How some nations are motivated by political or geo-political considerations when denouncing human rights abuses is examined. Examples from US and Russian foreign policies are discussed. (RM)

In 1893 the last monarch of Hawaii, Queen Lili'uokalani, was overthrown by a party of U.S. businessmen, who then imposed a provisional government. Soon after, U.S. President Benjamin Harrison submitted a treaty to annex the Hawaiian Islands to the U.S. Senate for ratification. In 1897, the treaty effort was blocked when the Hawaiian Patriotic…

Eleanor Roosevelt broke the rules of race relations when she became friends with a leading Black woman, Mary McLeod Bethune, founder and president of Bethune-Cookman College. Without the mentorship of Mary Bethune, Mrs. Roosevelt may not have understood the southern mentality, White or Black. (RM)

Examines the Depression era Townsend Movement that pressed for old age pensions. Compares this movement with a model social movement to explore what facilitates the development of movements and what determines their success or failure. Concludes that the political mediation model explains successes as reinforced political action with strong member…

Stresses the idea that students today must understand the importance of the political, economic, and social process that were prevalent in the postbellum South if they are to understand the subsequent events of the twentieth century. Discusses a number of works that will provide background information of this nature. (KO)

Unit 3 of a six-unit series on Indiana state history designed to be taught in Indiana secondary schools tells the story of Indiana from 1829 to 1908. Chapter 1 discusses national issues in an Indiana context. The effects of social movements such as Abolition, the underground railroad, and the Fugitive Slave Law on Indiana politics are examined.…

Outlines Thomas Jefferson's views of classic philosophical writers and various interpretations of their views on morality and epicureanism. Explains why teaching ancient and medieval political philosophy is necessary as an ethical supplement to U.S. political thought. States liberal democracy depends on the tension between reason and revelation.…

The necessity for candidates for public office to gather money in order to mount effective campaigns has raised concerns that campaign contributions may give some individuals and groups improper influence on the selection of public officials and the making of public policy. Part of this concern stems from the pluralist theory that maintains that…

Traces the history of the Bill of Rights. Delineates the early arguments proposed for and against the Bill of Rights. Discusses the recent Ronald Reagan-Edwin Meese attack on the applicability of the Bill of Rights. Identifies seven items that every student should know about the Bill of Rights. (RW)

Because Watergate tested the strength of the U.S. constitutional system and proved that it worked, this unit could serve as a focal point for study of the U.S. Constitution. The three objectives of the document are: (1) to expand knowledge of the governance process through study of the separation of powers, the impeachment process, the right to…

Traces the life and career of DeWitt Clinton, who served as mayor of New York City, governor of New York, and U.S. senator. Stresses that Clinton deeply impacted the state and nation as the founder of New York City's public schools, as an advocate of higher education for women, and as a major figure in building the Erie Canal. (NL)

Discusses social and political changes in southern Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War. Describes anti-U.S. propaganda used in the schools and media in the years immediately following the war. Contends that younger Vietnamese look forward to a closer relationship with the United States and its people. (CFR)

United States history as a linchpin in the school curriculum and as a potentially exciting, sometimes electrifying, subject was the conviction underlying this analysis of U.S. history textbooks. This assessment investigates the capacity of leading U.S. social studies and history textbooks to inspire the imagination of students through effective…

Describes oral history interviews conducted with artists and writers involved in New Deal arts projects. Describes the collections, analyzing biases and selection factors. Examines participants' attitudes toward government sponsorship of the arts, finding general approval of government patronage. Suggests that these oral histories help document…

Presents an excellent summation of the controversy over the Smithsonian's Enola Gay exhibit. Delineates the preparation of the exhibit, nature and origins of the objections raised, subsequent revisions in the text, and the decision to cancel the exhibit. Includes textual passages from the most disputed sections of the exhibit. (MJP)