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The document discusses the contributions of Samuel George Morton to anthropology through his extensive skull collection and research on human diversity. It also addresses the tragic MOVE bombing incident, highlighting racial issues and the controversial handling of victims' remains by the University of Pennsylvania. The text reflects on the implications of industrialization on local economies and cultures.

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kevin zhang
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3 views3 pages

Assignment 1

The document discusses the contributions of Samuel George Morton to anthropology through his extensive skull collection and research on human diversity. It also addresses the tragic MOVE bombing incident, highlighting racial issues and the controversial handling of victims' remains by the University of Pennsylvania. The text reflects on the implications of industrialization on local economies and cultures.

Uploaded by

kevin zhang
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Xinchaoran.

Zhang

9/21/2021

Anthropology

Morton cranial collection

One of the things I admire most about Samuel George Morton is that he has not stopped

studying humans since he was 17 years old. His lifelong learning has made significant

contributions to the study of anthropology today. It started in 1830 with an anatomy lecture

entitled "The Different Forms of skulls Displayed in the Five Races of Man." When he

discovered that the five skulls could not explain all races, he embarked on an unprecedented

project -- collecting skulls. This experience became the catalyst for his lifelong desire to

collect heads worldwide to provide examples of as many geographical regions and different

cultural groups as possible. Morton's correspondence—now housed in the American

Philosophical Society as the Morton Papers—indicates that his worldwide connections

included as many as 138 contacts. The contributors come from various fields, bringing skulls

from different cultures and backgrounds to the Morton for human research. The great thing is

that Dr. Morton has made complete annotations for each of them, including but not limited to

its condition on Earth, the geology of the site, and what they think of the tribe to which it

belongs. Perhaps in the eyes of ordinary people, these skulls represent death and fear.

However, there is no denying that these skulls are essential to every race in the world.

1985 MOVE Bombing


First of all, I am sad for the people who died in the bombing. Racial issues are not

uncommon in the United States. There is still prejudice against people of color in some

places, not just in the past. In this case, MOVE members may have broken the law, as the

police say. I agree with their investigation. However, they did it in a way that amounted to

slaughter. Maybe I do not know enough about The United States at that time, but heavy

weapons like bombs to capture criminals in the cities struck me. The MOVE organization's

response was also wrong. Instead of being investigated by the police, they chose to fight the

police, which is another admission that they broke the law.

Operation Bootstrap

Throughout the history of human development, the transition from an agricultural to an

industrial economy seemed inevitable. The industrial economy improves the efficiency of

human development. Machinery eliminated inefficient labor, raising local unemployment but

also steadily improving the local economy. In the transformation process, local people have

been transferred from low-income to high-income groups, significantly improving the local

economic environment. Most importantly, it boosted the local economy and brought the local

culture into the United States.

The MOVE Remains

The University of Pennsylvania collected the remains of the victims after the bombing and

placed them in a museum for research without the families' permission. Perhaps a professor

of anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania thought the skeletons were of research


interest. But that would be extremely disrespectful to those who survived the bombing.

Because these skeletons are family members of the survivors. It would be many years

before the University of Pennsylvania returned the remains to the survivors of the bombing.

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