Jacob Riis

Headed to the ¨Promised Land¨ In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was most European and other foreign countries dream to go to the ¨promised land¨. They heard stories of the life they could have, and they wanted it. This idea became known as the ¨American Dream¨. People would leave everything behind to make the trip to America, hoping for a new beginning. Their expectations of America soon became clouded with the reality of what they were actually facing. Back home, immigrants had…

Progressivism The Progressive Era dramatically changed many American values and lifestyles creating the society present today. During the Progressive period the United States was dominated by several influential reforms from 1890-1920. The success of this period is owed to social, economic, and political reforms that supported the elimination of complete power in corporations. The nineteenth century is characterized as a time when the power of wealthy individuals and corporations…

informed readers of the political corruption caused by New York City’s political machine, Tammany Hall, led by Boss Tweed. As a follow up, Tweed was convicted of embezzlement and died in prison (Caswell). Jacob Riis was a popular police reporter who often wrote for the New York newspaper. Riis brought attention to the horrifying living conditions of the urban poor, which consisted of over half of New York City’s population. He discussed the high rents, cheaply manufactured tenements, and the…

Investigative journalists or muckrakers helped bring reform issues to the attention of the public by exposing problems in American society. Specifically, writer and photographer Jacob Riis used photojournalism to capture the dismal and dangerous living conditions in working-class tenements in New York City. His work revealed serious problems in American society and advocated, often successfully, for change. Riis's work drew attention…

Progressive Era The early 20th century was an era of progressive reform in America. The Progressive Era was a time when people started to speak out and join ways to make their own laws. These people called themselves progressives, they worked together to improve human equality. The progressives wanted all American citizens to join their group and fight to improve social conditions. They were mainly considered journalists, writers, and even illustrators. There main focus was on reforming the…

When Charles Darwin published his famous book “On the Origin of Species” (1859) it outlined what he had learned on his geological exploration around the world. Darwin’s theory of evolution states that natural selection (the process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring) is the cause of evolution. Through many explorations, his findings supported this claim. For example, when he traveled to the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, he observed…

Throughout the evolution of the teaching profession, moral panics have consistently been the catalysts to significant changes. Whether related to gender, race or structural changes, instances of moral panic have held stable presences in prompting such large changes. Dictionary defined, moral panic is the process of arousing social concern over an issue, usually the work of moral entrepreneurs and the mass media. Within the teaching profession, three notable times of moral panic between the mid…

The Arts. A wide spectrum of knowledge encompassing of the performing arts, literary arts and visual arts. By watching movies, reading novels, listening to music or looking at a painting, the arts extend our personal knowledge and enrich our inner lives. Art is way through which an individual can understand their selves better. A way through which one can express their ideas freely without any boundaries. A way through one can understood various cultures and societies around the world. A way so…

I acknowledge Susan Sontag's position that photography limits our visual and intellectual understanding of the world. Imagery limits our understanding,has restraints and visual media reveals nothing but what is shown. So why do we do we limit ourselves to only what the camera lets us see? Susan Sontag’s dispute toward the media meditates on how reality is really perceived and how it validates what the real story is behind it.It“. . .imposes a way of seeing”, Sontag suggests. There is so much…

The American Dream is interpreted differently by everyone, but falls along the lines of the pursuit of opportunity and satisfaction of needs and wants. In movies and television shows individuals venture out into New York City with hope of finding this opportunity. Unfortunately, media only portrays only one side of the American Dream, this is the side of success and achievement. In contrast, there is a group of individuals who are not successful and unable to reach the American Dream, they make…