The Real Story of Pocahontas

We have learned that Pocahontas, a famous Native American, was born in 1595 in the region of Virginia. It is interesting to note that her original name was Matoaka. Her father was a powerful chief of several tribes of the area named Powhatan. Besides, her father was also the highest authority the British colonists faced when they arrived there in 1607.

We have learned about the legendary story of the first meeting of Pocahontas and John Smith. In 1607, Smith was kidnapped and tortured by some Native Americans. During a ritual ceremony led by Chief Powhatan in which he was about to kill Smith, Pocahontas came to save him, she was about 12 years old at the time. Thanks to this event, Pocahontas and Smith became friends. Powhatan even adopted Smith as his son. However, tensions appeared between the Indians and the British settlers. There were conflicts in the different trading. Smith’s life was once more in danger, therefore he had to go back to England in 1609. Pocahontas did not have the real information as some settlers told her Smith was dead.

Firstly, Pocahontas may have married an Indian man called Kocoum. However, in 1613, Pocahontas was kidnapped by the British settlers. During her captivity, she met a tobacco planter named John Rolfe. On top of that, Pocahontas decided to change her name to be called Rebecca (meaning “Mother of two peoples”) and to marry John Rolfe pacify the relationship between the two communities. They married in April 1614, then, they had a son in 1615 called Thomas, born in Virginia.

In 1616, Pocahontas went to England for the first time and met King James I and the Royal family. She was considered as a Princess and an Ambassador from the New Land, Virginia. Unfortunately, during her stay in England she got deathly sick and died in 1617 at 22 years old.

 Homework: Learn the lesson.

Native American Timeline:

-40,000 to 11,000 years ago: The First Native Americans immigrated to the North of America.

-8,000 years ago: They started to cultivate vegetables and plants.

-In 300: They created the bow and the arrow to hunt.

-In 1492: Christopher Columbus traveled from Spain and discovered the Americas.

-In the 1600’: Exploration and settlements by the Mississippi River of French settlers. Besides, it was the beginning of conflicts between the two groups.

-1607: Jamestown was founded by the first British colony in Virginia. Captain John Smith was captured and saved by the Chief’s Daughter.

-1700 to 1800: For a 100 years Europeans colonists killed the NA through wars and sicknesses they brought with them. On top of that, governments took away NA’s rights and lands.

-in 1709: NA were sold as slaves in NYC.

-in 1848: Because of the Gold Rush a huge slaughter of NA happened in California.

-In 1870: Bison were nearly extinct: crisis for the Native Americans.

-In 1871: The Indian Appropriation Act by the government to take sway over the NA’s lands.

In 1872: The number of NA decreased from 300,000 to 30,000 in California.

-In 1924: NA got the right to vote in the USA. Then in 1962 they had full voting rights in all the states.

-From 1930s to 1990s: NA won the right to govern themselves in large section of lands.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

(At the follwing of what we did last time)

Text C

This text is an extract from a speech made/pronounced by Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper in December 2014. This speech is an apology to the Native American descendants for the Sand Creek massacre that happened in 1864. We have learned that the Cheyenne and the Arapahoe Indians were slaughtered at Sand Creek, Colorado. Therefore, the Colorado Governor acknowledged the facts and made amends to the inhabitant of Colorado whose ancestors had been persecuted by the American government.  

The speech was pronounced in 2014, 150 years after the tragic event. Therefore, it is a way to commemorate the victims of this massacre. 

To conclude, in the three documents we saw that many people from the American government apologized for the misdeeds done in the past to the Native Americans. To shed light on what really happened the Native Americans organize a National Day of Mourning on Thanksgiving Day to commemorate their ancestors and to raise awareness about the real story of Thanksgiving. Their commemoration is a sad one contrary to Thanksgiving as they pay tribute to the dead. 

Homework: Learn the lesson.

For Friday, November 29th: Native American Timeline : read the text given in class and complete the timeline with facts and figures from the text.

 (At the following of what we did last time)

Text C

This text is an extract from a speech pronounced / made by Colorado Governer John Hickenlooper in December 2014. In his speech, he apologized to the Native Americans for what happened during the Sand Creek massacre.

In fact, in 1864 the Cheyenne and the Arapahoe Indians in Colorado were slaughtered and persecuted by the American government.

The speech was made in 2014, meaning 150 years after the massacre. Therefore, the speech demonstrates how long the US took to assume their great responsibility in the genocide of the Native American community. Hence, it is a way to commemorate the dead in front of the descendants.

To conclude, nowadays the Native Americans observe a National Mourning Day on Thanksgiving because their ancestors were persecuted and mistreated for a long time. Now, they feel free to acknowledge their freedom, their rights and shed light on the real story.  Besides, it is also a way to show that they are still united despite what they ancestors went through.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

For Friday, November 29th: Native American Timeline : read the text given in class and complete the timeline with facts and figures from the text.

Political Icons

The document under study is an extract from SpeakeasyNews, published on October 22^nd , 2024.

We have learned that there are main symbols for both political parties in the USA. The symbol of the donkey associated to the Democratic Party appeared during the 1828 presidential campaign of Andrew Jackson. It was first used to mock his populist ideas. In fact, his opponents used to call him a “jackass” also because of his stubbornness. Nevertheless, he decided to use this insult as a way to promote his determination to be elected. Eventually, the Democrats decided to use this symbol to show that they could not be manipulated by anyone.

The symbol of the elephant connected to the Republican Party appeared during the Civil War in the 1860s. At the time, an elephant was drawn in a newspaper to illustrate the victory of the Union. On top of that, for soldiers the elephant is a symbol of strength and victory in wars.

Thomas Nast was the political cartoonist who made those symbols popular: it was thanks to him that the elephant was linked to the Republican Party and the Donkey to the Democratic one, in 1874 he made a drawing to represent both of the parties through these symbols.

To conclude, these symbols still matter today because they are connected to the American history and illustrate the ideologies of both political parties.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Unit 3: The Rapid Spread of Fake News

To what extent can we belive the news we get?

Theme 2: Representations

Topic 2: Breaking the news and Getting Informed

How to Spot Fake News

The document under study is a video about how to spot fake news. We have learned that a piece of news is suspicious when it had not been reported anywhere else (on the radio; or the TV or in the newspaper…). Moreover, when a post has too many shares, likes and comments it can also be a hoax. Besides, to check if a website is credible/trustworthy/reliable, the Url must finish with “.com”, “.co”, “.fr”, “.uk” or .”us”.

In this video, one example was used to illustrate the notion of fake news: Trump was accused of saying bad things on the Republican Party. Actually, it was fake news. However, it was widely spread, it went viral.

The strategies to spot fake news are first, trust our feelings, if we feel the content is weird or dodgy, it might be misinformation. The web address should be checked, the source and the organization as well. It is important to double check to see if the news was reported on other media. Finally, we should not hesitate to zoom in and analyze a suspicious picture that might be modified or Photoshopped.

To conclude, the goal of this video is to warn us about dangers of misinformation. On top of that, it is also a way to teach us how to spot fake news in our daily lives.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 Political Icons

The document under study is an article from Speakeasy News published in October 22^nd, 2024. We have learned that in 1828, during Andrew Jackson’s presidential campaign, his opponents used to call him a “Jackass” (=donkey). It was to highlight the fact that he was a stubborn and determined person. On top of that, he strongly supported the population. As a result, through this symbol, the Democrats were seen as being determined as well.

In the 1860’s, during the Civil War, the symbol of the elephant was connected to the Republican Party because an elephant was drawn in a newspaper to celebrate and illustrate the victory of the Union at the time. Moreover, the elephant used to symbolize victory and strength in wars for the soldiers.

Thomas Nast was the political cartoonist who made the elephant and the donkey popular. In fact, in the 1870s he draw a cartoon with them to represent the two political parties and their ideologies. That was how they started to be used by each political party.

To conclude, these symbols still matter today because they remind us the impact of one of the most important wars of the history of the USA. Besides, these symbols are very important nowadays because they represent the identity and the ideologies of each party.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Celebrity Endorsments

The document under study is a video published in September 2024, it was released just after the debate between the two candidates. It is about celebrities who supported the candidates during the 2024 presidential elections.

We have learned that Harris had the biggest celebrity endorsements yet: the most popular one was Taylor Swift, indeed, she thought Harris was very gifted and she saw her as a warrior. Moreover, she is against the vision of JD Vance about women’s rights. George Clooney supported Harris because of her approach on human’s rights and her justice reform. Dwayne The Rock Johnson who liked her leadership and her people first stand. Furthermore, Leonardo DiCaprio endorsed her because he liked her climate change initiative. Ariana Grande also supported her because Harris was concerned about mental health issues and social rights.

There were also strong supporters (Heavy hitters) such as the Obamas, Oprah, Charli XCX and John Legend.

On the other hand, Kid Rock had always been a strong Trumpist. There was also Ted Nudge who liked his vision of gun rights and individual rights. On top of that, Kanye West endorsed Trump because he liked the way he challenged the status quo. John Voit liked his conservative values and Hulk Hogan saw Trump as a hero.

Other celebrities not mentioned in this video had endorsed the candidates at the time: For Harris there were Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Eminem… For trump, there were Logan Paul, Elon Musk, Adin Ross…

To conclude, celebrity endorsements can bring new voters to support a party. Besides, it can help to convince undecided voters. Finally, it can reinforce the existing loyalty to a party.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Be ready for the Final Task: Friday November 29th.

 Making Amends

Text A

This text is a speech by Kevin  Gover, a representative of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and who is himself Native American, member of the Pawnee nation of Oklahoma. It is an extract from “An Apology for the Treatment of Indians”, in 2000, in which Mr. Gover expresses his sorrow for the treatment that occurred to the Native Americans in the past. In fact, he recognized all the misdeeds done by the American government to the Native American tribes in the past. The Bureau of Indian Affairs was created to defend the Native Americans’ rights in America and to denounce the consequences Native Americans had to undergo.

They took so long before apologizing/making amends to the Native Americans because they wanted to hide the truth, eventually they could not anymore because of the new generation of Native Americans who are now fighting for the truth to be heard. On top of that, as Thanksgiving has been an engraved tradition therefore they could not admit that it had a dark side.

Text B

This is an official document extracted from the Defense Appropriation Act of 2010. In this document President Obama wants to say sorry about what happened in the past to the Native Americans. In fact, he recognizes the violence, the mistreatment and the neglect committed against the Natives. Obama expresses regrets about what happened. He wants to build better relationships with the Natives to pacify them and reconcile the two groups.

It took a long time for the American government to apologize because they may have been ashamed of their unfair acts at the time. On top of that, we can say that Obama easily made amends to the Native Americans because he himself is part of a minority, which group, was also victims of discrimination. He understood clearly their situation then.

Vocabulary:

To make amends

To apologize

To ask for forgiveness

To make peace

To pacify the relationships

To cancel conflicts

To reconcile

To say sorry

Sorry

(We will continue the study of the thrif text on Tuesday. Be ready!)

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Celebrity endorsments

The document under study is a video published in September 2024. It is about celebrities who supported the candidates for the 2024 presidential elections. We have learned that Harris had the biggest celebrity endorsement yet: Taylor Swift supported Harris through her Instagram by calling her gifted and a warrior. On top of that, she is also against JD Vance position about women’s rights. George Clooney also endorsed Harris because he liked her approach for human’s rights and justice reform. In addition, she also had DiCaprio’s support because of their common thoughts about climate change. Ariana Grande also appreciated her commitment for mental health issues. Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson endorsed Harris because of her leadership skills and her people first approach. Harris also had very strong supporters/heavy hitters such as the Obamas, John Legend and Oprah and Charli XCX who even called her a “brat” to show how she is bold and not ashamed of her opinions, furthermore, it was also the name of her new album which was very famous in the summer.

On the other hand, Trump had support from Kid Rock, a long-term supporter. Kanye West also endorsed Trump because he appreciated the way Trump challenged the status quo. Moreover, Hulk Hogan gave his support to Trump because he believes that Trump is hero. John Voit and Ted Nudge also supported Trump for his conservative values and his will to reinforce gun rights.

Celebrities who have a huge fan base can influence their fans to vote for the same party.

Recently, Elon Musk and Buzz Aldrin supported Trump. Billie Eillish, Robert Downey Jr., JLo and Bad Bunny; many people from the pop culture endorsed Harris.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Be ready for the Final Task: Friday November 29th.

 (At the follwing of what we did last time)

The second document under study is an extract from a book entitled “America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations”, published in 1994. We have learned that the Pilgrims transformed Thanksgiving as a religious holiday to thank God for their lives, for their abundant harvest and for having protected them against the Native Americans whom/who they considered as savages. In fact, we can see that The Pilgrims and the Natives had a very bad relationship, indeed, they hated each other. Eventually, for the Pilgrims, Thanksgiving is a religious feast not to thank the Native Americans but to thank God. In addition, collecting an abundant crop was the way for them to prove that they received God’s providence. This event happened the third year after the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth Rock.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 (At the follwing of what we did last time)

The second document is an extract from “America’s God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations”, published in 1994. We have here the point of view of the Pilgrims as we can read the signature at the end of the text with the mention of the “colony”.

We have learned that Thanksgiving was transformed into a religious holiday by the Pilgrims. In fact, they are invited to pray on that day to thank their Lord of the Lords for being “civilized”, to have flourishing lands and abundant crops. They were called to gather together with their families. They also thanked God for having protected them from the Native Americans whom they saw as savages. On top of that, the fact that this order was given by a governor reflects the intention to create a united national holiday that promotes the Pilgrims values at the time.

On the other hand, to qualify the Native Americans as savages, Thanksgiving loses its meaning of being a symbol of friendship between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 Trump Assassination Attempt

The document under study is an extract of an article from Le Monde written by Corine Lesnes published on July 14, 2024. It deals with the attempt assassination of Donald Trump that happened the day before on July 13 during a rally in  Pennsylvania. Trump was shot in the ear. Lots of videos of this incident went viral online. Trump survived however, one of his supporters who was behind him received the fatal bullet.

After this event, Trump took this event as an opportunity to gain more popularity  and some of his supporters saw a sign of divine intervention in his protection for him to become the next president.

Through this article, we understand that Trump uses this event to promote his campaign by depicting himself as a hero, a martyr. Moreover, he would also be seen as someone that was chosen by God to accomplish great things for America according to his supporters.

To conclude, this event was beneficial for his campaign it might have helped some people who were hesitating to make a decision to see him as a person who will never stop fighting.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Reconsidering Myth (Part 2)

The first document under study is an extract from an article entitled “Native American Harvest Feasts Before Thanksgiving”,  published in 2018. We have learned that Native Americans had been celebrating their own Thanksgiving thousands years ago before the arrival of the European colonists. They were thankful for their lives, the abundant crops that nature gave them, they were organizing their ceremonies after the first full moon of September.

Eventually, the Pilgrims did not invent the concept of Thanksgiving, they were inspired by the one of the Native Americans.

(We will continue the study of the document next time. Be ready!)

Reconsidering the Myth (Part 1)

The document under study is a video about the evolution of how people have celebrated Thanksgiving, published by History Channel in November 2012. We have learned that the first Thanksgiving was in 1621 when the Pilgrims invited the Native Americans to share a meal together to celebrate their first abundant harvest. At that time, they killed 5 deer and ate their meat called venison, raw cranberries. It is interesting to note that at the time, they did not have turkey, mashed potatoes or even pumpkin pie. We heard that this event was not repeated every year. However, on November 26^th, 1789 President George Washington organized the first official Thanksgiving. Nevertheless, it was not repeated every year as well. Then, in the 19^th century, Sarah Josepha Hale protested for 30 years for Thanksgiving to become a national holiday. In fact, she was inspired by reading Pilgrims’ diaries. Her goal was to recreate and nurture this tradition. Moreover, she created recipes to reinforce the tradition. It was only in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving official to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November. However, President Franklin D. Roosevelt fixed it on the fourth Thursday of November in the 1940s.

One last funny tradition was put in place by President George H.W. Bush organized an official pardon ceremony for a turkey in 1989 which would not be eaten but sent into a farm for the rest of its life. This tradition was pursued by every president after him in the White House.

To conclude, the goal of this video is to maintain the myth of the festival, to teach people about the story of thanksgiving and to show the misconceptions people had about this festival.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 (At the following of what we did last time)

We can hear one Native American man, who is in charge of the organization of the remembrance/the commemoration of what he calls a “thankstaking”.

Contrary to what everybody thinks, the first Thanksgiving did not happen in 1621 but in 1637. In fact, it was organized by Governor Winthrop to give thanks to the colonist soldiers who participated in the slaughter of the Native American tribe called the Peqout in Mystic, Connecticut. On top of that, they also stole their lands on that same occasion.

The goal of the organization of the National Day of Mourning on Thanksgiving Day is to grieve the genocide of their ancestors as a form of protest. They gather in the streets to celebrate their lost culture through traditional dances and songs as a form of remembrance. It is a peaceful protest to raise awareness about/to shed light on the real story of this holiday.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 (At the follwoing of what we did last time)

We can hear one Native American man, who is in charge of the organization of the remembrance/the commemoration of what he calls a “thankstaking”.

Indeed, even if everybody thinks that the first Thanksgiving was in 1621, we have learned that it actually was in 1637 when  Governor Winthrop wanted to give thanks to the soldiers who killed Peqout Tribe at Mystic, Connecticut. On top of that, the settlers eventually stole their lands. Moreover, the historic propaganda and lies have created a referential illusion for most Americans who do not even know this sad reality unfortunately. One of the big struggles of this movement is to break the myth about this holiday.

Therefore, on the National Day of Mourning, observed on the same day as Thanksgiving as a form of protest, the goal is to denounce the genocide of the Native Americans’ ancestors and the stealing of their lands, besides it is to shed light on the truth on what really happened back then. On top of that, they also celebrate their lost culture. It is also an opportunity to exalt their feelings due to the great decline of their cultural world. On that day, to highlight the richness of their culture they do traditional dances and singing, they walk pass statues and monuments that pay tribute to their ancestors.

Homework: Learn the lesson. 

Presidential Ad Campaigns

The Electoral College Explained

The document under study is a video from CBS News published entitled “The Electoral College Explained”, published in October 2024.

We have learned that the candidate who wins the popular vote does not necessarily win the election.

The Electoral College was created in the 18^th, the goal was to balance the votes between small towns in the countryside and the big cities. At first, some people wanted a direct vote, that the president should be chosen by the people directly, on the other hand others wanted the Congress to vote. In the Electoral College, there are a number of Representatives based on the number of inhabitant of state, plus 2 Senators. There 538 Electoral Votes. To be elected, a candidate should win the majority of the votes, meaning 270 votes.

The most populous state is California with 54 Electoral votes, one of the least ones is Wyoming with 3 Electoral Votes.

The “winner-take-all” rule means that the candidate that wins the most Electoral votes wins all the Electoral Votes for the State.

5 times in US history, a candidate won the White House but lost the popular vote.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

 Unit 2: No Thanks, No Giving

Axes: Territory and Memory – Diversity and Inclusion

A National Day of Mourning

The document under study is a video which is about the reason why Native American observe a National Day of Mourning every Thanksgiving. The source of this video is the media Huffingpost, published in 2017. We can hear one Native American man, who is in charge of the remembrance/the commemoration of what he calls a “thankstaking”.

We will continue the study of the video next week.

The Electoral College Explained

The document under study is a video from CBS News entitled “The Electoral College Explained”, published in October 2024. We have learned that in America the candidate who wins the most votes is not the one who will win the election.

The Electoral College was created at the end of the 18^th century. At first, some people wanted a direct vote from the population and others wanted Congress to choose. However, the Electoral College was created to avoid big cities to have more influence in the election than smaller cities. For every state, there is a specific number of Representatives, plus 2 Senators: a number that represents the amount of population within a State.

In the Electoral College, there are 538 votes and, a candidate should reach the majority to win at 270 votes. The most populous State is California with 54 Electoral Votes. One of the least ones is Wyoming with only 3 Electoral Votes.

The Winner-take-all rule : during the vote of the Representatives and the Senators of the Electoral College, the candidate that has the majority of votes will win all of the Electoral Votes.

5 Times in US History a candidate won the White House (Electoral Votes) but lost the popular vote.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

The American Presidential Elections Explained

The document under study is a video from The Telegraph (a British media) explaining the American Presidential Elections process in 2016. We have learned that there are four different stages in this process: the first one is the Primaries that take place from January to June in the same year before the election. It is when people from the two parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, choose their candidates. Then, there are the Conventions, it is when the two parties officially announced their candidates, at the same time, the candidates introduce their running mates. Then, Election Day happens: it is always on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. Every American citizen votes on that day: it is called the popular vote. The Electoral College will vote as well to elect the winner: in a state when people vote for a candidate, the candidate who has the more votes will make the entire electoral votes go for that candidate; it is called the “winner-take-all” system.

A swing state is a state where people do not vote every time for the same party. Therefore, for the candidates these states are battleground states.

A caucus state is a state in which people vote publicly by raising their hands to choose a candidate. This process takes place during the Primaries.

Finally, Inauguration Day takes place in January in front of the White House. It is when the president elect officially take office.  

Homework: Learn the lesson.

The American Presidential Elections Explained

The document under study is a video about the process of the American presidential elections. It is from The Telegraph, a British newspaper, published on Youtube in 2016.

We have learned that there are several stages in this process; the first one is the Primaries: they are elections to select the candidate for each party. Then, Conventions are organized in each political party to officially launch their campaigns. Then, American citizens vote usually on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November, it is called the popular vote. The Electoral College will then vote as well to elect the winner. It works with the “winner-take-all” system, meaning in one state when a party has the majority of the votes they win the entire electoral votes. The final stage is Inauguration Day, when the president officially take office in January of the following year of the election.

During the Primaries there are the Caucus states in which the elections are organized in public, people vote by raising their hands.

A swing state is state that has no party allegiance, therefore it is a battleground for candidates.

 Homework: Learn the lesson.

 US Election: Kamala Harris

The document under study is an article from the US Government Website, published on July 24^th 2024.  It deals with the begin of Kamala Harris’ campaign after Biden’s withdrawal.

We have learned that Harris was born in California in 1964. Her parents were immigrants from Jamaica (her father) and India (her mother). She grew up with her mother and her little sister, in fact her parents divorced when she was young. Moreover, they were civil rights activists. Nowadays, she is a stepmother and is married to a lawyer.

The Democratic supporters had doubts about Biden’s physical and mental abilities, they thought he could not continue his role as the President. That was highlighted during his debate with Trump in which he had a bad performance. On his withdrawal, Harris immediately started her campaign on July 21th 2024. She was officially nominated during the Democratic Convention on August 19^th-22^nd.

She is facing numerous challenges: the fact that she is a woman and a person of color. On top of that, she only had 4 months to campaign that was a very short time. She is also less experienced than Biden. Besides, she is seen as being extreme left, further left than Biden.

To conclude, she would have to choose as a running mate an old white man more experienced than her and someone who would be from a battleground state. Eventually, she chose Tim Walz, Governor from Minnesota.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Trump Assassination Attempt reinforcing cult of Personality.

The document under study is an article from Le Monde, published in July 14^th 2024. It deals with Trump assassination attempt and its consequences.

On Saturday July 13^th in Pennsylvania during a rally, Trump was shot in the ear by a gunman who wanted to kill him. Unfortunately, someone else was killed: one supporter of Trump who was right behind him and received the fatal bullet.

The consequences of this event are that Trump gained more popularity. Moreover, he immediately used this event to promote his image as being the only one to save America. He depicts himself as a heroic figure. Besides, his supporters thought he was divinely protected, in fact according to them, God wants him to be the next president.

In this article, Trump is depicted as being invincible, a miracle survivor and a martyr, someone who is ready to suffer and die to defend his cause.

To conclude, this event was beneficial for his campaign because it strengthened his heroic image and added another layer to his communication strategy.

Homework: Learn the lesson.

Be ready for a Written Production Evaluation on the American Presidential Elections on Tuesday, November 12th.

 Celebrities Endorsing the Candidates

The document under study is a video about celebrity endorsements in the 2024 American presidential elections. The video was published in September 2024.

We have learned that Harris has the biggest endorsement from celebrities: Taylor Swift supports her because Harris fights for the right of the citizens. Ariana Grande also supports Harris because she appreciates what Harris will do about healthcare, mental health and social justice. Leonardo DiCaprio also endorses Harris because she defends climate change. George Clooney likes her approach for human rights and justice reform. Dwayne Johnson supports Harris because he appreciates her leadership and her people first approach. On top of that, she also has very strong supporters such the Obamas, John Legend, Charli XcX and Oprah.

On the other hand, Trump supporters are Kanye West because he likes his challenging of the status quo. John Voit supports him because he likes the conservative values of the party. Hulk Hogan believes Trump is a hero who will save America.

Recently, several celebrities have endorsed Harris, such as Beyonce, Cardi B, Jennifer Lopez, Eminem… For Trump, Elon Musk became a strong supporter.

The aim for celebrities to endorse a candidate could be to reach young voters. Besides, it can also help people make their decision. Finally, it can simply reinforce people’s loyalty to the party.

Trump Assassination Attempt reinforcing cult of Personality.

The document under study is an article from Le Monde, published in July 14^th 2024. It deals with Trump assassination attempt and its consequences.

On Saturday July 13^th in Pennsylvania during a rally, Trump was shot in the ear by a gunman who wanted to kill him. Unfortunately, someone else was killed, who supporter of Trump who was right behind him and received the fatal bullet.

 (We will continue the study of this document tomorrow)

Homework: Learn the lessons.