On Display: Imperialism, Nationalism, Racism and Progress? The Louisiana Purchase Exposition (1904 World’s Fair)

Abstract: By any standards, the 1904 World’s Fair (Louisiana Purchase Exposition) was a spectacular event that demonstrated the United States as a rising superpower, ripe with technological and scientific advancement. To St. Louis, the fair represented a much needed public relations overall to bring interest and good name to a struggling community. Advancement was a prevalent theme at the fair. While often thought of as a positive term, there was a dark underbelly of the fair that propelled the term “advancement” into justification for racist beliefs. The Anthropology Exhibit, as well as the Philippine Exhibit organized by the U.S. Government put forth, through “scientific thought” the idea that the white man was more evolved than his “darker brother”. These exhibits were organized to prove that indeed, white people were at the top of civilization, while native peoples of darker hue were human relics of lesser species. This racial construction was designed in part, as a “call to act” in imperialistic, nationalist endeavors such as our recent occupation of the Philippines, at a time where a considerable portion of U.S. citizens felt imperialism flew in the face of the idea of a democratic republic.

Essential questions/enduring understandings:

  • What was life like in the early 19th century?
  • What defines progress?
  • Who has the authority to define progress for others?
  • How can politics affect the economy and cultural events of a time period?
  • What is racism?
  • Can racism become extinct?
  • How does racism benefit those in power?
  • Why are so many people blind to racism and its effects on others?
  • Why is marketing important in politics?
  • What is the difference between patriotism and nationalism?
  • Is an imperialistic democratic republic hypocrisy?
  • Can nationalism and imperialism exist without racism?

Assessment: Throughout this unit, attached worksheets and classroom discussion serve as a tool to assess learning; if the teacher chooses to do a culminating project, teachers may use the Final Project Rubric and Guidelines.

Setting the Purpose: This unit was constructed to give students a framework of understanding of how the terms nationalism and racism can often fuel imperialistic agendas. It also explores the idea that in a democratic society, one must “sell” political ideas to the public in order to meet voter approval. Sometimes, “selling” an idea that seems to contradict what a nation’s moral ideals of equality call for tapping into the darkest parts of human fears and ignorance. In addition, this unit can be used in conjunction with units that discuss the Spanish American War and the United States Native American Reservation system, as these two groups were largely exploited at this fair. This unit may also be utilized in a larger unit exploring imperialism and racism throughout U.S. or World History.

This unit is appropriate for grades 7-12.

Duration: 10-15 class periods

Procedure:

  • Lesson 1: Progress? An Overview of the St. Louis World’s Fair, 1904 gives students a background on world’s fairs, specifically the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Students will explore the purpose of world’s fairs, grandeur of the fair; the technological advancements displayed and develop theories as to what the various villages had to do with this theme of the advancement of civilization.
  • Lesson 2: The Human Zoo: Racism at the World’s Fair provides students with more information about the Anthropology and Philippine Exhibit of the fair. Human Zoos and their history as well as the term racism is explored related to the 1904 World’s Fair.
  • Lesson 3: Empire Building: Imperialism at the World’s Fair explores and defines the terms imperialism and nationalism through the lens of two writers, George Orwell and Howard Zinn. Students then think critically how the three terms, racism, nationalism and imperialism often work in partnership. Lesson 3 provides a culminating project option for the unit.

Analysis of local primary sources:

  • Entrance to Creation
  • Exhibit of Firearms
  • 1904 World’s Fair Ferris Wheel
  • Festival Hall
  • Floral Parade of All Nations
  • Forming a Procession on Pike Day
  • Grand Entrance: Hall of Manufactures
  • Man’s Greatest Achievement
  • Missouri Corn Palace
  • Night view of the World’s Fair
  • Palace of Electricity
  • Palace of Art
  • Palace of Electricity
  • Restaurant Pavilion
  • Stadium, Olympic Games
  • T.C. Benbow in his “Meteor”
  • View Along the Pike
  • Palace of Machinery
  • Sunken Garden
  • Water Parade
  • William Avery Gliding
  • Windmill Exhibit
  • Ainu Group at their Lodge
  • American Indians from Various Tribes Practicing Archery
  • Antonio, Chief of the Igorrotes
  • As God Made Them
  • Council of Chippewas
  • Chinese Girls
  • Colony of Samal Moros
  • Effa Rhodes and Amy Enos
  • Geronimo
  • Igorrote Villiage
  • Jetta
  • Kickapoo Lodge
  • Negreta Bowman
  • Navaho Mother and Child
  • Patagonian Giant
  • Princess Omena
  • Pueblo Indians
  • The Bedouin
  • The Celestial
  • Tugema
  • Visayan Girls
  • Departmental Exhibits 1, 2 and 3
  • World’s Fair Department of Anthropology
  • Anthropology Days 1 and 2
  • Filipino Exhibit at the Fair
  • Progress Under Uncle Sam
  • Evolution of the Philippinos
  • Model Indian School 1 and 2
  • The Curtis Letter 1, 2 and 3
  • Filipinos (Conquest of America) 1 and 2
  • Geronimo 1 and 2
  • What the Government will Do (GovInd) 1,2 and 3
  • How the Human Exhibits Do the Pike (humanzoo) 1,2, 3, and 4
  • Indians at St. Louis
  • The “Pike” at the Fair (pikeart) 1, 2,3,4 and 5
  • United States Indian Exhibit (usindex)
  • Alaskan Exhibit
  • Feathered Indian as Exhibit
  • Indian Tribes at Fair
  • Judge Parker Shows Republican Inconsistency
  • Great Pageantry to Mark the 6th Anniversary of the Fall of Manila
  • Philippine Exhibit in St. Louis

Ties to National primary source or sources:

All of the primary sources listed in this lesson are of both local and national significance. The 1904 World’s Fair was one of the biggest and reflected national thinking towards national and world politics as well as world cultures at the time.

Attachments:

Students will analyze sources pulled from the Missouri History Museum Library and Research Center and “Chronicling America” from NARA.

  • Analyzing Pictures Worksheet.
  • The Palaces worksheet
  • Debate Worksheet.
  • NARA’s Written Document Analysis Worksheet
  • Imperialism/Nationalism Worksheet.
  • Ideology Worksheet
  • Final Project Rubric and Guidelines
  • Project Planning Worksheet

Christine Adrian, AHTC, 2010