AMST 384 1st Edition Lecture 23Outline of Last Lecture II. Western MemoryIII. Native AmericansIV. CusterOutline of Current Lecture Lecture: Myth and History To what degree does the politics behind knowing prescribe our understandings of the past and the very ways that our social lives are constituted?- Knowing effects our memory of the past- Comes from Florist readings- Marked by traces of history within us that makes our social identities Ex: what are the six flags over Texas?- US, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate, etco Settlers who imposed on Texan lands- What is forgotten? The Native AmericansTejas- providence of Mexico that got independence from Spain, very up north in this providence and so Mexican government wanted to increase population there in the north. SO Mexican government came up with how to get people up to Tejas (land grants, maintain territory as Mexican so they would become Mexican citizens, etc.)- So people took advantage of these grants and everyone wanted to move up there, however; not the Mexicans.- People moved there that weren’t Mexican. So mexico wanted to regain control over Tejasprovidence o Sparked the Mexican civil warLone Star Republic 1836-18545- Texas was an independent nation- This local story of freedom and independent is a local story of the later war of independence in the entire country These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.Current AP Test- Emphasizes negative stories - Texas wont let their students to take this AP Test because they say it is anti-American - Themes of new AP Test- want students to learn about the covert and overt strategies of slavery to resist oppressions, and focus on exceptional values of liberty, freedom, and traditions Alamo- Last stand like Little Big Horn- Massacre and killing, many Europeans trying to obtain land or American slave ownerso Paradox: Anglo-Americans also died for their freedom like natives- Only survivors were enslaved man who was in the Alamo- Only historical documents left to describe the battle was from the people of the Mexican armyo Aren’t people who survived who can verify stories of the Alamoo No one to challenge the “Myths”Myths of the Alamo- Memorial: at the Alamo, o Says “From the fire that burned their bodies rose the eternal spirit of sublime sacrifice which gave birth to an empire state” Example of Sanctification (Foote) - Angelic apotheosis - Heroic martyrs o Also at the site, there are bodies of Native Americans who died  Flores says Native Americans are included in Alamo if you look at broader aspectof history and the story of the Alamo What are we remembering when we remember the Alamo? Also, what is being forgotten by how we are remembering it?- Alamo is a memory-placeo Not a place in history but a historical place made meaningful through social practices - Flores says “how does one distinguish the political and ideological undercolor of colletive memory at sites of public memory when the crafting of such sites works to erase the past?o Prevent the forgotten from being remembero Memory is not only forgetful, it is in attempting to preserve the forgotten, it is selectively silencing those elements that attempt to rupture the quiet o Not a site that was immediately celebrated after the massacre Was recovered in memory through a later political processPolitical Process- memorials and churches at the Alamo makes it look large and look very religious, usingsanctifying power to legitimate story (asked to be quiet in the church/buildings at the site)William Barret Travis- in command at the Alamo, sent a letter that was recovered and found- Him asking for help “I shall never surrender or retreat”- “Victory or death”- “Die like a soldier hwo never forgets what is due to his own honor and his country”- Document like this makes heroic story SanctificationEx: Line in the sand at the Alamo- Site of memory- Legends state that William Barret Travis drew a line in the ground for those who were prepared togive their lives in freedom, then cross line and come with meo Choose sacrifice for country or their own liveso Story of sacrifice and American desire for liberty o Particular memory - Public Memory authorizes this story o Shrine of invented tradition at the site itself- Invented Tradition used to get theme acrossAlamo didn’t become master symbol until 50 years after killing- That’s when dominant story became established o Did so because of social and economic changes that needed the symbol of the Alamo that needed to constitute power- Texas Modern- a changing time (50 years after Alamo) Because of these changes, the Alamo came to be a master symbol authorizing the new change in political powero Barbed wire and closing of cowboy ranges were closed down, led to purchasing of land and privatizing the lando Beginning of commercial farmingo Displacement of Mexicans who have served as cowboys o More Anglos moved in to work on railroads o Emergence of ethnic stratification to preserve elite power: Segregation Led to dominance of power of Anglos, Europeans, and white power because theyowned land and jobs- How were understandings of the Alamo are used to help constitute this political and material hegemony as a symbolic domination?o Binary – dangerous (us vs them)o Story served that role a cultural role of authorizing political power History used to legitimate a higher class  Create heroic fighter as a symbol of fighting for freedomDavy Crockett- Went to Alamo to gain experience fighting to one day be leader of army - The last stand similar to Custer o Heroic - Although killed- There are tall tales about him o Killed a bear when he was freeo Harnessed alligators o “King of Wild Frontier” Disney- Frontierland, Davy Crockett became symbol  Disney capitalizing on the myth of Davy Crockett and his death at the Alamo Crockett hat sold and becomes popular o Symbol of magical power Texians- were non-hispanic residents who moved into the Mexican province of TejasTejano- used to identify a Texan of Criollo or Mexican heritageImax Film of Alamo says-No history is without myth and no myth without place in history -Because myth and history are so uncertain, Alamo can win out without any factual baseEd Linenthal-Venenration site (revision defiles it and gets redefined)-Redefinition (Rituals of