Montana: Stories of the Land

Chapter 15 - Progressive Montana, 1900 - 1924

For simplicity's sake, the textbook separates the intertwined histories of radical political movements (discussed in chapter 15) and the conservative response, particularly as represented by the lynching of Frank Little and the passage of the Montana Sedition Act (discussed in chapter 16). However, these stories are clearly interconnected. Ideally, then, this chapter will be taught in tandem with Chapter 16, "Montana and World War I." Equally, educators may find links listed on Chapter 16's companion web pages of use when teaching this chapter.

Educational Trunks

East Meets West: The Chinese Experience in Montana, from the Montana Historical Society. This trunk explores the lives of the Chinese who came to Montana, the customs that they brought with them to America, how they contributed to Montana communities, their struggles with anti-Chinese prejudice, and the reasons they left Montana.

Websites and Online Lesson Plans

The Learning from Historical Documents unit created to accompany Chapter 14 also works well with this chapter. The unit features the "Report of Investigation of Sanitary Condition in Mines, and of the Conditions under Which the Miners Live in Silver Bow County," a study conducted by Silver Bow County health officials, who examined the sanitary conditions in the mines and above ground from 1908 to 1912, in an effort to explain Butte's high incidence of tuberculosis.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has information about the 1918 influenza epidemic nationally and in Montana.

Several organizations have created lesson plans on analyzing cartoons that can be adapted to the political cartoons in this chapter. They include the Library of Congress, "It's No Laughing Matter: Analyzing Political Cartoons"; PBS.org, "Lesson Plan: Analyzing Election Cartoons"; and the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, "Political Cartoons." 

Jean Luckowski and James Lopach, the authors of Jeannette Rankin: A Political Woman (Boulder, CO, 2004) have created a timeline of Rankin's life, illustrated with quotations by and about her. Page 15 of the document includes a list of excellent discussion questions.

Learn more about the role of Montana's woman's clubs in education, civic improvement efforts and the fight for woman suffrage. 

Discover more about Butte's rich labor history in "When Toil Meant Trouble: Butte's Labor Heritage," by George Everett. Find a national labor history timeline - with links to curriculum information - here.

"Children at Work, 1908-1912, The Photography of Lewis Hine" is another excellent Progressive era-related site. Despite its national focus it is worth examining.

Another good portal for national resources on child labor and labor history is the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board “Labor History Surf Report”.

OPI has model middle school and high school IEFA lesson plans on allotment.

Nebraskastudies.org has more on the 1924 Indian Citizenship Act. 

The National Archives has created a lesson surrounding Butte's anti-Chinese boycott and the lawsuit Butte Chinese merchants filed in response. A simpler lesson on prejudice against the Chinese is on page 39 of the footlocker user guide for "East Meets West: The Chinese Experience in Montana."

Rick Walton has created links to digital versions of Frank B. Linderman's Indian Why Stories.

The University of Montana Special Collections Library has created an online exhibit: Immigrant Montana.

Videos or DVDs

Chapter One, "When Copper Was King," (22 minutes) of Montana Mosaic: 20th Century People and Events.  (Check your library. OPI donated a copy of this DVD to every public school in Montana. The DVD is also available as streaming video.)

Remembering the Columbia Gardens - 60 minutes.

American Experience: Influenza 1918 - 60 minutes.

Back From The Brink: Montana's Wildlife Legacy - 120 minutes.

From the Far East to the Old West: Chinese and Japanese Settlers in Montana, Mansfield Center for Pacific Affairs - 29 minutes. (Check your library. Copies of the video and study guide were distributed free of charge to all Montana public schools.)

Pauper's Dream: Tribute to the Montana Hard Rock Miner, Joseph Campanella - 58 minutes.

Hidden Fire: The Great Butte Explosion - 60 minutes. (This film can now be viewed online.)

Possible Fieldtrips

World Museum of Mining, Butte 

Montana State Capitol, Helena
 

Alignment to Content Standards and Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians (EU)

Tests and Answer Keys