『The 981 Project Podcast』のカバーアート

The 981 Project Podcast

The 981 Project Podcast

著者: Tamela Rich
無料で聴く

このコンテンツについて

Join Tamela Rich for dispatches from all 981 miles of the Ohio River: people, places, history, culture, and more.

the981project.comTamela Rich
世界 旅行記・解説 社会科学
エピソード
  • The Great Strike Quiz: Power on the Tracks
    2025/07/10
    When I started poking around for significant historical events in our region that took place in July, I came upon The Great Railroad Strike. “Huh?”Same here.Lately I’ve been diving into railroad history, thanks to a few of my spring motorcycle stops out West. My father’s family worked for the Santa Fe (now part of BNSF) and in a fascinating twist, his family tree contains union men and union busters. I’ll be talking about that in my new series, “Buckskin Rides Again,” beginning July 20.Here’s what you need to know to crush this month’s quiz.In the summer of 1877, the nation’s railroads ground to a halt—not because of weather or mechanical failure, but because tens of thousands of workers had had enough. Sparked by wage cuts on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in Martinsburg, West Virginia, the Great Railroad Strike quickly spread across the industrial heartland, disrupting cities from Pittsburgh to Chicago. It was the first major, national labor uprising in U.S. history—an unplanned but powerful response to mounting frustrations over low pay, dangerous conditions, and unchecked corporate power during the Gilded Age.The roots of the strike stretched back four years to the Panic of 1873, a financial crisis that triggered a long and brutal depression. Railroads overbuilt during boom times and then collapsed into bankruptcy, responding with layoffs, wage cuts, and speedups that made a hard job even harder. With few labor protections and no social safety net, workers were left to fend for themselves in a climate of growing desperation.This quiz will explore key moments, people, and places involved in the 1877 strike. Don’t worry if you’re not a historian—each question is designed to deepen your understanding while testing what you already know. Think of it as a whistle-stop tour through one of the most pivotal labor movements in American history.Here’s a quick summary of how it affected states in our 981 Project.The strike’s legacy in Kentucky is worth a note. In Louisville, where white railroad workers decided not to strike, these workers ended up avoiding pay cuts by siding with the Louisville and Nashville (L&N) Railroad against a general strike by Black workers. Some white workers even formed their own militia to protect railroad property,” says Shannon M. Smith, a history professor at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University who has written about the 1877 strike in Louisville. “So rather than siding with other workers, they sided with the company.”Note to my fantastic new subscribers:Monthly trivia is for sport. It’s not a test of intelligence or character. I had to do a significant amount of research before writing this. Do your best and enjoy learning something new.Would you share this quiz with someone else? Please?QUESTIONSAnswers in the footnotes. Good luck.* How did the Panic of 1873 contribute to the conditions that sparked the Great Railroad Strike of 1877? (Select all that apply) A) It led to widespread railroad bankruptcies and aggressive cost-cuttingB) It triggered a long economic depression, increasing unemployment and worker desperationC) It caused major public investment in rail infrastructure, raising expectations for worker benefitsD) Railroad companies responded with repeated wage cuts and layoffsE) It hardened public opinion against organized labor and fueled anti-union sentiment* Why didn’t the hardships caused by the Panic of 1873 lead to meaningful protections for railroad workers before the 1877 strike? (Select all that apply)A) The federal government had no established system of unemployment relief or labor regulationB) The Supreme Court prioritized contract rights and property over collective labor actionC) Business leaders promoted the idea that free-market forces—not laws—should determine wages and conditionsD) Most state governments remained neutral, refusing to intervene in labor disputesE) The idea of federal intervention in the economy or social welfare was still politically unpopular* What specific events in Martinsburg, West Virginia, triggered the beginning of the Great Railroad Strike of 1877? (Select all that apply)A) The B&O Railroad announced another round of wage cuts during an ongoing economic depressionB) Workers were outraged by the hiring of Chinese immigrant labor to replace striking crewsC) Freight trains were made longer, increasing workload and danger without additional payD) Local militia forces refused to use violence against the strikers, prompting calls for federal troopsE) Strike leaders issued a coordinated call for national labor action from Martinsburg* Why were railroad companies able to maintain poor working conditions with little pushback before 1877? (Select all that apply)A) There were few or no labor laws regulating work conditionsB) Railroads had powerful allies in government and mediaC) Workers feared arrest or blacklisting if they organizedD) Most legal decisions favored company ...
    続きを読む 一部表示
    37 分
  • June Trivia: Fire on the Water
    2025/06/19
    Hello friends, My personal update is short and sweet: I am now a mother-in-law. My eldest son tied the knot on June 6 in a lovely garden ceremony. Arizona-based family joined us in North Carolina and we played cards, had a cookout, and sorted through a big box of family photos. Oh, the memories—remembered and made!Life is short, my friends. Give love the room it needs to overcome your fears.June has always been a month of thresholds—marriages, migrations, and moments that ripple outward. One such moment happened fifty-six years ago, when a river caught fire and Americans could no longer look away. On June 22, 1969, the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught fire for at least the thirteenth time. That blaze gained national attention—especially after Time magazine published dramatic photos (actually from the 1952 fire) and highlighted it as a symbol of unchecked industrial pollution.What does this have to do with the Ohio River? The Cuyahoga fire became a tipping point for public awareness. It wasn’t the largest fire, or the most destructive—but it was the one America saw. And it helped spark a movement that culminated in the Clean Water Act of 1972.The Ohio River, running through the heart of the country’s manufacturing corridor, never made headlines for catching fire, but it was every bit as polluted. Its legacy was slow violence: toxic water, chronic illness, ecological collapse—and a long path toward repair.This month’s quiz explores the murky legacy of Ohio River pollution. But first, let’s go down Memory Lane with this SNL skit for Swill Water, with pitchman Bill Murray. (Swill is reputedly sourced from Lake Erie). Note to my fantastic new subscribers:Monthly trivia is for sport. It’s not a test of intelligence or character. I couldn’t answer these questions without a significant amount of research, either! Do your best and enjoy learning something new.Would you share this quiz with someone else? Please?QUESTIONSAnswers in the footnotes. Have fun (despite the subject matter)!* True or false? Matchbox once sold a Swill Water delivery truck toy. * How did the environmental crises of the Cuyahoga and Ohio rivers differ in terms of public impact and perception? More than one applies.* The Cuyahoga River caught fire multiple times, becoming a national symbol of pollution.* The Ohio River was less polluted than the Cuyahoga and received little attention.* The Ohio River suffered chronic industrial and sewage pollution but lacked a dramatic event to trigger public outrage.* Both rivers experienced visible and dangerous pollution, but only the Cuyahoga catalyzed federal environmental reform.* Which of the following factors help explain why the Cuyahoga River caught fire while the Ohio River did not, despite both suffering significant industrial pollution? More than one may apply.* The Cuyahoga's lower stretch is slow-moving and canal-like, allowing flammable substances to accumulate.* The Ohio River's faster current and larger volume dispersed pollutants more effectively.* The Cuyahoga passed directly through dense clusters of oil refineries and steel mills.* The Ohio River was better regulated and kept cleaner during the industrial era.* Which of the following statements accurately describe historical and current restrictions on swimming in the Ohio River? Choose more than one answer.* In many industrial-era cities, swimming in the Ohio River was banned or strongly discouraged due to health risks.* The Clean Water Act immediately made all sections of the Ohio River safe for recreational use.* Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) still lead to modern-day swimming advisories after heavy rain. * ORSANCO (The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission) and local agencies have continued to monitor bacteria levels and advise against swimming in certain areas.* What were typical forms of industrial waste discharged into the Ohio River before the 1970s? Choose as many as apply.* Heavy metals* Oil and grease* Plastic pellets* Slaughterhouse refuse* How can pollution from a small industrial spill—like one near Union Carbide’s Institute, West Virginia plant in 1985—ultimately affect the Ohio River, even if toxins aren’t dumped directly into it? More than one applies.* The chemicals can travel through connected creeks and tributaries that feed the river* Rainfall and groundwater flow can carry pollutants downstream over time* Some pollutants may settle in soil or sediment but later remobilize during storms or floods* The Ohio River watershed includes many smaller waterways that drain into it* You may have missed the 2019 film, Dark Waters. Based on a true story, the film follows Rob Bilott, a corporate defense attorney (played by Mark Ruffalo) who takes on an environmental lawsuit against DuPont. The case centers on decades of PFAS pollution in Parkersburg, West Virginia, where DuPont knowingly released toxic chemicals, evaded regulation, and spread PFAS globally—into drinking water, ...
    続きを読む 一部表示
    29 分
  • May Trivia: Indian History in the Ohio River Border States
    2025/05/17
    I recently visited a restored archeological site in the Sonoran Desert. Today it’s known as Besh Ba Gowah, a term roughly translated from the Apache meaning “place of metal.”Besh Ba Gowah made me realize how little I knew about native people in the Ohio River Valley, and that’s what inspired this month’s trivia quiz.Did it ever occur to you that there are no Indian reservations in the Ohio River border states? Why is that?Today, the absence of federally recognized reservations in the Ohio River border states is largely due to three factors: 1) historical displacement, 2) lack of territorial continuity leading to assimilation, and 3) the erosion of Native sovereignty through federal policies that led to economic control of these peoples by the U.S. government.While some tribes in the region, like the Shawnee and Miami, have regained federal recognition in recent decades, they do not have large, contiguous reservations like those in the western U.S.You might first think this happened as a result of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which initiated a mass exodus of Native Americans, particularly from the southeastern U.S., to what is now Oklahoma, known as the Trail of Tears. While many tribes in the Ohio River border states were forcibly removed, some, like the Shawnee and Miami, were fragmented and dispersed across various regions. Those who remained were often not granted land rights or reservations.However, the effort to erase Indian peoples and culture began much earlier than that Act. Land treaties and military conflict forced tribes in the Ohio Valley to cede large portions of their land. The Treaty of Greenville (1795), which followed the defeat of Native forces in the Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794), is a notable example of such a land cession. Tribes were often coerced or manipulated into giving up their territories in exchange for meager concessions, setting the stage for further removal.In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the U.S. government adopted policies of assimilation aimed at integrating Native Americans into mainstream American society. The Dawes Act of 1887, which sought to break up tribal lands into individual allotments, further weakened Native communities and prevented the establishment of reservations.As a result of these policies, Native American populations in the Ohio River border states were marginalized, and many tribes lost federal recognition, making it difficult for them to claim land for reservations. Tribal members were often forced into state-controlled systems, which did not allow for the formation of reservations.This website by the Chickasaw Nation is a treasure trove of video interviews and other resources.Now on to the quiz!Note to my fantastic new subscribers:Monthly trivia is for sport. It’s not a test of intelligence or character. I couldn’t answer these questions without a significant amount of research, either! Do your best and enjoy learning something new.Would you share this quiz with someone else? Please?QUESTIONSAnswers in the footnotes. Have fun!* What was the primary effect of the 1763 Treaty of Paris, following the end of the French and Indian War, on Native American tribes living in the Ohio River Valley?* It granted Native Americans sovereignty over their lands* It established new boundaries that restricted Native Americans to specific territories* It allowed Native Americans to trade freely with European settlers.* It recognized Native American alliances with the French* The Treaty of Greenville (1795) was significant because it marked a major land cession by Native tribes in the Ohio River Valley. What did the U.S. government promise in exchange? More than one may apply.* Monetary compensation and trade goods for the land* A formal apology for the destruction of Native villages* Military support in protecting Native lands from further encroachment* The return of some land taken by settlers* Which Native American leader, who fought to protect his people’s land from European encroachment in the Ohio River Valley, became well-known after his leadership during the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811?* Tecumseh* Pontiac* Blue Jacket* Standing Bear* What were the main reasons for passing the Indian Removal Act of 1830? More than one applies.* To relocate Native American tribes to reservations in the western territories* To provide land for European settlers to expand westward* To grant Native American tribes sovereignty over their lands* To forcibly assimilate Native Americans into European-American agricultural practices* The U.S. government created reservations for Native American tribes in the 19th century. Legislators didn’t come up with this concept on their own. What practices elsewhere inspired this policy? Yes, this is an essay question.* Why were Native American tribes in the Ohio River border states (like the Shawnee and Miami) particularly vulnerable to displacement during the early 19th century? More than one may apply.* They ...
    続きを読む 一部表示
    32 分

The 981 Project Podcastに寄せられたリスナーの声

カスタマーレビュー:以下のタブを選択することで、他のサイトのレビューをご覧になれます。