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David Mccullough Knowing History And Knowing Who We Are Summary

Decent Essays

In the article Knowing History and Knowing Who We Are written by David McCullough, is an essay in which he informs how important it is to learn about our history and how it shapes who we are today. Throughout, he connects important events from American History and relates it to our lives and the world around us. The three main ideas; which are “Character and Destiny”, “Our failure, Our Duty”, and “Listening to the Past”. These ideas In the authors introduction, he states a point that connects to the American Revolution. He says, “It’s not just a birthright, it is something that others struggled for, strived for, often suffered for, often were defeated for and died for, for us, for the next generation”. This quote connects to the American Revolution because between 1765 and 1783 the colonists rejected the British monarchy and aristocray and wanted to break away. Colonists were …show more content…

He says “But the fact that they could rise to the occasion as they did, these imperfect human beings, and do what they did is also, of course, a testimony to their humanity”. Meaning that everyone has their own flaws, regrets, and weaknesses, but the ones who overcome them are the ones that help us the most. Martin Luther King Jr. is an example of someone who has stood up for humanity when no one else did. He was a leader in the African-American Civil Rights movement that used nonviolence civil disobedeance against segregation. He organized non-violent protests and delivered many speeches and because of his brave accomplishments he changed the view of segregation. A woman named Rosa Parks was also part of the civil rights movement when she refused to get up her seat in the bus to a white passenger; this story became a symbol for the racial segregation. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks are prime examples of what it means when your character and destiny defines who you rather than your

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