9/2
David Foster Wallace Commencement Speech – Kenyon College 2005
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Have less ignorance if you want to learn how to think
People are all self-centered ! our “default” setting
“This is water.”
Class Discussion
-
We don’t always think about what’s around us because we are so used to it
o Need to be conscious of our environment ! “social conscious”
The way you look at things depends on your values ! we see things based on our
upbringing and social background
Develop empathy
o Interest and care for the setting you are looking at
It is a challenge for us to understand other things because we are programmed to be selfcentered
o Zamora thinks we are just as likely to be neutralists (focus on other people) as we
are to be selfish because he has found that in history
Miguel Morado Interview
-
WWII veteran
He makes it easy to be compassionate
The Martyrs of the Alamo (1915)
-
Earliest Alamo film
People felt very threatened by the Mexican Revolution in 1915
o This was the first major social revolution of the 20th century
o Some historians thought the ideas were flowing into Texas
It was no accident this film showed up in 1915
o Time of great immigration of Mexicans to Texas
o Mexican Revolution
o Characterizes Mexicans in a not very nice way ! there was a reason the film was
done this way
De la Teja Ch. 12
The Great Depression seemed to take longer to make its way into Texas, but when it finally did it
was just as depressing there as it was everywhere else
- Over production of oil and agriculture
- The Texas gov’t wasn’t having much success alleviating the symptoms of the Great
Depression, so many Texans were hopeful that President Roosevelt’s election in 1932
would help
The Texas Centennial in 1936 was important for the state’s image
-
Wanted to bring in tourists and show that the state wasn’t just a primitive, frontier area
This was under the eyes of Gov. Allred
o He didn’t tackle the Depression issues very well
World War II came to Europe with a suddenness that few Texans anticipated
- At this time, lots of people were running for Texas Governor because O’Daniel had failed
to accomplish his platform goals
o He ran again, but barely mentioned WWII while campaigning ! still won the
election again without a run-off
- Many Texans continued to feel that a European war didn’t concern them
Question for class: We have been talking about the Mexican labor force in Texas but I noticed in
the reading that the Mexican government refused to let Mexican laborers come into Texas until
1947. Were the laborers we have been talking about coming in mostly illegally and if so, was
the ban not effective because of the Bracero program?
8/28
Class Intro
- Go to writing center to show you are taking the extra mile
- Tell him if you plan to miss class
- We will be given a review sheet ! all questions will come from the review sheet
o Essay questions
o ID questions
- Film Reports
o What is the purpose?
o Subject (what they are addressing) and argument (what they want to convey)
- Chapter Reports
o Subject
" What is the author saying?
o How do they do this?
" Evidence, etc.
o How do the chapters you choose relate to the larger purpose of the book and
Texas history in general?
- Family history paper
o At least 2 interviews
" Have a preliminary conversation with one of them that lets you know
who/what to focus on
" You need to have a focus
- Record when you participated in class and turn into the TA at the end of the semester
- Texts
o Print out electronic chapters now so that you have them
o Get other one from the UT Co-op
9/2
David Foster Wallace Commencement Speech – Kenyon College 2005
-
Have less ignorance if you want to learn how to think
People are all self-centered ! our “default” setting
“This is water.”
Class Discussion
-
We don’t always think about what’s around us because we are so used to it
o Need to be conscious of our environment ! “social conscious”
The way you look at things depends on your values ! we see things based on our
upbringing and social background
Develop empathy
o Interest and care for the setting you are looking at
It is a challenge for us to understand other things because we are programmed to be selfcentered
o Zamora thinks we are just as likely to be neutralists (focus on other people) as we
are to be selfish because he has found that in history
Miguel Morado Interview
-
WWII veteran
He makes it easy to be compassionate
The Martyrs of the Alamo (1915)
-
Earliest Alamo film
People felt very threatened by the Mexican Revolution in 1915
o This was the first major social revolution of the 20th century
o Some historians thought the ideas were flowing into Texas
It was no accident this film showed up in 1915
o Time of great immigration of Mexicans to Texas
o Mexican Revolution
o Characterizes Mexicans in a not very nice way ! there was a reason the film was
done this way
9/4
Mexican American History, 1521-1900
- The Pre-Colombian Period
- The Colonial Experience, 1521-1821
o Blending of Indian and Spanish Culture: Mestizaje
" The Spanish created a caste system
o Early expansion into the northern frontier
" Spain was having trouble securing the area that is now Texas
" The settlements they formed failed or weren’t really “permanent”
" Americans started arriving into the region
• Farmers were trying to expand their operations, so they made a
deal with the Spanish government to let them use the land so they
could bring prosperity to the region
-
o The Spanish government saw this as a great opportunity to
secure that land (people would be living there permanently)
and to secure a buffer between Mexico and the US
o This was all driven by cotton production
• Mexico wanted the Americans to give up their slaves
o Slaves were sold at the highest amounts in Texas in the
1840s-1860s and the largest slave owners were in Texas
o Mexican Congress prohibited slavery in 1829
" Struck a deal so the Americans didn’t have to pay
certain taxes on imports since the Mexican
government couldn’t afford to reimburse them for
not having slaves
o Independence from Spain
" Mexico’s independence movement devastated the Mexican economy and
created political divisions
• The movement was not only seeking independence from Spain, but
also addressing long-term resentments regarding the “common
folk”
o The people calling for revolution wanted all people of
Spanish blood to be executed
" The US’s independence movement only lasted a short period of time and
did not cause long-term damages to the new nation
Independent Mexico, 1821-1836 (Texas), 1821-1848 (American Southwest)
o Aftermath of the independence movement
o The northern frontier
o Building a nation
o US Expansion
" US independence movement
Lecture Notes
Background to the Twentieth Century
September 4, 2014
My#purpose#is#to#introduce#the#twentieth#century#with#a#survey#of#Texas#history#during#the#last#
half#of#the#twentieth#century.##I#will#address#the#early#phase#of#incorporation#with#an#emphasis#
on#the#wars,#the#cotton#culture,#annexation,#agrarianism,#and#social#relations.
I. Background to the Twentieth Century, 1519-1900
#
#
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A. Pre>Colombian#Period#
B. The#Colonial#Experience,#1521>1821#
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1.#The#blending#of#Indian#and#Spanish#Culture:#Mestizaje#
#
2.#Early#expansion#into#the#northern#frontier#
#
3.#Independence#from#Spain##
C.#Independent#Mexico,#1821>1836#(Texas),#1821>1848#(American#Southwest)#
#
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#
#
#
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#
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#
#
#
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#
1.#Aftermath#of#the#independence#movement#
2.#The#northern#frontier#
3.#Building#a#nation#
4.#U.S.#Expansionism#
#
a.#U.S.#independence#movement#
#
b.#Westward#expansion#
#
c.#Growth#and#development#of#cotton#culture#
5.#The#Texas#Revolt,#1834>1836#
#
a.#Texas#colonization#program#
#
b.#The#revolt#and#secession#
#
c.#Unsettled#issues#
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d.#From#independent#republic#to#state#
6.#Mexico>U.S.#War,#1846>48#
#
a.#U.S.#military#campaign#
#
b.#Treaty#of#Guadalupe#Hidalgo#
#
c.#The#Mexican#Cession#
II.#Continuing#Conflict#and#Displacement,#1848>1900#
September(9,(2014(
Early(Twentieth(Century,(1900:1930(
(
(
(
I(will(use(the(assigned(Chapter(11(for(a(general(discussion(on(the(early(1900s.(((Our(
focus(will(be(on(social(reform,(the(advent(of(farming,(and(labor(as(key(features(of(the(
emerging(urban(setting.((The(supplementary(reading(on(the(Farmers’(State(Alliance(will(
underscore(the(importance(of(agrarian(politics(to(the(emergence(of(labor(activity.(
(
• Setting(the(stage(for(the(20th(century(
o William(Knox(and(the(last(wagon(train(out(of(San(Antonio((
o The(political(and(economic(incorporation(of(Texas(!(the$story$of$Texas$is$the$
story$of$incorporation$$
" The(introduction(of(railroads(was(incredibly(important(
" Frontier(area(that(is(established,(but(not(fully(developed(because(it(
isn’t(fully(connected(until(the(railroads((
" The(economy(was(relatively(unregulated(!(railroads(concentrated(
wealth(to(invest(money(and(develop(industry((
• Monopolies(were(created(!(the(growth(wasn’t(regulated(and(
this(caused(some(problems(
o Ex:(the(rates(used(to(transport(goods(via(rail(were(very(
high((
o By(the(1880s(Texas(was(effectively(incorporated((at(least(the(beginning(
stages)((
o Northern(Mexico(was(undergoing(similar(changes((
o There$is$significant$change$going$on$in$Texas$at$the$turn$of$the$20th$century,$
and$railroads$played$a$large$part$in$that$$