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American Self-Making & Self-Help - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Thomas Paine
        Paine gives a new break off of individuality, with most importantly thinking rationally and for yourself. The idea of enlightenment is apart of our constitution and apart of Americas individuality. The idea to think for oneself while also thinking rationally lives in documents like the Declaration and Constitution. When I think of thinking for myself, I immediately think of freedom of speech that is contained in the first amendment of the Constitution.
    - - Constitution
        "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
        
        Women in America also faced problems with their rights and still do today. We see from the early Constitution that voting rights were not given to women, and they continued to face problems through time.
        
        After women were given the right to vote, their lives were still conformed to certain beliefs in society. During the 1920's the idea of women and their roles in society started to differ. The idea of the flappers arose. A flapper was a women who went against what was socially acceptable and participated in things they wanted to participate in. We see one woman who wrote about these ideas of breaking down social constructs for woman in an essay called "The Waltz" by Dorothy Parker.
        
        Dorothy Parker
        I think the 1920's was a huge stride for women socially, and more importantly gaining more freedom for themselves. Dorothy Parker plays a huge role in these ideas. She writes about how even though he ideas of conforming to a man or a relationship is what is expected and they have to accept. She goes against this and says, "No". I think this made women no the looked over or brushed off, it gave a voice to women and sparked more women o turn to this idea of not conforming as well.
        
        Quote from Dorothy Parker, The Waltz "I don't want to dance with him. I don't want to dance with anybody."
        I think starting off her piece like this showed so much resistance and power, I think also during this time people were shocked to see these words from a woman. It really gets the point across right away, captivates people to listen and shows how she was feeling and many others as well.
        
        Betty Friedan
        More woman spoke out about the way society deemed women was incorrect, wrong, and needed to be changed. Betty was one of these courageous women. She made it a goal for the voice fo women to be heard and known. She was a voice for women that couldn't or didn't know how to. She gave a whole new look into opportunity and freedom for many women in America.
        
        Quote from Betty Friedan "For over fifteen years there was no word of this yearning in the millions of words written about women, for women, in all the columns, books and articles by experts telling women their role was to seek fulfillment as wives and mothers."
        
        Betty's words here really give readers an idea into what the lives of American women were and are. How they have been looked over in a sense and almost ignored. I like to bring up silence in this example. I think silence is the main problem people are not free. Fear can control people, and also dictate how we go about life. I think women knew they were being treated unfairly but were fearful to speak out about it. Thats why people like Betty need to be talked about because women like her are why woman are advancing their freedom.
        
        The Constitution gives a disillusionment during this time of freedom for all people. During this time, the Constitution stated that African Americans were counted as 3/5 of a person. This is not the only thing the Constitution restricted from black people, it also included things like voting restrictions. They faced problems from the beginning of the start of America and all throughout time.
        
        Booker T. Washington
        Booker Washington was a black man who became an author and educator, during the time before the civil rights movement. One of his greatest moments was when he gave the 1895 Atlanta Compromise Speech where he spoke among mainly white people in the South, where slavery and injustice against black people was very prominent. This speech was a huge step for America in changing the idea of giving freedom and equality to the African Americans. This speech started the rise of people who were activist and changed the face of equality not only for black people but all people who were not given freedom or rights. It starts a whole new chapter in the country of standing up and fighting for what is right, which even continues today. We do see a more conservative approach with Booker than we do nowadays. This is able to show us how activists progressed from this time to now.
        
        Quote from Booker T. Washington
        "It is a recognition that will do more to cement the friendship of the two races than any occurrence since the dawn of our freedom."
        
        W. E. B. Du Bois Relating very closely to Booker Washington, we see another of the first activist of the black community speak out, W. E. B. Du Bois. He was a writer during the early 1900's and created one of his greatest pieces called "The Talented Tenth". He was known for coining this term to the idea of the black race being saved, being saved by the most exceptional men of their kind which are known as the "talented tenth". His ideas gave a certain sense of hope to the community. Giving hope that one day there will be people who come along and change the way of life for African Americans while also changing the minds of the people who were oppressing them. It gave faith to them to persevere and know that things will change, and I certainly think that this inspired people to speak out and fight for their rights.
        
        Quote from Du Bois "The Negro race, like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men."
        This first sentence in his essay is so powerful. We see him try to include African Americans in when he tries to generalize all races by saying "like all races". This makes people think of all people as one, not just because of race. That there are similarities no matter how hard people try to tear them apart by their difference.
        
        Different Ways to Gain Freedom
        
        Peace was used as another way to hold protest. A peaceful protest did not involve violence. However, some peaceful protests did turn into violent ones. Protesting peacefully is one of the rights of Americans. Martin Luther King Jr. was a man who spoke knowledgeable words more than a man who was aggressive with his words. His most famous speech was his "I Have a Dream" speech, that changed the lives of all Americans and gave a whole new future to African Americans. He wrote many pieces trying to make others aware fo what was going on and trying to change the lives of black people all over America in a peaceful and respectful manner.
        
        Martin Luther King Jr.
        From our class we got to see another famous piece from King, this was his Letter From Birmingham Jail. He says in this letter, "We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed". His words here are trying to make other non black Americans realize what is going on. It is very well thought out words that are carefully said to persuade people to open their minds on the rights of African Americans. I think King really used his words well and was able to make people understand the other side to the story.
        
        Violence was used as a means to bring attention on issues of freedom, wether it was on purpose or just got out of hand. A case for the Civil Rights Movement would be the way Malcolm X went about protesting for their rights. Malclom belved that one of the wasy to end segreation adn gain full freedom was violence. He didnt necisalriy condone it but he tried to make it a very crucial point in his techaings.
        
        Malcolm X Quote from: Message to Grassroots "Now I know you don’t like my saying this. But I can back it up."
        We see how Malcolm didn't take things very lightly, he was very honest and truthful with wha he believed in ignoring what people were going to think. Taking any means necessary to get his and their whole community point across. I think it is important to note the fact that people are willing to be violent about protests. I think it shows how angry the African American communities were about how they were being treated. It makes you think if they really were willing to go that far to cause mayhem, they must have really had a passion for making a difference.
        
        Henry D. Thoreau
        Thoreau was determined in this idea of the freedom of all. He believed the government was not set to benefit all. He also believed in making a stand against the government if it was not just to the people. Thoreau was one of the first to start the idea of fighting for justice and what is right. Also putting restraints on government for the freedom of all American people.
        
        Quote from Thoreau "Government is best which governs not all."
        
        Immigrants have faced many hardships in this country, struggling with equality, justice, and most importantly freedom. Asian Americans struggled to gain individuality.
        
        Sui Sin Far
        Sui Sin Far was a writing of her time, mainly capturing the idea of Chinese people living a life in America. "Its Wavering Image", was about a half white half Chinese woman living in America. The story brings in a man named Mark Carson who had betrayed her by writing about her life and publishing it. Sui Sin Far gives us an idea of what the struggles were with not being white, and even having a mixed-race identity. It sparked a questioning in these people that made them question their identity personally and socially.
        
        Chinese Exclusion Act 1882 Was the first United States law to prohibit a national group from immigrating. It was an act that Congress passed in 1882 that prohibited all Chinese laborers from immigrating to America.
        
        E.A. Ross
        Ross was sociologist of his time. He more famously regarded the idea of social effects of immigrants. He contented that letting immigrants in basically ruined the flow and organization of society. Ross gives us the other side of immigration and how it was negatively effecting the country at the time. I think it is important to bring him into the idea of freedom and the thinking behind why some people thought were against the idea of opening our arms to people. His outlook could be very controversial but also has some truth to it. Informing people of these problems the country is facing, might get people to start thinking of ways to compromise or make it work out to benefit everyone.
        
        Quote from E.A. Ross "By their presence the foreigners necessarily lower the general plane of intelligence, self-restraint, refinement, orderliness, and efficiency."
        
        Quote from "It's Wavering Image" "It was only after the coming of Mark Carson that the mystery of her nature began to trouble her."
      - Thomas Jefferson
        "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
    - - Edgar Allen Poe
        Poe believed in ideas of romanticism. Which compared to enlightenment was a more emotional and desirable point of view. He was interested in things that were not straight forward and were hard to explain, definitely the opposite of thinking rationally. Even though their ideas differ from each other they both still give off and idea of individuality and gaining yourself through a certain way of thinking.
- - - - Marco Rubio
        Rubio's experience with immigration from a Communist country has a good ending. The hope and way his idealism comes out in his presidential campaign speech shows how the idea of the American Dream is still alive and can be achieved. Through his families hardships and perseverance he was able to find the way to success.
      - Costica Bradatan
        Bradatan had a contrasting experience with his immigration from a Communist country. His idea of the American Dream wasn't the hope, faith, and sense of idealism. His idea of finding this new peace arose from the idea of fear and need to go to American to be successful at all. If you're trying to succeed because of fear it's not so much an "American Dream".
    - - Phillis Wheatley
        Phillis was sold into slavery when she was young. Her slave owners taught her how to read and write. Her poems were not the start of her fame. She developed a relationship with George Washington, a slave owner himself, and praised and honored him as a leader of the war. This is an important moment in history when we see a relationship like George Washington and Phillis Wheatley unfold. A white man in power who owned slaves and a young black women who was sold into slavery seems almost too good to be true especially in this time.
        
        Quote from Phillis Wheatley "Shall I to Washington their praise recite? Enough thou know'st them in the fields of fright. Thee, first in peace and honors -- we demand the grace and glory of thy martial band. Farm'd for thy valour, for thy virtues more, hear every tongue thy guardian aid implore!"
      - Frederick Douglass
        Douglass and his family were also sold into slavery. He unfortunately had a very different route than Phillis did. His autobiography shares horrific details in his time with his owners and changed his life forever. When we compare Phillis and Fredrick we really see the idea of idealism and realism come to life. This story of the two races coming together is a very idealistic way of looking at these relationships during this time. However, we see Fredrick have the opposite of what Phillis had. He was abused and was kept captive. A big part of his story that stuck out to me was the relationship he had with other white people after his experience of being a slave. It totally changed his perspective on everything in his life.
        
        Quote from Frederick Douglass "They both advised me to run away to the north; that I should find friends there, and that I should be free. I pretended not to be interested in what they said, and treated them as if I did not understand them; for I feared they might be treacherous."
    - - Jenny O'Dell "How to do Nothing"
        Jenny gives us a picture of how the way we live in this world with technology has taken away certain aspects of humans lives. She discusses how this could change everything we know about what make people, people. I like to think of it as technology making everything set in stone, everything is one way and that's how it is. If everything is only in one form how are people suppose to be different and unique. It really takes character away from people. I think this is a scary truth that needs to be discussed and watched carefully for years to come. Doing this will sustain how America came to be, how difference is okay, and how that makes America, America.
- - - - The Puritans had also a very strict way of seeing their faith. However, they wanted to change the church and self organize. John Winthrop's idea played a huge role in this idea of the Puritans ways. His "Model of Christianity Charity" describes this idea of " a city on a hill". He brought this idea in to explain what God will let us have if we follow him. He describes that we are the city on the hill and we will be shining if God is something we but first.
      - Anne Hutchinson
        Anne was tried for breaking her religious morals. She went against the Puritans ideas and stood against the church being so commanding and powerful. Mr. Winthrop brought up the fact that she had disobeyed her parents. As this commandment is suppose to mean your actual parents he added in the idea of fathers of the church counting as parents. Almost as if he came up with this rule just so he could condemn Anne. It is hard to believe that a faith that is so important to these people is so easily construed to fit the narrative they want.
  - - - Alcoholics Anonymous "There is a Solution" - The Big Book Alcohol is something that has impacted lives negatively and made many people struggle. To help with these problems many support groups and meetings were made for these people. Alcoholics Anonymous was one of these groups and it is still something around today. People would meet up and talk with others like them to provide support to themselves and the others who attended.
        
        "He has commenced to accomplish those things for us which we could never do by ourselves". We see by this quote that God has been referenced in so many things, as a leader, a partner, a person to look up to throughout the history of America. I think the idea, for this specific group of people, God gives a sence of hope and faith for these people to get through these hard times in life. Which also relates back to the idea of self-help. I think people look to God as a person to help guide them in their lives just like people also look at other successful and powerful people to help guide them through life.
- - - - Theodore Roosevelt Roosevelt accomplished many things in his life, we know him mainly for being President of the United States. He had many passions that could be narrowed into success. The one we see first is his interest in raising the next generations of Americans, the children.
        
        "The American Boy" Roosevelt wrote an essay based on the exceptions of young boys in America. Through this essay he gives advice like "work hard play hard" and also characteristics of what to be and what not to be. Another important part of his ideas were that not only were they supposed to be good for their well being but also the country as a whole. His ideas of being this way an having this mindset was to set up the new generations perfectly so that the future of American could continue and in the way he thought was best fit.
      - Horatio Alger
        Alger was an American novelist, one of his more important novels was "Ragged Dick". Alger brings in a boy named Dick and gives us a peak into his life as a young boy. It is the idea of a story that goes from rags to riches. While focusing on this idea he gives us his ideas of what a boy should be, how they act, and what they do to succeed in the world. I think a novel like this probably persuaded people to have a luxurious life even when they didn't come from it. I think it is inspiring and gives an idea of self-help as well.
      - Issues That Arise We see in both of these readings, that the whole foundation of America and what was to be the foundation in the future was mainly given to men. It gives these ideas of gender roles that we still see are a problem in our society today. We can trace the whole idea of "the men work" back to these ideas. It is eye opening think that these ideas started so long ago.
    - - Dale Carnegie wrote a book called "How to Win Friends and Influence People"
        Just from the title you can tell that this book is Dales way of showing people how to obtains success and what to do, a step-to-step on how to gain success. We also see the most compelling part about this self-help book is how it revolves around people and the type of relationships you make. I feel like his idea of success falls more under beliefs and values rather than money and power.
- - - - Quote from Andrew Carnegie "The problem of our age is the proper administration of wealth, that the ties of brotherhood may still bind together the rich and poor in harmonious relationship."
- - - - Jacob Riis
        Riis gives us idea into the idea of ones gains might not be for others. Riis was an influential writer of his time, writing a piece called "How the Other Half Lives". During this time it was well after the start of the industrial revolution, America had gained many advantages. This time brought huge factories and the idea of consumerism, which was good for America and most citizens. Life was not all that pleasant after this time, the country went into an economic plunge. People were living in very poor conditions. The people who were apart of the rise of the industrial revolution were living great lives while others were not at all. Jacob Riis brings into this idea of Happiness but not for all. His essay shows us what was going on in some peoples lives, that maybe some couldn't see and he brought light to it and made it known that it was a problem that needed to be solved. His essay also started the initial idea of muckraking, more activists who believed that institutions and leaders were corrupt.
  - - - Quote from Fitzgerald "Echoes of the Jazz Age" "Now once more the belt is tight and we summon the proper expression of horror as we look back at our wasted youth. Sometimes,
        though, there is a ghostly rumble among the drums, an asthmatic
        whisper in the trombones that swings me back into the early twenties when we drank wood alcohol and every day in every way grew better and better, and there was a first abortive shortening of the skirts, and girls all looked alike in sweater dresses, and people you didn’t want to know said “Yes, we have no bananas,” and it seemed only a question of a few years before the older people would step aside and let the world be run by those who saw things as they were–and it all seems rosy and
        romantic to us who were young then, because we will never feel quite so intensely about our surroundings any more."