Since the end of the Civil War there have been many obstacles that the US had to overcome, many of which deal with race, gender, and the scope of the American government’s power. I believe there are five important events that are significant within US history that were either major events, or minor ones that sparked major ideas of change. Important issues regarding race are the Reconstruction after the Civil War and the Civil Rights movements of the 1960s because both time periods were significant turning points to the ongoing struggle of African-Americans dominated by white supremacy. Another issue was the women’s rights movements, especially in the early 1900s, that triggered women’s pursuance of escaping oppression in a male dominated society.
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It was from the late 1800s to the early 1900s that more women began to join the workforce and many states had passed laws granting women ownership of their wages and property. It was also a time when women, who were not allowed to vote, demanded equality in not just education, employment, and politics, but in personal freedom as well. Feminism became a hot topic during the Progressive Era because women were demanding liberty over issues that were taboo at the time. Emma Goldman and Margaret Sanger were two feminists who advocated the importance of sexual freedom and contraception. Sanger was a writer and used her skills to open the eyes of others on the hardships of women and how they were burdened with the most responsibility by stating, “It is the woman who suffers first from hunger . . . whose clothing is least adequate . . . who must work all hours . . . to go into a factory to add to her husband’s scanty income” (Foner, Voices of Freedom, 89). Ideas of women’s choice on sex and reproduction were so highly unfavorable that Goldman, “was arrested more than forty times for dangerous or ‘obscene’ statements or simply to keep her from speaking” (Foner, Give Me Liberty, 697). Over time, not only had laws began to change granting women freedom of …show more content…
America’s presence as a global power was what the government used to justify its need to act as an international police officer. On September 11, 2001 terrorism struck American soil like never before when Iraqi hijackers flew planes into the World Trade Center, reducing the twin towers to rubble and killing thousands. President Bush’s administration was quick to declare war on Iraq in order to dispose of terrorist enemies, despite the disapproval of the United Nations. Like the Vietnam War, which took place in the 60s and the only war the US ever lost, the war in Iraq and war on terrorism was viewed by most as an unnecessary involvement in overseas conflicts. The difference was the US lost support from its allies because “Much of the outside world now viewed the United States as a superpower unwilling to abide by the rules of international law” (Foner, Give Me Liberty, 1097). The US government even changed its foreign policy to rationalize its behavior with The National Security Strategy in which, “To forestall or prevent such hostile acts by our adversaries, the United States will, if necessary, act preemptively” (Foner, Voices of Freedom, 343). The early 2000s was when it became apparent that being a global superpower was going to America’s head and giving it the belief it had
It was from the late 1800s to the early 1900s that more women began to join the workforce and many states had passed laws granting women ownership of their wages and property. It was also a time when women, who were not allowed to vote, demanded equality in not just education, employment, and politics, but in personal freedom as well. Feminism became a hot topic during the Progressive Era because women were demanding liberty over issues that were taboo at the time. Emma Goldman and Margaret Sanger were two feminists who advocated the importance of sexual freedom and contraception. Sanger was a writer and used her skills to open the eyes of others on the hardships of women and how they were burdened with the most responsibility by stating, “It is the woman who suffers first from hunger . . . whose clothing is least adequate . . . who must work all hours . . . to go into a factory to add to her husband’s scanty income” (Foner, Voices of Freedom, 89). Ideas of women’s choice on sex and reproduction were so highly unfavorable that Goldman, “was arrested more than forty times for dangerous or ‘obscene’ statements or simply to keep her from speaking” (Foner, Give Me Liberty, 697). Over time, not only had laws began to change granting women freedom of …show more content…
America’s presence as a global power was what the government used to justify its need to act as an international police officer. On September 11, 2001 terrorism struck American soil like never before when Iraqi hijackers flew planes into the World Trade Center, reducing the twin towers to rubble and killing thousands. President Bush’s administration was quick to declare war on Iraq in order to dispose of terrorist enemies, despite the disapproval of the United Nations. Like the Vietnam War, which took place in the 60s and the only war the US ever lost, the war in Iraq and war on terrorism was viewed by most as an unnecessary involvement in overseas conflicts. The difference was the US lost support from its allies because “Much of the outside world now viewed the United States as a superpower unwilling to abide by the rules of international law” (Foner, Give Me Liberty, 1097). The US government even changed its foreign policy to rationalize its behavior with The National Security Strategy in which, “To forestall or prevent such hostile acts by our adversaries, the United States will, if necessary, act preemptively” (Foner, Voices of Freedom, 343). The early 2000s was when it became apparent that being a global superpower was going to America’s head and giving it the belief it had