Imperialism (and
Humans) on Display: The 1904
WorldÕs Fair
By Matt Goerss
Summer Fellowship 2010
Lesson #3: Meet Me in St. Louis, Meet Me atÉ
the Human Zoo?
To download this lesson in PDF format, click here.
Abstract: The 1904 WorldÕs Fair in St. Louis
included two Òliving exhibits,Ó which today would be referred to as human
zoos. One of the exhibits was
meant to display the progression and culture of indigenous peoples from around
the world, and the other was meant to introduce visitors to the many nations of
the Philippine Islands, a territory that had been conquered by the United
States in 1898. In this lesson,
students will investigate the purpose of these living exhibits, the people who
were displayed in them, and the appropriateness of such displays. Students will read primary source
documents and oral histories and will analyze photographs of the living
exhibits to gain an understanding of the historical context of the displays
that were among the most popular of all of the exhibits at the 1904 WorldÕs
Fair.
Essential Questions:
Assessment: Students will be assessed based on
their ability to analyze the numerous readings and photographs related to
living exhibits. Students will
also be assessed based on their diary entry at the end of the lesson and the
application of their knowledge of human zoos to the final project in this unit.
Procedures:
1)
Setting the Purpose: At the beginning of
class, students should take out a sheet of paper. The teacher should ask students to imagine that they have
been put in charge of creating an exhibit on Urbana at the Illinois State Fair. This exhibit must depict life in
Urbana, and it must include both artifacts and people. On their sheet of paper, students
should write about the kind of exhibit that they would create. What kinds of artifacts would they
include? What types of people
would they include? How would they
ÒdisplayÓ the people in the exhibit?
After an appropriate amount of time, the teacher should discuss with the
class what the exhibit would look like.
The class should also discuss the appropriateness of using humans as
displays in an exhibit.
2)
(Optional) If
the teacher would like to provide the class with additional background
information about living exhibits, he or she should hand out the article ÒThe
Human Zoo: ScienceÕs Dirty SecretÓ
to the students. This article
includes information about the history of human zoos, including the exhibits at
the 1904 WorldÕs Fair.
3)
The teacher
should then show the Progression of Peoples slideshow to the class. This slideshow depicts the living
exhibit of indigenous peoples from around the world that was on display at the
WorldÕs Fair. The photographs are
arranged in the order of the exhibit, starting with the people considered by
the organizers to be most primitive—the Pygmies from the Congo—and
ending with the people considered to be most advanced—the
Eskimos. As students view these photographs,
they should answer the following questions on a sheet of paper:
á
Why do you think
the Fair organizers displayed these groups of people in this order?
á
How do these
people appear to be reacting/adapting to being on display?
á
How does this
exhibit reflect common American attitudes in the early-1900s?
á
How might
visitors to the 1904 WorldÕs Fair have reacted to this exhibit?
If
the teacher wishes to supplement the photographs with additional information,
he or she should have the students read the handout on anthropology exhibits at
the 1904 WorldÕs Fair.
4)
The teacher
should hand out the Philippine Exposition Background Reading to the class. Students should read the handout and
answer the accompanying questions.
This reading provides background information about the design and people
of the Philippine Exposition at the 1904 WorldÕs Fair. Students should also view the overhead
photograph of the Philippine Exposition.
5)
The teacher
should once again divide the students into six groups. Each group will receive a different
photograph from the Philippine Exposition at the 1904 WorldÕs Fair. As a group, students should analyze the
photograph using the Photograph Analysis Sheet. Students should focus on how the photograph serves as an
example of American imperialism in the early-1900s, and they should also
comment on the appropriateness of such displays. Each group should then present their photographs and
analysis to the class.
6)
After viewing
the living exhibits, students should complete a diary entry in which they
reflect on their impressions of the exhibit. The teacher should explain to the students that they should
write this entry as though they were viewing the Fair in 1904, and they should
include their impressions on the people that they saw. Students should refrain from
editorializing on human zoos from a modern perspective in this entry. This diary entry should be at least 1
page (single-spaced) in length and must include a discussion of the artifacts
viewed in the exhibit.
Analysis of Local Primary Sources: During this lesson, students will analyze numerous photographs of
exhibits and artifacts from the 1904 WorldÕs Fair. These artifacts will help to recreate some of the exhibits
that were on display at the Fair.
Ties to National Primary Sources: During
this lesson, students will read excerpts from national publications about the
1904 WorldÕs Fair in St. Louis.
These publications were written during and shortly after the Fair and
will give context to the images that students view of
the living exhibits.
List of Materials and Resources:
ÒThe Human Zoo: ScienceÕs Dirty Secret,Ó Channel Four
Progression of Peoples
Slideshow
Anthropology Exhibits
Reading from History of the Louisiana
Purchase Exposition
Philippine Exposition
Reading Questions
Philippine Exposition Map
and Key
Philippine Exposition
Photographs
