Celebrate the Century:
Search the Web for U.S.
History of the 1910s
Search the Web to learn more about the stories behind the stamps issued
by the U.S. Postal Service, commemorating the people, places, events, and
trends of the second decade of this century. Explore Web sites related to
the Girls Scouts and the Grand Canyon, Charlie Chaplin and child labor.
Included: An Internet scavenger hunt for students!
"Capturing history on stamps is an important part of what we do at the Postal
Service," said John Ward, a Postal Service vice president, as he introduced the
15 stamps that commemorate the 1910s.
Those stamps, introduced February 3, 1998, are part of the U.S. Postal Service's
Celebrate the Century program.
AMERICAN LOOKS BEYOND ITS BORDERS
The following text is from the 1910s Celebrate the Century stamp sheet.
"Halley's comet lit up the sky to begin the decade. American workers began
moving from farms to factories. The Ford Motor Co. refined the automobile
assembly line. Traffic lights and white lane dividers became part of the American
landscape.
"Scientific and technological achievements changed society. In 1911, in New
York, fingerprint evidence alone was used for the first time in the United States to
arrest a burglar. Jim Thorpe was an international sports star, but Tarzan was an
even more popular hero.
"The accidental sinking of the luxury liner Titanic shocked the nation, but it was
the sinking of another ship, the Lusitania, that upset society, leading to U.S.
involvement in World War I. Two million American soldiers fought in Europe, and
more than 116,5000 lost their lives.
"Americans saw the light as the decade ended: Daylight saving time was
instituted in 1918. New words -- camouflage, electronics, and troublemaker -became a part of the American vocabulary."
THE STAGE IS SET
So sets the stage for the 15 stamps commemorating the 1910s.
The activities that follow will engage students in exploring Web sites as they
search for information related to ten of the 1910s stamps. For each stamp, a
question is posed and a Web site URL is presented. Challenge students to use
the listed Web sites to answer all ten questions.
FIRST CROSSWORD PUZZLE 1913
Newspaperman Arthur Wynne created the first crossword puzzle. It appeared in
the New York World on Sunday, December 21, 1913. Clue 2-3: What bargain
hunters enjoy.
Question 1:
Take a look at Wynne's puzzle on the Web page noted below.
How was Wynne's puzzle different from the typical crossword puzzles you see
today?
The Web site:
http://www.crosswordtournament.com/more/wynne.html
Find the answer to
that question on the Introducing Crossword Puzzles Web page.
CHILD LABOR REFORM
Lewis W. Hine's photographs of children working in mines, mills, and factories led
Congress to try to regulate child labor, but the Supreme Court declared early
laws unconstitutional.
Question 2:
One of Lewis W. Hine's photographs showed a group of "breaker
boys" in 1911. What job did breaker boys do?
The Web site: http://www.ibiscom.com/hnintro.htm
You can find the answer
to that question on the Children at Work, 1908-1912 Web page. Go to Breakers
Boys, 1911 to see a photo of breaker boys.
JACK DEMPSEY WINS TITLE 1919
Known as the Manassa Mauler because he was from Manassa, Colorado, Jack
Dempsey won the world heavyweight boxing championship in 1919 and held it
for seven years.
Question 3:
Jack Dempsey finally lost his heavyweight title in 1926. Which
boxer defeated him in that fight?
The Web site: http://www.cmgww.com/sports/dempsey/dempsey.html
You
can find that answer and read about other "Career Highlights" on the official Jack
Dempsey Web page.
PANAMA CANAL OPENS 1914
The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, saving a ship
traveling between New York and San Francisco almost 8,000 miles.
Question 4:
How long did it take and how much did it cost to construct the
Panama Canal?
The Web site: http://www.pancanal.com/history
The answer to that question
can be found by reading the Short History of the canal on the History of the
Canal Web site.
GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER
Botanist George Washington Carver improved the economy of the South by
demonstrating the commercial possibilities of peanuts and sweet potatoes. His
"Movable School" educated impoverished farmers.
Question 5:
When George Washington Carver enrolled at Simpson College in
Indianola, Iowa, he didn't enroll in the agriculture program. That came later. What
did Carver study at Simpson?
The Web site: http://www.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/gwc/bio.html
You can learn
what he studied on the The Legacy of George Washington Carver page on the
University of Iowa Web site.
U.S. BOY AND GIRL SCOUTING BEGINS
The Boy Scouts of America was formed in 1910 and the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.
(at first known as Girl Guides) in 1912. Both groups introduce youth to a variety
of outdoor activities and promote self-reliance and resourcefulness.
Question 6:
In 1913, W. J. Hoxie, a noted naturalist, and Juliette Low, the
founder of the Girl Scouts, prepared the first official Girl Scout handbook. What
was the title of that handbook?
The Web site:
http://www.girlscouts.org/organization/vmuseum/index.htm
Take a tour of
the Girl Scout Virtual Museum to learn the answer to this question.
CHARLIE CHAPLIN'S LITTLE TRAMP
Charlie Chaplin first assumed his famous costume for the Little Tramp in 1914.
The clothes, mustache, cane, and walk came to identify one of the most familiar
characters in the history of film.
Question 7:
Charlie Chaplin introduced his Little Tramp character in two 1914
films. What was the title of one of those films?
The Web site: http://www.autographics.com/chaplin.html
Find the answer to
that question on the Sir Charles Chaplin (Charlie Chaplin) Biography Web page
from the Autographics Hollywood Legends series.
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK 1919
The National Park Service was established by Congress in 1916. The Grand
Canyon was officially designated a national park two and a half years later.
Question 8:
The Grand Canyon National Park can be divided into three
distinct sections -- the South Rim, the North Rim, and the Inner Canyon. Which of
those sections is the wettest? Which is the hottest?
The Web site: http://www.grand.canyon.national-park.com/info.htm
You
can find the answers to those two questions on the Grand Canyon National Park
Information Page.
JIM THORPE, STAR AT STOCKHOLM
The first Native American sports hero, Jim Thorpe was hailed as the greatest
athlete in the world after he won the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912
Olympic Games in Stockholm.
Question 9:
Jim Thorpe was born in Oklahoma. He was of mostly Sac and
Fox Indian heritage. What was his Indian name, and what does that name mean?
The Web site: http://www.cmgww.com/sports/thorpe/thorpe.html
To find
the answer to that question, read Jim Thorpe's Biography on the official Jim
Thorpe Web site.
U.S. ENTERS WORLD WAR I
Two million American soldiers fought in Europe during World War I, and more
than 116,500 lost their lives. Back home, more than 1 million women joined the
workforce.
Question 10:
The 1914 assassination in Europe of an archduke is often cited
as one of the root causes of World War I. Who was that archduke?
The Web site: http://www.ibiscom.com/eyindx.htm
To learn which
archduke's assassination led to World War I, go to the Index to EyeWitness Web
page. Find the link to another Web page that contains a description of this 1914
event.
Article by Gary Hopkins
Education World® Editor-in-Chief
Copyright © 1999
Education World