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
In Memoriam: John Hope Franklin, January 2, 1915 – March 25, 2009. May he rest in peace.
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I don't believe any authors appear to disagree with each other. If MOST quotes are analyzed with great detail, they all seem to want America to be a better country with more opportunities. Also, with all the wars and crises- es America isn't what it seems to be. The quote that comes closest to my beliefs is the one by Abagail Adams. Man IS the most dangerous dangerous creature. There were so many wars and massacres that weren't necessary. Three significant events that prove man is dangerous are the war of 1812, WW1, and WW2. These wars have given us the opportunities to create some of the weapons that have made man so dangerous like guns, warships, etc. [*I do not know what a central theme is.]
My opinion, i don't think any of these authors are disagreeing with each other. They are just telling us some statement about America. Most of these statments are their own beliefs but supported with facts. But, they all lead to idea's for us to change America.
The statement that comes closest to my beliefs is by Mark Twain. He wrote that " It was wonderful to find America but would have been more wonderful if we miss it". It comes closet because this statement is true in many ways. One example is that if we hadn't found America, the Iraq war wouldn't have started. This war lead to losts of lives and economy drop down. Another thing is that we wouldn't have to go through 911.
This event is one thing that lead to our hatred toward iraquins and lead to this war. The last event that we wouldn't have gone through which is still going on now is the economic crisis. Now many other countries are involved with this and may destroy their ecomony also. So if we wouldn't have found America, things woulda been better and we wouldn't have to go through all this trouble. " America is like a brain. When it is working, it's idea's rises up high. When it's not working, it fails to think".
I believe that there are two authors that disagree with each other, Thomas Jefferson and George Santayana. Thomas Jefferson said he liked the dreams of the future better than the history of the path. George Santayana disagrees completely however. George Santayana believes that you are condemned to repeat the past history if you do not study it. Both of these ideas are opposites, one relating to the past, the other, the future. Neither of these quotes however comes closest to my beliefs, but Will Rogers' does. "You can't say civilization don't advance... in every war they kill you in a new way." Will Rogers was truly right, for in the Civil, Revolutionary, and First World War, we killed our enemies in different ways. In the Civil War, the U.S. used an M1860 which is a type of rifle. It was one of the first automatic rifles so it gave a large advantage. In the Revolutionary War we had the flintlock musket, a more primitive version of a rifle which was not very accurate. In WW1, we used the Lee Enfield rifle which could be fatal from over 1,400 meters away. Will Rogers was correct when stating this quote. A central theme for United States History is how America has changed over time. All of the quotes tell how America was once a great country but has now become corrupt. Will Rogers, Samuel Clemens, Abigail Adams, and Thomas Jefferson are all easy clues. In order to find this meaning in other quotes, you must look past the words and think "outside of the box".
I think that John and Abigail Adams disagree with each other. John Adams was confident in America and thought it would thrive. Abigail Adams thought that America would be it's own worst enemy in the future. Power is a corrupting thing and would enter a man that with it, would eventually drive America into the ground.
The statement that comes closest to my beliefs is the quote by Abigail Adams. Man truly is a dangerous creature. When evil elements of the world enter a man, such as lust, greed, thirst for power, apathy, and callousness he can be a threat to the world. Wars and massacres throughout history have been for evil desires. Three events in history back me up.
1. The United States of Aaron Burr
2. William Taft
3. George Bush and the Iraq War
Aaron Burr tried to move up in power, but was later charged with treason. Willianm Taft, the 27th president of the U.S.A, was accused pf holding offices in the Phillipines while in office. George Bush declared war on Iraq without consent from Congress.
I believe that the central theme of America can be explained with a mirror. It's simple: when you stare at a mirror, you see yourself staring back, right? Well, throughout history, America has stared at this figurative mirror and seen itself. One of the motivations for fighting the Revolutionary War was that King George II was being a tyrant. In the 1800's, Opposition to Andrew Jackson called him "King Andrew I". Opposition to Martin Van Buren called him an aristocrat. In World War 2, the German's had concentration camps for Jews. We thought that it was wrong, yet had internment camps for the Japanese. During the Cold War, we had ready made nukes. Iran is producing nukes, but we criticize them. Even thought I think that nukes are in the wrong hands, who are we to judge them? America has done things of merit, but we also have a dark side. Many countries are like this. It is as Emily Dickinson said, "We meet no one but ourselves. Tht is the centra; theme of American history.
I believe that two of these authors disagree. Thomas Jefferson is a influential Founding Father and he is believed that the future will be much brighter than the past. He is trying to say that the past is to be considered to a dark time period. This means that the history of the past will not be as bright as America's future. Will Roger contridicts this by saying that civilization advances faster in other countries. Civilaization is advancing in the wrong way. This is leading to wars and terriost attacks.He is saying that America will advance... but not as quickly.
I believe the Thomas
Jefferson quote becuase is related to me opinion about American
History. The past wasn't bright becuase many people suffered and it was a terrible time for most people. The history of the past is like everyone's yesterday, and the future is everyone's tomorrow but you will never know what is in store for you. The history of the past will never be forgotten. Also, if you made a mistake in the past, you always get a second chance to fix it tomorrow.This quote is what i think most people should live by " What ever happened in the past will effect what is to come in the future" I deeply believe in this quote
America is a very complex country. A lot of famous Americans have their own ideas about America. I think that George Santana and Thomas Jefferson have a huge contradiction in their belief about America. George Santana says “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” What Thomas Jefferson was saying was “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” I think what George is saying is that if you make mistakes in the past and you didn’t learn from it, you will most likely make the same mistake in the future. What I think that Thomas Jefferson is saying that you don’t have to worry or remember about the past and just wait for the future; that is how America will grow.
The statement made by Abigail Adams came very close to my beliefs. The statement was “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.” I agree that man with too much power is a dangerous creature. Three events in history took place when a man had too much power. For example, when President Andrew Jackson wanted more land, he just abused his power and forced all the Indians to move. Another incident happened with Andrew Jackson when he abused his power again to create the spoil system, so he can fire the people he doesn’t like while he can hire his friends and people he likes or knows. Another example is when President Bush declared war in Iraq without the permission from congress.
I think the central theme for America is that America is still developing with new ideas and little things can interfere with that because of little things like greed. For example the whole economic down fall all began because a lot of people were greedy so they stole the people’s money. Instead of spending billions of dollars for the banks to fix this problem, the money could have gone to labs to make new discoveries or build new inventions to make the Earth become cleaner. This is how America will grow and reach a higher level of development.
I do very well believe that some authors disagree with each other. Samuel Clemens once said, “It was wonderful to find America, but it would have been better to miss it”. Now in the early 1900s, when this quote was written, I can understand why he feels this way, with the economy and all. On the other hand, John Adams said, “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”, basically saying that America is so wonderful.
I believe Will Rogers quote is closest to my beliefs. In every war they do kill you in a new way. Back in the 1940’s, we had to use men to capture forts and end wars. Now, we can use a nuclear warhead to destroy the enemy. Even our own technology can kill us, such as on 9/11/01.
I think the central theme of American history is basically a rollercoaster. At one point you’re going up, and at another point, going down. But no matter what, you’re still getting closer to the end of the ride. Eventually, America’s conflicts and economy will bring it to the end of its ride.
The two authors that appear to disagree with each other is Thomas Jefferson and George Santanaya. George says that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" while Thomas says "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past". George is basically saying that if we dont study the past we can repeat the mistakes we made. Jefferson said that we dont need to look at the past because it is not as important as the future.
I think that we shouldnt study the past to much and instead look onto the future. We were in a civil war which divided the country and that has never happened again in the U.S. We do not need to study the past so we wont repeat it. We were in WW2 and no one is going to start another holocaust. We dont need to study the past because if we think more about the future we can help eliminate the problems we have now instead of thinking of the past.
The central theme in American History is wars. Without wars we would not have the power we have now. We would still be controled by Britian. Our allies in WW1 would have lost if we didnt decide to help them.
Philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist, George Santayana (December 16, 1863– September 26, 1952) and he principal author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) seem to contradict each other. George Santayana said “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Thomas Jefferson said “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” Jefferson is practically saying that the future is better than the past, while Santayana appears not to agree with that statement.
The statement said by an American abolitionist, women's suffragist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer, Frederick Douglass (February 14, 1818 – February 20, 1895) comes closest to my own beliefs. Frederick Douglas Stated, “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 that statement because it basically says you need to work hard to achieve success. An example to support my belief is Frederick Douglas himself. He was born a slave in Talbot County, Maryland and separated from his mother as an infant. When Douglass was about twelve, he was illegally taught how to read and write. Douglas escaped from his slave owner on September 3, 1838 and traveled to New York and became a free African American.
Another example of something that supports my belief is the Civil War. The U.S confederacy fought against the Northern States. The war had 620,000 soldier deaths but the North worked hard and struggled and the Northern States won the war. Another example of a significant event in history that supports my belief is the Revolutionary War. The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, started as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen united former British colonies.
The Thirteen Colonies lacked a professional army and navy. Each colony provided for its own defenses through the use of local militia. Militiamen were lightly armed, slightly trained, and they usually didn’t have uniforms. Their units served for only a few weeks or months at a time, were reluctant to go very far from home, and were thus generally unavailable for extended operations. The militia didn’t have the training and discipline of regular soldiers but they were more numerous and could overpower regular troops.
Both the thirteen colonies and Great Britain won battles against each other but at the end Britain surrendered and the thirteen colonies grew into a strong nation called the United States of America.
I agree with Joseph Bocchino. America's central theme is just like a roller coaster. It takes time, effort, and hard work to build an amazing roller coaster, just like it took time, effort, and hard work to build our nation. We have seen in textbooks and many other places that our nation has encountered many rises and falls. It encountered numerous wars, battles, and overcame many obstacles on this journey to become a great nation.
As much people there are there, as much thoughts about the history of America there are. The biggest disagreement seen is from John and Abigail Adams, wife and husband. John says that the people have to follow the rules, and everything will be okay. But Abigail Adams says that too much power of the congress can lead to a dangerous thing.
I agree with Walt Whitman,( an American poet) because the people make up the congress, government, and the population. For example, Thomas Jefferson, an average American, made up the Declaration of Independence that is the reason why we don’t pay taxes to Britain. Or Abraham Lincoln, the average American that freed salves by signing the Emancipation Proclamation. And how about Thomas Alva Edison. He invented lots of useful things that gave America more modern technologies and gave America fame for inventing those inventions. Every famous comedian, singer, inventor, doctor, scientist, musician, professor, and lawyer all started out from average Americans. That is what truly makes America so special.
I believe that the central theme of America is showing people that the impossible is possible. Nobody believed that a couple of men could make a country that has a democracy and where every man is created equal. Nobody believed in them. But we’ve proved them wrong. We are now on a list of the top ten countries.
“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
There are 2 quotes that I believe disagree with each other. One of the quotes is “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.” This quote was said by Abigail Adams. Abigail Adams, the wife of America’s second president John Adams, was born on November 11, 1744 and she died October 28, 1818. She was also the mother of our sixth president John Quincy Adams. This quote means that men are dangerous. When she say dangerous it means that there are many people fighting for the rights of people and about our government. In this quote she basically says that she agrees with these many arguments but she isn’t sure too agree but basically this quote is about how people are fighting for many things. The second quote 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.” This quote was said by
Walt Whitman who lived from May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892. He was an American poet, essayist, journalist, and humanist. What he means by this quote is that all people are geniuses and that the ideas of different issues in the nation should come from the common people. So Walt is saying that we should agree with each others ideas so no conflicts start and to make the nation a better place. These quotes disagree because Abigail Adams is saying that we should argue and we shouldn’t argue about people’s ideas and beliefs about the nation and Walt Whitman is saying that we should agree with everyone to cease conflicts.
The statement that comes closest to my beliefs is “America is a large, friendly dog in a very small room. Every time it wags its tail, it knocks over a chair.” This quote was said by Arnold Joseph Toynbee CH who lived from April 14, 1889 – October 22, 1975. He 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 met history based on universal rhythms of rise, flowering and decline, which examined history from a global perspective. When he said this he meant that every time we try something new or we make a new idea about making the nation superior the plans never works. One example is when George W. Bush sent troops to Iraq for the purpose to fight off terrorists. We were supposed to stop it and not make it continue. After 9/11 he sent troops to Iraq now many of our love ones are dying for no apparent reason. Every week I check the news on Yahoo.com and everyday I see a new suicidal event happening. What is the point of this war nobody knows? Another example is our new President Barack Obama. Sure we need change but we need change in a good way for everyone and not just a little. One of my mom’s friends worked for the SELF HELP program as a social worker in Manhattan, New York. The country cut one of the programs she worked for causing her to get laid off. When you are laid off it means you can’t work but you can qualify for unemployment. Unemployment is when the government pays you. Her unemployment gives her a lot less than what she used to make and now there are barely any jobs on a MASTER degree and she cant go to school because the loan will be too big so what is she supposed to do. My last example is about George W. Bush. During his presidency he made it legal for illegal Mexicans to get into the US with out a VISA. Because of his decision now we are suffering. Were suffering because g-d knows what they can do and watch the news now. There is a swine flu spreading around from Mexico. 1 way it got to us is because of illegal (legal) immigration. Now many people are ill. This is why that quote comes closest to my beliefs.
I believe the central theme of America is like a brain infection or brain cancer. One day our unsuccessful new ideas will be so bad that the country will be dead. When you have an infection you can heal it when you have cancer you have a chance of dieing. Right now we have infections but soon we’ll have cancer and our country will fall apart.
To me none of these authors appear to disagree with each other. Each author has the same idea to what America should be like and are expressing them in ways. These authors what America to be a strong, powerful, and freedomful society. At the root of each quote all authors want the same thing. “We meet no Stranger, but Ourself” is the quote that comes closest to my beliefs. This quote was written by Emily Dickson, an American poet. I feel that this quote comes closest to my beliefs based on the historical events that has happened in the past. For example, during World War II the American government had decided not to participate in the war even though a country needed their help. Only until that country bombed Pearl Harbor did America join in the war. Another historical event that supports this theory is the slavery era. If we are supposed to be one as a country then why were the African-Americans treated as animals. We are people of the same country and same country wise beliefs. Also the Jacksonian Democracy is a perfect example to explain the quote. Jackson was a president and was supposed to be fair to ALL his people that lived in the United States including the Indians. Jackson's Indian Removal should have never been passed because the Indians were part of the American society. All these events clearly explain that we don't know what we are capable of as a country which makes us a stranger to ourselves. When we go to war with other countries, we usually expect the worse from that country because looking from an outside view we have an idea of what the opposing country may be capable of unlike ourselves. The central theme of American history is to study it so we don't make the same mistakes twice and so that we can follow the American Dream!
I believe that these authors do seem to contradict each other. For instance, the quotes of Thomas Jefferson and George Santayana seem to contradict each other. Thomas Jefferson is saying that the dreams of the future are better than the history of the past. He is also saying that history is not really that important and what’s important is the future. George Santayana, on the other hand, is saying that history is extremely important and will help us with the future. Santayana is also saying that if we don’t learn from the past, we will repeat history itself.
However, neither Jefferson’s quote or Santayana’s quote come the closest to my beliefs. In fact, it is Abigail Adam’s quote that comes the closest to my beliefs. Abigail Adams is saying that man is dangerous, especially if you give him power. Power turns men corrupt because they will start to abuse their power and all they will want afterwards is even more power. This is very true and history can prove it; Aaron Burr, Andrew Jackson, and Andrew Johnson are all perfect examples of corruption. Aaron Burr is corrupt because he tried to form the United States of Aaron Burr. Andrew Jackson is corrupt because when he was elected president, he developed the spoils system. He fired off the members of the Cabinet that had earned their jobs honestly and replaced them with people who had helped him win the election. Jackson used the spoils system to reward a supporter, Samuel Swartwout, who allegedly abused his post to embezzle $1 million from the government. Andrew Johnson is corrupt because he abused his power of the appointing and pardoning, used public property in a corrupt manner, and abused his power to interfere in elections.
Now, to answer the question of what I feel the central theme of American history is...
In my opinion, the central theme of American history is to learn how America got to where it is today and progress from here on out.
1. Industrialization and its effects on the society, economy and political processes of the United States.
2. Immigration and the struggle of immigrants to maintain their own identities while trying to gain social,
economic and political privileges reserved for the majority.
3. Reform movements and the struggle for social justice.
4. America's wars and their influence.
5. Social and economic changes.
6. The conflict between political entities and interest groups.
7. The conflict between socio-economic-religious groups.
Political scandals.
8. The rise of big business, big government and big labor.
9. The shift from a production-oriented, rural America of the 19th century to the consumption-oriented, urban America of the 20th century.
10. The globalization of American business and politics.
11. The increasing centralization of political and economic power by the federal government and its increasing involvement in the everyday life of the American people.
12. The impact of isolationism, imperialism, nationalism and internationalism on the evolution of the American political system.
13. The growth of social complexity and the development of societal values.
These are all the themes of American History; but is there one that summarizes all of these?
"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 quote stated by Frederick Douglas seems to contradict the quote, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past" stated by Thomas Jefferson. These two quotes contradict because in one quote Douglas is stating that the whole
of the progress of human liberty shows.........; what Douglas is stating is that when he look at the past of our present we will see how we have progressed. But if we abide by Jefferson's quote how will be make progress without looking back at our history?
The Quote that comes closest to my belief is the quote by George Santayana "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." His Quote can be interpreted in many ways. Even i myself interpreted this quote in two different ways.
One way i interpreted this quote was that history repeats itself, those who fail to learn from the mistakes of their predecessors are destined to repeat them. For example the Great Depression that occurred many years ago, we are facing it again! We did not properly learn from our mistake in the great depression. The mistake that was the reason of the great depression. That is why we have repeated the same mistake again in a different manner today. Another event that we have repeated is that when George W. Bush abused his presidential powers & sent many innocent people to Guantanamo Bay prison & tortured them - some even to death - illegally. This event has been occurred before in history when all the presidents before Lincoln allowed slavery. Last but not least another example is the selling of indulgences in European Catholic Churches. Did it go away? Or resurface in modern society as Buying Condition Use Permits in less restrictive zones, Bars, Med Pot outlets etc?
In the end I would summarize the central theme in American History as a roller-coaster, just like my fellow classmate Joseph Bocchino. At one point you’re going up, and at another point, going down. Same as with life, the ups and downs. But no matter what, you’re still getting closer to the end of the ride. Eventually, America’s conflicts and economy will bring it to the end of its ride. Whether the end is destructive or well; no one knows as of yet.
I believe that George Santayana and Thomas Jefferson have conflicting ideas. Santayana believes that studying history is important. He thinks that if we don’t study history, we will repeat it. Proof of this is in one of his quotes that I found to be clever and insightful. However, Thomas Jefferson expresses different views by saying, “I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.” Unlike Santayana, Jefferson believes that the history of the past is less important than the dreams people have of the future.
I found that the quote by Samuel Langhorne Clemens comes closest to my own beliefs. This is because America has done many great things but also many terrible things. Americans have fought for what they believed in (freedom from England) in the Revolutionary War and they have created many things, such as the significant invention of the cotton gin. Unfortunately, Americans have murdered many Native Americans in the Wounded Knee Massacre.
A central theme in American history is that it isn’t perfect. America hasn’t had a mistake-free history, but reviewing our mistakes and learning from them is what makes our nation so strong. George Santayana’s quote agrees with me.
"Those who cannot remember the past is condemned to repeat it." ~George Santayna. I believe that this quote disagrees with the quote "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past." ~Thomas Jefferson. The quotes disagree with each other because Jefferson likes to think about the future of our nation, while Santayna likes the remember the past of our nation. It almost seems like Santayna likes the past better than the future because he may be afraid of what lies in the mystery of the future. Unlike Santayna, Jefferson dreams about the future, and doesn't see the future as a mysterious subject, but a world full of hope. I believe that American History is hopeful, because there is a lot of hope, seeing adults make such actions such as programs called "no child left behind." Like Yaneev, I also feel that Will Rogers quote, "You can't say civilization doesn't advance... in every war they kill you a new way." You can see now, that America came a long way from swords and bows and arrows. Now, America has more complex ways, such as Hummers made for the army, machine guns, snipers, atomic bombs, M-60 tanks; etc. You can also see that civilization changed a lot; building more efficient cities, buildings that don't fall in an hour, and I believe that in the future, it would be so advanced.
I dont think that any of the authors disagree with eachother because they all have different ideas for America. Each author expresses their own opinion differently. I believe that the root of each responce is to want America to grow into a better nation. The quote, "You can't say civilization don't advance... in every war they kill you in a new way," is the closest to my beliefs because each war we fought, America grew as a country. For example, World War 1, World War 2, and the Revolutionary War were all wars America fought in & we improved most of our weapons. So I agree with Will Rogers.
Abigail Adam idea of America and citizens of America seem to contradict each other. Whitman believes that the geniuses of the world are us, the citizens, but Adam believes that give any man on earth too much power they can do stupid things with it. Adam believes that power is what every human being desires, but once they have the power, it corrupts them from inside. They can no longer tell what is wrong or right or even what’s white from black.
I think Abigail Adams believes comes closets to mine. Greed is an element man can not control, it is in our instinct. It’s only in our nature to be selfish and greedy. Once man gets man gets enough of power, there is no way of knowing what they will do with it. For example, Andrew Jackson became president; he established the Spoil System in which he fired almost everyone he didn’t think was good enough for the job. He even killed the innocent Native Americans for more land. Once Jackson got the power, he ran wild with it, more like he was possessed by the power. And what about the Watergate Scandal during the presidency of Richard Nixon? Using his powers, Nixon and his staff committed illegal acts such as burglarizing the White House. Or another example, using his power, Bush invaded Iraq without getting Congress to approve any of his bold actions.
I believe the central theme of America is “no one is perfect”. Yes many of the presidents of America had done stupid things, but no one is perfect. Just like every human being there is, you will never be able to find one flawless person, its like trying to find a pin in a haystack.
After having read all the quotes, I have found several authors completely contradicting each other. George Santayana, John Hope Franklin and Thomas Jefferson base their arguments on the past, present and future history and events. Santayana, philosopher and novelist, states that the past must be taken into account and remembered to learn from it and to not make the same mistakes in the future. On the contrary, Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States and principal author of the Declaration of Independence, focuses more in the future to come than in the already passed past. In between Santayana and Jefferson lies J.H. Franklin, an American historian and activist, who explains that his attraction to history relies mainly on the connection between the past and the present and that we should work to make the present what the past promises should have been.
There are two other authors whose comments lie on opposite sides: John Adams, the second President of the United States and Samuel L. Clemens, better known as author and humorist Mark Twain. John Adams praises America
as a good guide for the world. On the other hand, Mark Twain, who was in his 30s during the American Civil War, does not think the same, stating in a very humorous way that “it was wonderful to find America, but it would have been better to miss it”. Here we can find certain degree of resentment against America.
The statements that come closest to my beliefs are those of Frederick Douglass, an American abolitionist, author and statesman, who states that “if there is no struggle there is no progress”, and Will Rogers, a Cherokee-American cowboy, humorist and actor, who quotes “you can’t say civilization don’t advance… in every war they kill you in a new way”. The two arguments are not the same but there is a partial common ground between the two. There are many examples throughout history that support any of them. For example The American Civil War outcome was the abolition of slavery; the fight of the colonies against Great Britain brought about the Declaration of Independence; finally, The Gold Rush that made many Americans and immigrants head for California to pursue “their dream”. For the majority the Gold Rush was a struggle since things were not that easy, but, in the end, America made progress building the transcontinental railroad and improving the communication system, which would change the future of the West.
A recurrent theme in American History, from my point of view, is America and its past. Most of the quotes we have been working with make reference to this theme. America is a great country but it has its flaws. These flaws are the past events that have been taken place during centuries and from which Americans should learn. Probably the most outrageous event in American history is the treatment that Native Americans and slaves received.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.", said George Santayana. George Santayana is saying that if you don't learn your mistakes the first time, you tend to make the mistake again. Thomas Jefferson disagrees with George Santayana. Thomas Jefferson says, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past." Thomas Jefferson says that the hopes of the future are much more brighter than the dark past. George Santayana and Thomas Jefferson disagree with each other. Jefferson looks toward the bright future and condones the past while George Santayana learns his mistake from the past before moving on to the future.
"You cannot say civilization don't advance...in every war, they kill you in a new way.", said Will Rogers. This statement comes closest to my beliefs. What Will Rogers is saying is that civilization is advancing and thriving in every new way. I agree with him because almost every year, many new inventions are made. In American history, many wars had occurred. And as Will Rogers said, in every war, they kill you in a new way. Way back in 1775 through 1781, the Revolutionary War took place. The British and the Americans fought. In that time, cannons and simple guns were used. Later on, in the War of 1812, Great Britain and America fought again. This time, navies were included. Then finally, in 1861, the Civil War had begun. Canals, roads, railroads and many more were invented. All these types of transportation were installed and contributed to the war and success of American History. Also, more complex guns were created. Single shot muzzle loading rifles were used. As you can see, civilization always improves.
A central theme in American History is how America had changed from the very start until now and the future. I believe the central theme compares the past and the future and it shows the changes, accomplishments, difficulties, and hopes for the future. I believe that the central theme helps us understand the past, present and future. One central theme for American History would be "America has hope for the future and history from the past in which the past affects the future. The past was an example that helps us toward a better future." In the past, mistakes had affected our future. We don't make the same mistake again.
None of these authors seem to disagree with each other. Since these famous quotes were practacly in the same era, they all mostly held the same opinions about things. All of these statements tell us something about history. About slavery, the economy and even ourselves. An example of a quote about ourselves would be how "In every war you do, you get killed in a new way" is totally true from my perspective. Pretend you are fighting in a battle to... protect yourself/your pride of example. During or after that war/battle, you might either realize how good or bad your cause was and it would change your opinions about yourself and your beliefs. In a way, it makes you doubt your thoughts and it also give you knew ones.
In my opinion, the authors that disagree with each other are John Adams and Samuel Clemens. John Adams stated that “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, “ while Samuel Clemens stated “It was wonderful to find America, but it would have been more wonderful to miss it.” I believe that these statements contradict themselves. John Adams considers the settlement of America with wonder and respect, while Samuel Clemens demonstrates that it would have been wonderful to miss, America, even though it was great to find it, as well. John Adams considers America like a dream. He is amazed by the beauty and everything that thrives in America. In general, this president loves America and is glad that he is an inhabitant there. However, Samuel Clemens has a different point. He believes that finding America was a fantastic experience, but with all of the wars, disagreements, etc., people could have dealt with all of that pandemonium. It was very difficult those times, so Samuel Clemens understands that America was very difficult to live in.
The statement about U.S. history that comes closest to my beliefs is the quote that was made by Abigail Adams. This wise woman and First Lady stated, “ 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. “ She believes that Man is a dangerous creature. Humans keep absorbing more and more power whenever they can get it. They take control over everything and think that they are the greatest beings of all. Mrs. Adams metaphorically expresses her beliefs and I completely agree with her. She sees the Man as a great fish that swallows up the power he gets. This is how humans become selfish and how there could be many disagreements. They just keep absorbing power and go above the limit. Humans are truly dangerous creatures. For example, Andrew Jackson took advantage of people by using the spoil system to determine who will get a job. That was a very unfair and an unreasonable action. It is clear that Jackson was taking control over people. In addition, another act that demonstrates Jackson’s corruption was that he was involved with Indian Removal Policy. It is believed that he issued Indians out of the east to the west of the Mississippi River. Lastly, a third evidence to prove corruption of a president is James Monroe, who in 1816, sent troops to secure the U.S. Florida Border. All of these actions show how humans take over when they get moved up to a higher status.
The central theme of American history is to learn that just like everything else, America isn’t perfect. As you can see, there is a great amount of evidence, showing that America is imperfect. We have to fix it to make sure that we don’t repeat the past.
Those who cannot remember the past is condemned to repeat it." ~George Santayna. I believe that this quote disagrees with the quote "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past." ~Thomas Jefferson. The quotes disagree with each other because Jefferson likes to think about the future of our nation, while Santayna likes the remember the past of our nation. It almost seems like Santayna likes the past better than the future because he may be afraid of what lies in the mystery of the future. Unlike Santayna, Jefferson dreams about the future, and doesn't see the future as a mysterious subject, but a world full of hope. I believe that American History is hopeful, because there is a lot of hope, seeing adults make such actions such as programs called "no child left behind." Like Yaneev, I also feel that Will Rogers quote, "You can't say civilization doesn't advance... in every war they kill you a new way." You can see now, that America came a long way from swords and bows and arrows. Now, America has more complex ways, such as Hummers made for the army, machine guns, snipers, atomic bombs, M-60 tanks; etc. You can also see that civilization changed a lot; building more efficient cities, buildings that don't fall in an hour, and I believe that in the future, it would be so advanced.
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