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MITx: Visualizing Imperialism & the Philippines, 1898-1913

Remarkable political cartoons and photography at the turn of the 20th century reveal debates over US entry into global imperialism through the conquest and occupation of the Philippines. Join historians on a journey through this rich content drawn from MIT Visualizing Cultures.

Visualizing Imperialism & the Philippines, 1898-1913
19 weeks
1–4 hours per week
Self-paced
Progress at your own speed
This course is archived

About this course

Skip About this course

In this course we use visual records as a way of understanding history at the turn of the 20th century. Learners will learn how to navigate visual primary sources and use them to investigate:

  • the historical debates that emerged in political cartoons;
  • issues of race and prejudice in both cartooning and photography;
  • photography as a tool of power in conquest and colonization;
  • the often forgotten Philippine-American war;
  • ethnographic photography;
  • how the theme of civilization and barbarism appeared to justify imperial wars;
  • early use of cross-cultural photography in mass media.

The roundtable discussion format of the course will set up a discursive and exploratory style of learning. Learners will be exposed to multiple points of view as the teaching team brings together scholars who have studied the topics from different disciplines. Learners will also learn how to work with visual evidence as primary sources to assemble arguments.

For teachers, the course presents a number of units developed for the MIT Visualizing Cultures (VC) project. The instructors are the authors who created the VC resource, and the course provides a pathway into the VC website content. The VC website is widely taught in both secondary and college courses, and is the primary resource for this course. Educators can selectively pick modules that target needs in their classrooms; the course can be used in a “flipped” classroom where students are assigned modules as homework.

At a glance

  • Institution: MITx
  • Subject: History
  • Level: Intermediate
  • Prerequisites:

    None

  • Language: English
  • Video Transcript: English
  • Associated skills:Flipped Classroom Model

What you'll learn

Skip What you'll learn

This course invites learners into the process of exploring history through content that looks back at a complex millennial time. Learners will acquire background and skills that will help with:

  • the study of history and how it uses visual sources
  • how political and cultural debates that occurred then shed light on similar issues today
  • how to work with visual images
  • how to engage challenging, at times disturbing, historical sources
  • the study of databases and visual communication.

Module I—Introduction

  • This module introduces the MIT Visualizing Cultures project and approach to history through the visual record, the source for the content and methodology.
  • Overview of course content, methods of visual analysis, and background on Philippine and US history.
  • Instructional team introduce their approaches to visual history, and present critical questions of race, power, and intercultural exchange that will frame discussion throughout the course.
  • The evolution of digital education.

Module II—Civilization & Barbarism: Cartooning and Global Imperialism

  • Based on the Visualizing Cultures unit, “Civilization and Barbarism: Cartoon Commentary & the ‘White Man’s Burden’ (1898-1902)”.
  • This unit explores pro- and anti-imperialist imagery in the United States and international cartooning on the subject of “civilization” and colonialism at the turn of the century.
  • How did Americans learn about U.S. colonialism in the Philippines?
  • How did Filipinos and US-based critics of empire challenge and question American policies?
  • How can visual evidence from the past serve as the basis for new digital forms of history?

Module III—Photography and Power I: the Philippine-American War

Module IV—Photography & Power II: How Photography Colonized the Philippines

Module V—Conclusion: Images of Power/the Power of Images
A roundtable discussion on the relationship between visual images and US expansion, as well as the contemporary implications of teaching and disseminating images in a digital environment.

Who can take this course?

Unfortunately, learners residing in one or more of the following countries or regions will not be able to register for this course: Iran, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine. While edX has sought licenses from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to offer our courses to learners in these countries and regions, the licenses we have received are not broad enough to allow us to offer this course in all locations. edX truly regrets that U.S. sanctions prevent us from offering all of our courses to everyone, no matter where they live.

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