Ning Site-Documentary Films

Kelsey TaylorHistory 141

Episode 2: “Order and Disorder

The American Museum

winter of 1841- opened doors for 1st time

Phineas T. Barnum- proprietor

uncanny instinct for the new mass culture emerging in NYC

had a sense of the chaos of the times

programmed something for everyone in museum including a scale model of Dublin for the Irish immigrants

popular attractions: mermaid from Fiji, a knitting machine operated by a dog, a bearded girl, a 25-inch midget named General Tom Thumb, the original Siamese twins and the ‘what is it?’

idea was to draw a paying crowd no matter what

from the day it opened, it was a stunning success

had a 27 year run

The little ice age14th-19th centuries were known as “the little ice age”

millions die from coldness

history’s most recent big hard chill

1653- in the French Alps, priest set off to try to confront a titanic river of ice-glaciers thought to have been possessed by the devil

devastated impact on much of the world

seasons so cold the year was known as the year without a summer

mystery as to what had caused it

many scientists believe that this can and will happen again

climatologists have noted that humans are vulnerable to even the smallest changes

rioting mobs in all areas of Europe demanded more food form the government because so many crops had been destroyed by the weather

weather pushed Americans towards the west

around 1850, the little ice age came to an abrupt end

global warming might cause another ice age

The Panama Canal

locks were constructed in 36 foot sections

end to end, the locks were 1,000 feet long and 110 feet wide

in 1913, when the last concrete was being poured, whole towns were being taken apart like stage sets

the Canal would provide its own power

Panama became an attraction site for tourists

grand opening: August 15, 1914- finished ahead of schedule and it cost less than estimated

complete 50 mile crossing takes approximately 9 hours

Canal remains one of the busiest sea lanes in the world

as of January 1, 2000 the canal belongs to Panama

guaranteed to stay an open waterway to all nations

U.S. has the right to protect and defend that neutrality