Andrew Carnegie

It seems that Carnegie believed that by donating money to different organizations, he was improving the lives the others. He contributed a large sum of money to create Carnegie Mellon University in support of higher education. This was his way of improving the world as he say it but educating others. He also donated money to an organization that recognized people for their heroic endeavors. This was how he recognized the hard works of others. I think this is a great use of philanthropy. He was supporting organizations that were supporting others. Although, many could believe he was biased in the organizations he chose to support. It also could of been a way to make up for the horrible way he treated employees and the strike that was caused because of it. If I had millions of dollars to give away, I would divide my wealth among many different nonprofit organizations helping others. Doing so would increase the education and living of others.

Indian Boarding Schools

Indian boarding schools were a major factor in the movement towards Indian assimilation. The federally run schools were created to transform tribal children into students of white society. The techniques used by instructors and teachers varied by school, but most left a lasting impression on their students.

The first of these schools were established in 1860s. They were created by the federal government and named "day schools". These were daily schools set up on reservations as the first of many ways to accustom Native Americans to western society. The following decade boarding schools were established across the country as a more forceful way of acclimating Indian children into this new world.

Most famously known, is the Carlisle Indian School located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Henry Pratt, a former Army officer in favor of total assimilation. His trademark quote was "Kill the Indian in him and save the man" which was exactly what he was determined to do. This was the only off-reservation boarding school in the East, giving Pratt even more freedom to do as he pleased. In order to completely rid the children of their tribal ancestry, the boys were forced to chop off their hair while boys and girls alike were given identical uniforms and received new "white" names. They were taught table manners, for example how to use ordinary utensils such as knives and forks. And while they were constantly threatened with the possibility of corporal punishment, they were also rewarded from abstaining the use of their former languages. Another widely used program was "outing". It was the process of sending students to white family farms for the summer, and a better way to become accustomed to their new life. Although, this opportunity was not always perceived that way. Many families used it as a chance to enforce hard manual labor on the children. And in many cases, the school  would reward the families for doing so. The Carlisle Indian School had a harsh reputation among the students, but taught them a variety of life lessons in the process.

Along with these boarding and day schools, there were also a variety of mission schools. These were created by missionaries on reservations as a way to combine religion with academic training. The first was near the Tulalip Reservation and was opened in 1857; it consisted of 6 boys and 5 girls. This was one of the few mission schools that did receive federal support, such as annual funds for buildings. While the church provided books, clothing, housing, and medical care. And because of this, it became a federal facility by 1900. Although the school only reached eight grade, there were 200 students enrolled in 1907 ranging in age from six to eighteen. The mission schools brought a different approach to education, but sometimes at the same damaging cost as other Indian schools.

Indian schools were known for instilling good values and valuable lessons in children, but at a cost. These schools were unfortunately known for the cruel ways they treated students. Many were sexually abused by nuns, priests, and other members of the school's staff. And runaways were threatened with harsh punishment and often extremely malnourished. They were forced to do heavy labor instead of class work and punished for anything done wrong. The majority of students later described this as "sexual, physical, mental, spiritual, and cultural abuse". As a result of these awful acts, children as young as the age of six committed suicide.  

These are just a few of the suspected hundreds of boarding schools across the country in the 1800s. Their harsh ways of teaching and cruel punishment made it hard for students to take anything away from this experience. Although they accomplished what they were created for, it came at a very high cost. Children lost their family, dignity, and pretty much their entire way of life. They were ready to be transferred into white society, but many were emotionally and physically scared as a result. This experiment tore apart tribes, and destroyed Indian culture altogether.

Indian Country Diaries: PBS

This site was particularly helpful to me because it gave a quick over view of how the boarding schools were first started and the events leading up to it. There is even a schedule with the daily routines of the students. It even goes on to explain what happened to students after they completed boarding school. These few facts really helped me to produce an argument for my topic.

Assimilation through Education: University of Washington

The University of Washington website, gave detailed information on boarding schools and Indian assimilation. The topics are clearly spaced out and provide thorough evidence with plenty of dates and locations. There are also a few pictures to give a better sense of what life was like.

Boarding Schools: American Indian Relief Council

This website is provided by the Indian Relief Council and offers plenty of information on things such as destroying formal tribal life from Indian children, punishment, and becoming self-sufficient. These were all things that came out of the boarding school era and stayed with the students for the rest of their life.

American Indian Boarding Schools Haunt Many: NPR

This article gives first hand knowledge of the horrors of these boarding schools, and the lasting effects they had on students. These stories also give a better feel as to how life was inside of these schools. There are even reports from studies at the end of the article.

The Boarding School Experience: Heard Museum

The Heard Museum gives an insightful article into Native American boarding schools from the years 1879-1900. It focuses more on what students were studying and the other processes by which groups of people were assimilated into society.

 

Cowboys in the West

Cowboys had a very different place in society contrary to popular belief. In reality, cowboys were low paid, cattle herders, that usually roamed the west in search of work. While the popular belief is that cowboys were ruggedly heroic individuals that fought Indians and hung out in saloons. Cowboys were romanticized long after the West was colonized. It began in the 1900s with movies and skits as a form of entertainment for people that did not know any better. When in reality, cowboys rarely came in contact with Indians and never purposely put up a fight.

The idealization of cowboys also affected other aspects of western life. One thing that was impacted was the opinion of Indians. Cowboys set them out to be savages hungry for war, when many tribes were hoping to not cause any trouble. Although some tribes were violent and did attack settlers, there were still a fair enough that wanted to continue with their daily life and work without being interrupted. Another major aspect affected was the idea of settlers being able to live on their own without the help of any outside source. Cowboys were put out to be individualists that needed help from no one and could survive on their own, while historically the government played a major part in the colonization of the West. They offered land grants, loans, and even food at times. These are just a few things that were affected by the idealization of cowboys.

There are many reasons the American cowboy became idealized. Many people set up the West to be a wild and open frontier, when in reality it was full of people and cultures. This was not always a good selling point to get people to migrate west, so to romanticize the cowboy seemed like an excellent idea. It got people interested and created a great storyline for later movies. Instead of explaining how long and tedious it was for people to settle out west, "cowboys" were invented to spice things up and make them much more interesting.

Chapter 15 Reflection

Before studying this unit, I already knew about the long term affects of segregation in the South and the      harsh ways in which the government acted against the South. I knew that even though slavery had ended with the 13th Amendment, blacks were still treated with disrespect and given a lower status. I also knew that after Lincoln was assassinated the government took a different approach in punishing the South by enforcing new laws and implementing troops throughout the southern states. Something I learned that really stood out to me was the Freedman's bureau. I had never heard of this program before, and thought it was amazing that the government had set up such a helpful organization. It helped former slaves obtain land, jobs, and anything else essential to them. This really stood out to me because I never had thought that such an organization existed. And the fact that it proved blacks with such things surprised me in many ways.

One thing I knew before but understand better now, was the segregation imposed by the government. Before learning about this, I did not know it had started so early, or that it became a federal law. Segregation started in the late 1800s, while i had thought it did not beginning until the early 1900s. And it continued for close to 100 years in the United States. Also, I had always believed they were just choses made by southerners, and not that the federal government actually enforced these laws. It is important for people to know the history of where they live because it gives them a better understanding of the town and why it is the way it is. If there are certain statues or customs of a certain place, learning the history lets them know how these came to be and why they are associated with their town.

Animoto Video

America
For my animoto video, I complied various pictures that best represented America to me. Different pictures of iconic places, such as Mount Rushmore, the National Mall, and Hollywood, and some of the best known consumer brands. Also, I added a map of the United States with the various college football teams placed according to their region, because of how well known America is of football. These are just some things that I thought described America best.