Extra Credit: Riot Docs

Students can receive extra credit for the class by making an appointment with the LaGuardia and Wagner Archives, requesting to see the Harlem riot documents, and selecting up to three (or more, if they want) documents to use with the final exam questions. Students that incorporate one document will receive one point, two documents two points, and three documents three points, on their final grade in the course. This might raise a student grade from an 85 to an 88, for example.

The key here is that students must select documents that we have not read as a class or been assigned to read as a class. The documents can be about the 1935, 1943, and/or the 1964 Harlem riots. 

To successfully use a document, they must: 1) introduce it to the reader by stating its title and basic information; 2) summarize it briefly for the reader, and 3) use it to support a claim they're making to answer one of the final exam questions.

Students that plan to incorporate extra credit documents can write at the top of their final exam something like, 'extra credit docs included,' or something like that, just to let me know to be aware of it.

Please ask any questions this coming week.

1964 Time Mag is posted...

Sorry for the delay...scanning issues again. Skip the mostly whacked out pictures and just read the text.

1964 Riot Readings

I'm waiting on the Time magazine scan (to be posted later tonight), but we're also responsible for reading the "1964 Baldwin" piece and the "1964 Wagner statement," both linked at right.

Board Notes from the Destruction of Gotham

Upon student request...

Blog this week

What caused the 1935 Harlem Riot?

Class Agenda 11.19

1. 1935 Harlem Riot documents

Images

Tulsa Race Riot

Video

2. Background 1943

Somewhat strange video
Detroit footage from 1934

3. 1943 Documents

Readings for M11.24

The readings on the 1943 Riot for Wed are "LaGuardia Context...," "1943 Riot:..." and "Riot Docs."

Class Agenda 11.17

1. Peer Review

Go over peer review instructions (all students must write out reactions to partner; ATTACH ALL COMMENTS YOU RECEIVE UNDER FINAL DRAFT: Papers without comments will lose 7 points off their final score; these 7 points can only be redeemed by visiting the Writing Center before the paper comes due):

What is the goal my response?

The goal of your response is to offer the writer some positive praise and some suggestions for revision based on the assignment. It’s very important the piece addresses the assignment. If you're confused, you need to say why. If they need to expand their ideas, you need to tell which ones, and also how to do it. Their interest and focus should also make you interested. If you weren't interested, they need tell them what they could have done to make you more interested.

As for how you should organize your response, see the directions below. Here are the specific steps:

Comment Directions (from the text Tutoring Writing)

1. Open a general statement of assessment about the piece’s relationship to the assignment. Be clear about which parts fulfill the assignment and which parts need improvement.

2. Present comments so the writer knows which problems with text are most important and which are of lesser importance.

3. Use comments primarily to call attention to strengths and weaknesses in the piece, and be clear about the precise points where they occur.

4. Don't feel obligated to do all the 'fixing.' Refrain from focusing on grammar unless it impedes your ability to understand the piece.

5. Write comments that are text-specific, and uniquely aimed at the piece and the writer.

Strategies

1. Pose at least two questions that ask for clarification or that seek other possible views or more information on the subject.

2. Let the writer know what specific lines, ideas, and stylistic touches you find pleasing.

3. When you make a specific, concrete suggestion for improvement, try couching it in a qualifier: "You might try..." or "Why don't you add..." or "Another way of writing the lead might be..."

4. If you notice a pattern of errors (incorrect use of commas, etc) comment on it in a global way at the end of the piece.

2. May Day: Conclusions

3. 1935 Harlem Riot: Thesis and Images

4.  Documents: in class

Riot Readings

There was a problem with scanning this documents this week: the equipment broke down and I couldn't make it back to campus today.

So we'll start on the actual LaGuardia archival documents next week (we have until the end of the term to do these readings). I'll bring a couple of the small documents to class for us to talk about and to get moving there.

FOR MONDAY: please read the first 32 pages of the article linked at right (there are several pages of pictures in it), "Oxford Thesis on 1935 Riot." There isn't actually 32 pages of text there. Nonetheless, if you find yourself stuck on one paragraph, move to the next one.

For a brief, easy overview of the riot, please read one or two of the following online sources:

1. Here for the Wikipedia entry.

2. Here for the  Britannica entry.

3. Here for one short blog and another about it.

4. This short newspaper memory of it.

Poem

Poem written by Chinese factory worker before committing suicide last week:

I swallowed a moon made of iron
They refer to it as a nail
I swallowed this industrial sewage, these unemployment documents
Youth stooped at machines die before their time
I swallowed the hustle and the destitution
Swallowed pedestrian bridges, life covered in rust
I can't swallow any more
All that I've swallowed is now gushing out of my throat
Unfurling on the land of my ancestors
Into a disgraceful poem.

Riot PDFs posted tomorrow.

Extra Credit

Students that leave comments for Taylor and Michael's blogs will receive 4 points extra credit per blog, up to 16 points, that they may apply to their quiz grade. This effectively replaces a missing quiz, or raises their semester grade two points, which could push students from a B+ to an A-, for example.

You can find their blogs in the list at right.

Blog Assignment This Week

This is a "free" blog, in that you may reflect on any aspect of the course text or discussion and explain to us what it makes you think about and why.

Class Agenda 11.10

1. What did you learn from the blogs?

2. What part of this novel would you like to talk about and why?

3. Groups summarize chapters: find most interesting passage in chapter

4. Class does some close-reading

5. Contextualize in videos

6. Talk about Wednesday's Archives

Class Agenda

1. WE GOT A TRIP TO THE LAGUARDIA AND WAGNER ARCHIVES IN E-238 (down the hall!). After May Day, our readings will be pulled from these archives. The professors at the archives will help orient us to these records and give us a tour of the facilities where these records come from.


2. Look to Blog Assignment for week

 NEXT CLASS

1. Background to May Day (videos: see course syllabus)

2. Discussion of May Day

Example of Polished Essay One

To Destroy or not to Destroy?

            The riots that have taken place in America’s past are definitely kept safely away from society. Many people today would not know anything about the infamous Bread riots of 1837, The New York City Drafts Riots of 1863, and The Great Railroad Riots of 1877. In fact, when I was reading “The Bread Riots of 1836,” I actually thought I was reading fiction at first, just to explain how little many of us know about these huge historical events. Maybe these past events are just too controversial and can feed today’s working and lower class society with inner rebellion. Maybe some or most may find that the rioter’s rage full violence to be justified. Nevertheless, these riots are definitely worth knowing about for those who are curious. All the rioters of the text and film share one

moral view in which they believe they are victims of abuse of power. However, the authority in the text (government, merchants, and railroad owners) believes that violence by rioters cannot be justified, no matter how unjust that the rioters feel they are being treated.

            In J.T Headley’s “Flour Riot of 1837”, there is an idea that the rioters are being taken advantage of by the flour merchants. The reason for rioter’s violence is due to the “unfair” increasing flour prices by the merchants. Headley explains: “This was very probably true, as it is a rule with merchants, when they have a large stock of anything on hand, of which there threatens to be scarcity, to hold on in order to make the scarcity greater— thus forcing higher prices” (99). In the minds of the rioters, this can definitely be seen as an “abuse of power” because these merchants are using an unfair monopolistic strategy because they simply can, who is to stop them? The rioters have absolutely no say in these price hikes; it’s either pay the seventeen dollars a barrel or starve. This is probably how the rioters feel about the price hikes of flour. Furthermore, the rioters probably believe that there is no higher authority to help resolve this ethical dilemma they are faced with and also believe that the merchants are aware of this and simply taking advantage of it because it’s easy to attack someone or something that seems defenseless.

            In the New York City Draft Riots of 1863, Irish Immigrants felt resentment towards the way they were treated by the American government as well as the City of New York. After suffering in Ireland at the hands of the English for many dreadful years, the Irish thought they finally had their shot at freedom by coming to America and living the “American Dream.” The Irish were working the lowly sanitation jobs and felt as though climbing the ladder to better professions were being kept from them because of their ethnicity and because they are new comers to the city. The Irish felt as though they were purposely lied to for the sole purpose of remaining at the bottom of NYC’s social class in order to do all the lowly duties of the City. Naturally, the Irish resented the fact that NYC treated them so low. Consequently, the Irish felt they had the right to become angry and fight their point across even if it meant destruction because of the simple fact that they truly believed they were the victims which would then make the idea of causing violence seem as a justifiable response to the “evil” NYC government. To irritate the Irish even further, NYC began drafting men for the Civil War, and the Irish were targeted for this draft. The Irish truly believed that they were simply being used by the American system because of their low civilian rank in NYC. The Irish mostly likely believe that because their place in NYC society as a community of people who have no money or respect is an easy piece of defenseless prey that can easily be eaten by the American predator. The Irish are enraged at the thought of fighting a death promising war that isn't theirs; they only came to NYC around 5 years prior and now are forced to fight a Civil War?

            In the minds of the Railroad rioters of 1877, they feel as though they are victims of unfair wage cutting, and this is the root cause of the violence they start to use as response to their employers. In “The Great Railroad Riots of 1877,” J.T Headley states that “There is no doubt that rich men and rich companies, on the other hand, have in some cases taken advantage of the hard times for the sole and wicked purpose of making more money by reducing wages of their employees beyond what was necessary or just, and hence naturally caused a deal for complaint and bitter feeling” (350). The keywords from the text: “taken advantage of hard times” can be seen as the trigger that points and shoots at the railroad workers. Furthermore, these employees believe that a “poor economy” is just a hoax and is not the fair reason for their wage cuts, and what other reason besides a poor economy can justify reducing wages? The railroad companies are sure making their profits. Apparently, there is no other reason in the minds of the employees because their violent reaction suggests this idea.

J.T Headley also points out that acts of violence as a response to someone else’s injustice is not justifiable and people who commit these acts of violence should be treated as criminals. He argues that “The rioters who resort to violence may be perfectly just in their demands but, and yet the way they take to obtain them may be oppressive and unjust, but murder is the word oppression. They may cut down the price of wages, but that is not so criminal as to tear down house and make wreck of human property” (346). Headley often tries to provide reasoning for both the rioters and railroad owners. However, it is clear that he is ultimately on the side of the railroad owners. According to Headley, being victimized in any way that is not an example of violence does not give someone the right to take the law in to his/her own hands to commit violence until justice is served. In other words, obtaining justice with the use of violence is a contradiction. Furthermore, Railroad company owners may undoubtedly be displaying greed, but greed is not an act of violence and therefore may not seem deserving of violent revenge. So, railroad companies may simply argue that if workers don’t like the wages all they can really do is not work for them.

            Also in the Railroad riots of 1877, the U.S Government expresses its own moral views. President Rutherford B. Hayes writes a Proclamation that he feels addresses the domestic violence issue that is threatening American society. Although the bill of rights clearly states that citizens have the right to assemble and protest peacefully, this right is now suspended because of the violence that is caused by the rioters. From the perspective of the authority, now the right to assemble peacefully is questionable and may actually be an opportunity for rioters to assemble not peacefully but with the intent of violence and destruction. The reason behind the President’s decision is that the American government is responsible for protecting its citizens from the dangers of violence, even from its very own people who make up America. This can perhaps be the only justifiable excuse to suspend its very own rules as well as to put down its very own citizens. Whether this decision is right or wrong, it seems to have some moral value because it seeks to protect its people from danger at the end of the day.

            Although I am strongly against violence and putting people’s lives in danger, I still feel sympathy for the rioters and view them more as victims then violent criminals. I just don’t think that it’s fair for people to pay more for flour because merchants are greedy opportunists. It also doesn't seem fair to work and make less money as time goes by meanwhile the Railroad companies are continuing to make profits. These underpaid rioters have many laws to follow in life in order to lead a criminal free life. It isn't fair that these merchants and railroad companies don’t have many laws to follows well from a business perspective. Law is assembled by morals, so I don’t really see how it’s lawful or ethical for a merchant or company to raise flour prices or cut wages to simply gain more in wealth. There just doesn't seem to be a balance of fairness for these two sides to follow. For the rioters, there is really no option to peacefully contest the authority. Staying quiet is definitely not an option and should not be. Maybe the rioters do not want to cause violence but feel that it’s the only way.

WORKS CITED

Headley, J. T. Pen and Pencil Sketches of the Great Riots. New York: Arno, 1969. Print.

New York: A Documentary Film. Dir. Ric Burns. Perf. David Ogden Stiers. PBS, 1999. youtube.com.

T., Headley Joel. Great Riots of New York. S.l.: S.n., 1873. Print.

Example of Polished Essay One

          Moral Distortion In Riots

            American politics have been the enemy of the working man in North America due to unfair wages, and unfair working conditions. While the men of America have organized together to riot against the corporations behind the businesses that they work in, they all have different reasons and philosophies concerning the cause of each riot. Most men who worked for these companies rioted due to the fact that they must preserve their masculinity and fulfill their role as a male to provide food for their families. They are the ones who go out in the world and do the physical labor, and make money. However, while this may be the main reason, further throughout the start of the riots, it seems to stem off with a more complicated reason, which seems to be ethnocentrism and favor among those who are the same ethnicity. While their morals seems pure and simple such as feeding your family, it can root down to a distorted nature where it can reach to heights such as preserving masculinity and a patriarchal society and oppressing other groups to get what they want.

            Men in America’s history have been known to be masculine, strong and often go through physical labor in order to do their jobs. Women would be assigned domestic roles, such as house cleaning and tending to their husbands. This would make her children and the wife dependent on the man to go out into the world and provide for them, and to make money (Burn 26). If men were not able to accomplish their role to feed his family, they would be emasculated in the society they lived in. If a riot would be one of the reasons to provide for their families and preserve their masculinity, it would be one that would seem favorable. In a way, their morals would revolve around honor.

            In order to preserve their honor as men, they would have to create riots to get what they want. In most cases, it is to increase wages or to gain access to food. In “The Flour Riot” by J.T. Headley, the story portrays the lengths that men would go to in order to fight against businesses for their families. “The Flour Riot” portrays a massive outrage in New York during 1837 due to the shortage of food and plummeting economy. Soon, in the story, since flour was getting scarce, business owners decided to raise up the prices in order for the demand to increase. Their profit would skyrocket since people would be desperate to feed their families, however, the business owner’s plan backfired against them, resulting in an all-out riot (Headley). The main moral of the flour riots was mainly to provide. It can relate to masculinity since they decided to destroy the city, vandalize the business by ruining everything they could see in the bakery, and knocking down flour, which they had been desiring. Men have been seen as brutish, and creating destruction in order to create a strong, and intimidating image about them. While providing may have been their first cause, flaunting their anger may be a hidden secondary reason. Not only does the display of masculinity appear evident in the riots taken place in the Flour Riots, but they also occur in the draft riots between the Irish and African-American rioters. By slicing the African-American’s testicles, it robs them of their manhood, and makes the Irish have power over them, putting the spotlight on their masculinity.

            An identical situation occurred in “The Railroad Riots of 1877” written by J.T. Headley, however, while covering several other states added on to it. Men in states such as West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland who were faced against corporations behind the railroad industry who wanted to increase profits, and in order to do so, they lowered the wages of the working class. Instead of relying on a moral economy, they decided to push these workers too far. A moral economy can relate to an economical system based on fairness, justice, honesty and goodness (Kelly 2014). As a similar result to “The Flour Riot” in New York City, the corporation’s plan to impoverish the poor in expense of their profit revolted against them, resulting in several riots. However, the people who were in charge of the railroad industry decided to hire new people who would work at even lower wages. They were called "scabs." Soonly after, the original employees started to attack the scabs, who are actually going through the same situation as them (Headley).

            The scabs and the original workers were divided by two main different ethnic groups, the Irish and the African-Americans. It indicates a division among the two groups, although they were aiming to feed their families. The split between these ethnic groups indicates a moral dysfunction which takes “providing” and changes the story by altering it to ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism can be defined as the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture. It can also block any signs of empathy towards those who are not in their social or ethnic circle (Barger 2014). Ethnocentrism is apparent in the riots taken place in New York. According to a PBS documentary series, Irish workers had a violent feud with African-Americans, who worked for a significantly lesser amount than the Irish. African-Americans were lynched,hung, tortured and emasculated by fetishizing parts of their bodies. Some of the Irish mutilated the African-American’s testicles as a way to portray this (Burns 2014).

            Based on the passaged “The Flour Riot” and “The Railroad Riots of 1877,” the morals that is mutual between the men of these riots were providing for their families, and to make sure their children stay fed. However, their motives seemed to run further than being a caretaker with themes such as conversing their masculinity in order to be socially accepted, and ethnocentrism, where they hurt large amounts of men from a different race, because the workers felt entitled and more important than they were. These riots were justified to a certain extent where they focused on being responsible adults defying multi-billionaire corporations who were taking advantage of them. However, when there is unnecessary violence used to kill innocent people who have done nothing at all in order to fulfill their egos, it becomes a tainted practice which probably should not have happened. Society is built on people who feel that they should feel superior than another in order to feel fulfilled, and these riots are examples of this tragedy.

                                                                        Works Cited

Barger, Ken. "ETHNOCENTRISM." IUPUI, Barger: What Is Ethnocentrism? N.p., 31 July

            2014. Web. 05 Oct. 2014. <http://www.iupui.edu/~anthkb/ethnocen.htm>.

Burns, Ric. "Order and Disorder (1825–1865)." New York: A Documentary. PBS. 25 Sept. 2001.

            Television.

Burn, Shawn Meghan. "Women's Low Status and Power." Women across Cultures: A Global

            Perspective. Third ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005. 26. Print.

Headley, J.T. "Flour Riot of 1837." The Great Riots of New York 1712 to 1873. N.p.: n.p., n.d.

            N. n.d. N. pag. Print.

Headley, J.T. "The Railroad Riots of 1877." The Great Riots of New York 1712 to 1873. N.p.:

            n.p.,     N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.

 Kelly, James. "Moral Economy." Multitext. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.

            <http://multitext.ucc.ie/d/Moral_Economy>.

Blog Assignment for this week

You job for this blog assignment is to poke around other students' blog on your own. Last week I assigned you specific blogs to address. This time, I'd like you to scoot around your classmates' blogs and spend some more time reading their thoughts.

I want you to do two things as you roam around:

1) I want you to write brief comments to students whose ideas you find interesting, and tell them why. If they state a claim you disagree with, politely and professionally tell them why you might disagree, and back up your counter-argument with evidence. Then, on your own blog, paste the links to two blogs you left comments on. If you don't want to paste the entire link, you can write down the person's name, highlight it with your cursor, click on the "LINK" button in the toolbar above, and paste the link to the blog you left a comment on. Then hit "ok." That turns the word into a link. Your comments can address just the idea you find interesting, rather than the entire blog.

2) I want you to take note of what blog ideas you found interesting, and I want you to bring those ideas to class next week.

Class Agenda 11.3

1. How did the blog comments go? What came easy? What was a challenge?

2. Look over thematic content (course blog)

3. Select three passages to choose from individually in your text - trace out how ideas occur and recur and how you might write a paper about them; how can you use quotations to build evidence to create an argument? Your goal will be to explain the meaning and role of those themes. This will begin your thesis. Create a working 'practice' thesis based on these passages or three others you found in the novel.

4. Share your ideas with a partner. Ask whether or not your thesis can be extended to The Destruction of Gotham.

5. Let's select one of the themes for class discussion and trace out a thread or two. Social Darwinism and revolution are two that came up more than a few times in last week's 'quiz.' Before we trace out a couple passages, let's reflect generally on the novel's climax and conclusion.

6. Let's think a bit about the roles that 'crowds' and the 'masses' play in 'protesting' or overturning social order and government. Do we see connections between crowds in history, and at present, and the revolution in this novel?

Thematic Threads in Caesar's Column

hunger - bread (3); insufficiently fed (30); struggle for food (32); starved generation (33); bread (34); foodless desert (37); starvation (38); food (56); mouths empty (74); Egypt starved (75); starve to death (84); lowest limit workmen can live (88); French starvation (91); waiting for hunger (92); howls of starvation (93); crops (99); work to maintain life (125); starvation as gate of heaven (129); make starvation impossible (132); starvation (133); scant supply of food (133); no means of subsistence (142); hungry eyes (144); bread (156); they will starve (173); starving children, starving in body and brain (200); starved his mind and heart and body (207); carloads of food (219); starving together (219); looking for food (221); millions starve (224); famine (224); starving creatures (225); abundant supply of food (236)

religion - Christianity (4); (33); devil's creed (33); God not at fault (57); speak out (74); religious fanatic (108); labor as inspiration from God (126); purify hearts (127); seize the clergyman (129); Christianity without Christ (130); Churches must rescue (131); heaven (134); crave food (136); brotherly love (137); slow stages/Christianity (143); king-devil (210); evil leaders (217); evil in human nature (228)

communism - (4); (72); interest on money (80); great works (83); abolish corporations (83); Karl Marx (125); abolish interest (234); state ownership (234); impoverished labor (235); fix wages (235); abundant supply of food (236); limitation on land and money (237)

social failure - (17); (30); mere existence (32); the poor (50); daughters in the brothel (129); self-generating evil (136); toil for others (194); savages (224); breaking strain (225)

race / social darwinism: - eyes (32); prey upon all (35); high blood (44); ruling classes/ same race and blood (54); blood/ancestors (66); law of heredity (68); breed extinct (70); man as beast (73); "coolies" (77); cunning (88); Russian Jew (100); exterminated (113); "almost like negroid" [Caesar] (116); "immigrant hordes" (126);  dark-faced, savage (129); Darwin hotel (139); Caesar a brute: "brute natural" (148); long pedigree (183); two shades of golden hair (184); Aryan ancestry (187); turn them into savages (209); looked like a negro (210); survival of the fittest (224); destruction of our race (225); evil in human nature (228);

economy - iron law of wages (33); slavery (37); slave (Estella) (47); live by toil (56); wealth (73); concentration of wealth (75); speculation (87); lowest limit workmen can live (88); valued for bank account (90); work to maintain life (125); gigantic combinations to plunder the poor (217); abolish interest (234); impoverished labor (235); fix wages (235); limitation on land and money (237)

morality - virtue breaks (38);universal justice (80); great injustice (115); lack of virtue (127); injustice and misery (131); no justice permitted (133); ashamed of poverty (162); not selfishness (168); only one interpretation (Christina) (179);

revolution - expected outbreak (49); volcanic (50); promised revolution (53); Brotherhood of Destruction (53); historical revolutions (54); "fire and sword" (54); destruction as "remedy" (54-5); San Domingo (56); breaking point (71); outbreak [1863, 1877] (77); France (91); eve of breakout (94); world's slavery (122); take possession of government (132); utter destruction of existing order (133); blow up the world (135); civilization should commit suicide (181); dead of a thousand battlefields: [zombies!!!!] (192); blowing open the banks (193); line of the barricade (197); internal volcanoes (197); ravenous multitude (198); human cyclone (198); under control of some species of discipline (198); grapes of wrath (200); Anarchy (214); death-cart (215); murdered men, women, and children (216); must establish government (219); instinct of such mobs (223); breaking strain (225)

government - sham (50); denied speech (57); bribery (71); plutocracy (71); ballot (72); human device (84); control over government (104); make tremendous massacre (105); rebellion crushed (106); coolly plot (112); rights of the people (128); keep the few happy (136); age of bribery (196); civilization is gone (199); evil leaders (217); corruption (217); must establish government (219); protect ourselves from ourselves (232); bribery (233); danger of upper classes (235); abundant supply of food (236); limitation on land and money (237); happy families (238)

misc details - Gatling Gun (55); Estella bondage (65); food drug (67);Demons (78); Executive Committee (98); Caesar story (99); Estella in masculine dress (108); corruption (123); telephone (140); marriage subplot (151); papa / presents (162); Nathan Brederhagan (165); Frank as Max the poor printer (180); recognizes his wife (214); gangs (224)

revenge - (70);young girls (102); revenge (200); revenge (208);

extreme violence - spy (134);dead lie in heaps (197); literally torn to pieces (198); dead bodies hammered (199); Count set on fire (208); column (211); hauling the dead (212); red spot on forehead / old man (215)

missing term: labor - begin again (224); impoverished labor (235); fix wages (235); poor man not worked to death (239)

Crowds

Standford Humanities Lab: Crowds
Revolutionary Crowds

Russian Revolution
Starvation post-revolution

Crowds and their behavior  (FBI)

G20
Ferguson
Egypt
Berlin
Baltimore
Berlin
Hamburg
Pakistan