From 2015 to 2017, I worked as a research associate at the Mapping American Social Movements project in the UW Department of History. The project uses databases of events to display the geography of labor movements, women's movements, civil rights movements, and more.
I began by researching the United Farm Workers and other unions involved in the farm workers' movement of the 1960s and '70s. I collected events by reading archives of the New York Times, the LA Times, and El Malcriado, a bilingual newspaper paper created by Cesar Chavez for the UFW. Over 1,000 strikes, boycotts, and other events are displayed on interactive maps. I also wrote an essay for the project about the geography of the UFW. Links to the maps and essay can be found below.
I began by researching the United Farm Workers and other unions involved in the farm workers' movement of the 1960s and '70s. I collected events by reading archives of the New York Times, the LA Times, and El Malcriado, a bilingual newspaper paper created by Cesar Chavez for the UFW. Over 1,000 strikes, boycotts, and other events are displayed on interactive maps. I also wrote an essay for the project about the geography of the UFW. Links to the maps and essay can be found below.
In Spring 2016, I began researching the underground press of the same era. Using both primary and secondary sources, I mapped over 2,000 underground/alternative newspapers produced between 1965 and 1975, along with descriptions and circulation numbers when available. These newspapers discussed racial pride, feminism, pop culture, opposition to the war, and more. I am currently writing an essay about the underground press to be featured on the website.
During Summer and Autumn 2016, I researched the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a national student group that conducted voter registration projects, participated in Freedom Rides, and led sit-in demonstrations in the South. I documented protests, arrests, and other events from newspaper archives and edited event databases created by history students. I also assembled a collaborative essay about the SNCC.
During Winter and Spring 2017, I researched the National Woman's Party, a suffragist group led by Alice Paul that grew out of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Members of the NWP picketed the White House, burned copies of President Wilson's speeches, conducted hunger strikes while in prison, and led campaigns throughout the country. Most of their work was based in Washington, D.C., so we mapped nationwide and D.C. activities separately. I also edited a collaborative essay on the NWP and an ArcGIS Story Map highlighting their most important events.
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Finally, I concluded my research on the suffrage movement by creating a map that shows the passage of suffrage legislation in each state from 1838 to 1919. This legislation sometimes brought only partial voting rights to women, usually limited to school elections or only municipal or presidential elections. The map shows the outcomes of 249 measures, with different colors indicating the type of voting right and whether a measure passed or failed.
All screenshots on this page are from the Mapping American Social Movements website.
