Transcontinental Railroad 150th Anniversary: A Celebration?

Today is the 150th Anniversary of the completion of our nation's first transcontinental railroad at Promontory Point, Utah (about 70 miles northwest of Salt Lake City).  The Central Pacific (eastbound tracks from Sacramento) connected to the Union Pacific (westbound tracks from Omaha) and made the possibility of traveling from coast to coast via railroad a reality.

Sadly, many of those who helped build the TCRR were excluded from the "Golden Spike" Celebration and from the famous celebratory photograph reserved mostly for railroad company dignitaries, etc....

I dare you to spot a Chinese railroad worker in the above photo!

So here is a recreation of the Golden Spike photograph which included descendants of the Chinese workers, remembering the truth and correcting an iconic and imperfect photograph ...and to also remind us of our ugly past (Chinese Exclusion Laws).

“That champagne photo … has come to symbolize the completion of the railroad, but it also became a symbol of our being erased,” said Sue Lee, retired executive director of the Chinese Historical Society of America, based in San Francisco.

Ava Chin cried and stated, "I really felt like for the first time I’m included in something … so incredibly American.”   She is the great-great granddaughter of Yoon Thlin, who was forced back to China due to anti-Chinese nativism.

Missing from both photos are the lives of Native Americans who were killed or displaced in the name of "progress"...

Korean War: Outpost Harry

"Outpost Harry" was a remote military outpost about 60 miles northeast of Seoul, South Korea.  Over a period of 8 days in June of 1953.  The Chinese Army launched nearly 90,000 rounds of artillery on Outpost Harry in tandem with repeated artillery attacks, most of which happened at night.

The hill (elevation 1,280 feet) was defended by 5 units of men (4 American and 1 Greek) who took shifts defending the outpost.  Heavy casualties were sustained by both sides: 

United Nations Forces- 102 killed and 44 MIA

Chinese Forces- Over 1,000+ killed

Greek forces adapted the name of  this location from Harry to "Haros" after Charon who in Greek mythology carries the souls of the newly deceased into Hades.

Of special significance is the reputation earned by the Greek soldiers at this battle...please watch the attached video link to hear first hand accounts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeMFQIH3FgQ

Liberty Caps

Many caps and helmets have been symbols associated with Liberty (and freedom from slavery) over

the centuries...here are a few for you to check out in your research.

The Pileus (Cap) of Ancient Greece and Rome...it signified to the community manumission from slavery circa 4th century B.C.

A Phrygian Helmet of Ancient Greece made of bronze and commonly used by the armies of antiquity.

Red Phrygian Caps made of felt were commonly used as a symbol of Liberty during the French Revolution (most likely inspired by American revolutionaries) circa 1790's.

As part of the Army Emblem (and US Senate, several states). Also used by Haiti and many Latin American countries.

Haiti

El Salvador

The original model (1855)  of "Freedom" was to have worn a Phrygian Cap to symbolize the future freedom of Southern slaves...but, it was roundly "voted" down by Southern politicians who were deeply offended and very angry.  Eagle's feathers were eventually selected.

1855 Model

"Freedom" on the U.S. Capitol Dome

Confederates fighting for "Liberty" from the oppressive North...ugh. 

Confederate General Lewis Armistead at Gettysburg

What cap would symbolize "LIBERTY" today?

The World's Columbian Exposition 1893: "Liberty"

The Original Republic 1893

The Statue of the Republic aka "The Golden Lady" was completed in 1918 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago's Jackson Park.  The Golden Lady is 24 foot bronze statue gilded in gold.  She is a much smaller version of the original gilded plaster Statue of the Republic that soared to 100 feet and erected at the Columbian Exposition in 1893 (and burned in 1896).

Famous sculptor Daniel Chester French designed Republic...he designed over 2 dozen notable works including Abraham Lincoln at The Lincoln Memorial.

Republic holds a globe with a perched eagle with outstretched wings in her right hand (a symbol of our nation's influence on a worldwide presence...1918 was a very imperialistic era) and a banner inscribed "LIBERTY" on a staff in her left hand (yet very little true liberty existed in America at the time).  

The original Republic had a Phrygian Cap on top of the staff (subject of the next post). 


So much talk of Liberty...

The World's Columbian Exposition 1893: American "Exceptionalism" #2

The Columbian Exposition, a 6 month long World Fair was held in Chicago to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the "New" World.  DeJure Segregation was the practice of the fair which was totally white (except for the custodians).

There was one racist day in August that was designated as "Colored People's Day".

There were many black people at the fair and like Native Americans, they were on display.

In a series of exhibits to illustrate Frederick Jackson Turner's "Frontier Thesis" (see previous post),
Black Americans were displayed as inhabitants of African villages, former slaves, sharecroppers, etc. in order to show the evolution from savagery to "civilization".


Frederick Douglass' responded, "to shame the Negro, they exhibit the Negro as a repulsive savage."

Not much different than how the Black community is regularly displayed on the evening news or discussed as a pathological problem by politicians...progress?

The World's Columbian Exposition 1893: American "Exceptionalism"

The World's Columbian Exposition was a world fair held in Chicago to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the "New" World.  The fair took place on nearly 700 acres on Chicago's Southside and was nicknamed "The White City" after the coloring used to cover the temporary buildings.

Over 27 million people attended the exposition which was dedicated to celebrate the exceptionalism of America.  Many topics were explored throughout the exhibits at the fair including architecture, transportation, science, horticulture, art, weapons, music, electricity, new inventions, new foods, and human anthropology.

One of the featured speakers at the fair was Frederick Jackson Turner, a young historian from Wisconsin.  He was becoming known/ discussed for his newly proposed "Frontier Thesis".  In his thesis he suggested that America was great because of the western frontier.   The West had brought civilization to meet directly with the savagery of the wilderness and in this juncture had created a new type of people (Americans) who were unique in their strength, independence, initiative, and rugged, individual spirit.  They longer relied on their old, European ways, institutions, and politics, etc. and evolved into a better American...thus forming Democracy and the true spirit of America.


Turner's America included phases that evolved from:

Savages of the Wilderness to...

European Fur Trappers and Traders to...

Homesteaders to...

Development of Cities and Factories to the highest form of civilization...

Democracy and Capitalism.

So civilized that over 400 Native Americans were put on display in what was basically a human zoo.


Talk about full circle...from the savagery of Christopher Columbus to the Savagery of the "Exceptional" Americans.

Needless to say, I do not agree with Turner's thesis.

BLACK LIVES DID NOT MATTER: LATASHA HARLINS

Latasha Harlins, a 15 year old girl, was shot and killed on March 16, 1991.  She was murdered 13 days after the videotape of the Rodney King beating was released.

The owner of the store (Soon Ja Du) saw Harlins place a bottle of orange juice in her backpack. Du believed that Latasha was attempting to steal the juice, but didn't see the money that Latasha had in her hand to pay for the juice. 

A struggle ensued between Du and Latasha which ended with Latasha throwing the dropped juice bottle on the counter as she began to leave the store.  Du then took out her gun and shot Latasha in the back of the head, killing her instantly.

In November, Du was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter and was recommended by the jury to spend 16 years in prison.  Unfortunately, Judge Joyce  Karlin ignored the recommendation and in a true travesty of justice sentenced Du to 5 years probation, 400 hours of community service, and a $500.00 fine.  This injustice in tandem with the Rodney King beating (the result of longstanding systemic racism, classism, racial profiling and police brutality, etc.) is often cited as a major catalyst of the 1992 Los Angeles "Riots".