Reviewing Historical Themes: The Pen is Mightier than the Sword A look at Theodore Roosevelt's influence on future presidential roles/duties through his actions on conservation.
Objectives
Students will evaluate the impact of print media on public opinions and public policy.
Students will compare and contrast the impact of three landmark publications.
To participate effectively in a small group exercise.
To identify and describe major U.S. foreign policy events of 1901-1903.
Before Viewing C-SPAN Ask students to discuss the phrase, "The Pen is Mightier than the Sword." When it comes to reforming American law, how can a literary text make a difference? Tell them they will examine three texts from American history and analyze the reaction to the text in its time, and its impact today.
Background Watch clip #62 Stowe didn't fully understand the plight of blacks until she wrote "The Keys to Uncle Tom's Cabin"; learning process Watch clip #40 Facts about "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and the nation, during the time the novel was published Watch clip #3 Cincinnati then-and-now; "hot spot" in Beecher's time because Ohio was free and Kentucky was not
Reaction/Outcome Watch clip #58 Novel continued to sell long after the Civil War and slavery was abolished Watch clip #51 Factuality of Lincoln Quote: "So you're the little lady that wrote the book that started this great war"
Legacy Watch clip #36 Connection between today's turmoil in Cincinnati with it's past; closure of public schools in areas were riots occurred; African's were never wanted in Cincinnati and the city has still not come to terms with their presence
Background Watch clip #15 Comparison of past and present meatpacking labor conditions time, no unions, immigrant workers still in danger today Watch clip #24 Sinclair's main purpose with The Jungle was to expose wage slavery, America thought the main purpose was unclean meat; Wholesale Meat Act
Reaction/Outcome Watch clip #23 Immediate reaction and change to meat packing process once The Jungle was published, small companies couldn't survive, large companies flourished Watch clip #36 The impact of immigrants in that period of time; Chicago and the great migration
Legacy Watch clip #44 The story and legend of Theodore Roosevelt's reaction after he read The Jungle Watch clip #60 Will there ever be another book that has the same kind of social impact as The Jungle?
Background Watch clip #1 Videotape of Betty Friedan speaking on women's rights; March on women's equality in front of the White House Watch clip #3 Origin of Women's Movement Watch clip #4 The progress and regress of the Women's Movement since 1920 (Nineteenth Amendment passed) Watch clip #8 Statistics from the end of the 1950s; Baby boom rates
Reaction/Outcome Watch clip #7 Reaction from The Feminine Mystique in 1963
Legacy Watch clip #25 Opportunities for women as a result of Friedan and The Feminine Mystique; Friedan's work transcends across time
After Viewing C-SPAN What is the power of the pen? How and why did these texts succeed when other methods did not? Explain your views with information from the clips.
Access complete video from C-SPAN's 
