Ida Tarbell, Muckraker Extraordinaire

Ida M. Tarbell

  Muckraker: Reform journalists in the the 1900's who commonly wrote for magazines and were largely renowned for their investigative reporting, These individuals were knwon for digging for the truth, which many people were not informed of; scandals like the deaths of miners who were never reported dead fpr example, or the shady business dealings of big name companies back then. The great thing about them is they are gender blind. Now, in history, not many women are noted for their accomplishments or their assists in major findings; this woman, Ida Tarbell, was one of the majestic few who was.
    Ida Minerva Tarbell was a Pennsylvania native, born in November of 1857 in her mother's father's home. She grew up in Titsuville, where she eventually graduated as valedictorian from her high school; she went on to Allegheny College and became a graduate in 1880. It was in her early years that she first encountered the oil schemes that affected her father's small business and eventually guided her to her destiny. Her journey through magazines and written publications for individuals such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Abraham Lincoln led her to becoming a majorly known author. She began her research on the Standard Oil trust at the turn of the century and in 1902 began interviewing those closest to the company. She dug up dirt on John D. Rockefeller and his suspicious business practices, eventually uncovering a whole scheme behind this multi-millionaire. Her investigative report of Rockefeller and profile of him were one of the first, which gained her a title of pioneer in investigative journalism as well as recognition as one of the first female muckrakers, although she disliked the name.
    Tarbell lived until she was 86 years old, dying in 1944. She died of pneumonia in a Bridgeport hospital in Connecticut. Her legacy includes the Ida Tarbell House, a national landmark as well as an induction in the National Women's Hall of Fame; this was done at Seneca Falls.

An Account of the Battle of Little Bighorn

    As many of us know, the Battle of Little Bighorn was a battle between a group of rebellious Indians who refused to cooperate with the United States government and a group of military men led under the brave General Custer. Or was it?
   The Battle of Little Bighorn was fought between two main groups; the Sioux, the Cheyenne the Arapaho on one side and the United States Army on the other. The Native Americans and the U.S. originally had land treaties that stated the boundaries of each nation, and all was peaceful until the U.S began to break these promises while on the prowl for the newly discovered gold. There were many meetings between the Natives and The U.S.; winter of 1968, General George Armstrong Custer and his men attacked a camp on the Washita River, murdering their Chief. They were moved to a reservation, but moved and were attacked again in the winter of 1875. Not leaving anything else to chance, the Cheyenne moved in with the Sioux, where other tribes eventually joined them; they believed they were safer and stronger in numbers. They set up camp near Little Bighorn River, and General Custer lead his men against them, knowingly outnumbered. They were not victorious, which only led to a bigger problem with the Natives since this now became about revenge.

     All in all, the Battle of Little Bighorn was fought with two perspectives since there were two sides to the fight. Many debate on whether the battle started due to the discovery of gold on the land of the Natives or whether the Natives attacked unprovoked, but the fact of the matter is a battle was fought and one side won.

The Exclusion of the Chinamen

     The Chinese were one minority group of many others that immigrated to the United States in the 1800's.  The Chinese arrived in time for the California Gold Rush but quickly learned mining for gold in California in the late 1840's and early 1850's was a bust. They had been targets of hostility and found different work like working restaurants and laundry. The situation of the transcontinental railroad, which was predominately built by Chinese immigrants due to the fact that the original workers either refused or left for other work opportunities.Of course, they were not the ideal worker since they were so much smaller in stature and not seen as able to do much labor, they brought positive results at their new jobs. Soon, thousands were recruited to work on the railroad and it all spiraled from there. Although they were excellent in their works habits, the Chinamen were not seen as any more than a way to get more work done for less; this was especially true since they primarily worked the dangerous unskilled jobs that white men did not do.
     The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 resulted from the uselessness of the Chinese; the railroad was finished, a labor source was no longer needed and more unwelcome than ever. There was much violence against the Chinese from anti-Chinese supporters, mainly the other immigrants and/or white individuals. In document A, a play dubbed "The Chinese Must Go", the stereotypical associations to Chinese workers are exemplified through the dialogue exchanged between three main characters. What is also exemplified is the idea that the Chinese were "stealing" the jobs and money that "rightfully" belonged to the white man. This is supported by document C, a speech to the workingmen of San Francisco which was an anti-Chinese group as well. It states that the immigration of the Chinese pose a threat to the foundation of their community as well as the invasion of their jobs having to do with labor; these men take the situation personally, and shows how invested they are in getting rid of any competition that foreigners brought to earning money. In document D, an autobiography of a Chinese immigrant, the envy and disgust that other minorities felt towards the Chinese is clearly stated by one who experienced it. They were also targeted through the blatant prohibition of naturalization of Chinese in 1878 and interracial marriage in 1880, even though Chinamen were not even allowed to bring along their wives (many were suspected of being prostitutes due their high rates of importation which was against the law passed in 1870).
    Ultimately, the Exclusion Act was passed not only because the Chinese were no longer needed, but because they were seen as a threat to the American way of life. By the American way of life, I mean the part where the white men are given more and everyone else who is not white is given less; the overwhelming numbers of the Chinese jeopardized this idea, hence the outward attack at isolating these poor immigrants.