20 Matching Annotations
  1. Mar 2024
    1. Pasted or drawn directly next tohis detailed clinical histories of suspected leprosy cases, these rough sketchesreveal a desire to accurately represent somatic symptoms as well his difficul-ties imaging the human body.

      This sentence illuminates how Emerson, despite being a Western-trained physician, struggled with the limitations of textual descriptions in capturing the complexities of leprosy. His use of sketches alongside medical notes underscores the challenges he faced in diagnosing and understanding leprosy, a disease that presented with a variety of symptoms that were difficult to categorize strictly through written language.

    1. not one appeared in the photograph documenting the meeting of the rails atPromontory Point, Utah (fig. 1).

      This highlights the exclusion of Chinese railroad workers from a significant 1869 photograph, symbolizing their erasure from U.S. history and marking the start of harsh immigration policies and racial discrimination against Chinese immigrants.

  2. Feb 2024
    1. In this article, I argue that nineteenth-century Americans believed that climate changed—and could be engineered

      This section provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of the article's main argument, touching upon the reasons behind the belief in climate malleability in the 19th century, the role of scientific mimicry, and the societal impact of these beliefs. It sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the themes of scientific credibility, environmental manipulation, and the intersection of climate theories with the expansionist ideologies of the time.

    1. The same Treaties of 1866 that punished the Five Tribes as disloyal tothe Union and stripped their status as settlers also served to inaugurate thesecond wave of settlers: Indian freedpeople.

      In this section, the text discusses the repercussions of the Treaties of 1866 on the Five Tribes and the initiation of the second wave of settlers, namely the Indian freedpeople. The text emphasizes the interplay between the issues of slavery, settler colonialism, and the Reconstruction era in shaping the fate of both Native peoples and African Americans in the West.

    1. Judging by the etchings that Goodrich included in his work, he imaginedscenes of violence and catastrophe as especially essential for young readers.In his First Book of History; for Children and Youth (1836), designed forpupils between the ages of nine to sixteen, Goodrich interspersed dis-turbing images of natural and human-made disasters amid lessons on ge-ography and historical vignettes. One early etching depicts an avalancheabout to bury a family alive, their fleeing figures captured in the momentbefore giant boulders rained down on them.

      This section provides a detailed examination of how Samuel Griswold Goodrich deliberately included graphic depictions of violence in his works. The author argues that Goodrich believed exposing children to such imagery was essential not only to reinforce geographical details but also to prepare them mentally for the challenges they might encounter.

    1. The new law denied accused freedom seekersthe right to testify, entrusting their fate instead to federal officials known as U.S. com-missioners, who were financially incentivized to find in favor of slaveholders, receivinga $10 fee for every person they returned to slavery, compared to just $5 for each personthey released.

      This part of the text highlights the law's denial of the right for accused freedom seekers to testify in their own defense, the financial incentives for U.S. commissioners to favor slaveholders, and the unexpected opposition slaveholders faced from federal officials and antislavery activists in the North. It provides a clear illustration of the law's intended and actual effects, the challenges to its enforcement, and the broader implications for federalism and the growing sectional crisis leading up to the Civil War.

  3. Jan 2024
    1. Walker's rationale is best explained as a reiteration of liberal-republicanideology coupled with evangelical principles. He too, had co-opted the prin-ciples of the Founding Fathers' ideology and employed it to defend his in-alienable rights as a person, and in particular as a Christian.

      Walker's perspective is contextualized within the ideological landscape of liberal-republican principles and evangelical beliefs, emphasizing his commitment to social uplift and enfranchisement. The author presents Walker's call for violence as a last resort, driven by the necessity to defend oneself when all other means have been exhausted. The historical significance of Walker's Appeal is underscored by its circulation, its influence on black Americans' political awareness, and its contribution to the abolitionist discourse.

    1. The community’s rationale for rejecting treatment, outlined inseveral follow-up letters to the agent, provides insight into the debateswaged within the community during this transitional period infederal policy.

      This passage explores the response of the Cherokee community to a smallpox outbreak in 1806 and the ensuing debates over medical treatments. The rejection of Dr. McNeil's services is analyzed through the lens of community decision-making, highlighting concerns about cultural practices, economic considerations, and the intrusion of external medical practices.

  4. Dec 2023
    1. If your builder could place a small red bird in your chest to beat as your heart, is it so hard for you to picture the blue river hurtling inside the slow muscled curves of my long body? Is it too difficult to believe it is as sacred as a breath or a star or a sidewinder or your own mother or your beloveds?

      The imagery of the "blue river hurtling inside" the speaker's body aligns with many Native American beliefs that emphasize a deep connection between individuals and the natural world.

    1. One, the light my grandfather yearned toward came from the top of Mt. Diablo, about threehundred miles away. He said, “I’ll tell you what made me leave there: I could see a light fromthe Carrisa Plains every night, and I said, I wonder where the hell that light is? You could seeit from the Carrisa Plains as soon as it got dark every single night.” The geography Tom spokeof was significant: he was being pulled homeward.

      The author shares a personal story about her grandfather's connection to a sacred mountain, Mt. Diablo, drawing attention to the clash between indigenous spirituality and the intrusion of modernity, symbolized by an airplane beacon.

    1. Now I think what I sensed was my father’s unspeakable joy at belonging again to a place, toland, to creation.

      This sentence emphasizes the father's profound joy and sense of belonging that emanate from reconnecting with the land. It suggests that, through gardening, the father rediscovers a connection to a place and a creative force that brings him immense happiness.

    1. I am holding the little handgun my father keeps in the trailer. It is gray metal, with a blackhandle. I want to put it to my father’s temple and pull the trigger

      The vivid description of the gun, its loaded state, and the internal struggle the author faces creates a powerful and emotional scene. The listing of reasons and consideration of consequences adds depth to the internal conflict, providing insight into the complex dynamics of the family and the author's protective instincts toward her brother, Little Al.

    1. I think liquid identityscalping extermination: my brain maps crisis

      This sentence conveys a poignant reflection on the poet's thoughts regarding a friend facing disenrollment from her tribe. The metaphor of "liquid identity" suggests a fluid and vulnerable sense of self, while the phrase "scalping extermination" conveys the severity and violence of the threat.

    1. They allsang and danced to "make luck" for her during the ceremony and forher future as a woman.

      The community actively participates in dances, songs, and prayers to "make luck" for the girl. The author reflects on reviving this tradition after its dormancy for over a century, highlighting the challenges faced and the profound impact on the participants.

    1. Accept my praisesong, you women who aborted pregnancies conceived in rape by soldier orpriest, attend me, barren Indian woman, stripped and prodded, who refused to let FatherRamon Olbes examine your genitals or test your fertility—you, who bit him, suffered fiftylashes, shackles, imprisonment, a shaven head, were forced to carry a wooden false baby fornine days; blessed Apolinaria, midwife, curandera, dancer, keeper of potent medicines: healme.

      This passage delves into the resilience and defiance of Indigenous women facing brutalities during the mission era. It highlights the harrowing experiences of those who resisted invasive examinations and stood against the violation of their bodies. The mention of Apolinaria, a multifaceted figure embodying strength and healing, adds a layer of cultural significance.

    1. In California schools, students come up against the “Mission Unit” in fourth grade,reinforcing the same lies those children have been breathing in most of their lives. Part ofCalifornia’s history curriculum, the unit is entrenched in the educational system and impossibleto avoid, a powerfully authoritative indoctrination in Mission Mythology to which fourthgraders have little if any resistance. Intense pressure is put upon students (and their parents) tocreate a “Mission Project” that glorifies the era and glosses over both Spanish and Mexicanexploitation of Indians, as well as American enslavement of those same Indians duringAmerican rule. In other words, the Mission Unit is all too often a lesson in imperialism,racism, and Manifest Destiny rather than actually educational or a jumping off point for criticalthinking or accurate history.Miranda, Deborah A.. <i>Bad Indians : A Tribal Memoir</i>. Berkeley: Heyday, 2016. Accessed September 21, 2023. ProQuest Ebook Central.Created from ucsd on 2023-09-21 04:46:13.Copyright © 2016. Heyday. All rights reserved.

      In this section, the author critiques the educational curriculum in California, specifically the "Mission Unit" taught to fourth-grade students. The author uses strong language, describing the unit as a form of indoctrination and a reinforcement of harmful stereotypes about California Indians. This critique is part of the broader theme in the text, where the author challenges prevailing narratives and seeks to rectify historical misrepresentations.

    1. This was a semi-intimate scene indicating the best of relations between the married.Waterlily instantly recalled that Rainbow used to dress Blue Bird’s hair just like that. Itseemed very long ago and remote, that childhood life of hers when they had sat so. It was amark of tender affection and the only bit of demonstrativeness between husband and wife thatany outsider was permitted to see, for such things as kissing or embracing, even in fun, weredefinitely not done in public

      In this passage, the narrator reflects on a semi-intimate moment between Good Hunter and his wives, particularly the act of him dressing their hair. The mention of Waterlily recalling her parents, Rainbow and Blue Bird, engaging in a similar act highlights the significance of such gestures as marks of tender affection within Dakota culture.

    1. commend this landand this land

      In this sentence, the repetition of the phrase "this land" emphasizes the deep reverence and appreciation expressed for the land by Native Peoples. The use of "commend" and "honor" underscores a sense of respect and gratitude, portraying the enduring relationship between Native Peoples and the land they have stewarded and protected for thousands of years.

    1. Whereas Native Peoples are [ ] people with a deep andabiding [ ] in the [ ], and for millennia Native Peopleshave maintained a powerful [ ] connection to this land,as evidenced by their [ ] and legends;

      The reference to "legends" suggests the rich and longstanding narrative traditions that underscore Native Peoples' historical and spiritual ties to the land.

    1. But winter was upon them now, and preparations could not be made hurriedly for theinduction. They must wait until spring, when the people would be in the camp circle again.

      It provides insights into the curiosity and eagerness of Rainbow's family as they prepare to witness different customs, technologies, and goods among the Long Knives (Americans).