In Kansas, there are many unusual and unheard places which are pretty cool. They are also awesome places to visit because there is also very little crowd. Let’s take a break from the places everyone has heard of and concentrate on the lesser known places. First, we are gonna take a trip to Norton, a town in Kansas (obviously). Next to the First State Bank lies a gallery called They Also Ran. This gallery is about the people who lost presidential elections in the U.S. The reason it was built was because in the early 1960’s, the town of Norton wanted to boost local tourism. William Walter Rouse, local businessman and president of the First State Bank decided to build the gallery. The gallery was built in honor of Horace Greeley. He lost to Ulysses
Opening with the event of McKinley’s shooting and the man who shot him, Rauchway quickly zooms out, distancing us from the scene, reflecting on the political status of the President, who “in the instant before he was shot” had “stood at the peak of hi...
During the late 19th century in Kansas there was a movement among the general population called the Farmer’s Populist Movement. Today, Kansas is still by far a Republican state, but during this time the Populist Party engaged the Republican stronghold in a battle to win over the state, however, in the end the Republicans pulled through. William Allen White, at this time, had become a well known man in the journalism world and his political allegiance did not go unnoticed among either those within the political arena or those observing. William Allen White, aside from his personal political leanings towards the Republican side, was against the Populist movement that was stretching across Kansas and his forum for informing the community on why the Populist movement was wrong for Kansans became the Emporia Gazette. Through his editorials and interactions with political leaders of both the Populist and Republican Parties one can see that William Allen White hoped to persuade Kansans not to be won over by the Populist movement. Before someone can dive into William Allen White and what he did during the 1890’s, an understanding of the Farmer’s Populist Movement and the incumbent Republican Party of Kansas is essential.
William Graebner and Leonard Richards. The American Record: Images of our Nation’s Past. McGraw-Hilll; 5 edition. May 27, 2005
Brinkley, Alan. The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print.
In Frank Capra’s 1939 people’s fable “Mr. Smith goes to Washington “Jefferson Smith, a young, idealistic, and naïve hero from a Midwestern state is thrust into public notoriety through a chance course of events. His journey will compel him to contemplate the veracity of the political foundation which supports American democracy and confront the corruption which seeks to erode it.
Bleeding Kansas The Compromise of 1850 brought relative calm to the nation. Though most blacks and abolitionists strongly opposed the Compromise, the majority of Americans embraced it, believing that it offered a final, workable solution to the slavery question. Most importantly, it saved the Union from the terrible split that many had feared. People were all too ready to leave the slavery controversy behind and move on.
Melendy, Royal. “The Saloon in Chicago,” The American Journal of Sociology, 6 (November 1900): 289-306. Above references with page numbers note an excerpt of this article as published in For the Record: A Documentary History of America from Reconstruction through Contemporary Times. Edited by David E. Shi and Holly A. Mayer. Other references denote the full length article available at:
On August 31, 1910, former President Theodore Roosevelt visited Osawatomie, Kansas to give a speech and participate in a memorial dedication. (Hennessy, 1910). Roosevelt had declined to run for re-election to the presidency in 1908, deciding to exit politics and go on a yearlong African safari (Ellis, 2001, p. 284). Frustrated with President Taft’s actions, Roosevelt reentered political life in 1910 (Mowry, 1939). In the Osawatomie address, Roosevelt introduced his idea for a New Nationalism. Many of the speech’s components became the bedrock of the Bull Moose campaign used by the Progressive Party in the 1912 election (Spring, 1970). In the address, Roosevelt compares the struggle for economic equality to the one for abolition of slavery fought in the Civil War. He presents a plea for government and citizens to put nation before self to address economic injustice.
In the same way that the town is proud to continue its June 27th tradition, most people also take pride in feeling allegiance towards their country (specifically the United States). Perhaps it is deep family roots or a strong connection with constitutional ideals; whatever the reason, patriotism seems to stick with Americans. Even though our interest in our country has been at an ebb and flow since the beginnings of the Revolution, we tend to strongly identify with this nation. The small town has a grizzly ritual that leaves at least one person each year particularly unhappy, yet we do not hear talk of moving away. We only read of other towns that have done away with the lottery: “They do say… that over in the north village they’re talking of giving up the lottery (McMahan 87),” and there is “nothing but trouble in that (McMahan 87).” Even Tessie Hutchinson, the unlucky ‘winner,’ claims that the practice is unfair, but nonetheless goes along with it. Analogously, a soldier who dies for his country does so for the greater good. The soldier is so passionate about the ideals of his nation that he is willing to die defending them. He does not want to die, but knows he is doing so for a good cause – that of liberty.
Swisher, Clarice, People Who Made History: John F. Kennedy (San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc. 2000)
Lebow, Richard. The Ned. The Future of Memory. American Academy of Political and Social Studies 617 (2008): 25-41. JSTOR.com - "The New York Times" Web.
Thailand is the home of wonderful scenery, wildlife, and Buddhist temples. People in Thailand have a very laidback approach to life. They welcome anyone into their society with open arms. They are compassionate to people of all religions and invite others to join in on their spiritual gatherings. Even though they are religious, most still welcome the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and transgender community. “Thailand probably boasts one of the highest incidences of transgender worldwide” (Winter, 2010). Thailand is known for their growing transgender population because they accept them for who they are.
The death of a president in office is often a pivotal time for a nation. The people of that nation can choose from a host of ways to deal with the situation. The most powerful rhetoric after such a loss often comes not in words, but in pictures. These photographs can make more powerful arguments, more subtly than words ever could.
Before the two tributes from each district are picked they are all shown a propaganda video that is sent from the capitol. It recaps the rebellion that happened years ago when “brother turned on brother until nothing remained” and then further explains how the games serve as a reminder of the past and are ultimately used to “safeguard our future.” The video sends a message of patriotism, the idea that “keeps poor people fighting wars against poor people” and “prevents the poor from banding together” (Tyson 57). The Capitol hopes to make the people believe that it is their duty to fight in the games, that it is the cost they must pay for their freedom. This message of patriotism helps the proletariat’s hope for the American Dream. They are made to believe that if they offer themselves up for their country they can achieve the greatness of riches and glory. What is also embedded inside the video is the idea that competition is not only “a natural or necessary mode of being,” but it is the only way to progress socially and financially. (55). Competition makes people believe that it is natural to want to get ahead and have “a better house and wear better clothes” (55) than others. Competition is exceedingly prevalent in today’s society with “the state lotteries or the big-bucks sweepstakes,” that open the “possibility that anyone can win” (56). With competition brings hope, hope that they can beat everyone else and