AMERICAN PATRIOT OCTOBER 13, 2010
THE DALEYS OF CHICAGO THE MAGIC OF
MOUNT RUSHMORE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS LATE BUT GREAT VICTORY
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AMERICAN PATRIOT THE DALEYS OF CHICAGO
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6 THE MAGIC OF
MOUNT RUSHMORE
8 BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS GREAT BUT LATE VICTORY
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FAIR FOODS FRYING THE UNFRIED
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK
THIS WEEK IN AMERICAN HISTORY
THE DALEYS OF CHICAGO
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It is fair to say that no city has had a father-son team quite like the Daleys. As Richard M. Daley prepares to step down after six terms in office that spanned 1989-2010, many people of an earlier generation are reminded once again of his father, Richard J. Daley, who was mayor from 1955-1976. Though there were five mayors between them, that fact seems lost for the millions who are used to saying “Mayor Daley” to Chicago’s two longest-serving chief executives. The father, Richard J., was a traditional big city political boss, the undisputed Democratic boss of Chicago. He played a major role in national Democratic politics with, for example, his pivotal support for fellow Irish-American John F. Kennedy in 1960 and of Hubert Humphrey in 1968 against the anti-Vietnam War insurgency of the liberal wing of the party. But he is also remembered as an ethnic working class pol who never forgot his roots, and used his party posts in Chicago and Cook County to dominate political and civic affairs. His machine was ruthless and regularly accused of corruption, but Daley himself was never formally charged. His complete control of the city machinery helped him keep Chicago a business and labor friendly place, and it did not suffer the kinds of declines that other “rust belt” cities did during the period. He died with the image as a primitive and brutal political boss — his use of police to quell rioting outside the Democratic National Convention in 1968 was critiqued as “Gestapo-like” — but his reputation is being rehabilitated as people remember how well he governed and how smoothly his hometown operated. Never able to relinquish control, Daley died in office.
Obama’s coterie — David Axelrod, Valerie Jarrett, and current mayorial candidate Rahm Emanuel. A lawyer by training, Daley was chosen by Time magazine in 2005 as the best mayor of a large city. Despite an imperial style, he presided over a resurgence in tourism, infrastructure and transportation modernization, lots of new parks and recreation along the lake, the rapid development of the city’s North Side and an influx of clean businesses, and a takeover for the better of the failed school system. In announcing his decision not to run for reelection, he said: “I've always believed that every person, especially public officials, must understand when it's time to move on. For me, that time is now.” Though at a low The son, Richard M., set a different tone or, point in his popularity at the moment, many believe time will be kind to perhaps, changed with the times. HeCHECK appealedOUTurban THE historians FAIR’S WEBSITE thisINFORMATION Mayor Daley as well. FOR VISITOR to a more upscale educated elite and, in his early years, his team included many of President
VIDEO CLIPS OF THE TWO MAYORS DALEY
THE MAGIC OF MOUNT RUSHMORE Mount Rushmore is a strange and fascinating site, an epic sculpture featuring the faces of four exalted American presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. South Dakota’s Black Hills provide the backdrop for Mount Rushmore, the world’s greatest mountain carving. These 60-foot high faces, 500 feet up, look out over a setting of pine, spruce, birch, and aspen in the clear western air. The phrase “Shrine of Democracy” was first used in 1930 for the dedication of the George Washington head, and has come to capture the essence of the monument.
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Sculptor Gutzon Borglum began drilling into the 5,725-foot mountain in 1927. Creation of this priceless shrine took 14 years and cost a mere one million dollars. It started as an idea by South Dakota state historian Doane Robinson to draw sightseers to the South Dakota Black Hills. At first, many people were skeptical but Gutzon found an amenable spot — the towering Mount Rushmore, named in 1885 for New York lawyer Charles E. Rushmore who, by pure chance, was checking property titles in the area when the mountain was named. After President Calvin Coolidge dedicated the memorial in 1927, work commenced. The Washington head was formally dedicated in 1930, followed by Jefferson in 1936, Lincoln in 1937 and Roosevelt in 1939. Borglum died in March 1941; the final dedication was not held until 50 years later. His son, Lincoln Borglum supervised the completion of the heads. Today, Mount Rushmore is a National Memorial operated by the National Park
Service. Added to the mountain sculpture over the years are the Concession Building, an Avenue of Flags, and a Grandview Terrace — all of which lead to the Presidential Trail, a half-mile walk that offers spectacular views. How successful is the monument as a work of art? Consider the assessment of another individual who made a name blending art and nature: “The noble countenances emerge from Rushmore,” wrote architect Frank Lloyd Wright, “as though the spirit of the mountain heard a human plan and itself became a human countenance.” WATCH A SLIDESHOW ABOUT MOUNT RUSHMORE
AMERICAN PATRIOT 7
The most dangerous animals in the forest don’t live there.
ONLY YOU CAN PR E VE N T W I L D FIRE S. w w w. s m o k e y b e a r. c o m
In 1814 we took a little trip Along with Colonel Jackson down the mighty Mississip. We took a little bacon and we took a little beans And we caught the bloody British in the town of New Orleans. We fired our guns and the British kept a'comin. There wasn't nigh as many as there was a while ago. We fired once more and they began to runnin' on Down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico. — BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS by Jimmie Driftwood SEE ALL THE LYRICS 8 AMERICAN PATRIOT
BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS GREAT BUT LATE VICTORY As the jaunty hit song of the 1950s attests, Americans vaguely remember the Battle of New Orleans as a smashing victory for our side. Indeed it was cause for celebration: Andrew Jackson defeated a large invading British Army intent on seizing New Orleans and the vast lands of the Louisiana Purchase, winning the greatest land victory of the War of 1812 and forcing the British to flee. An interesting historical twist, however, is that the battle need not have been fought. It actually reached its peak on January 8, 1815 — but a peace treaty between the American and British governments had already been signed in Ghent, Belgium, on Christmas Eve, nearly two weeks earlier. Remarkably, given the slow methods of communications in those days, news of the peace did not reach the combatants until February.
THE BATTLEFIELD ON JANUARY 8, 1815
propelled him to the White House. Perhaps most importantly, it electrified the young country and gave it a needed boost of selfconfidence after a lackluster military performance throughout the War of 1812. The anniversary of the battle was celebrated for many years and a Federal park was established in 1907 to preserve the battlefield; today it features a monument and is part of the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. And, of course, we all benefitted
Although the Battle of New Orleans had no influence on the war itself, many historians believe that the defeat at New Orleans com-
from the lighthearted song which, when sung by Johnny Horton, topped the Billboard chart in 1959!
pelled the Britain to honor the treaty. It also helped burnish Andrew Jackson’s reputation as a fighter and strategist, which eventually
WATCH A VIDEO OF JOHNNY HORTON’S HIT THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS
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DR. JONAS SALK MEDICAL MIRACLE WORKER PICTURED ABOVE:
With all the controversy over the passage of Obamacare, it is important to remember that American medicine has been second-to-none in terms of breakthroughs and innovations. One such triumph came from Jonas Edward Salk, developer of the first successful vaccine for polio.
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Dr. Salk gives a test inoculation to his son
Born in New York City and the oldest son of Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, Salk was the first in his family to go to college, working for his education at City College of New York, and then at NYU School of Medicine. After graduation, but still at NYU, Salk began to look for a flu vaccine and, along with a colleague, actually developed a vaccine used by the military during World War II. Salk moved on to the University of Michigan and then to teaching at the University of Pittsburgh in 1947. While in Pittsburgh, Salk developed a relationship with the March of Dimes. Since the turn of the century, polio outbreaks had exploded — nearly 58,000 cases occurred in 1952. He decided to devote his research to its prevention. Years of work paid off: in 1952, he developed a trial vaccine for polio composed of “killed” polio virus, which retained the ability to immunize without the risk of infecting the patient. He first inoculated volunteers, including himself, his wife, and their three sons. In 1954, he published his findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association, and nationwide testing was carried out. Nearly two million schoolchildren took the
vaccine, and the results proved it to be safe and effective. News of the discovery was made public in April 1955, and Salk was an instant national hero. The impact was dramatic: in 1955 there were 28,985 cases of polio in the U.S. and by 1957 that number had fallen to 5,894. Since he wanted it to be distributed freely to everyone, Salk never patented his polio vaccine. Though an oral vaccine developed by Dr. Albert Sabin gained popularity in the early 1960s, Salk's vaccine is still popular because the risk factor is low. Today, in the U.S., cases of polio are extremely rare and the World Health Organization hopes the disease will be eradicated worldwide soon. In 1963, Salk established the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and eventually settled it in San Diego. He had received a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation and support from the March of Dimes. Salk’s last years were spent searching for a vaccine against AIDS. He died in 1995 at 80 years of age. DR. JONAS SALK IS ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE OF THE 20TH CENTURY
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FAIR FOODS FRYING THE UNFRIED
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Though the modern American diet isn’t exactly famous for its health and wholesomeness, it’s the daytrip to the county or state fair where we really let it all hang out. Whether one’s weakness is fried meat on a stick, cotton candy, or funnel cake, the fair seduces even the most strident caloriecounters. Going overboard at the food stands is a longtime and much-loved tradition in America, one that transcends generations, races, and class. Even the stoic Lutherans can’t help themselves: the Minnesota state fair offers 59 foods-on-a-stick, from deep-fried-shortcake-on-a-stick to camel-on-a-stick. Annual fairs in America generally date to the
Today, fair food is experiencing a renaissance.
early 19th century, and were a showcase of
Standardization is out, localism is in. Regional
early American junk food. Cotton Candy was
cuisine is now a major draw at fairs, from the
among the first true fair-foods, going by names
sprawling state fairs of the Midwest to the
such as “fluffy stuff” and “fairy floss.” Grilled
county fairs on the coasts. Fried cheese curds
meat, the perennial favorite of the pre-indus-
are popular in Wisconsin, lobster rolls in Maine,
trial-revolution set, was of course in ample
and the onion burger draws a crowd in Oregon.
supply. Refreshments included root beer, gin-
The modern fair food court now extends beyond
ger ale, and lemonade. For a largely isolated
traditional American favorites — in states
population with limited diets, the fair was a
with large Asian and Middle Eastern popula-
chance to revel in foods that seemed luxurious
tions, Kebab, Gyro, and Indian concessions
and even exotic.
are enthusiastically patronized.
Modern fair food really took shape with the
The prevailing fair-food trend of the past few
advent of portable heating sources and elec-
years has been the frying of the previously
tricity. Machine spun cotton candy made the
unfried. It started with the frying of candy bars
scene in 1894, allowing the 1904 World’s Fair
and cookies, notably Oreos, Chocolate Chip
to sell over 70,000 boxes at 25 cents apiece,
Cookies and Mars Bars. In recent years, ven-
half the cost of admission to the fair. Hot dogs
dors have responded with an outpouring of
and hamburgers are traced to the turn of the
fried options, from spam sandwiches to banana
century, with evolution reaching its nexus with
splits. Though the trend shows no signs of
the corndog-on-a-stick being patented in 1927.
slowing, it has reached its logical conclusion:
Candy apples came by way of Britain, as did
at this years’ Texas State Fair, the recognition
taffy; however, salt water taffy was invented in
for “Best in Taste” was awarded to Chicken-
Atlantic City and the Pennsylvania Dutch are re-
Fried Bacon.
sponsible for funnel cake, the Italians, zeppoli. AMERICAN PATRIOT 13
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear.
— ROSA PARKS Her refusal to move to the back of the bus, and subsequent arrest, led to the birth of the modern American Civil Rights movement. Her arrest led to a year long boycott of the city bus system in Montgomery, Alabama. It happened December 1, 1955.
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THIS WEEK IN
AMERICAN HISTORY
1871. The Great Chicago Fire roared all week, killing 250 people and destroying nearly one-third of the city. One hundred thousand were left homeless. The fire began near the home of Patrick and Catherine O’Leary in the southwest part of the city. Legend has it that fire started when the O’Leary family cow knocked over a lantern, but the truth is unknown. SHOWN HERE: THE AFTERMATH OF THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE
AMERICAN PATRIOT 15
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