In Class Write

Question 1

The movie “J. Edgar” follows former FBI director John Edgar Hoover as he retells a memoir to younger agents about his life. Throughout this, there are flashbacks to the historical events that are mentioned, such as the Lindbergh case, the Palmer Raids, and numerous scandals with various well known people. Many of these events events are depicted accurately, but some are not. I think the most well depicted and accurate, while still entertaining, parts of the movie are the series of events leading up to the Palmer Raids and how Hoover’s obsession with increasing the quality of forensics are depicted.

At the opening of the film, a bomb explodes, which is the first major historical event that is depicted. This bomb was at the home of the Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, who was Hoover’s boss at the time. The movie addresses that this bomb was placed by a Bolshevik communist and that is one in a series of eight bombings that all happened at the same time. The bombers name was Carlo Valdinoci (archives.fbi.gov), he was killed in the bombing when the bomb exploded prematurely. The movie moves on to depict that Palmer appointed Hoover to the head position of a new group that he formed to fight these radicals (archives.fbi.gov). This group became part of the Department of Justice and Hoover began creating secret files on suspected criminals (archives.fbi.gov). As a result of this, the “Palmer Raids” ensue (archives.fbi.gov), which are also depicted in the movie. The Palmer Raids were a series of different and simultaneous raids that were meant to ensure the capture of many radicals that were on Hoover’s list of suspects (archives.fbi.gov). Because these raids were poorly planned, they got a lot of backlash and ultimately Palmer took the fallback for the whole situation (archives.fbi.gov). The movie depicts this series of events accurately while also making them entertaining to the viewer. This event is important to the history because it was the beginning of Hoover’s rise to power. After the Palmer Raids scandal, Palmer was fired and Hoover was promoted to be the assistant director of the BOI and eventually the director (fbi.gov). The history of this rise to power is important to understand where Hoover’s obsession with anti-radicalism manifested from and why he was caught up in so many secrets throughout his career with the FBI.

Another part of the movie that was depicted well was Hoover’s obsession with science and improving the quality of the FBI’s crime fighting skills. Throughout the movie Hoover mentions scientific achievements such as fingerprinting technology or handwriting comparison and even opens a lab in the FBI building for forensics. The importance of these accomplishments are shown throughout the Lindbergh trial, where Hoover explains that there were professional witnesses and actual forensic evidence available that helped convict Bruno Hauptmann. Part of Hoover’s lasting legacy at the FBI today is how he improved science and forensics while he was in power. These accomplishments are something that could have easily been left of the movie but were not, which is good because they are important to the history of Hoover and the FBI.

Question 2

One of the most confusing parts of the film is the series of events that happen regarding Hoover’s relations with Martin Luther King Jr. In real life, Hoover’s relationship with Dr. King is a major reason why many people dislike him, and therefore it is important that it is portrayed accurately to people who are only watching the movie and not doing their own individual research. During one scene in the movie, Hoover listens to an audio tape that is a recording of Dr. King having sexual relations with a woman that wasn’t his wife. It is depicted in the movie that Hoover ordered the wiretaps on Dr. King’s hotel room which caught the audio recording. The important part of history that is left out of the film is that the White House was interested in Dr. King before Hoover was, this was because Dr. King had close relations with a known communist (theatlantic.com). When told to cut off ties with this man, Dr. King secretly continued to meet with him and it was caught on wiretaps (theatlantic.com). As this progressed, Attorney General Kennedy ordered Hoover to wiretap Dr. King’s hotel rooms to try and catch him committing communist acts, not to gather blackmail of his sexual affairs (theatlantic.com). The movie depicts this important scene inaccurately and leaves out the part of history where the president was also interested in Dr. King because of the communists around him, and depicts that Hoover wished to gather blackmail on him because of racist motives.

Another important part of the history behind J. Edgar Hoover are the rumors that he was gay and a crossdresser. While there is no historical evidence to suggest that this is true, the movie depicts Hoover in such a way regardless. Many FBI agents who were consulted for the movie or watched the movie were offended and rehemently responded by saying that Hoover and Tolson were not lovers (washingtonpost.com). The addition of this plot line makes the movie more entertaining to the viewer, but less historical accurate because none of the scenes of their relationship can be said to be true. This is misleading to the viewer and the time that these scenes took up could have been better used to expand on other history that was briefly mentioned but not very elaborated on. For example, while the movie mentions that Hoover is secretly following the moves of some groups, it never elaborates on some of the most well known ones, such as the Black Panthers, the Socialist Workers Party, or the KKK (history.com). The film could have also dove more in depth into the different cases that Hoover worked, instead of mainly focussing on the Lindbergh kidnapping and murder case. While this case is interesting to watch on screen and displayed accurately, the film name drops other criminals such as Bugs Moran and Al Capone, without ever really diving in what role the FBI played in their downfall, if any. The time spent on blatantly inaccurate events could have been spent on scenes depicting more historically accurate events that were important to the actual history of Hoover and not just a movie’s plot line.

Question 3

I would suggest that the filmmaker add smaller scenes of Hoover following well known groups such as the Black Panthers or the KKK and also to add an ending where the viewer sees the legacy that Hoover left behind. Similarly to the scenes of the Palmer Raids and the Lindbergh case or the scene where Hoover listens to the wiretap of Dr. King, I think that additional short scenes of FBI agents tracking and listening in to the Black Panthers and/or the Klu Klux Klan would be effective because they are other well known historical groups that were affected by Hoover’s actions. Since these are well known, it will be easier for the viewer to understand what is being depicted and I think since both of these groups are very opposite to each other, they would bring variety into the movie and cause interest to go up while also improving the educational value of the film as a whole.

As for the end scene, the movie currently ends with Mrs. Gandy shredding all of Hoover’s secret files before President Nixon comes for them and Tolson crying over Hoover’s death. While I think that this is an interesting ending and it leaves a kind of uncertainty about the outcome afterwards, I would have liked to see more of what Hoover left behind in terms of the FBI rather than just his personal relations and files. I would have especially liked to see a scene where it flashes forward to the modern day FBI and I would have liked to see that lasting effects of Hoover’s work. I think this scene could show how Hoover’s original scientific ideas have developed and improved into much more sophisticated technology. I also think that this scene could have shown former FBI director James Comey working at his desk. I would want this desk scene because Comey kept a copy of the Dr. King wiretapped audio tape on his desk as a reminder of the low points of the bureau and what the power of his job could lead to is used improperly (nytimes.com). I think ending on a scene like that would bring the movie full circle and complete its theme of not depicting Hoover as an absolutely monstrous guy while also not depicting his as a great guy who’s life was full of magnificent accomplishments. Adding this scene would also increase the educational value because it will show the lasting effects of Hoover’s reign rather than how the film actually is which is just the current effects of his reign during the time period of the movie.

Bibliography

Movie: J. Edgar
This is the movie that I watched and took notes on what historical events were depicted and also details about how Hoover was portrayed.

History.com: Article about J. Edgar Hoover
I used this source to give me an overview of J. Edgar Hoover and his life.

FBI.gov: Article about J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI
This source gave me a good brief overview of J. Edgar Hoover and his role at the FBI.

NYTimes.com: Finding the Humanity in the FBI's Feared Enforcer
I used this source as a film review for my movie.

WashingtonPost.com: FBI Agents Upset Over Movie Alleging J. Edgar Hoover was Gay
I used this source to see how other FBI agents were taking the way that J. Edgar Hoover and Clyde Tolson were depicted in the film.

TheAtlantic.com: What Really Happened Between J. Edgar Hoover and MLK Jr.
I used this source to learn about the relationship between J. Edgar Hoover and Martin Luther King Jr.

Archives.FBI.gov: Article about the Palmer Raids
I used this source to learn more about the bombing on Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer's house and the Palmer Raids that came afterwards.

NYTimes.com: What an Uncensored Letter to MLK Reveals
I used this source to learn about the letter that J. Edgar Hoover sent to Martin Luther Kind Jr. and what was contained in it.

HollywoodReporter.com: J.Edgar: Film Review
I used this source as a film review for my movie.

NewYorker.com: The Man in Charge
I used this source as a film review for my movie.

Dinner Menu

Dinner Catered by Edgar Bar and Kitchen

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Starters
Caesar Salad
A Tribute to Another Corrupt Leader

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Entreés
Steamed Clams
These Clams Hold Secrets Inside, Similar to the Secrets That Hoover Withheld from the Public


Squid Ink Pasta
The Black Noodles Represent the Blackmail that Hoover Had on Many People


Sushi Donut
These Sushi Rolls Honor the Stereotypical Police Favorite Because of Their Shape While Still Bringing the Mystery the Sea

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Desserts
Dragon Fruit Jello
Jello was Part of Hoover's Typical Daily Lunch but the Dragon Fruit Seeds Inside Symbolizes the Blackmail He Held


Slice of FBI Cake
A Slice Plain Vanilla Cake Shaped Like the FBI Logo

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Drinks
Coffee
Part of Hoover's Typical Daily Lunch


Sparkling Water
A Facade of Being Plain, but Once You Get to Know it There Are "Secret" Bubbles Inside

Red White and Blue Cocktail
A Symbol of the American Flag


FBI Martini
A Vibrant Blue Martini to Symbolize the Colors of the Bureau

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Exhibit

J. Edgar Hoover's Fingerprint Card

One of J. Edgar Hoover's main goals was to increase the use of science in crime investigations. This turned into a fascination with different ways of busting criminals and specifically a want to improve fingerprinting technology. 

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One of J. Edgar Hoover's Secret Files

J. Edgar Hoover was know for having a large amount of secret files. This is one of the few pages that was recovered from those files. Very few of these files are known about because they were most likely destroyed, the files that have been recovered have come from places where they were randomly found after being misfiled.

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A Replica of J. Edgar Hoover's Desk

This is a replica of how J. Edgar Hoover used to keep his desk in his office at the FBI.

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Newspaper from J. Edgar Hoover's Time

This is a newspaper from J. Edgar Hoover's time. It is displaying the ten fugitives who were believed to be on the FBI's most wanted list at that time.

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One of J. Edgar Hoover's Blackmail Files

J. Edgar Hoover was infamous for blackmailing various people. He had lots of dirt on many different important figures. This specific file contains information that he had on Marilyn Monroe that could be used to convince her to do whatever he may please to prevent it from being leaked to the public.

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Photograph of J. Edgar Hoover and Clyde Tolson

This photograph was taken while Mr. Hoover and Mr. Tolson were at a horse race together in Laurel, Maryland in 1953. Hoover and Tolson were best friends and the two were so close that there actually many rumors suggesting that they were lovers instead of colleagues.
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Flag From J. Edgar Hoover's Funeral

This is the flag that was dedicated at J. Edgar Hoover's funeral. The flag was accepted by Hoover's best friend and right hand man, Clyde Tolson.

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Poster from the Charles Lindbergh Jr. Case

The Charles Lindbergh Jr. Case was an important case for the time period, but also an important case for the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover. The outcome of this case resulted in kidnapping becoming a real crime. Hoover participated in the solving of this case during his time with the FBI.

Invitation and Guest List

Guest List

Leonardo DiCaprio
Mr. DiCaprio portrayed J. Edgar Hoover in a film about his life. I am curious to hear what his opinions of Hoover are after playing the role and doing his own research for the film.
Helen Gandy
Ms. Gandy was J. Edgar Hoover's secretary and close friend during his time at the FBI. I am excited to hear what she thought of Hoover and his actions because she was on the inside of his plans when many other high ranking people were not. I think she could provide an interesting insight into the way Hoover acted when he was not in the public eye.
Clarence M. Kelley
Mr. Kelley served as director of the FBI after Mr. Hoover. I would like to hear what he thought of how Hoover changed the FBI. I think it would be interesting to hear his take on the state of the bureau as he inherited it and what he thought about all of the changes that Hoover made during his time. I would like to know if he wanted to change anything or if he really liked or disliked anything that Hoover created.
Charles Lindbergh
Mr. Lindbergh was the father of Charles Lindbergh Jr. who was abducted from his crib and became one of Hoover's first major cases. I would like to hear Mr. Lindbergh's opinion of Hoover because in the end he failed to save his child from death. 

A. Mitchell Palmer
Mr. Palmer was the Attorney General and was Hoover's boss until he took the downfall because of a scandal that Hoover led. I think that Mr. Palmer would create interesting conversation because I can't imagine he thinks very highly about Hoover after he took the backlash for the Palmer Raids that they planned together.

Anna Marie Scheitlin
Ms. Scheitlin was Hoover's mother, with whom he had a close relationship. I think that she would provide a very different opinion of Hoover and his life because she can provide insight into Hoover's childhood and can address the changes that happened to his personality when he began his work with the FBI.
Clyde Tolson
Mr. Tolson was Mr. Hoover's best friend and right hand. I would be curious to hear his opinion of Hoover because it would be overwhelming positive I imagine. The two were so close that there were numerous rumors that they were actually lovers, I would also enjoy hearing Mr. Tolson's take on that.
Christopher Wray
Mr. Wray is the current director of the FBI. I would be curious to hear what he thinks of the way that Hoover ran the institution and how his actions have affected the bureau as it is today.

Future Progress

I worked with Cole and Mary G.

Thinking About Progress

1. I would define progress as "Forward or onward movement towards a destination" (Oxford Dictionary).

2. The Progressive Era refers to the 20th century, a time where a lot of changes were being talked about and made. Some examples are Prohibition, restricting immigration, the regulation of child labor, and managing naturally occurring resources. (Digital History)

3. Some of the themes that movements during the Progressive Era have in common are the hope to eliminate corruption of the government, regulate businesses, gain more control over the government for the average person, and to fix health dangers and work conditions. (Digital History)

4a. Essential Goals: Fixing Child Labor, Women's Suffrage Movement, Civil Rights

4b. Good Goals: Fix Health Dangers, Fix Working Conditions

4c. Strange Goals: "Trust Busting", Conservation of Nature

4d. Not a Good Idea: Temperance Movement


Sources:
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/progress
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfm?eraid=11
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/content/infographic-reform-movements-progressive-era

American Suffrage Movement

Part of the Pamphlet Containing Arguments
Against the Suffrage Movement

One of the arguments against the Women's Suffrage Movement in the US comes from a pamphlet that listed a few arguments against the movement. One of them is that "BECAUSE 80% of the women eligible to vote are married and can only double or annul their husband's votes" (theatlantic.com). This argument doesn't make very much sense logically. The way that these people are thinking is that a woman can only be though of as part of her husband, and not independently. They're logic is that the woman's vote will either just repeat her husbands or cancel it out, when in reality is what essentially happens anyways whether women vote or not.

One of the arguments for the movement was written by Alice Stone Blackwell. It said that it is fair for the people who are affected by laws and taxes to have a voice in the making and using of them (loc.gov). I think this argument is one of the most understandable and persuasive because it makes a lot of sense and is hard to counter. I think it would have been difficult for people to come up with arguments against this one, making it effective.

Sources:
https://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2012/11/vote-no-on-womens-suffrage-bizarre-reasons-for-not-letting-women-vote/264639/
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/progress/suffrage/whyvote.html

Political Cartoons

Political Cartoon 1

Political Cartoon 2

I think that this cartoon is showing the United States after it acquired the Philippines. The cartoon is depicting that the United States opened the gates to the Philippines and allowed other countries to come in and do what they pleased.










I think that the meaning of this cartoon is about the United States gaining all of it's territories and planning to take some sort of care of them. The eagle is standing in the United States and has its wings spread out over the globe. This shows how the United States is literally taking these new territories "under its wing".

Political Cartoon 3

I think that the meaning of this cartoon is about how the United States was being hypocritical. The skeleton coming out of Uncle Sam's closet has a sign saying "American Exclusion of Chinese" while Uncle Sam holds a piece of paper saying "Protest Against Russian Exclusion of Jewish Americans". This cartoon is showing how the United States was being unfair and wanting no exclusion for their own people in other countries while they were simultaneously excluding the Chinese.

JFK Assassination

JFK Driving Around Dallas

John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas. He was driving around Dallas when a man named Lee Harvey Oswald shot him in twice, once in the head and once in the neck. The governor was also shot once by Oswald at the same time. Kennedy was announced as dead about half an hour after being shot, but the governor was able to recover. Shortly after shooting Kennedy, Oswald also shot a police officer. He wasn't arrested for shooting JFK but was actually arrested for shooting the officer. When he was being transferred from one jail to another, a club owner named Jack Ruby shot Oswald point blank and killed him. This encounter happened on live television. Ruby was then arrested.

Lee Harvey Oswald's Mugshot

Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2013/06/28/us/john-f-kennedy-assassination-fast-facts/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/14/us/jfk-assassination-5-things/index.html
https://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/November-22-1963-Death-of-the-President.aspx

Gun Laws

I chose to research what the requirements are to buy a gun in the US and I ended up finding out that in 36 states people don't need permits to buy guns. Since guns in these states are so easy to buy, a lot of them aren't registered. Huffington Post lists the states that it says are the easiest to buy a gun in, and one of them is Alabama. In Alabama, permits aren't required to buy a gun, but they are required to have a conceal carry weapon. This seems to be the trend with a lot of the states that made it onto this list. However, in a few states permits aren't required to purchase a gun or to carry a handgun. It shocks me that there is that little control over the purchasing and selling of guns in that much of the US. All thirty-six of the states that Huffington Post lists on its article do not require permits to buy a gun. Five of these thirty-six states don't require a license or permit for conceal carry handguns.
I then went on to look at the concealed weapon statistics for the US. According to gunstocarry.com, as of 2017 Florida has the most active conceal carry permits, but Alabama has the largest percent of the population who have permits. This site also had data on the amount of background checks that occur. From 2002 to 2016, the amount of background checks increased substantially, but then went down slightly form 2016 to 2017. Only eighteen states require checks on private gun sales, and a majority of states don't have any kind of checks on private gun sales. The cost to carry a handgun in a particular state varies anywhere from $30 to $550 all for varying amounts of times that the permit is valid.
Overall, I learned that most states don't require any kind of license to purchase to gun and that most states do require a permit to carry a concealed weapon. I also learned that most private gun sales don't involve background checks and that the cost to have a conceal carry weapon can vary depending on the state you are in.

H.H. Holmes Essay

H.H. Holmes, widely referenced to as America’s first serial killer, lived a life of crime primarily during his time in Chicago when he constructed a three-story hotel called the Castle. Inside the walls of this Castle, Holme’s committed numerous murders while also making a career out of committing money and insurance fraud. Without the large amounts of people and companies in the city, H.H. Holmes would not have been able to live the life of crime that he did through insurance and money fraud and his Murder Castle.

Headshots of H.H. Holmes

Herman Webster Mudgett, also known by his alias Henry Howard Holmes, was born in 1861 in a small town in New Hampshire. As a child, he was scared of the doctor, but quickly got over it when we was locked in a room with the doctor’s fake skeleton by some other kids. (biography.com) From then on, he was said to be “fascinated with skeletons” and obsessed with death”. (crimemuseum.org) Ironically, he later ended up becoming a student at the University of Michigan’s Med School. During this time, Holmes would steal cadavers from the university’s lab. He made a hobby of badly disfiguring them and planting the bodies to make them look like they had died in accidents. This was only the beginning of the crimes that Holmes would commit in the future, and it was tricky business because he was in a smaller area where he would more likely be caught than in a city. After graduating from med school, Holmes moved to Chicago and began working at a pharmacy. When the owner died, Holmes asked his now widowed wife if she would sell the pharmacy to him. She then suddenly went missing. Holmes claimed she moved to California, but it was never confirmed. (crimemuseum.org) This disappearance went widely unnoticed. People never questioned where the woman had gone, because city life consists of so many people that one missing person was never truly accounted for.

One Side of the Castle

Throughout his life, one crime that Holmes committed frequently was money fraud, or not paying people what he owed them. One time is when Holmes sold his drugstore, where he hired people to make large purchases and he used the money to buy a huge safe. He put this safe in it’s own room in his Castle and then made the door to the room smaller. When the people who had sold him the safe came to repossess it after he had failed to pay for it, Holmes told them not to do any damage to the building while they were removing it. (harpers.org) This was an incredible idea. By making the doorway smaller, the safe could not be removed without damage to the building, and if damage was done, Holmes could sue the company. Holmes made a career out of exploiting people who were not as devious as him, which were most people. Another time, he also claimed to have invented a machine that turned water into a glowing gas. Someone bought this from him for a good sum of money, but didn’t notice that one pipe in the mess of pipes for the machine connected to a gas company's line. (harpers.org) This is another example of Holme’s brilliance. Without the amount of people in the city, Holmes may never have found someone so gullible or someone who would not come looking for him once they realized the invention did not work. One more way that Holmes committed this money fraud crime was when he purchased the furniture for his Castle. He spent tons of money on furniture from The Tobey Furniture Company on credit and had it delivered, but he never paid for it. When the company came to repossess the furniture, they couldn’t find it. The Castle’s rooms were completely empty. A janitor was later bribed and revealed that Holmes had moved all of the furniture into a single room, removed the door frame, filled in the doorway with brick, and put wallpaper over it. Similar to the situation with the safe, Holmes had once again outsmarted a company and gotten away without paying them anything. He almost didn’t though. One of the furniture company’s employees found some of the furniture hidden between the third floor and the roof, but while trying to retrieve it, one of their foots went through the ceiling. Holmes was then able to sue them for damaging the building and he kept all of the furniture without ever paying for any of it. The furniture company let him off because they had other matters to deal with in the chaos of the city. Holmes committed many more of these money crimes, especially during the time he was building the Castle. He managed to hold off construction companies just long enough without paying them to somehow come up with a way to get the money, or manipulate his way into not paying at all. Holmes truly was a mastermind when it came to manipulation, and without the chaos and amount of available companies of the city, he wouldn’t have been able to commit his crimes. In a city situation, he was able to hide behind fake names and find people gullible enough to fall for his tricks.

Entrance to the Castle

Another one of Holmes’ most frequent crimes was insurance fraud, and it would eventually be his downfall. This chain of crimes most likely began during his time at the University of Michigan when we would steal cadavers. While he was there, there was a scandal involving Holmes where he would take insurance policies on the cadavers before planting them and then we would collect the insurance money after they were found. (crimemuseum.org). This fraud was a lot more likely to happen outside of a city setting because there are less people, resulting in Holmes more likely being caught and apprehended. Later, he became partners with a man named Benjamin Pietzel and they committed insurance fraud crimes together. After the World’s Fair in Chicago, Holmes left the Castle and traveled around the country commiting insurance fraud. In Texas, he stole horses and them sold them, a crime for which he was arrested. While in jail, he made a new insurance fraud plan with his cellmate, Marion Hedgepath, but this plan fell through. Holmes then made another new plan with Pietzel where Pitzel would fake his own death and Holmes would collect the insurance money and they would split it. When police found a body they believed to be that of Benjamin Pietzel, Holmes represented Mrs. Pietzel for the identification of the body and collected the insurance money for Mrs. Pierzel. A little while later he sent a letter to the insurance company, claiming he was Mrs. Pietzel, saying that she was thankful they had been so swift in sending her the money. (harpers.org). Shortly after this, Hedgepath told police about the plan they had created. Warrants were sent out for Holmes and he was eventually arrested in Boston and charged with Defrauding an Insurance Company. (NYTimes.com) While in custody, he started telling a long a twisted series of lies that no one could really understand. Police then decided to search the Castle for more answers, and then the truth began to unfold.

Another Angle of the Castle

While searching through the castle, police found random chimneys, stairways to nowhere, winding passageways that were designed to confuse guests, rooms with no doors, doors with no rooms, rooms that locked from the outside, gas pipes hidden throughout rooms so that Holmes could asphyxiate people when he pleased, peepholes, trapdoors, fake walls, an alarm system hooked up to every door so Holmes knew where everyone was at all moments, soundproof rooms, and more. (chicagotribune.com, crimemuseum.org, harpers.org) In the basement of the hotel, police found a torture chamber complete with a crematorium, medieval stretching table, and pits of acid for disposing of bodies. (harpers.org) Holmes had created a “Murder Castle”. He was able to this by hiring multiple construction companies during the building process, never keeping one company long enough for them to figure out what exactly he was building. For example, he claimed the crematorium was a furnace for blowing glass, but it was the wrong size for that. (biography.com) Slowly, all of Holmes’ secret murderous acts were uncovered. It is estimated that Holmes killed up to two hundred people. It is also assumed that most of these murders occurred during the Chicago World Fair, when his hotel had a lot of tourists, especially women, most of whom suddenly went missing. Urban life made this aspect of Holmes’ crimes possible. The World Fair attracted people from all over, who were not missed by Chicago locals when they never left the hotel again. These murders continued his insurance fraud crimes as well. Holmes required that all of his guests and employees have life insurance. He even offered to pay the premiums for people if they listed him as the beneficiary. This way, when he murdered them, he would collect the insurance money. It was also discovered that Holmes had murdered Pietzel and three of his children. Police no longer needed to convict Holmes of insurance fraud because they had him for murder.

Another Angle of the Castle

Without the city, Holmes wouldn’t have been able to commit any of his crimes. In a large city like Chicago he was able to use fake names to commit his crimes, and he was able to kill people without them being missed. The World’s Fair was a major time for him where he killed many people. He was able to hire many different companies for all of his projects because of the city’s abundance of these companies. The city is full of people who are oblivious to the world around them, which explains why it took so long for Holmes to be caught. He was smarted and trickier than almost everybody around him, and they never noticed the atrocities that were happening within the walls of the Castle.

Picture of H.H. Holmes

Eventually, Holmes confessed to twenty-seven murders. However, there are a lot of people who say he is lying (NYTimes.com) and even some that claim some of the people he was said to have killed were actually still alive. (biography.com) Holmes was hanged on May 7, 1896, and it was an execution that hundreds of people wanted to attend. (NYTimes.com) H.H. Holmes is often referred to as America’s first serial killer, a title he couldn’t have earned without the hustle and chaos of a city. He committed his crimes during the same time that Jack the Ripper was terrorizing London, leading one of Holmes’ surviving relatives to believe that he was also Jack the Ripper. The amount of people in cities who are living their lives and not realizing what all is happening around them are the reason that Holmes got away with what he was doing for as long as he did. He was a cunning man who knew how to manipulate people and cheat the systems to get what he wanted and he did it very successfully for the most part. City life is the driving factor that made it possible for Holmes to act as he did.

Sources:

(chicagotribune.com) This source gave me some basic information and also gave me a good list of items that were found in Holme's Castle.
(crimemuseum.com) This source gave me a lot information on Holmes' background.

(harpers.org) This source gave me more detailed information on Holmes' life and crimes.

(biography.com) This source gave me a brief overview of Holmes' life but also had details that other sources did not have. 

NYTimes Newapapers:

(https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1895/05/28/106063071.pdf) This gave me information about Holmes' trial and charges.

(https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1896/04/08/105746341.pdf) This source gave me information about Holmes' execution.

(https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1896/04/06/105745926.pdf) This source gave me information about Holmes' false confession.

Civil War Memorials

J. Pepper Bryars describes a normal man who went to fight in the war in great detail. He gives names and dates to make the story more real to the readers who aren't connected to it. I think his best point is about the unmarked graves. He talks about how people made memorials to honor people who they would otherwise have no way to honor because of the lack of graves and marked burial locations. He believes that these people should get to have memorials to fallen soldiers so that they can be honored for who they are and not dishonored for the cause that they fought for.

LeeAnna Keith focuses more on political parties and the differences between them when it comes to the memorials. She also talks a lot about replacing the old memorials with new ones that are more sensitive the modern people. She mentions a lot of names of people who she believes could be potential replacements for the memorials and they are all people who both sides could most likely agree on granting a memorial.

Davids Persons talks a good bit about the Confederate Flag and what it symbolizes to people. He says that even though people claim they are flying it to honor fallen Confederate soldiers, he doesn't believe they should do so because the people that they are honoring fought for the cause for slavery.

I agree most with J. Pepper Bryars opinion. I think that families should be able to have a place to honor their fallen ancestors. Even if their ancestors were part of the Confederacy, the families now are not and just because their ancestors were doesn't mean they should be punished for it. All these families want is a place to honor their ancestors and fallen family members. Even though the cause they chose to fight for was not a good one what so ever, the common soldier didn't call the major shots during the battles and I think that the surviving families deserve a place to remember their history.

Research Topic

H.H.Holmes and how he couldn't do what he did without a city environment.

Book Cover

Thinking About Success

Hardwork
Skill
Opportunity
Luck

Luck is the least important because you never know how its going to fall. You can't make a plan around luck, it just happens. After luck comes opportunity. Opportunities are how people start when looking for success. You can't achieve it in the end unless you have amazing opportunities come up that allow you to, and sometimes these opportunities come by luck. Next is skill. When the opportunities come along, if you don't have the skill required to participate effectively in them then they might as well have not come along to begin with. If you can't properly use the opportunities then you're nowhere closer to achieving success then you were before them. Whereas, with the ability to effectively use the opportunities to your advantage, success will come quicker. Last comes hardwork. Without hardwork none of the skill, opportunity, or luck matters. If you don't put in the effort to makes things happen they won't. Hardwork is required for the skill to be gained. Hardwork is required for the opportunities to be completed. And hardwork is often required for luck to be in your favor. Therefore, my order of these words is luck, opportunity, skill, hardwork.

Smoke Signals Thesis and Essay

Native Americans have long been faced with a rough past and unappealing stereotypes. In the movie Smoke Signals, the characters struggle with their history and stereotypes through the way that they act and are treated, such as struggles with alcoholism and the negative ways that non Native-Americans treat them. However, the characters are also empowered by their Native American history and traditions such as when they joke about their history amongst each other and the importance of their hair and songs.

Throughout the film there are scenes depicting struggles that Native Americans face, the biggest of these struggles being that the characters live on a reservation. Reservation life has a history of being nowhere close to the ideal living standards, and as a result, poverty is extremely common. While the characters may joke about their situation, like when the weather man talks about the lack of cars, they all struggle with the way of life that they have been given. Another way that the characters' struggle is portrayed is through struggles with alcoholism. Victor's father, Arnold, is the character seen struggling the most with this addiction. In flashbacks to Victor's childhood, a drunk Arnold possesses reckless behavior, resulting in him abusing his wife and Victor and setting the house fire shown at the beginning of the movie. While alcoholism is a common stereotype of Native Americans, it is also part of history that Native Americans have struggled with alcohol addictions. Arnold is an example of how Native Americans struggle with this part of their history while the man who tries to blame Victor for the wreck saying he was drunk is an example of the stereotype of Native Americans being alcoholics. Besides alcoholism, the movie also depicted other stereotypes of Native Americans. While Victor and Thomas are traveling on the bus, Victor tells Thomas that he doesn't act "Indian" enough and that he needs to be more stoic. Victor explains that this make him look like a warrior, and people of other races will respect them more. Being stoic is another stereotype of Native Americans. Also during this bus trip, the other non-Native American passengers look at Victor and Thomas in a demeaning way, as though they are less then them. Another stereotype of Native Americans is that they are "savages" who are less than other races. Even though Victor and Thomas got out safely from all of the situations that their stereotypes put them in, they still struggled to deal with them throughout the movie.
While the character's are struggling with some parts of Native Americanism, they are also empowered by other parts. When it comes to history, they are aware that theirs is not perfect. However, instead of brooding over it and becoming angered by it, they make jokes and laugh about it amongst themselves. They of course don't agree with what happened, but they choose to focus on the present and future rather than the past. This can be seen when Suzie Song talks about going to the festival where she mentions the most Indians she had ever seen in one place. The characters in the movie also find empowerment in their traditions, such as the significance of hair and songs. Towards the beginning of the movie, Victor's father cuts his long hair. Having long hair is part of the Native American culture, and removing it had a heavy impact on his as a character. Later in the movie it is discovered that Arnold cut his hair because he felt guilty for starting the house fire. The removal of this part of himself was a way for him to cope with what he had done. Although it didn't remove his guilt entirely, he thought that he deserved the removal of that part of his identity because of the shame that he felt. Another tradition seen in the movie is the importance of songs. During the bus ride, Victor and Thomas beginning singing an impromptu song about John Wayne's teeth. Singing the song lightened their spirits and put them in a good mood. Despite the other people on the bus, it didn't stop Victor and Thomas from enjoying their traditions and celebrating their identity as Native Americans.
The characters in the movie Smoke Signals both grapple with and are empowered by their Native Americanism. Some of their history comes back to them in negative ways, such as reservation life and alcoholism, while other history is accepted and moved past, such as when the characters joke about their unfavorable history. While the characters struggle with some of the stereotypes about Native Americans, they are also proud and encouraged by their culture and traditions. Overall, both pleasing and displeasing aspects of Native American life are depicted throughout the movie Smoke Signals.