The Development Of The Democratic World

America by far is the most diverse country on the face of the earth. America today is known for freedom, equality, democracy, and a defender against tyranny. The foundation of American values lay in a belief of independence, nationalism, capitalism, and religion. However, many conflicts have arisen over these values in the past. Capitalism and other characteristics have made America great, but they have brought about their own set of inequalities. Those inequalities have deep roots in race, culture, gender, and wealth. In the 1800s two of the biggest conflict lies with the issue of slavery and women’s rights.

America: “The land of the free, and the home of the brave” (Key 7-8). When our forefathers overcame the colonial reign of the British Empire, they formed the United States of America based on the premise of enlightened ideals promoting life, ownership of land, and liberty. But after the revolution, the country’s problems were far from solved. The country’s post-revolution issues sparked a Civil War, which was followed by a reconstruction. In some ways, the Civil War and Reconstruction helped the United States accomplish its original goals, but in many ways, that was not the case.

Every Texan knows the legends of Stephen F. Austin that lead him to become the “Father of Texas.” Few Texas would try to say anyone else deserves this honor even though Texas is not short of larger than life legends. Such names include Lorenzo Zavala, Thomas Rusk, Juan Seguin, William Travis, James Bowie, and Sam Houston. Even “In his eulogy for Austin, Houston called him, "The Father of Texas"” (Areas of Interest). But despite this many would argue that Houston deserves the title.

When President of Mexico, Antonio Lopez Santa Anna, abolished the Constitution of 1824 and turned the government towards centralism; Texians and Tejanos rebel to bring back the Constitution of 1824. However, before they can begin their fight to Goliad and San Antonio, the men need a leader; someone with great fame and popularity in Texas. The man they choose is Stephen F. Austin, who has much renown in the region. Austin has an outstanding knowledge in many areas, whom the people of Texas will always follow. They are always willing to listen to his advice on certain situations and topics. Austin’s history is what makes him the great man that people still believe and love. Today, he is seen as the Father of Texas because his work and dedication lead to its future growth.

From the moment Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, the United States of America established itself as a nation built upon the foundation of equality. In the legendary document, Jefferson proclaimed, “all men... are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights... life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (Declaration).” Contradictorily, when the separatists fled England for an auspicious future in North America, their treatment of the Native American and Spanish occupants was inhumane, barbaric, and not becoming of a civilization ingrained with the principles of equality. Moreover, the pioneers of the “free” world marginalized, ostracized, and chimerically represented the African race more than any other minority. Paradoxically dubbed the “man of the people”, Thomas Jefferson illuminated his true interpretation of equality in Notes on the State of Virginia. “We have had under our eyes the races of black and of red men, they have never yet been viewed by us as subjects of natural history,” he wrote. “I advance it... that the blacks... are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind (history).” Despite what the media conveys, this belief system lingered and particularly exists in the Department of Justice. For years, our government controlled the amount of accessible, viable, and financially rewarding opportunities for impoverished African Americans through the surreptitious agendas of law enforcement. However, Los Angeles

Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, and the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution were historical milestones in which the ever controversial topic of racial equality was first challenged. In theory, these two movements laid the groundwork for a racially equal United States of America. A country in which every member, regardless of skin color, or race were to be treated equally under the eyes of the law and to one day be treated as equals within all realms of society. As historic and powerful as these movements were, they did

Texas has a rich history that stretches as far back as 1824, where Mexico provided land grants to encourage its settlement. Such influences had immeasurable effect on its constitution and culture. Texas has been influenced throughout its history, it applies a separate set of rules to follow in its own constitution. It limits its own legislature and constantly argues against the power of national government, which reflexes Texas’ own unique perspective about its history and culture. Texas’ prevailing traditionalistic political culture has resisted social change through legislation, the argument of state’s rights and culturally.

Shelby Steele is a well-known African American author, professor, and commentator on race relations. Steele wrote several books, commentaries and essays, and one of them is “The New Sovereignty” in the 1990s. “The New Sovereignty,” by Shelby Steele was trying to persuade the American society, specifically all the minority groups seeking entitlement that America was meant to be a democratic society with integration and not a society that relies on collective entitlement. In this essay, Steele tries to remind the society what true democracy means. Steele argues that even though early civil right leaders fought to get democracy with integration, later on, the society was creating new segregation groups. The only difference was that before, segregation

After the colonization era, African American population were basically left without rights. They were not allowed to have a decent job, and they were not even allowed to vote because they were not considered citizens. When African Americans finally conquered their freedom and acceptance in 1950s through civil right movements, later in 1960s the definition of democracy started to mean something opposite of its true meaning. Shelby Steele is a well known African American author, professor, and commentator on race relations. Steele wrote several books, commentaries and essays, and one of them is “The New Sovereignty” in 1990s. In “The New Sovereignty”, Steele argues about how the American society turned democracy into a very selfish sovereignty.

In the 1780’s when America was approaching on a new era, Hector St. John de Crevecoeur and Benjamin Franklin believed that America had become the freest and most prosperous nation in the world. They went so far as to say that America had become a country unlike any other. A country that was free from things such as poverty, inequality, and all other forms of oppression, things that European nations lacked. Over the next century (1800-1900) what we saw in America was not symbols of freedom and equality for all, but instead for a select few. Instead we saw great inequality and a lack of freedom in many groups such as African Americans or slaves, women, as well as Mexicans and Native Americans. The members of these groups were met with

Society has been significantly revolutionized since the beginnings of the United States. The very history of the country has been cursed with racism and the harsh oppression of minorities. In fact, America’s power and economy were founded on a Marxist theory of a two-class system. On the top of that system were the slave owners, and at the very bottom were the slaves themselves (Balkaran, 1999). Slavery and segregation used to be huge components in the lives of Americans. During those times, “Americans” were white, landowning men; obviously that principle has been altered a great deal. People of color, women, and the poor actually have been given suffrage by amendments in the Constitution. Although the United States’ culture and society

Austin’s planned settlement of Texas hit many snags between 1821 and 1830, not least of which was the fact that Mexico achieved independence in 1821, meaning he had to re-negotiate his father’s grant. After many delays and frustrations with the Mexican government, Stephen F. Austin introduced a large number of colonists from the

There is a vast number of social issues facing the world as a whole. Yet, the debates on racial differences and politics are far from being resolved. For an example a number of authors argue that even though there are several privileges and rights which are assured by the United States Constitution as well as its subsequent amendments, and the laws that guarantee fundamental freedoms to all individuals, many people particularly; blacks have not gained their civil rights and they are still regarded as inferior to whites ().This points out to the idea that the reconstruction after the Civil War has failed to guarantee full equal rights to black Americans. In the early years of the 20th century (Washington,

Historically, nations have used race, religion, and social class as ways to hijack and control its citizens’ birthright. In its earliest days, American colonists sought to establish a society unlike England, one that reflected the pride of a forward-thinking, independent nation. However, while sidestepping a class society, they instead formed a race, culture that bred white privilege and anti-blackness. Ultimately, this attitude rationalized two centuries of slavery, reinforced 100 years of segregation, and even now sustains our racial conflict. This is the true reason racism flourishes in our country today.

We live in this country for the land, and the for the free as Americans we rely on many attributes in this world in order for us to live our lives. Our government has supplied us with many great things for us to be proud of. Our government is “the institutions and processes though which public policies are made for society.” (Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry, p. 7). With all these institutions which includes the President, Congress, the courts and all the federal administrative agencies. These are the institutions that make up public policies for us, and to shape the way we live as Americans. The way this system has been operating through all the years has been