Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on Mark Monmonier's "From Squaw Tit To Whorehouse Meadow" - Changes To America's Cultural Landscape. Have the paper e-mailed to you 24/7/365.
Essay / Research Paper Abstract
3 pages in length. Early Americans have a legacy of being indelicate about using descriptive language when discussing the attributes of other cultures. More accurately, history shows quite a vulgar streak of adjectives that, regrettably, have held fast in the American lexicon. So why should it be so surprising to learn those saddled with the chore of mapping the entire United States would resort to the same lascivious bawdy, tasteless tactics for naming everything from cities to mountain ranges to gulches? While labeling places with toponyms derived from body parts and racial slurs may not have been considered scatological during the map-making process, Monmonier notes how the transformation that ultimately followed this time - when cultural awareness and sensitivity began to take hold - set in motion a tremendous undercurrent of furor to abolish such disparaging monikers. No additional sources cited.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: LM1_TLCmonmonier.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
quite a vulgar streak of adjectives that, regrettably, have held fast in the American lexicon. So why should it be so surprising to learn those saddled with the chore
of mapping the entire United States would resort to the same lascivious bawdy, tasteless tactics for naming everything from cities to mountain ranges to gulches? While labeling places with
toponyms derived from body parts and racial slurs may not have been considered scatological during the map-making process, Monmonier notes how the transformation that ultimately followed this time - when
cultural awareness and sensitivity began to take hold - set in motion a tremendous undercurrent of furor to abolish such disparaging monikers. Whats clear is that disputes over renaming
are as much about control as they are about decency, prudery, aesthetics, or compassion. The same questions arise as when groups or individuals object to racially or ethnically offensive
names: who shall name geographic features, and how much clout should local residents have in selecting, defending, or expunging geographic names? Bawdy toponyms survive largely because whats out of
place in the Philadelphia suburbs fits in fine in the rugged Rockies, and because the federal board prefers to resist impulsive change and respect local tradition (Monmonier 71).
The place-naming process outlined in Monmoniers book illustrates the transitional reality of ethnic recognition in American culture as it became more intensely inscribed into
the national landscape over time. It has long been said the United States is a vast melting pot of various races, religions and heritage that make it one of
the most culturally diverse populations in the entire world. This blending has been credited with bringing societies closer together and allowing people to understand and accept other lifestyles than
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