This refers to a 19-month-long occupation by members of several Native American tribes in an effort to reclaim Alcatraz Island. Although the occupation was put to an end by federal marshals in 1971, graffiti from the occupation can still be seen on the island's water tower. https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/25/us/alcatraz-american-indian-occupation-graffiti-preserved.html

It's interesting to see how people complain about the Macy's Day Parade being too commercialized when, in a sense, the whole holiday of Thanksgiving as we currently know it was developed to "sell" us ideas about patriotism and good social values.

This practice reminds me a lot of present-day Halloween festivities. I wonder if Halloween gained popularity in the US once these Fantastics parades became less and less acceptable on other holidays.

It's interesting to see how many of these potential threats have creeped back into the world of sports, particularly football. Both professional and college football are huge, commercialized industries, and online sports betting has become increasingly popular over the past several years.

It's interesting to learn that there was minimal religious observance at this early celebration, especially since, in general, the Pilgrims are almost synonymous with very strict Christian values. I wonder how much of this reputation is accurate and how much is merely fabricated.

Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia.

It is interesting to see how commercial the Mayflower's journey was, especially because, in general, we tend to associate the Pilgrims with more religious goals.

I think this idea of disillusionment can also be found in the articles from Monday about Pocahontas. In that case, people want to buy into the romanticized narrative that has emerged over the centuries and are ultimately disappointed when the historical facts are far less glamorous. Similarly, I think there has been a sense of disappointment and even betrayal in recent years as more scrutinous looks at popular figures (such as the Founding Fathers) have revealed that they were more problematic than we would like to believe.

This somewhat reminds me of our discussion of Jacqueline Smith’s 34-year protest at the Lorraine Motel from a few class periods ago. However, whereas Faunce was in favor of preserving Plymouth Rock for the benefit of future generations, Smith was actually against preserving the Lorraine Motel as a museum because it detrimentally affected those relying on it for affordable housing.

This reminds me of similar cases of Victorian tourists chipping off pieces of Stonehenge, the Pyramids, etc. as souvenirs. I wonder what made this trend fall out of fashion and whether or not it coincided with increased legal protections for such landmarks.<br /> https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/stonehenge-souvenirs

This reminds me of the piece we read last week by Annette Gordon-Reed where, because of a lack of records for enslaved individuals, much of what she learned about her ancestors was passed down through the generations via oral tradition.

Also, asserting that Rolfe murdered Pocahontas casts a conspiracy therory-esque light on the narrative that only furthers her role as a sort of mythical figure rather than an actual historical person.

It's interesting that the books intended for a more popular audience tend to be the ones that maintain the least historical accuracy (Relying heavily on John Smith's account, romanticizing Pocahontas' role in the story, etc.). I wonder if their popularity over more academic sources is why the Pocahontas myth is better ingrained in American society than the facts about her actual life.

It seems that, with MLK Day and Juneteenth their is a constant struggle between reaching a broader audience and not alienating those the holidays were meant to serve and commemorate.

This incident reminds me of the backlash Walmart received after debuting Juneteenth ice cream and other products a few years back. As was the case with McDonald's this decision was most likely not meant to insult and degrade the African American community but did demonstrate just how quickly capitalism can dilute the meaning and importance of a particular holiday. If nothing else, it showed just how out-of-touch the (predominantly white) owners of large corporations can be.

I was curious to see if any states still have a joint MLK and Robert E. Lee holiday and was surprised to find that, even in 2023, both Alabama and Mississippi celebrate "King-Lee Day." Moreover, I discovered that North Carolina still designates Lee's birthday as a legal holiday. https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023/01/16/king-lee-day/

I wonder if this wave of anger and violence following Dr. King's death contributed to MLK day coinciding with his birthday in January rather than the anniversary of his assassination in April, with celebrants (particularly government officials) not wanting to risk reigniting this tumult. Alternatively, I wonder if this decision was made to prevent Dr. King's accomplishments and enduring message from being overshadowed by the tragedy of his death and thus prompting reflection rather than action.

The Union League is still active and continues to support Republican politicians.

I wonder why celebrating July 5th never really took off like celebrating Juneteenth did. Could it be that it was simply overshadowed by the 4th of July? Alternatively, did it question American ideals more than Juneteenth, thus making it less palatable to a broader audience?

This wistfulness for a romanticized antebellum South continued well into the 20th century (as demonstrated in popular films such as Gone with the Wind) and even can be seen today (such as in the persisting battles over whether or not Confederate flags and statues should be remove).

It is somewhat ironic that the Framers had this view of slavery in spite of many of them owning slaves and participating in the slave trade. It seems as though, while they felt that slavery should eventually end, they wanted it to cease only after they had personally benefited.

It is fascinating to see just how gradual of a process it was between Lincoln making the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment actually going into effect. Oftentimes, it feels these two terms are used interchangeably in popular culture, but, in reality, they meant two very different things.

In the past few years, it has been interesting to see how Juneteenth becoming more and more established in popular culture has also led to large companies exploiting it to sell products. On the one hand, it's great that more and more people are becoming aware of the holiday, but it also seems as though some of its significance is being diluted.

This somewhat reminded me of the New York school that fell under controversy last year for serving fried chicken and watermelon to celebrate the start of Black History month. In particular, it is interesting to contrast the deep meaning behind these symbolic foods actually served on Juneteenth with the shallow and racist stereotypes that fueled the fired chicken and watermelon decision.

This reminds me of Folklorist Jack Santino's book Public Performances: Studies in the Carnivalesque and Ritualesque, where he describes the carnivalesque as a socially acceptable occasional to defy social norms (Santino, 2017, p. 12). For instance, whereas the white residents of San Antonio may have normally squashed any efforts by Black residents to challenge Jim Crow laws, they were more lenient towards them during the Juneteenth celebration, under the assumption that they were only temporary and even functioning as a sort of "play."

I wonder if Watch Night sharing a date with New Year's Eve/New Year's Day has also contributed to it being overlooked. After all, this smaller, more solemn tradition would likely have difficulty competing with the well-publicized spectacle of the other.

Although The Act Prohibiting the Importation of Slaves passed in 1808, the domestic sale of slaves continued within the US for decades. Moreover, some individuals continued to illegally participate in the international slave trade.