...It is often argued that the American dream is dead, but America is still thriving, despite the negativity surrounding it. Time and time again, America has accomplished feats that should be impossible. America succeeds as an “improbable idea” as demonstrated through captivating ethos in A Quilt of a Country and inspiring pathos in George Washington Crossing the Delaware which depict America’s hope. In the article A Quilt of a Country by Anna Quindlen, ethos is used to portray how Americans have hope even when it seems useless. Despite all the abominable events occurring in the world, the “American psyche” (Quindlen, paragraph 7) and “patriotism” (paragraph 8) are still thriving. The author begins the article by providing examples of particularly...
Words: 554 - Pages: 3
...American Identity Paper Early America was the collaboration and efforts of many British settlers who left their homelands seeking out the New World in relief of an overpopulated England and opportunities of religious freedoms. The result was a society under British rule, in the beginning, which would become a model nation formed by its people for its people. A letter from Hector St. John de Cre’vecoeurs, a Pennsylvania farmer, accounts the differences of America and Europe in a letter written by the farmer to a friend in England. In his letter, he praised America in its success creating a beautiful nation from land that was once heavily wooded and unsettled. Cre’vecoeurs detailed the descriptions of American farmers, describing them as possessing nice clothing as he rode on horses or wagons with his wife. Their lifestyles were pleasant for a man who would have to be a knight in England for the same standards of living. Instead of peasants that toiled the English soils, American farmers cultivated his lands. These opportunities for farmers to be self-sufficient far outweighed the manufacturers in England in which thousands worked with little opportunity to be independent. Cre’vecoeurs also told of lands not yet populated. Unlike England there was room for growth and expansion in Early America. His letters also noted the absence of hostile castles and mansions; signs of upper class royalty. The absence of these castles and mansions also meant there...
Words: 486 - Pages: 2
...There are twelve million immigrants living within America's borders, which all together consists of just over three-hundred million people. Moreover, 11.4 million of them are here undocumented. Illegal immigration in the United States, remains one of the biggest controversial issues. Many Americans postulate that granting citizenship to undocumented immigrants will only worsen, and contribute to America's over-population dilemma. Immigrants are quickly neglected by Americans, that accuse them of generating criminal actions, embezzlement of American jobs and taking advantage of American dollars. However, these absent minded individuals overlook the facts. Immigrants are hardworking and tax paying individuals, who struggle on a daily basis for...
Words: 498 - Pages: 2
...America’s Aggressive Economic Hegemony American Expansionism during the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth century is a result of America’s economic necessity as a growing country. Through this economic conquest, America was led to the forefront of the world stage in the process. America’s idea of Manifest Destiny, first coined by John O’Sullivan in 1845, was used as their catalyst to spur expansion of the United States territory and its trade to all parts of the globe. Through America’s first conflict with Spain in the Seminole War they were allowed to take over Florida, starting its progress onto the world stage. America’s victory in one of its first foreign affairs on foreign soil in the Mexican-American War further led to this rise on the world stage. After the success of the Mexican-American War, America turned to Hawaii and East Asia and continued their economic pursuits there through movements such as the Tyler Doctrine and the Treaty of Kanagawa. President James Monroe was keen on removing Spain from Florida in 1818 and gave General Andrew Jackson orders to quell the Seminole rebellion in any manner he saw fit. By doing so, America would have leverage over Spain in negotiations. While this message was misinterpreted, the aftermath favored the United States on the grounds that “Spain’s inability to maintain order compelled United States to do so.” The removal of Indians, obtaining more territories and delaying of British intervention was justified through the idea of...
Words: 1487 - Pages: 6
...Critique of “America Remains the World’s Beacon of Success” Whether you read it in print or online years later, former Congressman Tim Roemer’s 2012 article titled “America Remains the World’s Beacon of Success” makes a bold statement; one that still applies today. As the article opens, Roemer regales his audience with some of the experiences as the U.S. ambassador to India. He discovered that America is not nearly as despised as we believe that it is. In fact, he goes so far as to state that “America is still greatly admired around the world” (618). Roemer begins his article by talking about his time as a U.S. ambassador. When he interacted with the Indian government and populace, he sensed a deep respect and admiration for the States...
Words: 843 - Pages: 4
...During this war, the Second Continental Congress held a gathering of the most influential politicians and thinkers, which included John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston, to write what would become the Declaration of Independence. America’s independence allowed for the creation of a new government and, therefore, new political parties. These political parties that erected at the beginning of a new nation included the Federalists and the Republicans. Politics would become a matter of great influence in the society and government in America. Changes in the national government during the mid to late eighteenth century were gargantuan due to the fighting of the Revolutionary War, the constant conflicts between the newly created parties, the Federalists and the Republicans, and the creation of new constitutions to attempt to support the new...
Words: 1025 - Pages: 5
...connect to all the factors that have shaped how they are living today. The next generation learns from the last and ancestral stories are repeated, passed down and incorporated into the fabric of the uniqueness of individuals within a culture. Within the vast boundaries of our nation there are unique and geographical cultures that have succeeded in surviving despite the odds and then there are the stories of those who didn’t succeed. Both cultures build upon bonding born from the hardship of working the soil in rural America, but only one of these cultures has found a way to liberate its people and share the truths associated with those struggles. Maya Angelou speaks to the African American Culture in her work “Reclaiming our Home Place”. She captures the tragic yet rich history of the America’s south and how celebrating this history as a culture has set the once enslaved African American free. (Angelou) Further to the northwest, based in the rural by-ways of America is the story of the people who claimed the plains as their heritage as told by Kathleen Norris in “Can you Tell the Truth in a Small Town?” The plains and her people’s culture faced very different struggles and remain bound to secret societies of shame and shared silent failures which challenge and threaten the loss of their historical heritage. (Norris) Slavery has existed, in one form or...
Words: 2306 - Pages: 10
...Introduction Land Rover North America’s president and CEO, Charles Hughes had a dream for the company: to make North America the #1 Land Rover market worldwide. The Land Rover Discovery was a big success with over 2,000 units sold and 4,000 customers waiting availability. They were also planning to re-design the Range Rover and add improvements to the Land Rover Defender. Based on the growing strength of the U.S. SUV market, research suggests consumers are seeking vehicles that can help them have "experiences" while being practical, safe, reliable and luxurious. Competitive Analysis The SUV market included 30 products with prices ranging from $10,000 to $60,000 (1994). The market was concentrated with Jeep and Ford, with Chevrolet as a distant third. In the luxury segment competitors included: Mercedes, Lexus, and Infiniti (announced entry in 1996); Jaguar, Acura, Lincoln, and Cadillac (studying entry for 1997). Jeep Grand Cherokee was the best-selling SUV in America. Jeep was a very popular brand due to their heritage as America’s first-ever SUV. Ford Explorer was the second best- selling SUV. Both Jeep and Ford has multiple price points in their portfolios allowing for a large customer target. Chevrolet’s brands were depicted as “product quality with style”. Ford Explorer and Jeep Grand Cherokee are the biggest competitors when it comes to customer perception of major SUV brands. They have higher brand awareness while Land Rover...
Words: 932 - Pages: 4
...Commander in Chief of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War against Britain. His hard work and dedication to the War significantly impacted the outcome, as his actions certainly contributed to America’s win. Washington won the first presidential election for the United States on April 30, 1789 after the War had ended. George Washington is responsible for America’s success in the Revolutionary War because he was a strong and smart leader of the Continental Army, he was a very successful...
Words: 681 - Pages: 3
...Unfree labor was an important presence in colonial America. Because native birth rates in the colonies were low, laborers for the plantations had to come from elsewhere. Indentured servants from Europe were the first unfree laborers introduced to the colonies. After Bacon’s rebellion, planters sought another form of unfree labor, slavery. Indentured servants and slaves were the backbone of colonial America’s economy. Indentured servitude was fundamental to the development of the economy of early colonial America. The practice was introduced to the colonies by the Virginia Company to solve the labor shortage issue on the tobacco plantations, and because of the high cost of slaves and England’s surplus of displaced workers and farmers, indentured servants were preferable. By 1700, approximately three quarters of the population in the Chesapeake colonies were indentured servants. This was the first time the English colonies had implemented unfree labor on a large scale showing the region’s reliance on it. After Bacon’s Rebellion, planters sought to replace their malcontent servants for slaves....
Words: 485 - Pages: 2
...the American Dream; the equal opportunity to achieve success through hard work, determination and initiative. But people from around the world still travel to the US because of this idea that you can be anything you want to be if you put in the work. I believe one of the reasons Americans think the "dream" of a better life is dead is that we were born in the US and we usually got what we wanted quickly. The people who immigrate here is because they want to improve their lives and they can't do it from where they come from. The American Dream is a reality; every citizen of the United States of America has the opportunity of achieving something better no matter what prejudices they may face, but it also depends on their perseverance and luck. The term “The American Dream” has a many interpretations, but one of the most popular is from the Declaration of Independence. “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. In simpler terms, The American Dream is the opportunity of the pursuit of freedom, and satisfaction of needs and wants. As Thomas Wolfe said, “ ...to every man, regardless of his birth, his shining, golden opportunity ...the right to live, to work, to be himself, and to become whatever thing his manhood and his vision can combine to make him”. This quote explains how everyone in the U.S. as the right to the American Dream: to function as a member of society and to pursue their hopes and dreams. If you come to America underprivileged or poor, then you have the chance to...
Words: 911 - Pages: 4
...The idea of what an American is can be different for everyone. It all depends on perspective. Through my experiences and research I have a better grasp on what I think it means to be an American. With stories and letters, such as Equiano, Of Plymouth Plantation, and Letters from Columbus, an American is one who has a desire for success, money, power, and freedom. It is through the stories of the past that provide proof to that statement. In the story of Equiano, slaves were brought to America, to fulfill America’s need for power and money, but the story also shows the desire for freedom. Equiano was a young boy who was ripped out of Nigeria and transported by boat to be sold as a slave in America. He suffered the long, awful boat ride, and...
Words: 638 - Pages: 3
...Merriam-Webster dictionary, affirmative action is an active effort to improve the employment and educational opportunities of members of a minority or other disadvantaged groups while it defines multiculturalism as the acceptance and promotion of different cultures, races and cultures as well as cultural awareness. Immigration has become one of the hot button issues by U.S lawmakers, with the senate reaching a deal on border security as part of the immigration deal this week. It is the oldest and the newest story of the American experience. People are drawn to American by the same dreams of opportunity and freedom that galvanized people to cross the oceans hundreds of years ago. Immigration has been a vital ingredient in America’s success, enabled America’s growth and prosperity and helped shape it as the dynamic country that it is today. It has been proven that immigration increases economic growth, with the U.S undergoing transformative economic growth with previous successive large-scale immigration. With the new immigration policy yet to go for a vote in the senate and the house, the future of immigration policy is yet to be seen. First used in the 1960’s, affirmative action refers to a complex set of policies that were enacted by the different branches of local, state, and federal departments created to improve the opportunities of minorities and women by giving them preference in admissions to higher education, government and private sector employment, and government...
Words: 609 - Pages: 3
...the United States of America accomplished a colossal feat that astonished the world. After years of trial and error the United States of America was able to beat all odds and all other countries in putting a man on the Earth’s moon, two men to be exact. Neil Alden Armstrong, the first man to lay his feet on the moon’s surface and Edwin Eugene “Buzz” Aldrin Jr. who shortly followed became symbols of America’s self-proclaimed superiority. The controversy of this topic lies in many questions. What events took place that led up to the moon landing? Who was involved? How and why did we put a man on the moon and be the first? History itself can give us these answers but there is also one question that seems to still have people talking to this day and that is, did it really even happen or could it possibly be the United States of America’s greatest hoax? The Cold War began approximately in 1945 at the end of World War II. The United States, Great Britain and some other allied counties decided they wanted to contain communism in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R) and China. Although the United States of America and these communist enemies did not get in any physical battles during this war there was definitely a lot of unspoken threats and the flexing of muscles between the two super powers, the United States of America and the Soviet Union. One of the two biggest contests or “races” between the two countries began when the United States of America found out that the Soviet...
Words: 2000 - Pages: 8
...Their ultimate objective was to conquer British North America and to break the power of their native enemies. However, despite their grandiose plans, the Americans were ill-prepared for war...Additionally, most of the American troops were militiamen (who are generally inferior to professional soldiers) and were under-trained. This remained the case during the war; as the Americans usually had the numerical advantage, while the British usually enjoyed superior training and leadership” (Andrew Wright). The United States Navy was similarly in good shape with qualified men and competent officers. During the first year of the war, the navy were the only ones generating victories for the United States. The United States suffered many ruinous defeats due to the British, Canadian and Native American troops over the course of the War of 1812. In order to strike at Great Britain, U.S. forces instantly attacked Canada. American officials were confident about the invasion’s success, especially given how vulnerable U.S. troops were. Despite the inept and indifferent...
Words: 650 - Pages: 3
