Land and Body- the Politics of Safety

Allotment.

Dawes rolls.

Blood Quantum.

Graft.

Squatters’ rights.

Freedmen.

These words should be familiar to anyone who thinks they know American history.

In the podcast “This Land,” Rebecca Nagle tells the story of Native land theft in the US, primarily through the history of her own Cherokee Nation and the more recent uproar around McGirt v. Oklahoma, a case that the US Supreme Court ruled on in 2020. Oklahoma had long held that much of its eastern territory had ceased being Indian reservation land in the early 20th century, and was completely within state jurisdiction. The court ruled otherwise, but what does that mean? You’ll have to listen to find out more. Episode 5: “The Land Grab,” is a good place to start if you’re pressed for time. It touches on all the terms I listed above.

The Allotment Act, and Allotment in general, were initiatives on the part of the federal and state governments to convert reservation lands that were owned collectively by indigenous tribes, into parcels of property owned by individuals. The fine print was that this process created a great deal of “surplus” land after tribal members had been “allotted” theirs. This land could only be sold to the federal government, who in turn opened it up to homesteading or sold it outright. The profits from such sales was supposed to be held in trust accounts for the benefit of the tribes it was bought from, but corruption at all levels usually thwarted this provision.

Another podcast I highly recommend is “The Mental Illness Happy Hour.” Comedian Paul Gilmartin interviews artists, friends, and the occasional doctor about all things unwell- depression, anxiety, trauma, etc. It’s trauma that I think is worth thinking about with the controversy around Middle East conflicts, and history in general. The word has so saturated public discourse over the past 10 years that it sounds meaningless to many. Of course, it is anything but. Gilmartin delves into the ugly and excruciating reality of trauma and other afflictions with a level of humor and compassion that is truly astonishing. And there is no flinching. His interview with Meyli Chapin, an American survivor of a terrorist attack in Kenya, is a great introduction.

Sources:

This Land- Season 1, Episode 5: The Land Grab

The Mental Illness Happy Hour- w/ Meyli Chapin, author of Terrorist Attack Girl.

October 27, 1787- Federalist Papers Published

John Jay, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton

After declaring independence in 1776, the revolting American states scrambled to organize effectively. The closest thing to a national government was the Continental Congress, which set about the work of waging war and instituting a government at the same time.

In November of 1777, they submitted the Articles of Confederation to the states as the basis of government. It took a while longer for all the states to ratify it. This document governed the US from March of 1781 to March of 1789, when the Constitution of the United States of America went into effect.

The Constitution enhanced the powers of the federal government, which at the time were few, so it was a hard sell for most of the newly independent states. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay wrote a series of essays under the pen name Publius arguing in favor of the Constitution on various points.

They were published in New York City newspapers starting on October 27, 1787, and reprinted in many others throughout the US. These essays, The Federalist Papers, are still referred to today by lawyers, judges, and others to argue a wide range of views on the proper implementation of the Constitution and the intent of its framers (as if there were only one).

No, I haven’t read them yet; I’m getting to it— Geez!

Sources:

The Federalist Papers- Library of Congress

The Articles of Confederation- The National Archives

Terrorism and Apartheid

It is easy to get lost in the abstractions of history- the politics, the themes, the concepts. It’s tempting to get lost in the color of history- the mythology, the heroes and villians, the romance of artifacts and the stories written, painted, sung, and sculpted.

But history isn’t glorious, it is painfully real and leaves many people broken, bereft, and lost. No speech or law, no celebration or revolution, no veneration heals or even salves the wounds. All of our noise does little more than make it easier for bystanders to look away.

Nelson Mandela’s book, “Long Walk to Freedom” is the story of his life in Apartheid South Africa and how he was gradually drawn into the movement to overthrow the racist regime. Most of his work in that movement took place behind bars. What struck me about the book was the personal nature of the text. Mandela recounts events, politics, and personalities, but focuses more acutely on the effects of this history on his life and the lives of others. The messy, unglamorous loss and pain that result from trying to change the way things are.

A long read, but a good one.

Churchill Book Collector

October 20, 1962- Sino-Indian War

The Sino-Indian War was a month long armed conflict between India and the People’s Republic of China. Both nations had only recently seized the reigns of power from older regimes and colonizing forces and were still in the process of cementing their borders. This led to disputes that were mostly argued about diplomatically, if not cordially.

However, when India granted asylum to the Dalai Lama after the 1959 Tibetan Uprising, tensions reached a new level. When military units skirmished in the Ladakh region in 1962, China seized the initiative and invaded several disputed border areas. They were successful in pushing Indian forces out and after a month of fighting, unilaterally declared a ceasefire. Some parts of these borders are disputed to this day.

This is a topic I have little familiarity with, so I have surely missed much of the nuance involved. I will only add that these events did not occur in a vacuum and it has been common knowledge for quite a while that the US’ Central Intelligence Agency conducted numerous operations throughout Asia in hopes of destabilizing and overthrowing China’s communist regime.

The article below by Aldo Abitol examines the politics involved in this conflict in much greater detail. The second link directs you to the website Omniatlas, a site of historical maps that has some concise bullet points about the conflict.

Aldo D. Abitbol, “Causes of the 1962 Sino-Indian War: A systems Level Approach,” Josef Korbel Journal of Advanced International Studies 1 (Summer 2009): 74-88.

“East Asia 1962: Sino-Indian War.” Omniatlas.com. 2016. Accessed 10/20/23.

My War Diary: Lebanon June 5-July 1, 1982- Dov Yermiya

I read Dov Yermiya’s war diary in my 20s when I was still trying to get a basic understanding of the history of Israel and Palestine. It was an eye opener.

Yermiya was an Israeli veteran who fought in every war since 1948 when Israel was founded. There is no substitute for the account of a real person who was in the middle of a conflict if you are genuinely trying to understand it.

Whether or not you agree with Yermiya’s assessments or beliefs, he told the truth as he saw it from ground zero. He was not a politician, a talking head, or someone talking loud and sanctimoniously from a cozy refuge.

The book is sadly out of print, but there are used copies for sale online and it is carried by many libraries.

Worldcat Catalog

October 13, 1812- Battle of Queenston Heights

Jefferys, Charles Williams. The Death of Brock at Queenston Heights. 1908. Government of Ontario Art Collection, 619871.

The Battle of Queenston Heights was part of the War of 1812. It took place on the American-Canadian border near Niagra Falls. This is one of the messier wars in American history. Like the Seven Years War (called the French and Indian War in the US) it was actually a global conflict between the British and French Empires.

The gentleman taking a bullet above is Sir Isaac Brock, the battle’s most memorialized casualty.

Sources:

Canadian Encyclopedia- The battle

National Park Service- The War

Occupants- Photographs

This book of photographs and vignettes will take you around the world, without skipping the sore spots.

The writing that accompanies the photos is more personal than observational.

Check out the Book TV episode linked below where the author presents a slideshow and talks more concretely about the images.

C-Span Interview

October 6, 1981- Anwar al-Sadat Assassinated

Anwar al-Sadat was the successor of Gamal Abdel-Nasser, the man who led the military coup against the Egyptian monarchy and their British allies.

He and Nasser were both leaders in a Pan-Arab movement throughout the Middle East. But al-Sadat made many enemies by rolling back socialist policies and signing a peace accord with Israel. Most have attributed his assassination in 1981 to these 2 factors.

Sources:

Blackpast

Sadat speech- LOC

Guardian Archive

September 29, 1931- Black Tuesday in Estevan, Saskatchewan

RCMP officers during the Estevan Riot. 1931, Public Domain.

This date is known as Black Tuesday in Estevan, Canada. On this day several hundred striking miners clashed with local and Royal Mounted police in the streets of the Saskatchewan town. The fighting left 3 dead and many injured.

Annie Buller addressing a crowd before the Estevan Riot. 1931, Public Domain.

Sources:

Encyclopedia of the Great Plains

Old Doc- Utoob

HST 119- American Civil War and Reconstruction Era

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Art and Artifacts Division, The New York Public Library. "The Bright and Morning Star" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed September 23, 2023. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/062f3930-475a-0132-8d18-58d385a7bbd0

Some refer to the Civil War (1861-1865) as the 2nd American Revolution, and indeed, in many ways, it is the beginning of the national political parties and structures we know today.

What I appreciate most about this podcast is how it presents the Civil War as INSEPARABLE from Reconstruction (1863/65-1877/1890/etc.). The war cannot be accurately understood by looking only at the war years, or only the politics around slavery, or only anything. The North won the war and was able to keep most of the fighting to the South or territories near the border, and yet the North was no less radically changed by the outcome, in ways that most Americans would not honestly face until the political end of Jim Crow in 1965.

David Blight has written many books about The Civil War, Reconstruction, and Southern American history. The podcast is essentially just recordings of the lectures in his HST 119 class at Yale. If midgrade audio quality and one person’s voice delivering the program is not to your taste, you may duck out early, but it’s definitely still worth a skim. I don’t think you’ll find a more curious, holistic, and insightful look at American history (any era) anywhere.

It also introduced me to 2 incredible books by historian Charles B. Dew (links in sources).

Professor David Blight

Reccommended Episodes:

Lecture 8- Dred Scott, Bleeding Kansas, and the Impending Crisis of the Union, 1855-58

Lecture 17- Homefronts and Battlefronts: "Hard War" and the Social Impact of the Civil War

Lecture 20- Wartime Reconstruction: Imagining the Aftermath and a Second American Republic

Lecture 21- Andrew Johnson and the Radicals: A Contest over the Meaning of Reconstruction

Lecture 25- The "End" of Reconstruction: Disputed Election of 1876, and the "Compromise of 1877"

Sources:

HST 119

The Making of a Racist- Charles B. Dew

Apostles of Disunion- Charles B. Dew

September 22, 1980- Iran/Iraq War AKA The First Gulf War

Persepolis, 2007

The Iran-Iraq war is not always linked to the Iranian Revolution that brought the Ayatollahs to power, but it is indeed a direct result. The US, along with allies inside and outside the Middle East funded Iraq and diplomatically isolated Iran for the 8 years of the conflict. Iraq invaded Iran on 9/22, but has always insisted the war began earlier as a result of Iranian bombing.

I have learned about this conflict through studying other topics, but have yet to read a book directly about it.

Samantha Power’s book “Genocide: A Problem from Hell” was probably my first exposure.

A Problem From Hell- 2002

Chapter 8, the photo is of a Kurdish Widow holding photos of family members “disappeared” by Iraqi forces.

I also found the comic/film “Persepolis” to be illuminating regarding the war, as well as Iran itself.

Sources:

Legacy of the Iran-Iraq War- Sinan S Mahmoud/ Aljazeera

The Iran-Iraq War- Pierre Razoux

A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide- Samantha Powers

Persepolis Trailer

Lexicon Valley- A Podcast about Language

In my university orientation, one of our advisors told us, “Study Languages.”

She elaborated that anything you’re interested in will be made more clear and useful by studying a foreign language. And beyond your specific studies, learning a language (regardless of your age, fluency, etc.) improves your brain and provides insight into countless phenomenon. As a historian, I second this advice emphatically. Languages are invaluable in helping one understand how both societies and individuals grow, decay, and adapt. There are millions of historical leads buried in their grammar and vocabulary.

Linguist John McWhorter hosts a superb half-hour podcast examining various facets of language called Lexicon Valley. While the topic is always language, the conversation invariably swerves into past, present, future- abstract to concrete- politics to culture- and back.

Professor McWhorter has often argued against the grain. As a Black academic, he famously argued against educational initiatives in the 90s that claimed that Black students would be better served learning African-American Vernacular English (AKA Ebonics) instead of traditional English. Proponents cited data showing that Black students performed worse than other demographics in English classes and determined it was because they were learning someone else’s language. McWhorter’s position was and is that this approach denies Black students an equal education and that the data revealing Black “underperformance” is more accurately attributed to socioeconomic status and antiquated testing methods.

These topics crop up on Lexicon Valley occasionally, but only because, as I said, when you study languages, every topic crops up. McWhorter is a highly listenable host respectfully navigating the beautiful, volatile topic of language.

Luego! <(Spanish)

John McWhorter debating (academically) antiracism with Nikhil Singh- Reason TV. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=mzPKk19t3Kw

Lexicon Valley- Recommended Episodes:

8/21/23- Miami English

9/13/22- Is Negro a Slur or just Antiquated?

11/2/21- Can you play “Jew” in Scrabble?

9/7/21- What do they Speak in Afghanistan?

8/24/21- The Morphing of Critical Race Theory

September 15, 1821- El Acta de la Independencia de Centroamerica

El Acta de La Independencia de Centroamerica was the document that declared the independence of the (then) 5 countries of Central America- Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. Belize and Panama were established later.

It was signed and enacted on September 15, 1821.

Actually, at the time it was called the Independencia de Guatemala, as all of the Central American countries were considered provinces of the the Spanish territory of Guatemala. In the same year the new Central American states chose to join the Mexican Empire, but the alliance fell apart within a few years, leading to an independent Federation of the Centre of America in 1823.

The events surrounding these political movements are complicated and sprawl throughout multiple decades. I’m no expert, rather someone continuing to better understand the histories of Mexico, the Southwest US, Central America, South America, The Caribbean, and the other regions of what is sometimes called Latin America, or América Latina.

1821 Mexican Empire © Giggette. Wikimedia Commons. CC-BY-SA-3.0

Sources:

Central American independence celebrations- Remitly

Central America- World Atlas

Vocab- The Colonial Rainbow

Colonialism is a more complicated phenomenon than it may first appear. Not only has it manifested in multiple ways, but since the 20th century, it has been increasingly challenged, dismantled, and redefined by colonized peoples and states. This has resulted in theories, practices, and movements, such as decolonialism, anti-colonialism, and post-colonialism, that can be difficult to distinguish from each other, as some users apply them more interchangeably than others.

Imperialism- The practice and/or policy of a state or people extending its authority into other territories for political or economic gain.

Colonialism- Appropriation, occupation, and/or control of one territory by another, usually defined by resource or wealth extraction.

Settler Colonialism- Distinguished from traditional colonialism wherein resources and wealth are extracted from the colonized territory to the colonizing territory (often called the metropole). 

Settler colonialism is defined by the settlers creating a new colonizing territory on the territory of the colonized, (ex. USA, Australia, South Africa).

Decolonialism/Decolonization- The process of a colonized territory or people gaining independence, often implemented problematically by colonizers themselves.

Neocolonialism- Control and/or exploitation of one territory by another through indirect means, particularly of formerly conquered or dependent territories.

Anti-colonialism- Resistance to and action against colonizing powers by the colonized. Can be formal organizations or more decentralized movements. Often referred to as decolonialism. 

Post-colonialism- Can refer to a specific historical period of any given place or region after one defined by imperialism or colonialism, or to a more globalized intellectual and political project of rethinking world affairs in the aftermath of “Western colonialism” from the 1950s through to the present (Western meaning Western European).

World Map of the 3 Worlds Model. © 1998–2006. nationsonline.org

Sources:

University of Winnipeg- Colonial Concepts

Nations Online- 4 Worlds

Nations Online 4 Worlds (concise)

September 8, 1986- Oprah Winfrey Show Premiered

Love her or hate her, Oprah Winfrey redefined American television, book clubs, wealth, and, arguably, Blackness.

Oprah Winfrey on the first national broadcast of the "Oprah Winfrey Show" on Sep. 8, 1986. The premiere was on the topic of "marrying the right person." Rockford Register Star.

In 1984, Oprah co-hosted on a local show on ABC’s network, called AM Chicago. Winfrey soon became a rising star and the Oprah Winfrey Show premiered nationally in 1986.

Oprah is many things to many different people and her show tackled a range of topics. I’ve linked to a video I found from her show’s first season where she visited Forsyth County, Georgia, where Black people had been barred for over 75 years.

I was not a fan of Oprah before, but I was deeply impressed by her poise and her ability to challenge the people she was interviewing while also allowing them to speak their mind.

Hollywood Reporter article

Forsyth County clip

Vera Anderson/ Getty Images

Labor Days

Artist: WA Rogers. Political cartoon from the July 21, 1894 cover of Harper's Weekly. It is labeled "The Vanguard of Anarchy" and depicts Eugene Debs, leader of the American Railway Union, being carried on a throne among a procession which carries a standard that states anarchy.

Peter J. McGuire, a founding member of the Brotherhood of Carpenters, is credited with proposing an American labor holiday in September. He suggested to the New York Central Labor Union in 1882 that the first Monday in September be observed in recognition of workers. That year on September 5th the Knights of Labor sponsored a parade in New York City, regarded as America’s first Labor Day.

But the story is much more complex. European socialists and trade unionists collaborated in Paris in 1889 to create the first Worker’s Day as an international holiday and memorial of the Haymarket Riot in Chicago- the world’s first May Day (the worker’s day, not the ancient spring/summer festivals of various cultures).

They were influenced by a decision made five years earlier by the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions of the United States and Canada, later known as the American Federation of Labor. They passed a resolution to fight for the 8-hour work day on October 7, 1884:

“Resolved by the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions the United States and Canada, that eight hours shall constitute legal day's labor from May First, 1886, and that we recommend to labor organizations throughout their jurisdiction that they so direct their laws as to conform to this resolution by the time named.”

Pullman Strike in 1894. Chicago South Side. Original caption: "National guardsmen firing at the mob at Loomis and 49th Street, July 7th. Drawn by G. W. Peters from a sketch by G. A. Coffin." Harper's Weekly 1894-07-21, p. 689. Public Domain.

A number of American states observed Labor Day officially over the next few years. After the Pullman Strike in 1894, where the National Guard shot and killed several strikers, the Cleveland Administration passed a bill making Labor Day a federal holiday as one way to try and quell unrest. It was also hoped by many that this would distinguish the American labor movement from its rebellious European counterpart.

Sources:

Haymarket Affair LOC

Gilder Lehrman Institute

Britannica May Day

Britannica Labor day

Smithsonian

September 1, 1969- al-Gaddafi Led the Libyan Revolution

Today in 1969 Muammar Al-Gaddafi led an underground network of fellow army officers in ousting the Libyan monarchy and instituting a socialist government.

Below are links to “The Constitutional Proclamation of Libya” and a transcript of Gaddafi’s testimony about the Libyan Revolution of 69.

There are many books and articles that examine Gaddafi and his government- many highly critical- judge for yourself.

Proclamation

Gaddafi Testimony homepage

Testimony pdf

PS. Check this blog on Fridays for more “today in history” tweets.

The United States' Thanksgiving

Thanksgivings were originally English Puritan religious festivals that would be declared for various reasons. New England pilgrims declared them after their arrival in the Americas, the end of a brutal drought, and other major events. Oddly, it’s not certain if the feast declared by governor William Bradford to celebrate Plymouth Colony’s first successful corn harvest was among these recurring Thanksgiving celebrations. However, this feast in which the colonists invited their Native allies, the Wampanoags, led by “Chief“ Massasoit, provided the basis of the story of the United States’ “first” Thanksgiving.

George Washington made the first proclamation of a national day of Thanksgiving on November 26, 1789 to celebrate the successful revolution, particularly the enacting of the Constitution which gave the nation of disparate states a solid political foundation. Several of the following presidents made similar Thanksgiving proclamations, but the tradition faded out after James Madison. 

Sarah Josepha Hale

The writer Sarah Josepha Hale and others petitioned for a national Thanksgiving holiday repeatedly starting in 1827. The holiday these White Protestant writers had in mind was more national than religious, and it sought to focus the holiday around the “Woman’s sphere” (cooking, homemaking, crafting, etc.) Many have criticized that it was also a scheme to institutionalize Protestant Anglo-Saxons as the cultural hegemons in the face of rising Catholic immigration, Black emancipation, etc. It didn’t happen until 1863. 

During the Civil War Abraham Lincoln declared the last Thursday of November as a national day of Thanksgiving. The year began with the Emancipation Proclamation and that July the Battle of Gettysburg dealt both sides enormous losses. The proclamation was actually penned by Lincoln’s Secretary of State, William Seward.

(Partial quote)

“…Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

Right Hand and Life Mask of Abe Lincoln- Leonard Wells Volk, Augustus Saint-Gaudins

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.

And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.” 

Right Hand and Life Mask of Abe Lincoln- Leonard Wells Volk, Augustus Saint-Gaudins

Sources:

Lincoln’s 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation- Olivia Waxman, Time.com

Lincoln and Thanksgiving- National Park Service 

Thanksgiving 2022- The History Channel

Wills, Anne Blue. Pilgrims and Progress: How Magazines made Thanksgiving. Church History. March 2003 Vol. 72, no. 1. Pp. 138-158. Cambridge University Press on behalf of the American Society of Church History. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4146807

Labor History- Revised.

Map from “Born of Lakes and Plains” Anne F. Hyde, 2022.

Studying history has made me a geography maniac. Whether I’m reading about Central Asia, French/Spanish/American New Orleans, or ancient Egypt, I have found studying the geography of the place I’m reading about to drastically improve my understanding of the people and events. Maps, timelines, atlases, help me focus on the where to get deeper into the when.

Studying American history, I was trained to use a place-based lens as one tactic to avoid the failure of early “Western” historians to struggle with their unconscious biases and resist hero worship, group think, and the exclusion of inconvenient communities, thereby leaving future generations with an empty cartoon masquerading as history. 

Why is this a labor history blog? I believe the idea (and therefore the reality) of labor has been trapped in a ghettoized paradigm where it is only associated with federally recognized labor unions and niche professions. I will argue that labor is usually at the foundation of any nation, war, or major societal change. However, it benefits the minority in power (anywhere) to frame events as the result of their own careful planning or the errors and malice of others (Black people, socialists, the homeless, etc.).

You can’t just hear the story the way it's told; you have to dig deeper. You have to look outside the frame of the narrative. And ask questions, ALWAYS.