The 1920 Wall Street Bombing

The 1920 Wall Street Bombing At noon on September 16, 1920, a horse drawn buggy loaded with 100 pounds of dynamite and 500 pounds of cast- iron slugs exploded across the street from the J.P. Morgan bank headquarters in downtown Manhattan, New York. The explosion blew out windows for blocks around, killed 30 immediately, injured hundreds of others and completely destroyed the interior of the Morgan building.. Those responsible were never found, but evidence- in the form of a warning note received at a nearby office building- suggested anarchists. Tactic / Type: VBIED / Anarchist Learn more: VBIEDs (vehicle borne improvised explosive devices | Anarchism and Anarchist terrorism Where: Financial District, downtown Manhattan, New York When: September 16, 1920 The Story: Shortly after 12pm on September 16, a dynamite loaded horse drawn cart exploded on the corner of Wall and Broad Street in downtown Manhattan, just outside the banking firm. J.P. Morgan   Co. The blast would ultimately kill 39 people- most of them the clerks and messengers and secretaries who served the financial institutionsand cause damage in the millions of dollars. To witnesses, the scale of the damage was unimaginable. Glass flew everywhere, including into the Morgan building, where several of the banks partners were injured (Morgan himself was traveling in Europe that day.) The attack was made more lethal by the cast iron slugs packed in with the dynamite. Investigations began immediately, with several theories about who might have committed the attack discarded along the way. Thomas Lamont, a Morgan bank principal, first accused Bolsheviks of the attack. Bolsheviks was for many a catch-all term that meant radicals, whether anarchists, communists or socialists. The day after the attack, a message was found in a mailbox a block from the attack, which said: Remember. We will not tolerate any longer. Free the political prisoners or it will be death for all of you. American Anarchist Fighters! Some have theorized that this note indicated that the attack was revenge for the murder indictment, several days earlier, of anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. Finally, it was concluded that either Anarchists or communists were responsible. However, those responsible for the attack were never located, and suspicions about the object of the attack were inconclusive. From Wall Street to the World Trade Center: The first act of terrorism aimed at the heart of the nations financial institutions inevitably draws comparison to the second, on September 11, 2001. Beverly Gage, author of the forthcoming book, The Day Wall Street Exploded: A Story of America in its First Age of Terror, has made one such comparison: To New Yorkers and to Americans in 1920, the death toll from the blast seemed incomprehensible. The horrible slaughter and maiming of men and women, wrote the New York Call, was a calamity that almost stills the beating of the heart of the people. That those numbers now seem paltry statistics from a past when we counted civilian deaths in dozens instead of thousands underscores just how violently our own world changed last Tuesday. The destruction of the World Trade Center now stands alone in the annals of horror. But despite the difference in scale, the Wall Street explosion forced upon New York and the nation many of the same questions that we are confronting today: How should we respond to violence on this new scale? What is the proper balance between freedom and security? Who, exactly, is responsible for the destruction? There is another striking similarity. We may think that the defensive security crackdowns and resource mobilization following 9/11 are unprecedented, but a similiar mobilization occurred in 1920: Within days of the attack, there were calls on Congress and the Department of Justice to dramatically increase funding and legal mechanisms to counter the threat of Communists and Anarchists. According to the New York Times on September 19: It was said today at the Department of Justice that Attorney General Palmer would recommend in his annual report to Congress that drastic laws for dealing with anarchists and other disturbing elements be enacted. At the same time he will ask for larger appropriations, which were denied in the past.

Save an Endangered Species Classroom Campaign

Save an Endangered Species Classroom Campaign In this Lesson Plan, students aged 5–8 are provided a way to gain a deeper understanding of how human activities affect the survival of other species on earth. In the space of two or three class periods, student groups will develop advertising campaigns to save endangered species. Background Species become endangered and go extinct for many complex reasons, but some of the primary causes are easy to pin down. Prepare for the lesson by considering five major causes of species decline: 1. Habitat Destruction Habitat destruction is the most critical factor affecting the endangerment of species. As more people populate the planet, human activities destroy more wild habitats and pollute the natural landscape. These actions kill some species outright and push others into areas where they cant find the food and shelter they need to survive. Often, when one animal suffers from human encroachment, it affects many other species in its food web, so more than one species population begins to decline. 2. Introduction of Exotic Species An exotic species is an animal, plant, or insect that is transplanted, or introduced, to a place where it did not evolve naturally. Exotic species often have a predatory or competitive advantage over native species, which have been a part of a particular biological environment for centuries. Even though native species are well adapted to their surroundings, they may not be able to deal with species that closely compete with them for food or hunt in ways that native species have not developed defenses against. As a result, native species either cannot find enough food to survive or are killed in such numbers as to endanger survival as a species. 3. Illegal Hunting Species all over the world are hunted illegally (also known as poaching). When hunters ignore governmental rules that regulate the number of animals that should be hunted, they reduce populations to the point that species become endangered. 4. Legal Exploitation Even legal hunting, fishing, and gathering of wild species can lead to population reductions that force species to become endangered. 5. Natural Causes Extinction is a natural biological process that has been a part of species evolution since the beginning of time, long before humans were a part of the worlds biota. Natural factors such as overspecialization, competition, climate change, or catastrophic events like volcanic eruptions and earthquakes have driven species to endangerment and extinction. Student Discussion Get students focused on endangered species and initiate a thoughtful discussion with a few questions, such as: What does it mean for a species to be endangered?Do you know of any animals or plants that are endangered (or have gone extinct)?Can you think of reasons why species become endangered?Do you see activities in your local area that could affect animal or plant species in a negative way?Does it matter that species decline or go extinct?How might one species extinction affect other species (including humans)?How can society change behaviors to help species recover?How can one person make a difference? Gearing Up Divide the class into groups of two to four students. Provide each group with poster board, art supplies, and magazines that feature photos of endangered species (National Geographic, Ranger Rick, National Wildlife, etc.). To make presentation boards visually exciting, encourage students to use bold headings, drawings, photo collages, and creative touches. Artistic/drawing talent is not part of the criteria, but its important that students use their individual creative strengths to produce an engaging campaign. Research Assign an endangered species to each group or have students draw a species from a hat. You can find endangered species ideas at ARKive. Groups will spend one class period (and optional homework time) researching their species using the internet, books, and magazines. Focal points include: Species nameGeographic location (maps make good visuals)Number of individuals left in the wildHabitat and diet informationThreats to this species and its environmentWhy is this species important/interesting/worth saving? Conservation efforts that are helping to protect this species in the wild (are these animals being captivity bred in zoos?) Students will then determine a course of action to help save their species and develop an advertising campaign to gain support for their cause. Strategies might include: Fundraising to purchase and restore habitat (suggest innovative approaches like a comedy tour, a  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹film festival, a prize giveaway, an  endangered species adoption program, a movie about the cause)Petitions and appeals to legislatorsA proposed ban on an activity that harms their speciesA captive breeding and wild release programAn appeal to get celebrities behind the cause Campaign Presentations Campaigns will be shared with the class in the form of a poster and persuasive verbal presentation. Students will organize their research on posters with photos, drawings, maps, and other related graphics. Remind students that effective advertising captures attention, and unique approaches are encouraged when it comes to presenting a species plight. Humor is a great tactic to engage an audience, and shocking or sad stories elicit peoples emotions. The goal of each groups campaign is to persuade their audience (the class) to care about a particular species and motivate them to climb aboard the conservation effort. After all of the campaigns have been presented, consider holding a class vote to determine which presentation was the most persuasive.