communists in tennessee? red scare, highlander folk school,...

Introduction:Duringthe1950s,theconversationaboutCivilRightsintheUnitedStatesandtheprevalentfearofcommunismisoftenintertwined.ManyCivilRightsactivistsareaccusedofsupportingCommunism.HighlanderFolkSchoolwasatrainingcenterlocatednearMonteagle,TNthatsupportedtheorganizedlaborandCivilRightsmovementsandwasinvestigatedforsupportingCommunistactivi-ties.In1959,theTennesseeGeneralAssemblyappointsaspecialinvestigatingcommitteetolookintoallegedsubversiveactivitiesattheschool.

GuidingQuestions: HowdidTennesseansfeelabouttheColdWarandtheCivilRightsMovement?

Howdopeopleactwhentheyareafraid?

LearningObjectives:Inthecourseofthelesson,studentswillunderstandthatmanyTennesse-answereuncomfortablewiththeaimsoftheCivilRightsMovementandattemptedtoconnectthemove-mentwithCommunism.

CurriculumStandards:US.76AnalyzethecausesandeffectsoftheRedScarethatfollowedWWII,includingAmerican’sattitudetowardtheriseofcommunisminChina,McCarthyism,blacklisting,AlgerHiss,J.EdgarHoover,EstesKefauver,andtheRosenbergs.

US.92Describesigni icanteventsinthestruggletosecurerightsforAfricanAmericans,includingthefollowing:…In luenceoftheHighlanderFolkSchoolandcivilrightsadvocacygroups…

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.1Citespeci ictextualevidencetosupportanalysisofprimaryandsecondarysources,attendingtosuchfeaturesasthedateandoriginoftheinformation.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.2Determinethecentralideasorinformationofaprimaryorsecondarysource;provideanaccuratesummaryofhowkeyeventsorideasdevelopoverthecourseofthetext.

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CommunistsinTennessee?RedScare,HighlanderFolkSchool,&CivilRights

LessonplansforprimarysourcesattheTennesseeStateLibrary&Archives

Author:JoelCovington,CaneRidgeHighSchool

GradeLevel:9th&11thGradeWorldHistory/GeographyorotherWorldHistoryclass

DateCreated:May2015

Visithttp://share.tn.gov/tsla/educationoutreach/resources.htmforadditionallessonplans.

MaterialsNeeded:1) ForIntroductoryActivity:Overheadprojector,internetaccessforstudents,orprintedcartoon

2) PrintedcopiesofTSLAsourcesorinternetaccess:

a)“TimeToDoSomePokingAround”politicalcartoon

b)EditionofCommonSense

c)GeorgiaCommissiononEducation,photograph1

d)GeorgiaCommissiononEducation,photograph2

e)LettertoGovernorClementexpressingconcernsoverCommunism

f)LettertoGovernorClementexpressingconcernsoverdesegregation

g)LettertoGovernorClementfromMs.GlenRoseJackson

i)Of icialPolicyofHighlanderFolkSchool

j)SubpoenaofMylesHortontoappearbeforethe81stTennesseeGeneralAssemblySpecialInvestigatingCommitteeofHighlanderFolkSchool,1959

k)ProposedquestionstoMylesHortonfromSpecialInvestigatingCommittee

l)MylesHortonStatementtoSubcommitteeofInternalSecurityoftheSenateJudiciaryCommittee

m)TestimonyofRobertDegenbeforethe81stTennesseeGeneralAssemblySpecialInvestigatingCommitteeofHighlanderFolkSchool,1959

n)HighlanderFolkSchoolManuscript indingaidfromTSLA

Background:“HighlanderFolkSchool” Author:JohnM.GlenSourceLocation:TennesseeEncyclopediaofHistory&Culture“DigDeeper:WhydidAmericansfearcommunism?” SourceLocation:TennesseeStateMuseum

LessonActivities:

NotesforTeachers:

ThislessonplanshouldbepartofanoverallunitontheColdWarand/orCivilRights.StudentswillneedabasicunderstandingoftheColdWarandthemoodofthecountrytowardsCommunismandeventsoftheCivilRightsMovementuptoabout1965.

Eachoftheactivitiesandsourcesetscanbeusedasawholeorbrokenintoparts.

Forallfollowingprimarysourcesactivities,teacherscanusetheTSLAdocumentanalysisworksheetsortheguidingquestionsbelow.

LessonActivitiesContinued:IntroductoryActivity

Displaythepoliticalcartoon,“Timetodosomepokingaround”andaskstudentstoanswerorallyorinwriting:

Howisthetreelabeled?Whatiscomingfromthetree?WhywouldtheTennesseeLegislaturefeelthatitmightbe“TimetoDoSomePokingAround?”Whatdoesthecartoonistfear?

Debriefstudents,remindingthemofthefearsmanyAmericanshadofCommunistin iltrationANDtheef-fectsofdesegregation.SharewiththestudentsthattheHighlanderFolkSchoolwasinvestigatedbyacom-mitteeoftheTennesseeStateLegislature.Sharethelessonobjectiveswiththeclass.

InstructionalActivities

InformstudentsthattheywillbelookingatavarietyofprimarysourcesdealingwiththeHighlanderFolkSchool,fearofCommunism,andfearoftheCivilRightsMovement.WERETHEFEARSOFMANYTENNES-SEANSJUSTIFIED?

Dividestudentsintogroups.Groupsourcesarelistedapproximatelyinorderofdif iculty(GroupOnemightbebestforELLearnersorstudentswithreadingdelays,etc.).

GroupOne:Photographs(GeorgiaCommissiononEducationphotos1and2,“CommonSense”)Foreachphotograph:

Whoisinthepicture?Wherewasittaken?Whatisthepurposeofthephotograph?Whydoyouthinkso?Whatdoestheorganizationthatreleasedthephotographfear?Whatevidenceispresentedtojustifythosefears?

GroupTwo,Three,andFour:LetterstoGovernorClementWhywasthelettertotheGovernorwritten?Whatisthefearoftheletterwriter?HowdoestheletterwriterconnectCivilRightsandCommunism?Whatevidenceisofferedtojustifythosefears?

GroupFive:ProposedQuestionsandSubpoenaWhatarethepurposesofthesubpoenaandquestions?WhatistheconcernorfearoftheCommittee?Listspeci icquestionstoillustratethosefears.

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LessonActivitiesContinued:

GroupSix:TestimonyofRobertDegenTowhomistheletteraddressed?Whatisitspurpose?DoesRobertDegensharetheconcernsofmanyTennesseans?WhatevidencedoesheprovidetotheCommittee?WhywouldtheCommitteeacceptthisevidence?

GroupSeven:MylesHortonTestimonyWhatdoesMylesHortonfear?Accordingtohistestimony,isMylesHortonaCommunist?Doyoubelievehim?Whyorwhy

not?WhatdoesMylesHortonbelievewouldbeapowerfulweaponto ightCommunism?WhydoesMylesHortonbelieveheisbeinginvestigatedbytheCommittee?WhatevidencedoesHortonprovideagainsthisaccusers?

GroupEight:TSLAFindingAidforHighlanderFolkSchoolCollection:ScopeandContent Whatisthisdocument’spurpose?

Isthesourcetrustworthy?WhattwoactivitieswerethemainpurposesoftheHighlanderSchool?ExplainhoweachofthoseactivitiesmightbeviewedbyTennesseansduringtheColdWar.WerethefearsoftheCommitteejusti ied?Whatevidenceisusedinthis indingaidtodescribetheHighlanderFolkSchoolandits

collection?

Haveeachgrouppresenttheirquestionsandanswers.Irecommenddisplayingeachsourceasitisdis-cussed.Drawoutthreadsrunningthroughallofthesources,particularlyMr.Horton’sappearanceinmanyofthesources,fearsoftheTennesseeStateLegislatureandmanyordinaryTennesseans,andtheHighland-erFolkSchool’sconnectiontoboththelabormovementandtheCivilRightsMovement.

Createat-chartontheboardasgroupsreportlabelled“EvidenceAgainstHighlanderSchool”and“EvidenceForHighlanderSchool.”Asthegroupsreport,teachersshould illinthechart.Debriefattheend—WerethefearsofmanyTennesseansjusti ied?

Conclusionsmaybedif iculttoreach—inthesourcespresentedthereislittleactualevidence.HistorydoesseemtobearouttheideathattheHighlanderFolkSchoolwastargetednotforitsCommunistsympathiesbutbecauseofitsinvolvementwiththeCivilRightsMovement.

LessonActivitiesContinued:

Extensions:

HavestudentviewtheFBIinvestigationdocumentsathttp://vault. bi.gov/Highlander%20Folk%20School.

TheCivilRightsanthem“WeShallOvercome”wasarrangedbyPeteSeegeramongothersattheHigh-landerSchool.Havestudentslistentoandreadthelyricsandcomparethemtotheobjectivesoftheschool.

Lyrics:http://www.yale.edu/glc/aces2/lynn/o.pdf

YouTubevideowithlyrics:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJUkOLGLgwg

ComparetheHighlanderFolkSchoolinvestigationwiththeinvestigationsconductedbytheHouseUnAmericanActivitiesCommittee.

Assessment:

WriteanessayorparagraphpresentingevidencethatfearsofTennesseanswereorwerenotjusti ied.

Writeanessayorparagraphcomparingfearsof21stCenturyAmericanswiththefearsofColdWarAmeri-cans(WaronTerror,racialdivides,etc.).

WriteanessayorparagraphcomparingtheJointCommittee’sinvestigationoftheHighlanderFolkSchoolwiththeinvestigationsconductedbytheHouseUnAmericanActivitesCommittee.

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