The Curator of the American Museum of Natural History - Coursework Example

A proposal presented to the curator of the American Museum of Natural History Summary Knowing ones past and wherethe human beings came from enables an individual understand better where they are going. It is this self preservation that saw the rise of Museums in the world. In this view thereby preserving items that show a person past is the main motivation for writing this proposal to the curator of the American Museum of Natural history. The writer wants to donate three items and two photographs that have been in the family as heirlooms passing on from one generation to the next and is now in the tenth generation. The writer will describe how the photographs and how those items are connected to the history of the Southern way of life. Through reviewing related literature the writer will link the photographs to the history then proceed to justify why the items and those photographs should be preserved and kept in the Museum and of what value they will be adding to the Museum. Introduction With the world currently undergoing an economic crisis items kept during the great depression in the 1920’s to the 1930’s would be of great value. This is because people can use them to draw parallels between that trying period and the current meltdown that has seen governments taking drastic measures. According to Jimmy (47) the great depression affected everyone in America. The farmers in Georgia, the state in which Jimmy Carter was born were affected severely. The prices of the farm produce plummeted and sustaining the farms was also a challenge. There was no money to pay the farm labourers. The price of a pound of cotton was 3 cents which was over three hundred percent lower than the price of the same pound during the period before the depression. The three items that the writer hopes to donate to the museum are two certificates of evidence of cotton transaction. The certificates which in modern terms are just receipts one was for before the great depression and the other was for during that period of the depression. They have been well preserved as they depicted a time which was very hard for all Americans rich or poor. The other is a whip which the writer great-great- grandfather confiscated from a white man after he caught him whipping a boy who was just six years old. In An Hour before Daylight by Jimmy Carter the fair treatment of the farm labourers was emphasised. His parents were always fair to the workers though they did not treat them as equals. Therefore, for a black man to accost a white man who probably felt he was doing the right thing by whipping a helpless six year old and injuring him badly must have taken courage. Therefore, the whip is a symbol of courage that drove someone to standing up to that cruelty. This same courage that drove Rosa Parks to deny a white man a seat in the bus and yet she was black. Some people over time have been interested in change even Jimmy’s Carters three close friends were African Americans for whom as he writes in his book “inspired” him greatly (Jimmy 89). Therefore, those three items the writer believes are of great value now as they carry with then a history that is relevant to whatever is happening now in the United States. One of the photographs is of farmers at work in a plantation farm and in essence in the photograph there is only one man the rest are women some even carrying young children on their backs. The other photograph is of a young Jimmy Carter and his three close friends carrying tiny bags and they were either from school or going to school. Background The American museums offer a wealth of knowledge about the history of the country and the history of the American people. This history is contained in the fossils and other items that are on display in the various museums around the country. These items and even fossils have been collected by anthropologists, archaeologists and other individuals and donated to these museums to be enjoyed by all. It with this in mind that the writer is writing to the curator of American Museum of Natural history to propose that the five items the have been in his family for several generations now get to be seen and enjoyed by all by donating them to one of Americas great Museums. The reason why the writer wishes to donate the items is because parallels can be drawn between the great recession and the current global economic crisis (Bernanke 257–276). In the Southern States the farmers were forced to sell their products at very low prices which translated to very little income that could hardly sustain the farmers’ families and still pay the workers. Therefore, the farmers were forced to lay off their labourers which in turn led to the shortage in farm produce and therefore the prices of commodities shot up as there was now a shortage in the production (Bernanke 257–276). The two certificates are proof that economic meltdowns have almost brought countries on their knees but it is possible to recover from them. Life has been very difficult for some people as companies have had to lay people off as they cannot afford to pay them. The government has been offering bailouts to some companies to rescue them from total collapse. During the Great Depression the situation was worse and the two certificates are just a very small fraction that shows how situations can change. Courage is what has shaped most of the worlds historical events. Great leaders emerged leading small armies but armed with a strategy and wit and they were able to confront huge armies and defeat these nations for instance, Gustavus the Swedish King. Therefore, the whip is a sign of courage that individuals should stand up and change what is wrong with the world. Jimmy dared to be different and befriended individuals outside his race. The family treated the African American labourers fairly and did not mistreat them (Jimmy 87). The whip though it held a very scary and painful memory for some in the cases of the writers great-great-grandfather it was a sign of courage. The photographs serve to show that history repeats itself. Unlike what many would rather believe about women and their being workers, in one of the photographs was seen clearly that women worked in the farms and were still able to raise families. The modern day phenomenon of career women is not modern and in the writers opinion it is possible to hold a job a still raise a family. The other photograph consists of a person who shaped the history of America but before his time came he was a student and together with his friends they can be seen in the photograph carrying books either coming or going to school. The writer feels that the donation will be of value to the museum and will benefit the American people in understanding and appreciating their history and culture even more. Review of Literature The Southern States have a rich history from the period of slavery to the present day. This is because the states are along a coast line and served as trade routes. According to Peter (73-81), some farmers in the South States took the initiative and heeded to the call to free their slaves in the early eighteen eighties. The States also shifted from engaging extensively in farming and industries have been established thus making the people move from working in farms to seek employment in industries. After the slaves were freed eventually they were able to own properties and chose other forms of employment. Also, the South has produced several presidents who include Jimmy Carter and even Bill Clinton was from the South when he was elected the president. The items that the writer is proposing to donate to the Museum serve to preserve great legacies and show that those that have ended up becoming American presidents came from very ordinary beginnings and led ordinary lives. The Great Depression led to loss of very many jobs and since the world started experiencing the financial crisis most people have lost their jobs and even their homes. Loss of jobs was one of the impacts of the depression in the 1920’s. Therefore, the certificates are very relevant as they bring the past to the present. Conclusion History is very important and should be safeguarded. The writer hopes that his three physical items and two photographs can be enjoyed by all by donating them in one of the most renowned museums in America. This is because he feels they have made contribution in changing the history of the Southern States and America history in general albeit in a small way. Works Cited Bernanke, Ben. Non-Monetary Effects of the Financial Crisis in the Propagation of the Great Depression. The American Economic Review (The American Economic Association). 1983, 73 (3): 257–276. Carter Jimmy. An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood. New York: Simon & Schuster Trade. 2001. Kolchin Peter. American Slavery: 1619-1877. New York: Hill and Wang, 1994. Read More