The group
H-Net Gilded Age and Progressive Era List <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
has an ongoing discussion of the Titanic.
Michael Pierce wrote:
> A "Titanic" buff since childhood, I have briefly included the disaster in
> appropriate US surveys as well in Progressive Era courses. We discuss the
> perception of "Women and children first," vs. the reality of class as an
> important determining factor. Students are quite surprised that all but 1
> of the 29 1st and 2nd class children were saved while 53 out of 76 steerage
> class children died.
>
> We also discuss issues surrounding the fight for women's suffrage at this
> time by way of a poem of the day chiding women for their cries of "Votes
> for Women" turning to "Boats for Women" as the ship went down.
>
> Beyond the classroom: in my perpetually ongoing biography of Robert La
> Follette, I note that La Follette used the disaster to finally achieve
> passage of La Follette's Seamans Bill, which protected various rights of
> crew members as well as requiring a lifejacket and a place in a lifeboat
> for every person at sea.
>
> Nancy C. Unger
> Department of History
> Santa Clara University
> 500 El Camino Real
> Santa Clara, CA 95053
> phone (408) 554-6889
> fax (408) 554-2181
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
--
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA 95929
Tel. 916-898-5321
E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
A "Titanic" buff since childhood, I have briefly included the disaster in
appropriate US surveys as well in Progressive Era courses. We discuss the
perception of "Women and children first," vs. the reality of class as an
important determining factor. Students are quite surprised that all but 1
of the 29 1st and 2nd class children were saved while 53 out of 76 steerage
class children died.
We also discuss issues surrounding the fight for women's suffrage at this
time by way of a poem of the day chiding women for their cries of "Votes
for Women" turning to "Boats for Women" as the ship went down.
Beyond the classroom: in my perpetually ongoing biography of Robert La
Follette, I note that La Follette used the disaster to finally achieve
passage of La Follette's Seamans Bill, which protected various rights of
crew members as well as requiring a lifejacket and a place in a lifeboat
for every person at sea.
Nancy C. Unger
Department of History
Santa Clara University
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053
phone (408) 554-6889
fax (408) 554-2181
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
