Student Weekly Posts

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Madeline King, Stage 1 – Population and Demographic Effect s on Schools in Omaha, Nebraska.

The question I will seek to answer in my final project is: How has the changing population and demographic of Omaha, Nebraska affected the opening and closing of schools (both public and private)?

The presence of compulsory education in the United States has roots tracing to the late 19th century in Massachusetts, however, it began to take its more modern form in the 20th century (particularly post World War II). Schools across the country have opened and closed when demand has changed. Since 1950, the population of Nebraska has increased by about 600,000 people, changing the demand for schools state-wide. Over half of this population growth has come from the Omaha Metro area, changing both population size and demographics. In class, we have discussed red lining, segregation, and other issues impacting access to equal resources. Has the population growth in Omaha impacted access to schools? Has the demographic changes in Omaha had any effect on this (race, religion, or age)? Does access to different schooling options (Public versus Private) change across areas in Omaha with different demographic populations (South Omaha, North Omaha, West Omaha)?

In 2024, Omaha has 63 private schools, many of which are religious (with about 17,000 students), and 179 public schools (with about 88,000 students). Omaha has a higher than-average population of K-12 students attending private schools than the rest of the state. How has the growing population contributed to adding schools in the area? Has a demographic change impacted the creation of public versus private schools differently? Where are the most public schools situated in the Omaha area? Where are most private schools situated in the Omaha area? Has this changed significantly in the 1950s? By mapping changes in population and demographics, as well as doing historical research on education provided in Omaha, I hope to be able to answer these questions.

Some Sources

Data USA. “Omaha, NE.” https://datausa.io/profile/geo/omaha-ne/ Accessed on Feb. 28, 2024.

Dwellics. “Beyond the Numbers: Understanding the Population of Omaha through Demographics.” https://dwellics.com/state/nebraska/community-in-omaha Accessed on Fab. 28, 2024.

Private School and Public School Review. “The Top 10 Best Omaha Public/Private Schools (2024).” https://www.publicschoolreview.com/nebraska/omaha and https://www.privateschoolreview.com/nebraska/omaha Accessed on Feb. 28, 2024.

Yeben, Jade. “Compulsory Education Laws: Background.” FindLaw. https://www.findlaw.com/education/education-options/compulsory-education-laws-background.html Accessed on Feb. 28, 2024.

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Emily Gaddy- Final Project Stage 1: Redlining and Interstates in Omaha, NE

How did the installation of interstates within the Omaha metropolitan area reinforce systematic redlining in historically black and latinx neighborhoods?

Starting from the 1910s, black people in the South began to leave their generational homes due to discriminatory Jim Crow laws, seeking out jobs in the meatpacking plants of the Midwest and in the manufacturing jobs of the Northeast. Omaha, almost dead-center in the middle of the US, intersected the industries of meatpacking, manufacturing, and transportation (Union Pacific Railroad boasted multiple rail-yards around the city). Although small, Omaha needed hard labor more than most. This led to an increase of black people moving to the city. Tensions were already high between the differing populations of white nationalities. The Greeks formed a small community in South Omaha, along with the city’s Italians. At this point, the boundaries of race were forming, but were barely visible. When the new black population of Omaha moved into neighborhoods in North Omaha, the boundaries of race were defined, seemingly written in permanent marker, on HOLC maps- insinuating to white newcomers: “DO NOT LIVE ABOVE 24TH STREET.” Jim Crow was traded for a seemingly less nefarious, but equally vicious enemy: the HOLC.

The introduction of diversity to North Omaha saw the white population leaving at rapid rates, settling in what is now Dundee. The rapid “white flight” meant lower property value and workers within Omaha’s industry bought the houses at a feverish pace. The HOLC, or Home Owners’ Loan Corporation, determined which areas in cities were more “desirable” for future inhabitants and shaded in red areas that were “undesirable.” Naturally, in 1920s America, most of the areas in red were areas with large populations of minoritized groups. HOLC was a great proponent of redlining and their map of Omaha was a racist’s guidebook to living in a perfect, white neighborhood. Redlining is now illegal, but still reinforced in systematic ways. In this case, Omaha’s Highway 75 (built in 1975), takes the place of the non-physical boundaries depicted in the HOLC map, to draw a physical boundary between the black neighborhoods of North Omaha and the downtown, white-frequented business district. This project was a joint-effort by both the city of Omaha and the United States Department of Transportation. Properties were seized by the government, claiming they were using “slum clearance.” Homes, churches, and businesses were destroyed and communities were torn apart. Whilst the transportation developments of Downtown and Western Omaha stitches the two parts of the city together (ORBT, for example), the freeway of the North forcefully cleaved the the upper-half of the city apart.

(I have sources for these, but most of this is stuff I researched during the creation of my exhibit at the Durham, which is coming next year. I ended up not doing redlining for my exhibit, but I still have the research. I emailed my old boss in collections for access to my OneDrive to find my old files and to cite my sources.)

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Payton Mlakar – Final Project Stage 1

In my final project, I will seek to answer the following question: How rapid was population growth in mining boom towns built near newly discovered deposits of precious metals and minerals in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains in the 1800s? Did the type of mineral or precious metal mined near a mining boom town and a mining boom town’s ease-of-access by roads, trails, or waterways impact the rate of population increase they experienced?

In the 1800s in Colorado, white settlers in the Rocky Mountains found deposits of gold, silver, lead, and other valuable metals that caused an influx of white settlers into what is now the Colorado Rocky Mountains. [1] This massive influx of immigrants and settlers hoping to strike it rich by mining precious metals and minerals in the Rockies created numerous mining boom towns whose population growth rates exploded. One of these boom towns, Leadville, grew so large that when the Territory of Colorado was applying for statehood in 1876 it was the second most populous city in the state. [2]

However, particularly in the 1800s, the Rocky Mountains were a challenging place to traverse. Peaks thousands of feet high rise above canyons that dip into the shadows of those frigid, treeless peaks. Roads in the Rockies today often take somewhat winding routes through canyons, valleys, and tunnels which remain difficult to traverse and maintain today. In the 1800s the road, trail, and waterway networks in the Rocky Mountains were certainly not as efficient or developed as they are today providing an extreme challenge to settlers hoping to penetrate into the mountainous interior of the state. For this reason, I want to investigate whether mining boom towns that were located near the eastern edge of the Rockies or in other easier-to-access locales attracted larger numbers of migrants and settlers which in turn increased their population growth. Additionally, I want to investigate whether the type of mineral or precious metal mined near these boom towns led more migrants and settlers to move to certain boom towns despite their potentially difficult-to-reach locations. To analyze this, I will investigate and map census records of the Territory and State of Colorado, mining districts and mineral and precious metal deposits in the state, road and navigable waterway network maps of Colorado in the 1800s, topographic maps of the Rocky Mountains, and possibly diaries or journals kept by settlers which I can use to analyze how they chose where to settle and the travel challenges they faced along the way.

Bibliography

[1] Colorado Geological Survey, “Metals,” Colorado Geological Survey, accessed Feb. 27, 2024, https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/minerals/metals/.

[2] Trevor Mark, “Was Leadville Almost the State Capital?” Herald Democrat (Leadville, CO), Nov. 8, 2017. https://www.leadvilleherald.com/news/article_0276a8c6-c4ba-11e7-a26a-4fa814987988.html

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Isabel Blackford Final Project Stage 1

The research question I plan on focusing on is, How did the Gold Rush changed the demographics and increased the Urbanization of California? This is something that I find interesting because the Gold Rush impacted many things in the state of California which would be able to be shown in a map very clearly. Before the Gold Rush, California was not much more than a rural expanse of land with around 150,000 inhabitants that were mostly Native Americans (Sommer, 2022). However with the start of the Gold Rush came a large influx of immigrants from China and migration of people from the eastern half of the United States. So the change of demographics from mainly Native Americans and Mexicans to White Americans and Chinese would be a shift in demographics that would be interesting to see mapped out.

Additionally with a large influx of new population, comes a need for expansion of cities and the creation of new settlements. To map out the growth and creation of cities and even potentially see the abandonment of some cities would be interesting to see mapped out. From the growth of these cities it would also be interesting to see the new industries that the cities would take upon themselves to be profitable. Through both of these questions, a dramatic difference would be able to be seen in a few short years and even in comparison to the modern world would be quite interesting to see how rural land turned into sprawling cities like San Francisco with diverse populations within it.

Reference(s):

Sommer, S. (2022, January 5). Petaluma’s Past: California before, during and after the Gold Rush. Petaluma Argus-Courier. https://www.petaluma360.com/article/entertainment/petalumas-past-california-before-during-and-after-the-gold-rush/#:~:text=Just%20before%20the%20Gold%20Rush,more%20arrivals%20had%20flocked%20here.

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Stage 1

What role did property disputes play in the Salem Witch Trials?

I have always had an interest in the Salem Witch Trials since learning about it during my US History class in seventh grade. The trials were instrumental in the rejection of spectral evidence being used to determine guilt in a court of law and the ending of major witchcraft trials in the US. Over the years, there have been a wide range of theories to explain why the Salem Witch Trials occurred. One of the prevailing theories is that property disputes between neighbors led to the accusations of witchcraft against one another. It is well documented that the Putnam family had bitter disputes about land between fellow neighbors. However, there were also growing disputes between Salem Village and Salem Towne in the years preceding years before the infamous witchcraft trials.

My plan for my final project is to map out where the accusers and the accused lived. In order to show that geographic and land disputes played a key role in who was an accuser and who was likely to be accused. I will also try to map out property changes that occurred during and after the witchcraft trials.

Sources:

Brown, David C. “The Forfeitures at Salem, 1692.” The William and Mary Quarterly 50, no. 1 (1993): 85–111. https://doi.org/10.2307/2947237.

Ray, Benjamin C. “The Geography of Witchcraft Accusations in 1692 Salem Village.” The William and Mary Quarterly 65, no. 3 (2008): 449–78. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25096807.

Roach, Marilynne K. The Salem Witch Trials : A Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Community under Siege. 1st Cooper Square Press ed. New York: Cooper Square Press, 2002.

Baker, Emerson W. A Storm of Witchcraft : The Salem Trials and the American Experience. Oxford, [England: Oxford University Press, 2015.

Ray, Benjamin C. Satan & Salem : The Witch-Hunt Crisis of 1692. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2015.

Schiff, Stacy. The Witches: Salem, 1692. United States: Little, Brown, 2015.

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Stage 1: Denver, CO

How has Denver’s demographic makeup changed over time and how did those changes influence its urban development? How has redlining affected Denver and can it still be seen today? How did the Great Migration affect the demographic makeup of Denver? How has Denver grown from a small town to the largest city in Colorado?

This is my research question that I hope to be able to answer by the end of the semester. Last week’s lecture gave me this idea when it talked about redlining in Denver. Because it is a major city, it will likely have HOLC maps and demographic information associated with it. Furthermore, I am curious as to how the Great Migration affected Denver. The Great Migration was a point in American History in which millions of African Americans moved from the rural South to the urban North, Midwest, and West. Denver was one of the places that African Americans migrated to though not at the same scale as cities like Chicago or New York. 

Denver was first found in 1858 as part of the gold rush which caused many to go west in search of gold. Once there was no more gold in Denver, it became a supply hub for new mines in the mountains. Denver became the territorial capital in 1867 and the temporary state capital when Colorado became a state in 1876. It was made the permanent state capital in 1881. Denver became a hub for transportation for the West. The early economy of Denver was primarily the processing and shipping of minerals and ranch products. This changed when WWII came around. After the war, oil and gas companies fueled a skyscraper boom in the downtown area. Denver expanded quickly and went from having a small core surrounded by rural farms to a booming downtown dotted with skyscrapers and surrounded by growing suburbs. 

Here are some potential sites that shed light on Denver’s history. 

https://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h3887.html

http://www.world-guides.com/north-america/usa/colorado/denver/denver_history.html

https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/immigration-denver-1920-present

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Gabe Murphy: Stage 1

How has increased deer hunting in Iowa affected (both doe and antlered) populations within each county?

In the late 19th and early 20th century, the deer herd in Iowa was nonexistent. James Dinsmore, a prevalent professor at Iowa State University, said that the deer was extirpated by the year 1900. The Department of Resources did far little far too late, which led to this near absence within Iowa. By 1860, eastern counties had little to no deer. By 1898, the DNR finally had stepped in to protect the species; but again, this was much too late [1]. By that time, deer populations within the whole state had plummeted to zeros. From here on there was absolutely no hunting of deer within the Iowa state lines. The species was fully protected under law.

Then came brighter days. In 1953, the state supported a program allowing sanctioned hunting of white-tailed deer. However, it was only 5 days and started after 9 A.M. on each of these days. Each kill was taken to a local check-point for strict observation and data collection [1]. I desire to be a hunter in this situation–getting the chance to hunt deer who have been undisturbed for 50 years. Anyways, there were ~3,000 deer killed state-wide within those five short days. If that sounds high, 109,544 were killed in the 2020-2021 season alone. But I worry, could we be pushing the herd too hard? Are we headed towards another population crash? How has all of this hunting affected the deer population? Have we created imbalances in gender-alignment as hunters chase trophy bucks and let the antlerless walk; has this caused breeding issues? I look to further investigate this cause through mapping and historical data. 


[1]: Hanson, John Lawrence. “Deer Hunting’s ‘Good Old Days’ Are Now.” The Gazette, 5 Jan. 2023, www.thegazette.com/sports/these-are-the-good-old-days-of-deer-hunting/#:~:text=Iowa%20State%20professor%20emeritus%20James,was%20evident%20in%20the%20rules.

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Redline Mapping Philadelphia

What patterns do you see between mortgage companies and locations that supplied lendees in Philadelphia? 

One pattern that I saw between mortgage companies and the locations that supplied lendees in Philadelphia was typically Metlife (White owned) supplied loans typically in areas where there was a higher white population than the African American population. On the flip side, Berean Savings and Loan Association (African American owned) typically provided loans in the regions of the city that were predominately African American. Furthermore, Metlife loans were more commonly found in the blue, green, and yellow areas of the city as defined by the HOLC map while Berean provided loans predominately in the red areas of the city as defined by the HOLC map. 

Which regions had the highest interest rates? 

The regions with the highest interest rates were areas of Philadelphia that had been redlined and had a higher percentage of African American populations. 

What indication do you see (if any) that HOLC maps caused redlining (as opposed to mapping preexisting discrimination)? If none, what additional historical evidence do you think you might need to establish this relationship? 

The HOLC map was made in 1937. By layering the maps together, there is evidence that the HOLC contributed to redlining in terms of high interest rates specifically in the red areas of the city. Because the data for the high interest rates was from 1955, this suggests HOLC contributed to this.  This was one thought as to why HOLC may have contributed to redlining. Furthermore, when the population of the area was mapped, it showed that predominately African Americans typically lived within the red areas. The date of the available data is one way that I perceive the HOLC maps to have contributed to redlining. Additional historical evidence that might be useful to establish this is both modern-day demographic information as well as demographic information of Philadelphia in 1937 when the HOLC map was first created. 

What additional data layers do you think might supply evidence of discriminatory housing policy/segregated urban development that you don’t have access to in this exercise? 

Another additional data layer that might supply evidence of discriminatory housing policy urban development that we don’t have access to in this exercise would be the median household income of the areas on the map. I feel that class and race are interconnected and I think it would be interesting to see if class was also a factor, especially among whites. 

Create one clear, legible map that you think best demonstrates the most compelling visualization of redlining in Philadelphia. 

One clear map that best demonstrates the most compelling visualization is the HOLC map with the mortgages overlayed on top. In a perfect world, I would also add the high-interest rates, but I feel that the map would be overcomplicated and not legible. For this to work though, there would have to be a key to identify which mortgage company provided the loans and who owned the respective company.

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Declan Dunham: Redlining and Interpolation

  1. What patterns do you see between mortgage companies and locations that supplied lendees in Philadelphia?
    • I noticed that MetLife typically did not sell mortgages to those in minority communities, while Berean sold mortgages to those in minority communities. MetLife usually sold mortgages to those in the blue or yellow area, while avoiding the redlined area.
  2. Which regions had the highest interest rates?
    • Areas that are redlined have the highest interest rates. A majority of the interest rates in the redlined area are above 5.5%. These areas also have the highest percentage of African Americans.
  3. What indication do you see (if any) that HOLC maps caused redlining (as opposed to mapping preexisting discrimination). If none, what additional historical evidence do you think you might need to establish this relationship?
    • The HOLC map caused the redlining through the use of high-interest rates. The 1937 HOLC map highlights the areas of Philadelphia that are believed to be “best” for mortgages and “hazardous” for mortgages. By looking at the interpolation of interest rates of 1950, we can see that the HOLC’s redlined area has the highest interest rates in the city.
  4. What additional data layers do you think might supply evidence of discriminatory housing
    policy/segregated urban development that you don’t have access to in this exercise?
    • I think an additional data layer of the average household income for each area would be beneficial. We would better understand how discriminatory these loan practices were and how it impacted those in the area.
  5. Create one clear, legible map that you think best demonstrates the most compelling
    visualization of redlining in Philadelphia.
    • This map represents mortgage interest rates in the city of Philadelphia. It is layered on the HOLC Map of 1937. This map shows that the highest interest rates are in the redlined areas of Philadelphia.
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Redlining Practicum 4 Michael Lau

From this gradient map, we can see the interest rates in the redlined areas are about 2.5% higher than in areas that are a higher class of redlining.

Darker areas are lower interest rates.

MetLife, another mortgage company, seems to primarily lend to people in the redlined area and in the yellow area. It is interesting as while the interest rate is higher in the redlined areas, there are far more mortgages in those areas than in the blue areas. It may be a predatory lending practice to give people in these areas a larger interest rate for more profit, regardless or their “trust”. Or it is that the blue areas have more money and do not need to mortgage their property.

I mean, it is pretty clear that there was some racial bias based on the where the lines were drawn.

Precentage of Blacks in each district
Redline district is in red. yellow is ‘at risk’. blue is ‘declining’. green is ‘safe
Yellow is foreign born population

The redlined districts are clearly based on the black population in the district. The foreign born population is not clearly part of the redlined map. However, it would be hard to say whether the redlined map is based on the black population or whether the black population was forced there because of redlining. We would need to see the demographics of the districts from before the redlining to be sure.

Another layer that would be good, would be the population before redlining. It is clear that the redlining map has confined the black population into those areas, but it is unclear whether it is because they had lived there before.

Black population overlayed on a redline map.

I think this is the clearest and best interpretation for how redlining has confined the black population. Though it is still missing mortgage data and interest rates.

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