3rd Quarter Research Project

Latha Karne

February 18, 2014

H Block

3rd Quarter Research Project

    

       Birth control was such a controversial topic in the late 19th and early 20th century. This was such a controversial topic because people believed that birth control shouldn't be allowed to be used because it was against the bible. Others believed that it should be used because women should have the right to pleasure in marriage and not have the burden of children.

       In the progressive era, many women were beginning to want to have a place in society and be able to speak up for themselves. However, they were being held back because they had to stay at home and take care of their children. The beliefs behind the movement were that women were dying because they were giving birth to many children and that weakened their bodies (the average number of babies a child had in the 1800s was 7 babies). Over time, women became creative and began to use home remedies and abstinence to resist sex. Also, women would marry late or not marry at all to postpone having children.

      
       Margaret Sanger was a huge activist for the birth control movement during the progressive era. She worked as a nurse and saw many mothers die during pregnancies because their last pregnancies left them too weak. She also saw her own mother die at a young age and blamed it on the fact that her mother went through 18 pregnancies, which is not healthy for any women. Sanger also saw large families in poverty who did not have the financial ability to take care of another child, yet they still had more children because there was nothing they could do about it. Other mothers who could handle another child would self abort. Margaret Sanger said, “Most of us are brought into this world by accident and that is exactly what birth control is going to change. That is going to make humanity a conscious and voluntary thing…” I want to relate this quote to the picture below of the woman holding up a sign saying, Mother by Choice. This is monumental because it allowed to women to have a say about when they are ready to have a child. It gave women more of say and more control. At this point, marriage was very male-dominant, in that what the father said goes. Women were seeking a “companionate” marriage.

       Margaret Sanger was the voice of this campaign. When she started campaigning for the right to distribute birth control and give knowledge to people about the importance of birth control, she was arrested for breaking the Comstock Law. The Comstock Law was created in the 1870s and prevented the spreading or birth control information or devices. This law was created because people believed that birth control is immoral. He said that God made women to bear children and that by using birth control, women were going against God and committing a sin. Also, at this point in time, sex was only seen as a means for procreation and not for pleasure within a marriage and that was a belief that Sanger and her colleagues were trying to fix. Another argument against the birth control movement was that it was selfish and limiting families. It was depriving the nation of a future workforce ad that the Upper Class should definitely not use it because they had desirable traits that needed to be passed on.

       Dr. Charles Knowlton, a doctor in Massachusetts, used the work from other proponents of the birth control movement and set out to find a new method for birth control. He believed that there were some cheap, convenient, and harmless methods which shouldn’t interfere with the enjoyment. They were able to use rubber to create a method for birth control, called condoms. However, the proponents were not successful in the persuasion aspect of this innovation process because they American population was not ready to hear about sex in a pleasurable way.

       Margaret Sanger began working to spread the word on birth control, and through this coined the phrase, “birth control.” She published newspaper columns that got shut down, and also printed a newsletter called, “The Women Rebel” that ended up getting shut down. Then, Sanger was arrested for violating the Comstock Law. She fled to England instead of facing charges and while in England, studied the birth control movement that England had gone through. She also traveled around Europe, learning about their contraceptive methods. Sanger returned to the US and opened up a clinic called the New York Birth Control League. Sanger and her colleague Bryne were arrested for opening the clinic and distributing information and devices for birth control. However, during their trial, one judge, Judge Crane, said that Sanger was not breaking the law. The New York Law stated that, “an article or instrument, used or applied by physicians lawfully practicing, or by their direction or prescription for the cure or prevention of disease, is not an article of indecent or immoral nature to use, within this article.” He also defined disease as, “an alteration in the state of the body…causing threatening pain or sickness.” This means that preganancy is considered a disease and physicians could talk about contraception and contraceptive methods with married couples. Sanger then opened up a birth control clinic and staffed it with 40 doctors.

       However, Archbishop Patrick Hayes, an opponent to the birth control movement, had Sanger and her colleagues and staff at the clinic arrested. He was a member of the church and did was Sanger called, “barricaded himself behind the bible.” This got the sympathy from the doctors and the judge ended siding with the physicians, saying they had the right to privately discuss contraception with married couples.

       I think the innovation of the birth control movement was successful in the progressive era. Sanger communicated with the public, collaborated with doctors and other women (some are shown in the picture below), and tried to persuade the American people about the importance of birth control. However, this was not a successful reform until the 1950s and 1960s. At the time of the progressive era, the American public was not ready to hear about sex being used for pleasure in a romantic love. The American public was still in the mindset that sex is a way to procreate and that if that is not the case, then it is against the bible. God created women to procreate (as said in the Bible) and raise the future men and women, and if that was not happening, then sins are being committed. However, Sanger was successful in the area of communication because she spoke directly to the women who were suffering and related to the women, and collaborated with women to get the movement to go. If it was not for Sanger’s determination along with her communication, collaboration, and persuasion, this movement would have been successful in US History. This movement during the progressive era laid the foundation for the success of the moment in the 1950s and 1960s. 

Pictures:

This is an image of Margaret Sanger, a leader in the birth control movement of the progressive era.

This is a picture of a mother who is a supporter of the birth control movement and is proud to be a mother because she chose to. She wants all mothers to be this way and this can be seen through the smile and peaceful look on her face.

This is the book that Margaret Sanger wrote when she was trying to educate girls and women on the importance of contraception and birth control.

Margaret Sanger is surrounded by her supporters, who are all female and are discussing an important issue.

This is an image of the Archbishop of New York City who requested to have Margaret Sanger and her colleagues arrested who going against the Comstock Law. Also, he was against the birth control movement.

Sources:

 National Women's History Museum

This website was useful because it allowed me to see the history behind the controversy over birth control and what organizations were started. It also gave me search terms with organizations that are directly linked to the progressive era because the name of the organization changed after the progressive era.

Penn State University - Birth Control

This website was useful because it gave me multiple views on the controversy over Birth Control. It gave the arguments of Michael P. Dowling, Winter Russell, and Margaret Sanger. Michael P. Dowling was against the birth control pill and Winter Russell and Margaret Sanger for pro-birth control for different reasons. Reading these opinions helped me see how people were persuaded because there were different reasons to be pro-birth control. Also, it gave me Michael P. Dowling’s opinion and seeing the opposition and what they believed and why they wouldn’t be pro-birth control.

US History Textbook (from class)

The textbook was useful because it gave me an overview of the birth control movement. It also told me one of the causes for the controversy on birth control and how it was due to the fact that people began to change their belief on the purpose of sex and that it was a pleasurable experience and a way to celebrate love instead of thinking of sex as a way for procreation.

History of Birth Control - Washington Post

This website was useful because it gave me an overlook into the history of birth control and also told me who Margaret Sanger collaborated with. It also showed me another reason as to why Sanger was so pro-birth control.

First Speech by Margaret Sanger

This was a useful source because it was a primary source and allowed me to read one of Sanger’s first speeches and see the evidence and the horrific numbers that are part of infant deaths.

Birth Control Movement - Issues and Controversies in American History

This website was useful because it was an article and let me see the entire story from beginning to end on the birth control and Margaret Sanger’s role in the movement. It was also a good source for pictures. 

How do you analyze a political cartoon?

A political cartoon is a satirical way of commenting on events that are occurring currently, or that have already occurred. The best way to analyze a political cartoon is to understand what is going on in the cartoon and find a way to connect the cartoon or situation at hand to a real life event. The cartoons are usually supposed to look at a heavy or sad event in a funny way.

After reading the blog post, I agree with what was said and I feel the same way I did before. I also learned to think about the perspective that the cartoonist is offering based on the cartoon to gain an extra insight. And, to also look for labels and words. Using these criteria:

• What issue is this political cartoon about?
• What is the cartoonist’s opinion on this issue?
• What other opinion can you imagine another person having on this issue?
• Did you find this cartoon persuasive? Why or why not?
• What other techniques could the cartoonist have used to make this cartoon more persuasive?

Website I found the guide from

Political Cartoon #1

This political cartoon is highlighting the open door policy in an agreeable way. 

I can tell that this is about the open door policy because it says it at the bottom. Also, it shows the Philippines being used as the gate for the foreign countries to invade China. Also, it shows Uncle Sam (representing the US) opening the door for the Germans, English, and Russians to enter. 

Political Cartoon #2

This political cartoon is using sarcasm to show what the US is using the Philippine islands for. It also portrays the US in a negative way in that Uncle Sam is shown stepping on the Philippines to go into a country with signs portraying all of these problems.

I came to this conclusion through the words written on the signs, the image of Uncle Sam stepping on the Philippines, and the numerous objects that Uncle Sam is holding while stepping towards China. Also, the author portrays this situation in a negative way by using green as the color of the Philippines and the US, but yellow as the color of the beaches of China. It is known that China is the land on the right side of the picture through the gray wall in the distance that signifies The Great Wall of China. The sarcastic tone is shown through the caption at the bottom. The main words being, "After All" that signify the sarcasm. 

 

Political Cartoon #3

This cartoon depicts the unwillingness of the US territories to cooperate with the US rules and their hesitation to oblige by the US's rules. It also shows that through time, these territories will become states like the others did.

To come to this conclusion, I first looked at the caption at the bottom. It shows a dialogue between Uncle Sam and his students. Uncle Sam says that the territories must learn the rules and adjust to life and after time, it will make life easier for them. I knew that he was talking about the territories needing to adjust to to the US's rules because it kids in front that Uncle Sam is talking to have the countries' names on their shirts (Puerto Rico, Philippines, Cuba, and Hawaii). I knew that he was talking about life improving for them (as did for the current states) because the kids in back have the names "California" "Texas" and "Arizona" on their books. 

Reflection on Semester 1

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there was more work and strategy involved in the making and selling of clothing. As seen in the store, Zara, it was interesting to see how there a little luck involved in clothing sales. It was also interesting to see how this luck related to the business tycoons, such as Vanderbilt, Carnegie, and Rockefeller. These business tycoons were lucky in that the products they were trying to market was “in style” that day, similar to how Zara worked. This idea was also unpleasantly surprising to me in that these business tycoons weren’t necessarily working harder than others, but that they were in the right place at the right time. This portrays an idea of unfairness and in my opinion, I think there should be more hard work visible in the works of these business tycoons.

Something I am going to remember are the films we watched in class. It was eye-opening experience to me to see the way opinions and ideas can be conveyed through movies. I am a huge believer in the idea that books can convey ideas and opinions and movies are a depiction of books. And, it is hard to appreciate the true meaning of the movie, or story, without having the book to supplement it. After watching Glory and 12 Years a Slave, that belief changed that. I still remember the first scene after Solomon was kidnapped and the drastic punishment he had to go through because he had called himself a free black man. In a white man’s eyes at the time, this was not okay.

I also enjoyed the 2^nd quarter Research Project I did on Artifact Collecting. I think a concept that Americans still have trouble with is directly related to the concept of collecting artifacts. Americans struggled with this concept because of the idea, “Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers.” From this, collectors who would search for artifacts on Native American grounds felt that if they found something, they could keep it and sell it as they wish. However, the descendents of the Native Americans felt that their ancestors’ artifacts should not be disturbed and they should instead be restored to the location and not dug up. This created rift between the collectors and Native Americans that is still seen today.

I think the period between 1865 and 1920 would be called “The Discovery Period.” After the Civil War, the United States had lost its sense of nationality and the idea of a unified country. Instead, it split up into two regions with very distinct beliefs. The biggest distinction being that most of the South believed and supported slavery and most of the North opposed the idea of slavery. After the Civil War, in which the North had won, the South became sore losers and had created their own “White Pride” as it was called. Both sides had discovered their identities. But, after both had agreed to abolish slavery, the United States had to figure out who exactly they were and what they wanted. During the Industrial Supremacy time, the United States began to see themselves like a melting pot, which many of the immigrants coming from Europe and Asia. As the United States began to industrialize, the United States began to be a country with many different people in various types of topographical regions with the rural regions and the city and urban regions. This “forced” many people of American to make relations with people of different ethnicities. It made people discover that America is a place where people of different ethnicities could come together and share values and moral beliefs, instead of a rift between religions.  

Thinking about success

Luck
Opportunity
Skill
Hard work

1. Hard work
2. Opportunity
3. Luck
4. Skill

I think hard work is the most important quality because a person can be skilled, but if they chose not to use that skill, then they will get no where. I think opportunity and luck fall in the same category, but opportunity is more important than luck. A person can come across an opportunity purely by luck, or because they were determined to. But, this is not more important than hard work because hard work will led to success. I think skill is the least important because a person can become skillful in an area if they are truly determined and they work hard to become skillful. To become economically successful, a person has to have an idea of where they want to be in the future. If they know where they want to go in the future, they can be wise economically in managing their finances and making decisions. I always think of Thomas Jefferson's quote when I think of the importance of luck in relation to hard work. Thomas Jefferson says, "I am a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more of it I have." If a person works hard, they get really lucky and they are able to become successful.

What I learned on November 19th

I think it is fascinating how good the communications are in the Zara store. They are able to make their own stuff and change their clothing styles based on what they are hearing and what people are buying from their stores. I think the Zara company is smart because they have invested a lot of time and money to have the organizational skills that they have today. Because of that, they are able to run more successfully than some companies that face going into bankrupcy because they haven't been able to meet the demand. They are also always on the front end of the fashion trend curve, since the products are able to be manufactured much quicker.

It is also clever that the stores decide not to put out all of their fall clothes at once. The system that H&M has where they have a main fall collection and many sub-collections is smart because then the store will not lose their customers. Shoppers will always be coming back to shop more and it gives the idea of a mystery: shoppers don't know what will be out next, so they keep coming back and becoming enticed to buy more. It is also interesting that H&M has changed the lead times based on locations.

It is interesting that in a time of recession in many places around the world, Zara has been able to maintain a low rate of purchase at the markdown price, only 15-20%. This is astounding compared to 30-40% generalized rate of purchase at the markdown price. In doing so, Zara can make more money and not have clothing just lying around waiting to be sold.

It is also pretty amazing how clothing retailers have to be good at getting into a person's mind and knowing what the person wants to buy, before they even see the product. For example, the head of the Uniqlo company has stated that they focus more on what the "next big thing" will be. They approach the fast fashion idea as a long term process than a short term process. In doing so, the company will never be out of stock and never be stuck for ideas.



Uniqlo store in Japan

History Test-Letter to Home

Dear brother,

I arrived in New York almost a month ago. At first, I experienced a rough start. The children and I lived in these buildings in one room and there was another family living with us. Jack and I had to go find work, while Mary and Leslie ran household chores. It has been tough since John died on the ship, having to raise the kids on my own. Finding food the first few weeks was tough and the first two weeks have been miserable.

When we decided it would be nice to move away to this dreamland known as "America," I had thought that everything would be easy. Pulling into the harbor, I saw the beauty that is America through the buildings and knew that things would get better, even without John. However, as we docked and actually got into the city, I realized that we were alone. This adjustment would be harder than I had imagined.

Leslie was out looking for a market to purchase goods in when she ran into another family from France. They immediately took us out to this building where many other French families were living and we were able to find a place to live. It is amazing, brother. People do not live in individual houses here. Instead, they live in the buildings with separate rooms and multiple homes and multiple families may share one building. I feel insecure at times, having to live in a building with families I have not grown up with. But, sadly, I feel as if I have no choice.

Jack and I were able to find work close to the building, where other French families live. Every so often, our group of French families will go out and some of the kids will put on a show to entertain the adults. One of the men may even steal a bottle of rum from the store and we will drink and enjoy, as we often did in France.

The first two weeks were difficult and I thought we would all die of starvation. But, meeting the new family, my hopes have been revived. These last two weeks have been looking hopeful and I am glad to think that even in a new country, Leslie, Mary, and Jack will get to grow up in a culture that is French. They will know, in some small way, how we grew up: putting on entertainment for the adults as they would drink and everyone was one tight knit family. But at the same time, they will live a different life in a new place and they will get to make a new life for themselves.

Yesterday, something amazing happened. This man came up to us offering us groceries and a real job for Jack! All we had to do in return, was sign our names on something, saying we will vote for this man named Tweed and he would bring us groceries once a week and Jack would have a job! How amazing is this! I do not know what the word, "vote" means, but if he is willing to help us get a life here, I will definitely "vote" for him. It seems as if God is answering my prayers and finally sending help. I've enclosed an image of Jack playing in the streets. He looks so much like his uncle, like you, and I hope you will save it.

Love, your sister,
Martha




Image of Tenements playing ball

2nd Quarter Research Project

                Laws are in place to allow people to keep their privacy and so that their personal belongings are respected as theirs. Native Americans have felt that laws need to be set as boundaries to say what objects are allowed to be displayed or sold in museums and what objects must remain on their burial grounds, undisturbed. Certain laws have been established and I believe that this is for the good because person belongings and family heirlooms are respected, and it keeps illegal activities from occurring.

                Certain laws that are enforced are in place to help collectors of Native American artifacts know what they may or may not do. These collectors collect Native American artifacts to be sold on the internet or to be displayed in museums. However, some collectors abuse their job as a collector. Some collectors will go and dig up coffins from Native American burial grounds and sell the items found there. Native Americans feel offended by this action because it is their family heirlooms and it is disrespectful to the owner and the family to dig up items that belonged to the deceased. So, laws were placed by museums and websites, such as Ebay, to help maintain legality and fairness in collecting.

                From the Office of the United States Attorneys, the law states that archaeological crime includes vandalism and theft from archaeological sites and trafficking. These archaeological and Native American sites that are protected are prehistoric sites, such as rock shelters, caves, rock art, rock alignments, earthen mounds, earthen middens, mound complexes, ceremonial centers, shell mounds, middens, refuse pits, burial pits, graves, and cemeteries. Burial sites are also protected by the law. All of these illegal excavations of Native American artifacts fall under a category called “pot hunting.” According to PBS, the repercussions of pot hunting include fines up to thousands of dollars, time in jail, and the items being seized without recompensation. It is not worth doing something unethical if a person will get punished severely and not get to keep the artifact.

                Not only does the US government have laws against illegal collecting. Also, purchase of an illegal item will end in recompensation, even if the customer and new owner of the item did not know the item was illegally collected. To provide customer guarantee, websites have their own rules to prove authenticity and guarantee that when a customer is shopping for an item, they are not buying an illegal item. Ebay states, under their section for Native American arts, crafts, or jewelry that “any item described as Alaska Native, American Indian, or Native American but be made by an enrolled member of a state or federally recognized tribe or by someone certified.” The website also says that any artifact that has unknown origin cannot be claimed to be Native American. This provides better customer satisfaction and protects funeral objects because all artifacts require proof. Burke Museum states that laws are in place to ensure legality and so that items are in the hands of their owner.

I agree with what the laws state and why they are in place. I believe that it is unlawful and unethical to dig up and sell artifacts belonging to the deceased or to the Native American tribes. I believe that if artifacts were found, the collectors should ask the owners of the artifact or find an owner and ask for their permission to sell or display the artifact. It would be quite shocking to go on Ebay and see one of your family heirlooms for sale, when it was not you or your family who put it there.

                However, there are loopholes that can be found on these rules. In my opinion, loopholes could come from an “accidental finding.” Technically, the law goes as far as to state that an artifact found in someone’s backyard or in the woods rightfully belongs to the government. However, as kids, we all like to go search for artifacts in the woods or in our backyards. How is a kid supposed to know what types of digging up “treasure” is legal. Kids at the age of five or six are not taught these kinds of rules. In my opinion, one or two items are okay. But if a kid has ten or twenty items, then the parents should be monitoring and making sure all the items found are okay by the law. But, even if parents do not realize this, law enforcement does enforce these laws. There are members of law enforcement who will raid houses, if a suspect is thought to have many illegally obtained artifacts.

These laws apply to collecting outside of Native American artifacts, but also to other tribes and groups. When I was at Macchu Picchu, our tour guide told us that a lot of the objects that were dug up were not returned to the Peruvian Government. Instead, the artifacts are housed at Yale University because it was a Yale professor who discovered them. At times, the kid rule, “finder’s keepers, loser’s weepers,” can be unfair. These artifacts at Macchu Picchu rightfully belong to the Peruvian government since they have belonged on the Peruvian land for hundreds of years.

                These laws behind collecting Native American artifacts are in place for ethical reasons and to prevent illegal obtainment of artifacts. It is unethical to dig up a coffin and look for items that were buried with the coffin just for money. Personal heirlooms and funeral items should be left undisturbed as respect. Collectors need to be able to think about ethical reasons, instead of just being unscrupulous and only caring about the value of the object. In doing so, the descendants of the Native American tribe will be much happier, knowing that they will not have belongings stolen from them for money and that their ancestor’s graves are respected.               

Pictures:

An example of where some of the artifacts were stolen from

Native American Artifacts: Spearheads, Arrowheads, and an Ax Head

An Auction House where Native American Artifacts can be sold

Native American Artifact: A Water Jar

Artifacts that have been Confiscated by the FBI

Sources:

• Chicora - Collecting Artifacts

• I used this website as an introduction to the topic of controversies surrounding collecting of artifacts in general. The website discussed possible controversies from collecting artifacts. The website also discussed the laws associated with collecting and how they can be broken.

• PBS - Safely Collecting Indian Artifact

• This website was useful in explaining the controversies involved in Native American artifact controversies. Also, it was useful in explaining the laws and how they apply. It also explained why "pot hunting" is common, due to an increase in the value of the artifacts.

• Office of United States Attorneys - Native American Artifact

• This website was useful because it is a website by the government designed to state the laws surrounding collecting Native American Artifacts.

•  Ebay Laws

• This website was helpful because it showed me that sites such as Ebay have rules as to how artifacts have to be certified, to prevent replicas from being sold as originals.

• Controversy on Collecting - American University

• This website was useful because it shows the controversies that surround collecting. It mainly states how artifacts can be acquired and the process the owners, or tribes, have to go through to prove that an artifact was originally theirs.

• Relate Native American opinions to Machu Picchu controversy

• This website provided other situations in which collectors have been scrutinized. One such example that I plan to use to relate to the circumstances surrounding Native Americans is the case that Peru plans to sue the US over the fact that Yale University houses objects that were found at Machu Picchu. Yale believes that since they found it, it’s their objects now and Peru believes that since the objects were on their land, they should have ownership over the objects.

•  The oddly aggressive enforcement of cultural artifact laws

• This website was useful because it recounted some situations when families  have experienced law enforcement of the Native American artifacts.

• Burke Museum - Archaeology Laws

• This website was useful because I was able to read the website and find  a loophole in the laws of collecting. This website was also useful because I was able to see how the laws differed at the level of the individual, the state, and the country.

•  Indiana University - Q&A 

• This website was useful because it was a questions and answers about collecting and the laws behind collecting. It was good because it defined exactly what an artifact was, which is important in knowing what is legal to collect and what is not. It was also useful because it gave insights as to how people, who are not law enforcement, can help to enforce the law.