Evolutionary Thinkinkg, the Advent of Mass Culture and the Society and Culture of Jim Crow
By jae_bird
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Blackface Minstrelsy
White performers with faces painted with burnt court perpetuated stereotypes of laziness, silliness. Reinstated sterotypes openly racist; Lincoln and Twain were fans. -
Acculturation to the City
Enhanced transportation linking people across state; people were getting used to city life. Cosumerism and "City People" arrised! -
Baseball!
Emerged with modern city in NY Boston Philly; first with professional soc network of Dr's Lawyers etc -
NAB - National Assoc of Baseball
They set the rules! Gained large audience; charged for admission. Baseball is now a commodity that links cultures! Became MOST POPULAR sport! Originated in the Middle Class and OPEN TO IMMIGRANTS. Reflected a new identity, allegiance to CITY not race -
Evolutionary Culture
Life Science, civilized vs savage, natural relations. 1) human soc can be arranged according to ideals of progress and order 2) race determined character 3) self betterment was a matter of uplift -
Midway Plaisance
World Columbian Exhibition WCE. Many cultures represented - Heirarchal relationship. First walk by PRIMITIVES: blacks, "Savages" Middle: Asia, ME, East EU, German, Irish, and end in White City. Happily led to white supremacy. Samoan village wasnt acting savage enough. WCE believed culture is fixed, is heirarchacal, and citizenship and race is intertwined - BS!!! -
Neurasthenia
False disease describing american nervousness and depression only found in EVOLVED (White) patients. Fittest no longer fir enough. Treatment: go out and glofy the past; women rest men west ex) buffalo hunt & box. Teddy Roosevelt is an example of being cured from Neura by becoming rugged cowboy -
Vaudeville Theater
Variety Show! Clean respectable non sexual. Market to women and children. Gave instructions on HOW TO BEHAVE; pop culture! Distiction between urban and rural; city PRIDE -
Culture & Evolution
Make social theory fit wide spread beliefs. Social Darwinsim emerges. Evolutionary thinking: made to work, strong prosper, compare previous americans (white anglo's) with current technocrats, justified white supremacy / heirarchy / class. Philanthropy Soc Darwinism: "Fittest" would succeed, Successful would determine what "fitness" looked like -
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Jim Crow Era
Enforced racial segregation in the south -
Carnegie's Gospel of Weatlth
Carnegie was quintessential example of the rags to riches American dream. He made $ from insider trading steel industry. believed that rich had moral obligation to help poor, Novel promoted building of univ, library, church, hospital, parks concert halls, and pub baths. Goal was to create competence not overthrow civilization. WORTHY poor would take advantage of resources. DIDN'T Consider: not many would have time and only one vision of culture rep'd. Cult Heiarchy -
Massive Arenas
Huge Stadiums! Consumerism etc -
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Political Disenfranchisement
ALL Southern state enacted laws / constitutional provisions meant to restrict or limit the black vote. IE: grandfather clause, poll taxes: fees to pay to vote, Lit test to understanding of the constitution -
Ellis Island
zoo for immigrants, speculated by american people -
White City & Midway 1893
Utopia! World Columbian exhibit Commemorating Columbus for "finding" America showing popular ideas of evolution. (Ex: Jeffersons hair) applying "science" to white supremacy. Invent ferris wheel; rep order and classic beauty symbolize progress, connect "glorious" present to "national" past. Millions attended chinese excluded, presented who belonged. Blacks not rep'd yet there was a DARKIES DAY -
Red Record - Ida B. Wells
Wells a journalist knew people who had killed whites in defense when they came to attack black grocery store. Researched lynching publised lynch records! Undermine control & order by giving DATA with state year and "ALLEGED" crime, exposed LIE that lynching was a punishable offence. reasserts humanity. Exposed hypocrisy in barbarism. Proposed solutions: spread facts shock pub to action, pass laws of condemnation, disinvest in lynch towns, endorse anti lynch bill -
Plessy V Ferguson
Louisiana Legislature required railroad companies to make separate car for blacks. Blacks challenges laws. Plessy arrested, convicted, and had to pay $25
took four years to make it’s way to the Supreme Court
upheld the Louisiana law not Plessy; SERPERATE BUT EQUAL! -
Race Riots
in wilmington north carolina a city of mostly black; a mob of over 1500 demolished and burned down the newspaper office, and drove the editor to the city on fire. -
Advertising!
Establish prof standards and an industry to sell products. Sometimes use celebs, home related marketing. Reflect social norms, ex) Racist Aunt Jemimah. "BUYING THINGS" was the answer to your problems and overworking; anyone can buy. Cities now look different. Electricity! -
Blues Baby!
not all firms circulated fantasies of racial oppression this was a REAL adaptation of what it was like for blacks. apted work songs and spirituals with individual experiences. single singer, reflecting on experiences ie) traveling, national disasters, poverty, drinking, violence, death -
Youth & City Streets
Children work in factories/offices. Workplace became socialization, leisure time spent wisely. For 2nd gen: dance halls became popular -
Coney Island
Brought in people across gender and ethnic backgrounds. Consupmtion! People began to use wages for leisure time! -
Nationalism American Race
Conflate race and nation given unique attributes to showcase us as being the fittest; Amer citizenship defined what is and what isnt. Amer history books distorted. New immigs fueled economy become american by being ashamed of their origins -
Brown v Board of Edu
Segregation challenged and banned! governments allocated funds disproportionately. Schools for AA were as bad as stables In1900, no public high school for AAs existed in the entire South the ultimate point of segregation was not to keep whites and black apart, but that when they came in contact, whites had the upper hand.
