Related Essays
American history is an exercise in country branding and national identity construction. Through a careful editorializing and curating of historical documents, events, and places, historians contribute to the shaping of American identity, ideology, and culture. Revisiting the process of history making shows how historians and history educators can encourage critical thought, shifting away from the use of historiography as propaganda toward a discursive process. Historians can define and interpret evidence in different ways based on their own historical and cultural context, and the influences of prevailing social norms.
American history… Continue Reading...
.....grand overarching themes connecting American history with the history of the world is the theme of population migration. The American narrative is frequently framed as a narrative of continual migration. American migration patterns have continually shifted, from the prehistoric migrations of people via the Siberian land bridge and early Viking migrations to North America through the more familiar American narrative of the first pilgrims arriving from England. Both McKeown (2004) and Tyrell (2007b) points out, educators need to be careful to avoid repeating the Eurocentric or even purely Anglocentric narrative of migration. Migration is… Continue Reading...
Shoshone woman who had been remembered for her immense contribution to the American history. Born in 1788, Sacagawea accompanied Clark and Lewis' Corps to assist in the discovery of many parts of Northern America from the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky mountain. Sacagawea skills as a translator were invaluable for the expeditions in passing through the difficult terrain. Her contribution to the United States made Sacagawea become the monument in the American history. Sacagawea was the native American Shoshone tribe and grew up at the surrounding of the Rocky mountain near the Salmon River region now referred as Idaho.
The objective of… Continue Reading...
American history is full of anti-immigrant legislation. The Chinese Exclusion Act promoted xenophobic, racist attitudes towards Asians in the 19th century and was passed to lay "the groundwork for other racially motivated laws that followed."[footnoteRef:12] WWI and WW2 served to whip up anti-German sentiment in America (as well as more anti-Asian sentiment). Today's "war on terrorism" is really just an extension of these narratives -- and Kennedy's "nation of immigrants" ideation was more of a political talking/rallying point than a reflection of reality. Indeed, the idea of Manifest Destination was… Continue Reading...
American History after 1865: Labor Unions
As technology and the Industrial Revolution advanced following the end of the Civil War, more and more factories opened and more and more workers of all ages were being hired to fill the demanding schedules that factory owners required. Various industries—such as the meat packing industry of the 1900s (memorialized by Upton Sinclair in The Jungle)—were notorious for unsafe working environments. There were no child labor laws in effect nor any wage laws. Workers were often expected to put in long workdays, which led… Continue Reading...
also an increasing urge to question the Manifest Destiny narrative of American history, which suggests that America has always been the greatest nation on earth and had the unquestioned right to expand over its vast range of territory. I would define the community to which I am addressing as Americans who have an open mind to questioning the nation’s history and the way it has been interpreted in art. I also see the community as increasingly diverse and willing to acknowledge the right of historically underrepresented and unrecognized groups such as Native Americans to reclaim their rights over our nation’s history.… Continue Reading...
aims, merits, and accomplishments in detail in order to show why this article can be recommended to anyone interested in American history.
The article focuses on documenting the number of lynchings suffered by Mexicans in America during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It provides a history of research on mob violence against Mexicans, details about particular cases, historical context, statistics on lynchings (most took place in Texas, followed closely by California), theories surrounding mob violence, the racial aspect of the lynchings, and how Mexicans asserted themselves to protect themselves against the threat of mob violence and lynching. The main thesis of the article is that the history of mob… Continue Reading...
surely one of the most closely guarded secrets of American history that the Iroquois Confederacy had a major role in helping such people as Benjamin Franklin, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson as they attempted to confederate a new government under democratic principles" (Mander 30).
The strength of this evidence lies in its specificity. It denotes the specific members of the founding fathers who were influenced by the Iroquois in regards to the development of democratic notions during the period in which the Constitution was formed. There are additional points of this evidence which indicate that the influence of the… Continue Reading...
The presidents that served between 1789 and 1840 helped shape the nation during its formative years. During this critical period in American history, statesmen laid the foundations for political culture, philosophy, and institutions. Although all the presidents during this fifty-year period had some influence on the early republic, several left a more outstanding mark and legacy. As a Founding Father and author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson undoubtedly deserves recognition as one of the most important presidents in the entire history of the country. As a slave owner who believed in a small central government, Jefferson also set a precedent for what would become a series of contentious compromises… Continue Reading...
been great pressure to deliver the vote by any means necessary throughout American history, even before America became a nation. American political corruption is not a new phenomenon, although the methods of corruption may have changed throughout different eras of history. This book provides an overview of the changing shape of American electoral fraud. Regarding voter registration fraud, Campbell notes, New York was particularly notorious, given the influence of the Democrats and No-Nothing Party. Rioting in the streets and the need for armed protection was rampant. Many new ethnic groups were associated with the rise of the Democratic Party in New York.… Continue Reading...
Captain Preston's Actions At Boston Massacre
When it comes to American history, one of the most commonly cited periods that is focus on is the run up to the American Revolution and the aftermath once the United States was founded and the war was won. One of the specific events within that period that is commonly focused on is the Boston Massacre, which happened in 1870. There are a few names that come to the surface when it comes to that event. Whether it be Crispus Attucks, Governor Hutchinson or others, there is no shortage of intrigue when it comes… Continue Reading...
for one of the first times in American history and create a real social movement designed to be by and for women.
The article shows the struggles of ordinary women in the early 20th century to make it on their own while supporting a small family by themselves. It shows how some women turned to family for help and how others moved across the country to find opportunities for themselves only to realize they still needed help looking after their young. The Day Nursery Movement is shown to have sprung up as part of the recognition among… Continue Reading...
Washington Post—Katherine Graham made her mark in American history, not only for being at the helm of one of the nation’s most prominent papers but also for leading the paper through its coverage of one of the most controversial moments in U.S. history—Watergate. Graham’s story would go on to be told in film by Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks in the Academy Award nominated film The Post. It was Graham’s refusal to bow to pressure from the highest office in the land, the White House, that earned her the legacy she has achieved. Known as… Continue Reading...
and racial), the theme of “power, inequality and conflict” has been a constant one throughout American history. While Du Bois explores this theme in “The Conversation of Races,” it is Patricia Hill Collins who is most helpful in providing understanding of this theme. That is because Collins discusses the theme from the standpoint of the politics of empowerment. Du Bois discusses it more from an academic standpoint—i.e., the need for the American Negro to quit his own “slavish” ways and embrace the realization that he has something unique and helpful to offer to the American public. Du Bois appears to accept the law of segregation… Continue Reading...
revolutionaries carried the most sweeping land reforms in Latin American history, radically redistributing wealth, providing all Cubans with basic health care, education, and social services, and became an important inspiration and ally in the export of Marxist revolution…”[footnoteRef:2] The support of the Soviet Union and the influence of Fidel Castro are major reasons for the embracing of Marxism and communist ideology. [1: Alan Knight, "Democratic and Revolutionary Traditions in Latin America," Bulletin of Latin American Research 20, no. 2 (2001): 17, doi:10.1111/1470-9856.00009.] [2: Marshall C. Eakin, The History of Latin America: Collision of Cultures (Macmillan, 2007), 308.]
Sader explains… Continue Reading...
American history has involved such a number of middle-class citizens as the war of Vietnam. Organizations in charge of recruitment into the military drafted the middle-class children into the army while their more affluent mates attended college. Most youths from affluent and famous backgrounds were left out of the recruitment and only a very small number came forward. Therefore, one of America's most disliked conflicts was fought mostly by the teenage kids of factory workers, drivers, secretaries, wood-workers etc. (Appy 252)
The conventional norms of war were not followed in… Continue Reading...
how abortion became so contentious, as for much of American history it really was considered to be a standard aspect of life (Reagan, 1996). In fact, for much of America’s existence the procedure was legal and used frequently. In fact, until the last quarter of the 19th century when the act of abortion was considered to be a crime, abortion was definitively legal before a period of time called the quickening—the fourth month of pregnancy (Reagan, 1996).
It’s important to consider that from a historical perspective, ending a pregnancy was considered common and something at least initially a woman… Continue Reading...
and how abortion became so contentious, as for much of American history it really was considered to be a standard aspect of life (Reagan, 1996). In fact, for much of America’s existence the procedure was legal and used frequently. In fact, until the last quarter of the 19th century when the act of abortion was considered to be a crime, abortion was definitively legal before a period of time called the quickening—the fourth month of pregnancy (Reagan, 1996).
It’s important to consider that from a historical perspective, ending a pregnancy was considered common and something at least initially a woman… Continue Reading...
documents of that era. The Civil Rights Era was one of the uglier periods in American history—and one of the most triumphant and inspiring. No document embodies this dichotomy as fully as King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail. In it, King details many of the horrors that black Americans have suffered at the hands of white hatred and complacency. Yet, the letter is without a doubt, a document of hope and conviction, inspiration and profundity. This paper details the background circumstances that provoked King in writing the letter and examines closely the brilliance contained in the words, ultimately discussing why it remains such a lauded document… Continue Reading...
first American film that set the motion for social and civil rights in the American history. The film has been used as a challenge the white supremacy and racism that was common in the American society.[footnoteRef:8] Anderson argues the film titled "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)",[footnoteRef:9] is one of the films that reflects the issue about the intermarriage. Typically, the film dealt with the issues such as racism between black and whites, and the film was released at the height of civil right movement when people were fighting for political social, and economic equalities. Moreover, the film demonstrates the action of social movement… Continue Reading...
