The overlord of the savage world: Anthropology, the media, and the American Indian experience at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition

Abstract

The 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis featured an anthropology exhibit consisting of living American Indians in order to display both stages in "civilization" and the benefits of federal Indian boarding school education for Indian children. Although fair organizers considered these the goals of the exhibit, the American Indians created their own experience at the fair. While the living conditions and the treatment of the native people were often deplorable, the American Indians found in many instances adventure and economic gain through selling their crafts to tourists. Analyzing the local and national media coverage of the exhibit provides an understanding of the racial and cultural ideologies disseminated throughout the country. This thesis combines a reconstruction of the American Indian experience with an analysis of the media coverage in order to understand more clearly the daily life and importance of the exhibit for all involved.