World War II Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 02/13/2008 - 15:43
Description

"World War II was the most destructive conflict in the history of the world, affecting nearly everyone who was alive at the time, as well as the generations that followed. This seminar will examine the causes, course, and consequences of the war, both in the European and Asian/Pacific theaters, as well as on the American homefront. While it will emphasize the role that the United States played in the conflict, it will not ignore those aspects of the war in which Americans were not directly involved, such as the early war years (1939-41), and the genocidal conflict between Germany and the Soviet Union."

Registration Deadline
Sponsoring Organization
Ashbrook Center, TeachingAmericanHistory.org
Phone number
1 419-289-5411
Target Audience
Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade
Start Date
Cost
None ($500 stipend)
Course Credit
"Teachers may choose to receive two hours of Master's degree credit from Ashland University. This credit can be used toward the new Master of American History and Government offered by Ashland University or may be transfered to another institution. The two credits will cost $440."
Duration
Six days
End Date

Pearl Harbor: History, Memory, Memorial

Description

This workshop "will provide the larger historical and cultural context for understanding the Pearl Harbor attacks by illuminating one of most important (if at times antagonistic) bilateral relationships in the 20th century— that between the United States and Japan—and the impact of that relationship on both nations’ international affairs. Importantly, it will explore the multiple histories that converge at Pearl Harbor—including not only American and Japanese but also Hawaiian and diverse American experiences, especially those of Americans of Japanese ancestry—reminding us that despite the mythic status of the Pearl Harbor story in American culture, there are in fact a number of “Pearl Harbors,” with different impacts and memories for diverse Americans and for people throughout the world." Visits to historical sites; meetings with Pearl Harbor survivors and Japanese-American who spent time in the U.S. internment camps; discussions; pedagogical sessions; and curriculum development will be included.

Contact name
MacDonald, Rosita
Registration Deadline
Sponsoring Organization
National Endowment for the Humanities
Phone number
1 808-944-7378
Target Audience
Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade
Start Date
Duration
Six days
End Date

Pearl Harbor: History, Memory, Memorial

Description

This workshop "will provide the larger historical and cultural context for understanding the Pearl Harbor attacks by illuminating one of most important (if at times antagonistic) bilateral relationships in the 20th century— that between the United States and Japan—and the impact of that relationship on both nations’ international affairs. Importantly, it will explore the multiple histories that converge at Pearl Harbor—including not only American and Japanese but also Hawaiian and diverse American experiences, especially those of Americans of Japanese ancestry—reminding us that despite the mythic status of the Pearl Harbor story in American culture, there are in fact a number of “Pearl Harbors,” with different impacts and memories for diverse Americans and for people throughout the world." Visits to historical sites; meetings with Pearl Harbor survivors and Japanese-American who spent time in the U.S. internment camps; discussions; pedagogical sessions; and curriculum development will be included.

Contact name
MacDonald, Rosita
Registration Deadline
Sponsoring Organization
National Endowment for the Humanities
Phone number
1 808-944-7378
Target Audience
Kindergarten through Twelfth Grade
Start Date
Duration
Six days
End Date

Sakura: Cherry Blossoms as Living Symbols of Friendship

Image
Annotation

In 1912, Japan presented Washington, DC, with 3,000 cherry trees as a gift. This Library of Congress exhibit uses primary sources to explore the history of the trees, the National Cherry Blossom Festival that grew up around them, and Japan/U.S. relations.

Primary sources are divided up by four themes. "Art and Documentation" includes three sources: a letter from Tokyo mayor Yei Theodora Ozaki to First Lady Helen Taft on the gift of the trees, a memo on artwork acquired by botanist Walter Tennyson Swingle in Japan, and a photograph of Swingle and Seisaku Funatsu, one of the group of Japanese experts who cultivated the trees gifted to the U.S.

In "A Special Gift to Washington from the City of Tokyo," visitors can view Swingle's collection of 11 Japanese watercolors depicting different types of cherry trees.

"Cherry Blossoms in Japanese Cultural History" collects 15 pieces of Japanese artwork depicting traditional hanami (flower viewing), as well as two pieces of Western artwork showing Japanese influence. Also included in this section are 12 stereographs of Japan during cherry blossom time, created between 1904 and 1908 for Western audiences.

"Enduring Symbols of Friendship" includes nine sources exploring the place of the cherry trees in Japan/U.S. relations. A 1938 Japanese magazine cover, notes for a 1934 speech by Japanese ambassador Hiroshi Satou, and a photo of children from the Japanese Embassy at the Tidal Basin show pre-World War II peace. Two political cartoons show how quickly the trees became a symbol of DC, and a photograph shows U.S. cherry blossom viewers during World War II. The section also features three photographs from a 2011 photography contest associated with the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Visitors can also click on "Exhibition Items" to view all 55 primary sources, sortable alphabetically or by theme.

Some sources lack annotations, and existing annotations are sparse. However, this is a unique collection of sources that could be used as jumping-off points for exploring cultural exchange, international relations over time, and DC history.