RETHINKING THE GILDED AGE AND PROGRESSIVISMS
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Redeeming the Bicycle

2/24/2016

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“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.” Susan B. Anthony told the  New York World in 1896.

The rise of the bicycle as a means of transit in America was not without controversy. This week JSTOR Daily highlighted the interesting 2010 Michael Taylor article from the Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, "Rapid Transit to Salvation: American Protestants and the Bicycle in the Era of the Cycling Craze.  JSTOR is now available to all check out Taylor's article. 

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Do students understand how cities work?

2/21/2016

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The Chicago Architecture Foundation is calling for designs to create a graphic novel update to the 1911 Wacker Manual.  The original document was created to teach the city's 8th grade students about Daniel Burnham's 1909 Plan of Chicago.

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This selection from the Introduction of the original, written by Walter D. Moody, is particularly inspiring:

It is becoming a recognized fact that the power, growth and advancement of a city is limited only by the measure of united civic interest of its people. The stronger and more vital the Community, the greater and more influential the city. It is this spirit which gives Chicago its great world distinction-an indomitable, living, throbbing love for the city, expressing a demand of its united people that the city shall deserve and achieve greatness.
Conditions, then, demand that this new impulse of love for this city shall be fostered, and that our children shall be taught that they are the coming responsible heads of their various communities. We direct the national patriotic impulse into the paths of duty, and it is vital that we do the same with the new impulse for civic good.

What do you think? What do you do to help your students become future leaders in your city?

How do you foster both civic understanding and engagement?

SHARE YOUR IDEAS IN THE COMMENTS!


Here are some other interesting links about the Wacker Manual:
  • You can find the rest of the original document here. 
  • The Encyclopedia of Chicago also includes mention of it in this article on "Schools and Education."
  • This recent radio spot on WBEZ explains the CAF's new goals for the graphic novel.  
  • ​http://www.wbez.org/episode-segments/wacker-manual (43 min talk from 2009)
  • http://www.planetizen.com/node/29243 (article)
  • https://buildingchicago.wordpress.com/2014/07/11/the-plan-of-chicago/ (blog on 1909 plan)

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Rethink this...

2/17/2016

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Some great links raising fundamental questions of the institute and connections to today.


MPR interviewed our wonderful Academic Director, Robert Johnston, for this piece on defining progressivism in history and its relationship to the presidential race. 

 
Leon Fink, our visiting Labor historian writes here about labeling Bernie and using "socialism."
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Do we live in a Second Gilded Age?  
  • James Livingston argues against that comparison here. 
  • Heath Carter also raises the question and looks to both politics and religion to find his answer.  
  • Michael Lansing looks to frustrations of the electorate to take his position.

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Support our friends from Pullman!

2/16/2016

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Urban History Seminar
Thursday, February 18

Reception at 5:45 p.m.
Dinner at 6:15 p.m.
Program at 7:00 p.m.

The Chicago History Museum invites you to join us for our Urban History Seminar series. Michael Shymanski of the Historic Pullman Foundation presents “The People That Cared Enough to Make Pullman a National Monument.” Reservations required.
Cost: $25 includes dinner, program, and parking; cash bar available.

Purchase tickets


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Win an Ode to Labor Prize Pack!

2/3/2016

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In honor of our friends at the Chicago Teacher's Union we are giving away an "Ode to Labor" Prize Pack.  It will include a CD of labor songs, a map of key labor sites, and a poster .  See the descriptions of the prizes below and be sure to enter!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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​Anywhere but Utah- The Songs of Joe Hill by Bucky Halker
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From his website: Bucky Halker, Ph.D., is a singer-songwriter, performer, and scholar with fifteen recordings to his credit, including Welcome to Labor Land, a recording of Illinois labor songs from the past; and the all-originals Wisconsin 2-13-63, vols. 1 & 2; a 2012 personal tribute of original and cover songs “The Ghost of Woody Guthrie”; and this new release in celebration of the life, legacy and talents of Joe Hill. Bucky is also the author of For Democracy, Workers, and God: Labor Song-Poems and Labor Protest, 1865-1895 and is the producer-scholar for the Folksongs  Illinois CD series.

Labor Trail Map

From their website: “The Labor Trail: Chicago's History of Working-Class Life and Struggle,” is a map of 140 significant locations in the history of labor, migration, and working-class culture in Chicago and Illinois. The Labor Trail is the product of a joint effort to showcase the many generations of dramatic struggles and working-class life in the Chicago area's rich and turbulent past. The Trail's neighborhood tours invite you to get acquainted with the events, places, and people – often unsung – who have made the city what it is today. In addition, the statewide map is just a starting point for further exploration of Illinois' labor heritage.

During the Institute we visit some of these sites.  You can also visit their Interactive Labor Trail site with your students!
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​Labor Movement Poster
Activist artist Ricardo Levins-Morales wrote the following about this poster, “The social gains of humanity did not invent themselves and will not defend themselves. Only organized people can do that.”  The poster measures 11''X17''.

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Be sure to check out the Zinn Education Project for some great materials about labor!
http://zinnedproject.org/teaching-materials/?themes=labor



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The National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

“Rethinking the Gilded Age and Progressivisms: Race, Capitalism, and Democracy, 1877 to 1920” has been made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute for K-12 Educators program.

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Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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  • Home
  • Letter from the Directors
  • Calendar & Syllabus
  • Apply
    • Info Webinar 2025
    • Application Essay
    • Eligibility
    • Selection Criteria
    • Chicago Area Applicants
  • The Participant Experience
    • FAQs
    • NEH Principles of Civility
    • Reviews by Past Participants
  • Accommodations
  • Maps
  • Program Staff
  • Faculty & Presenters
  • Teacher Resources
    • Curated Collections >
      • Democracy and Civic Participation
      • The American Dream
      • Discrimination and Opportunity
  • Credit, PDHs, & Certificate
  • Virtual Conference
  • Contact Us