Protestant ministers often construct their sermons around a text from the Bible that they expand upon to make some broader point. In the nineteenth century, public speakers frequently used the same rhetorical formula, taking their text not necessarily from the Bible but from any well-known source. In his famous Cooper Union speech of 1860, Abraham…

The International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C.--a private museum that opened in July 2002 at the cost of $40 million--is rated as one of the most visited and popular tourist destinations in the nation's capital, despite stiff competition from the various public museums that are part of the Smithsonian. The popularity of the Spy Museum has a…

While Muhammad Ali has been the subject of countless articles and books written by sports historians and journalists, rhetorical scholars have largely ignored him. This oversight is surprising given both the tradition of social movement scholarship within rhetorical studies and Ali's influential eloquence as a world renowned celebrity espousing…

The experience of the combat soldier and the road back to civilian life are recurrent themes in American literature and cinema. Whether the treatment is tragic (Stephen Crane's "Red Badge of Courage", Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried", or Tony Scott's "Blackhawk Down"), satirical (Joseph Heller's "Catch Twenty-Two" and Robert Altman's…

In this article, the author relates his experiences preparing Mexican teachers wishing to enter bilingual classrooms in Texas. The author, who was about to teach U.S. history, envisioned to teach his class with Howard Zinn's "A People's History." However, during his briefing, he was instructed by his program director to use a book called…

This article presents an interview with Albert Nawahi Like, Hawai'i Department of Education teacher from 1927 to 1965. Albert Nawahi Like was born 1900 in Honolulu's Chinatown. When Like was eight years old, his family moved to Kalihi. After the death in 1912 of his father, Edward Like, who was editor of the Hawaiian-language newspaper "Ke…

This essay presents Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidential rhetoric as an iteration of an American synecdochal sublime. Eisenhower's rhetoric sought to re-aim civic sight beyond corporeal objects to the nation's transcendental essence. This rhetoric is intimately connected to prevailing political anxieties and exigencies, especially the problem of…

Provides an essay review of seven books, written since 1983, on the Vietnam War. The titles include: THE BAD WAR: AN ORAL HISTORY OF THE VIETNAM WAR (1987); IN THE COMBAT ZONE: AN ORAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN WOMEN IN VIETNAM, 1966-1975 (1987); and DEAR AMERICA: LETTERS HOME FROM VIETNAM (1985). (JDH)

Though the impact of the cold war on the civil rights movement continued long after the desegregation crisis in Little Rock, the timing of the events in Arkansas, particularly the events at Central High School, constituted a unique moment in the history of the cold war. Up until the fall of 1957, the Soviet Union had been perceived as less…

This article presents an interview with 38-year-old writer Matthew Tobin Anderson. In the interview, Anderson talks about his experiences, passion for writing, teenage interests, and his relation to the distinguished writer Mark Twain. He also states the importance of liberty and what it takes to be a patriot and a loyalist. Furthermore, Matthew…

This essay explores factors creating Missouri's minimum attendance laws for black students from the end of the Civil War to the enactment of compulsory education in the state in 1905. It argues that, although blacks made notable efforts at educational advancement, they were caught in a crossfire of opposing forces stemming from wartime…

Describes the author's experience with the Vietnam War as a deferred civilian. Traces his movement from general knowledge of the war to active opposition to it. Discusses his involvement in the peace movement and his experiences in teaching a course on the war. (GEA)

Describes a role-playing activity designed to show how the United States began its involvement in Vietnam. Provides sample handouts assigning students to support either the French or Vietnamese side of a debate. The teacher assumes the role of President Truman who must decide which side will receive U.S. support. (GEA)

Describes how the author teaches a four-week course on the Vietnam War giving attention to the books, films, and guest speakers used. States that the course enables students to understand the significant and complex issues raised by the war so that they can appreciate the different truths contained in diverse perspectives. (GEA)

Outlines the struggles of German-Americans in Chicago, Illinois during World War I. Contends these German-Americans met conflict, hostility, and pressure to compromise and reevaluate their place in Chicago as a result of the war. (BSR)