The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald the Harlem Hellfighters

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald the Harlem Hellfighters Incoming Senior Academic English/English 4 Summer of 2016 Saint John Neumann Regional Academy Read one of the following books for the start of school. You will take an exam on it, and it will be your first grade of the first quarter. This test counts as a double credit, or instead of the usual 100% for a possible score, this counts 200%. If you read more than one book, you can use each additional grade as an extra credit grade for the first quarter. You may read all five books for credit. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby , F. Scott Fitzgerald’s third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. This exemplary novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted “gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession,” it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s. The Harlem Hellfighters by Max Brooks In 1919, the 369th infantry regiment marched home triumphantly from World War I. They had spent more time in combat than any other American unit, never losing a foot of ground to the enemy, or a man to capture, and winning countless decorations. Though they returned as heroes, this African American unit faced tremendous discrimination, even from their own government. The Harlem Hellfighters, as the Germans called them, fought courageously on—and off—the battlefield to make Europe, and America, safe for democracy. (Graphic novel) The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll The original classic story about growing up with drugs and sex and about learning to survive on the streets of New York--once again in print. An urban classic of coming of age. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldn't believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just so happens to be his father's boss's daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy, and Tyler's secret crush. And that sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler questioning his place in school, in his family, and in the world. Persepolis: the Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi Persepolis paints an unforgettable portrait of daily life in Iran and of the bewildering contradictions between home life and public life. Marjane’s child’s-eye view of dethroned emperors, state-sanctioned whippings, and heroes of the revolution allows us to learn as she does the history of this fascinating country and of her own extraordinary family. Intensely personal, profoundly political, and wholly original, Persepolis is at once a story of growing up and a reminder of the human cost of war and political repression. It shows how we carry on, with laughter and tears, in the face of absurdity. And, finally, it introduces us to an irresistible little girl with whom we cannot help but fall in love. (Graphic novel) .
Recommended publications
  • Ellis Bartolomeo Visual Essay- Harlem Hellfighters
    Ellis Bartolomeo The Harlem Hellfighters: Racism and the 369th WW1 Infantry Regiment True heroes are often overlooked in history, as those who do the dirty work or are not as often publicized in the media and are the real “unsung heroes.” In WW1, a group of African American soldiers enlisted into the 369th Infantry Regiment, hoping to fight in The Great War and make their mark on their country as an all black regiment. However, their story isn’t that known in the US history books, while the average white American soldiers tell their view of the war, even though the 369th served 191 days on the front lines, longer than any other American Unit in the war. The enemy called them the “Harlem Hellfighters” because of the fear they struck in the hearts of their enemies. They were stoic as if they were bronze statues and fought like they had been through hell and back again. For the latter, it was true. On January 1st, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln stated in the Emancipation Proclamation, forever freeing the slaves. But discrimination lingered, especially in the reconstruction era in the South was deemed even “worse than slavery” as violent hate groups such as the KKK saw blacks as inferior beings. Although the emancipation proclamation allowed blacks into the army, prejudice still lingered within the military even in WW1, specifically in regards to the all black 369th infantry regiment, otherwise known as the Harlem Hellfighters. African American soldiers were subject to racism, labor work, and disrespect when they wanted to fight for the flag they lived under.
    [Show full text]
  • The Soldiers of the 369Th Infantry HONORING Regiment, the Harlem
    Senate Resolution No. 3049 BY: Senator GAUGHRAN HONORING the soldiers of the 369th Infantry Regiment, the Harlem Hellfighters, for their courage, bravery, service and dedication to the United States Army during both World War I and World War II WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and commend events which evoke the historical, social and cultural development of this great State, and to pay tribute to the memory of individuals of remarkable courage and strength of character, whose purposeful lives embodied the spirit of the principles upon which this Nation was founded; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor the soldiers of the 369th Infantry Regiment, the Harlem Hellfighters; a special tribute was held on Saturday, November 16, 2019, at the North Shore Historical Museum, Glen Cove, New York, in honor of their courage, bravery, service and dedication to the United States Army during World War I and World War II; and WHEREAS, The 369th Infantry Regiment, formerly known as the 15th New York National Guard Regiment and commonly referred to as the Harlem Hellfighters, was an infantry regiment of the New York Army National Guard during World War I and World War II; and WHEREAS, The Harlem Hellfighters spent more time in combat than any other American unit; over 40 of these brave men were from the Glen Cove area; three of the African American members of the unit, Sergeant Richard Fowler, Sergeant Jeremiah Reed, and
    [Show full text]
  • One Hundred Seventeenth Congress of the United States of America
    H. R. 3642 One Hundred Seventeenth Congress of the United States of America AT THE FIRST SESSION Begun and held at the City of Washington on Sunday, the third day of January, two thousand and twenty-one An Act To award a Congressional gold medal to the 369th Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the ‘‘Harlem Hellfighters’’, in recognition of their bravery and out- standing service during World War I. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Harlem Hellfighters Congres- sional Gold Medal Act’’. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) When the United States officially entered World War I in April 1917, the Armed Forces were still segregated, even though African-American soldiers had served and distinguished themselves in every war since the Revolutionary War, and even the Colonial Wars preceding the American Revolution. (2) After several years of advocacy and debate, in 1916 the State of New York authorized the recruitment of the 15th New York National Guard Regiment, which was called to Fed- eral service on July 25, 1917, soon after arriving for training at Camp Whitman, New York. (3) The 15th completed its basic military practice training at Camp Whitman, New York. (4) To receive combat training, the 15th reported, on October 8, 1917, to Camp Wadsworth, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where it experienced many incidents of racial discrimination. (5) Consequently, the government agreed to remove the 15th from Camp Wadsworth, but, instead of receiving further training, the regiment began preparing for deployment to France in November.
    [Show full text]
  • The Harlem Hellfighters: Scorned by Compromise, Exalted Through
    The Harlem Hellfighters: Scorned by Compromise, Exalted through Combat, Tried by Racial Conflict By Janae Hassman Senior Division Historical Paper Paper Length: 2,182 Words 1 Imposed restrictions on ability result in two opposing options: either resignation to those limitations or motivation to exceed expectations. History is made when humans overcome staggering obstacles in the face of extreme antagonism. One inspiring example occurred in the United States’ segregated military when a black infantry distinguished itself by fighting heroically despite unfair discrimination from its government. After the U.S. Army compromised its stance against amalgamation during World War I, the French welcomed the American 369th Infantry under their command. Finally given a chance to see combat, this black military unit fought valiantly, earning French medals and the respected nickname “Hellfighters,” all the while enduring ongoing racial conflict from their own country. The early 1900s in the United States were times of trouble for African-Americans. Approximately fifty years after the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, people of color still faced racial prejudice despite the Fourteenth Amendment granting them citizenship rights. African-Americans faced racial terrorism from the Ku Klux Klan, lynching mobs, and other white supremacist groups. In the 1896 Plessy V. Ferguson case, even the ​ ​ Supreme Court ruled Jim Crow laws -- which enforced racial segregation -- constitutional as long as conditions for both races were equal in quality (Bradley, David, and Fisher vol. 1). However, segregated public transportation and other services were seldom comparable. Blacks not only suffered from inferior schools, libraries, restrooms, and seating on buses, but were also constantly reminded of the enforced pecking-order by signs stating “Whites Only” or “Colored” (“Jim Crow Laws”).
    [Show full text]
  • Jazz, the Harlem Hellfighters' Gift to the World
    GREAT WAR, FLAWED PEACE, AND THE LASTING LEGACY OF WORLD WAR I I JAZZ: THE HARLEM HELLFIGHTERS’ GIFT TO THE WORLD GUIDING QUESTION: How did the Harlem Hellfighters Regimental Jazz Band’s World War I experience rise from the battlefields of World War I to the popular culture in the post-war period? AUTHOR STANDARDS CONNECTIONS Stephanie Hammer CONNECTIONS TO COMMON CORE William Monroe Middle School › CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.9 Compare and contrast one Stanardsville, Virginia author's presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person). WHY? › CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual The 15th New York Infantry Band, which later became evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly the 369th Regimental Band, swept their audiences off as well as inferences drawn from the text. their feet with their improvisation of traditional music and marching songs. Led by James Reese Europe, they DOCUMENTS USED gave the gift of jazz to the world. Popular music today has its roots in early jazz music, including the music of PRIMARY SOURCES James Reese Europe. This lesson allows students to Sheet Music, “All of No Man’s Land is Ours,” 1918 make connections between the music of the Great War Library of Congress (2013562508) and Roaring ‘20s and popular music of today. https://www.loc.gov/item/2013562508/ Sound Recording, “All of No Man’s Land is Ours,” Sound OVERVIEW Recording, 1918 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp-8vndMtVQ Using jazz recordings from the World War I era and the 1920s, primary source analysis, and poetry, students will Sound Recording, James Reese Europe, “Castle Walk,” February draw conclusions and identify the historical significance 10, 1914 of jazz music on popular culture.
    [Show full text]
  • Reflecting on Legacy of the Hellfighters of Harlem
    “Men of Bronze”: Reflecting on Legacy of the Hellfighters of Harlem Tara Ann Carter Hill-Freedman World Academy Overview Rationale Objectives and Standards Anchor Text Historical Background Strategies Classroom Activities Annotated Bibliography/Resources Overview In this unit the United States 369th Infantry is showcased as a vehicle for teaching a sliver of political and social history in the first quarter of the 20th Century. Max Brooks’ graphic novel, The Harlem Hellfighters, serves as an anchor text for this unit. The graphic novel will be supplemented with selections from primary and secondary sources on the 369th to create a context and illustrate key moments for African Americans before, during and immediately after World War I. This unit seeks to explore an approach to educate students about historical military discrimination, as well as the significance of the unit’s valor during The Great War. Most importantly, students will be asked to interrogate the complex ideas of double consciousness and the paradox of enlistment for African Americans in the early parts of the 20th century. This unit seeks to provide students with a variety of mediums (graphic novel, video, podcast and informational text) to interpret history, toward an answer to an essential question: Why would one who is oppressed and denied citizenship want so badly to defend that nation? This unit can serve a variety of purposes, dependent on implementation choices and emphasis/de-emphasis of particular topics. Though designed for an African American History course, this unit could be easily modified for use in any other type of History, English Language Arts or Sociology courses.
    [Show full text]
  • Photographs of the 369Th Infantry and African Americans During World War I
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 463 203 SO 033 593 AUTHOR Schur, Joan Brodsky TITLE Photographs of the 369th Infantry and African Americans during World War I. The Constitution Community: The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930). INSTITUTION National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC. PUB DATE 2000-00-00 NOTE 22p.; Photographs may not reproduce adequately. AVAILABLE FROM National Archives and Records Administration, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408. Tel: 866-325-7208; e-mail: [email protected]. For full text: http://www.nara.gov/education/cc/369th.html. PUB TYPE Guides - Classroom Teacher (052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Academic Standards; *Armed Forces; Blacks; *Government Role; Military Personnel; National Standards; *Photographs; Primary Sources; Secondary Education; Social Studies; Student Research; Teacher Developed Materials; *United States History; *World War I IDENTIFIERS African Americans; *Fourteenth Amendment; National Civics and Government Standards; National History Standards; United States Constitution ABSTRACT In April 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany. Under the powers granted to it by the U.S. Constitution, Congress passed the Selective Service Act of 1917. Among the first regiments to arrive in France, and among the most highly decorated when it returned, was the 369th Infantry, more gallantly known as the "Harlem Hellfighters." The 369th was an all-black regiment under the command of mostly white officers. This lesson relates to the powers of Congress to raise and support armies in Article I, Section 8, and to citizens' rights to equal protection of the laws in the 14th Amendment, Section 1. The primary sources for the lesson are seven photographs taken of the 369th during World War I.
    [Show full text]
  • The Harlem Hellfighters
    THE HARLEM HELLFIGHTERSth Remembering the 369 Infantry Regiment Education Guide For many soldiers and citizens, participation in In April 1918 the soldiers of the 369th were assigned World War I was a chance to contribute to the by General John Pershing to serve in the American fight for democracy. The 369th Infantry Regiment, Expeditionary Forces and then to the 16th Division of also known as the “Harlem Hellfighters” or “Rattlers” the French Army. The 369th served with excellence. The distinguished themselves during the Great War. first American unit to reach the Rhine, they spent 191 This African American regiment, originally the days in combat, more than any other American unit in 15th New York National Guard, was organized as the the war. Sergeant Henry Johnson and Private Needham 369th Infantry Regiment during World War I. The 369th Roberts were among the most distinguished of the trained in New York and at Camp Wadsworth in 369th, awarded the Croix de Guerre (French Cross of Spartanburg, South Carolina. In South Carolina the War) for overcoming a German unit while vastly regiment experienced racism and discrimination from outnumbered in May 1918. Another notable member of local communities, yet they remained determined to the 369th was jazz bandleader James Reese Europe who contribute to the war effort. helped expand the popularity of jazz music in Europe. Today, the Hellfighters are remembered for answering the call of duty even as they faced discrimination and segregation on the homefront. 1 HISTORY Education Guide The Harlem Hellfighters Short Video Resource: Terms to Define: HISTORY® has produced a short video about the Harlem Before or after watching this video, ask students to define Hellfighters to introduce students to their accomplishments the terms below to build context for understanding the and legacy.
    [Show full text]
  • The Struggle of the Harlem Hellfighters
    Breaking Through Trenches and Entrenched Racial Tensions: The Struggle of the Harlem Hellfighters Joaquin DeVries Senior Division Historical Paper Word Count: 2,483 During the last several months of World War I, the French army urgently required new soldiers to reinforce their depleted lines. Help came from an entirely unexpected place: the United States 369th Infantry, an all-African American regiment better known as the Harlem Hellfighters. At the time, the unit had been prevented from joining other units at the front by U.S. Army commanders who believed they would be ineffective because they were black. Only after the 369th was transferred to the French Fourth army were the Hellfighters given a chance to fight; once in combat, they held the line, counterattacked with notable success, proved their mettle, and were awarded 170 Croix de Guerre1, the French army’s second highest military citation. But the regiment has never received the attention their accomplishments merit in the United States. Instead, a German fighter pilot, Manfred Von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron, seems the most well-known figure from that conflict, even in the U.S.: his popular influence can be seen in comic strips, frozen pizza brands, and video games. But despite the fact that the Hellfighters are not now well remembered, the men of the 369th first broke through racist barriers from U.S. command who did not think they could fight; then they overcame the harsh physical barriers of trench warfare to become the most decorated unit of the First World War; and finally they broke down cultural barriers at home and abroad in their introduction of jazz to the European continent and in their many contributions to the Harlem Renaissance.
    [Show full text]
  • 17685 Hon. Charles B. Rangel Hon. Mario Diaz-Balart Hon
    November 16, 2011 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS, Vol. 157, Pt. 12 17685 development of character and the acquisition Spending over six months in combat, per- bloodiest battles of World War II—the first of truth. Education is about offering one’s best haps the longest of any American unit in the Black Marines in the Navy. After 70 years, to the world and I thank Dr. Patil for offering war, the 369th suffered approximately fifteen they have finally received the honor they de- his best to us. hundred casualties but received only nine hun- serve for a legacy we must not forget to pass I also commend Mr. Puri for his work. As dred replacements. Unit histories claimed they on to our future generations. President Obama has stated, the U.S.-India were the first unit to cross the Rhine; they per- Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join my col- partnership is ‘‘one of the defining relation- formed well at Chateau-Thierry and Belleau leagues and a very grateful nation in very spe- ships of the 21st century,’’ and having worked Wood, earning the epithet ‘‘Hell Fighters’’ from cial congressional salute to my dear friend with Mr. Puri for more than a decade, I can their enemies. Whereas African American General Nathaniel James, Retired, National assure my colleagues that the U.S.-India rela- valor usually went unrecognized, well over one President and all of the officers and members tionship is stronger because of his advocacy hundred members of the regiment received of The 369th Veterans’ Association, Inc. as we for and on behalf of India and Indian Ameri- American and/or French medals, including the celebrate our Veterans Day 11–11–11.
    [Show full text]
  • To Hell and Back
    To Hell and Back Adam Kinder Senior Division Individual Documentary Process Paper: 500 Kinder 2 Process Paper I have known of National History Day since the very beginning of my post-elementary school career. Unlike the vast majority of my 6th grade class, I was actually excited to participate. My enthusiasm came less from the fun of doing the project and more from the prospect of being afforded the opportunity to babble on about a historical topic of my choosing. But, as most good things are, my project was snipped early in the bud when my family relocated to Saudi Arabia for my father’s work. Aside from the obvious culture shock, the limitations placed on literature in the nation crippled a book worm like myself. Luckily, my teacher’s emphasis on the importance of self education–and complete lack of regard for her own personal welfare–would save me. In the sole interest of her students, my middle school teacher smuggled restricted books into the country. Among these books were a number of autobiographies, journals on early American history, and a singular novel by the name of The Harlem ​ Hellfighters, by Max Brooks. Being the unique child I was, I devoured the book. It covered a ​ number of heroic feats by a lone military detail, exploits that would recede to the back of my mind until years later, when I would be given the opportunity to make an entire film about them. For the most part, my research consisted of copious amounts of reading. Scouring databases and comparing and contrasting different accounts also took up a large portion of the time.
    [Show full text]
  • Henry Johnson Medal of Honor
    HISTORY STORIES JUNE 02, 2015 WWI Hero Henry Johnson Finally Receives Medal of Honor SARAH PRUITT ORIGINAL STORY AVAILABLE AT HTTPS://WWW.HISTORY.COM/NEWS/WWI- HERO-HENRY-JOHNSON-FINALLY-RECEIVES-MEDAL-OF-HONOR In 1917, Henry Johnson was working as a railroad porter in Albany, New York, when the United States declared war on Germany. At the time, before the Selective Service Act introduced conscription, African-American volunteers were only allowed in four all-black regiments in the Army and a few National Guard units. Johnson enlisted in the 15th New York National Guard Regiment, which was converted into the 369th Infantry Regiment for the purposes of the war. The regiment belonged to the largely black 93rd Division of the American Expeditionary Force, a hastily assembled division that would be among the first American forces to arrive in France. Most of the 369th’s soldiers came from Harlem, San Juan Hill (around 59th Street in Manhattan) and Williamsburg, Brooklyn; after their exploits in France, they would be dubbed the “Harlem Hellfighters.” In the early months of 1918, with France stretched to its limits in its struggle against Germany, U.S. General John Pershing lent the 369th to the Fourth Army, though he made it clear he considered black soldiers inferior to whites. In fact, Pershing went even further in his directive to the French Military Mission, writing that the black man lacked a “civic and professional conscience” and was a “constant menace to the American.” To their credit, the French paid little attention to Pershing’s warnings. They sent the 369th to the western edge of the Argonne Forest, in the Champagne region of France.
    [Show full text]