See my comment on Jim at http://hist616forjimjohnsonlm.blogspot.com/2005/12/history-616-devils-bargains.html  ¶ 1:05 PM 0 comments

  See my comment on Dan at http://dangifford.blogspot.com/2005/12/week-14blog-14.html  ¶ 12:39 PM 0 comments

  Devil's Bargains December 5 Class In Devil's Bargains, Hal K. Rothman analyzes the origins and growth of tourism in the West. He describes how the economic benefits it brought to remote areas withering after the demise of mining operations were offset by its destructive impact on the local community. Tourism transformed communities, bringing economic growth while significantly altering the culture and social stucture. As Rothman says, "[I]t altered the meaning of local life, the very soul of the places it touched." (p. 370) The tradeoff of economic growth for loss of local power and cultural identity constituted a "devil's bargain."

Rothman traces the development of Western tourism through four different but overlapping periods. The first period, which he describes as hegemonic tourism, was class-based and characterized by wealthy people who had the means and leisure time to travel by rail to view the spectacular Western landscape in places such as the Grand Canyon. The second period was characterized by the development of dude ranches and archeological digs where tourists experienced the physical aspects of the West. In the third period the invention of ski resorts transformed a local means of transportation into a national recreational industry. The fourth period encompassed the growth of gambling and theme parks as new forms of entertainment tourism.

Throughout these overlapping periods three basic types of tourism evolved along with the growth of mass transportation, first by rail, then by automobile, and finally by jet plane. Rothman calls the first type "heritage or cultural tourism," characterized by "the marketing of the historic, scenic, and mythic past." (p. 23) This form was the class-based hegemonic tourism of the wealthy early rail travelers. The second type, recreational tourism, evolved as better transportation systems (the automobile) and easier access allowed development of dude ranches, resorts, and other recreational destinations. These tourists went to the West not to view it as a place of mythical prehistory but to experience it as a unique recreational environment. The third type of tourism arose from the development of a support infrastructure for travel, including improved roads, tourist camps, and motor courts, which allowed a wider range of people to participate. Rothman calls this form "entertainment tourism," which he believes eventually encompassed heritage and recreational tourism, as the tourism experience conflated the artificial reality of national parks with the packaged unreality of theme parks, resorts, reconstructions like Santa Fe, and the ultimate unreality of Las Vegas.

Tourism gradually emerged as the replacement for the lost mineral extraction industries and brought wealth and prosperity to many moribund communities. However, these communities paid a steep price for this prosperity in a series of "devil's bargains." The lack of indigenous capital meant loss of control to outsiders and eventual corporate domination, making these areas virtual colonies. The unequal allocation of economic benefits frayed community bonds and pitted those who profited from change against those left behind. Tourists themselves brought change as locals responded to their preconceived notions of what the Western experience should be. Instead of being themselves, locals became the characters who the visiting tourists wanted them to be, and the communities "evolved into caricatures of their original identities." (p. 370) Tourism brought success, but it transformed authentic places into artificial portrayals of a mythical past that never existed. As the experience was replicated in multiple locales, the local influence succumbed to the standardization of mass merchandizing represented by national chain stores and restaurants. Tourism destroyed the old myths as it created new myths in reponse to the demands of tourists in a self-reinforcing cycle of democratization and homogenization.

I found the book a hard and tedious read in places and over long, but it filled an important niche in our study of the West. Looking at the West through the lens of a tourist provides new insight into concepts of the West as place, experience, and process. The West of today bears little resemblance to the mythical Turnerian frontier peopled by pioneering yeoman farmers carrying out the nation's manifest destiny. Instead, Rothman portrays a region built on the artificial foundation of a reconstructed mythical reality that exists only in the minds of tourists seeking to experience that myth. In short, the West of today is as mythical as ever.  ¶ 8:44 AM 2 comments

  See my Comment on Ben at http://huggins616.blogspot.com/2005/11/posting-12-federal-water-project-west.html  ¶ 8:11 AM 0 comments

  Cadillac Desert November 28 Class In Cadillac Desert, Marc Reisner describes how the development of the West was driven by the availability of water. Competition among the western states to exploit and appropriate sources of water transformed the West while causing severe environmental and economic damage in many areas. The rivalry between the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation resulted in the construction of hundreds of dams and reservoirs destroying huge areas of native habitat throughout the West at great economic cost.

Reisner argues convincingly that most of the West, except for brief intervals of above normal rainfall in some areas, has always been a semi desert not meant to support a society based on agriculture. Promoters of the West saw irrigation as the answer. The invention of the centrifugal pump made it possible to tap the vast bodies of water in underground aquifers, the result of eons of ice age melts. At the same time a massive program of building huge dams and reservoirs was undertaken with devastating consequences for the environment accompanied often by little economic benefit except to a small number of wealthy farmers.

Reisner foresees a day of reckoning for the West when the cost of water becomes prohibitive and the effects of excessive irrigation destroy the productivity of the land. A combination of these factors will cause a good portion of the West to revert to desert conditions. Pumping of ground water far in excess of its replenishment through rainfall will eventually deplete the aquifers. While river water is constantly renewed through rainfall and snowmelt, it is not sufficient to meet demand. As water is diverted and transported long distances, over and through mountain ranges, the cost increases exponentially. Siltation of the reservoirs will eventually clog the dams and cause major backups on the rivers.

As Reisner describes it, the politics of water creates an irresistible and self-perpetuating cycle of more and bigger water projects that are built regardless of cost or benefits. Construction of a dam with Federal (taxpayer) money is a win/win proposition for any politician since it creates jobs for construction companies, suppliers, and other businesses at no apparent cost to the local population. At the same time it makes some people rich who respond with generous campaign contributions. Reisner shows how even the most socially and environmentally sensitive politician soon gives in to the overwhelming pressure.

I found the book both informative and disturbing. Reisner paints a bleak picture. It is hard not to feel anger and resentment for the insensitive politicians, greedy farmers, and arrogant bureaucrats of the Corps and Bureau, who destroy the environment, force Indians off their land, and incur costs of billions of dollars. However, I think Reisner may go a little too far in condemning most if not all water projects as unmitigated disasters. Clearly, many dam projects, particularly early ones like Hoover, had significant economic benefits. Many projects controlled rampaging rivers to eliminate destructive floods. Others brought cheap electric power to poor rural areas. Reisner does concede that World War II might have been lost without the power generated by Grand Coulee and Bonneville Dams, though he points out that this was a totally unforeseen consequence. In short, I believe the book would be better if it presented a somewhat more balanced view.

I also found the book lacking in historical background. There is no discussion of how Native Americans survived and thrived in the arid climate. Aside from decrying the loss of Indian land through flooding to create reservoirs and the loss of salmon fisheries, there is no discussion of the cultural and social effects of the water projects. These deficiencies may be attributed to the fact that Reisner is an author and journalist and not a historian . It’s more a commentary on destructive politics than a history of westward expansion. Nonetheless, it makes a contribution to the historiography of the era.  ¶ 7:51 AM 1 comments

  Roy Baker Project November 21 Class As I indicated in my comment on Ray's blog in response to Audrey's comment, I am quite frustrated by this project, which I think is out of control. We have only three weeks till the paper is due, but we are amassing a mountain of information to be digested and incorporated in the final paper. Who has time to explore all the articles, documents, books, etc, that are being listed? At the same time, we still have two long books and several articles to read and write blogs about.
I think we need to have this assignment narrowed and abbreviated. The paper has gone from 10 pages to 16 pages with no limit on resources to be used. Everyone wants to do well, but it now appears that only those who have spent literally days researching stuff can do well. I have spent many hours on the internet looking at all sorts of things. I have also been to the Library of Congress twice, and I am going again this afternoon. However, I am not coming up with nearly the results that others are, so I'm feeling like a slug.
.  ¶ 9:42 AM 0 comments

  See my response to Audrey's concerns in comment on Ray at http://roybakerarchive.blogspot.com/2005/11/ray-swiders-20-nov-blog.html  ¶ 8:15 AM 0 comments

  See my comment on Rick at http://gaulthist616.blogspot.com/2005/11/post-10-14nov-class.html  ¶ 12:12 PM 0 comments

  Becoming Mexican American & Indians in Unexpected Places November 14 Class In Becoming Mexican American, George Sanchez explores the process of adaptation and acculturation among Mexican Americans (Chicanos) in Los Angeles from 1910 to 1945. In the beginning of the twentieth century, a massive migration of Mexicans across the US border began in response to the need for cheap labor in the American Southwest. Many of the new immigrants came to Los Angeles where they formed an isolated community. There were few opportunities for economic or social advancement or social integration into American society. As Sanchez points out, Californians viewed Mexican culture as inferior but malleable, requiring an intense educational effort to make it adapt to modern American society. However, “Mexican immigrants generated their own version of Americanism without abandoning Mexican culture.” (p. 107) Nevertheless, Sanchez shows that by 1945 many Mexicans had found their own middle ground and succeeded in transitioning culturally to a new Mexican-American identity.

The second and most interesting part of the book, “Divided Loyalties,” describes the process of Americanization pushed by reformers to encourage assimilation. Americanization programs sought to encourage Mexicans to abandon their “inferior” culture as part of joining American society, but clearly nothing more than second class citizenship could be attained. With the onset of the Depression in the 1930’s, Americanization efforts were abandoned and replaced by repatriation, an effort to send immigrants back to Mexico.

Sanchez discusses the great diversity among Mexican immigrant families in contrast to the rigid patriarchal and hierarchical structure assumed by earlier historians. Flexibility within family patterns developed in the process of cultural adaptation. Rigid gender roles could not be maintained, as women became wage earners. Nevertheless, strong family networks were a positive factor for Mexicans struggling in a hostile environment.

Sanchez explores religious practices, musical entertainment preferences, work experiences, and consumption patterns to illuminate further the evolving process of adaptation of Mexican culture. A crucial development in the formation of the Mexican American identity was the mass deportation and repatriation during the Depression, which reduced the Los Angeles Mexican community by one third and disrupted its cultural life. Remaining Mexicans became involved in political activity in an attempt to integrate themselves into American society.

Indians in Unexpected Places by Philip J. Deloria contrasts the stereotypical expectations of Indians in popular American culture at the turn of the twentieth century with the actual achievements of Indians in various fields. Indians show up in “unexpected places” doing unexpected things, such as performing as athletes, singing opera, acting in movies, driving cars, and getting their hair done. Deloria states that at the beginning of the twentieth century, “. . . {A}ccording to most American narratives, Indian peoples, corralled on isolated and impoverished reservations, missed out on modernity – indeed, almost dropped out of history itself.” (P. 6) He argues that contrary to that conception Indians in large numbers did engage in modernization and that their activities were not as anomalous as supposed.

The book pursues the “secret” histories of turn-of-the-century Indian life in which Indians drove cars, played football, performed as musicians, acted in movies, and portrayed themselves in Wild West shows. Pictures like that of Geronimo driving a car or Red Cloud Woman in a beauty parlor illustrate the jarring effect of seeing an Indian in an unexpected place, while at the same time they vividly demonstrate Indian participation in a shared modern culture. These images contradict the myth of Indian disappearance and cultural irrelevance.

Taken together, these two books advance our analysis of how different peoples played significant roles in the history of the West. Contrary to the myth of the “vanishing race,” Indians survived and adapted to the point where now they control resources and command political respect. Mexicans in Los Angeles also adapted and formed their own identity as Mexican Americans. In both cases peoples with supposedly inferior cultures manage to preserve their cultural identity while becoming an integral part of American society. Defying the twin myths of inferior cultures and America as the great "melting pot," Mexicans and Indians have preserved and adapted their cultural traditions to maintain a unique identity while taking their place as Americans in a multicultural society.  ¶ 12:46 PM 2 comments

  See my comment on Steve at http://westwardmovement.blogspot.com/2005/11/post-9-snapshots-of-past-reading-print.html  ¶ 1:30 PM 0 comments

  See my comment on Dan at http://dangifford.blogspot.com/2005/11/week-10post-10.html  ¶ 1:13 PM 0 comments

  Print the Legend November 7 Class In Print the Legend Martha Sandweiss gives a new dimension to the history of the American West by viewing it through the lens of a photographer. Photographs both created and responded to national visions of the West, as photographers portrayed what they thought viewers wanted to see as much as they portrayed accurate reality. Pictures of the West confirmed the American vision of a fabulous untamed land of opportunity. Photographs were designed for widespread consumption and were usually made with the object of appealing to a prospective buyer. The influence of the marketplace meant that photos could not be taken at face value but must, as Sandweiss says, “be understood as constructions of the human imagination, as the result of selective attention to a particular subject.” (pp. 7-8)

Photographers followed the troops in the Mexican War, but their daguerreotypes did not capture the public’s imagination by creating images that evoked nationalistic and patriotic feelings in the way that paintings and transparencies did. Sandweiss uses as an example a comparison of a monochromatic photograph of Henry Clay, Jr.’s gravesite with a dramatic painting of him dying heroically in battle. Photographs competed with moving panoramas, giant painted scrolls, portraying travel on the Mississippi River, overland travel to the West, and scenes of San Francisco. These were much more exciting than the static representations of photographs.

As the technology advanced, so did the ability of photographers to use their imagination in creating more dramatic portrayals of scenes and events. The introduction of accompanying textual comments gave the photographs interpretive substance and made it possible to “print the legend.” Sandweiss’ chapter on the American Indian vividly illustrates the dramatic impact of photography on historical perception. Indians were depicted as the “vanishing race,” reinforcing the popular image of a subjugated people that had gone the way of the buffalo and the pristine wilderness. Over time the interpretation of Indian photographs changed. As Sandweiss points out, what purported to be photographic documentation of the inevitable end of distinctive tribal ways came to be viewed by contemporary Native Americans as evidence of cultural vitality in a vibrant society. This shows that, as with beauty, the meaning of a picture is in the eye of the beholder.

This was a great book, tracing the history of photography and its impact on Western history. Sandweiss shows how photographers influenced Western history while at the same time their work was affected by the mythical triumphalist version of that history. Their pictures of the West were tinged with nostalgia for the unspoiled Eden of their imagination. At the same time the relentless reality of their photographs could not compete for the public’s attention with the dramatic artistic representations by other media that appealed more to the public’s imagination.  ¶ 12:26 PM 1 comments