education department - wrhs

Education Department 10825 East Boulevard Cleveland, OH 44106 Phone: (216) 721-5722 ext. 1502 Fax: (216) 721-0645 www.wrhs.org
Dear Teacher,
Thank you for booking a program with the Western Reserve Historical Society! We are very pleased that you have chosen Every Four Years: The Making of an American President, a distance learning program provided by the Western Reserve Historical Society. This packet is designed for use with your class before and after the program. An outline of the program, Ohio and Common Core Academic Content Standards match-ups, and some helpful background information are included in the pages that follow. A class set of 20 primary documents is included; please do not distribute these to your students until the museum educator facilitating the program asks you to do so during the program.
We believe that the use of these materials before your program helps prepare your students for a more meaningful experience on program day. Some of the information and activities are also appropriate for use after the program as reinforcement and follow-up. We look forward to your program! Sincerely,
The Education Department
© · Cleveland, OH · www.wrhs.org
High School
Presidential campaign memorabilia, primary sources, political cartoons
and maps, are used in an inquiry-based examination of some of the most
important presidential campaigns. Questions of issues vs. image and
strategy vs. circumstance focus students’ critical thinking on U.S. political
history. A classroom set of copies of photos, political cartoons, etc., is sent
ahead of time for students to analyze during the connection. Focus on
your choice of two from the elections of 1896, 1912, 1920 and 1948.
American History
1. Historical events provide opportunities to examine alternative courses of action.
2. The use of primary and secondary sources of information includes an examination of
the credibility of each source.
4. Historians analyze cause, effect, sequence and correlation in historical events,
including multiple causation and long- and short-term causal relations.
American Government
Civic Involvement
1. Opportunities for civic engagement with the structures of government are made
possible through political and public policy processes.
2. Political parties, interest groups and the media provide opportunities for civic
involvement through various means.
Civic Participation and Skills
3. Issues can be analyzed through the critical use of information from public records,
surveys, research data and policy positions of advocacy groups.
4. The processes of persuasion, compromise, consensus building and negotiation
contribute to the resolution of conflicts and differences.
Basic Principals of the U.S. Constitution
5. As the supreme law of the land, the U.S. Constitution incorporates basic principles
which help define the government of the United States as a federal republic including its
structure, powers and relationship with the governed.
ACTIVITY: Interpreting Campaign Ephemera*
*Ephemera: printed matter meant to be of use for only a short time but preserved by collectors.
At the Western Reserve Historical Society's exhibit "Every Four Years", students will
be asked to interpret objects (such as buttons or ribbons), documents and newspapers from various presidential campaigns. The following activity will help to familiarize students with this process.
Distribute copies of the attached page. Tell students they will be examining objects
or media pieces that originally came from presidential campaigns of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Political parties created objects and print materials to provide simple and direct reasons for voters to consider their candidate's character and personal qualifications. Sometimes, the message to voters was just don't vote for the other guy! And in another sample, bias in the newspapers is clearly demonstrated. Questions for students may include:
1. Is it clear who the candidate is?
2. What qualities make this candidate trustworthy enough to be President?
3. What image of the candidate is portrayed either with words or pictures?
Object I- A card opposing a third term for President Franklin D. Roosevelt and promoting Republican Wendell Willkie. Source: www.legacyhistorical.com
Object 2- A card promoting Republican candidate Herbert Hoover in 1932. The literary quote is an edited version of Rudyard Kipling's "If". Source: www.legacyhistoricaI.com
Object 3 - Masthead of the Cleveland Daily Herald, Eve. ed. January 22, 1840. Source: Western Reserve Historical Society Library and Archives. www.wrhs.org
Object 4 - McKinley and Hobart campaign button 1896 Source: Western Reserve Historical Society Library and Archives. www.wrhs.org
Activity adapted from a Smithsonian lesson plan, Winning the Vote.
www.smithsonianeducation.org
Voting in America Select one of the following quotes. Write a paragraph to explain and expand on its meaning. Write a second paragraph giving an example of how it may influence you as a future voter. If the ballot doesn’t work, we'll try something else, but let us try the ballot.
Malcolm X (Malcolm Little; also later Al Hajj Malik al-Shabazz) (1925 -1965), American civil rights activist and Muslim religious leader
Elections belong to the people, it is their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and bum their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.
Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865), 16th president of the United States I've never identified myself with one party or another in politics. I always decide my vote by taking as careful look as I can at the actual candidates and issues themselves, no matter what the party label.
Jackie Robinson (1919 - 1972), American baseball player A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.
Theodore Roosevelt (1858 - 1919), 26th president of the United States. The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.
Alice Walker (1944 - ), Novelist and Poet The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men.
Lyndon B. Johnson (1908 - 1973), 36th president of the United States Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.
George Jean Nathan (I882- 1958), American drama critic and editor The fight to vote freely for the candidate of one's choice is the essence of a democratic society, and any restrictions on that right strike at the head of representative government.
Earl Warren (1891 - 1974), U.S. Supreme Court Justice Our lives begin to end the day we remain silent about things that matter.
Martin Luther King, Jr. (1921- 1968), American civil rights leader Source: www.BillofRightslnstitute.org
Analyzing the Document (use with included worksheet)
1. Share a current political cartoon (one of your choice, or the attached
sample) with students to introduce the ideas of symbolism, humor, exaggeration and caricature in editorial cartoons. Fill out the Cartoon Analysis Worksheet as a whole class activity during the discussion. Students can then be divided into groups to work on the sample cartoons, and then share their findings with the whole group.
2. Students can then be divided into smaller groups to work on the enclosed historic cartoons, and then share their findings with the whole group.
Use the following questions to aid students in delving deeper into the art of editorial cartoons.
1. Symbols are used in cartoons to visually represent abstract ideas. Many such as Uncle Sam are widely recognized. What symbols are used in this cartoon? Can you think of any other symbols you have seen pictured in editorial cartoons?
2. Cartoonists employ humor to make powerful statements in an effective, less heavy-handed manner. Does this cartoon make its point? If so, how? If not, why? Is it sarcastic? Ironic? Ridiculing?
3. Exaggeration is what sets editorial cartoons apart; they must grab the reader and deliver a message in a few seconds. What is exaggerated in this cartoon, and what purpose does it serve? Caricature exaggerates or distorts a person's prominent feature(s) to allow the viewer to identify him or her quickly. How is caricature used in this cartoon?
Adapted from: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
www.archives.govldigital~classroom/lessons/analysis~worksheets/carto on.html
Visuals
Words
1. List the objects or people you see in the cartoon.
1. Identify the cartoon caption and/or title. 2. Locate three words or phrases used by the cartoonist to identify objects or people within the cartoon. 3. Record any important dates or numbers that appear in the cartoon.
Level 2
Visuals
Words
1. Which of the objects on your list are symbols? 2. What do you think each symbol means?
1. Which words or phrases In the cartoon appear to be the most significant? 2. List adjectives that describe the emotions portrayed in the cartoon.
On a separate sheet of paper, answer the following:
1. Describe the action taking place in the cartoon.
2. Explain how the words in the cartoon clarify the symbols.
3. Explain the message of the cartoon.
4. Can you think of any special interest groups today who would agree/disagree with the cartoon’s message? Why?
Extension activities, if applicable Creating Cartoons After analyzing the featured documents, ask students to create their own political cartoons and to accompany each with a written explanation of the cartoon’s main idea and the techniques used to convey that idea. Advice could include:
Avoid cluttering the cartoon with too many elements Use words and visual elements to make a single point.
Be sure that the most important visual element stands out.
Exaggerate for a reason and don’t overdo it. Connecting to the Newspaper Organize students into small groups and direct them to brainstorm current issues being debated at the local, state and national levels. Record their results on three lists and display the lists where the entire class can view them. Set a time frame on one to two weeks and assign students the task of looking through newspapers and periodicals for political cartoons relating to these issues. Instruct them to mark the source and date on each cartoon. Collect and post the cartoons on a bulletin board and be prepared to discuss their findings. Adapted from an article by Mary Frances Green, a teacher at Marie Murphy School, Avoca District 37, Wilmette, IL http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom?lessons/election_cartoons_1912/teachingactivities.html
Government Vocabulary
Bicameral: A legislature with two houses (example: the United States has the House of Representatives and the Senate). Constituent: citizens residing in a particular candidate's area or district. Democracy: A system of government in which decisions are made by the people, either directly or through their elected representatives. Direct democracy: A democratic system of government in which the people vote directly on all issues. Disenfranchisement: To remove the privileges of citizenship, especially the right to vote. District: Geographic areas of a country or state, divided for political purposes. Electoral college: The formal process for electing the President and Vice President. Electors from each state are expected to vote for the winner of a state’s popular vote. Executive: The branch of government that is responsible for making sure that laws are being enforced (example: the President in the United States). Federalism: A form of political organization in which governmental power is divided between a central government and territorial subdivisions (example: In the United States we have a national government and 50 state governments). Enfranchise: To grant citizenship, especially the right to vote. Gerrymandering: The deliberate drawing of district boundaries in order to give an advantage to a particular candidate. Legislature: The branch of government that is responsible for making the laws (example: Congress in the United States).
Majority: Any number over half. One-Person, One-Vote Principle: A law stating that everyone’s vote must be counted equally. Plurality: The most votes. If more than two candidates run for a position, it’s possible that there will be no majority. Whoever has the most votes is the winner of a plurality. Political party: A group of people interested in politics that support a certain candidate or a certain side of an issue (example: Republicans and Democrats). Poll tax: A tax charged for voting. Poll taxes were made illegal by the Twenty-Fourth Amendment in 1964. Popular Vote: The vote of the people. Presidential democracy: A system of government that has a separation of powers between independent and equal branches of government (example: the United States). Primary Election: An election organized by a political party to nominate candidates for public office or select delegates to a convention. Representative democracy (republic): A democratic system of government in which elected officials make decisions for the people that they represent. Responsibilities: The conditions or tasks for which a person is accountable or answerable. Rights: Freedoms that a person is entitled to.
Voting Vocabulary Word Search
W X S Q W P S C J T D B S R R T D J S Z B Z U V C
Y E K W P Z H P O R H V O E Z P P E Y A M I K A S
H T X T F W B U P N J U E C O E I V B N X Z T I F
F U I B L H O C T L S V G P O T M V G W Y K W J T
L R H L W Q Z Z H J X T U D I M A J O R I T Y M A
R Z E R A H L E V Z C L I L C M Z L N E I M K U V
D A G L S R F D N M A I I T U U F N Y C B V S A V
C O E Y A D U Y G R X B H E U W G U L D S W B R Y
W I L S V M Z L V Q I V O O Q E V Y Q W W P J R P
R B L J C P X O P S S N A V L W N R U W V F G R G
I M O W V C T I N L Y H M C W B V T O O L U T A A
G B C W W E B O Q N L Q P V Q Y C A R C O M E D U
H B L Y B S P B O T L E G S Y Q W Y O L Y S P N G
T G A S A S H I R P B S O B M W B T B K J Y O Q G
S Y R U E N T K W R R J W R Q G U C J S Z F P Q E
R X O R I C H H M R G I U F Y J B I V Y Y T S Q R
Y N T H E Y P K N R Y Q M C E B Q R H P H Y M U R
R B C L T O U T V U S J F A E H U T N V U Z D R Y
M R E P O L I T I C A L P A R T Y S E M R J M Q M
D L L F X K S H K U Z K F D E Y O I F P L B H Y A
X L E V M F D L V T S G E M R L R D C R W F J U N
G H W A F J T G D E D F N L Z V K Y L W H O B S D
V W M L P U K F B K P S W M H C H O A B D Z H E E
Q O T I R A T T O F T Y M D K D R N P T R I V F R
W B Y F E M W V C Q A F A X H J S P D H B R C F B
CONSTITUENT
DEMOCRACY
DISTRICT
ELECTION
A Brief Timeline of Ohio History for Every Four Years: The Making of the American President
Bold indicates the Ohio Eight
1796 Moses Cleaveland surveys the Western Reserve
1803 Ohio becomes a state
1820 Cincinnati's population is 9647; Cleveland's is 606
1827 First section of the Ohio and Erie Canal is completed
1841 William Henry Harrison becomes the 9th President of the US
1847 Thomas A. Edison is born in Milan, Ohio
1851 Ohio's constitution is revised, but African-Americans and women still can't vote
1855 First African- American man elected to office in the U.S. - J.M. Langston, elected clerk of
Brownhelm Township, Lorain County
1860 Abraham Lincoln elected to the presidency-slavery biggest platform issue
1865 American Civil War- 350,000 Ohioans served in the Union forces
1868 Ulysses S. Grant elected 18th President of the United States
1869 William F. Semple of Mt. Vernon Ohio takes out the first patent for chewing gum
1870 J. D. Rockefeller establishes Standard Oil Company in Cleveland
1877 Rutherford B. Hayes becomes President on March 4th.
1879 Charles F. Brush invents arc lighting on Cleveland streets
1880 Cincinnati's population is 255,000, Cleveland's is 160,000
1881 James Abram Garfield becomes the 20th President of the United States
1889 Benjamin Harrison, son of William Henry Harrison, becomes the 23rd President
1897 William McKinley from Niles, Ohio, is becomes the 25th President of the US
1898 George Hulett of Conneaut invents the ore unloader
1900 Harry M. Stevens, also from Niles, is credited with serving the first "hot dog"
1903 The Wright Brothers take their first controlled, powered, sustained human flight.
1904 The red carnation, William McKinley's favorite lapel flower, is adopted as the Ohio state
flower
1909 William Howard Taft is elected as the 27th President of the US
1920 The Nineteenth Amendment, guaranteeing suffrage for women, takes effect.
Cincinnati's population is 401,000; Cleveland's is 797,000
1921 Warren G. Harding is inaugurated on March 4, as the 29th President
1923 Garrett Morgan patents his Traffic Signal
1932 The Great Depression- in Cleveland, 50% of the population is unemployed
1933 The Ohio State bird is adopted- the cardinal
1934 FDR'S New Deal brings jobs to Ohio and the country
1941 The Japanese attack Pearl Harbor- the US enters WWII
1952 Cleveland's Frances Payne Bolton and son Oliver Payne Bolton become the first mother
and son simultaneously elected to US Congress
1953 The buckeye tree is adopted as the state tree
1962 Ohio born John Glenn becomes the first Astronaut to orbit the earth.
1968 Louis Stokes of Cleveland becomes the first African-American Ohio Congressman
1969 Astronaut Neil Armstrong steps on the surface of the moon.
1970 Gertrude W. Donahey, a Democrat from Tuscarawas County, became the first woman
elected to State office. She was elected State Treasurer
2003 By the Ohio Bicentennial, Ohio is the 7th largest state in population.
Year Candidate Slogan
1844 James K. Polk 54-40 or fight
1844 James K. Polk Reannexation of Texas and reoccupation of Oregon
1844 Henry Clay Who is James K. Polk?
1848 Zachary Taylor For President of the People
1856 John C. Fremont Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Speech, Free Men, and Fremont
1864 Abraham Lincoln Don't swap horses in the middle of the stream
1884 Grover Cleveland Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine, The Continental Liar from the State of Maine
1884 James Blaine Ma, Ma, Where’s my Pa, Gone to the White House, Ha, Ha, Ha
1888 Benjamin Harrison Rejuvenated Republicanism
1896 William McKinley Patriotism, Protection, and Prosperity
1916 Woodrow Wilson He kept us out of war
1920 Warren G. Harding Return to normalcy
1924 Calvin Coolidge Keep cool with Coolidge
1928 Herbert Hoover A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage
1952 Dwight Eisenhower I Like Ike
1964 Lyndon B. Johnson The stakes are too high for you to stay at home
1964 Barry Goldwater In your heart you know he’s right
1968 Richard Nixon Nixon's the One
1976 Gerald Ford He’s making us proud again
1976 Jimmy Carter Not Just Peanuts
1980 Ronald Reagan Are you better off than you were four years ago?
1984 Ronald Reagan It’s morning again in America
1984 Walter Mondale America Needs a Change
1988 George Bush Kinder, Gentler Nation
1992 Bill Clinton Putting People First
1992 Ross Perot Ross for Boss
1996 Bill Clinton Building a bridge to the 21st century
1996 Bob Dole The Better Man for a Better America
2000 Al Gore Prosperity and progress
2000 George W. Bush Compassionate conservatism
2000 George W. Bush Leave no child behind
2000 Ralph Nader Government of, by, and for the people...not the monied interests
2004 John Kerry Let America be America Again
2004 George W. Bush Yes, America Can!
2008 John McCain Country First
2008 Barack Obama Change We Can Believe In
1896 Election
William McKinley (the Republican Governor of Ohio) against William Jennings Bryan (Democrat Congressman from Nebraska). The campaign’s big issue was money – specifically what standard should the United States be using. Specifically, should a dollar be backed by gold or silver.
This caused a major clash across the nation, specifically:
o Farmers vs. Industrialists
o The rural West and South vs. the urban North and East
o “Underprivileged many” vs. “the privileged few”
William McKinley (Republican)
Backed by the business community, especially Cleveland industrialist Mark Hanna
“Gold is the way to prosperity” “McKinley and a Full Dinner Pail”
William Jennings Bryan (Democrat)
Supported using gold as well as silver standards. 16 oz. of silver would equal 1 oz. of gold
Money backed by silver would help farmers and westerners
Backed by struggling farmers and the Populist Party “Gold only helps the classes, Free Silver helps the masses and the classes”
Bryan traveled the country giving as many as 10 or 20 speeches per day. He traveled and spoke often, but only raised about $300,000. McKinley ran a “front porch campaign”, meaning that he never left his home! However, industrialist Mark Hanna raised $7,000,000 for the campaign, which paid for thousands of speakers and tons of pamphlets, buttons and posters. Election results: McKinley (Republican) 7,111,607 popular votes (52%) 271 electoral votes Bryan (Democrat) 6,509,052 popular votes (48%) 176 electoral votes
1912 Election
All of the candidates in 1912 agreed that a “new day” had begun in America and it was the duty of the government to concern itself with the general well-being of the country. How could the U.S. ever be a great world power if a large portion of its citizens were suffering?
But there were many different ideas on what the role of the government should be, and there were many different candidates for President in 1912
William Taft (Republican)
Was out of favor with most of the country, but as the sitting President, won the
Republican nomination.
Supported a protective tariff (high taxes on
foreign goods).
Theodore Roosevelt (Bull Moose)
Had already been President until 1908. Taft was his VP. Believed that Taft was out of
step with his principles.
Supported progressive causes: Aid to farmers, better conditions for workers, women’s suffrage, popular
election of Senators, federal income tax, social security, etc…
Progressivism
Former President of Princeton University and Governor of New Jersey.
Supported reduced tariffs.
support of women’s suffrage).
Liberalism
Anti-capitalism (against private ownership
of business)
Supported direct election of the President, social security, a graduated income tax (higher taxes for higher incomes) and a
minimum wage.
Socialism Election results: Woodrow Wilson: 41.9% of popular votes, 435 electoral votes Theodore Roosevelt: 27.2% of popular votes, 88 electoral votes William Taft: 23.2% of popular votes, 8 electoral votes
Eugene Debs: 6% of popular votes, 0 electoral votes
1920 Election
This was the first election after the passage of the 19th Amendment; therefore it was the first election in which women across the country were able to vote. President Woodrow Wilson wanted to run for a third term; but because of his declining health, the Democratic Party refused to nominate him. Warren G. Harding (Republican) against James Cox (Democrat) and Eugene Debs (Socialist).
James Cox (Democrat)
differences between countries.
Warren G. Harding
Ohio Senator
Supported a “return to normalcy” after World War I, but would not endorse the
League of Nations.
Ran a front porch campaign from his home in Marion, Ohio.
Eugene Debs
Ran for President from jail.
He was serving a 10-year prison sentence for a speech in Canton, Ohio against the
draft.
16,152,200 popular votes (62%) 404 electoral votes
James Cox (Democrat) 9,147,353 popular votes (35%) 127 electoral votes Eugene Debs 919,799 popular votes (3%) No electoral votes Voters overwhelmingly preferred Harding’s plan to “return to normalcy” and put the war behind them. In addition to being the first election in which women across the country could vote, this was the first time that election results were announced on the radio.
1948 Election
After World War II had ended, President Truman had a long list of problems, including:
Inflation
Strikes
The Soviet Union expanding and the beginnings of the Cold War
The Democratic Party had splintered
o Strom Thurmond’s “Dixiecrats” in the South
o Henry Wallace forms the Progressive Party
Truman was very unpopular, and most observers expected Republican candidate Thomas Dewey (the Governor of New York) to win. The 1948 election is considered among the first modern elections. Candidates could easily travel from coast to coast campaigning, the Republic Convention was televised, and it was the first time that opinion polls were in heavy use. The two candidates ran very different campaigns, despite having very similar platforms: Dewey relied on public opinion polls that gave him a huge lead, and ran a very safe, dull campaign. Truman campaigned aggressively, travelling the country by train and attacking Dewey and the Republicans by name at every stop. Election results: Harry Truman (Democrat): 24,179,347 popular votes (49.6%) 303 electoral votes Thomas Dewey (Republican): 21,991,292 popular votes (45.1%) 189 electoral votes Opinion polls and news sources showed Dewey far ahead of Truman on Election Day, and most reporters thought Dewey’s victory was inevitable. Magazines and newspapers even printed headlines proclaiming Dewey the winner before the votes were in. But thanks to an aggressive campaign, Truman managed to overcome the splintered Democratic Party and win the general election. His victory is considered by many historians to be the greatest political upset in American history.
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