Elementaryhistoryteacher's Open Salon Blog

A Real Apology

Sat, 7 Feb 2009 22:02:26 -0500

Two questions keep coming up…..

Should the United States government formally apologize for slavery?

Should various former slave-holding states formally apologize for the horrendous practice of slavery?

As of March, 2008 six states have apologized for slavery….Florida, Alabama, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Virginia.

In an article titled Apologizing for Slavery over at Capital Hill Blue, Bartholomew Sullivan reminds us that if the United States government formally apologized for slavery we would be joining other national governments who have apologized for wrong doings such Germany, Australia, and even Great Britain regarding the treatment of the Irish during the Potato Famine.

There are many opinions regarding the apology issue and they don’t clearly fall along racial lines. Sullivan’s article explores many of the pro and con reasons floating about, and I’ve copied and pasted a few of them here.

Benjamin Hooks, a retired NAACP executive director is on the pro side stating,” Anything we can do as a nation to heal the wounds that were inflicted, why, that's good," Hooks said. "A lot of people are negative about things like this, but I think you have to realize it's a positive step forward. It makes the nation look at the mistakes that were made, and acknowledge they were made, and says we recognize it's not over yet so that whatever we can do to alleviate it ought to be done.

Fred Lincoln, a retiree outside Memphis, Tenn., who commands the Nathan Bedford Forrest camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, said last week that it doesn't even make sense.

Forrest, a Confederate general, traded in slaves before the war."There are no slaves left and there are no slaveholders, so this is silly," said Lincoln, who noted that his immigrant ancestor named Lincoln arrived in America as an indentured servant."It seems to me like when you apologize for something you didn't do, all you're doing is leaving yourself open for -- I think what they're looking for is reparations...That's what it's all about."

Just last year the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution by voice vote apologizing for slavery and the era of Jim Crow laws. The nonbinding resolution…was introduced by Rep. Steve Cohen, a white lawmaker who represents a majority black district in Memphis, Tennessee.

Personally I tend to side with folks like Professor Kenneth Goings, chairman of the Department of African-American and African Studies at the Ohio State University. In Sullivan’s article Goings states he believes an apology is “empty words.”

When you take a look at the formal apologies that have been made have they really solved anything?

Is racism suddenly gone?

Is one hundred plus years of prejudice suddenly wiped out?

Do people suddenly see themselves on equal footing with everyone else?

I think the answer is no.

The only apology types that can change the emotional impact slavery and subsequent events resulted in are the apologies between the parties that were directly involved. Sadly, the time is long past for many of those people to make amends, but we still have among us citizens who fought for Civil Rights and many of the citizens who served as stumbling blocks to racial progress in this nation today, and many have changed since those violent and horrific days of “separate but equal”.

If I had a choice I would much rather use as a teaching tool an honest change in a human life and a heart-felt apology instead of having students look at and analyze some wordy legalese effort to make amends written and voted on by many people who weren’t there, didn’t take part, and are merely using the occasion to obtain brownie points with some sector of their constituencies.

As of Friday I have one such example I can use, and it is a true example to show students how ugly the actions towards Blacks could be leading up to and during the Civil Rights era and how men can change and learn how to do the right thing albeit over several decades.

Case in point……Elwin Wilson of Rock Hill, South Carolina. Mr. Wilson admits to being a member of the KKK back in the 60s and has has stated, “I was angry. I thought blacks were trying to know more than us; be higher than us.”

In this Chicago Tribune article Mr. Willson explains, “We used to catch blacks late at night; we’d catch them walking down the sidewalks and throw cantaloupes at them,” he said. “Or, we’d get out the car and beat them and it wouldn’t be four or five jumping on one. We’d make it one on one and others would watch.” Wilson said he and his friends made a sport out of it.

Friday morning I witnessed a very strong moment for us all regarding a true apology…a meaningful apology….an apology that is not mere empty words, but one that can inspire others to change… perhaps.

Good Morning America featured a segment regarding Mr. Wilson and his meeting with Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.). Mr. Lewis represents my own state, and he and I differ on many political issues, however, he is one of the “REAL DEALS” concerning the Civil Rights era. He still harbors scars from his days of fighting with determination not violence for his rights and the rights of every African American citizen of this nation.

Lewis was one of the original 13 Freedom Riders and was involved in a stop in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Previously, students from Friendship Junior College….nine black men….attempted to sit at an all white lunch counter in the local McCrory’s. These men became known as the Friendship Nine and received 30 days on the chain gang because they wanted service where whites were only allowed. Some of the black women involved in the protest became known as the City Girls and all of them have been honored for their sacrifice in the cause for true freedom.

Less than four months after the arrests, the Freedom Riders began their rides through the South. Among their first stops was Rock Hill. “I think we are why they came,” [James Frank Wells, one of the Friendship Nine ] says. “Otherwise, they would have paid more attention to Charlotte. Why go to little Rock Hill?”

Much happened when the Freedom Riders arrived…on May 9, 1961. John Lewis and Albert Bigelow, two of the Riders, were beaten when the bus arrived at the Greyhound terminal. It was the first time the Riders had encountered violence since they left Washington, D.C., five days earlier. But it would hardly be the last.

Elwin Wilson was part of that mob that “welcomed” Rep. Lewis and Albert Bigelow to Rock Hill and following a few decades of life and reflection and upon watching the recent historical presidential election Mr. Wilson knew he had to make amends by making a personal apology.

I urge you to follow the link here for the Good Morning America story… including some video as well …Mr. Wilson’s actions speak more to the hearts and minds of students than any formal resolution ever could.

Apparently Mr. Wilson’s change of heart has prompted other efforts at reconciliation as noted at this article at The State newspaper site.

Dr. King: The India Connection

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:01:35 -0500

I've written before that students often arrive in my room having seen the same MLK videos, having completed the same MLK worksheets, and read the same MLK books in order to celebrate certain milestones in the American Civil Rights Movement or Dr. King’s birthday. After discussing the situation with various educators at my school and at other locations it seems that it is very easy for a faculty as a whole to get bogged down with the same curriculum materials.

There are simply too many facets to Dr. King’s life for students to be inundated with the same content over and over. One event in Dr. King’s life involves his interest in the teachings of Gandhi and King’s five week visit to India in 1959.

Follow this link to read the more about MLK’s experiences in India.

Over at History Is Elementary I’ve posted a few links to other posts I’ve written concerning Dr. King and Civil Rights.

Found: Rare Bugatti Sportscar

Thu, 8 Jan 2009 23:01:23 -0500

Recently a rare Bugatti sportscar was found in a garage in Britain. The car, an extremely rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante, was owned by a doctor who did drive the car for a time, but had stored the car since the 1960s in his garage.

A picture of the car is seen below:

I can’t even imagine owning a car like that and NOT driving it, but that’s exactly what Dr. Harold Carr did. Relatives of Dr. Carr have discovered there were only 17 [Atalantes] ever made, and when it’s cleaned up and auctioned in Paris next month, experts believe it will fetch at least 3 million pounds ($4.3 million) and possibly much more.

I did a little research here and there about the Bugatti Company and the man who originally owned Dr. Carr’s Atalante. It was an interesting journey as current events tend to be.

To say that Ettore Bugatti, the founder of the Bugatti Company, was an innovator is an understatement. The designs for his engines and chassis for various models were top-notch and several models of Bugatti automobiles had great success in early Grand Prix motor racing. In fact, my research indicates a Bugatti automobile won the first ever Monaco Grand Prix.

During World War 1, Bugatti secured contracts with the French and American governments providing aircraft engines. Following the war, Ettore Bugatti took the money these government contracts brought in and built a larger factory .

Ettore Bugatti was born in Italy, but his newly enlarged automobile company was headquartered in Molsheim, France which is located in the Alsace region.

Why is this so important to note?

Have you ever heard of a part of France called Alsace Lorraine?

Originally part of the Holy Roman Empire, this region has been in a tug-of-war between France and Germany since the 17th Century. The Bugatti company website advises for many years during the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation the bishops or the archdiocese of Strasbourg resided in Molsheim and a famous Jesuit university was located nearby at one time. Think back to your World History class in high school and you might remember this region mentioned during your discussion concerning both World Wars.

The original owner of Dr. Carr’s Atalante was known as Earl Howe. Just by his name he sounds like a nice average man, right?

Hardly.

Earl Howe was not actually the original owner’s name but his title. To be more precise, the original owner of the Bugatti Type 57S Atalante was Francis Curzon, fifth Earl Howe pictured below.

While Earl Howe had a distinguished career in the Royal Navy including service during World War I at Gallipoli, Mudros, France, and Belguim he also served for a time as an aide-de-camp to George V.

This site explains Earl Howe was a leading mover and shaker in the early days of British motor sport and would often drive the Bugatti to Brooklands, a motorsport venue and later an airfield. He won the 1931 Le Mans partnering with Sir Henry Birkin in an Alfa Romeo and served as the first president of the BRDC until 1964. Under Earl Howe’s 35-year stewardship, the BRDC went from private dining club to one of the most successful and high profile motor sports associations in the world. The Earl Howe Trophy is awarded annually to the highest placed British driver in the Indy 500 race or to the British driver who has established the most meritorious performance of the year in North America.

Though the Bugatti family released their last vehicle in the 1950s new models can be found today. The Bugatti company website states in 1998, Volkswagen AG decided to revive the legendary Bugatti automobile brand, purchasing all trademark rights, and the next year Bugatti Automobile S.A.S. was founded in Mosheim, Alsace, as a Volkswagen France subsidiary.

Jamestown Had a Sister?!?!?

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 22:10:12 -0400

When I teach the English colonies I tend to follow the same format teachers do all across the United States. Before discussing the original 13 colonies we hit on major firsts for all the heavy-hitting players—Spain’s first settlements, the first settlements for France, and then we begin discussing Roanoke and Jamestown.

What I don’t normally share with students is information regarding Jamestown’s little sister….Popham.

In 1607, thirteen years prior to the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth, Englishmen on behalf of the Virginia Company formed a colony on the shores of New England at the mouth of the Kennebec River. At that time, the mouth of the Kennebec River, near Phippsburg, was not in the state of Maine as it is today but in territory the English identified as Northern Virginia. The colony was short-lived….a little over a year passed before it was abandoned in the fall of 1608.

So why don’t we remember the Popham Colony today?

When studets learn that the Pilgrims founded the FIRST New England colony in 1620, are we merely foisting a lie onto our students?

Hardly.

The reason why the Popham Colony faded in our historical memory has to do with the success, or in this case the lack of success of the colony.

Several important lessons regarding the process of colonization can be learned from the Popham experience, however. The colony did not fail because of massive starvation, sickness, or even Native American troubles though there were those problems to some degree. The Popham Colony failed mainly due to family changes within the ranks of the colony’s leadership.

On May 31, 1607, 100 to 120 colonists left Plymouth in two ships. Their mission was to trade items—precious metals, spices, and furs—and to show that they could build English ships from the natural resources in the area. The expedition leader, George Popham sailed on the ship Gift of God. Good old George received the honor of being the leader of the colony because his uncle was a Virginia Company financial backer, Sir John Popham, who just happened to be Lord Chief Justice of England. George Popham’s second in command, Gilbert Raleigh, was the half nephew of Sir Walter Raleigh. The remaining colonists were mainly soldiers, artisans, farmers, and traders.

Much of what we know about the Popham Colony today resides in a primary document—a diary authored by Robert Davis—the captain of the second ship, the Mary and John, to make the voyage.

Immediately upon landing the colonists built a settlement they named Fort Saint George. We know how the fort was designed because one of the colonists, John Hunt, drew a map. It showed a star-shaped fort with ditches and ramparts. The grounds included a storehouse and chapel plus fifteen additional structures. The fort also had nine guns. The map has a notable history in and of itself as it ended up in the Spanish archives where it was located in 1888. Espionage was hot and heavy during the race to see who could colonize North America first. The map had been passed to King Philip III of Spain in 1608 by the Spanish ambassador, Pedro de Zuniga.

By now you are probably wondering what caused the Popham Colony to fail…..Well, it’s true—the Maine winters were a little too much for them. Any support system the colonists had developed with Native Americans eventually deteriorated which led to the realization that any profitable trade the colonists and financial backers hoped for never materialized.

Half of the colonists returned to England in December, 1607.

George Popham died in 1608 leaving Raleigh Gilbert in command. Apparently Gilbert didn’t have what it took to lead a fledgling colony plus he soon learned he had inherited his family’s estate, so he returned to England. The remaining colonists would not stay without Gilbert and made plans to leave with him.

…and what about the dream to construct ships from the Maine forests? In this the Popham Colony was somewhat successful. Led by their shipwright, Digby, they constructed a 30-ton pinnace they christened Virginia---the first English ship built in Maine and probably in all of North America.

Some of the colonists returned to England along with Raleigh Gilbert on the Mary and John while others sailed aboard the Virginia.

So, the Pilgrims weren’t the first New Englanders….they were merely the first who stayed.

However, Popham Beach doesn’t have the same ring to it as Plymouth Rock, does it? This website explains how people today are attempting to recreate the Virginia.The exact site of the Popham Colony was lost until its rediscovery in 1994. Much of this historical location is now part of Maine's Popham Beach State Park.Here are some interesting links regarding Popham Colony: This site discusses the archeology at the Popham site, the Archaeology Channel shares some information, and there is an informative article here.

Hmmm....I Wish I Had Thought of This First

Sun, 5 Oct 2008 18:10:50 -0400

Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal, and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom. When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks. Looking around, confused, they asked, “Ms. Cothren, where’re our desks?”

She replied, “You can’t have a desk until you tell me what you have done to earn the right to sit at a desk.”

They thought, “Well, maybe it’s our grades.”

“No,” she said.

Maybe it’s our behavior.

She told them, “No, it’s not even your behavior.”

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom. By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms. Cothren’s classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all of the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom. Martha Cothren said, “Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in the classroom. Now I’m going to tell you.”

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it. Twenty-seven U.S. veterans, all in uniform, walked into the classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall.

By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Ms. Cothren said, “You didn’t earn the right to sit at those desks. Those heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it’s up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don’t ever forget it.”

Yes, this is a true story. You can head here for verification.