How Did America Live Up To Founding Ideals

America’s Ideals
America has lived up to its founding ideals of equality, rights, liberty, opportunity, and democracy. All of the placards except placards 2B, 2E, and 2M support the idea that America has lived up to them. Although there were some times that America did not live up to the ideals, like the time that African Americans not being equal, there were more times that America did. America lives up to the ideal of equality every day because the government views all people as equal, and everyone has the same rights. After reading these placards the evidence supports that America has lived up to these ideals throughout history.
Throughout the history of America our people have tried to live up to the founding ideals, and they have come close to achieving them. In the placard 2N it states “These young people expressed their disappointment in the traditional way of life through their clothing, music, food, and even transport…” this quote shows that the people of America lived up to the ideal of rights in this time period by letting these people have their right to express

themselves, and being able to be free and do what they want within the law. (Placard 2N) In placard 2J it states “The entire nation came together to fight the war.” Also in the picture you can see that there are woman working in factories. These two examples from the placard show the ideal of equality being achieved. This was achieved by letting the woman have the same equality as men with the right to work out of the house. From the quote it shows that everyone have an equal part to help in the war. (Placard 2J)
Even though America tries to come close to these ideals there were sometimes that these ideals were far from reach, but there are few of these times. One of these most well know times is stated in placard 2M “Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was jailed in Birmingham for nonviolent protest.” The picture shows an African American walking down the street and being attacked by police dogs. America did not live up to the ideal of rights during this time because all African American’s were not being given basic right such as the right to walk down the street or the right to peaceful protest. (Placard 2M) Another time that America did not live up to these ideals was during the Progressive Era, in placard 2E it states “Needing more and more workers factories hired immigrants, and even children, at low wages.” This quote shows that the children opportunity to achieve what they want to as a kid, this was taken away because they were working long shifts in low paying jobs. (Placard 2M)
Some of the more recent events that support America living up to its founding ideals are about things like gay marriage legalization and Donald Trump being able to run for president.

CNN.com states “a divided Supreme Court on Friday ruled that same-sex couples can marry nationwide, establishing a new civil right…” This law is showing that people that want same-sex marriage have the opportunity to have what makes them happy. It also is a right that everyone has, the right to happiness. (cnn.com) CNN.com states “Well I say God is the ultimate. You know you look at this? Trump said, motioning toward an oceanfront golf course that bears his name.” This quote shows that everyone has the ideal of rights, and are allowed to say what they want because of the right to freedom of speech and everyone is allowed to have whatever religion they want because of the right to freedom of religion.

(CNN.com)
America has achieved its 5 founding ideals of equality, rights, liberty, opportunity, and democracy. There is lots of evidence that America has lived up to the founding ideals, and little evidence that’s they have not. America has lived up these ideals by letting everyone have equal rights and opportunity and letting the people govern themselves. The only times that America has not lived up to these ideals is when people in history forced children to work and did not give the African Americans rights. Most of this evidence proves that America has lived up to the ideals.