Communists in Tennessee? Red Scare, Highlander Folk School,...
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Introduction: During the 1950s, the conversation about Civil Rights in the United States and the prevalent fear of communism is often intertwined. Many Civil Rights activists are accused of supporting Communism. Highlander Folk School was a training center located near Monteagle, TN that supported the organized labor and Civil Rights movements and was investigated for supporting Communist activi- ties. In 1959, the Tennessee General Assembly appoints a special investigating committee to look into alleged subversive activities at the school. Guiding Questions: How did Tennesseans feel about the Cold War and the Civil Rights Movement? How do people act when they are afraid? Learning Objectives: In the course of the lesson, students will understand that many Tennesse- ans were uncomfortable with the aims of the Civil Rights Movement and attempted to connect the move- ment with Communism. Curriculum Standards: US.76 Analyze the causes and effects of the Red Scare that followed WWII, including American’s attitude toward the rise of communism in China, McCarthyism, blacklisting, Alger Hiss, J. Edgar Hoover, Estes Kefauver, and the Rosenbergs. US.92 Describe signiϐicant events in the struggle to secure rights for African Americans, including the following:… Inϐluence of the Highlander Folk School and civil rights advocacy groups… CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.1 Cite speciϐic textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text. Page 1 of 5 Communists in Tennessee? Red Scare, Highlander Folk School, & Civil Rights Lesson plans for primary sources at the Tennessee State Library & Archives Author: Joel Covington, Cane Ridge High School Grade Level: 9th & 11th Grade World History/Geography or other World History class Date Created: May 2015 Visit http://share.tn.gov/tsla/educationoutreach/resources.htm for additional lesson plans.
Transcript of Communists in Tennessee? Red Scare, Highlander Folk School,...
Introduction:Duringthe1950s,theconversationaboutCivilRightsintheUnitedStatesandtheprevalentfearofcommunismisoftenintertwined.ManyCivilRightsactivistsareaccusedofsupportingCommunism.HighlanderFolkSchoolwasatrainingcenterlocatednearMonteagle,TNthatsupportedtheorganizedlaborandCivilRightsmovementsandwasinvestigatedforsupportingCommunistactivi-ties.In1959,theTennesseeGeneralAssemblyappointsaspecialinvestigatingcommitteetolookintoallegedsubversiveactivitiesattheschool.
GuidingQuestions: HowdidTennesseansfeelabouttheColdWarandtheCivilRightsMovement?
Howdopeopleactwhentheyareafraid?
LearningObjectives:Inthecourseofthelesson,studentswillunderstandthatmanyTennesse-answereuncomfortablewiththeaimsoftheCivilRightsMovementandattemptedtoconnectthemove-mentwithCommunism.
CurriculumStandards:US.76AnalyzethecausesandeffectsoftheRedScarethatfollowedWWII,includingAmerican’sattitudetowardtheriseofcommunisminChina,McCarthyism,blacklisting,AlgerHiss,J.EdgarHoover,EstesKefauver,andtheRosenbergs.
US.92Describesigni icanteventsinthestruggletosecurerightsforAfricanAmericans,includingthefollowing:…In luenceoftheHighlanderFolkSchoolandcivilrightsadvocacygroups…
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.1Citespeci ictextualevidencetosupportanalysisofprimaryandsecondarysources,attendingtosuchfeaturesasthedateandoriginoftheinformation.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.2Determinethecentralideasorinformationofaprimaryorsecondarysource;provideanaccuratesummaryofhowkeyeventsorideasdevelopoverthecourseofthetext.
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CommunistsinTennessee?RedScare,HighlanderFolkSchool,&CivilRights
LessonplansforprimarysourcesattheTennesseeStateLibrary&Archives
Author:JoelCovington,CaneRidgeHighSchool
GradeLevel:9th&11thGradeWorldHistory/GeographyorotherWorldHistoryclass
DateCreated:May2015
Visithttp://share.tn.gov/tsla/educationoutreach/resources.htmforadditionallessonplans.
MaterialsNeeded:1) ForIntroductoryActivity:Overheadprojector,internetaccessforstudents,orprintedcartoon
2) PrintedcopiesofTSLAsourcesorinternetaccess:
a)“TimeToDoSomePokingAround”politicalcartoon
b)EditionofCommonSense
c)GeorgiaCommissiononEducation,photograph1
d)GeorgiaCommissiononEducation,photograph2
e)LettertoGovernorClementexpressingconcernsoverCommunism
f)LettertoGovernorClementexpressingconcernsoverdesegregation
g)LettertoGovernorClementfromMs.GlenRoseJackson
i)Of icialPolicyofHighlanderFolkSchool
j)SubpoenaofMylesHortontoappearbeforethe81stTennesseeGeneralAssemblySpecialInvestigatingCommitteeofHighlanderFolkSchool,1959
k)ProposedquestionstoMylesHortonfromSpecialInvestigatingCommittee
l)MylesHortonStatementtoSubcommitteeofInternalSecurityoftheSenateJudiciaryCommittee
m)TestimonyofRobertDegenbeforethe81stTennesseeGeneralAssemblySpecialInvestigatingCommitteeofHighlanderFolkSchool,1959
n)HighlanderFolkSchoolManuscript indingaidfromTSLA
Background:“HighlanderFolkSchool” Author:JohnM.GlenSourceLocation:TennesseeEncyclopediaofHistory&Culture“DigDeeper:WhydidAmericansfearcommunism?” SourceLocation:TennesseeStateMuseum
LessonActivities:
NotesforTeachers:
ThislessonplanshouldbepartofanoverallunitontheColdWarand/orCivilRights.StudentswillneedabasicunderstandingoftheColdWarandthemoodofthecountrytowardsCommunismandeventsoftheCivilRightsMovementuptoabout1965.
Eachoftheactivitiesandsourcesetscanbeusedasawholeorbrokenintoparts.
Forallfollowingprimarysourcesactivities,teacherscanusetheTSLAdocumentanalysisworksheetsortheguidingquestionsbelow.
LessonActivitiesContinued:IntroductoryActivity
Displaythepoliticalcartoon,“Timetodosomepokingaround”andaskstudentstoanswerorallyorinwriting:
Howisthetreelabeled?Whatiscomingfromthetree?WhywouldtheTennesseeLegislaturefeelthatitmightbe“TimetoDoSomePokingAround?”Whatdoesthecartoonistfear?
Debriefstudents,remindingthemofthefearsmanyAmericanshadofCommunistin iltrationANDtheef-fectsofdesegregation.SharewiththestudentsthattheHighlanderFolkSchoolwasinvestigatedbyacom-mitteeoftheTennesseeStateLegislature.Sharethelessonobjectiveswiththeclass.
InstructionalActivities
InformstudentsthattheywillbelookingatavarietyofprimarysourcesdealingwiththeHighlanderFolkSchool,fearofCommunism,andfearoftheCivilRightsMovement.WERETHEFEARSOFMANYTENNES-SEANSJUSTIFIED?
Dividestudentsintogroups.Groupsourcesarelistedapproximatelyinorderofdif iculty(GroupOnemightbebestforELLearnersorstudentswithreadingdelays,etc.).
GroupOne:Photographs(GeorgiaCommissiononEducationphotos1and2,“CommonSense”)Foreachphotograph:
Whoisinthepicture?Wherewasittaken?Whatisthepurposeofthephotograph?Whydoyouthinkso?Whatdoestheorganizationthatreleasedthephotographfear?Whatevidenceispresentedtojustifythosefears?
GroupTwo,Three,andFour:LetterstoGovernorClementWhywasthelettertotheGovernorwritten?Whatisthefearoftheletterwriter?HowdoestheletterwriterconnectCivilRightsandCommunism?Whatevidenceisofferedtojustifythosefears?
GroupFive:ProposedQuestionsandSubpoenaWhatarethepurposesofthesubpoenaandquestions?WhatistheconcernorfearoftheCommittee?Listspeci icquestionstoillustratethosefears.
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LessonActivitiesContinued:
GroupSix:TestimonyofRobertDegenTowhomistheletteraddressed?Whatisitspurpose?DoesRobertDegensharetheconcernsofmanyTennesseans?WhatevidencedoesheprovidetotheCommittee?WhywouldtheCommitteeacceptthisevidence?
GroupSeven:MylesHortonTestimonyWhatdoesMylesHortonfear?Accordingtohistestimony,isMylesHortonaCommunist?Doyoubelievehim?Whyorwhy
not?WhatdoesMylesHortonbelievewouldbeapowerfulweaponto ightCommunism?WhydoesMylesHortonbelieveheisbeinginvestigatedbytheCommittee?WhatevidencedoesHortonprovideagainsthisaccusers?
GroupEight:TSLAFindingAidforHighlanderFolkSchoolCollection:ScopeandContent Whatisthisdocument’spurpose?
Isthesourcetrustworthy?WhattwoactivitieswerethemainpurposesoftheHighlanderSchool?ExplainhoweachofthoseactivitiesmightbeviewedbyTennesseansduringtheColdWar.WerethefearsoftheCommitteejusti ied?Whatevidenceisusedinthis indingaidtodescribetheHighlanderFolkSchoolandits
collection?
Haveeachgrouppresenttheirquestionsandanswers.Irecommenddisplayingeachsourceasitisdis-cussed.Drawoutthreadsrunningthroughallofthesources,particularlyMr.Horton’sappearanceinmanyofthesources,fearsoftheTennesseeStateLegislatureandmanyordinaryTennesseans,andtheHighland-erFolkSchool’sconnectiontoboththelabormovementandtheCivilRightsMovement.
Createat-chartontheboardasgroupsreportlabelled“EvidenceAgainstHighlanderSchool”and“EvidenceForHighlanderSchool.”Asthegroupsreport,teachersshould illinthechart.Debriefattheend—WerethefearsofmanyTennesseansjusti ied?
Conclusionsmaybedif iculttoreach—inthesourcespresentedthereislittleactualevidence.HistorydoesseemtobearouttheideathattheHighlanderFolkSchoolwastargetednotforitsCommunistsympathiesbutbecauseofitsinvolvementwiththeCivilRightsMovement.
LessonActivitiesContinued:
Extensions:
HavestudentviewtheFBIinvestigationdocumentsathttp://vault. bi.gov/Highlander%20Folk%20School.
TheCivilRightsanthem“WeShallOvercome”wasarrangedbyPeteSeegeramongothersattheHigh-landerSchool.Havestudentslistentoandreadthelyricsandcomparethemtotheobjectivesoftheschool.
Lyrics:http://www.yale.edu/glc/aces2/lynn/o.pdf
YouTubevideowithlyrics:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJUkOLGLgwg
ComparetheHighlanderFolkSchoolinvestigationwiththeinvestigationsconductedbytheHouseUnAmericanActivitiesCommittee.
Assessment:
WriteanessayorparagraphpresentingevidencethatfearsofTennesseanswereorwerenotjusti ied.
Writeanessayorparagraphcomparingfearsof21stCenturyAmericanswiththefearsofColdWarAmeri-cans(WaronTerror,racialdivides,etc.).
WriteanessayorparagraphcomparingtheJointCommittee’sinvestigationoftheHighlanderFolkSchoolwiththeinvestigationsconductedbytheHouseUnAmericanActivitesCommittee.
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