The Historian's Craft (Spring 2009)

University of Alabama at Birmingham
Tag cloud for these 10 episodes
Blackface Government Health Immigration Medicine/Health Minstrel Show Politics Roles of Women Segregation Slave Jails Slavery Southern Women Women of the South america billy the kid chinese football gold rush nevada new mexico old west

Episodes

  1. Chinese Immigration in San Francisco
    date May 21, 1876 to 1880map SAN FRANCISCO, Californiatags chinese, Immigration

    Chinese immigration was an important issue in San Francisco in the mid 19th century. The Burlingame Treaty of 1868 gave the Chinese full rights to immigrate to the United States. When an economic depression hit in the 1870's, an intense competition for jobs lead white residents to become extremely opposed to Chinese immigration. In the May 21st, 1876 issue of the Daily alta California newspaper, it...

  2. Gold Rush in Manhattan Nevada
    date January 10, 1906 to 1919map Esmeralda, Nevadatags nevada, gold rush

    A gold strike in the small mountain valley town of Manhattan, Nevada lead to a population increase of four thousand people within one week, and one man was killed in the rush for gold.  He was driving an overcrowded stage when it tipped over and killed him, slightly wounding other passengers. An article in the January 10, 1906 Los Angeles Herald did not name the man who passed away. Manhattan's population...

  3. The Death of Billy the Kid
    date July 19, 1881map LINCOLN, New Mexicotags billy the kid, new mexico, old west

    Billy the Kid gained legendary status as one of the Wild West’s most famous outlaws. Even before his death, the public viewed him as larger than life, thanks in part to newspaper coverage of his murders, his capture, and his escape from jail. When he was finally tracked down and fatally shot by sheriff Pat Garrett of Lincoln County New Mexico, news of his death was printed in newspapers all around...

  4. Columbus Discovers Ayer’s Sarsaparilla
    date 1883 to 1899map MIDDLESEX, Massachusettstags Medicine/Health, Health

    Columbus and his men are on their journey to America, and to their surprise, they seem to find "AYER'S SARSAPARILLA" waiting for them on the shores of the New World. In the play on words, the Victorian Trading Card claims, "Without Doubt the Discovery of America is Ayer's Sarsaparilla. Dr. Ayer's almanac gives the signatures of thousands of sick people who consumed Ayer's Sarsaparilla and fully recovered...

  5. Begginings of Football
    date October, 1900 to October, 1920map Worcester, Massachusettstags football, america

        Riots took over most of Boston when students started flipping carriages and partaking in bloody fights in the streets over a football game. The game was between freshman and sophomores at Harvard College. In the 1820’s, on Ivy League campuses the earliest form of football was invented. Princeton began playing what was then known as ‘ballown’. Participants would use their fists to advance...

  6. The Black Enchanter
    date January 15, 1848map MIDDLESEX, Massachusettstags Blackface, Minstrel Show

    “The Black Enchanter…”  functions as the comic relief in a play titled John-Donkey’s Prize Plays. This actor was one of many white actors in a black face minstrel show in the period before the Civil War. This black character is portraying the “court jester” of  this time period, entertaining white people in old torn clothes with his over exaggeration of black features:  broken language,...

  7. A Defeat So Sweet
    date November 3, 1876 to November 7, 1876map NEW YORK, New Yorktags Government, Politics

    On November 3, 1876 Rutherford B. Hayes wrote a letter to General M.F. Force. As the November 7th presidential election loomed, Hayes wrote with a melancholy tone about his prospect for victory. In the letter he tells General Force that he will find a variety of things to console him in the event of his defeat, and that there is nothing he would go back and change about his campaign if he could. Hayes...

  8. Heroines of the South
    date May 25, 1863map DE KALB, Alabamatags Roles of Women, Women of the South, Southern Women

    As General Forrest frantically searched for an alternate route across the Black Creek Ford about three miles from Gadsden, Alabama, the enemy was quickly approaching.  The stream was overflowing and the bridge was broken so General Forrest retreated into the town in hopes of locating another way around the flooded creek.  Upon entry into the town, General Forrest knocked upon a stranger’s door. ...

  9. The Game That Ended Segregation in Sports
    date September 12, 1970map Jefferson, Alabamatags football, Segregation

      On September 12, 1970 University of Alabama under legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant played the University of Southern California at Legion Field in Birmingham Alabama. The Trojans ran up and down the field on that hot September night. The final score was USC 42, Alabama 21. The Trojans dominated the game rushing on the ground for 485 rushing yards to Alabama's 32. This demanding win for USC would...

  10. Visit to Slave Jail
    date November 8, 1843map PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvaniatags Slavery, Slave Jails

    On November 8, 1843, a reporter from the Philadelphia Enquirer described his visit to a slave jail. Outraged by the horrific conditions he decried “the wickedness and the cruelty of the abominable system…”   In his article the reporter describes the conditions of the jail and the different types of slaves who were being housed in the jail. The proprietor of the jail “was continually occupied...

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