Aztecs, Moors, and Christians: Festivals of Reconquest in Mexico and Spain, by Max Harris. Austin: University of Texas Press. 2000, paper, 309 pages.
Review by Thomas Hansen, Ph.D.
Max Harris gives us a thorough recounting of several interesting local festivals—some of which are still in existence—that show the influence of the Moors on Spain and the efforts of the Christians to rid the country of their dominance. Harris also shows us how parallel festivals have existed for hundreds of years in Mexico—with similar themes and players.
Although the native peoples of Mexico already had their own festivals, some of which were connected strongly to war and invasion, with the advent of the Spaniards came additional festivals focusing on the dangerous Moors, in some cases the Turks, and in some other cases unknown invaders. Harris gives us several different time periods of festivals to consider here.
Harris first tells of the importance of understanding the Moorish influence on Spanish culture and how it had to be fought back. He gives us one chapter each on beheadings of the Moors and on understanding the importance of the masks in the festivals. The more gruesome and bizarre the masks, the more frenzied the spectators watching the parading Moors and the zealous Christians who rout them.
Without giving all the content of the book away, I will say that the author paints very vivid descriptions of the masks, weapons, decorations, dances, music, chants, and cheering indeed. Each locale has its own flavor of festival, and the events are celebrated with great gusto in each case. The author does a very good job of explaining possible origins of some of the stranger customs and decorations, in addition to give giving a strong cultural and historical framework for all the events. Harris beings a great deal of expertise to this discussion.
Harris divides his content on the rest of the festivals this way: Spain 1150-1521; Mexico 1320-1521; Mexico 1521-1600; and Spain 1521-1600. The author has an obvious in-depth knowledge of Spanish, Mexican, and native peoples and their customs and beliefs. He also shows a facility for other languages and this helps him explain the festivals, in some cases adding possible origins of some of the events, traditions, and decorations being used.
Teachers of social studies will profit from using this text as background reading for units on religion, culture, and interaction among peoples from different continents. There are also clear uses for this book in history units, geography units, and world language projects for more advanced students. It is also perhaps interesting personal reading for teachers and administrators with an interest in history, Latino culture, and related topics.
I recommend the book for those uses and also as interesting reading for professional development discussions for teachers of social studies and other subjects. Harris provides a very thorough picture of several festivals in both Mexico and Spain. Certainly units and lessons on those countries can be based on information in this book.
The discussion of the Moors as “dangerous other” threatening other cultures is timely right now, given the fears of Muslim persons harbored by some persons who do not have a complete understanding of the religion and who have heard only parts of what has been happening in world events involving a very small number of Muslims. The fear of diverse people and different religions and customs is an important force to be understood in social studies lessons and units.
Ring Shout, Wheel About: The Racial Politics of Music and Dance in North American Slavery, by Katrina Dyonne Thompson (University of Illinois Press, 2014)
Reviewed by Dr. Thomas Hansen
Katrina Dyonne Thompson draws on her work over the years as a student and then a faculty member doing research on not only the role of African music and dance in the lives of Black slaves in the US but also on the impressions made upon White observers. The lack of the background music of slaves singing while picking cotton in the fields is an important factor in the scenery. There were 200 years of song and dance among the slaves. Some Whites clung to the stereotype of the “irrepressibly cheerful” Black man singing in the streets despite how “ragged or forlorn” he might actually be (p. 1). However, the days of the happy singing slave who had a natural talent for performing and appearing light-hearted (p. 2) were disappearing.
At the same time Blacks were becoming more successful financially as bondsmen, and as they connected with the entertainment world and more able to access highly successful careers in music and dance, the image of the docile Black who loved to sing and accept their abuse was fading quickly.
Already by the early 20th Century in America, White observers noticed a change in the thrill level of Blacks vis-à-vis their celebrations. Laments one White Georgian on this noticeable change in that they “…don’t sing as they used to… (p. 1) and telling the readers they should have seen the dancing “…of the old darkeys on the plantation.” This change in demeanor and enthusiasm was happening at the same time Blacks were beginning to speak up for themselves as a group.
The “New Negro” was threatening to the established order and some Whites were nervous, indeed. There were a lot of Black persons in the US by the end of the 19th Century, and the notion they were more and more of them unhappy was unsettling to many Whites. Lack of enthusiasm in their dance and movement was a strong and obvious reminder there were many Blacks who were losing their sense of humor.
Actually more a part of an “imagined South” with happy slaves singing in the fields, the music and dance with an African beat often celebrated not only the culture from another continent but also hidden meanings and realities among the slaves here in the US. Many readers have probably heard that the lyrics and melodies had a varity of “hidden meanings” (pp. 108-109). They could be used simply for relating information from farm to farm or in other cases making fun of the White owner being so down on his luck he could not contribute to the holiday celebrations of the slaves.
Still more well-known are the songs of chariots coming to whisk the slaves away to freedom. Ironically, it is some of these songs with the most dramatic lyrics that came to be the most well-loved. With great passion, the slaves sang and danced as they prayed for better lives—usually far from the often rapacious and abusive owners. Slave owners could break up families, selling different members to the highest bidder. Thus, slave auction days came to symbolize frightening events indeed to families with “marketable” workers and healthy children.
Regarding the more technical aspects of the book, Katrina Dyonne Thompson frames the story told here as a performance, dividing into steps the art to be revealed. The author organizes her work into six chapters and an epilogue: 1) The Script: “Africa was but a blank canvas for Europe’s imagination;” 2) Casting: “They sang their home-songs, and danced, each with his free foot slapping the deck;” 3) Onstage: “Dance you damned n’s, dance;” 4. Backstage: “White folks do as they please, and the darkies do as they can: 5) Advertisement: “Dancing through the Streets and act lively;” 6) Same Script, Different Actors: “Eb’ry time I wheel about, I jump Him Crow;” and Epilogue: The Show Must Go On.
Without giving too much of the content away, I will say the book provide a great deal of information in a short space and the author demonstrates the changes of a People as their lives, livelihood, and status change immensely.
The author does a good job of showing how the Blacks transitioned away from giving off images of the happy and irrepressibly cheerful slaves and embracing their roles as performers, becoming successful business people, and welcoming their new voice as they created a distinct sound. They had taken the complex patterns of the West African song and dance (pp. 23-24) of their past, tied to new styles of Native American and other rhythms, and developed a rich urban beat with stylized sequences and a completely new sound.
It is this great change in the origins of the music to something very modern sounding that makes this book a good candidate for use in courses and seminars on the history of the Black sound in the US.
A second use of the book is the connection of music, dance, and historical events.
A third use is the insight the book gives into cultural and linguistic changes of Blacks as they and their art moved away from plantations and into urban centers.
A fourth use of this book is a sort of guide for setting out some basics that could be used in interdisciplinary units and lesson plans in K-12 classrooms.
A fifth use of the book is background reading for educators contemplating making the connections among slavery as a social studies and history topic to other fields (e.g., music, movement, singing).
I recommend the book for these five uses and also for a clear candidate for professional development (PD) sessions. The book would work well in a basic reading course for discussion over 2 to 3 sessions. The book would also work well over 5 to 6 longer sessions during which lesson plans, assignments, and assessment instruments could be developed—whether on site or through a hybrid course structure.
The Hall of Fame for Great Americans in Bronx, New York opened in 1901. It is now located on the Bronx Community College campus. It currently has 96 busts; busts of Southern Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson were removed. Busts for an additional four people elected to the hall were never installed because organizers ran out of money. You can view a virtual tour of the Hall of Fame for Great Americans. https://www.bcc.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/virtual-hall-of-fame-website.pdf
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York opened in 1939 with its first five inductees, Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson. As of July 2024, the hall honored 244 former major league players, 39 Negro league players and executives, 24 managers, 10 umpires, and 36 “pioneers, executives and organizers.” The Hall of Fame includes one female member, Effa Manley, a Negro League executive. The museum displays baseball memorabilia. https://baseballhall.org/
National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York opened in 1973. The inaugural Induction Class included Jane Addams, Marian Anderson, Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Mary McLeod Bethune, Elizabeth Blackwell, Pearl Buck, Rachel Carson, Mary Cassatt, Emily Dickinson, Amelia Earhart, Alice Hamilton, Helen Hayes, Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Florence Sabin, Margaret Chase Smith, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Helen Brooke Taussig, and Harriet Tubman. In 2020, it opened to the public in its new home at the former Seneca Knitting Mill. https://www.womenofthehall.org/
A Little Less Famous
North American Fiddlers Hall of Fame is in rural Redfield, New York in the Adirondack region. It is located in a converted farmhouse. It houses artifacts, pictures, AV tapes, records, and memorabilia of old time fiddling & fiddlers and has free concerts. Famous inductees include “Chubby” Wise who recorded nearly 50 albums. https://www.facebook.com/p/North-American-Fiddlers-Hall-of-Fame-and-Museum-100063476745882/
National Abolition Hall of Fame in Peterboro, New York is located near the Finger Lakes region in the building where the first meeting of the New York State Anti-Slavery Society was held in 1835. Currently 28 anti-slavery activists are honored. https://www.nationalabolitionhalloffameandmuseum.org/
National Soaring Hall of Fame and Museum established in 1969 is an aviation museum that preserves the history of motorless flight. It is located on top of Harris Hill near Elmira, New York. https://www.soaringmuseum.org/
National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York is part of the Strong Museum of Play. It celebrates toys that have inspired creative play and enjoyed popularity. The Magic 8 Ball was inducted in 2018. Millions of the hand-held fortune telling toy have been sold since it was first marketed in 1945.
Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Belfast, New York in Allegany County. The museum and Hall of Fame are in the training barns of the great champion John L. Sullivan. Famous Inductees include George Godfrey, “The Leiperville Shadow,” one of the best African American bare knuckle fighters of his era. https://wnywilds.com/listing/bare-knuckle-boxing-hall-of-fame/
D.I.R.T. Stock Car Hall of Fame and Classic Car Museum is located next to the Weedsport Speedway in the Adirondack Park. It honors the achievements of modified stock car drivers. Famous inductees include “Barefoot” Bob McCreadie who broke his back five times while racing. https://www.discoverupstateny.com/packages/3566/dirt-hall-of-fame-classic-car-museum/
International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York honors boxers, trainers, and other contributors to the sport. Famous inductees include Muhammed Ali, Carmen Basilo, Ezzard Charles, Joe Frazier, Emile Griffith, Jake LaMotta, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, George Foreman, Roberto Duran, and Joe “Newsboy” Brown, who was born in Russia, and boxed at the opening of the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles in 1925. http://www.ibhof.com/
International Maple Hall of Fame in Croghan, New York honors people who “excelled in research, development, and leadership in the North American Maple Industry.” Its most famous inductee is Lloyd Sipple of Bainbridge, N.Y. who began making maple syrup during World War II to address a nationwide shortage of sugar. https://maplemuseumcentre.org/post.php?pid=14
National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in New Windsor) New York honors award recipients to “remind us of human sacrifices and the cost of freedom.” Ensign Jesse Brown’s citation (Korea-U.S.N.) reads: “Ensign Jesse L. Brown was the first African American naval aviator. While flying a mission 4 December 1950 his aircraft was hit, causing him to crash land in enemy territory.” https://www.thepurpleheart.com/
Catskill Fly Fishing Hall of Fame in Livingston Manor, New York, preserves the “heritage of fly fishing in the Catskills” and educates the “next generation of anglers.” https://cffcm.com/
New York State Country Music Hall of Fame in Cortland, New York pays tribute to the legacy of New York State and national country music performers. Hall of Fame members include Glen Campbell, Tammy Wynette, and many Grand Ole opry stars. https://www.iloveny.com/listing/new-york-state-country-music-hall-of-fame/2897/
New York State Convenience Store Hall of Fame in Albany, New York was established in 1996 to honor retailers and suppliers for exceptional achievement in and service to New York State’s convenience store industry.” https://nyacs.org/hall-of-fame?layout=adgcreative:grid#
National Stand-Up Comedy Hall of Fame is located in Jamestown, New Yor’s National Comedy Center. Its first inductee’s included George Carlin, Joan Rivers, Richard Pryor, and Robin Williams. https://comedycenter.org/
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York was founded in 1950 and is currently located by the Saratoga Race Course. Among the horses inducted here are Man O’ War (1957), Exterminator (1957), Citation (1959), Spectacular Bid (1982), American Pharoah (2021), Secretariat (1974), and Seabiscuit (1958). https://www.racingmuseum.org/
International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in Albany, New York was established in 2019. It is located on the mezzanine level of the MVP Arena. Inductees include Bobo Brazil, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Bret Hart, and “Gorgeous George” Wagner. International Maple Hall of Fame in Croghan, New York honors people who “excelled in research, development, and leadership in the North American Maple Industry.” Its most famous inductee is Lloyd Sipple of Bainbridge, N.Y. who began making maple syrup during World War II to address a nationwide shortage of sugar.https://maplemuseumcentre.org/post.php?pid=14
Online Halls of Fame
Long Distance Runners Hall of Fame in Utica, New York was formed in 1971. The building is currently closed. Famous inductees include Frank Shorter who won the marathon gold medal at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. This hall of fame can be viewed at https://www.rrca.org/about/hall-of-fame/
New York State Golf Hall of Fame: Famous inductee include Joey Sindelar, a major contender in the U.S. Open and Masters tournaments in early to mid-1990s. Find information and inductees at https://nysga.org/about-hall-of-fame
Teachers are going to really enjoy this approach to story-telling that focuses more on themes than on the old fashioned linear method of discussing history. Themes and topics such as the use of tools, differences in diet, domestication of certain animals and what that has meant for mankind, and the use of weapons, jewelry, boats, and architecture through history will astound and captivate the more technically oriented readers looking into this glossy, beautiful book.
More general readers, perhaps fans of the story of Homo sapiens up to current times will also love this book and will wonder what is next in mankind’s journey. This book tells us of great adventures in the past and gives us hints of what is in store, given our talents, strengths, and weaknesses. Pamela Toler has assembled here some incredibly cool ways to talk about the history of mankind and does something very new and unique: using modern drawings and actors to portray the stages of mankind over time. This makes for very interesting and lively illustrations.
Toler also uses a great deal of scenarios—created to advance theories of how wheat was first sown, how people reacted to the “Sea People” invading around the Mediterranean and bringing their women and children with them, and ways people thought and acted. The rationale for different actions over time are interesting to consider, and she uses them throughout the book to make the major and minor events alike more understandable.
As long as readers understand that is her method, they will be alright as they watch mankind progress through the themes, wars, discoveries, changes in regime, and differences in lifestyles over time. The use of the themes and topics, again, is very interesting. Chapter Five, for example, is called “Plagues.” The book tells us where the words “algebra” and “algorithm” come from also, in addition to many other facts important to showing the contributions of many cultures to world knowledge
A third thing Toler does is uses clever phrases and humor in the book. This will make the book even more entertaining for those readers who want a little more “fun” in their dealing with the story of us.
For example, when discussing the supposed complete disappearance of Neanderthals from the earth, she reminds us that recent research has shown that the Neanderthal genome makes up between 1 and 4 percent of the DNA of humans who are not from Australia or sub-Saharan Africa. She states comically, “Evidently the rumors of Neanderthal man’s extinction are exaggerated. He lives on in us” (p. 16).
Without giving too much content away, I will say this book is a “must-read” for educators and all other readers who need a new and refreshing way to look at the history of us. It is a shiny, interesting, innovative, and thrilling book indeed. I am so lucky I was able to receive a copy to review!
The book could also be a clever tool to get some students interested in the story of us and to watch as they consider the photos, drawings, and scenarios presented in this lively and colorful presentation of history. Many short sidebars and other bits of information fill the book, much as in many current high school books and undergraduate textbooks. I would champion the use of this book to see if teachers can “hook” some students into the realms of history, science, and discovery.
The design of the book is shared by the History Channel. It is also available via download to own, in Blu-Ray, DVD, eBook, and graphic novels. These other formats may be just what the teacher ordered for some students to be able to handle—and to reach them using technology they prefer.
As an educator, I can see many great uses for this book. It could also stimulate some wonderful discussions among teachers of science, technology, history, social studies, culture, mathematics, art, design, religion, and language.
As with many such books, interdisciplinary units can be crafted rather easily by creative teachers who will see many possible connections. Helping students become constructivists themselves and see connections is yet another possible use for the book as both a reference source and reading for getting good in-depth conversations going among secondary school students.
As with each and every book teachers use with students in K-12 settings, a thorough reading is important before students are encouraged to read the book. Some adult topics arise in the book and should be considered, of course.
“I love studying history because it’s nice reading about people who overcame a lifetime of difficulties against all odds.”
“Every Sunday, we walked together about five miles to church. We didn’t have a car, so we walked over an hour to arrive at Mass on time. We had the choice of going to 7:00 A.M. Mass at the monastery or walk in the opposite direction for 9:00 A.M. Mass at church in Shinrone. On rainy days, we ran while the rain soaked through our clothes. To this day, I never remember seeing an umbrella in Ireland.”(p. 29)
The Roman Catholic Church in Shinrone, built in 1860
The hidden stories of ordinary people are an essential part of the historical narrative. Unfortunately, these stories remain hidden. Everyone reading this book review has an important story – one related to triumph, tragedy, perseverance, culture, faith, and philosophy. The story of Peg Holland began on April 12, 1937. It was the age of the Zeppelins and there was a good chance that the giant German airship with 97 passengers passed over the farm house of the Hollands on its fateful voyage to Lakehurst, New Jersey in May of 1937. Peg will grow up during World War II and her life as a young adult at the age of 13 will begin in the middle of the 20th century. This is significant as immigrants from West Germany and Ireland came to America in the hope of a better life. The United States of America was a place of hope, liberty, and freedom from the traditions of Europe.
The story of Peg Holland is anything but ordinary as it reveals insights into Irish and American culture. Her story is powerful and very different from Life with Beaver or Father Knows Best. The story of history is the story of people. Through her experiences we learn about Elvis, Irish clubs, dating, conflicts, and hopes. The stories of ordinary people are valuable because they provide insights that are deeper than nostalgia. They reveal why liberty, equality, homeownership, education, and family are important and at times appear to be the ‘impossible’ dream. In this context we see how an immigrant woman comes to understand the purpose of the American Revolution for her. This is a story that prompts inquiry and discussion by students in a Sociology or history class, book club, or religious study group.
The design of this book is carefully planned for discussion and reflection as each chapter is less than ten pages taking less than 15 minutes to read. Each chapter includes a unique episode similar to binge watching a streaming movie. In fact, one might look at this book in terms of five seasons:
Season 1 (life in rural Ireland)
Season 2 (adoption of Mary and moving to New York)
Season 3 (married life)
Season 4 (unexpected situations)
Season 5 (reunion and optimism)
This memoir is an inspiring account of the discrimination of an unwed teenage mother experienced by the women in her community, a decision for adoption of her nine-month old daughter, working as a nanny, finding love in the Bronx, moving to the suburbs of New Jersey, the extended Irish family, and her reunion with her daughter 50 years later.
This historical narrative takes place over 70 years from 1950 through 2020 from the perspective of an immigrant woman from Ireland. It includes her memories of dating in the Sixties, apartment living in the largest city in the world and making the move to the suburbs, the influence of music, television, and the church in her life, returning to Ireland, and community social events. For teachers interested in using this memoir to help students understand culture, family, and faith, this book provides a sociological framework of American culture during the last four decades of the 20th century and the transition into the 21stcentury by a senior citizen and grandparent. The setting is Long Island, the Bronx and Bergen County, NJ.
The book will also prompt serious questions about how an immigrant teenage girl from Ireland entered the United States under the restrictions of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (McCarran-Walter Act), the role of Catholic Charities and other religious and private agencies with the relocation of people, commercial airline travel in the 1950s, the increased demand for parochial education, raising children, the baby boom generation, the influence of social clubs, the role of women in Irish and American culture, and how the American Dream of Peg Holland compares to the American Dream as defined by Betty Friedan:
“Each suburban wife struggled with it alone…they learned that truly feminine women do not want careers, higher education, political rights….” (Rudnick, 72). Friedan goes on to emphasize how societal views have caused women’s “greatest ambition” to be marriage and children. Her biggest point eludes that “it is easy to see the concrete details that trap the suburban housewife, the continual demands on her time.”American Dream Project
For members of a book club, the book provides opportunities for discussion about teenage pregnancy, resilience, perseverance, facing discrimination, gangs, the life of an unmarried woman, struggling with debt, coping with cancer, raising a family, the importance of faith and hope, and if our lives are predetermined by a higher force or subject to chance and luck. The characters are real and their stories are from their hearts. Even if the authors edited phrases or words, the primary source documentation and candid expressions will make your eyes water with sadness and happiness.
For members of a religious discussion group this memoir offers ten examples of situations that require us to hit the pause button and stop and think. For example, the circumstances of a virgin pregnancy, living away from home during her pregnancy, twists and turns of the decision to give a daughter up for adoption, working as a nanny, finding friends, falling in love, purchasing a home, facing devastating health issues, reunion in Ireland, and receiving an unexpected phone call.
For those who may read this book as an individual, I can only provide my perspective as a man, husband, and grandfather. I experienced emotions of sadness, helplessness, empathy, inspiration, encouragement, and thanks for my personal religious beliefs in reading Peg’s personal story. It made me think about the teenage mothers I knew, decisions about who to trust, personal hardships and triumphs, the power of forgiveness, and the challenges teenagers and parents face. The characters in this memoir are living examples of these experiences.
I also enjoyed the Irish culture and local color of Long Island, Valentine Ave. in the Bronx, and Hawthorne, NJ. These were all places where I lived but my experience was one of a middle-class man with a college education. To some extent my stereotypes of Irish culture found agreement and yet they were also proven wrong and my perspective of life and culture was broadened.
2314 Valentine Ave. Bronx, NY
“My prayers were always the same. I prayed to God to help me get over my guilt, and He answered my prayers. After each conversation with Mary, I could feel the healing continue. I began to feel like a person who was more sure of herself. I was no longer stuck beating myself up over something I have no control over anymore. I told myself Enough already, I cried so many nights after I gave Mary away and when I was by myself. Finally hearing Mary’s voice and everything she had accomplished in her life shot through me to my core and started to heal me within. It was confirmed I did the right thing.” (words of Peg Holland O’Hagan in her mid-70s)
The book is available on Amazon. It is written by a husband and wife with professional careers in education. I am honored that Thomas is my former student and years later became my colleague.
For most students social studies may never be the most exciting topic in this day and age, but that doesn’t mean we should stop trying to engage them with new material. It seems that most of the content in European and World History classes focuses on broad themes over a significant amount of time. Issues like the French Revolution and imperialism take up large portions of curricula, and there is little time left to look into more specific events that could be just as valuable in affecting the learning experience of students. In my middle and high school experience Russia and the states it governed before and during the Soviet era were rarely ever touched upon. By giving students the opportunity to examine the history of Crimea and its relationship to Russia they could learn about the impact a relatively small area could still have on a nation’s sense of history.
Crimea is a peninsula along the
northern coast of the Black Sea in Eastern Europe, roughly 200 miles from where
the 2014 Olympic games took place, and is home to a variety of multi-ethnic
groups. Currently the area is under Russian authority but the relationship
Russia has with Crimea has not always been clear. To put it mildly, Crimea has
a rich history and has bounced around in terms of who governs the territory a
multitude of times. In 2014, Russia forcibly took back the Crimea under the
direction of President Vladimir Putin, an event that sparked widespread
criticism in the Western press for a few years. Students normally would have no
understanding of an event like this and why Russia would take such swift
action. However, by explaining the significance Crimea has in the hearts of
Russian people, students gain the ability to make their own observations on the
situation and other events down the road.
The Crimean Tatar Khanate, a break
off from the Mongol emperor Genghis Khan’s empire was a predominate power for
nearly 300 years in European affairs, but even most secondary level students
have never heard anything about it. They were vastly successful in trading
goods with Italians and raided Russia for years without any consequences. The
Khanate existed under the authority of the Ottoman Empire until Russia went to
war against the Ottomans in 1768 and subsequently defeated them six years
later. The 1774 Treaty of Kuchuk-Kainardzhi did not immediately hand over the
Crimean Tatar Khanate to Russia, but rather gave them a chance for
independence. The independence would be short lived however.
Catherine II, the Tsarina of the
Russian state upon the signing of Kuchuk-Kainardzhi, took the opportunity of
the Crimean Tatar Khanate’s independence to place a ruler of her choosing on
the throne. It may be confusing for students to see how a state could be
independent but still have their ruler chosen from the outside. However, the
ruler Catherine II chose was Sahin Giray, a well-educated Muslim man who
descended from the Giray dynasty that had ruled over the area for prior
centuries. Catherine thought she gave Crimea the best shot it could have at
independence by picking Giray, however he could not keep stability among the
various groups of people living under his reign. Crimean independence lasted a
brief nine years before it was time for big brother Russia to step back in the
picture again.
In 1783 Russia officially annexed
the territory known as the Crimea. Alan Fisher, a historian from Michigan State
University, asserts that “It was only after every possible means of
establishing Sahin Giray as an autocratic and independent sovereign had been
exhausted that Catherine carried out “the final solution” to the Tatar Problem”
(Fisher, 1967). Of course, the “final solution” that Fisher was alluding to is
that Russia takes over predominant control and authority of Crimea. It is
important for students to have the background on the time that Crimea was not
under Russian authority to see that maybe there was a slight chance for
independence prior to Catherine the Great’s annexation.
Students should also get to see how
important the Crimea was to the Russian state as a whole to further explain
their annexation effort. While traveling through the Crimea in 1787 Catherine
referred to the area as “Paradise on Earth” (Schonle, 2001). Catherine was
enthralled by the beauty of the peninsula and made it an effort to rebuild the
war-torn parts of Crimea into Russia’s own personal Garden of Eden. This wasn’t
an effort overtly forced on the Crimean people because she enlisted the help of
the local nobles and princes in reforming the land.
One major area of study for world
history students at the secondary level is the Enlightenment. They could
connect that to the Crimean issue as well. Catherine the Great considered
herself a significant contributor the Enlightenment and wrote over hundreds of
pieces and exchanged correspondence with great minds of the period like
Voltaire. The Enlightenment connects with Russia’s annexation of the Crimea in
1783 because it was considered (still is by some) to be an act of enlightened
despotism. Was Catherine trying to do what she thought was generally right for
the people of the Crimea or was she acting in her own self-interests? These are
the kinds of procedural knowledge questions that force students to think
critically about issues and come up with their own responses.
Studying a specific area rather than
a large general theme allows students the opportunity to examine cultural
aspects that are too often overlooked. The Crimea became so enriched in the
hearts of Russians for a number of religious and nationalistic claims.
Vladimir, a Kyivan Prince was supposedly baptised around Crimea in the area of
Chersonesos. This notion was later supported by the touring of the Crimea and
respects paid to these sights by Tsar Alexander I (Kozelsky, 2014). Russians
also have strong ties to the Crimean peninsula because of Sevastopol, the largest
city. In a 2014 address Vladimir Putin stated “This is also Sevastopol-a
legendary city with an outstanding history, a fortress that serves as the
birthplace of Russia’s black sea fleet” (Putin 2014). Sevastopol is home to
Russia’s main fleet along the Black Sea as Putin stated, so they feel a sense
of pride in knowing that this area belongs to them.
Knowing how valuable the Crimea is
to the people of Russia is important for students to understand because they’ll
see the effect losing a meaningful territory can have. In February of 1954 the
colorful Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was concerned with the heavy amount of
suffering placed on the people of Ukraine by World War II. He took it upon
himself to gift the territory of Crimea to the Ukraine as a penance for their
sacrifices. Although authority was transferred to Ukraine, Russians still
accessed the Black Sea fleet at Sevastopol and most citizens consider
themselves part of the Russian state. There was no real need for Russians to
get involved until 2014 when massive protests over a corrupt regime under
Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych emerged. In February of 2014 “little green
men” or disguised Russian soldiers infiltrated Crimea and forcibly seized the
territory back as their own. The swift re-annexation of the Crimea can seem
harsh, but referendums were put out that consistently approved of Russian
authority in Crimea. These kinds of quick turbulent political events can be
hard to grasp without a detailed background.
So where does this leave Crimea
today and why is it important for students to have the opportunity to learn
about it in a social studies classroom? Russia has split Crimea into two
separate entities consisting of the Republic of Crimea and the Federal City of
Sevastopol. Investments in schools and hospitals and the creation of the
world’s second longest bridge have all been started in the time since
re-annexation. The five-year anniversary of the re-annexation will be
approaching within the next few months (February 2019). This means that the
event will probably pick up speed in the media again and give students
background on current events that tie in to history.
Studying
the Crimea can be difficult because of the many shifts in leadership that occurred
over the past few centuries, however it is worth the effort to take on a
difficult task to challenge students to form their own opinions. I would love
to have a class and teach them about the rich history of a smaller part of a
much broader region because it’s something even most historians could overlook.
Teaching students about the Crimea gives them insight into a rich history,
geographical issues, culture, and aids in the development of their critical
thinking skills.
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