1904 olympics st. louis and an introduction to sports and international politics
TRANSCRIPT
1904 Olympics
St. Louis and an introduction to
sports and international
politics
What you need to know?
Why St. Louis? Lincoln’s lost debate
Westward expansion: Louisiana Expo
Spanish-American War
Thesis
Sports represents the attitudes, beliefs and ideas of a given culture
Therefore, the 1904 World’s Fair and Olympics represents....
I. St. Louis - historical location
Selection of World’s Fair location
role of Washington University
1800s Gateway to the West
Pictures
II. Westward expansion
The games became a justification for Manifest Destiny (Lewis & Clark)
the fair: on the pike
Indians “on display”: Chief Joseph, Red Cloud, Seven Rabbits
Sept. 15 - recreation of Custer’s last stand and Battle of Wounded Knee
Wild West Show
Lewis and Clark recreations
the sports and the West
various Indian groups participated in “non-official” anthropological games
(bare) foot races
American football games
Implied throughout 1) inferiority of Native Americans 2) gifts of Western civilization
III. Imperialism
The games became a justification for keeping the Philippines
Spanish American War
U.S. fought Spain in 1898 over Cuba
U.S. took control of Spanish colony of Philippines as means of global expansion
Debate in U.S.: do we want to be an empire? do we want colonies around the world?
No - no empireHypocrisy of rights and freedoms
Too expensive
Too far away
Anti-imperialism league
African Americans
Aguinaldo
Teddy Roosevelt
Labor unions
Yes - keep Philippinesvillages showed primitive nature of “savages”
Dogtown myth
modern sciencespsychologists and anthropologists met to “test” theories on racial superiority
supposed proof for “white man’s burden”
fair and Olympics became propaganda for eugenics, social darwinism
Anthropological DaysEvents like: mud fighting, rock throwing, pole climbing, spear throwing
Teams of Pygmies, Filipinos, Patagonians and various American Indian tribes
Countries “displayed” their colonial subjects
wydown
Lindell
SkInker
Big Bend