Research on Coca-Cola

The Newspaper Archive

1. "Worst Enemy to the Human Family" (Daily Herald from Biloxi, Mississippi on December 18, 1902)

2. "Dr. Kebler...Declares it Has Posion" (State Newspaper from South Carolina, Columbia on March 16, 1911)

3. "Pepsi-Cola Files Suit Against Coca-Cola" (Dallas Morning News from Dallas, Texas on August 9, 1938)

4. "Coca-Cola Says Stop Selling Imitations" (Jonesboro Evening Sun from Jonesboro, Arkansas on June 4, 1909)

5. "Coca-Cola, a Drug Drink" (Jeffersonian from Georgia, Atlanta on August 12, 1909)

6. "New 6-Bottle Carton" (Greensboro Record from Greensboro, North Carolina on April 6, 1933)

The first thing that I did was scroll through the many topics on the archived newspapers page. The first thing that caught my eye was "Coca-Cola." Coca-Cola has always been my preferred soft drink choice, so I wanted to find out more about the "birth" of the popular beverage. After clicking on the topic name I read through the articles found in newspaper that are listed above. After examining all of those newspapers, I have realized that the "invention" of Coca-Cola was a clear example of progressivism.

I found that many people argued that Coca-Cola was extremely bad for you, so much so, that by drinking it you were basically doing drugs. I was fascinated by the fact that people came up with crazy theories to try to stop others from consuming the beverage. I learned that by examining these newspapers I have been able to understand more than if I would have just read in a textbook about the topic. When I was reading these newspaper articles I felt like I was in that time period. I was able to find out how Coca-Cola started, who founded it, and specific details about the company as a whole.

Progressives may have thought that Coca-Cola was a good invention because it brought more money to the economy and it created a "need" for other soft drink companies. But, on the other hand, Coca-Cola created a lot of health problems that would "ruin" the society as a whole. Progressives thought that by drinking Coca-Cola, people would be shorter, not as smart, and not as kind with others. So, for progressives, the invention of Coca-Cola came along with a lot of problems as well as benefits.

I like researching from these kinds of archives. I feel like I really understand the material more and can relate it to other topics in history. For me, learning out of a textbook is hard so this was a nice way for me to connect progressivism to one of my favorite drinks, Coca-Cola. I now can talk about the various problems with Coca-Cola as a company and as a soft drink. I loved finding out about all the types of advertisements that the company used to attract buyers attention. Also, since I did a research project earlier in the year on marketing and advertising, this helped me connect that topic to this specific company. I like how I was able to establish that connection early on in the research and see the "various trends" as I continued researching. Overall, this whole "research project" was very interesting because I can "relate" to the topic.

Early Coca-Cola advertisements/signs

Modern advertisement to celebrate 100 years of Coca-Cola

The Famous Coca-Cola Logo

My Notes on Coca Cola-
The late 1880s was when America really started to love and obsess over carbonated beverages. The Liquid Carbon Company was founded by Jacob Baur in 1888. Jacob was a pharmacist who started selling carbon dioxide in tanks. In 1886, John Pemberton founded a company that sold the Coca-Cola syrup as a remedy for headaches at various pharmacies. In 1889 the company was sold to Asa Candles and they established The Coca-Cola Company in 1892. The first carton of Coca-Cola was introduced to the public in 1923. America was "hooked" on this drink from the moment they took a sip of it. On December 18, 1902, there was a section in the Daily Herald Newspaper called, "Worst Enemy to the Human Family." In this short article, the author talks about how the Georgia Legislature passed a law that "requires dealers in Coca-Cola to pay a license of one thousand (should have been ten thousand) dollars for the privilege of selling the mind destroyer." In other words, Coca-Cola to some people was considered the baddest thing that could have been "invented." People argued that the effects of drinking Coca-Cola was "more lasting and damaging than whisky." This popular soft drink stunted physical growth and damaged brain cells. In another newspaper in South Carolina there was an article titled, "Dr. Kebler...Declares it Has Posion." In this brief passage, Dr, Kebler suggests that Coca-Cola contains poison. Now what does he mean by poison? He means caffeine. He tested 8 ounces of Coca-Cola and found that one and one fourths of the glass was caffeine. To him, "caffeine is a poison." He concluded that the caramel syrup and brown sugar are added to the beverage to hide all the "toxic" stuff that is found in the plain Coca-Cola syrup. An article in the Dallas Morning News in Dallas, Texas claims that Pepsi Cola filed a law suit with Coca-Cola. This article was titled, "Pepsi-Cola Files Suit Against Coca-Cola." In this passage, the author was claiming that Pepsi sued Coca-Cola for using the names "coca" and "cola" exclusively. Pepsi thought that those names/words were public property and that anyone could use them. The official law suit claims that Coca-Cola was trying to monopolize the market of soft drinks by destroying Pepsi-Cola. In the Jonesboro Evening Sun in Arkansas, Jonesboro there is a article titled, "Coca-Cola Says Stop Selling Imitations." This passage talks about how companies in cities were using the name, "Coca-Cola," to attract more business from the public. But, the truth was they were not selling Coca-Cola, they were just luring the public in and selling them products that were not Coca-Cola.

3rd Quarter Reflection

So far, this quarter in US History, I have learned many new skills. I am getting better at multiple choice questions, finding primary sources and using them properly, and being able to analyze the research that I find online. I really liked when we analyzed the political cartoon because we were able to use our own and the authors perspective to describe what we thought the cartoon "meant." My favorite thing we did this quarter was watch the High Line documentary. I was so astonished by how innovated people are! I really would like to visit the High Line sometime. I also really like how we learn about the broad ideas first and then go into specific details about each topic. For example, we talked about innovation and progressivism and then got into specific details about the progressive era. Doing this helps me better understand what we are learning. Next quarter, I would like to be able to really understand all of the material from the reading ahead of time. Usually I read the section and answer the homework questions but I never truly understand what I am reading until the night before the test. This is a weakness of mine that I would like to change.

High Line

Thinking about Progress

Question 1-

Progress, according to Merriam Webster, is defined as "movement forward or toward a place." The website also defines it as "the process of improving or developing something over a period of time." To me, progress has to do with making changes to move forward and develop further.

Question 2-

The Progressive Era, according to George Washington University, is from 1890-1920. This era is known as the Progressive Era because of all of the economic and social problems that were going on and how people were handling them.

Question 3-

Issues, actions, and achievements associated with the Progressive Era include the "purification" of the government, giving women the right to vote, more focus on family, more focus on education, and prohibition. (Boundless)

Question 4-

Majority of the progressives seem to want to make the society as a whole more modernized and more advanced. They did not really focus on specific details.

Question 5-

1. Essential goals worth striving for (giving the women the right to vote and the "purification of the government)

2. Good goals (focus on family and education and prohibition)

3. Strange goal

4. Not a good idea

Predictions About The Future

Work with a partner to do Research and write about what you learn on your blog, with links and pictures.  The topic is both “academic” and “popular culture” – so a variety of sites will be useful and appropriate for you: 

1. What predictions about the future were people making 100 years ago? 50 years ago?  (Find 3-4 articles or discussions to look over.)
2. Determine if the list is a “wish list” – as in, these are the things one might hope for in the future, or more a warning.
3. Which predictions seem to have come true? Which turned out to be bizarre, off-track, or still out of reach?
4. Can you identify any trends or patterns in these predictions? What concerns or achievements do they seem focused on? For example, do people in general seem to be anticipating a better world?
5. It is your turn to predict a future world. What do you see? 

BBC News Article (Ten 100-year Predictions that Came True)

TIME (7 of the Craziest Predictions for the Future)

Wired Website (Here's How People 100 Years Ago Thought We'd Be Living Today)

Open Culture Website (Sci-Fi Writer Robert Heinlein Imagines the Year 2000 in 1949, and Gets it Mostly Wrong)

1. We found an article titled, "Ten 100-year Predictions that Came True" on the BBC news page. It has a list of ten predictions from 100 years ago that came true. Some of the topics in this article include the use of mobile phones, digital color photos, the use of the television, the invention of pre-made meals, and the rising height of people in the United States. Another article is from TIME, it is called "7 of the Craziest Predictions for the Future, From the Past." In this article people were predicting that tomatoes would become square shaped, televisions would become holographic, and that kids of the television age would not be able to read. One other interesting article is on the Wired website, it is called "Here's How People 100 Years Ago Thought We'd Be Living Today." In this article, people thought there would be flying taxis and people would travel to the moon regularly. The last article we found was on the Open Culture Website called "Sci-Fi Writer Robert Heinlein Imagines the Year 2000 in 1949, and Gets it Mostly Wrong." In this article people were making predictions from 50 years ago (not 100 like the others). People thought that life would have been discovered on Mars, physics would be used to control gravity, and that fish and yeast would become our main source of protein. 

2. I think that these lists are glorified wish lists. People wrote them as what they would have liked to have. Some of them are a little crazy but most of the predictions have become true today. I do not think people made these predictions as warnings.

3. Predictions that have become true include, the use of mobile phones, the use of the television, digital color photos, and that fruit has become larger. Some of the predictions are a little off though. Flying taxis and using physics to control gravity has not become true yet. We still do not have the technology for that. Also, square shaped tomatoes was a weird prediction that has not come true yet.

4. Majority of these predictions have to do with technology or food. I think that people wished that they had this technology to make communication easier. Most of the food predictions are reasonable so they have become true. Overall, I think that people are anticipating a better world.

5. I think in the future world flying cars and cars that can drive themselves will become the "norm." I also think that there will be another war. Traveling prices will also raise and there will not be a need for in person communication. Everyone will be able to do everything with technology. Lastly, I think that receipts will all become on your cell phone to not use as much paper. 

6. We have all control over the future. We determine what technology is available based on how much research we do. Majority of everything that is invented is by humans. Humans have all control over the future. If they chose to slack and not do any research then we are not going to have cooler technology. The government, non profit organizations, and corporations are all made of people. Therefore, humans are in control. In conclusion, the more research we do, the more advanced our society will become. 

How do you analyze a political cartoon?

1. Make a Blog Post

2. After reading a guide for analyzing political cartoons, I learned that a cartoons central message can be either very deep or it can be extremely superficial. There are about six main steps in this guide. I did not realize that it would take so long just to analyze one political cartoon. But, I now know that you first start by just looking at the picture, then looking at the words, and then looking at all the "unusual" stuff in the picture. After completing these steps and some other specific steps, you are then able to depict the central message of the cartoon.

3. After reading a political cartoon analysis guide on WikiHow, I have decided to use that as the basis from now on for deciphering various cartoons. This guide has many steps but they a clear and concise. I think this will be the best guide for me to use because I can clearly follow the steps.

4. Find Three Cartoons

5. Find the Cartoon on Accurate and Reliable Sources

6.

This Cartoon is about the Philippine Conflict

In this cartoon, a big boot is stepping on the Philippines. The big boot is the emphasis of the picture and everything else is smaller. Therefore the big boot clearly wants to "take over" the Philippines because it is standing over the region. The big boot is a symbol of America. So, this political cartoon shows how America wants to take control over the Philippines.

This Cartoon is about the Philippine Conflict

In this cartoon, an older gentleman is holding a little kid by their neck and holding them next to a cliff. On the cliff there is a sign that says "To Spain." Therefore, this man wants to show how he wants the kid to go to Spain. 

This Cartoon is about Cuba

In this cartoon, Uncle Sam is standing on the United States reaching to Cuba. He wants to "grab" Cuba and be in control of it. Therefore, this political cartoon represents the United States wanting to be in charge of Cuba.

The Legend of Eddie Aikau and Other Documentary Description

Eddie Aikau Documentary:

1. The filmmakers called this film The Legend of Eddie Aikau because he is considered a hero. He saved the Hawaiian culture from getting overrun by the Americans and the Australians. He also risked his life for other people because he did not want to have the burden of "ruining" the Hokulelu tradition.

2.
   a) Topic: Eddie Aikau
   b) Focus: The Hawaiian identity and surfing career of Eddie Aikau.
   c) Angle: Eddie Aikau is the embodiment of the Hawaiian identity because of his dedication to the Hawaiian culture and his compassion for helping others.

3. The film's content was shaped around surfing because it was made as part of ESPN's programming. The filmmakers might have had the assumption that the audience of the film would expect to see more action in the film rather than historical facts.

4. If this film had been made by PBS or the History channel it would have been more focused on the other traditions of the Hawaiian culture. It would also have had less "actions shots" of the various surfing scenes. Additionally the film would have had more historical evidence to show the importance of water to the Hawaiians.

Surfing Big Waves

Another Documentary:

a) Topic: Josiah Strong's Views on Christian Culture
b) Focus: The spread of Christian culture and the various arguments put forth by Josiah Strong.
c) Angle: Josiah Strong is considered the embodiment of the Christian culture because of his need to spread Christian beliefs throughout the face of Earth and for his great arguments shown in his book called, Our Country: Its Possible Future and Its Present Crisis (1885).
In this documentary I would talk about how Josiah Strong wanted to spread Christian beliefs throughout the world and create unity through this idea. I would focus on his book written in 1885 and use that as a basis to talk about Josiah Strong as a person in general. Additionally, I would use great photos and interesting music to further portray how I thought Josiah was influential in the world. Lastly, I would talk about how many people disagreed with Josiah to create a conflict to keep my audience's attention and then use historical evidence to back up the both sides.

Josiah Strong

Phrenology

I was the observer in our group. All of the members in my group opened up google and typed in "phrenology." Then they found the definition and looked at some pictures. One person in our group did a more specific search, they typed in "edu: phrenologists." I learned that in research searching you should use your prior knowledge and use multiple combined search terms. This will provide more specific and detailed information about what you are looking for. Provenance is where something comes from. It can be its origin or the last owners of the object. Once you know the provenance you can find out more about the object's authenticity.

This was the Fowler Phrenology Bust that we analyzed and researched about.