. It seems a bit silly to me. My husband refuses to talk about it with me, though, so I can only note it here. He says I shouldn't worry of such things.
I must go! The market and my duties are calling.
Anne
(Here is an image that reflects this diary entry.)
Deep Thinking
"Our use of social media for news is selective and intentional so that we may tend to remain interested only in things we are already interested in. On the other hand, professional news outlets like newspapers expose readers to information on a broad range of topics. This helps me to see what other people are interested in or think is important."
Monday, October 12, 2015
Newspaper History and Analysis
According to Dictionary.com, a newspaper is: "a publication issued at regular and usually close intervals, especially daily or weekly, and commonly containing news, comment, features, and advertising." It can also refer to the organization behind the newspaper or a particular edition of a newspaper.
As explained on Britannica School High's article about newspapers, the first routine newspapers emerged during the early 1600s. The movable type printing press allowed different newspapers to come into existence in Europe, like in Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy. The earliest American newspaper came about in Boston in 1960. It was called Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick. However, it only survived one publication before Massachusetts's colonial governor put an end to it. The Boston News-letter was more successful. It became a weekly publication after it began in 1704. Another early paper, also in Boston, was the Boston Gazette. It began in 1719.
I looked at a modern newspaper that I found in my own home. The Huntsville Times from Sunday, October 11 had its front page covered with the titles, "State's best fall colors naturally nearby" and "State's Black Belt countries fight 'nothing here' image." This paper wishes to convey to the reader is that now is a great time of year to go on a hike and enjoy the nice weather, but it also brings up the importance of racial issues in the South. The next few pages feature stories relating to prison reform, the death penalty, and recent court cases. Additionally, there is an eye-catching article about cancer research that will occur locally at HudsonAlpha.
If a newspaper is called a "newspaper of record," it means that a notably large community of people rely on it, and it known to be dependable, as Wikipedia clarifies. The New York Times was the first in the United States to be tied to this term. However, another U.S. paper that can also be categorized as one is the Washington Post. In addition, the Los Angeles Times.
As newspapers have modernized over time, so has human communication in general. Social media is now one of the main ways, if not the main way, that people stay connected and aware. Twitter and Instagram can spread information across the world instantly with just a few clicks or taps. Physical newspapers can only spin out news daily at the most. Social media accounts can also be personalized to one's preference; what one does not follow, one does not have to see. This cannot be said of the newspaper; everyone gets the same one, no matter their interests. Also, the Internet probably saves many more trees than the world's newspapers of record. However, the modern newspaper beats social media in many other areas. A smart phone, though it gives access intellectual content and relevant information, provides many distractions and temptations. Anything from a text to a Candy Crush notification can stray a reader from learning about world events. In contrast, a newspaper has all pertinent material organized neatly for the reader. Additionally, social media is the opposite of social. A person reading a newspaper invites intelligent conversation from the people in his or her environment. The bold headings are easily read by anyone around. A person reading an article on a laptop or cell phone, however, does not tempt anyone to start a discussion of world events, because he or she might very well be playing Candy Crush or texting an in-law. No one wishes to pry into his or her social life, so that person remains isolated, even if they would be pleased to discuss current events. Whether this trend toward Internet-based news is a step in the right direction or not, though, it seems that it continues to grow more and more popular.
This image sufficiently illustrates the human connection brought about by reading a physical newspaper that is mentioned in the above discussion.
As explained on Britannica School High's article about newspapers, the first routine newspapers emerged during the early 1600s. The movable type printing press allowed different newspapers to come into existence in Europe, like in Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy. The earliest American newspaper came about in Boston in 1960. It was called Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick. However, it only survived one publication before Massachusetts's colonial governor put an end to it. The Boston News-letter was more successful. It became a weekly publication after it began in 1704. Another early paper, also in Boston, was the Boston Gazette. It began in 1719.
I looked at a modern newspaper that I found in my own home. The Huntsville Times from Sunday, October 11 had its front page covered with the titles, "State's best fall colors naturally nearby" and "State's Black Belt countries fight 'nothing here' image." This paper wishes to convey to the reader is that now is a great time of year to go on a hike and enjoy the nice weather, but it also brings up the importance of racial issues in the South. The next few pages feature stories relating to prison reform, the death penalty, and recent court cases. Additionally, there is an eye-catching article about cancer research that will occur locally at HudsonAlpha.
If a newspaper is called a "newspaper of record," it means that a notably large community of people rely on it, and it known to be dependable, as Wikipedia clarifies. The New York Times was the first in the United States to be tied to this term. However, another U.S. paper that can also be categorized as one is the Washington Post. In addition, the Los Angeles Times.
As newspapers have modernized over time, so has human communication in general. Social media is now one of the main ways, if not the main way, that people stay connected and aware. Twitter and Instagram can spread information across the world instantly with just a few clicks or taps. Physical newspapers can only spin out news daily at the most. Social media accounts can also be personalized to one's preference; what one does not follow, one does not have to see. This cannot be said of the newspaper; everyone gets the same one, no matter their interests. Also, the Internet probably saves many more trees than the world's newspapers of record. However, the modern newspaper beats social media in many other areas. A smart phone, though it gives access intellectual content and relevant information, provides many distractions and temptations. Anything from a text to a Candy Crush notification can stray a reader from learning about world events. In contrast, a newspaper has all pertinent material organized neatly for the reader. Additionally, social media is the opposite of social. A person reading a newspaper invites intelligent conversation from the people in his or her environment. The bold headings are easily read by anyone around. A person reading an article on a laptop or cell phone, however, does not tempt anyone to start a discussion of world events, because he or she might very well be playing Candy Crush or texting an in-law. No one wishes to pry into his or her social life, so that person remains isolated, even if they would be pleased to discuss current events. Whether this trend toward Internet-based news is a step in the right direction or not, though, it seems that it continues to grow more and more popular.
This image sufficiently illustrates the human connection brought about by reading a physical newspaper that is mentioned in the above discussion.
Friday, October 2, 2015
First Quarter Reflection
Liddy Malone
10/2/15
H-Block
I Pledge LM
I think this past quarter in US History has been a cohesive learning experience, because it helped me with my “big picture” outlook of the Civil War and directly afterwards. When I think about it, I have not been taught American History since 8th grade, and even then, we only got up to the Civil War. This year, we reviewed all of that, then went further. I was truly able to put my limited previous knowledge together with new information with a relatively quick overview of everything from slavery in the South to Western expansion.
My most significant growth has been this strengthening of general understanding and relevance. I totally recognize that I have many holes in my understanding. It was much more difficult in World History I and II to actually recognize what we were learning as real events, at least until later in the courses. This year, what I learned was closer in time and distance, so it was much more personal and enjoyable. I enjoyed understanding how slavery and Reconstructed still impacts the present socioally and economically. Though I hope to learn more this year about history that directly impacts me today, it would also benefit me to practice understanding the relevance of historical events that are not as obvious.
Honestly, I have enjoyed this year much more than any history class I have taken. I feel like it is less mechanical than others, and I love that it is based on discussion. I did not take AP US History this year because history was one of my least favorite subjects and I did not want to pour in superfluous energy to something I did not love. However, I am really liking this year. I hope we keep connecting American history to current events in an interesting way so I can continue to develop what I know about America. It would be extremely cool to me if I could grow to tie what we learn to even the current presidential elections. Either way, I am excited.
10/2/15
H-Block
I Pledge LM
I think this past quarter in US History has been a cohesive learning experience, because it helped me with my “big picture” outlook of the Civil War and directly afterwards. When I think about it, I have not been taught American History since 8th grade, and even then, we only got up to the Civil War. This year, we reviewed all of that, then went further. I was truly able to put my limited previous knowledge together with new information with a relatively quick overview of everything from slavery in the South to Western expansion.
My most significant growth has been this strengthening of general understanding and relevance. I totally recognize that I have many holes in my understanding. It was much more difficult in World History I and II to actually recognize what we were learning as real events, at least until later in the courses. This year, what I learned was closer in time and distance, so it was much more personal and enjoyable. I enjoyed understanding how slavery and Reconstructed still impacts the present socioally and economically. Though I hope to learn more this year about history that directly impacts me today, it would also benefit me to practice understanding the relevance of historical events that are not as obvious.
Honestly, I have enjoyed this year much more than any history class I have taken. I feel like it is less mechanical than others, and I love that it is based on discussion. I did not take AP US History this year because history was one of my least favorite subjects and I did not want to pour in superfluous energy to something I did not love. However, I am really liking this year. I hope we keep connecting American history to current events in an interesting way so I can continue to develop what I know about America. It would be extremely cool to me if I could grow to tie what we learn to even the current presidential elections. Either way, I am excited.
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