The Issue Of American History Essay - 2225 Words

In the discussion of American history, one controversial issue has been the importance of laws. On the one hand, some people argue that laws shapes history. On the other hand, other contends that laws reflect American history. The latter argument is correct. Though, American history spans only 300 years, numerous laws in the country have changed the lives of its people. It is obvious that America today is different than 100 years ago. Today, attitudes towards certain subjects such as gay rights, torture, crime, marijuana have changed the direction of laws in the country. In those cases, the laws have been beneficial to those cause, because the country voiced their opinion on those issues. The same could be said about America in its infancy, both as a group of colonies and its beginnings as an early, yet dominant Republic. In Pre-Modern America, it was a transitional period as some laws were reflected religious beliefs. As the country modernized it became more progressive and legal ca ses were more based on precedent (Hoffer 2016). Women and African-American were disenfranchised groups, and laws did not help them until much later in American history. Looking at the Gilded Age, the government looked to help business and believe in free-market ideology. In retrospect, those decisions are laughable, but it affected a lot of people at the time. Sometimes stubborn beliefs affected law’s passage or rejection in the courts. Attitudes of different eras have dictated the laws in theShow MoreRelatedThe Issue and History of Illiteracy Among African Americans1510 Words   |  7 PagesThe Issue And History Of Illiteracy Among African Americans Becca White Writing 123 Instructor Sydney Darby 27 May 2008 Illiteracy is a growing issue in America. The U.S. Department of Education funded the National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS) in 1992 that estimates over 90 million Americans fall well below an eight grade literacy level (Rome, 2004, pp. 84). Nowhere is this tragedy more prevalent than among the impoverished African Americans. Illiteracy has always been higher among AfricanRead MoreFree College Is Not An Issue That Has Transcended American History1048 Words   |  5 PagesFree education is not an issue that just affects today’s society, it is a problem that has transcended American history. Founding Father, John Adams stated, â€Å"The whole people must take upon themselves the education of the whole people, and must be willing to bear the expense of it.† Every year many high school graduates find themselves asking themselves, â€Å"What next?† For most, the logical answer is to continue their education. That is, if they can afford it. For those more financially-needy studentsRead MoreThe Brown v. Board of Education Court Case Essay993 Words   |  4 PagesThe Brown v. Board of Education Court Case served as a highlighted issue in black history. Brown v. Board help different races comes together in public schools. This case became very big 1950s lots of attention was draw n to the case at that time. News reporter and critics had different views and opinions about this case. This case in 1954 causes lots of issues and views towards the black race. The quote â€Å"separate but equal† is vital due to â€Å"Plessy v. Ferguson† and the famous lawyer Thurgood MarshallRead MoreThe United States : A World Leader And Its Responses Will Have Key Consequences1693 Words   |  7 PagesFrom the mid-20th to the early-21st century, the United States faced many conflicts, pressures, and changes that were brought about by events and issues which occurred outside of American borders. In response, there was no way for the nation to avoid becoming more globalized. Globalization came in the form of economic, social, and political pressure on the country. Some of these shifts in policy and world view were brought on by necessity such as the energy crisis of the 1970’s. Others were by choiceRead More The Ethnicity of Mexians in the United States Essay 1738 Words   |  7 Pagescenturies, Mexican Americans have dealt with an enormous amount of hardships that date back to their early Aztec roots. The source of many problems in Mexican American history can be traced in the pre-colonial period, before the United States of America was even conceived. Major problems of this era in history not only affected the Aztecs, but also the following generations of Aztec and Mexican descent, and continue to have an impact on their descendents in contemporary American society. BeginningRead MoreThe North End Of Boston1317 Words   |  6 PagesIrish were when then immigrated to Boston. This is taken very personally to Dennis lehane as his parents were irish immigrants. The message is clear that the overall stigma that immigrants are bad is plainly wrong and that americans need to combat these stereotypes. Americans enacted the immigration act of 1918 described as â€Å" An act to exclude and espel from the united states aliens who are members of the anarchistic and similar classes†. This is another common topic that is discussed very passionatelyRead MoreEssay On Survey Analysis1404 Words   |  6 Pagesrespondents at 40%. Graduate students were not represented in the data and it is an issue that would have to be addressed in future studies. When it came to a test of respondents’ knowledge on Native American history, a majority of respondents agreed that they did not have any adequate knowledge compared to those who did. In Table 1, we see t hat over 50% of the respondents disagreed when asked if they knew about aspects of the history like the Trail of Tears and the massacre by the Europeans. This is significantRead MoreThe Confederate Flag And The Civil War1508 Words   |  7 PagesFlags have been a part of history since the beginning of time and the Confederate flag is a large part of the United States history. People need to learn what the flag has represented. The true meaning. Not what they think the flag has represented. Teaching the meaning of the Confederate flag needs to start in the schools with young children. Without knowing the true history and meaning of the Confederate flag the war over the flag may never stop. People cannot change history by removing a flag fromRead MoreWhat Is The Stance On Ethnic Issues In Education?749 Words   |  3 Pageson ethnic issues with the introduction of Arizona House Bill (HB) 2021. Proponents of the bill believe that it is necessary to maintain ethnic equality in our cl assrooms. However, House bill HB 2120, which would prohibit ethnic-focused studies, should not be passed because it would restrict our history, it is unconstitutional, and it would be harmful to our schools and students. Passage of this bill would do more harm than good in our local community. In 1998, courses in Mexican-American studies (MAS)Read MoreHistorical Racial Issues of Broadcast Television699 Words   |  3 Pagesto issues of race over the years. Especially around the time of the Civil Rights Movement, broadcast networks began to face public backlash over the representation of African Americans on television or the lack thereof. In the early 1960s, the NBC affiliate station WLBT in Jackson Mississippi refused to show The Nat King Cole Show or civil rights coverage (Hilmes, 269). Many people were upset by this because it was yet another way for the South to discount the citizenship of African Americans. The