If mankind was to never fight back against the challenges life throws their way, then the pursuit of happiness would end on the day they stopped fighting for a finer life. Throughout America's history, people have faced dark times, nevertheless many showed that it takes not only courage and determination to fight back against the judgmental society, but action was what allowed for change to be made. Hope was not lost even if only one man survived, living had not been happy for everyone, however a better life was possible. Individuals survived through injustice from assistance of a great speaker who spoke his mind and from a group who disobeyed the law but did the right thing. First of all, great leaders in America’s history have proven what …show more content…
matters to them through their actions and words. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. turned his passions and beliefs into a job and he worked and inspired others who needed a reason to take matters into their own hands, all so that their dreams of equal rights would one day become a reality. On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, MLK Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” Speech, stating that he had “A dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” (MLK). This speech demonstrated that even if they would not live to the day where the Negro is free and in the pursuit of happiness with no manacles of slurs that held him back, they should still hope and fight for their youth to be the ones who reach that day. He implied in his speech that only if they were to unite together would they succeed, divided doing little actions here and there would take too long to break the system. Martin Luther King Jr, spoke not for the fame, but for the crowd, for the ones who needed a voice. He was a beacon of light that others used to escape the darkness that had surrounded them. His “I Have a Dream” speech inspired humans to take action, they used their strength in masses to earn their rights as humans. The children of that generation, lived to see rights given and generations after survived and would never again be bonded into slavery in America. Martin Luther King Jr, spoke for his people to his people, with this speech he started a butterfly effect, they should be proud that the society that humans currently live include the rights they fought for. Just as well, back when slavery was still at large and freedom was not given, there were individuals willing to risk their lives for others.
The Underground Railroad was used by many black slaves who escaped to freedom, conductors who helped free slaves were great people who took many risks. The days when slaves thought they could never make it or when a conductor's house was the best feeling in the whole world helped slaves not lose hope. Slaves may have not had a full education, but they knew they didn't deserve this, “Some slaves chose to rebel because of their lack of rights and the dominant power places on them...they received physical punishments, physical abuse and no right to an education” (The Underground Railroad Wksht). Many slaves were soon fed up with the abuse they were received all based on the color of their skin and background so they decided to resist and flee. More than hundreds were lucky enough to seek help from conductors on the Underground Railroad. Men and women of each color worked in unison to free slaves, they are the reason to why so many slaves could breathe in the fresh air and walk without any chains. They broke laws, but they did a good deed and the many bounties on their heads and the suspicions never hindered their determination to bring slaves to freedom. One conductor could not bring a handful of slaves to freedom in the North or especially Canada without the high risk of being caught. It took the whole team of conductors to bring slaves to freedom. Many conductors who took slaves out of the plantations and started them on their journeys, used disguises to return for others and help slaves at least get a day without whips or chains. Conductors were able to walk freely, but they are the ones who decided for themselves to help the men, woman, and all the children who wanted a new life. Many slaves were able to escape with no more physical abuse, get an education, and all because the conductors on the Underground Railroad gave a
helping hand. the true belief and trust many had on the spot for each other was empowering. Even so the former slaves would still continue to fight for more rights, many were able to live past the hardships of slavery all because there were people kind enough to help. The conductors were able to help slaves survive the hard days and finally reach freedom, they helped change hundreds of men and women's lives for the better. We cannot force others to change opinions or to no longer judge, but they were able to convince the law that they were worth protecting. Many suffered and many did not make it, but others survived and proved that they changed the lives of many and there was still hope for more improvements. It took a leader who stood up for the ones who weren't brave enough to speak and people who united to save others from a terrible life, to help many overcome injustices and see a day where their dreams finally came true, they were no longer treated like vermin, but as humans who e lived in the pursuit of happiness. Injustice still exists today, but by looking at how others progressed and made a change, and if history decides to repeat itself, America has built itself a barrier of understanding, that is willing to protect everyone's rights.
In the book The Underground Railroad, we learn of a woman named Ethel Wells a Christian educator who shows some signs of being a lesbian. In Ethel’s time (the 1800’s) it was considered disgusting when you love someone who is not of the opposite sex. If one woman was found with another woman in sexual relations you were either stoned, put into an asylum, or punished by death (Wikipedia). Ethel shows her first sign of being a lesbian when she was little. Ethel would play with her friend Jasmine and they would play husband and wife kissing and quarreling as she saw her mother and father do. Once Ethel turned eight her father banned Ethel from playing with Jasmin saying, “so as not to pervert the natural state of relations between the races”(263).
Fugitive slaves, or runaway slaves, were fleeing a life of hardship and confinement for a life of h...
The Underground Railroad was an escape network of small, independent groups of individuals bound together by the common belief that enslaving a human being was immoral. A loosely structured, informal system of people who, without regard for their own personal safety. Conducting fugitives from slavery to free states, and eventually to Canada where they could not be returned to slavery was a dangerous undertaking.
The search for our definition of the good life is wrought with trials and tribulation, working to overcome deep seeded trends of oppression within society or family. For some, finding the good life requires them to rise above subjugation, regardless of consequences. This struggle is illustrated in Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr, who argues the necessity of peaceful protest to find a future of equality free from persecution, and in Hobson’s Choice by Harold Brighouse where a woman must rise above her father’s tyrannical will to find a good life. While no struggle is without its consequences, the finality of finding the good life and the benefits of that achievement ultimately overrides the fight for happiness.
In the world we live in today, many people call themselves men; but are they really? Jefferson learned a lot in his life, but he also taught a lot too. He walked up to the electric chair a man, and he died a man. He taught us that no matter what happens in life, stand tall and be proud of who you are. The actions that we choose to make are what determines what kind of a person we become. In life, we all make mistakes, and at times, the consequences may be harsher than we would expect. However, it is what you do when you get to that point where you are stripped of everything you have, and know you cannot fight the system you're living in, that truly matters. When you have nothing left, and still keep your dignity and sacrifice yourself to shape a better community; that is when the hero inside you truly shines.
The Underground Railroad was an extremely complex organization whose mission was to free slaves from southern states in the mid-19th century. It was a collaborative organization comprised of white homeowners, freed blacks, captive slaves, or anyone else who would help. This vast network was fragile because it was entirely dependent on the absolute discretion of everyone involved. A slave was the legal property of his owner, so attempting escape or aiding a fugitive slave was illegal and dangerous, for both the slave and the abolitionist. In The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Frederick Douglass understands that he can only reveal so many details about his escape from servitude, saying, “I deeply regret the necessity that impels
The Underground Railroad was large group of people who secretly worked together to help slaves escape slavery in the south. Despite the name, the Underground Railroad had nothing to do with actual railroads and was not located underground (www.freedomcenter.org). The Underground Railroad helped move hundreds of slaves to the north each year. It’s estimated that the south lost 100,000 slaves during 1810-1850 (www.pbs.org).
If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate 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 struggle may be a moral one; or it may
Since the human race began, the goal of becoming the best person one can possibly be has been a common one amongst society. The definition of a meaningful life, or a good person varies an infinite amount based on one’s opinion. However, regardless of the definition, one thing is for certain. Both Benjamin Franklin and Henry David Thoreau without a doubt achieved this goal. Although they had different ideas and beliefs, they got to the same result, which was to experience a full and significant life. Not only did they both achieve this, but they also made the world a better place in their own unique ways. By improving the world around them, both Franklin and Thoreau will be in our history books forever as incredibly influential people, whose ideas and narrative works are still admired and studied to this day.
After America acquired the West, the need for efficient transportation heightened. Ideas circulated about a railroad that would spread across the continent from East to West. Republican congresses ruled for the federal funding of railroad construction, however, all actions were halted for a few years on account of a war. Following the American Civil War of 1861-1865, the race to build transcontinental railroad began in 1866. Lincoln approved Pacific Railway Act of 1862, granting two railroad companies the right to build the first American transcontinental railroad, (Clark 432).
...he unification of this country and commitment to finding “lasting peace” with “malice for none” and “charity for all” (“Abraham Lincoln”, par 11) is perhaps the reason the United States of America is the way that it is today.
The Transcontinental railroad could be defined as the most monumental change in America in the 19th century. The railroad played a significant role in westward expansion and on the growth and development of the American economy (Gillon p.653). However, the construction of the transcontinental railroad may not have occurred if not for the generous support of the federal government. The federal government provided land grants and financial subsidies to railroad companies to ensure the construction. The transcontinental railroad contributed to the formation of industry and the market economy in America and forever altered the American lifestyle.
Thoreau explains “There are thousands who are in opinion opposed to slavery and to the war, who yet in effect do nothing to put an end to them; who, esteeming themselves children of Washington and Franklin” (Thoreau 3). George Washington and Benjamin Franklin are two prominent figures of American nationalism and independence, and many American citizens regard them as idols. Thoreau exploits their credential to motivate people to take actions against an ineffective government and oppose the war and slavery in the U.S. Thoreau also questions citizens by explaining what is ethical as a citizen. Thoreau states “but they do nothing in earnest and with effect. They will wait, well disposed, for others to remedy the evil, that they may no longer have it to regret” (Thoreau 4). Thoreau explains that people of the U.S. do not put in their efforts to change such as voting or protesting, yet they still expect other people to discard evils such as corruption, slavery, and government tyranny. Thoreau justifies the uselessness as unethical and condemns the citizens. By using the word such as evil, Thoreau wants people to fight against the evil, government tyranny, and express the true American nationalism. The author employs ethos throughout Civil Disobedience to make the people of the U.S. ethical and become more involved with the problems about the
The underground railroad was a system organized to safely move slaves into free states (Coddon). Harriet Tubman was an outstanding abolitionist and black leader of her time. After freeing her whole family from slavery, Tubman’s main concern was the freedom of all slaves. She became well acquainted with many white abolitionists and often received food and shelter from them, while trying to free someone from slavery (Coddon). Most of the Underground Railroad was organized in Philadelphia, where Tubman became acquainted with William Still (Coddon). This was were the first anti-slavery society was established. Still was a black man who was the executive director of the General Vigilance Committee and later became known as “The Father of the Underground Railroad” (Coddon). Since written records were life-threatening to keep, many were burned or not kept at all. Although William Still did say this about Harriet Tubman, “She was a woman of no pretensions; indeed , a more ordinary specimen of humanity could hardly be found...Yet courage shrewdness, and disinterested exertions to rescue her fellow man, she was without equal. (Coddon)” Still encouraged African resistance to slavery, and even taught himself how to read (Turner). He worked nonstop to end race discrimination and, in 1867, he published A Brief Narrative of the Struggle for the Rights of Colored
The Underground Railroad despite occurring centuries ago continues to be an “enduring and popular thread in the fabric of America’s national historical memory” as Bright puts it. Throughout history, thousands of slaves managed to escape the clutches of slavery by using a system meant to liberate. In Colson Whitehead’s novel, The Underground Railroad, he manages to blend slave narrative and history creating a book that goes beyond literary or historical fiction. Whitehead based his book off a question, “what if the Underground Railroad was a real railroad?” The story follows two runaway slaves, Cora and Caesar, who are pursued by the relentless slave catcher Ridgeway. Their journey on the railroad takes them to new and unfamiliar locations,