|
|
|
|
|
As
technology has improved, the president should be able
to reach more people with his message. In 1790, the population
of the United States was about 3,900,000. If we estimate
that George Washington spoke to 100,000 citizens on his
lengthy tours, what percentage of Americans did he reach?
Review what you have read in this lesson and make a list
of how many people heard or saw the speeches of Calvin
Coolidge, Franklin Roosevelt, and Harry Truman. Locate
the date on which each one gave his speech and research
the population of the United States on or around that
date, then calculate the percentage of Americans that
heard each of those three speeches. Hint: since 1790,
the federal government has counted the population of the
United States every 10 years by taking a census. You can
find the population at the beginning of each decade by
using most almanacs, either published in a book or on
the Internet. You can also use the Internet and search
the site of the United States Bureau of the Census: www.census.gov.
At this
point, you should have compiled the following information
for George Washington, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin Roosevelt,
and Harry Truman: date of speech, number of citizens
who heard the president, population of the United States,
and percentage of population that heard the president.
Using this information, create a bar graph that would
illustrate this information. Consider adding to it as
you do more research. When Abraham Lincoln delivered
his famous Gettysburg Address, how many people were
in the audience? It is estimated that 98% of American
households own a television today. When the president
gives his state of the union message every January,
for example, how many Americans could watch it?
Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy participate in
a televised debate, 1960.- Library of Congress
Timeline — What’s Next?
Using
the information presented in your reading, do additional
research to create a timeline from George Washington’s
day until the present . . . and beyond. Note the dates,
presidents in office, and the inventions or the communication
technology available. Remember that new transportation
methods help speed communication, too. Be creative.
Think about how satellites and the Internet might soon
be used to make communicating with the president even
easier. If you were to invent a new communication tool
for the year 2020, what would it be? Draw it and add
it to your timeline.
|
>
This page has been sized for printing
|
| |
|
|
