The United States

The Oxford Dictionary defines Wisdom as the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. Looking over the history of the United States, it can be argued that as a nation, the U.S has grown wiser over the years. This due to the various obstacles that they’ve overcome. Many of which were conflicts that arose with other countries and, at one point, within itself. All of the decisions made during these times of tension and overall crisis, even though at the moment very difficult to get through, all in all have been exceedingly beneficial to its progression as a Nation and in total helping citizens better define what it truly means to be American. Although the United States has been around since the late 1700’s, the definition of what it means to be American has transformed dramatically since then. Through each major conflict and detrimental hardship, the definition of what it means to be American has manifested itself into something far greater than it ever has been before, demonstrating the amount of progress that this fine nation has made over the past two hundred years altogether.

With landmark Supreme Court decisions in regards to education such as Brown v Board of Education, which made segregation within schools illegal, one would be inclined to believe that modern schools are void of any inequality. However, at a deeper glance, it is apparent that there is a glaring inequality within public school systems at the national, statewide, and even district-wide level. Such an inequality has drastic results as the education one receives has a high correlation to the college they will attend, and the job they will work. It is in society's best interest that public school systems be improved to equally supplement students with the tools necessary to succeed. While the public school system aims to reduce the inequality within it, they have proven ineffective in guaranteeing children of all races and economic classes an equal education.

Cultures using hyphenated forms of “American,” such as Mexican-American, African-American, Asian-American, Native-American and many more is a step in the right direction for culture acceptance. With this positive move in the world, there could be a change in how cultures view themselves, leading to how others view them. The multicultural society has to take into account for this change because without their acceptance it would just be hate. Bharati Mukherjee in her essay “American Dreamer,” asserts, “WE MUST BE ALERT TO THE DANGERS OF AN ‘US’ vs. ‘THEM’ MENTALITY.” Although Mukherjee has a great point here, I have to disagree. I don’t feel that we have to be aware of the ‘US’ versus ‘THEM’ mentality with the change in cultural acceptance.

Topeka, Kansas, 1950, a young African-American girl named Linda Brown had to walk a mile to get to her school, crossing a railroad switchyard. She lived seven blocks from an all white school. Linda’s father, Oliver, tried to enroll her into the all white school. The school denied her because of the color of her skin. Segregation was widespread throughout our nation. Blacks believed that the “separate but equal” saying was false. They felt that whites had more educational opportunities. Mr. Brown, along with the NAACP and many civic leaders, fought for equal educational rights for all races. Brown v. The Board of Education case and the events leading up to it had a positive effect on education and society.

Throughout American history, schools have been segregated by race due to a common idea in society that although schools are separate they are still equal. Regardless of this belief, schools across the country were far from equal. Certain states made it illegal for black people to get an education resulting in most of them being illiterate. Plessy Vs. Ferguson created the idea of separate but equal in 1896, but doctrine was overturned in 1954 by the controversial Brown Vs. Board decision, resulting in the beginning of a new change that would be made in American schools. This decision is a symbolic moment in the history of American education because the shift in schools. The decision is still fundamental today due to the fact that segregation has now become about issues such as gender, sexual orientation, religion, and not just race. It is vital to understand this concept of segregation in schools so teachers can learn how to avoid segregation resulting in an inclusive class.

The Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision of May 17, 1954 was one that formally acknowledged that, in the words of Chief Justice Earl Warren, “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” This support for desegregation was a turning point in ongoing protest against the laws created in the wake of Plessy v. Ferguson. And while belief that this victory would take time to be implemented nation-wide, civil rights activists underestimated determination white supremacists held against the federal decision. For over a decade integration on any large-remained a remote possibility, due to the political efforts in individual states, especially in the South.

In the actuality of the cases presented from the plaintiffs, they sought aid from the court to grant admission for segregated children to be able to attend the same school as whites. The initial segregation in the Plessy vs. Fergson case stated that the “separate but equal” doctrine was in effect since the different races were given equal facilities even if they were separate. This rule was pointed out by the plaintiffs in the Brown vs. Board of Education case where they argued that this separation was not equal at all and stripped the segregated students their protection of the law. And of course, the importance of this argument forced the Court to take jurisdiction. Several re-arguments were made on the case and even though it shined a great light

.“Ships that come and go- I wonder where they’ve been and where they’re going when they leave. I wonder what they carry with them and what they bring. The other day when I went to the market, I saw stalks of sugarcane- one of the vendors said that it came from Barbados. Barbados is an island like Jamaica- maybe Thomas will take me there one day…”

Chapter 6 narrates the popular demand for a militarized “food dictatorship,” and the state leaders’ response to it. The poor Berliners challenged the market economy and believed that only a total militarized control of food distribution could serve their needs. Seeing the slow response of the authorities, the starving population found that the government failed to make their promise to reward their patriotism in the war. A byproduct at this time was anti-Semitism, separating “true Germans” from “the Jew” that were associated with profiteering (132-135). This chapter contends that the women of lesser means perceived the state’s capacity for controlling food distribution as a criterion to “adjudicate the government’s success or failure” (115). Consequently, the WWI Germany was not fully oriented to the military need and political loyalty, but full of dynamic altercation (115).

led by the Sons of Liberty: opened 342 chests of tea and dumped them into the Boston Harbor (dressed up as Native Americans)

The victims of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011 accept the president’s policy. Granting equal liberties also shows good will in changing this situation.

Early English settlers who sailed on the Arbella set a precedent that would affect the actions and history of the United States in the future. According to The Wordy Shipmates author Sarah Vowell, those colonists began the way the United States would be unique and not conform to what other countries do and this is shown in the actions the United States has taken throughout its history. Instead of conforming, most of the goals of the United States have been to allow other nations to conform to the United States’ image. Yet, those colonists who were being sent off with John Cotton’s speech questioned their decision to leave England in case there was some reason England would need their religious influence. There is no reason why their home

The Southern States of America was made up of the following, Georgia with Atlanta as the Capital of the new union, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee and Kentucky. Although, Kentucky wasn’t a sure bet at this point, there was still a lot of work to do in that state.

One of the main foundations upon of the Constitution is the innate belief that we are a government run are by the people, yet must simultaneously watch for the corruptions of those same people who stand beside us. It is the reason that the United States has a system of checks and balances, to prevent one branch from becoming too powerful, it is why we have the electoral college, though many argue it’s exclusivity has hardly served its purpose, and it is why we have the 7th Amendment, which guarantees all civil trials (that exceed $20, ironically) to be accompanied by a jury. Though the question of its justification and use is more complex than a complete agreement or disagreement, the amendment overall deserves its place among the others, and then some. It is not insusceptible to corruption, most will admit, but we need this right both for it’s efficiency and for it’s correlation with the very foundational principles that make up our country.

Following numerous events in the 1850’s and early 1860’s, eleven of the southern states of the United States of America would make a fateful decision to succeed from the Nation. They would in turn create their own independent country, the Confederate States of America. This action and its ramifications echoed throughout the world during the Era and the effects are still felt today. A civil war would ensue, lasting from April of 1861 until May of 1865. During this conflict approximately 700,000 people would lose their lives and the end would come with the Confederate States of America surrendering at Appomattox Courthouse.