Although February is the second month of the year, it seems to be chock full of firsts in history. This Week in History, we’ll dive into the difficult advancements of Native Americans into the realm of United States politics and quickly explore the unceasing expansion of McDonald’s across the globe and a chart-topping hit that would spark an invasion. Let’s get into it!
There is an uneven bar to entry when it comes to mainstream U.S. politics; to reach the the top, it seems you need an ‘in’ — which could be a connection to the political world, evident in the rise of college-educated politicians such as the Senator Robert Byrd, who served over 51 years in the legislature. Another ‘in’ could come in the form of wealth; take Donald Trump — one of three billionaire politicians in U.S. politics — for example. How, then, can anyone hope to enter politics when neither of these factors are in their favor?
In 1860s Topeka, Kansas, then still a territory, a young Charles Curtis was born to Ellen Pappan, of Kaw, Potawatomi, Osage and French origin, and Orren Curtis, of English, Scottish and Welsh ancestry. At this time, Kansas was a sparsely populated territory, with the young Curtis adding to the tally of 107,206 inhabitants, of which 90.6% were rural. To any observant historian, his upbringing certainly didn’t show any ‘in’ to U.S. politics — then mostly dominated by wealthy urban Americans.
As a descendant of several Native American tribes, Curtis grew up closely associated with the Kaw, with whom he had familial connections. However, Curtis found himself in a desperate situation as the shrinking of the Indian Territories pressured Cheyenne warriors into a raid on Kaw territory. While no lives were lost in the ensuing chaos, Curtis journeyed 60 miles to Topeka in the hopes of sending help to his tribe. While not affecting the battle’s outcome, Curtis’ effort won over the hearts of his tribe.
Curtis’ connection to Topeka did not end once the battle concluded; the young Kaw hero attended high school in the city and eventually signed on as a lawyer at a law firm to prepare for the bar exam. Using the tales of his childhood — specifically the story of his journey during the Cheyenne raid — to muster public support, Curtis became a county attorney, then a member of the House of Representatives.
Ultimately, this week in history, on Jan. 29, 1907, Charles Curtis was elected as a Senator of Kansas. This would make him the first Senator of Native American ancestry in U.S. history. While out of the scope of this column, a little over a decade later, Curtis would become the 31st Vice President of the United States under Herbert Hoover.
Curtis never really supported the Native American communities he came from in a political sense, although he did support the Equal Rights Amendment — which popped up in every congress until 1972 and now has a long-debated legal dilemma surrounding its passing. Nevertheless, through the Curtis Act of 1898 — bearing Curtis’ own name as a sponsor — tribal community lands were broken up, and millions of acres of native homelands were reallocated. While the ‘in’ that got Curtis into politics may have been his tribal community, sadly, it appears that he didn’t reciprocate that support.
Curtis’ career was ultimately flawed, yet still successful — and the same can be said for the next event occurring this week in history, a fast-food-sponsored invasion. Now, many have heard about Pepsi technically owning a navy, but one often overlooked moment that took place on Jan. 31, 1988, was McDonald’s opening its doors to Soviet citizens in Moscow.
To understand the momentous nature of this event, it’s best to convey the scale of this McDonald’s restaurant. Unlike the many McDonald’s locations in the U.S., which appear as small burger joints, maybe capable of fitting 40-50, Pushkinskaya Square in central Moscow would house the largest McDonald’s in the world — at that time. It sat almost 1,000 diners and served upwards of 30,000 visitors on its first day of operations.
These statistics are staggering, and while I would use the word ‘invasion’ lightly, this event truly feels on a scale of invasion, the ever-increasing advance of capitalist phenomena into the Eastern Bloc, ultimately leading to the end of the Soviet Union.
Since the first location’s release, McDonald’s has had a shaky — though increasing — influence in Russia, as due to conflicts in Ukraine, McDonald’s has pulled out of the country, and restaurants are now being operated by “Vkusno & Tochka,” meaning “tasty and that’s it,” a Russian owned brand. The existence of McDonald’s in Russia is an ever-evolving history, but this week it saw its beginnings.
And on the topic of quasi-invasions, this week also marks the release of the Beatles’ single, “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” in 1963. The song, a catchy, rhythmic pop-rock tune, infatuated the U.S. population, unknowingly succumbing to a new type of invasion, one led by the British beat music of Liverpool.
The single was released in December 1963, but on Feb. 1, 1964, the song topped the Billboard charts, giving the Beatles a number-one record in the U.S. The wave of fandom and popularity would only increase, as after several months at number one, the Beatles’ success was only knocked off the charts by yet another release by the band, “She Loves You.”
So, with politicians, fast food and music, this week in history comes to a close. Maybe this is a good week to eat a Big Mac while listening to the Beatles and studying the failures of the U.S. government — see you next week!