American Progress

by Veda Boyd Jones

  8:00 A.M.: Each man is assigned to a work group of six to twelve men. Trucks take us as close as the roads go to where we are to work in the forest that day. Then we walk, carrying our axes, saws, and any other tools we need.

  1:00 P.M.: The truck driver brings us lunch. Usually something like bologna sandwiches.

  4:00 P.M.: Return to camp and clean up.

  5:00 P.M.: Supper.

  5:30 P.M.: Choice of athletics or use of library—if we aren’t working on some building for the camp!

  10:30 P.M.: Lights out.

  Sundays, a minister comes from a nearby town—well, nearby according to northern Minnesota woods standards!

  We already had to help fight one forest fire. Hot work! But it felt good to know we’d done something so important.

  After being in the city, it’s great living in the woods. There’s nothing like the sounds of the woods at night or early in the morning before the bugler rousts the camp.

  But best of all is being able to help out my family. They’ve written me a couple times and say the money I send home is a big help.

  Greet all your family for me, Fred, and say hello to Anna and Dot, too. Write me when you get a chance.

  Your friend,

  Chet

  Anna folded the letter and put it back into the envelope. “He sounds pretty happy.”

  “Yes, I think he is.”

  “Anna, Fred!”

  Anna turned at Dot’s voice. She was trying to work her way through the crowd on the sidewalk. Finally she reached them.

  “Hi!” Anna said. “Fred got a letter from Chet today. He said to say hello to you. Do you want to read the letter?”

  “Later,” Dot said. “I have something important to tell you two.”

  Dot’s shining eyes and red cheeks made Anna curious. “What is it?”

  “What is it, Dot?” Fred repeated.

  “Do you remember the president’s program?”

  Fred and Anna laughed. “Which one?” Fred asked.

  “I think it’s the one called FERA. Anyway, it’s the one where surplus food is given to unemployed people.”

  Fred and Anna nodded and waited.

  “Some of those goods are coming to Minneapolis,” Dot told them. “The city needs more people to help decide where to store the goods and who should have them, things like that.” She bounced up and down. “They’ve asked Father to take one of the jobs!”

  Anna threw her arms around Dot. “That’s wonderful! I knew he’d get a real job one day!”

  “It’s great news!” Fred said.

  “It’s a job with lots of responsibility,” Dot said when she and Anna stopped hugging. “They needed someone for the job who has experience supervising people and organizing things.”

  “Your father certainly has that after helping get the Organized Unemployed started,” Fred said.

  Dot grinned. “That’s right. The man who hired Father said he knew he’d be good at the job because of the work he did for Organized Unemployed.”

  “At least at this job, he’ll get paid real money,” Fred said.

  Dot nodded. “Of course, he won’t be making nearly as much money as he made when he worked at the Foshay Tower, but he says we’ll be able to pay the mortgage each month now! No one will be able to take our house away!”

  Anna squeezed her hands. “I’m so glad for you.”

  Dot smiled. “You know, I didn’t want to say anything, but I’ve been mad at God for giving Father that job at Organized Unemployed that only paid in scrip—and not much of that. But all along, God was using that job to get Father this good job!”

  Band music stirred the air. The crowd started looking down the street, standing on tiptoes and looking around the people in front of them. “The parade is starting!”

  The band, dressed in smart, colorful uniforms, marched by playing “Happy Days Are Here Again!” Anna, Dot, and Fred joined the rest of the crowd singing the cheerful words. People about them waved small flags with Blue Eagles on them.

  After the band came people carrying banners with the names of companies who had signed the pledge to become Blue Eagle companies. As far as Anna could see down the street, there were more people and more banners.

  Happiness swelled up within her. There were still a lot of people without jobs, but things were getting better. Maybe what Mother said is true, Anna thought, watching the banners with Blue Eagles pass by. Maybe learning to love and help each other is the most important thing God is teaching us.

  AMERICAN PROGRESS:

  BONUS EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

  MAUREEN THE DETECTIVE: THE AGE OF IMMIGRATION

  VOCABULARY WORDS

  assess—to figure out the size, importance, meaning, or value of

  Maybe he wanted to assess Mrs. Hoag’s stern behavior before he brought up the subject of the cataloging job.

  bemused—confused and amused

  He looked bemused, as if he didn’t understand their conversation.

  bereavement—a sad time due to the loss of a loved one

  She’d been brave, feeling a kinship with the unknown Mrs. Hoag because they had both suffered bereavement.

  brogue—the way a language is spoken; used especially to describe an Irish accent

  They teased her about her Irish brogue, which was the same as telling her she didn’t belong.

  eccentric—not normal, unusual

  “But Mrs. Hoag is eccentric,” Sarah said.

  fricassee—a dish of meat and/or vegetables stewed in a white sauce

  Mrs. Hoag ordered chicken fricassee for all of them with corn on the cob and mashed potatoes.

  immigrant—a person who comes to live in a new country

  “It took him a while to warm to me, since I was an immigrant, but we’ve become fairly good friends.”

  immigrate—to come into a new country to live

  She’d been almost three when her family had immigrated.

  incense—a material that, when burned, creates a strong, pleasant smell

  The burning incense, the lighted candles, and the Latin words that the parishioners recited by heart were what Maureen associated with church.

  kinship—a close connection or family relationship

  She’d been brave, feeling a kinship with the unknown Mrs. Hoag because they had both suffered bereavement.

  maniacal—wild and crazy

  Mrs. Hoag chuckled, but she didn’t laugh that maniacal laugh that she had when Maureen and Mark had thrust their hands in the air.

  mourning—a time of feeling and showing deep sadness

  “Her husband died a couple years ago, and she’s not come out of mourning yet.”

  naturalization—the process someone follows to become a citizen

  “He said the government is getting ready to make some changes in the naturalization policy.”

  newfangled—of the newest kind

  He and his uncle shared a liking for newfangled things, and Maureen would certainly put the automobile in that category.

  recluse—a person who lives alone and stays away from others

  People have been unkind to her because she changed so much—from being out in public all the time to being a recluse.

  remnant—a small part that remains or is left over

  Some of the girls made their way over to Maureen, but Sarah led those who thought it was silly to think there was some remnant of the president on her hand after two days.

  temperance—choosing to drink little or no alcohol

  Arrests gave reporters something to write about, and the more people knew about the movement, the stronger the temperance movement became.

  vestige—the last, remaining part

  “Let’s get rid of any vestige of this evening’s adventure that we can. “

  IMPORTANT PEOPLE AND THINGS AROUND 1903

  Theodore Roosevelt

  Theodore Roosevelt was the twenty-sixth president of the United States, and the youngest in history. He was born Octob
er 27, 1858, in New York City. He suffered from asthma and many illnesses as a child and was homeschooled by tutors and his parents. Roosevelt excelled in the subjects he enjoyed most—like natural history and biology—but struggled in math and languages. He went on to graduate from Harvard, and despite warnings to protect his fragile health, he chose an active, strenuous lifestyle. In addition to serving as president, Roosevelt was an author, a naturalist, an explorer, a hunter, a cowboy, and a soldier.

  Theodore Roosevelt’s political career began in 1881 with the New York State Assembly, and by 1901 he became president after William McKinley was assassinated. Highlights of his presidency include earning a Nobel Peace Prize for mediating the Russo-Japanese War, ensuring the construction of the Panama Canal, and conserving much US land for national parks and forests.

  Carrie Nation

  Carrie Nation was born in Kentucky in 1846 and became one of the most radical members of the temperance movement to limit or ban the drinking of alcohol. She was known for violent methods of protesting alcohol, including carrying a hatchet and attacking bars where alcohol was sold and served. Nation described herself as “a bulldog running along at the feet of Jesus, barking at what He doesn’t like.”

  Carrie’s first marriage was to an alcoholic who died within two years of their wedding. Because of her husband’s death, Carrie was passionate about the fight against drinking. She felt strongly that she had been called by God to destroy saloons and bars. Arrested more than thirty times, she paid her jail fees with money earned from lecture tours and selling souvenir hatchets.

  She died in 1911, and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union put a stone on her grave that says, “Faithful to the Cause of Prohibition, She Hath Done What She Could.”

  Frederic Remington

  Frederic Remington was a painter, sculptor, illustrator, and writer who specialized in art that portrayed the Old American West. He was born in New York in 1861 and attended a church-run military school called Vermont Episcopal Institute, where he took his first drawing lessons. Frederic’s father wanted his son to be a soldier, but the boy was more interested in becoming a journalist and artist. He later attended the art school at Yale University but never finished.

  Remington first traveled west at age nineteen. On a visit to Montana, he tried out hunting and ranching and continued to sketch. When Remington began to get serious about art as a career, he returned to New York for more formal training at the Art Student League of New York. He was twenty-five when his first full-page cover (carrying his own name) appeared in Harper’s Weekly magazine on January 9, 1886. Some of Remington’s best-known works are Broncho Buster, The Wicked Pony, and Coming through the Rye.

  HISTORY IN PERSPECTIVE TIMELINE

  September 19, 1893—New Zealand gives women the right to vote.

  March 30, 1895—Rudolf Diesel patents the diesel engine.

  August 16, 1896—The discovery of gold along the Klondike River in northwest Canada starts a gold rush

  July 7, 1898—The United States annexes the Hawaiian islands.

  July 19, 1900—The first underground train line, or subway, opens in Paris.

  September 14, 1901—Theodore Roosevelt becomes president upon the death of William McKinley.

  December 17, 1903—The Wright brothers make their first flight.

  June 30, 1905—The theory of special relativity is published by Albert Einstein.

  September 27, 1908—Henry Ford produces the first Model T automobile.

  June 9, 1911—Carrie Nation, radical supporter of the temperance movement, dies.

  April 15, 1912—The RMS Titanic sinks on her maiden voyage.

  December 1, 1913—The Ford Motor Company starts using assembly lines.

  MARIA TAKES A STAND: THE BATTLE FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS

  VOCABULARY WORDS

  accost—to approach someone and speak in an angry or challenging way

  Thomas, Curt, and Libby would never have told on Maria, but that evening Maria caught sight of Mrs. Braun accosting Mama as she came home from work.

  atomizer—a device for creating a fine spray, usually for perfumes

  On a silver tray were several cut-glass atomizers.

  audacity—boldness that is shocking or rude

  She could hardly believe such audacity.

  bowler—a type of dome-shaped hat with a narrow brim

  Dozens of wealthy men dressed in heavy wool coats and fancy bowlers probably passed the boys every day and never saw their need.

  brusque—talking or acting in a quick, unfriendly way

  Just as quickly, she was sorry for being so brusque.

  calliope—a type of keyboard musical instrument like an organ with a set of whistles usually sounded by steam

  Bright melodies from the merry-go-round calliope floated across the still air, along with the sounds of noisy barkers luring patrons into their various sideshows.

  crestfallen—sad and disappointed

  At first Curt was crestfallen.

  decorous—having the correct and proper behavior

  Maria watched their behavior and marveled that such uncouth people should be able to vote when the decorous ladies under that tent could not.

  divan—a long type of couch, usually with no back or arms

  Maria had snuggled comfortably into a corner of the pillow-laden divan.

  hawk—to sell something, usually by calling out on the street

  The other boys struck out for their street corners, where they would stand and hawk papers until they sold out.

  heckler—someone who calls out rude comments to interrupt and annoy

  Along Fourth, the crowds were denser, and the hecklers were out in full force.

  Hun—a mean name for a person of German background

  After giving Mama and Maria both a giant bear hug, she said, “Now at school when they call me a Hun, at least I’ll be a well-dressed Hun.”

  immaculate—perfectly clean

  Although SueEllen was sitting on the softest chair in Aunt Josephine’s immaculate parlor, she sat on the edge of the seat with her back ramrod straight.

  knickers—a type of loose-fitting pants that reach just below the knee

  How she wished she were still dressed in knickers. Boys were so lucky.

  lollygagging—wasting time doing things that aren’t useful

  “The missus is kind but doesn’t hold with lollygagging about, she doesn’t.”

  quell—to quiet or stop

  “I read how you went into the Flats to quell a riot, you brave girl you.”

  shenanigans—activities that are mischievous or improper

  “I’m not too sure I agree with all the shenanigans of Miss Alice Paul and her group at the capital.”

  smack of—to be suggestive of or seem involved with

  “You don’t want it to smack of some charity deal.”

  sublime—very good or wonderful

  She lay there, relishing the sublime feeling of being toasty warm on such a nasty morning.

  suffrage—the right to vote

  How Maria wished she could serve in the suffrage association as well.

  suffragette—a woman who worked to help other women get the right to vote

  Obviously, he’d heard about the suffragettes in Washington, D.C., who were being arrested and thrown in jail.

  tin lizzie—an early type of automobile that was small and inexpensive

  “Even after I dug her out of the snow, my old tin lizzie just stood there and refused to turn over.”

  uncouth—rude and impolite

  Maria watched their behavior and marveled that such uncouth people should be able to vote when the decorous ladies under that tent could not.

  vehement—having strong and intense emotions

  Maria hadn’t thought Mama would be so vehement about the matter.

  Victrola—another name for a phonograph, an old-fashioned type of record player

  Uncle Robert had the Victrola cranked up.


  IMPORTANT PEOPLE AND THINGS AROUND 1914

  Carrie Chapman Catt

  Carrie Chapman Catt was an important leader in the suffrage movement to give women the right to vote in the United States. She was born Carrie Clinton Lane in Wisconsin in 1859. Raised in Iowa, Carrie graduated from Iowa State College and in 1885 married a newspaper editor, but he died soon after. She married again in 1890 to a wealthy engineer named George Catt.

  Carrie was a close acquaintance of Susan B. Anthony, who selected Carrie to follow her as leader of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Carrie was elected president of this association twice, first from 1900–1904 and again from 1915–1920. During her second term, the goal of the suffrage moment was reached with the adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution in 1920, which gave women the right to vote.

  The Panama Canal

  The Panama Canal is 51-mile long waterway in Central America that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Its construction began on January 1, 1880 by the French, but the project was abandoned by 1893 because of the difficulty, cost, and loss of human life.

  In 1904, the United States took over construction under the leadership of President Theodore Roosevelt. On August 15, 1914, the canal was officially opened as one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever. Nearly 60,000 people participated in its construction, and around 20,000 lives were lost while building the canal. When it was complete, ships traveling between the Atlantic and Pacific no longer had to sail all the way around South America, cutting the travel time between the two oceans in half. This shorter, faster, safer route to the West Coast and nations in and along the Pacific Ocean allowed those places to become more involved in the world economy.

  After a twenty-year partnership between the United States and Panama, the control and operation of the Panama Canal completely transferred from the United States to the Republic of Panama on December 31, 1999. It continues to be an important link in world trade.

  RMS Lusitania

  The RMS Lusitania was a British ocean liner that began service out of Liverpool, England in 1907. At the time, it was among the largest and fastest ships in the world. As part of the Cunard passenger line, the Lusitania transported passengers between Liverpool, England, and New York City.