A look at a current news item through the lens of different titles available on GVRL.
By Michelle Eickmeyer
In fourteen-hundred and ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue… and then the guy who realized that Columbus had not, in fact, found a new route to Asia. But thus began the discovery, colonization and evolution of the United States of America. This week, Americans gather. We’ll watch football. We’ll eat too much. We’ll give thanks for everything we have. We’ll shop til we drop and kick off the holiday shopping season.
Here are five titles that look at American Thanksgiving from different perspectives:
Global Events, 1st Edition. Gale, 2014.
An Italian explorer sets off from Spain, trying to find a new route to India. He’s after spices, and notoriety. From his first trip and landing in San Salvador to his subsequent trips and discoveries, discover (see what I did there) the events leading to and during Columbus’ journeys west.
Encyclopedia of American Indian Issues Today, 1st Edition. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2013.
In the more than 500 years since the discovery of the Americas, much has changed. Some good, some bad. The progress of European settlers came at a steep price – for them, for the family they were leaving, and, more severely, for the American Indian’s who they were displacing. The challenged faced by American Indians are far reaching, and still evolving today. Explore this issue further in this title.
St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, 2nd Edition. St. James Press, 2013.
Abraham Lincoln v. Franklin Roosevelt: When should Thanksgiving be? First established by Lincoln, the timing of Thanksgiving in America had traditionally been held on the last Thursday of November. But retailers hoped for a bit more time to capture shoppers’ dollars and convinced Roosevelt to announce the holiday a week earlier. He tried for two years — some states participated, some didn’t. Much chaos ensued. Congress reacted, and the federal holiday of Thanksgiving will now, always, be the last Thursday of the month. Get the full story in this title.
At it’s very heart, Thanksgiving is a celebration of food and family. Of being thankful in all that is provided to us. While that includes material things, the heart of the holiday is food. Thanksgiving, at it’s roots (huh?! huh?!), is a celebration of food. And we would be no where without farmers. Whether you purchase your food from a local farmers’ market, have them delivered through a co-op, or dash to the supermarket to pick up items flown in from around the world, we’d be nowhere without food. Take a look at the still vital and important role of farming with this title.
Gale Contextual Encyclopedia of American Literature, 1st Edition. Gale, 2009.
Just as the early explorers took off to find a new world, Thanksgiving is the most traveled holiday for Americans. Nearly 40 million American’s will travel more than 50 miles to celebrate (Source). Whether is a four-day weekend or a week-long adventure, American’s are on the move. And we like a road-trip! Take a look at the life and story of the author most attributed to the great American road trip,Jack Kerouac, in this new title.
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About the Author
Michelle is an “anytime!” traveler and language enthusiast. She has degrees in talking from Central Michigan and Michigan State University. She is currently becoming a runner and used to play golf in high school.
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