Semester 2:
The US through the 20th Century
Stage One: The Progressive Era
01/17/01: We've got borax. We've got rat feces. We've got America's meat factories
Daphne details the disgusting conditions of Chicago's meatpacking industry as described by Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle," the muckracking book that was published in 1906 and prompted the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Beef Inspection Act.
01/20/01: Does money really talk or should it take a walk?
Daphne visits Terre Haute, Indiana, home of Eugene V. Debs, America's most famous Socialist. She details Debs's rise into Socialism and his arguments against the existing capitalist system. She also describes the conditions faced by the working class, which led to Debs's rise in popularity, and his bid for the presidency five times, in 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912 and 1920.
01/20/01: Final exam grades for sale!... For real?
Daphne finds inspiration in the politics of Progressivism as embodied by Wisconsin's Robert 'Fighting Bob' La Follette. He served as Congressman, Governor and Senator for the state of Wisconsin, before running for President in 1924 under the Progressive Party. She frolics in the snow with fellow Trekker extraordinaire Becky 'The Bomb' Kroll. They explore Madison and get silly!
Stage Two: The Roaring 20's & Great Depression
02/03/01: Women voters: You've come a long way, baby!
Daphne explores the life of Carrie Chapman Catt, president of NAWSA and life-long advocate of suffrage movement and world peace. She visits Charles City, Iowa and meets the head of the National 19th Amendment Society. She tours Catt's partly-restored home, and ponders the low voter turn-outs of the last elections. She also describes the mission of the League of Women Voters.
02/03/01: An "untouchable" tour of a former gangster's paradise
Daphne and Becky tour Chicago and learn about the gangsters that dominated it during Prohibition. They find out all kinds of things about Al Capone, including the facts behind the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre. And they debate the passage of the 18th Amendment, including the influence of the women's temperance movement.
02/07/01: Foreigners Go Home: The Executions of Sacco and Vanzetti
Daphne researches the famous Sacco and Vanzetti trial, which occurred during the "Red Scare" of the 1920s. She revisits Boston's North End neighborhood and talks to Italian immigrants about the case. Finally, she draws a parallel between the anti-immigration sentiments of that time with the new 1996 immigration law known as IIRAIRA.
02/14/01: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME TO CONEY ISLAND!
Daphne and Neda visit Coney Island and study its past. Although most of the sites that made it famous in the early 1900s are gone, the two still got a sense of the place. Daphne details some of its most well known attractions of yesteryear, such as Nathan's hotdogs, Feltman's, Steeplechase and the Premature Incubators Baby show.
02/21/01: Grab Your Raincoat! Sell Your Stocks! Get Ready for a Market Crash!
Daphne studies the stock market crash of 1929. She visits the NYSE, talks to one of its members, and reads up on the phenomenon known as "buying on margin." She also mentions some of the safeguards instituted by the government after the crash, such as the creation of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
02/24/01: Eleanor Roosevelt: An incomparable pioneer
Daphne explores the life of Eleanor Roosevelt and highlights some of her achievements, including her work with the United Nations and her role in writing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She details how Eleanor fought prejudice, apathy and ignorance: for example, she resigned from the DAR to protest its refusal to host an African American singer. Finally, she notes some of Eleanor Roosevelt's most famous quotes.
Stage Three: World War To Cold War
02/28/01: Visualize, Then Realize: Giving World Peace A Chance
Daphne looks beyond the facts about the UN and instead explores the reason why it was created in the first place: to achieve world peace. She critiques the member states for not prioritizing social development and explains why they should. She challenges every citizen to rekindle her idealism and work towards this lofty and noble vision.
03/03/01: Up, up and away in an airplane museum in Berlin
In order to find out all she can about the Berlin Airlift, Daphne meets with the Founder of the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation (BAHF) as well as a veteran and member of the Berlin Airlift Veterans' Association (BAVA). Both relay stories about the Airlift and show off C-54 cargo planes, the kind used by the US Air Force. She also describes the details surrounding the Airlift, including operation "Easter Parade."
Stage Four: America In Upheaval
03/24/01: A fish, a bicycle and a woman named Gloria
Daphne explores the women's rights movement of the '60s and '70s, emphasizing the creation of Ms. magazine and the National Organization for Women (NOW). She pays particular attention to feminist icons Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan. Finally, she condemns the backlash against the feminist movement and issues a call to arms for the younger generation of feminists everywhere!
Stage Five: The US at the New Millenium
04/14/01: Ultimate Anti-Americanism: The Iran Hostage Crisis
Daphne describes the 1979-1980 Iran hostage crisis. Through interviews with trekker Neda and her father, she details the events leading up to the U.S. Embassy takeover in November 4, 1979, including information on Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.
04/14/01: The Drug War: Glimpses From the Battlefield
Daphne explores the "drug war" being fought by the government, as well as some of the variants of the "get tough on crime" legislation, such as mandatory minimum sentencing (MMS). She humanizes the problem by telling the stories of Bill, a former drug addict, and Dorothy, mother of a man now serving ten years for possession.
04/18/01: Iran-Contra: An Impeachable Offense?
Daphne explains the Iran-Contra scandals and introduces the major players, such as Reagan, North and Poindexter. She argues that the scandals were an impeachable offense and wonders why no one was seriously punished.
05/05/01: Daphne - The Odyssey Trek: A cult of the BEST kind!
Daphne bids the US Trek farewell with her last dispatch.
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