Assessing Immigration through Public Art: George Washington-Robert Morris-Haym Salomon Monument

Art can engage students in unique ways as critical thinkers, and public art, through its accessibility, can engages students in a conversation about our identity by creating a durable historical memory open to multiple interpretations. Chicago has a wealth of public art and sculpture that teachers and students can use to discuss and debate important issues in the history of the city and the nation. For example, the George Washington-Robert Morris-Haym Salomon Monument on the banks of the Chicago River (unveiled on December 15, 1941) provides a great opportunity to encourage students to think about immigration and national inclusion. While almost all school children have heard about Washington, and some high school students know that Morris was banker to the Patriot’s cause. Few will have heard of Salomon, an indispensible financier dedicated to American victory. Initially, the memorial was built to illustrate how people of all races, nationalities, and creeds participated in America’s development represented by Salomon, a Polish Jew. This seven-day lesson plan helps students analyze the role of public art in creating ethnic identity in Chicago by focusing on the example of Salomon. Students also look beyond the experience of Salomon to study the experience of one of the many immigrant groups in Chicago. Students study the push-and-pull factors of immigration, the conflicts that arose, and the social, cultural, economic, and political contributions made by immigrant groups. Finally, using the monument to Washington, Morris, and Salomon for inspiration, students will create a work of public art dedicated to a specific immigrant group that addresses the historical immigrant experience of that group.