M. J. Ditmore © 2008

Teaching American History for All

Maybeck High School/UCB H-SSP

10th Grade Lesson: “Progressivism in the age of Imperialism”

Developed by Michael J. Ditmore

11th Grade Year long Question

From its origins to the present day the constitution been interpreted and reinterpreted in the light of social, religious,political and cultural movements, as well as in reaction to wars, and crises, students will examinethe many ways in which that succession of interpretations has expanded and less often contracted the power of the federal government. Students will also consider the changing relationship of citizens to their government though time and will be encouraged to examine their own roles rights and responsibilities as US citizens.

Unit Focus:

What is the relationship between Imperialism and Progressivism?

Lesson Focus Question and/ or Writing Prompt Question:

What is the relationship between Imperialism and Progressivism in US activities in the Philippines? Does that relationship shed light on the failure of domestic Progressivism to benefit people of color and religious minorities to the same extend as it benefited northern European descent?

Lesson Working Thesis:

While progressives pursued idealistic programs designed to benefit society, the prevalence of anglo-saxonism and social Darwinist views among progressives, also allowed them to ignore people of color on the domestic scene and to embark on imperialist ventures which caused significant harm to people of color at home and abroad.

Note: This plan is a short review unit designed to follow a pair of chapters--one on US Imperialism and one on Progressivism (AV, Ch. 4 and 5).The one-week (four days) unit is intended to help students to synthesis two units which overlap chronologically, but which treat their subjects as discrete from one another. It is intended to stimulate critical thinking about the nature of Imperialism in to set up a deeper connection to the next text chapter on the Wilson presidency and the First World War.

Reading Strategy #1

Sentence level:

Sentence Deconstruction Primary Document: Theodore Roosevelt,

Response to William JenningsBryan’s Anti-War Platform,Chicago, 1899

(American Vision pp. 318-319)

I have scant patience with those who fear to undertake the task of governing the Philippines. . . I have even scanter patience with those who. . . rant about “liberty” and the “consent of the governed” in order to excuse themselves for their unwillingness to play the part of men. . . .

M. J. Ditmore © 2008

Passage Deconstruction (reading strategy)

Primary Document: Theodore Roosevelt, Chicago, 1899

Response to William JenningsBryan’s Anti-War Platform, delivered in 1899

American Vision pp. 318-319

Time marker/
foreground/ connector words / Who (subject) Participants / Action Words
(verbs/ verb phrases) / Who, What, Where? Message / Questions or conclusions: What connections can you make from this information?
I [TR] / have
with / those [like William Jennings Bryan, object to the occupation of the Philippines] who / fear
I [TR] / have
with / those [like William Jennings Bryan, object to the occupation of the Philippines] who / rant

Students will have read Bryan’s presidential platform speech against the war

Passage Deconstruction, reading strategy (KEY)

Primary Document: Theodore Roosevelt, Chicago, 1899

Response to William JenningsBryan’s Anti-War Platform, delivered in 1899

American Vision pp.318-319

Time marker/
foreground/ connector words / Who (subject) Participants / Action Words
(verbs/ verb phrases) / Who, What, Where? Message / Questions or conclusions: What connections can you make from this information?
I [TR] / have / scant patience / Note bland verb and the sense of urgency. Post as the exasperated but reasonable voice.
with / those [like William Jennings Bryan, object to the occupation of the Philippines] who / fear / to undertake the task of governing the Philippines. / “fear” highlighted, the implication of cowardice confirmed in the last phrase of the next sentence.
I [TR] / have / even scanter patience / Note the rhetorical ratcheting up of impatience.
with / those who [like William Jennings Bryan, object to the occupation of the Philippines] / rant / about “liberty” and the “consent of the governed” in order to excuse themselves for their unwillingness to play the part of men. / “Rant” puts Bryan in irrational contrast to TR’s implied patience (however stretched). Notice the willingness to set aside and put scare quotes around key concepts of US law.

M. J. Ditmore © 2008

Reading Strategy #2

Passage Level Strategy:

Passage Strategy for Reading Analysis:

Actions, Motivations, Results

Rebellion in the Philippines

The United States quickly learned that controlling its new empire would not be easy. Emilio Aguinaldo called the American decision to annex his homeland a “violent and aggressive seizure.” He then ordered his troops to attack the American soldiers in the Philippines.

To fight the Filipino guerrillas, General Arthur MacArthur…adopted many of the same policies that America had condemned Spain for using in Cuba. MacArthur set up reconcentration camps to separate guerrillas from civilians. The results were also similar to what had happened in Cuba. Thousands of Filipinos died from disease and starvation.

While MacArthur fought the guerrillas, the first U.S. civilian governor of the islands, William Howard Taft, tried to win over the Filipino people by reforming education, transportation, and health care. New railroads, bridges, and telegraph lines strengthened the economy. A public school system was set up, and new health care policies virtually eliminated severe diseases such as cholera and smallpox. These reforms slowly reduced Filipino hostility.

In March 1901, American troops captured Aguinaldo. The following month, Aguinaldo accepted American control of the islands and called on the guerrillas to surrender. By summer 1902, the United States had declared the war over. Eventually the United States allowed the Filipinos a greater role in governing their own country. By the mid-1930s, they were permitted to elect their own congress and president. Finally, in 1946, the United States granted independence to the Philippines.

American Vision, Glencoe, McGraw Hill, 2006, p.306

Focus Question: How did progressivism support and assist Imperialism?

Content Question: What does the passage tell us about progressivism if the policies mentioned in the passage are practiced under a progressive government and involve a future progressive president?

Passage Strategy for Reading Analysis:

Actions, Motivations, Results

Rebellion in the Philippines

Who are the Actors on the US side in this passage?
What did they do?
Why did they do it?
What were the ultimate results of the actions taken?
While many of the actions undertaken by Taft are typical of progressive reforms, can we call them progressive? Explain.

Passage Strategy for Reading Analysis:

Actions, Motivations, Results

Rebellion in the Philippines

Who are the Actors in the passage? / General Arthur MacArthur / William Howard Taft
Actions:
What did they do?
(Number the actions taken when there are more than one.) / 1) Adopted policies that had been condemned in Cuba under Spain
2) Set up reconcentration camps / 1) Reformed education, transportation and health care
2) had new railroads, bridges, and telegraph lines constructed
3) established new health care policies
Results:
What were the results of the actions taken? / Thousands of Filipinos died from disease and starvation / Eliminated diseases such as cholera, and smallpox in the Philippines
Slowly reduced Filipino hostility towards the US
What were the ultimate results of these actions? / Mixed: thousands dies in concentration camps, but devastating diseases were eliminated and the Philippine infrastructure was improved. Gradually hostility towards the US ceased and the revolt ended.
How do the progressive improvements in the Philippinesrelate to the military actions? Explain. Evaluate. / Answers will vary.
  • The two sets of policies are contradictory, and the use of progressive methods is a cynical ploy to further the goal of conquest and occupation.
  • Progressive methods are part of the military effort and justified on the moral ground of supporting a faster end to resistance and loss of life.
  • Since the US wanted the Philippines for the market they would provide, as well as opening the door to china, it makes perfect sense to build systems of transportation, to make the people healthier, and better educated.

Students would fill out the first three rows in class, then discuss their results. Students would then write responses to the last two rows for homework to bring in for discussion the following day. After discussing their responses, students would begin work in groups on the following writing strategy with breaks to discuss their results. This would be a wider ranging discussion and review of the two chapters for more evidence.

Writing Strategy:

Examine the relationship between imperialism and progressivism.

Thesis: ______

Evidence: ______

Analysis:

______

Evidence:

______

Analysis:

______

Conclusion:

______

Suggested Amount of Time:

Four days divided into two 55 minute class on Monday and Tuesday respectively, one 100 minute class on Thursday and, one 55 minute class on Friday.

Textbook:

American Vision, Glencoe, McGraw Hill, 2006,Ch. 5 and 6

Primary Sources:

Political Cartoons from the Age of Imperialism from The Forbidden Book: the Philippine-American War in Political Cartoons T-Boli publishing, 2004

Two Essays: “The Subjective Necessity for Social Settlements,” Jane Addams, 1892 and Booker T. Washington and Others,” 1903 (Handouts from Reading the American Past: Selective Historical Documents vol. 2 From 1865, Bedford St. Martins, 2005, pp.101-104 and 116-119)

Context of the lesson in the Unit:

The critical thinking about Progressivism will open the Mini-unit on the relationship between Progressivism and Imperialism.

Lesson Procedure:

Day One:

1. Introduction: Set up the question: what’s the relationship between Imperialism and Progressivism: review definitions of the two movements in chapters 4 and 5.

  • Step One:Distribute lined paper and project political cartoons advocating imperialism for discussion.
  • Step Two:Students will write up observations, and then share around the room; each student must produce something to turn in.

2. Reading strategy:

  • Step One: Students will divide into groups to chunk the three excerpted essays on Imperialism (American Vision pp. 318-319)
  • Step Two: Delivery of writing assignment for homework due tomorrow.

HW: a one page (200 to 250words) speech advocating one of the three positions or an alternative position on imperialism.

Day Two:

1. Solicit readings of the speeches, collect the assignment.

2. Sentence deconstruction (See above).

  • Step One: Distribute the forms.
  • Step Two: Explain how to use the form.
  • Step Three: Discuss the results using the key (see above).
  • Step Four: Collect the forms.

3. Political Cartoon Discussion:

  • Step One: Distribute lined paper and project White Man’s Burden Series.
  • Step Two: Observe and Write, then discuss.
  • Step Three: Collect Writing for assessment.

4. Introduce Jane Addams’ settlement house essay.

  • Step One: Distribute photocopies of Jane Addams’ essay.
  • Step Two: Assign homework: reading Jane Addams and annotating the essay.

Day Three Block Day:

1. Discuss the Jane Addams essay.

  • Step One: Prepare the discussion by chunking the paragraphs and having groups find the thesis or topic sentence for each.
  • Step Two: Have groups report back on their findings.
  • Step Three: Discuss how Addams’ views fit into the overall picture of Progressivism and progressive goals (review).

2. Discuss passage on the Philippine War (American Vision pp. 306-306), see above for reading strategy (passage analysis).

  • Step One: Distribute passage analysis on the Rebellion in the Philippines.
  • Step Two: Students read the essay and fills in the first three rows individually.
  • Step Three: Discuss the prompts in the third and fourth row in terms of the unit question, have students write up the results individually and hand them in.

3. Introduce the W.E.B. Du Bois essay.

  • Step One: Distribute photocopies of W.E.B Du Bois essay.
  • Step Two: Assign homework: Reading W.E.B Du Bois and annotating the essay

Day Four:

1. Discuss the W.E.B Du Bois essay

  • Step One: Prepare the discussion by chunking the paragraphs and having groups find the thesis or topic sentence for each.
  • Step Two: Have groups report back on their findings.
  • Step Three: Discuss how W.E.B Du Bois’ views fit into the overall picture of Progressivism and progressive goals (review the passage on the formation of the N.A.A.C.P. if the students don’t bring it up in the discussion).

2. Return to the question of the relation of Imperialism to Progressivism via the place of Anglo-Saxonism and race prejudice in domestic policy and in foreign policy

History-Social Science Content Standards:

  • 11.2.9 Effect of political programs and activity of Progressives
  • 11.4 Trace the rise of the US to… a world power in the 20th Cent.
  • 11.4.2 Describe the Spanish-American War & US expansion in the South Pacific

Historical and Social Sciences Analysis Skills:

  • Chronological and Spatial thinking 3. Students use a variety of maps and documents to interpret human movement, including major patterns of domestic and international migration, changing environmental preferences and settlement patterns, the frictions that develop between population groups, and the diffusion of ideas, technological innovations, and goods.
  • Historical Research, Evidence and Point of View: 3. Students construct and test hypotheses; collect, evaluate, and employ information from multiple primary and secondary sources; and apply it in oral and written presentations.

Reading/Language Arts Content Standards:

  • 1.0 Writing Strategies
  • 1.3 Structure ideas and arguments in a sustained, persuasive, and sophisticated way and support them with precise and relevant examples.
  • 1.0 Written and Oral English and language Conventions
  • 1.1 Demonstrate control of grammar, diction, and paragraph and sentence structure and an understanding of English usage.
  • 1.2 Produce legible work that shows accurate spelling and correct punctuation and capitalization.
  • 1.3 Reflect appropriate manuscript requirements in writing.
  • 1.0 Listening and Speaking strategies:
  • 1.1 Recognize strategies used by the media to inform, persuade, entertain, and transmit culture (e.g., advertisements; perpetuation of stereotypes; use of visual representations, special effects, language).
  • 1.3 Interpret and evaluate the various ways in which events are presented and information is communicated by visual image makers (e.g., graphic artists, documentary filmmakers, illustrators, news photographers).