A Historian at the Cinema: When The Moors Ruled Europe

For most of us, world history classes are really just a bad code word for European history. Most people are aware of the basic of European history (Roman Empire, then Dark Ages, then Renaissance, the fast forward to World Wars and that's the gist of it). A part of European history that is often overlooked due to an agenda or pure ignorance is the period of 700 years in which the Moors, North African Muslims, controlled and ruled Spain and Portugal between 711 to 1492 CE. What resulted from this conquest of the Iberian peninsula was a thriving, modern, and sophisticated society during a time when the rest of Europe was living through the Dark Ages.

The documentary film, When the Moors Ruled Europe, produced by the British Acorn Media company and presented by historian Bettany Hughes, guides viewers through this history that although forgotten by many but that is still visually and physically present throughout the Spanish and Portuguese countryside. Sites such as Andalucia, Granada, and Cordoba contain the physically remains of this high period in European history. Hughes takes the audience through a history that began in conquest and the creation of the kingdom of Al-Andalus (modern day Spain, Portugal, and southern France). Tariq ibn Ziyad lead the Moorish army against the Visigoths, who would eventually surrender. However, life under the new Moorish empire in southern Europe was complex. Moorish rulers allowed Christians to be governed by Visigoth law and the many willing Muslim converts, who converted despite little immigration from north Africa, to live under Moorish law. In addition, Arabic became the language of the land. These two factors help explains the large influence Islam had on Iberian (and as a result South American) culture and customs and the large amount of Arabic origins in the Spanish language. These long lasting influences of the Moors demonstrate how deep an impact the 700 years of Moorish rule had upon the people of southern Europe. More interestingly, the documentary is quick to point out that Moorish Europe experienced a Renaissance many hundreds of years before the rest of Europe. During this period, the Moors developed renowned learning centers and libraries, advanced medicine that would not be seen in Europe until the discovery of germs, and practical technology such as sewer and water systems. However, the Moorish Empire of Al-Andalus would eventually come to an end during the Reconquista which would end with Ferdinand and Isabella as king and queen of the newly re-Christian Spain in 1492. With Christian rulers in control of the region, Spain would quickly move to forget and cover up their Moorish history. This effort to forget the Muslim empire in Europe would prove successful up until current day when the majority of text books gloss over or omit any references to Moorish Europe. This documentary aims to bring back this history to the general population and to the popular record.

Alhambra: masterpiece of Moorish art and
architecture located in Granada, Spain. 

The high light of this film, aside from the clearly explained and rich history narrative, is that it draws upon the architectural heritage of Moorish Spain. Hughes explores and narrates this complex history while strolling through the regal and geometrically designed palaces such as Alhambra. Audiences are presented with the beautifully preserved remains of Moorish Spain as they learn about the civilization that built them. Instead of the typical Ken Burns style of slowing panning past antique photos of people and places, the producers of this documentary chose to film on site of each of the Moorish palaces or cities and used reconstructions or images during certain moments. This decision enriches the experience because it reveals to audiences the physical impact of this civilization. More importantly, the documentary does excellent work at explaining a complex 700 year history in only two hours. It serves as a primer, a well detailed one, for those interested in learning about this missing chapter in European and Arab history.

I found this documentary through a recommendation from my Arabic professor. My background as South American made this documentary all the more interesting. Learning about how Latin American traditions came from Arab and Muslim culture was enlightening and something that is rarely talked about. It revealed an aspect of the history of the Spanish language that I had never heard before and helped answer many of the questions I had about our deep seeded traditions. For this reason, I most definitely recommend this documentary to people of South and Central American decent. It provides an understanding of another layer in our extremely multicultural history. For others, it will also provide an enlightening re-examination of that European history you learned in high school social science class. The beauty of history is that it is constantly in a process of discovery and rediscovery, and it is this process that makes us richer as a society and as people.

History Highlight: Pineapples in Colonial America

     When one thinks of the Pineapple for many Dole and Hawaii are the first things that come to mind.  Well in America, long before Hawaii was a territory or Dole was thought into existence, the Pineapple has played a large part in social settings in America.  This historical highlight will be on the Pineapple as it was used in the American Colonies and how it is still represented today.

     Until the first time that I saw a pineapple as a carving in a facade in Thomas Jefferson's formal dining area I had no idea that it was a symbol for anything besides food.  This was the first stop of a 13 day trip around Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C.  Our first day of our trip placed us in Charlottesville, Virginia in the home town of Thomas Jefferson.  Jefferson was by his own admittance a farmer and often liked to entertain at home.  He had a formal dining room area where he would bring his guests.  Around the ceiling as I stared I kept seeing the reoccurring symbol of the pineapple.  Well having been from California and having visited Hawaii when I was 6, I could not understand why every where connected to Colonial America there were Pineapples.  So being one never afraid to ask questions, I asked our tour guide about it.  She told us that in the 1700's pineapples were rare, that you couldn't exactly go down to the local grocer and pick one up. They were often an item that was requested and went for high prices as they had to be shipped (by an actual ship) to cities in the American colonies.  Jefferson, like so many others would honor guests that they highly respected by presenting them with a pineapple.  The group would get to cut up this unusual fruit and it was easy to share.  

     From this point on I was obsessed with finding all of the pineapples.  Well on this particular trip, our next stop was that of Williamsburg, Virginia.  This was the first capital of Virginia and was also the seat where many decision was made that are still in affect today.  As we wandered around town, the pineapple was every where.  I became more and more interested in this small item.  Not only was it a gift given to honor a highly respected person, but it was also carved into or sculpted to mean Hospitality and Welcome.  At this point in our trip I decided that I loved everything about the pineapple.  I began to collect pineapples and bring them home with me any where that I saw them.

     So a little more history and less of my story.  The pineapple became a symbol of the American colonies.  Since towns were often small and news in a way travelled slow, visiting and socializing was one of the main forms of connectedness.  This was a main factor in the idea of hospitality.  The concept of hospitality--the warmth, charm and style with which guests were taken into ones home.

     A way that the host and hostess could entertain was through the setting of a table.  For women of the time this showcased her personality and also her families status.  Like society today, often women would try to out do one another with fanciful displays.  Often times at these feasts, small mountain ranges of tiered, pyramided and pedestaled foodstuffs often drizzled and webbed in sugar, studded with china figurines, festooned with flowers and interwoven with garlands of pine and laurel. Dinners were extravaganzas of visual delights, novel tastes, new discoveries and congenial conversation that went on for hours often late into the night.

     A hostesses's ability to have a pineapple for an important dining event said as much about her rank as it did about her resourcefulness, given that the street trade in available fresh pineapples could be as brisk as difficult.  So sought after were the prickly fruits that colonial confectioners sometimes rented them to households by the day. Later, the same fruit was sold to other, more affluent clients who actually ate it. As you might imagine, hostesses would have gone to great lengths to conceal the fact that the pineapple that was the visual apogee of their table display and a central topic of their guests' conversation was only rented.

     In larger, well-to-do homes, the dining room doors were kept closed to heighten visitors' suspense about the table being readied on the other side. At the appointed moment, and with the maximum amount of pomp and drama, the doors were flung open to reveal the evening's main event. Visitors confronted with pineapple-topped food displays felt particularly honored by a hostess who obviously spared no expense to ensure her guests' dining pleasure

     In this manner, the fruit which was the visual keystone of the feast naturally came to symbolize the high spirits of the social events themselves; the image of the pineapple coming to express the sense of welcome, good cheer, human warmth and family affection inherent to such gracious home gatherings.

A Historian at the Cinema: The Violent Years

Teens, Drugs, Mischief! Oh My!

A recent injury has left me less mobile than usual so perfect time to crash on the couch and review some films. This time it is a selection from the Cult Classic collection I recently got from Fry's Electronics. The collection includes a variety of drug exploitation films from the 1930's to 1950's that represent the extreme and misinformed ideas about narcotics from the time period. Written by Ed Wood, it proves to be equal parts ridiculous and surprising.

The Violent Years (1956) tells the cautionary tale of Paula Parkins, daughter of the local newspaper editor and a socialite mother. Paula has become violent and reckless with her gang of friends from high school. They have become committing a string of gas station muggings that has the community and the local media in a frenzy. However the girls have ties to a greater mob in the area who asks the girls to do a small job. They are tasked with destroying the local high school and burning the American flag (clearly the Red Scare is in full bloom by the time of this film). The girls take no motivation to destroy the high school and for some reason that is never explained, the girls bring guns to vandalize the school. In a way they make today's school times seem tame. The vandalizing trip ends, unsurprisingly, with a gun fight and two of Paula's gang dead on the ground. Paula and her one left over accomplice quickly flee the scene and make it back to the house of the woman who is their contact with the greater gang. Once again, Paula uses her clearly proven leadership skills to outwit the police and fails. In the hospital, Paula discovers she is pregnant but dies during child birth. The child is left to the courts to decide parental rights.

Paula and her gang of worst decision makers ever!

The film was quite a surprise. I am familiar with the Reefer Madness type films of the 1930's but this one stood out. The idea that these girls are so quick to resort to violence due to drugs and alcohol are typical of these morality tales from the mid-century. However, rarely do these films show women gang raping a male victim. Reread that sentence once or twice. I was shocked. There is very little denying what happens during this scene, but the films avoids using the word rape and instead terms the event a "criminal assault". The Violent Years makes it clear to the audience that these are bad and irredeemable women, a theme that is heavily prevalent during this time period. Gender roles were much more rigid during this era than in our own (not to say we have achieved full equality yet) but this film represent the full extent of what these gender roles meant for women. There is no room for women to express themselves outside of what American society deemed appropriate. Women who demonstrated an ounce of assertiveness or self determination were quickly labeled a deviant and guilty of all that is wrong with society. This is never more apparent in the film than with the case of Paula's mother. She is a socialite and active in a variety of groups that keep her out of the home and away from her motherly duties. Keep in mind, her father is even less present in the home, but clearly that is not the issue. It is all her mother's fault and when it comes time to decide parental rights over Paula's baby, the judge deems the mother, and by default her husband, too irresponsible to handle a child and gives the baby to foster parents.

Do I recommend The Violent Years? Yes, but not because of its filmmaking, acting, message or anything intended by the director. Instead, because it is a great example of the anti-drug and juvenile delinquent hysteria of the 1950's. Also it is incredibly bad and therefore funny to watch. This being an Ed Woods film, what else do you expect? Despite this, I did have fun watching this film and it might work its way into my thesis. And be honest, who doesn't enjoy really bad movies from the 1950's?

New Series! A Historian Reads: American Desperado

Following the beginning of our film review series, we thought it appropriate to begin a book review series as well. Historians do a lot of reading (heads up for anyone interested in entering the field), but it also happens to be a passion of ours. We will review books that deal with history but they could come from different fields and include fiction and non fiction.

After reviewing the documentary Cocaine Cowboys I thought it might be interesting to introduce you to one of the books used for the making of that documentary. American Desperado is the autobiography of one of the infamous cocaine cowboys, Jon Roberts. If you read the review of that film you will know that the cocaine cowboys refers to the period of extreme drug gang violence that occurred in South Florida during the 1980's and 1990's. Participants in this violence were called the cocaine cowboys because of the lawless nature that the region had developed.

Jon Roberts was one of these cocaine cowboys. A New York native, Roberts was one of the non-Colombian affiliates of the active cartels in South Florida. He began working as a distributor in New York in the club scene during the early 1970's and found it to be a lucrative occupation. However, he moved to Florida when the drug trade through the Caribbean exploded. Cocaine became a desired drug and the main supplier, Colombian cartels, developed extensive trade networks to get their product to the United States. Jon Robert's experience with the Gambino crime family in New York made him a perfect candidate to begin working with the up and coming Colombian cartels. Roberts claims that Cuban cartels in the area were having difficulty bringing in enough product to meet demands. Colombian cartels, who had been working exclusively in production, moved to expand their empire into manufacturing and distribution. Cuban and Colombian cartels were soon in conflict and Roberts found a niche within the Colombian cartel organization. He soon went to work with another American, Mickey Munday, a pilot who used his expertise in flight and navigation to bring up cocaine undetected. Both Roberts and Munday would eventually come under the radar of the South Florida Drug Task Force organized to deal specifically with the cocaine cowboys. A raid would lead to the arrest of Roberts and the escape of Munday. Under arrest, Roberts would eventually turn criminal informant helping the U.S government bring down many of his former colleagues.

Jon Roberts with co-author Evan Wright

This autobiography is an disturbing look into the late twentieth century drug trade by one of its important figures. Interest in this book has gone up recently since Mark Wahlburg has announced interest in making a film based on the autobiography with Wahlburg starring as Roberts. This news makes me uneasy because Hollywood does not have a good record in making accurate film about history in general, the drug war, and Colombians (that will be its own stand alone post/rant). We shall have to wait and see if this film turns out to be another misinformed glamorization film or maybe something closer to the truth. And the truth is that Roberts lived in a violent world and the nonchalant style of Robert's memoir reflects this. It becomes unsettling to read about the acts he committed or was involved in described in such a matter of fact style. Interestingly, since Roberts' death his co-author, Evan Wright, added an epilogue in which he describes his own uneasiness with Roberts' personality and violent past. Wright describes how he feared Roberts as certain times during the process of helping him write the book. As a reader, I found myself experiencing something similar to Wright. Despite this, I do believe this is an important book to the history of the drug war. It reveals the world from the inside out and demonstrates how the drug trade benefited by the war on drugs and the political climate of the United States. Moreso, Roberts' autobiography allows readers to understand the reality of the drug trade outside of the hyper-hysteria of the press and glamorization of the media that most people are familiar with. As this book shows, reality is often more horrific and sensational than anything a filmmaker than make.

History Highlight: The Napoleonic Bee

Emperor Napoleon, unintentional design icon.

This history highlight inspiration comes from attending one lecture of a history of design class when I was in high school. Interior Design is definitely not my forte, but the history was definitely something I could dig into. That class was dedicated to French design and there I heard a fascinating history about how the revolution changed French design.

The French Revolution had its beginning in 1889 and ended in 1899. However, despite the resolution of the revolution, France would continue to see rampant violence across the nation. Napoleon Bonaparte rose up the political ladder through his service during the Revolution and eventually made his way (very violent and manipulative way) to becoming Emperor of France. One of his many actions while Emperor was to change many of the symbols of France including the long standing Fleur-de-lis, a stylized lily. A common symbol in European royalty, it was especially beloved by the French Royal family. Its resemblance to the symbolism of the Catholic Holy Trinity made it commonly used by the French elite, up to the French flag. However, the Fluer-de-lis would not remain on the flag for much longer.

Notice the crown that is on the industrious, non-royal, and non-elitist bee.

With Emperor Napoleon in control and his seemingly rejection of royalty (while at the same time claiming his own royal status) meant that Napoleon would find a problem with the common and popular usage of the lily design. The flag would be replaced with the now well known tricolor. However, the fluer-de-lis would suffer another great blow. Napoleon found the design too royal and elitist for his national symbol. Instead, Napoleon offered the bee as the symbol of the nation. But why the bee? In terms of national symbols this is one of the less weird proposed national symbols of history. For example, in the United States Benjamin Franklin offered the turkey as a potential symbol. So the bee is not that strange. Napoleon chose the bee because of its behavior. Bees are industrious, hard working, and community oriented. The Emperor found these traits to be similar to those of the French people or at least something they should idealize. The bee also had meaning throughout France as a sign of immortality and resurrection, which appealed to Napoleon. As one of the major industries of France was textiles, this change in royal symbol made a large impact. Fabric makers would not produce fabrics and textiles with the newly minted Napoleonic bee making it instantly recognizable across Europe as the symbol of French Empire (which would eventually become a republic again, but that's for another day).

California Freeways, a brief history

     So a second attempt for this blog since the first decided to drive off into the sunset.  So this post is going to be about the history of the California freeway system.  For those in California, you know this well.  For those not in California, you have only seen an interpretations in movies and TV shows.   While researching this subject I came across lists upon lists of the numbers for the highways and freeways in California.  The number was over 250 different numbered highways and freeways across the state.

The California State Highway code defines numerous types of highways and freeways as:

"State highway"

Any highway which is acquired, laid out, constructed, improved or maintained as a State highway pursuant to constitutional or legislative authorization. [SHC Sect 24]. Elsewhere, this is defined as a way or place of whatever nature, publicly maintained and open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. Highway includes street.

"Freeway"

A highway in respect to which the owners of abutting lands have no right or easement of access to or from their abutting lands or in respect to which such owners have only limited or restricted right or easement of access. If, in the judgment of the commission or the director, the public interest would be advanced thereby, a freeway, as defined herein, may be denominated a "controlled access highway". In all other respects, the "controlled access highway" shall be subject to all provisions of this code pertaining to freeways. [SHC Sect. 23.5]

     So that is just the start.  We also have The Freeway System, the Expressway system, the California Scenic Highway System, California Historic Parkway System, Classified Landscape Freeway, Interregional Road System and the Blue Star Highways.

     The freeway systems came about through the creation of the Bureau of Highways in 1895.  The bureau studied highway needs and recommended a 4,500 mile sate highways system.  IN 1897 the California Department of Highways was established until 1907 she the state department of Engineering was cerated.  In 1910, voters approved the State Highways Act of 1909.  This provided $18 million for construction and acquisition of a state highway system.

      In 1912 the first state highway construction began.  This was the beginning of Highway 1, El Camino Real, Pacific Coast Route.  

     By 1923, the first state gas tax was created to fund the expansion of the state highway system.  Initially the tax was set at 2 cents a gallon.  Some of this tax went towards maintenance, repair, widening, resurfacing and reconstruction the highways.  Finally in 1937, the Pacific Coast Highway was completed.

     The Arroyo-Seco Parkway, California’s first freeway, was dedicated on December 30, 1940. This project marked the beginning of the freeway era in the Golden State.  By 1953, California’s gas tax was increased to 6 cents a gallon to fund more highway improvements.


     President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. Under the act, the federal government supplied 90% of funding for interstate highways, with the state paying the remaining 10%.

     California established, in 1961, the Highway Transportation Agency that consisted of the Department of Public Works (which included the Division of Highways), Department of Motor Vehicles, and the California Highway Patrol.

     In 1971, California’s first traffic management center in was established in Los Angeles. The 42-mile surveillance loop included the Santa Monica, San Diego, and Harbor freeways. This was a significant milestone in developing a fully-automated traffic management system and included elements such as underground loop detectors and ramp metering. The passage of the Transportation Development Act extended the state's retail sales tax to include gasoline, and provided for a portion of that revenue to be returned to local governments for transportation. This provided a significant new source of revenue for local transportation facilities, in particular, for transit.

The massive Loma Prieta Earthquake occurred on October 17 1989, raising awareness for the need to strengthen and retrofit state highway bridges.  Again in 1994 the Northridge Earthquake hit in Los Angeles destroying freeways and Caltrans had to reconstruct Interstate 5/State Route 14, the Gavan Canyon Bridge, and the Santa Monica Freeway Interstate 10.

One of the major additions added to California is that of the Amber Alert.  The first Amber Alert notification occurred on August 1 2002, when two teenage girls were abducted near Lancaster.

While the California Freeway systems have had a long history nothing is worse then getting stuck at on one when you are in a hurry to be any where else.  California freeways are the worst, but it's the only way to get anywhere around here.

Dead Sea Scrolls: The Exhibition

This weekend Amanda and I took a day trip up to Los Angeles to visit the California Science Center to see the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. The scrolls are on exhibit here for the next couple of months on loan from the Israel Antiquities Authority. The exhibit consists of a selection of the Dead Sea Scrolls and other artifacts from Israeli archeological sites. This is the first time the nearly two thousand year old Dead Sea Scrolls have visited Los Angeles and the first time in a while that they have been in the United States. The scrolls were found by Bedouins shepherds in 1946 when, according to legend, one threw a stone into a cave off the banks of the Dead Sea and heard pottery shatter. Inside was where they found the scrolls now known as the Dead Sea scrolls. The first discovery lead to a team of archeologist leading a search around the initial cave and neighboring caves. For the next several years archeologists discovered more scrolls that contained some of the most important texts to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. To this day, historians, archeologists, and theologians debate the origin of the scrolls and their authors. However, what is not in dispute is their importance to Abrahamic religions. They provide some of the oldest scripts of what would eventually make up the three largest religions in the world.

The Dead Sea Scrolls (or Dead Sea Jerky)

The exhibit just recently opened and the museum was packed when we arrived. The ticketed event took almost an hour of waiting in line to enter. Once we entered it became clear that the exhibit lacked a sense of direction or narrative. We were lead into a room with three large screens and three large antique containers. The screens showed the Dead Sea and very little understanding of what the visitors were suppose to do. I was expected a introductory video. Finally, the docent came in and began to explain the exhibit and gave some background information about the scrolls. Once he finished he explained how to enter the exhibit. However, upon entering it we were overwhelmed with many artifacts but very little explanation about what they were or what they were for.

After about two rooms of assorted jars, pillars, and small ivory carvings, we finally reached the Dead Sea Scroll room. On a large circular display case, visitors circled around (slowly I might add) to read the translation and minimal explanation of each section. To my surprise, the Dead Sea Scrolls were remarkably small. Made of animal skin, the script on the scrolls were very faded and took close inspection to see. In some you could see the lines the scribe had drawn to align the script. Sections came from different scrolls and represented the variety of text. Some were old Bible texts, one was a marriage contract, and another included a collection of Psalms. The collection on display make up a small percentage of the entire Dead Sea Scrolls and, in my opinion, where not the best selections for viewing. Their small size and bad display made it difficult for visitors to examine the scrolls. Despite this, I really did enjoy the opportunity to see the artifacts that play such a large role in world religion. I recommend this exhibit because it is such a rarity for these artifacts to be in Los Angeles area but also because there is no guarantee that they will be back again. This being said, I was not happy with the display and organization of the exhibit. I hope to visit Israel to see the full collection (hopefully that exhibit includes more information and a better layout) but until then I am content to have seen this rare exhibit opportunity.

New Series! A Historian at the Cinema: Cocaine Cowboys

Aside from traveling and studying, these historians also like to watch films (and tv). It's a great way to relax after a long day at work and school. This new series in our blog will be dedicated to reviewing films and series that have a historical slant. They can be fiction or non-fiction. As historians, it can be hard to watch any programs that deal with our thesis or emphasis. We can and will provide our invaluable expert commentary (clearly we are super fun to watch tv with). With this new series, we will provide our opinion on a variety of shows or films that we watch. We will discuss accuracy but also review them as a source of entertainment. Snarky comment will most definitely be included!

The first film to be reviewed is not a recent release. Cocaine Cowboys, released in 2006, is a documentary by filmmaker Billy Corben about the 1970's and 80's era of South Florida as a capital of drug smuggling and violence. Florida native Corben traces the the drug trade from Colombian cartels to the Floridian distributors that turned South Florida from retirement town to the real life set of Miami Vice. The story is not as simple as just drugs arriving in the United States and violence occurring. As the film demonstrates, the drug trade had been flowing for decades without resulting in the level of violence that would become the Cocaine Cowboy era. The 1980's and early 1990's happened after what most see as a huge economic boom during the 1970's. The cause of the boom? Drug money. While the rest of the nation was experiencing a recession, South Florida was inundated in hard cash and lots of it. The Miami skyline that we see today is a direct result of the inflow of capital and the city's new found attention as a hot spot for the young and wealthy.

A scene from the 1979 Dadeland Mall murders. 

Through a series of interviews with people who had lived through the period, Corben tells the story of wealth, criminal activity, violence, and fear. Reporters, law enforcement, Miami residents, and most interestingly, some of the cocaine cowboys themselves, each tell their story and their role in the cocaine cowboy wars. After the Dadeland Mall massacre, Miami dissolved from a tourist destination into what Time magazine would describe as "Paradise Lost." Corben allows each participant to tell their story as they recalled it. Those surrounded by the violence of the era remembered a time of fear and heightened tensions. Corben also allows the cocaine cowboys he interviewed an equal amount of freedom to express their perspective. This became part of the emotional power of the film. Despite some of the horrendous acts the cocaine cowboys participated in, Corben reserves judgment of the individuals for the audience. However, Corben is not completely detached from his film. There is indeed an argument to be found in this documentary.

Griselda Blanco "La Madrina"
Translated: The Godmother

 He places blame on one individual for the rise in violence in Miami. Medellin native, Griselda Blanco began her career in the drug trade while living in New York in the mid 1970's. When law enforcement began catching up with her activities, she relocated to Miami where her drug empire grew to an unimaginable size. It is often Pablo Escobar who is remembered as the king of cocaine. However, Blanco's empire and income makes Escobar look like an amateur. Corben follows the evolution of Blanco's presence in Miami through her associates. Smugglers, contract killers, and distributors recalled the extreme violence Blanco used to take over the industry. Her influence was felt across the United States and into her native country, Colombia. Tensions between her organization and others fueled the cocaine cowboy wars which made South Florida the most dangerous state to be in during the 1980's.

This documentary is one of my personal favorites because of its frank and blunt approach. The story Corben is telling is already so explosive and dramatic that it does not need sentimentalization. The first hand accounts by the different individuals interviewed take a very little understood topic and return the complicated nuances that are vital to understand what was really occurring during the reign of the cocaine cowboys. Corben also takes the time to look at how the cocaine cowboys changed the life of regular people in Florida. The film highlights that even if people were not fearing the next gun fight outside of their local malls, Florida residents had to change their lives to protect themselves from the escalating violence.

Croben offers a definite answer
to Time's question in this film.

There was very little research or exploration of the cocaine cowboys and the cocaine cowboys wars until this film's release. As a historian, I find this film extremely daring because of its attempt to explore all aspects of the cocaine cowboy wars. By the time the film ends, you will have learned about the economic, industrial, housing, personal, legal, political, and emotional impact the cocaine cowboys had on Florida, the United States, and even South America. There is a lot of information and it is surprisingly well communicated. Corben seems to understand how much is in this film and for the follow up, Cocaine Cowboys 2: Hustlin with the Godmother, focuses exclusively on the shadowy villain that is Griselda Blanco. I will be reviewing this film in the future.

I recommend this film wholeheartedly. Corben is a professional filmmaker and despite the overwhelming amount of information he includes, it is done in a manageable and effective way. When the drug war is talked about today, the scenes of violence we think of are those occurring in Mexico but we are quick to forget when the violence was within the United States. This is not a film for all audiences. There is very graphic violence shown and discussed. One interview that may be difficult for some viewers is an interview with Jorge Ayala, currently serving several life terms in prison, who cheerfully describes murders he committed while in the service of Griselda Blanco. However, despite those reservations, I commend Corben for bringing this story to light and taking on the challenge of a story that is still fresh in the memories of many Floridians but forgotten by the rest of the world.

History Highlight: Lord Stanley and his Cup

    Its the most wonderful time of the year.  It is playoff hockey time and my team is in the playoff's.  Not only is it amazing sport, the best if you ask me, but it has a nice long history.

     So a little history on my favorite British Earl.  Our man was that of Frederick Stanley, the 16th Earl of Derby.  And why you ask would he be so great to create the most amazing trophy in sports.  Well I was getting to that.  So Lord Stanley was a born in London, England in 1841 to Prime Minister Edward Smith-Stanley, the 14th Earl of Derby.  He was educated at Eton and Sandhurst.  After, he received a commission in the Grenadier Guards rising to the rank of Captain.  In 1865, Stanley left the army for politics and became a Conservative Member of Parliament from Preston from 1865 to 1868, North Lancashire from 1868 to 1885 and Blackpool from 1885 to 1886.  He also served as a Civil Lord of the Admiralty in 1868, Financial Secretary to the War Office from 1874 to 1878, Secretary to the Treasury (1878), War Secretary 1878 to 1880 and Colonial Secretary from 1885-1886.  In 1886 he was created Baron Stanley of Preston and served as President of the Board of Trade from 1886 to 1888 until he was appointed Governor General of Canada.

    Stanley was Stanley was appointed the Governor General of Canada and Commander in Chief of Prince Edward Island on 1 May 1888.  During his term as Governor General, he travelled often and widely throughout the country. His visit to western Canada in 1889 gave him a lasting appreciation of the region's great natural beauty as well as permitting him to meet the people of Canada's First Nations and many western ranchers and farmers. During his visit he dedicated Stanley Park, which is named after him. He also experienced the joys of fishing and avidly pursued the sport whenever his busy schedule allowed. As governor general, Derby was the third holder of that office to whom Queen Victoria granted the power of granting pardons to offenders or remitting sentences and fines and the power of mitigating capital or any other sentence.

    But the real reason we are he is to understand why it is we have a Stanley Cup.  While living in Canada, Lord Stanley's sons became avid ice hockey players and played in the amateur leagues that were all over Canada.  Due to their sons involvement, Lord and Lady Derby became huge hockey fans.  

    In 1892, the Stanley Cup was created. He originally donated the trophy as a challenge cup for Canada's best amateur hockey club but in 1909 it became contested by professional teams exclusively. Since 1926, only teams of the National Hockey League have competed for the trophy. This now famous cup bears Derby's name as tribute to his encouragement and love of outdoor life and sport in Canada. In recognition of this, Derby was inducted into the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame in 1945 in the "Honoured Builders" category. The original size of the Stanley Cup was 7 inches (180 mm) and now is around 36 inches (910 mm) and 35 pounds (16 kg).


    There are actually three Stanley Cups: the original bowl of the "Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup", the authenticated "Presentation Cup", and the "Replica Cup" at the Hall of Fame. 

   There are many traditions associated with the Stanley Cup. One of the oldest, started by the 1896 Winnipeg Victorias, dictates that the winning team drink champagne from the top bowl after their victory.  The Cup is also traditionally presented on the ice to the captain of the winning team after the series-winning game; each member of the victorious club carries the trophy around the rink.

One of my favorite thing about the Stanley cup is that each player gets to spend 24 hours with the cup doing what ever they want.  Often players take it to their home towns and share the victory of winning with everyone they know.  Others take it to children's hospitals and let kids enjoy spending the day.  Some eat cereal and others drink expensive wine.  

The cup over the years has travelled, always accompanied by its handlers, across the globe.  Not only do the players get to spend time with Lord Stanley, but it has been to numerous military bases and even into a combat zone in 2007.  Lord Stanley visited Kandahar, Afghanistan in May.  It briefly endured a rocket attack, but came out unscathed.  That was only the first of trips that the Stanley Cup has made to combat zones.  In a way it proves how tough hockey players really are.

So here is to all fans out there enjoying hockey: LETS GO DUCKS!!!!! 

History Highlight: Practical Temperance

When I first entered graduate school I was required to take a seminar on nineteenth century American history. My academic interest has almost always been the twentieth century so I struggled to find a topic within the confines of the nineteenth that still worked with my drug and crime interest. With guidance from my professor I decided to do some newspaper research and do a keyword search for drug and drug use. The results were not what I expected. In the last pages of several newspapers (from a variety of states) I found references to rehabilitation services and centers that claimed to ascribe to "practical temperance".

The Cogswell Temperance Fountain
in Washington D.C. 

Temperance is the idea that to be a good and moral person one must abstain from alcohol. A cause that has historically had religious support, it was present in America since the days of the Puritans. However, in the nineteenth century temperance evolved from an idea into a movement. Progressive reformers of this era were alarmed by increased immigration and the affects they were having on society. They began to reform education, health services, and the justice system. The temperance branch of these reformers were interested in persuading Americans away from alcoholic beverages and towards more wholesome beverages. Their first attempts at this including providing Americans with the temperance fountains (otherwise known as the drinking fountain). The concept of these now common objects was to provide free water to Americans in the hope that it would keep them out of the saloons. They were generally funded by temperance groups and located in urban centers. However, these tactics were proving unpopular and unpersuasive.

Temperance activist would then begin a political oriented campaign to elect temperance activists into public offices and use that platform to enact their policies as law. These efforts included the creation of the Prohibition Party and eventually passing the 18th amendment and the Volstead Act. From many modern perspectives, it would appear that American during this last quarter of the nineteenth century was supportive of these policies and ideas. Historians write about temperance with little regard for their opposition. This is where practical temperance comes into the story.

The Keeley Institute and their cure claimed to use science to develop a safe
and effective method of curing alcoholism and drug abuse. Their facilities
required regular exercise, bathing, abstaining from cigarettes. However,
alcohol use was freely permitted on it premises.  

Practical temperance is the idea that alcohol is a beverage with the potential for harm and benefit, that scientific understanding of alcohol can help with the treating of alcohol abuse, and that alcohol should not be made illegal. The proponents of these ideas where mostly doctors and scientists but there was support from politicians and ordinary Americans. Doctors used the tenants of practical temperance to help patients who suffered from alcohol abuse and established clinics and over the counter cures. I even discovered an international chain of rehabilitation centers, the Keeley Institute,  that provided in clinic services and out patient services. These chains and their employees espoused that alcoholism, and drug addictions, should be treated as physical conditions by trained doctors. In fact, many patients and doctors bemoaned the temperance movement for its adherence to a religious view of alcoholism and the failed attempts by priests and pastors to heal alcoholism with spirituality and prayer. In their point of view, temperance was harming those they wanted to help. By denying the ability of science to help alcoholism sufferers and rejecting the idea of alcohol as having medical benefits in certain cases, temperance activists were condemning people to suffer.

Keeley's Golden Cure was available over the
counter making it accessible to patients across
socio-economic divides. 

Temperance activists were aware of these growing resentment against their policies and waged a propaganda war against the practical temperance men (and women). In a song written by the Women's Christian Temperance Union, the lyrics warn the audience of the alleged ties of these practical temperance men to judges, lawyers, and the alcohol industry, "He’ll vote for a prohibitory statute, then vote for a judge that’s a whiskey galoot and for an attorney that won’t prosecute, this ‘practical’ temperance man". Temperance activists painted their counterparts as corrupt and deceptive. Their aim was not to help the public but to enslave it even further to the affects of alcohol, so they claimed. Why did they find these practical temperance men so dangerous? Mostly because they spoke against the abolition of alcohol. These practical temperance men stood against temperance because of their belief that alcoholism in it of itself is not evil. Rather the abuse of it was was did harm. Furthermore, they believed that alcohol had plenty of beneficial uses that were worth maintaining its legal status.

These practical temperance men have been ignored from history. The time period is now exclusively dominated by the temperance movement. However, they represent a early form of the medical and public health approach to drug policy that would reappear by the mid twentieth century. Their ideas about how to deal with substance abuse are beneficial to historians and criminologists because of the changing ideas of current drug policy we are seeing today. My goal is to bring them back into the historical discourse because of their progressive innovation in a time where reform was repressive.

History Highlight: Practical Fashion

There appears to be a reoccurring fashion theme recently. In this History Highlight I want to explore 1940's fashion. America enters the decade and goes right into war. World War II, which ended in 1945, would have a lasting influence on the United States, socially and politically. However, the war reached Americans in other ways as well.

Long coats were stylish but
less practical for the new
 technologies of World War II.

Practical can be stylish as these pilots
 demonstrate in their newly
fashioned bomber jackets.

A popular look with both men and women today is the bomber jacket. It is usually made of leather, or faux leather or any other material, but it is always waist length. This jacket comes straight from the battlefield. World War II was the first war that depended upon aviation warfare. This changed the structure of the military as funds and men were dedicated to creating a powerful air force. These pilots were issued the same long coats as ground troops. This presented a problem to the pilots who found the foot length coats uncomfortable and impractical while sitting in a plane. With limited space and long flight times, pilots needed a practical solution that still kept them warm. By making the coats waist-length, these "bomber" jacket provided pilots with a practical solution and sparked a new fashion trend that take off by the 1950's.

Friends never let friends walk out with
crocked stocking lines. 

Some fashion changes weren't so much about transforming an item of clothing but more about replicating an item that is no longer available. Nylon became a rationed item during the war and shortages for civilian use was common. Nylon is key to the manufacturing of nylon stockings. Stockings were a fashion must in the early twentieth century and women refused to give up this fashion trend. Therefore, they improvised. Stockings were easily identifiable by the black hem that ran the length of the leg. Women decided to imitate that line by drawing that line in black marker on their own legs. It gave the impression of wearing stockings without having to spend the money or hunt the rare fashion item down. When the war ended, nylon once again became available to the public but it is a fascinating reminder of the resourcefulness of war-time women.

Red for victory!

And it was those same resourceful women that were also joining the workforce, especially the manufacturing industry, in mass. Working conditions changed the way women got ready in the morning. They now wore pants that would let them perform the physically demanding tasks required of them. However women did not abandon feminine fashions all together. Women continued to paint their nails but manual labor was not gentle on nail polish. As they did with their nylon stockings, they improvised and innovated. The popular crescent moon design had been around since the 1920's. It consisted of coloring the nail until the "half moon" near the cuticle. Chipping at the tip of the nail became a regular occurrence. The style had to change to suit the needs of the working and fashion conscious women. To prevent chipping, women began keeping the tip of the nail unpainted but still painting the middle and keeping the "half moon" clear of polish. This shift in popular fashion represents life for women during World War II. They were determined to support soldiers overseas while still retaining a sense of normalcy at home.

For historians, fashion is a window into the daily lives of regular people. The clothing they wore and beauty habits they practiced allow us to understand what they valued and how they viewed their society. Behind every fashion trend or any other trend is a history, which is what makes being a historian so fun!

Phi Alpha Theta Southern California Regional Conference

This last weekend was the Southern California Regional Phi Alpha Theta Conference.  Now I know what you are thinking: that sounds so amazing... I get to hear history students read their different papers.  I know but please hold your excitement back.

A little history on what Phi Alpha Theta is. It is a National History Honors society open to undergraduates and graduate students and even professors of History.  This doesn't mean that an amateur historian without a degree or one that hasn't taken university classes can join.  It is one of the few clubs reserved exclusively for history students.  

Phi Alpha Theta was established on March 17, 1921 at the University of Arkansas by Professor Nels Cleven.  Cleven believed that while at university a collection of scholars, including both men and women, was vital to the study of historical scholarship.  He invited  students to this group starting at the University Historical Society.  This group was officially recognized and the group was granted "fraternity" status and was given the greek letters of Phi Alpha Theta ΦΑΘ.

From the PAT website on the founding:

Nels Andrew N. Cleven established the National Honor Society in History, Phi Alpha Theta, at the University of Arkansas on March 17, 1921.  Nels Andrew Nelson Cleven was born on December 21, 1874 in Lake Mills, Iowa. He began his teaching career in public schools in 1894 before receiving two bachelor’s degrees (PhB and EdB) from the University of Chicago in 1906. Nels Andrew Nelson Cleven earned his PhD from the University of Munich in 1913, and taught at San Diego High School and Junior College until 1918. From 1918 to 1919 he worked as a research assistant for the War Trade Board’s Bureau of Research and Statistics in Washington, D.C.

In September 1919, Dr. Cleven moved to Fayetteville after accepting an assistant professorship from Dr. David Yancey Thomas, Head of the Department of History and Political Science at the University of Arkansas. Dr. Cleven and his wife Hilma soon found Fayetteville and this unique region of the Ozarks to their liking. They frequently chaperoned the social activities of campus fraternities and sororities, organizations for which Dr. Cleven previously had little regard. These gatherings would inspire what he termed “the Phi Alpha Theta idea.”

The possibility of “diffusing information through socialized avenues,” he wrote later, “was due to the kindly cooperation of my students in Arkansas.” He came to regard fraternities as “an essential spirit of the age…searchers all for Truth in History.” Such societies were crucial because “the human side of scholarship needs to be nurtured and thought made articulate.” Despite the national proliferation of social and professional fraternities during this period, he discovered there were no societies in History, a deficiency he was determined to remedy. In his mind, he envisioned a secret fraternity; open to women as well as men, which would embrace the “entire History of Mankind.” By chance, a painting depicting ancient Assyria and featuring a six-pointed Star of Divinity hung on the wall of his classroom. The star became the central symbol for the History fraternity.
On March 14, 1921, Dr. Cleven presided over a meeting in his classroom with a group of History students. Those present voted to create the University Historical Society. Officers were elected and Constitutional, Program and Membership committees were appointed. Even though Dr. Cleven regarded this meeting as the anniversary date for the founding of Phi Alpha Theta, it was not until a month later that the name Phi Alpha Theta was formally adopted.

The mission of Phi Alpha Theta is "a professional society whose mission is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians. We seek to bring students and teachers together for intellectual and social exchanges, which promote and assist historical research and publication by our members in a variety of ways."

Along with myself and Doris, two other graduate students presented along with four undergraduates from our university.  All of our topics were quite diverse from the "Arabs that attended the Chicago's World's Fair of 1893" to the "Practical Temperance Man" and a "History of the Hard Drive 1975-1995".  

History conferences come in all shapes and sizes.  This was hosted at Point Loma Nazarene in San Diego.  I don't know that I could handle the view... I would never get any work done.  Each panel was chaired by professors from different Southern California Schools over seeing four panelists across multiple topics.

Doris and Amanda 

Doris, Zane, Nichol, and Amanda