Lange, Dorothea. Salinas Valley, California. Deputized "vigilantes" armed with clubs guard entrance to lettuce fields during lettuce strike. 1939. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017771680/.
Students will analyze a 1936 photograph of deputized vigilantes that are armed and waiting outside a lettuce field during the Salinas Lettuce Strike. By using the Observe-Infer-Question method, students will examine the use of power, the role of law enforcement, and the development of community tensions during the Salinas Lettuce Strike of 1936.
On September 4, 1936, 3,200 members of the Fruit and Vegetable Workers Union walked out of the Salinas-Watsonville lettuce sheds. Eleven days later, violence erupted, and by September 17, Sheriff Carl Abott commanded all able-bodied male citizens between 18–45 to report to his office and assist him in seizing, arresting, and confining whomever he deemed as “agitators.”
Source: https://salinaspubliclibrary.org/learn-explore/local-history/city-salinas-history
- Pay attention to the small details. What do you notice about the people in this photograph?
- Based on the title and your observations in this photograph, how did authorities and communities respond to organized labor strikes during the 1930s?
- Who is missing from this photograph?
ELA Standard
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
Social Studies Standard
HSS Standard 11.6.5: Trace the advances and retreats of organized labor, from the creation of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations to current issues of a postindustrial, multinational economy, including the United Farm Workers in California.
Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
- Begin by asking students: What do you know about labor strikes or protests?
- Share the brief historical context listed above.
- Ask about any personal connections to an event like this.
- Display photo and the full title, Salinas Valley, California. Deputized “vigilantes” armed with clubs guard entrance to lettuce fields during lettuce strike.
- Ask students: What stands out to you at first glance?
- Option to display an additional photo and repeat the question
- Direct students to analyze the photo using a three-column organizer (similar to this one or have students create their own).
- Break the next section of the lesson into 3–5 minute increments.
- Students work in pairs to list what they notice in the photo in the “Observe” column. Possible questions to ask include:
- What objects, people, or details do you see in the photograph?
- What do you notice about the smaller details within the photo?
- Next, ask students to consider inferences they can make about the context of the photo and then list those ideas in the “Infer” section of their notes. Possible questions to get started include:
- What emotions or messages does this image suggest?
- What might this say about power, fear, or control?
- After students have made both observations and inferences, ask pairs to create a question that they will then ask classmates to probe for deeper evaluation. Sample questions include:
- What questions does this photograph raise?
- Who is missing from the photo?
- What happened before and after?
- Move students to small groups to discuss how their observations, inferences, and questions connect to labor rights, authority, and public reaction to strikes. Students should cite specific visual evidence.
- Students work in pairs to list what they notice in the photo in the “Observe” column. Possible questions to ask include:
- Finally, consider a whole-class debrief using the essential questions listed above as a guide.
- Exit Ticket: Write 3–5 sentences explaining how this photo helps you understand the challenges labor organizers faced in 1936 Salinas.
Lange, Dorothea. Salinas lettuce fields. California. 1936. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2017763122/.