The main idea of American History will be debated as long as people can remember the United States. For this web log, and the cover letter to the resume of your portfolio, you will write about the metaphoric character of American History.
1. Do any of these authors appear to disagree with each other? Explain.
2. Which statement about US history comes closest to your own beliefs? Explain by using three significant events from American History to support your belief.
3. In your own words, what’s a central theme in American History?
The genius of the United States is not best or most in its executives or legislatures, nor in its ambassadors or authors or colleges, or churches, or parlors, nor even in its newspapers or inventors, but always most in the common people.
– Walt Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist
America is a large, friendly dog in a very small room. Every time it wags its tail, it knocks over a chair.
– Arnold Joseph Toynbee CH (April 14, 1889 – October 22, 1975) was a British historian whose twelve-volume analysis of the rise and fall of civilizations, A Study of History, was a synthesis of world history, a metahistory based on universal rhythms of rise, flowering and decline, which examined history from a global perspective.
The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows... If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.
– Frederick Douglass (February 14, 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American abolitionist, women's suffragist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer.
You can't say civilization don't advance... in every war they kill you in a new way.
– Will Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was a Cherokee-American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer and actor.
It was wonderful to find America, but it would have been more wonderful to miss it.
– Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), better known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist.
I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in providence, for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.
– John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American politician and the second President of the United States (1797–1801), after being the first Vice President (1789–1797) for two terms
I am more and more convinced that Man is a dangerous creature, and that power whether vested in many or a few is ever grasping, and like the grave cries give, give. The great fish swallow up the small, and he who is most strenuous for the Rights of the people, when vested with power, is as eager after the prerogatives of Government. You tell me of degrees of perfection to which Humane Nature is capable of arriving, and I believe it, but at the same time lament that our admiration should arise from the scarcity of the instances.
– Abigail Adams (née Smith) (November 11, 1744 – October 28, 1818) was the wife of John Adams, the second President of the United States, and mother of John Quincy Adams, the sixth
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
– George Santayana (December 16, 1863 – September 26, 1952), was a philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist.
I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.
– Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was the third President of the United States (1801–1809), the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), and one of the most influential Founding Fathers for his promotion of the ideals of republicanism in the United States.
We meet no Stranger, but Ourself
– Emily Dickinson (December 10, 1830– May 15, 1886) was an American poet. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life
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George Santayana and Thomas Jefferson appear to disagree with each other. In Santayana’s quote, he says that, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In Jefferson’s quote, he says that, “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” Both men’s beliefs contradict one another. While Santayana believes that people should not forget about the past, Jefferson believes that we should dream about the future and what it will bring, rather than dwell and focus on the history of the past.
ReplyDeleteFrederick Douglass’s statement about US history comes closest to my own beliefs. In Douglass’s quote, he states that, “The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows…If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.” I agree with this quote because everything won’t come served to you on a silver platter, you will have to work for it. For example, when the people of America declared themselves free from Britain, Britain didn’t just agree to it. Instead, Britain went to war with America. This war resulted in many deaths, but America was able to win through hard efforts and by uniting as one. Another example was the Mexican-American War, which was caused by Mexican resentment over the US annexation of Texas and a border dispute. Mexico didn’t just let the US do as it pleased, so a war broke out. A third example was when Abraham Lincoln had disagreed with the expansion of slavery beyond the states in which it already existed. The South opposed this idea and seceded from the United States, forming the Confederate States of America. They fought against the United States (the Union) in opposition to Lincoln’s decision. This war was called the American Civil War, also known as the War Between the States. This war brought dispute and chaos, causing the United States to become broken up with internal fighting. By the end of the war, the Union had won the battle, although the end result was many casualties. Therefore, I agree with Frederick Douglass that if there is no struggle, there is no progress.
A central theme in American History is progress. In 1742, the Franklin stove replaced open fireplaces. In 1787, the automatic flour mill was invented, revolutionizing this labor-intensive process. In 1793, the cotton gin was invented, replacing hand separation of cotton fibers from seed pods. In 1805, refrigeration was invented, allowing foods to last longer from spoilage. In 1891, the radio was invented, which helped broadcast information to the masses. In 1902, air conditioning was invented. In 1903, the airplane was invented. In 1945, the microwave oven was invented. In 1947, the mobile phone was invented. In 1950, the disposable diaper was invented. In 1953, the marker pen was invented. In 1965, the cordless phone was invented. These are just some of the many inventions of the United States, making our lives easier. This is what our country stands for, progress.
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ReplyDeleteGeorge Santayana and Thomas Jefferson disagree with each other. George Santayana thinks that you have to remember the past so you don't repeat the mistakes. But Thomas Jefferson thinks that you should forget about the past and focus on the future.
ReplyDeleteThe statement that relates to me the most is the one by George Santayana. He said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." This quote means that if we don't learn about our past and the mistakes we made, we will make those mistakes again in the future. For example, if we don't understand why slavery is wrong, we might repeat it in the future. Another example is World War II. If don't learn to accept people for who they are, there will be a lot of tension between a lot of countries.
There are many central themes in American History. One central theme is foolishness. This can be a central theme because in the past, America has been very foolish and made bad choices.
The two quotes I believe that oppose each other, are the qoutes given by Thomas Jefferson, and George Santayana. George Santayana, states "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it", meaning that he believes the past should be studied. Thomas Jefferson states "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past", meaning that planning for the future, and what it might hold, is better than studying what already happened.
ReplyDeleteArnold Joseph Toynbee's quote is the closest to my own beliefs. He states "America is a large, friendly dog in a very small room. Every time it wags its tail, it knocks over a chair". He means that America is very welcoming, but it will make mistakes. One example, is the Civil War, where America made a mistake, of not seeing that the south depended on slavery, and that nearly destroyed the entire nation. Another example would be the Atomic Bomb that was dropped during WWII, not realizing the possible outcomes of the bomb before they dropped it, killing millions of innocent lives. The last example would be Indian removal, where the U.S. relocated millions of Native Americans thinking it would help them both, but instead it killed alot of Indians.
A central theme in American history, is war. If you are to realize, America has fought in many wars, to make America, the one we live in right now. The Revolutionary War was fought to create America, The Civil war was fought to keep America as a whole, WWI was fought to prevent the unset of powers in the world, and WWII was fought, so that the world would not be indangered on an international level. Without war, America would not be the same as it is today.
Thomas Jefferson and George Santayana seem to disagree with each other. Jefferson would have rather thought about the future of America, than look back at the multiple tragedies in the past. He believed that the events of the future would be more positive than those of the past years. On the other hand, George Santayana believed that if people don’t learn about the past, they are destined to repeat the mistakes. He thought that if people don’t know about certain negative circumstances, they would repeat the bad events.
ReplyDeleteThe quote that comes closest to my beliefs is Abigail Adam’s quote. Her quote states that if a person or group of people controlling the nation has complete power, the nation will fail altogether. I believe that all people have a good and bad side, whether or not they show only one of them. If any person is given the power to do anything they want, they will eventually misuse it. For example, the Revolutionary War started because of a misuse of power. Great Britain wanted to control the colonists’ economy by passing more and more taxes. Colonists were unhappy with the taxes and the overall British policies, so they fought back with violence. The British misused their power over the colonies and lost the American Revolution. Slavery is another example of power being used with the worst intentions. At first, slaves would just work for their masters, and would receive food and shelter. Then, the work conditions got harsher, the hours got longer, and slaves would get less and less food. Slaves started fighting for back even more when their masters started beating them. Once again, the misuse of power caused the master to loose their slaves after the Civil War. One last example is the removal of Indians from the West in the 1830’s. The Indians were the first to arrive in the U.S., although many may disagree. In the 1830’s, gold was discovered in the West and it became convenient for people in the east to settle west. They figured they could kick the Indians out of their land. The Indian nations fought back to keep their land and a lot of people died. Americans did force the Indians out of their land, and it caused the Native Americans to suffer.
In my opinion, America’s history is based on many mistakes and successes. America and its citizens have worked hard to help the country grow. Power and order are the essential theme of America. As a nation, America has been controlled since it has been discovered. The amount of power varied as time went on. At first, the nation was controlled by people with complete power. After many years, the government was formed with just enough power and order to run the country.
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ReplyDeleteThomas Jefferson and George Santayana appear to disagree strongly with each other. Thomas Jefferson believes that the future brings something new and that we should look forward to it as opposed to the past. In a way he feels that yesterday is history and we shouldn't look back. George Santayana feels quite the opposite. He thinks that the only way to do better in the future is to look at the past and all of the mistakes.
ReplyDeleteThe quote that comes closest to my opinion about U.S. history is the quote by Walt Whitman. He said "The genius of the United States is not best or most in its executives or legislatures, nor in its ambassadors or authors or colleges, or churches, or parlors, nor even in its newspapers or inventors, but always most in the common people. This quote means that the best part of the United States is not all of the wonderful presidents and senators, authors, and such, but instead it comes from the everyday people like you and me. There are many examples of how this happened in history. During the many presidential elections that have taken place in the U.S. the everyday people have been allowed to vote and have therefore created great leaders. If it were not for the everyday people this wouldn't be possible and America wouldn't be where it is today. Yet another example would be during the time that women weren't allowed to vote and women fought freely for their rights. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton weren't the only ones standing up for their right; it was everyday women too. Thanks to them women can vote and are treated equally to men. Lastly another example would be during Martin Luther King Jr.'s time. Many everyday African Americans would fight for their rights. It was because of those everyday people that segregation is no longer allowed.
In my opinion the central theme of American History is perseverance and team work. On various occasions America was able to come out on top not just because the worked by themselves but because they had allies and they were able to cooperate with other countries. The U.S. is famous for the effort that they put in order to help other countries. Perseverance is also an important theme because it is true that the U.S. will never give up. They will always keep trying until they reach the goals set forth. These two themes make the U.S. the great country that it is today.
George Santayana and Thomas Jefferson are two people who appear to disagree with one another. Both of their quotes contradict the other. Thomas Jefferson said “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” This is the opposite of what Santayana had said which was “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Santayana’s quote means that if we, both as nations and human beings, do not learn from our past experiences and mistakes, we are more likely to repeat them. Therefore, forgetting the past could jeopardize many events that could easily be avoided if we take the time to remember our mistakes and learn from them. However, Jefferson’s quote, which contradicted Santayana, was referring to all of America’s failures. Jefferson wanted to look into the bright future of America rather than dwell on its past tragedies. He believed this would be more efficient and would bring a positive effect on the world.
ReplyDeleteGeorge Santayana’s statement about US history comes closest to my beliefs. Santayana said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Our history is filled with catastrophes, tragedies, and disasters; however, all of these unfortunate events have led to new discoveries. By learning from the mistakes made in history, the chances of repeating a horrible event are slighter. For example, events such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the sinking of the Titanic, and the Challenger Explosion in 1986 were all tragedies made from simple mistakes. A ship carrying over 11 million gallons of oil crashed into a reef because its master, Joseph Hazelwood, left the controls for a few moments. Those few moments caused an explosion and if America was unaware of it, there is a higher chance of it occurring once more. The sinking of the Titanic was another event that proved cruise ships needed to be advanced to provide more safety. If this tragedy was not remembered, than the world would have done nothing about the cruise ships therefore risking another sinking ship carrying thousands of people. The explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986 was due to a faulty O-ring. The Shuttle was destroyed 73 seconds after takeoff. The O-ring unsuccessfully sealed one of the joints, allowing pressurized gas to reach the outside. This caused the external tank to release a large amount of liquid hydrogen causing a massive explosion. This was all due to a defective O-ring. This event in history has taught us the importance of double-checking everything we do to prevent any dim-witted or accidental mistakes. All of the examples above have proved that if we don’t remember our mistakes in the past, chances are, we will repeat them in the future.
I believe a central theme in America is evolution. Having to face tough wars and catastrophic debacles, America is a strong nation that is still standing because it adapts to the constant changes of our world. Even though America is still in need of perfection, it is one of the most developed nations on Earth. Our country has changed multiple times, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. However all of these changes were used because they were thought to help speed up the progression of America. Even though there have been countless amounts of problems such as World War I, World War II, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, political troubles, and economical troubles, America has survived to this day because it has evolved from a good country to an even better country. The evolution of America has caused changes in communication (starting with telegraphs and ending up with quick, easy, and efficient cell phones), equality (abolishing slavery and creating the Bill of Rights), technology (turning railroads and trains into planes and cars), and much more. America has gone through a great deal of change because it strives for progress. That is why the central theme of America seems to be evolution.
Two authors that seem to disagree with each other are Walt Witman and Abigail Adams. Walt Witman is saying that the people of the United States is what makes its country a genius place. However, Abigail Adams is stating that man is a dangerous creature that will use power to cause grief and sorrow. So Walt Witman believes that the people who make up America make it genius, but Abigail believes that people are the creatures that can make America an unpleasant place to live in.
ReplyDeleteThe statement said by Will Rogers comes closest to my beliefs. This quote is telling how civilizations have made many advances in technology. Everything from medical science to weapons of war have all been improved. Three significant events from American history to support my belief is the Holocaust, the bombing of Nagasaki and the bombing of Hiroshima. From 1933 to 1945, Jews were put into gas chambers and died from the poisonous gases. On August 6,1945, the bombing of Hiroshima was all credited to the advanced technology of the uranium bomb and death tolls reached over 100,000. Finally, the bombing of Nagasaki occurred on August 9, 1945 when a U.S bomber dropped a plutonium bomb and death tolls reached about 70,000.
A central theme for American History is opportunities. Opportunities such as jobs, land, and a happy life all make America a place where you can succeed and accomplish goals. For example, colonists moved to the thirteen colonies to turn over a new leaf, to begin a new life. Today, people are still coming from different parts of the world to America to start over. I guess that's why people call the United States "The land of opportunities."
Authors Thomas Jefferson and George Santayana seem to have different opinions about the way the world should dwell. Thomas Jefferson said “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” He believed that our nation should proudly encounter the future with whatever it has in store for us. History is in the past and we should not continue to dwell on what occurred before. George Santayana said “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana most likely believes that we learn from our mistakes. He believed that if we forget the mistakes and victories in the past, we won’t be able to keep the adversities from reoccurring. The beliefs of both men contradict each other.
ReplyDeleteAbigail Adams’ statement comes closest to my beliefs. Abigail Adams stated that Man is a dangerous creature and that if a group or individual gain absolute power, they gain more control over everyone including the less powerful ones. Three events in history reflect this statement. Before the American Revolution, Britain had power over the thirteen colonies. King George was power hungry and continued to enforce laws and taxes over the colonies. Eventually, the thirteen colonies were pushed over the edge. They became frustrated and aggravated and they went to war with Britain. Another example was President Andrew Jackson. Andrew Jackson used his presidential power to relocate the Indians because their land was needed. This resulted in the well-known Trail of Tears. Man also caused slavery, the labor of African Americans. They weren’t treated fairly; in fact they didn’t receive half the respect they deserved. Although people, they weren’t treated as citizens, were sold as property, and had to work for no pay and permanently. They worked under harsh and terrible conditions, no matter whether child, man, or woman.
I believe the central theme in American History is not giving up your beliefs. If the thirteen colonies gave up and never fought the American Revolution until victory, where would we be now? Possibly, we wouldn’t even be alive. The world has come so far, and if important figures of the past had given up on something, would we have what we have today? American History is built from the achievements of the past which were meant for a bright and invincible future.
In my opinion, Walt Whitman and Abigail Adams disagree with each other based on their beliefs about American History. Walt Whitman stated that the people who have the most power are the everyday people, not the legislatures, executives, ambassadors, etc. These people, in result, create a history of America as a democratic country. On the other hand, Abigail Adams believed that the leaders always had the most power over everyone else. She also stated that when these people have this power, they could cause many problems becoming “dangerous creatures”. In result, these people forget what a democracy is.
ReplyDeleteThe statement by Walt Whitman, “The genius of the United States is not best or most in its executives or legislatures, nor in its ambassadors or authors or colleges, or churches, or parlors, nor even in its newspapers or inventors, but always most in the common people.” comes closest to my beliefs. Throughout the establishment of the United States, the main goal of many people was to create equal rights for the citizens. I believe that every person should have a chance of having equal rights. One person should not be allowed to make all the decisions for everyone in the country. This is what democracy is. For example, when America won its independence from Great Britain during the Revolutionary War, the State Constitution was written in order to create a well-balanced government, to keep individual leaders from gaining too much power and to protect the rights of the citizens. Another example is that in January of 1789, the eleven states which passed the Constitution sent groups of electors, or an electoral college, to represent the vote of the citizens in choosing the president. One more example is the Emancipation Proclamation, written by Abraham Lincoln in 1862. It was an order to free the Confederate slaves.
I believe that central theme of American History is the development of a democratic and prosperous country. The first pilgrims came to America for religious, social and political freedom. Since that, the citizens of the country created their own history; from darkness to light, from a colony to an independent country, from slavery to freedom, from poverty to wealth.
It seems to me that George Santayana and Thomas Jefferson disagree with each other. George Santayana states that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" and Thomas Jefferson states that "I like dreams of the future better than the history of the past". George talks about how history is important for the future, while Thomas talks about dreaming about the future and letting go of the past. I also believe that Jefferson is trying to say that the past was a terrible place and people shouldn't go back and think about it. But Santayana thinks that if we forget what has happened before, then we are bound to repeat history and have the same problems as before. Therefore, both men's statements oppose each other.
ReplyDeleteAbigail Adam's statement about US history comes closest to my beliefs. I do agree with Adams about the fact that Man is a dangerous creature because of power. One example of why Man is a dangerous creature is the Revolutionary War. Power was misused by people. Colonists had become unhappy with the taxation and the unfair policies from Great Britain, so they ended up fighting against them. Eventually Great Britain lost the American Revolution because of misusage of power on the colonies. Another example would be slavery. When white men thought they were better than Africans, that's when they thought they have more power over the Africans. White men treated Africans as their slaves and the slaves were treated harshly. The white provided them with little food, a shelter, and work. As time passed, conditions grew harsher. Africans got less food and the working hours grew. Africans would fight back against this, but they'd get beaten. This misusage of power has caused a Civil War and after the war ended, the whites lost their African slaves. A final example of Man becoming a dangerous creature because of power is the relocation of Indians. President Andrew Jackson withdrew land from the Indians because he needed to use their land. Native Americans fought to keep their lands, but this has only caused deaths. After they were kicked out, they suffered more and more each day. This became known as the Indian Removal Act.
In my opinion, the central theme in American History is progress. Without progress, we wouldn't have much to live with. For example, if weapons wouldn't have been created, people would fight with fists. Also, with progress, our lives have become easier. For example, bicycles, fax machines, and biros were created because of progression in life. If there is no progression, then there is no life. The world progresses itself, too. As we've learned before, the world turns and doesn't stop. If the world were to stop, it'd be the end of everything. We should think the same about ourselves. If progression were to stop, it'd be the end of people.
I believe that it's George Santayana and Thomas Jefferson who appear to disagree with each other. Santayana stated "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it", meaning that the people who don't study the overall mistakes of the past and see their outcomes, will most likely blindly go into it themselves and make the same mistakes. Jefferson, however, stated "I like the dreams of the future more than the history of the past", meaning that he believes what is yet to come is more important than what has already passed. Basically, these men are complete opposites; Santayana thinks history's important, Jefferson thinks it's not.
ReplyDeleteThe statement made by Walt Whitman comes closest to my beliefs. "The genius of the United States is not best or most in it's executives or legislatures, nor in it's ambassadors or authors or colleges, or churches, or parlors, nor even in it's newspapers or inventors, but always most in the common people", he states, and I agree. The common people were the ones to rebel and fight wars, due to their determination to stick to their beliefs, take for example the American Revolutionary War. Also, the common people were the ones who voted for and chose the greatest leaders; leaders who brought victory and hope to the U.S. Finally, the common people where the ones who shaped the U.S culturally and religiously, therefore bring variety to it, something that suggests equal rights for everyone. Where would we be without the common people?
I believe the central theme in American history is faith. Back in the Revolutionary War, or the Civil War, did people loose faith? No. They continued to fight, perfectly aware of any bumps they might run into along the way. In the times of segregation, or the great depression, did people loose faith? No. They got through it, and that's why we're all here today.
The two authors that appear to be disagreeing with each other are George Santayana and Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson states “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” On the other hand, George Santayana claims that “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Thomas Jefferson believes that it is much better to look forward and think about the future but George Santayana believes that knowing about the past can help make the future better. Santayana thinks that if you know what happened in the past, you will be able to stop from making the same mistakes twice and be able to make the future a better place. However, Jefferson believes that it is only necessary to look and wonder about the future.
ReplyDeleteI think that the statement made by Abigail Adams comes closest to my beliefs on U.S history. Abigail Adams stated that when one person or a group of people have power, they will become greedy and want more constantly. If someone was to be offered power, they might drop everything they believe in, as well as what is morally right, and take that offer. Adams also claims that all this greed and want is covered up by talk of how it is all part of human nature and talk about perfection. When America declared that it would be independent of Britain, the British empire fought back, wanting the power. They had already been well known during the 18th century, as well as feared and had the power to influence others, but they kept wanting more power. When the Cherokee nation was forced out of Georgia, it was because of the people living there. Congress had declared that the Cherokee nation couldn’t be moved yet the citizens of Georgia took it into their hands to move them out by force. They had wanted more power and influence over others. The last major point in history is slavery. Slave conditions weren’t harsh at first, but when slave owners wanted more control over the slaves, so they made beating the slaves, not allowing them to have medical help, poor housing, and hard labor justified.
The central theme in American history is the people. The people of the U.S have strong influences on to the government. They elect the government officials, as well as the President. When the people elect someone, the outcomes that are caused by this particular person is partially the fault of the people. They choose who would run the country, and this person, better known as the President, can make certain decisions such as when to go to war. If the people elect someone who makes a terrible mistake, it is partially on them. Yes, the power goes to the people, but a question not asked quite often is: how much power is too much power?
George Santayana and Thomas Jefferson have statements that oppose each other. In Santayana’s quote, he says that, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” In Jefferson’s quote, he says that, “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” Both men’s beliefs contradict one another. While Santayana believes that people should not forget about the past, Jefferson believes that we should dream about the future and what it will bring, rather than dwell on the past.
ReplyDeleteFrederick Douglass’s statement about US history comes closest to my own beliefs. In Douglass’s quote, he states that, “The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows…If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.” This means that we cannot have something good, unless we work for it. Everything that a person would want to achieve in life will require some hard work. For example, when the colonists declared themselves free from British rule, the British did not let them just take their freedom. A war broke out; the American Revolution. This war caused for many lives to be lost and a lot of blood to be shed. In the end, however, the Americans won through hard work. Another example is the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln wanted to terminate the expansion of slavery beyond the South. The South wanted a slave nation, so the seceded from the United States to create the Confederate States of America. They fought against the Northern states, which were called the Union, and this was the War Between the States, or the Civil War. Another example was the Mexican-American War, which was caused by Mexican anger over the US invasion of Texas and a border dispute. Mexico didn’t just let the United States do as it pleased, so a war broke out. That is why I agree with Frederick Douglass’s statement about US history.
The central theme of American history is struggle. There were many struggles in the country’s past. There were many wars and many disagreements. There were many leaders who knew what was best for the country, and some who did not do what was right. The everyday American citizens created the country what it is today, but they did it with a struggle. It was not easy, but they established a working government and a successful democracy. That is why the central theme of American history is struggle.
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ReplyDelete1. George Santayana and Thomas Jefferson seem to disagree with each other. George's statement implies that you must always remember the past. Thomas' statement implies that you should forget about past sorrows and events in favor of future dreams. These are two contradicting thoughts that are two very different outlooks on the world.
ReplyDelete2. Frederick Douglass' quote, " The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows... If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. ", comes closest to my beliefs. Throughout American history, people have fought for there rights, which was needed in order for our country to progress. For example, women fought for their right to vote, colonists fought for there right to independence, and slaves fought for their right to freedom.
3. To me, a central theme in American history is power. The power of men over women; Caucasian over African American; American over Irish. America's history was filled with greed and the search for power, even if it meant doing the wrong thing.
The two people that appear to disagree with each other are Thomas Jefferson and George Santayana. Thomas Jefferson says that he likes to dream about the future instead of remembering the past. He is saying that he wants to forget the past and think of what may be ahead in the future. On the other hand, George Santayana is saying in his quote that when people do not remember the past they will repeat it later in life. Just like if he made a mistake in his past, forgetting it would make him repeat the mistake instead of fixing it when the same situation came around again in the future. These two quotes are almost completely contradicting each other, because Jefferson wants to forget about the past and dream about the good things that may come in the future. But then Santayana wants to remember the past and never forget it so things that happened in the past will never happen again in the future.
ReplyDeleteThe quote that comes closest to my beliefs is Frederick Douglass’ quote. Frederick Douglass is stating in his quote that the only way we will ever progress is with struggle. The only way to go on is to work, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress” –Frederick Douglass. If people want freedom and to go on in life, they have to struggle, work, and/or fight for it. When America wanted freedom from Great Britain, they did not just sit around doing nothing to get it. They got up and fought, some gave their lives, they struggled to get what they had wanted, and we would never be where we are now if it wasn’t for all those people that fought in the Revolutionary War. People such as Harriet Tubman also had to struggle to progress in life. She worked for what she had wanted the most. She escaped the slavery that she had been born into. She also served in many missions to free and rescue slaves and get them safely to the Underground Railroad. That was not at all an easy task for her. She struggled to free those slaves, and to give them the freedom they deserved. Lastly, although there are so many more examples of struggles for freedom in history, is the fight for women’s right to vote. This was no piece of cake for all the women (and men) that wanted this for the women in America. They may have not fought in battle with guns, but they all fought with their words and actions. All those women struggled to get the equality that they did not have with men in America. They walked in parades, petitioned, and wrote speeches to get what they had wanted the most of all. They fought to have the same rights as men, and to be allowed to vote. These three important events in history were not served right off a plate, as easy as that. They all took work, much effort, and a whole lot of struggle. There would probably be no women’s rights right now, or there may still be slaves in America, and there may have been no freedom from Great Britain if it was not for the struggle that all these people went through.
The central theme in American history is determination. People can try to do things, but without determination they would not get anywhere. When fighting the Revolutionary War, without determination, we would have never won our freedom. All the men that fought were determined to get the freedom that they deserved. If everyone would have just given up after losing one of the wars and never had the determination that they did have, we would be sitting in a world ruled by Britain right now. Determination is one of the many things that helped us have everything we have today, including our freedom.
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ReplyDeleteI believe that it's George Santayana and Thomas Jefferson who appear to disagree with each other more than any other two. While George Santayana believes that you should know the past, Thomas Jefforson believes that you should focus on to the future instead of wasting time in the past.
ReplyDeleteThomas Jefforson's statement "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past" comes closest to my beliefs because I have no time to focus on the past. While american history is one of the most valiant pasts, it the can also be viewed as the most disgraceful. Three events in history that should be forgotten are the Great Deppression , the bombing of Japan, and the Civil War. Those events are some of the weakest and most disappointing moments in American History
The Central theme in America is freedom, and the need to keep it. Americans have sacrificed their life to keep their freedom because they know not living is better than having a life so bad that you wish you weren't living. When fighting the Revolutionary War everybody knew that they had nothing to lose anymore because
as taxes will increase, they will be on the streets. America is a FREE state and that will never change
George Santayana and Thomas Jefferson are two people who seem to disagree with each other. Santayana says that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," while Jefferson says that "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” The two quotes contradict each other because Santayana talks about how if you don't learn from your mistakes, you're bound to do the same mistakes again - while on the other hand, Jefferson talks about how we shouldn't dwell on the past, but instead look forward to a brighter future.
ReplyDeleteGeorge Santayana's statement comes closest to my beliefs, that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Although our history is filled with many wars, disasters, and tradegies, it all helped us realize what we were doing wrong, and realizing that would help us prevent it from happening next time. One example of this is World War II. This war could have been prevented if people would have just accepted others for who they were. Now we know what we did wrong & can prevent another World War from uprising. Another example is the Civil War. The Civil War happened because the Southern states failed to realize that slavery was wrong, and that black people were just as human and had just as much right to be free as white people did. After the Civil War ended, most people understood why slavery was wrong, so now we can prevent slavery from uprising again.
I believe that a central theme in American History is progress. Without perseverance. Without perserverance and determination, America wouldn't be where it was today. We wouldn't have gotten through any of the wars or battles that we had to deal with in the past. We also wouldn't made any of the discoveries we made, or have any of the inventions that inventors had created in the past.
I believe that Walt Whitman and Abigail Adams disagree with each other based on their beliefs about who has the most power. Walt Whitman believes that the United States is mostly run by not the executives, legislatures, ambassadors, authors, colleges, churches, parlors, not even in inventors, but always most in the common everyday people. The common citizens are the ones who change the world, and created the past and the future according to Walt Whitman. In contrast, Abigail Adams believes that the big always wins over the small (government wins over the people) and the government is the one that holds all of the power. She also concludes that whoever that holds power could use it for destruction and create a “dangerous creature.” They will not give, but get according to Abigail Adams.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Frederick Douglas’ statement, “The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows... If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters,” comes closest to my beliefs. You can’t advance or proceed to the top if you don’t meet a challenge or face a struggle. You need n obstacle that will take you one step back so you can go two steps forward. One significant event form American History is a well-known one; slavery. African Americans fought so hard and struggled to the point where they got their equal rights as Caucasians. If they struggle, they wouldn’t have gotten their equal rights, and we would still have segregation. The Great Depression was also another event in American that let not only some but millions of people struggle to meet ends. If they didn’t struggle, they wouldn’t have overcome the Great Depression. The third event in history that even today every person in America is facing with is the war with Iraq. America has been in this war since 2001 and it has yet to end. America and Iraq are struggling with each other which affects almost the whole world, because it’s putting our economy at stake. If we struggle a little more, we might have a chance to have peace and even proceed.
I believe that the central theme in American History is, “Different countries, cultures, races, religious tradition, etc. have contributed to the American Heritage and the development of American society. This theme covers the gathering of people of different ethnicities to all form one great country; America.
George Santayana and Thomas Jefferson are two people who seem to disagree with each other. Santayana says that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," while Jefferson says that "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” George's statement talk about how u must remember your past and learn from mistakes. Thomas' statement talks about how we shouldn't dwell on the past and look at the future.
ReplyDeleteThe quote that comes closest to my beliefs is Frederick Douglass’ quote. His quote states that the only way to progress is with struggle.“If there is no struggle, there is no progress” –Frederick Douglass. If people want to achieve anything in life there going to have to work, fight and struggle to get it. Through American history people had to fight for there freedom and rights it wasn't just given to them. Without this our country would of never progressed. For example slaves. They had to struggle for people to actually find out that they were being tortured. They had to try to escape and struggled trying to free the other slaves. They struggled to get the freedom that was entitled to them and that they deserved.
In my opinion the central theme in American history is team work and unity. It is important for the whole country to work together and come to agreements and make decisions. The U.S has worked together with other countries to make decisions that will help anyone and not only themselves. The wars have actually helped America become one. Working is 1 will help create balance and equality.
The two authors that seem to disagree with each other are George Santayana and Thomas Jefferson. George Santayana says, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" He believes that if we forget what has happened in the past, we are bound to repeat ourselves and make the same mistakes we made before. Thomas Jefferson says, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past" He thinks that we shouldn’t care about what had happened in history, but look forward to the future.
ReplyDeleteThe statement that comes closest to my own belief is "It was wonderful to find America, but it would have been more wonderful to miss it." by Mark Twain. It's like saying even though something good may have happened; there will always be something worse to overcome it. For example, since Christopher Columbus had discovered America, many people were given opportunities. Although this seemed like quite beneficial for everyone, this caused settlers to eventually have disputes with the Native Americans in the area leading to deaths of many. Another example would be the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War took place because colonists didn't like how the British were treating them. At the end, the colonists had won their freedom, but this led to more hatred between the colonists and the British. The Civil War would be another example. The Civil War took place because the South didn’t accept blacks as equals and wanted slavery. At the end, slavery was ended and blacks had their freedom. Although, finally getting freedom was good, many lives were lost because of this war.
I believe the central theme in American History was struggle. Without the struggle, we wouldn’t get anywhere and have what we have now. Things didn’t just come easily, we had to work hard and encounter many conflicts that came our way. For example, America had wanted freedom from Great Britain, but it wasn’t easy. After a long war, they finally got what they wanted. Struggle was what allowed American History to progress through, and struggle was what makes America what it is today.
Two people that seem to disagree with each other are George Santayana and Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson states “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past. He means that he thinks about what will happen in the future, forgetting everything what has happened in the past. George Santayana states “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” He means that when you make a mistake and forget about it, you are bound to repeat the mistake. Both of these quotes contradict each other, because Jefferson believes in forgetting the past and dreaming about the future while George believes that forgetting the past will make you repeat it later on in life.
ReplyDeleteFrederick Douglass’ quote comes closest to my beliefs. Frederick Douglass stating “The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows... If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” This quote means that to achieve progress and to push forward, you need to struggle. For example, when America wanted freedom from Great Britain, they did not just sit around wait to become free. They fought the British for their independence and freedom. Many people gave away their lives just for America to achieve its freedom. If it wasn’t for the brave men and women struggling for their freedom during the Revolutionary War, it wouldn’t be America anymore. Another example is the Civil War. This all began when Abraham Lincoln had disagreed with the expansion of slavery beyond a certain point. The South disagreed with this idea and left the United States forming their own country called the Confederate States of America. They fought against the Union because of Abraham Lincoln’s decision. This war caused the United States to break into two halves and fight against each other. By the end of the war, the Union had won the war. Many were killed because of their opposite beliefs of Abraham’s decision. Last, is the African American Civil Rights Movement. During the movement, African Americans gathered together to protest for their rights. Many prominent figures came like W. E. B. Du Bois, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King, Jr. They all believed that they should have rights like freedom to vote, no segregation and no harassment cause of color, race, or religion. They struggled to get these rights by using their brains and speech instead of weapons and violence. They did so by protesting, starting boycotts, and public speaking. After many years, they got their right when President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. These three events should be remembered because if not, then we are doomed to repeat it.
I believe that the central theme in American history is determination and struggle. People can try to do things, but without determination and struggle they won’t accomplish anything. When fighting the Revolutionary War and Civil War, without determination, we would have never even begun fighting. Then if we didn’t struggle, we would have lost the wars. All the men and women that fought were determined to get the freedom that they deserved and would struggle as much as they needed to get what they wanted. If we didn’t struggle and be determined, America would be ruled by Britain right now where slavery was legal. Determination and struggle is one of the many things that helped us have everything we have today.
George Santayana and Thomas Jefferson had appeared to disagree with each other the most. George Santayana had said “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. Thomas Jefferson had stated “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past”. George Santayana believed that if people do not look at the past and learn from their mistakes, then they will repeat the same mistakes and face the consequences. Thomas Jefferson believed that you should look forward onto the future, instead of looking back at the past.
ReplyDeleteThe statement about U.S. history that comes closest to my own beliefs is “The genius of the United States is not best or most in its executives or legislatures, nor in its ambassadors or authors or colleges, or churches, or parlors, nor even in its newspapers or inventors, but always most in the common people” by Walt Whitman. I agree with this statement because it says that the most important part of our country is the people. The people are the ones who wanted freedom from Great Britain and who fought for it, it wasn’t just one person. In the Constitution, it says “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” It means that the country should be run by the people. Walt Whitmans’ quote also means that the simple hard working people of the U.S. are the ones who run the country. Without doctors, teachers, and most of the other jobs that people do, the country wouldn’t be running smoothly.
I believe that the central theme for American History to always stay united. If we keep fighting and disagreeing with each other, then arguments will start, which will later on lead to wars. For example, the Civil War was inside the U.S. and it was because of disagreements between the Confederate States and the Union.
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ReplyDeleteGeorge Santayana and Thomas Jefferson disagree with each other strongly. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" was George Santayana's quote. "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past" was Jefferson's quote. George Santayana thinks that the past should be remembered or we will follow the same mistakes we have. Thomas Jefferson thinks that we should focus and try to have a better future instead of the past. Both quotes are opposites so they disagree with each other.
ReplyDeleteThe statement about U.S. history that comes closest to my own beliefs is George Santayana's quote which is "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". I agree with this quote because we made a lot of mistakes in the past. Since people wanted more land they would constantly fight with each other for it and many people would die. Racism is another example. If people forget about what segregation and slavery has done to the United States, slavery would repeat. If we forgot about the past, we wouldn't learn from our mistakes which would be a great loss to us because we gain knowledge and experience from mistakes.
I believe that the central theme in American History is expansion. America expands in many ways. We gain new knowledge, experiences, and gain many other things every day. From the beginning of the United Sates up until now, the United States has been growing in population, information, and many other things. The United States will continue to expand and expand.
George Santayana’s quote and Thomas Jefferson’s quote disagree with each other. George Santayana stated that people who don’t remember the past are destined to repeat it. Thomas Jefferson stated that the dreams of the future are more pleasant than the past, suggesting that the past should be thought of less than the future. In my opinion, it’s important to remember the past in order to plan the future, so that mistakes won’t be repeated or created.
ReplyDeleteEmily Dickinson’s quote states that we meet no stranger but our self. This quote comes closest to my beliefs about America because it does the opposite of what it said was right. For example, America allowed slavery even though it said in the U.S. Constitution that all men are created equal. Also, America believed in liberty for all, but it didn’t give liberty to females, African-Americans, Asians, and poor people many times. In another example, the U.S. guaranteed freedom of religion, but during the Jacksonian Era religious groups such as the Mormons weren’t given this freedom.
Every country had its own hardships, successes, and lessons. Everything that happened to those countries made them stronger. These countries are like adults, getting more and more experienced as life goes on. People from different countries came together and gave birth to America, a melting pot of all the ideas from all the “adults”. I think that America got it easy because it doesn’t have to learn all the lessons it’s “parents” have learned. Instead it could just look back at the past of its “parents” to learn several important lessons and obtain knowledge to thrive. For example, the Greeks had gone through many hardships to develop a working government system. America used ideas from the Greek government system to develop its own government, and it didn’t have to go through some of the hardships the Greeks did. Also, in many countries people were punished for having certain religious views, which resulted in negative consequences. America realized that it didn’t want to deal with those negative consequences, so it gave Constitutional freedom of religion. Therefore, the central theme of American history is learning from the mistakes and successes of ancestors instead of learning the hard way on its own. That’s the beauty and luck of America.
Thomas Jefferson and George Santayana seem to disagree with each other. Santayana says "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it" while Jefferson says "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past." Santayana influences knowing the past so that one would not repeat his mistakes. Jefferson says whats done is done and you should just focus on the future. The quote by Frederick Douglas, "The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows... If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters" comes closest to my beliefs. It means that know body is never going to be prosperous without working hard. You can get whatever you want if you just work hard enough. For example, did the colonists win there freedom by sitting there doing nothing? Did the marines give up when fighting a war against the Japanese? Did all those slaves stop trying to win their freedom. If these people had not persevered we might not be where we are today.
ReplyDeleteI believe the central theme in American history is perseverance. Without struggle and determination our nation would not exist the way it is today. If nobody persevered we would have never prospered.
When I went back to this website, I realized that I posted my rough draft instead of my final. Im really sorry! Here is my final one:
ReplyDeleteWalt Whitman and Abigail Adams appear to disagree with each other. While Walt Whitman sees people as the most “genius”, Abigail Adams says that people are dangerous creatures. In Whitman’s quote, he says that the reason America is so great is because of its people. However, in Adams’s quote, she states that the “men” in America are the reason that America may be a bad place.
The statement that is the closest to my beliefs is said by George Santayana. He believed that “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I think this is true because if people don’t go to school and study the history, they would not know how to handle the future. World War II, the Civil War, and the plane crash into the World Trade Centers, are all examples that prove this statement true. In World War II, many people were killed because they were not tolerated by Adolf Hitler and his army. If we weren’t taught about these horrible events we wouldn’t understand the actual consequences of one person’s immoral doing. During the Civil War, there was slavery and segregation. The reason this happened was because the Southern states didn’t understand that it was wrong to have slaves and treat blacks in a non-human manner. Based on what we know today, this mistake will not happen again. The last example is the plane crash into the World Trade Center. Although this happened nine years ago, the United States seems to remember it like it was yesterday. This event has changed the country in many ways because we don’t want this event to repeat itself. Now, there is more security, especially in airports. Also, the awareness of the government has increased dramatically. This has made New York a safer and better place to live in. All of these instances demonstrate how the United States has grown as a country from previous mistakes. Everyone must learn the past in order to move on to a better future.
In my opinion, the central theme in American History is unity. It is relevant for the country to act as a whole when making decisions. Otherwise, there will always be war and chaos. As a whole, the country will gain strength and power. The civil war, as well as many other wars, helped America unify and become a whole. After the September 11th attacks, the entire country was in grief and it seemed as everyone was trying to help one another in every way possible. This notion of acting as one will help create peace and harmony for all of our country’s people.