Sunday, April 18, 2010

Summaries of Two Scholarly Sources

Please post your summaries of two scholarly sources here as a comment. Remember, I'd like you to summarize the source's main claim, a description of how the scholar created this study, a discussion of the major evidence that supports its claim, and an explanation of why this souce is significant for your research.

15 comments:

  1. "HEART OF THE ROCK: The Indian Invasion of Alcatraz (Book)." Publishers Weekly 249.9
    (2002): 71. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 18 Apr. 2010.
    The source that I looked at was the Publishers Weekly. This article gives a clear understanding that the United States government was trying to take the Native Americans and move them off their reservations to take their land. They did this by offering jobs and incentives if they joined “society”. Once this started to Indian activism come to a front and they took over Alcatraz Island to make a point. I think that the writer of this article intended people to remember what had occurred with Native American activist in 1969. I think that the use of this short article in this journal makes a point because even though there is not much written it is powerful and straight to the point. I think that this document can bring up an argument of the past and see how the world has and has not change since then. I think I will use this in my paper to show how the government was moving people off the reservations.

    Crum, Steven J. "Indian Activism, the Great Society, Indian Self-Determination, and the Drive
    for an Indian College or University, 1964-71." American Indian Culture & Research
    Journal 31.1 (2007): 1-20. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 18 Apr. 2010.
    The main point of this text is that Native Americans began to stand up for what they believed in and tried to grow as a whole in strength and unity. There are three topics in this article: the first being to rise as a group, they wanted to have their own people and their owning schooling systems. The second was a socioeconomic reform. Lastly the third was a “notion of self-determination”. This document is one that looks onto the historical past about the social world of Native Americans during the 1960’s. I think the author of this article wanted to reflect upon the past and was hoping to accomplish a feel of understanding of what the Native Americans were doing at this point in time. This is a journal about culture and I believe that a journal is fitting due to the information that is portrayed. I think that this journal bring up an argument and or presents an argument being laying down facts about the past and then compare conditions and culture of Native American life today one can argue each point made in the journal. I think I will use this document to talk about the schooling of the Native Americans and about the self-determination that was coming about in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

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  2. Wolf, Virginia L. Little House on the Prairie: A Reader’s Companion. New York: Twayne, 1996

    This source claims that the popular series, “Little House on the Prairie”, by Laura Ingalls Wilder successfully capture the pioneer experience. The author uses historical research to trace Wilder’s life and prove accuracy within her novels. She also looks to work done by other researchers to provide evidence that these novels accurately portray Wilder’s childhood on the frontier. Wilder’s work sometimes comes in to question because of the long time gap between her childhood and the publication of the stories. This source is important to my research because I seek to find out how heavily we can rely on the images of the frontier given by this series.


    Fellman, Anita Claire. “The Little House Books in American Culture”. Laura Ingalls Wilder and the American Frontier. Ed. Dwight M. Miller. Maryland: University Press of America, 2002. 45.

    This source reflects on all the ways Laura Ingalls Wilder and her popular books have impacted American culture. These books can now be seen everywhere and have become the poster child for life on the frontier. The author researched the time period in which these books were published in search for a clue as to why they became so wildly popular. The author then claims that the series strongly represents the idea of political individualism and this may be why they were so accepted at this time. This is important to my research because I need to know why these books were so wildly read and what message they are sending to American culture.

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  3. ““To This We Dissented”: The Rock Springs Riot”. History Matters.1998.Web. 18 April 18, 2010.

    This document was created by a group of researches that find historical documents and events to research and bring more information about. Their main claim was regarding the suppression of the Chinese in the mines and how the racist views of the "white" mining town led to their disruption. This specific document was given at a memorial for the even at the Chinese Consul in New York. It seems to be a first hand account of what happened and the conditions of the town before hand. The story given is very detailed and gives specific names and time accounts of what the massacre enatailed. It's very helpful to my research about the subject because it gives one side of the story , so to say. Although im not sure a white mans story would be much different considering it was a massacre on the Chinese. This document is very significant because the evidence seems to be credible coming from this particular group. Their credibility lies within their research and writers and editors of historical documents. Plus, the fact they there are many people working to create documents able for research allows more credibility than just one.

    Bromley, Isaac H. The Chinese massacre at Rock Springs, Wyoming Territory, September 2, 1885. Boston : Franklin Press, Rand, Avery & Co., 1886.

    This text could also be used as a primary source although since I already have one it works just as good as a secondary source. This is an original text from the time period and gives a perfect description of what was going on nationally, socially, economically and gives reason to what case the massacre to happen. Throughout the text there are government orders given as evidence to what was occurring nationally in the situation of Chinese immigrant workers. This text also explains in detail events occurring because of the Rock Springs Massacre. For example, there are letters between military officers in the letter discussing the issue of immigrant workers and where to assign regiments, etc. The letters also give a time stamp and place. One letter was being written from Denver, which shows the effect the Massacre had nationally. This will be extremely useful in research because I can use facts obtained from both of these and check them against eachother to come up with the most accurate depiction of the event.

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  4. The second source actually IS my primary source for the assignment I just realized after I went and picked up the packet from your door, though the one online is longer and has more text about the incident so i'll probably refer to that as well. woops!

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  5. Triplett, Frank and Joseph Snell. The Life, Times and Treacherous Death of Jesse and Frank James. Chicago:Illinois, 1970. Print.

    This book tells great accounts of what caused Jesse James to live his life as a criminal and reveals more about James as a person rather than his mythical figure. The book tells of Jesse’s many escapes, massacres, robberies, crimes, as well as his tragic death. For this essay I hope to compare the mythical figure of Jesse James to his actual life (what he really did, his motives), and discuss how he set a standard for future western cowboys. This book has many primary artifacts, including interviews with people who knew Jesse discussing his death and his life in general. I think these primary accounts will help differentiate James’ mythical figure to his genuine figure.

    Stewart, Phil. “Phil Stewart Routs 10 Myths and Guns for the Facts on Jesse James.” Stray Leaves, A James Family in America 1650-2000 A.D. http://www.ericjames.org /Jesse_James_Facts_and_Myths_2.html.

    I found this simple article online and it basically gives many myths and facts about the life of Jesse James. I could direct my audience towards a younger age even, showing them that Jesse James had a life much different then a fictional cowboy hero. This essay will reveal the atrocities James committed, while explaining how he managed to become this legendary figure where people compare his work to “Robin Hoods.” I hope to truly emphasize the culture at the time and the aspects of the Wild West that made Jesse James this notorious criminal.

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  6. Secrest, Clark. Hell’s Belles. Boulder: University Press of Colorado. 2002. Print. Pages 208-246.

    This book tells about two main madams “prostitute” who were Queen of Denver Row, which means that they own the best Brothel in Colorado. Mattie Silks and Jennie Rogers, made history by providing service in Colorado that was not only illegal but was one of the fastest growing services during the time gold rush. They were able to keep their clients happy and run “The House of Mirrors” which is one of the most famous historical buildings in Cripple Creek, Colorado. Not only did the “House of Mirror” make a lot of business, prostitution was frown upon by many but to the ones that ran the business they believed it was a good source of money while they tried to accommodate themselves to the new life style as they moved out west. The main purpose of this book is to show that Denver was once a home to many types of Brothels and how they affected the lives of both the prostitutes but the society as well. It created a different side to most Americans in both the bad and the good. And in turn many suffered and died or lost their business as legislation began to dismiss the service of Brothels in Colorado.

    MacKell, Jan. Brothels, Bordellos, and Bad Girls: Prostitution in Colorado, 1860-1930. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. 2004. Print.

    The second book tells about the legislation that affected Brothels and how many lost their business. Also, it gives more of an example of the types of Brothel that were in Colorado and the people involved. It also explains the type of drug abuse, murders, and family issues that arise. Also, this book brings us into the life style of the ladies and their perspectives as a “madam.” And finally, its tells about a man who killed the prostitutes because he did not believe in what they did in their line of work.

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  7. Green, Michael D., and Theda Perdue. "Civilizing the Cherokees." The Cherokee Nation and the Trail of Tears. New York: Penguin Books, 2008. Print.

    Green, Michael D., and Theda Perdue. "The Trail of Tears." The Cherokee Nation and the Trail of Tears. New York: Penguin Books, 2008. Print.

    Ellis, Jerry. Walking the Trail: One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears. New York: First Bison Books Printing, 2001. Print.

    Rozema, Vicki. Voices from the Trail of Tears. United States of America: John F. Blair Publisher, 2003. Print.

    US Senate. "Trail of Tears National Historic Trail". 109th Congress. Report 109-239. Print.



    The book "Voices from the Trail of Tears," is a compilation of primary source documents from the early 1800's. It includes excerpts of laws, acts, and removal orders regarding the sale of Cherokee land. It includes editorials regarding the Cherokee relations with the United States. It also includes letters of military officials, Cherokee leaders, missionaries, government leaders, etc. Additionally, it has journals from witnesses, Generals and Lieutenants, and other witnesses. It also holds Newspaper articles from the likes of the Weekly Standard and the Arkansas Gazette. This is a great book of primary sources since it includes such a breadth of sources. The author, Vicki Rozema describes the compilation in her introduction as a "selections covering some of the events leading up to the removal, the actual removal, and key events that followed."

    "The Cherokee Nation and the Trail of Tears" is a book that discusses just how the Trail of Tears came to be. Its chapters include "The land and the People," which describes the Cherokee people's lifestyles and the land they lived on up to the point of English negotiation treaties. Then its next chapter describes the process of Americans attempting to "civilize" the Cherokee people, and the tragic struggle filled with strong ties to the grounded culture of the Native American people versus the desire for assimilation in saving their tribes. The book also narrates the actual acts on the Trail of Tears, with specific details of what happened. Included, is other background information including the "Treaty of New Echota" and information on "Rebuilding the West" after the Cherokee Indians were brutally forced out of their home.

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  8. 1st source)

    The book "Copland: 1900 through 1942" was written by Copland himself and Vivian Perlis. In a note to the reader, Copland states that he always intended on writing an Autobiography of sorts; not a personal memoir, but a collection of letters and diary entries. His goal in doing so was to comment further on what it mean to be a truly American composer. As Copland stopped composing once he reached age 70, it seemed the right time to begin work on this project (around 1942). With the help of Vivan Perlis, the composer gathered the proper material for the first half of his autobiography and set to work.
    The book covers a lot of ground, but specifically talks about his philosophies behind writing "Music for Musicians," "Music for the People," and "Music for Use." These subjects comment directly on why he chose to accept the "Rodeo" commission while the book's index shows that on pages 339, 354-57, 358, 359-360, 361, 361-364, 388, 19, and 22 specific information can be found about his work on this project.

    2nd source)

    In following up to my first source, Copland wrote a second book "Copland: since 1943" which contains information on the latter years of his life. We once again see Vivian Perlis aiding his efforts to gather a compendium of his life.
    While the first volume talks of a young boy from Brooklyn aspiring to be a composer, this book starts right in the middle of a war where Copland had received his commission for Appalachian Spring - the piece which gained his the utmost recognition. With Copland's music holding so much of the twentieth century American sound, we get to hear the story of how it all came to be. Even more information can be found on his involvement with the "Rodeo" commission on pgs. 15, 24, 62, 255, 272, 291, 299, 342, 394, 396, 398, 404, 451 and 5. Also, Copland's other cowboy ballet, "Billy The Kid" is talked about extensively" pgs. 15, 18, 24, 38, 85, 207, 255, 276, 284, 299, 304, 368, 392, 393, and 451.

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  9. The Western and Western Drama: John Ford’s The Searchers and the Oresteia
    By: Paul A. Cantor

    The Western and Western Drama: John Ford’s The Searchers and the Oresteia is an essay that compares John Ford’s great film, The Searchers to the Oresteia, which is a Greek trilogy written by Aeschylus. The essay starts out discussing the how well-known The Searchers is by saying that it is “frequently described as epic and tragic.” The essay states that revenge was a very evident theme in the tragedies of Oresteia and is as stated, “… a perennially popular subject on both epic and tragedy.” The essay continues by discussing the three-part play of the Oresteia and how aspects of the story coincide with the tragic story of The Searchers. The Oresteia like The Searchers is about getting revenge for family members. In the plays Orestes, the son of Agamemnon wants to get revenge for the murder of his father by his mother Clytemnestra.
    The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are both talked about in the essay as well and are defined as “perhaps the two greatest movies of all time…” They are compared to both The Searchers and the Oresteia as a film about revenge tragedy that can operate on an intellectual as well as an emotional level.”
    These two pieces of work are also similar in the way Aeschylus and Ford decide to end their stories. Both The Searchers and the Oresteia end “happily.” However, there are still aspects of both of the films that do not leave the audience in a happy mood.

    The Searchers
    By: Edward Buscombe

    The Searchers in a book discussing the great influence and impact the film The Searchers which was released in 1956. The book talks about how the film is rated in the top 50 films made of all time. Its impact has been immense by influencing great directors throughout history including Martin Scorsese. The combination of John Ford and John Wayne helped make the film as influential as it is on film. The book begins by going through the opening scene of the film and stating that Ethan was the first word stated by a character in the film. However, the first few words in the film were actually in the form of a song that was in an earlier film by John Ford called Rio Grande. The song was written by Stan Jones who became part of John Ford’s team in 1948 with his collaboration on 3 Godfathers.
    The book continues by analyzing different scenes in the film and describing their significance to the film industry and to John Ford himself. The book gives a lot of credibility to John Ford and John Wayne by taling about their background and how long they have worked together and were in the business.
    John Ford states that the significance on the film has to deal with race and Indians in early western films. He states that, “The audience likes to see Indians get killed. They don’t consider them as human beings – with a great culture of their own – quite different from ours.” Through the character of Ethan, John Ford exemplifies him as a racist, but also allows the audience to feel sorry for him. This gives the film complexity and depth.

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  10. Broder, Patricia Janis. Great Paintings of the Old American West. New York: Abbeville Press, 1979. Print.

    In this book I found an interesting, short biography of the painter of this work, Charles Deas. This was quite a find, seeing as it was the only piece I found that was pertaining directly to the artist himself, despite having painting many scenes from the American West and being apparently quite popular during the mid 19th century, when he was painting. Although the focus is on a different painting besides Long Jakes, it offers a lot of insight into how the artist worked, his relationship with the west, and most importantly what other kinds of works he did and some thoughts on how he traveled around and what his art was supposed to represent. This information ought to be very useful when I explore Deas’ intent when creating the painting that I have chosen to analyze; it’ll give me some specific information about some of other painting’s that he’s actually done, instead of just giving a general overview of Western Art as its own genre.

    Utley, Robert M. A Life Wild and Perilous: Mountain Men and Their Paths to the Pacific. New York: Henry Holt Publishers, 1997. Print.


    This was the first source that I found that I thought could be of some use to me; first and foremost because even though my main argument is going to be discussing the painting and its use of rhetoric and other elements, I did want to go into who the mountain man was, what he meant to the American public, and why he became such an icon in the first place. This book claims to not be a collection of mini-biographies about influential mountain men, but it sure does seem to read like one. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing; I have only read a few of them so far, and already I have gleaned a lot of information about why these men were out there, what their goals were, and what their lifestyle was like. I think all of these are important things for me to know in order to put this painting into a clearer context, since all of these figures were alive and working in the imagination of the American people at the same time when my primary source was created. Unfortunately, Long Jakes himself (the man in the painting) doesn’t seem to be specifically focused on in the book, but he doesn’t seem to be a well-known mountain man at all; I suspect, as it seems other historians do, that this painting was more iconographic to the ideas of these men in a general sense, instead of simply representing one of them.

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  11. This article by Andrew Morriss, “Miners, Vigilantes, and Cattlemen: Property Rights on the Western Frontier,” looks at three separate groups of people who were instrumental in the settlement and development of the Western frontier. Though the discussion of miners and cattlemen fall outside of the direction of my research that is focused on vigilantes in the West, this article does provide insight into the development of vigilantism, especially in Montana. As such, the section on “Vigilantes” ties directly to the purpose of my paper.
    The main claim of the author is that ways exist to defend property rights in absence of the state. Two main vigilante efforts in Montana arose as a response to attacks by criminal elements in the area. When Montana’s first gold rush began, many miners flocked to the area. Unfortunately, Henry Plummer organized a criminal gang that robbed and killed over a hundred men, separating the many miners from their money. Without the ability to organize and thus resist the well-organized criminals, the miners were easy prey. However, a chance discovery that there were Masons in the area provided the basis for the organization of a vigilance committee to counter the Plummer gang. While initially effective, the vigilantes had a number of problems that eventually undermined their effectiveness. Yet three factors can be identified as to the reason why Montana vigilantes did succeed., including an incentive to profit, the ability to draw upon preexisting groups, and a focus on the defense of life, liberty and property.
    The author, Andrew Morriss, is a professor of Law and Business at the University of Illinois. He approaches the subject of vigilantes (as well as the impact of miners and cattlemen) from the view of property rights. With a background in law as well as in business, he is able to construct his article, drawing from historical events and citations from others. The major evidence for his contention about the defense of property rights is the analysis of the two vigilante efforts in the Montana Territory.
    As noted above, his analysis concerning the reasons behind the rise of vigilantes is an important aspect for my research. Without understanding the circumstances that occasioned the rise of vigilantism, the actions of the vigilantes, and the “results” from their presence, one is not able to fully provide a cogent analysis. Morriss’ article helps provide a framework from which an analysis can be constructed.

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  12. This essay, “Race and Lynching in the American West in the Early Twentieth Century” by Michael Pfeifer, starts off by describing a scene that graphically depicts the hatred and violence toward blacks in Wyoming. A black man at a restaurant was ejected from the restaurant for failing to show proper deference to a white woman, sent to jail, and then dragged out to be hanged by a group of white men, all because he called a white waitress “a liar” for not having his food. As a result of this incident, all the blacks in the area were ordered to leave town, most of which were not even allowed the opportunity to gather their belongings.
    A similar historical event reinforces the reality of racial inequality in the West. A Chinese man had been angered by a message delivered to him from a white woman. Because of this he slashed words into her face and slashed 2 others in the room. When white male lumberjacks heard of this, they went out to get him. They knocked him unconscious and took him to be hanged. Even though a reward was offered for the capture of those who hanged him, everyone claimed to “know absolutely nothing.”
    These stories are just two examples of what were racially motivated lynchings in the West. However, lynchings were not always based on race. In fact, the roots of such murderous activity are found in the attitudes and culture of the West. A number of factors including the inadequacy of law enforcement and courts and the rise of the vigilantes contributed to this violence. However, often overlooked is the role that race played in these situations.
    In combination with the other secondary sources, this article alerts the researcher and reader to be aware of other possible motivations for what are at times characterized simply as “vigilantism.” Since it is clear that racism is present in some lynchings but not others, it is important as one analyzes vigilantism and crime to understand the various possible rationales. Without careful analysis of the reasons why, one may come to false conclusions about the effects and historic significance of vigilantism.

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  13. I finally found sources and decided, after going into more depth, that I would shift the focus of my paper. I am now writing not whether the Disney movie Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier accurately depicts his historical life, but how and why Disney made it a point to convey this character as a strong, independent pioneer.

    “David Crockett: The Man and the Legend” by James Atkins Shackford

    This book provides detailed descriptions of Crockett’s several important adventures. It highlights the fact that Davy was a true, rugged pioneer who probably didn’t have the exact life Disney portrayed but nonetheless is the “best-known folk hero for at least 160 years.” The book provides a Portrait of David Crockett section at the end that describes, from reliable sources, his character and ways. Captain William L. Foster stated, “He was a man of a high sense of honor, of good morals, not intemperate, nor a gambler.” The book also has a section of a pre-biography of Crockett’s early years and family life. I am hoping to use this source as historical background for my audience along with an unbiased depiction of his character.

    “Kings of the Wild Backyard: Davy Crockett and Children’s Space” By Seth Griffin

    This article will help me get into how and why Disney portrayed Crockett the way it did. The piece describes the “Crockett Craze of 1955” and that parents and teachers alike fully embraced the folk hero. It even dissects Davy’s theme song by explaining that although the song and movie contain violence aspects, it is important for children to be exposed to certain pieces of American history. Maybe this is why the King of the Wild Frontier was such a popular figure when Disney exposed his story though movies and TV series. The article also breaks down why the imagery of the Western Frontier attracted American consumers.

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  14. Boyer, LaNada. “Growing Up in E’Da How – One Idaho Girlhood”. The Schooling of Native America. Ed. Thomas Thompson. American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education: Washington D.C., 1978. Print.
    Growing Up In E’Da How – One Idaho Girlhood by LaNada Boyer tells the story of a woman who grew up with a Native American mother and white father. She describes how she grew up in a world of violence and hardship that was not unusual for the time. Boyer faced discrimination on a regular basis at school based on her Indian background. Although she was smart and had every ability to do well in school, she openly failed religion as rebellion toward the white oppressors and eventually became more and more defiant. She was expelled more than six times from one school and moved around the west to different schools where she kept acting up. Eventually she quit formal education all together and got into some serious troubles. When she tried to start back up again at college, the discrimination that she faced made it difficult to go anywhere. She says “the university curriculum was irrelevant and insensitive to Indian culture and life-styles. Later in life, Boyer was admitted to the University of California, where she tried to spread and encourage Indian unity. She eventually became chairman of the school’s Indian student group. Near the end of her writing, the author discusses her opinions of what should be done. She thinks we need more government funding for Indian programs at universities. Additionally, she is very in favor of Indian laws and rights. She notes that any Indian who stands up for their rights are a part of the American Indian Movement in some way, and that we all should be willing to fight for our beliefs and identity. This source would be very helpful for my paper because it discusses a first-hand experience of a Native American dealing with educational issues in the west. In addition, she builds on the argument that the first document I chose makes; that education for Native Americans was unjust.
    Havighurest, Robert. The Education of Indian children and youth; summary report and recommendations. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago, 1970. Print.
    The Education of Indian children and youth is basically a journal of a study completed in 1970. This source will be helpful in my paper because it shows some results later than when most of my paper concerns. This will be helpful because it shows a later point in time and the progress or lack thereof that the education system experienced. Robert Havinghurest begins his text with a summary of goals concerning Native American education, including the involvement of Native American children in the education system, as well as the support of their parents and the Native American people in general. After this, he goes into a description of the current situation. He notes the poor test scores of children of Native American background and their unstable, yet getting better health situation. He continues with results of studies conducted concerning Indian parent and student opinions of the teachers and material that was being offered at the time. Results pointed to generally more than half as positive and approving of the current situation, with some room for improvement. This shows some development since the other secondary source that I chose, and will be good to have in my paper. Futher, the other of this source discusses what he believes to be proper government action. Finally, the author goes into numerous suggestions as to what he thinks needs to be done about the situation. He discusses financing, target groups, post high school education, etc. It would be interesting to see the results of this source; to see if anything came from Robert Havighurest’s studies.

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  15. Clarke, Thurston. The Last Campaign: Robert F. Kennedy and the 82 Days That Inspired America.
    Henry Holt and Company. New York, New York, 2008

    In this text, Clarke describes the triumph of Robert F. Kennedy and the courage he had to take over after his brother was assassinated. He also focused on not only the campaign, which was one of the most successful campaigns in the history of the United States, but also the turbulence on which Robert F. Kennedy had to go through. In this scholarly source, one gets to know the great Robert F. Kennedy and also what campaign life is like or was like in the mid-1960s. It ends with the tragic assassination of Kennedy unrelating to the civil rights movement.


    Fernandez, Ronald. America Beyond Black and White. The University of Michigan Press. Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2007.

    In America Beyond Black and White, Fernandez speaks about other civil rights movements beyond the African-Americans. He talks about the hideous side of California where Asians and Hispanics are being suppressed. How California and other immigration states were mistreating immigrants and how they got away from it. He also included African-Americans and how the three main minorities who had already created huge riots in big cities leading up to the Chicago riots in 1968.

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