Dr. Cannon Goes to Washington: Utah statues in National Statuary Hall

English Language Arts

• Reading Informational Text Standard 2: Determine the main idea of a text
• Reading Informational Text Standard 3: Explain events in a historical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
• Reading Informational Text Standard 7: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
• Writing Standard 1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

Social Studies

• Use historical thinking/reasoning/writing
• Learn the concept of historical significance
• Connect course content and current issues

Secondary Media Arts

Students will conceptualize, generate, develop, and organize artistic ideas and work. They will complete and refine media art works

Secondary Visual Arts

Students will generate artistic work by conceptualizing, organizing, and completing their artistic ideas.

Students will be able to read and understand informational text and primary source material.

Students will craft an argument in favor of or against the topic being discussed.

Students will use historical reasoning to place historical events in context.

Statuary – noun, a group or collection of statues

Illustrious – adjective, well known, respected, or admired for past achievements

Commemoration – noun, a ceremony or celebration in which a person or event is remembered

Amendment – noun, an alteration of or addition to a motion, bill, constitution, etc.

Legislature – noun, a governing body that makes laws and can also appeal or amend them

Memorial – noun, something, especially a structure, established to remind people of a person or event

Memorializing – verb, to preserve the memory of, commemorate

Iconography – noun,  the use of images and symbols to represent ideas, or the particular images and symbols used in this way by a political or religious group

Suffrage – noun, the right to vote in a political election

Activating and Building Background Knowledge

The National Statuary Hall Collection 

Begin with the PPT “National Statuary Hall Collection” Ask students if they have ever seen the U.S. Capitol before, either in person or in a picture?  Have students read the informational text “National Statuary Hall”.  Afterwards, show them the PPT slides of Statuary Hall through the decades.

Continue PPT “Current demographics of National Statuary Hall Collection”

Of the 100 statues currently on display in the National Statuary Hall Collection, 9 of them are women. Several states, including Utah, will be replacing current statues of men from their states with statues of women. Of the 100 statues, 7 of them are native American or native Hawaiian and 2 are of Hispanic descent.  Notably, Florida will be replacing a statue of a Confederate general with educator/activist Mary McLeod Bethune, which will be the first statue of an African American in the National Statuary Hall Collection.

Utah’s contribution to the National Statuary Hall Collection 

Continue PPT “Utah’s contributions to National Statuary Hall Collection”

Have students read excerpts from the Louis Collins article in the Deseret News, “Utah considers placing female statue in nation’s Capitol amid national conversation on monuments and values”.  Have students respond to the questions: 

• How do statues send a message about what values are important to a community?
• In what ways do the statues from the state of Utah in the National Statuary Hall Collection represent the people of Utah? In what ways do they misrepresent the people of Utah? Whose stories are not represented at all?

Analyzing Primary Source Documents

(Resources for analyzing primary source documents can be found here.)

Have students read the 2018 House Legislative Bill on the creation of the Martha Hughes Cannon statue committee.

Have the students fill in the Primary Source Analysis graphic organizer accordingly. Teachers may need to model how to complete the organizer if students do not have experience analyzing primary source documents. If needed, students can complete this in small groups, or as an entire class.

Tie this activity in to the following discussion: 

Why is this event happening in THIS particular time and place? What events or anniversaries may have influenced the replacement of Mr. Farnsworth with Dr. Cannon?

Then have students choose between the following two primary sources to compare and contrast with the first one about Martha Hughes Cannon: the 1945 legislative bill to create a Brigham Young statue committee, or the 1987 legislative bill to create a Philo T. Farnsworth statue committee. Have students analyze the primary sources, placing them in historical context.

Have students complete the Compare/contrast graphic organizer individually or in small groups.

What do all three historical people share in common?  How are they different?

The purpose of this assignment is to engage students in historical thinking and writing, to have them understand primary source documents within their historical context. The depth of critical thinking is more important than the breadth of historical knowledge.

Activating and Building Background Knowledge

Have students fill out the K section of the KWL form: What do you know about Martha Hughes Cannon?

Have students share their answers in small groups or with the class.

Have students fill out the W section of the KWL form: What do you want to learn about Martha Hughes Cannon?

Understanding Informational Text

In small groups, as a class, or individually, have students use the following resources to learn more about Martha Hughes Cannon:

• Interactive content in Utah Journey about Martha Hughes Cannon
• MHC informational text (from Champions of Change)
• MHC Trading Card (from Utah Women Making History deck)
• You Tube Video about MHC from Better Days 2020
• MHC bio at www.utahwomenshistory.org

Have students complete the L section of the KWL form: What have you learned about Martha Hughes Cannon? Encourage students to be curious about historical context as well as wanting to know more details/facts about her life.

Tie this learning activity into the following discussion:

In the previous lesson, some students may have argued against having a statue of Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon sent to the National Statuary Hall Collection.  Does learning about her contributions to our state change your decision?

Part 1

Craft an evidence-based argument 

Have students craft a written argument either in favor of or opposed to the installation of a statue of Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon in the National Statuary Hall Collection. Students are expected to use evidence-based conclusions in their writing/speaking.

Part 2

Persuasive art/writing 

Have students choose one of the following activities, or both if time allows

• Create an invitation to a mock-unveiling ceremony celebrating the installation of the Dr. Cannon statue in the U.S. Capitol. Students may create a paper invitation using paper, pencils, markers, or use a digital platform like Google slides to create the invitation.  Have students include at least one important contribution of Dr. Cannon on the invitation. Have them also consider who would be invited to the ceremony and why.
• Write a two minute (150-200 word) speech for a mock-unveiling ceremony for the statue of Dr. Cannon, to be held in the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C.  

Gallery Walk/Public Speaking 

Have students display their invitations in a Gallery Walk.  

Have students, who feel comfortable doing so, share their speeches in small groups or with the entire class.

• All written components of this lesson can be adapted to verbal/oral components based on the needs of students.
• Shorter text and excerpts are intended for grades 7-8.  Students in grades 10-12 can use full articles and bios referenced in Materials Needed.
• Collaboration between ELA, History, and Art teachers is encouraged for executing these lessons.

• Justin Morrill, the creator of National Statuary Hall, also authored the 1862 Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act, aimed to end polygamy in the territory of Utah, a practice in which Dr. Martha Hughes Cannon participated. For more information on the relationship between the Utah territorial government and the federal government on laws related to polygamy as well as women’s suffrage, please see other Better Days lesson plans here and here.
• Reva Beck Bosone was the first female to represent Utah in Congress, and was serving in that capacity when the statue of Brigham Young was placed in National Statuary Hall. Have students learn about her contributions to the state and nation here. Students may also read the following articles from the Better Days 2020 website about Utah women running for elected office:
  • Utah Women Elected in 1896
  • Utah Women in County Office 1896-1920
  • Utah Women Running For Office: Reva Beck Bosone and Ivy Baker Priest
  • Ada Quinn, Business Woman and Gubernatorial Candidate
• Looking forward to a future time when the statue of Brigham Young may be replaced in the National Statuary Hall Collection, have students choose an important person from Utah history. Have them conduct research on the person, and then craft a proposed bill to replace the statue of Brigham Young with the historical figure they choose. 
• Have students learn about what other states are currently in the process of replacing their statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection. Wikipedia has compiled a good list as a starting point, listed under National Statuary Hall Collection. News articles, like these from NPR and Washington Post, also provide historical context for students.Have students respond to the following prompts: 
  • Why are states replacing statues at THIS particular time? 
  • What messages do these new statues send to the public?

Online resources for learning more about National Statuary Hall

• Virtual Capitol Tour (www.visitthecapitol.gov) 9:50 timestamp shows National Statuary Hall and discusses issues debated in Old Hall of the U.S. House of Representatives throughout the 1800’s. 15:25 timestamp talks about expansion of capitol and establishment of National Statuary Hall
• Digital database of statues in the National Statuary Hall Collection, courtesy of www.aoc.gov. The office of the Architect of the Capitol oversees all the Capitol Grounds and Buildings. They have a web page specifically about the National Statuary Hall Collection, where students can learn about all 100 statues and where they are located on the Capitol campus.  Additional pictures, virtual tours, and informational articles about the Capitol can also be found on their website
• The office of the Architect of the Capitol “Rules for Replacement of Statues” PDF
• Capitol Center Visitor’s Guide PDF
• Capitol Building and Grounds PDF courtesy of www.govinfo.gov.  This PDF is very detailed and lengthy, but includes images of the layout of each floor in the Capitol Building.

Other Books and Literary Sources about U. S. Capitol

• “The United States Capitol” by Holly Karapetkova (p 16-17 discuss National Statuary Hall, with pictures of the Brigham Young Statue.)
• “The U.S. Capitol: Introducing Primary Sources” by Kathryn Clay, part of the Smithsonian Little Explorers series
• National Geographic vol 125, no. 1, January 1964 (includes a fold out illustration of the interior of the Capitol).

Books about Martha Hughes Cannon and Utah women

• “Thinking Women: a Timeline of Suffrage in Utah” by Katherine Kitterman and Rebekah Clark
• “Her Quiet Revolution: a Novel of Martha Hughes Cannon” by Marianne Monson