First Blog Assignment

For your first significant assignment / blog post, I would like you to share your summer “field trip” with your classmates, and consider your experience in connection with historical memory, American ideals, and American identity. The guidelines for this assignment are as follows:

• In total, your post should be approximately 350-400 words.
• Include a photograph of you at the site you visited and others if desired.
• Briefly (3-4 sentences) describe the site that you visited.
• In addition to the background info above, your entry should consider the following questions (use 8-12 sentences to answer them):

• What was / is the intended narrative of the place you visited? Or, what historical memory does it convey?
• How might the intended narrative of the place you visited influence the memory of the historical event, person, movement, etc. being depicted?
• In what ways does your site represent American identity, intentionally or not, and what does it have to say about it? Consider class, culture, economics, ethnicity, gender, geography, history, politics, race, religion, and values.
• On the topic of values, which ones were present at your site and in what ways?
• Over the course of your entry, raise two questions sparked by something encountered at your site.

As you address the above questions use our class discussions on memory, ideals, and identity to help you formulate your thoughts. Also, be sure to cite any sources that you use beyond the site itself.  You are free to choose how you organize your entry, as you will be graded on how well you reflect on the questions and how well you support your assertions with examples.  Note that the only summary in your entry should be in those first 3-4 sentences.

For examples, check out any of these three blog entries from my summer 2017 travels: Lillie’s Victorian Establishment, New England Air Museum, NYC Vietnam Memorial, or Zucotti Park.

Here is a link to the assignment RUBRIC.

The Cranford Canoe Club

Located in the “Venice of New Jersey”, The Cranford Canoe Club, founded in 1908, while no longer being a club, still stands strong as one of the US’ oldest canoe clubs. Going through many different presidents and owners, the club still remains true to one thing, the love of canoeing. It now welcomes people from anywhere with any level of experience.

The Cranford Canoe Club or the CCC represents a time in America when people wanted to expand their hobbies and recreational activities. Americans at the time did not have the same technology that we did and to pass their leisure time they had to do things outside most of the time. The CCC is a product of this time period. Although boating and canoeing was a very popular pass time, with the rise in technological advances people slowly started letting it go. There was no need to go outside and be physical to have fun when there was television and other electronic forms of entertainment right at home. Places like the CCC began to die down because of this. Although it may tell a rather sad truth of American identity, the CCC also represents very important American Ideals that have played a role in shaping this country. The CCC represents alliance through its history of it being a club where people gathered to support something they loved doing. It also represents freedom of being able to express one’s self through clubs and organizations for whatever reason. It may no longer be a club but it still carries on that same free and peaceful vibe.

Initially, before I visited, I wondered if the CCC still held onto the atmosphere it seemed to promote back in the old days. I see now after analyzing its history and experiencing the place its self that it definitely does. I also wondered if is changes in ownership and its transition to not being a club had changed genuine enthusiasm the place seemed to have back in its prime. This has also not changed at all. The Cranford Canoe Club has definitely stayed true to its roots and shown that even in your own hometown, there can be an amazing history of American identity and values.

Sources:

http://blog.t3consortium.com/cranford-canoe-club-history/

 

The Lincoln and Washington Monuments

This past summer, I visited the Lincoln and Washington Monuments in our nation’s capital. Due to their close proximity across the reflecting pool, these two sites sit facing each other and are visited by over six million people a year. The Lincoln Memorial itself consists of one main statue of Abraham Lincoln, surrounded by 36 columns and a roof. All of these aspects are made of a same Marble and Limestone sources, and the entire structure follows a similar visual trend. The Washington Monument, on the other hand, is rather untraditional in design, and more so represents the obelisks of ancient times like “Cleopatra’s Needle” in London, for example.

Upon arrival, the first and most noticeable thing I saw was the sheer mass of visitors. Though I had previously assumed this, I did not anticipate to what degree the sites were visited. In patriotic US-like fashion, the Washington Monument stands tall and unparalleled, and I couldn’t help but first notice the dominance and strength it depicts. The Lincoln Memorial, like its counterpart, is significantly over-scaled and sits alone at the west end of the park.

Even more awe-inspiring than my visit, though, was the thought that it provoked, The Washington Memorial, in all of its height and glory, represented the president himself in more ways than not. George Washington led the Americans through battle, and he and his followers rose from the ashes. Meanwhile, his monument stands taller than any other, unparalleled. Abraham Lincoln, in the same fashion, was known for his wisdom and for uniting the nation during the Civil War. The roof over his statues engraved with the fifty states, and this representation is only fitting for the oneness of our nation.

In hindsight, though, I was left with many unanswered questions. In today’s day and age, especially with our current political spectrum, would our president be viewed the same? And more importantly, have we not seen monuments like these in recent times because we are seeing a negative trend in the quality of our leaders, or simply because unlike George Washington, they’ve had less great national problems to overcome?

A quick glance a these two sites affirms our history memory. But a more thoughtful look into what they represent may teach us more than we originally remember.

 

Insight on the Lincoln Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial is truly a sight to behold. Based on Greek-style architecture, the

Lincoln Memorial is in the form of a Doric temple, accentuating the god-like presence of

Lincoln’s statue. The memorial finished construction in 1922. Located on one end of the

 

reflecting pool in our nation’s capital, the memorial has served as a popular tourist

attraction since its conception. Moreover, it has been the site of many historic speeches,

such as Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

 

Upon entering the memorial, I was amazed by the sheer size of Lincoln himself. From

head to foot, Lincoln’s statue is 19 feet, meaning he would be a giant 28 feet if he were

standing. The statue sits on a pedestal 10 feet high, which is also placed on a platform

about 7 in high. Inscribed above Lincoln’s head is an epitaph, reading “In this temple, as

in the hearts of the people, for whom he saved the union, the memory of Abraham

Lincoln is enshrined forever.” The chamber in which Lincoln sits is 60 ft wide, 60 ft high,

and 74 ft deep. Located on both sides of the central chamber are the north and south

chambers. The north chamber displays his second inaugural address, while the

Gettysburg Address is inscribed in the south chamber. Symbolically, the north and south

chambers are unified by Lincoln’s chamber. Around the memorial are 36 pillars

representing the 36 states that were a part of the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death.

The vastness of the memorial creates a quiet atmosphere that elicits a certain reflection

and awe. The intended narrative of the memorial is best represented by the epitaph

above Lincoln’s statue. The civil war era president’s actions towards abolishing slavery

and reuniting the United States of America

 

Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese Memorial

On July.24,2018 I visited the Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese memorial located in Brooklyn,NY next to MCU Park, a minor league baseball stadium. The statue made out of bronze and granite was open to the public in 2005 attracting hundred of thousand sports fans every year. The monument stands high with both ball players Robinson and Reese dressed in what used to be known as the Brooklyn, Dodgers uniform. This memorial was built in honor of Robinson’s accomplishment of breaking the color barrier and becoming the first African American male to play baseball.

Inquiries:

-Why is does Jackie Robinson have his hand around Pee Wee Reese? Does it symbolize anything in particular?

-What was the reason for building this memorial?

The visit:

During my visit I was astonished by everything from the amount of people there, to the message it held, and the quotes on the bottom of where they stood. A quote that really stood out to me read “In May 1947, on Cincinnati’s Crosley field, Robinson endured racist taunts, jeers and death threats that would have broken the spirit of a lesser man,” this gives an insight of how strong mentally Jackie was to avoid the unfriendly comments from getting to his head and went on with the game. In this game, Jackie puts his hand around his good friend Reese and the crowd goes silent from the shock of seeing this. Having to fight against all the racism and finally getting to the major league is a big accomplishment, Jackie demonstrated a lot of perseverance, bravery, resilience, and pride. As Jackie placed his right hand on Reese’s shoulders, the crowd realized that the players were supportive and comfortable playing with Robinson revealing a welcoming team and equality within all the players on the field. After reviewing all this information with conversations with other visitors, I realized that it was built to honor Jackie Robinson next to a baseball field to remind us how fortunate we are to be able to play baseball and share the great experience of playing baseball.

 

Site used:

https://www.nycgovparks.org/art-and-antiquities/monuments/black-history-month/robinson-and-reese

Charles Sellers Memorial

By taking a quick trip out of the athletic centre you come across what looks to be a brick cornering built as a hang out in deep left field of the baseball diamond. Although, giving it a brief read you will discover the reconstructed monument is for a decorated teacher within the Loomis community, Charles “Chick” Sellers. The simple looking monument dates back to 1937, but after many renovations to the campus was shuffled around until in 2006 when a former student had it recreated in left field to honour his legacy as a teacher and as a founder of the baseball team. 

This token of remembrance quickly conveys what Sellers achieved in life and his roll at Loomis. The monument is making sure his impact at Loomis is not one to be forgotten about, but rather cherished. Even though the plaque is quite blunt you still get a positive feel for who Sellers was. Spoken highly of anyone who visits will be left impressed with what he has accomplished. As well, you’ll grasp his importance here after multiple places around campus are in his name. Not only was he recognized as one of Loomis’s most successful coaches early on, but he was head of the science department helping students prepare for college. The site is quite the example of a man who reprinted many American ideals despite the fact it seems to only share enough to hook you in. Almost as if it was a good cliff hanger making you want to learn more. In further research, it is clear Charles Sellers was a perfect illustration of all the values Loomis wishes to root within you including things like his ability to give growth to this in students character was tremendous. In addition, he created an ambition within the students on campus to better themselves day in day out always giving more to them then he asked. He effortless welcomed students from everywhere bringing unity to the school. He successfully had almost half the student body try out for his baseball team, Sellers was clearly a fan favourite. 

Which then raises question to why he’s unheard of to many of the student body in present day? Most know his monument as the spot to sit on before cross country practice having no knowledge of what it represents. Has the man who brought such solidarity to the foundation of the Loomis community been forgotten about? I believe such important pinnacles of Loomis’s heritage should not be left in the closet to grow dusty overtime, but reflected on to remember such important values not only praised around campus, but across the nation.

Citation:

https://www.loomischaffee.org/page.cfm?p=30442

Rockwell, Roosevelt, and the Four Freedoms Exhibition

As part of my summer project, I visited the New York Historical Society. More specifically, I visited the Rockwell, Roosevelt, and the Four Freedoms exhibition. Prior to my visit, I hoped to see a lot of paintings about WWII, especially propaganda posters from both the Allies and from the Axis powers. I was not disappointed. The exhibition had numerous interpretations of the Four Freedoms, as well as many propaganda posters.

The paintings were not the only thing which set the atmosphere in the room. The walls behind the paintings were painted a dark shade of blue and the lights were slightly dimmed. Both of these contributed to the overall melancholy atmosphere in the room. While visiting, I asked myself why this specific atmosphere was used for this exhibition, as I explored deeper, however, I felt that this atmosphere really improved the overall experience of visiting the Historical Society, and understanding the theme of the exhibit. The exhibition commemorates a very dark part of human history where a lot of atrocious things happened, that’s why the design of the room makes sense for this exhibit. Most, if not all, of the paintings are primary documents from WWII, this means that the paintings convey a truthful historical memory and not one which is distorted over time. The exhibition’s narrative is quite a sad one since it is about the horrors which come along with any war.

The Rockwell, Roosevelt, and the Four Freedoms exhibition represents many current and past American values. Some of these represented values are intentional while others might not be as intentional. Values such as perseverance and sacrifice are strongly insinuated through various paintings of the battlefield itself. Like, for example, in the Marines Call it That 2,000 Yard Stare (pictured below) painting in which a soldier, who is clearly mentally and physically damaged due to the war, is depicted.  The painting of the soldier embodies the idea of sacrifice for one’s country and the overall good. This painting also portrays the perseverance that America and its soldiers had during the war. The soldier being traumatized due to the war also shows the length to which soldiers went to protect their country and others. The exhibit mostly shows the American public’s support for both the war and the soldiers fighting it. There are various posters, created either by or for the American government, which are meant to encourage the public to contribute to the war. One of these posters called More Production (also pictured below) was used to inform the American public of the importance of wartime production. American factories produced a huge sum of military machinery which gave the Allies a big advantage over the Axis powers. Posters such as this one were used to influence the public to help win the war without fighting in it. America truly acted as a unified country throughout the war. Unity is also a very important American value still present in today’s society. The exhibition also had many other posters which hinted at different values. Such as the poster We Can Do It! (pictured below) in which a woman is illustrated wearing blue overalls. This poster was used to motivate people, especially women, to work during the war. The fact that a woman is on it shows America’s desire for equality among genders. Usually during the war, only men are needed, but with this poster, America’s government is motivating women to work as well since their help was needed at the time.

Citations

• https://www.nyhistory.org/exhibitions/rockwell-roosevelt-four-freedoms

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lincoln Memorial

This summer I visited the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC with my family. The monument is located at the western end of the National Mall, and was built to recognize Abraham Lincoln the 16th president of the United States, and his fight for equality.

When I visited the Lincoln Memorial I predicted I would learn about the unity, strength and wisdom that Lincoln portrayed when in office. I wondered if the memorial would successfully portray the importance of Lincoln’s leadership. I also questioned if I would feel as touched by this memorial as the nation did when it was first constructed. I wanted to know what new information I could learn about Lincoln from visiting this memorial. I wondered what the constructors main goal for building this monument was. Was its main purpose only to commemorate Lincoln? Or to remember the time period and our attempts at equality and unity?

Lincoln sits in the middle of the memorial behind pillars which represent the 36 reunited states at the time of his death. On one side of Lincoln, the Gettysburg address is written, and on the other his Second Inaugural address. Both side chambers include a mural with the Angel of Truth. This lead me to speculate why the builders decide to place the two murals in separate chambers and not behind lincoln or together. I also noticed the shape of his hands I contemplated if his hands meant anything, one was clenched while the other appeared more relaxed, so I questioned if this was meant to demonstrate the two sides of Lincoln, or the two sides of the war etc?

The Lincoln Memorial portrays the story of Lincoln’s life and presidency and emphasizes the ideals of strength and unity. These themes were really portrayed in the huge statue of Lincoln and the murals representing his ideals for the nation at the time. When I visited the site those ideals stuck with me because of how prevalent they were in the memorial. The murals with the Angel of Truth uniting the two sides of the civil war and freeing the slaves, demonstrated the main goals of this time. I think Lincoln, the center of the memorial, and his goals and strength made these goals possible, or at least put them in motion. I believe that this memorial represents America’s struggle and perseverance through these issues, and even though they aren’t completely solved yet Lincoln’s wisdom and leadership pushed get us closer to reaching these ideals.

The memorial portrays the memory of Lincoln as heroic, courageous, and powerful. However, not all people may have viewed him this way, especially the people from the south, or anyone who believed in slavery. Many americans picture him as a legend, because he brought the whole nation together to abolish slavery and successfully won the war. The memorial doesn’t recognize the harshness of the period of war, however it symbolizes the success, and victory of the north.

The site emphasizes that all men are created equal, regardless of class, race, gender, or sexuality etc. Lincoln fought, and devoted his life to ensuring that african americans were given equal opportunities to whites, and he didn’t let the hate from the south throw him off his goal. Therefore, his memorial emphasizes these goals, and how this was history but it was still happening today. I think for different people this site can represent totally different things. It all depends on your family and how you were raised, or what you were taught in school.

New England Air Museum

On the last day of this summer, I visited the New England Air Museum. While I was buying the ticket, I looked around and wondered how an air museum can be a historical site. However, after I stepped into the first hangar, I found the answer. In this museum, aircrafts and engines from different time periods were displayed, separating into two categories­­–– military aircrafts and civilian aircrafts. Visitors can just pay 15 dollars and come in to see some impressive aircrafts.

To be honest, I was really bored at first–– there was literally nothing except the airplanes. Nevertheless, after we bumped into a guide, he gave us a full tour of the museum and introduced almost every plane in depth, even with the stories behind those airplanes. I would say that the historical memory it was trying to convey was just the history behind the development of aircrafts and how they influenced people’s lives, and this museum was just trying to document and conserve all of these memories. It also conveys American identity including ambition, growth, and ingenuity. For example, during the tour, the guide showed us how Curtiss-type pusher worked. I was really impressed by the fact that a 17-year-old boy came up with such extraordinary ideas about how to control the plane. Also, the travel history of Sikorsky VS-44A ‘Excambian’ surprised me, along with its interior designs–– it is much better than current airplanes!

In addition, what really interested in this museum was people’s reaction toward those aircrafts being used in WWII. Throughout the guide’s zealous introductions of these planes, I wonder whether he had stopped some time to think about how many people suffered and died from all of these wonderful novelties. Also, for all of those visitors who came here to worship these great inventions: Have they thought about what was behind all of these? Will people from different areas view these aircrafts differently, or will they just view them regardless of the history contents? The whole experience saddened me as it reflected people’s ignorance toward the war when focusing on these inventions. However, it was good to see the war from a more technical, professional, and rational perspective, without any emotions or biases. After all, I enjoyed this trip to NEAM.

 

My Trip to Ground Zero

During a visit to New York City this summer, my dad and I decided to take a quick trip to Ground Zero, the site where the World Trade Center once stood.

Prior to visiting/predictions:

My thoughts going into the visit were worrisome and a little nervous due to the fact I’ve never been to a memorial that quite affected me like this one.  Although no one in my family was directly affected, I still had friends that were.  My initial thoughts were mainly about the atmosphere I would feel and how it would affect me to just be around.  Just to see an empty space where the buildings stood and the names across the border should bring emotions out of people.

At the memorial:

When I arrived, I immediately felt a deep feeling of confusion.  I began thinking about the event, as I’ve done countless times before, through my parents’ point of view.  Young adults have the narrative that 9/11 was a disastrous point in our history and, while that is true, it also brought people together and almost humbled us so that we aren’t untouchable in the United States.  I was standing at the exact spot two towers came down and it made me wonder.  How do you begin with reconstruction?  Do you do it at all?  I think the memorial being beautiful helps shed some light on the situation and might even represent the beginning of the War on Terror and our fight to keep people safe.  Each name on the stone represents America’s ability to honor those who passed.  It shows we never forget our history and the atmosphere I felt portrayed that feeling.  Countless people were brought to tears over something that occurred many years ago.  It’s a beautiful thing when we are brought together like this to think and ponder about an event.

Questions that came up:

1. Why did it take so long to upgrade security around the country?
2. Does a monument like this help someone directly affected?

 

 

 

 

Jayu (Freedom) Park

I went to the Jayu (Freedom) Park in Incheon, South Korea. This park displays a large statue of General MacArthur and an inscription that commemorates his successful Incheon Amphibious Landing Operation during the Korean War. This landing operation turned the Korean war in favor of the South Korean forces. Jayu Park uses the statue and inscription to show that they believe America values change, freedom, and goodness for the humankind.

As I arrived at Jayu Park, I predicted that the park would show that South Korea highly respects General MacArthur. I also predicted that the park would have many decorations to express South Korea’s respect for General MacArthur. Jayu Park has a large statue of General MacArthur decorated with flowers and an inscription.  This park holds General MacArthur and the U.S. forces as South Korea’s saviors. General MacArthur statue’s sheer size symbolizes South Korea’s immense gratitude for his landing operation. Adjacent to the statue is the inscription that provides details about MacArthur’s operation and lauds the U.S. forces’ valiant effort to “save” South Korea. The inscription states, “…turned the course of the war to the triumph of freedom and the salvation of this Republic…We shall never forget what he and his valiant officers and men of the United Nations Command did here for us and for freedom.” This inscription uses extremely positive words that lauds America’s bravery, ideal of freedom and change, and kindness towards South Korea. Without the U.S. forces’ help, South Korea would have lost this war and joined the North Korean communist regime. Today, South Koreans still hold the United States with the highest respect and view them as amiable and valiant. In contrast,  the United States both love and hate General MacArthur. Even after visiting this site, I still have some remaining questions. Since this site only tells one perspective of the Korean War, I still wonder if this site’s narrative of the Korean War is skewed or not. A nation’s emotions and bias may mold history into what it want to remember.  I also still do not understand how General MacArthur managed to land on Incheon because the numerous islands surrounding Incheon make it a difficult place to land on.