Second Semester Speech

Walker Bragg

12/15/14

US History

I pledge

Second Semester Speech

The importance of history is very prevalent in our day to day lives. The knowledge I have learned this semester in American history has helped me to become a better and more culturally aware person, and I can now see the roots of American culture that I did not know existed. In this semester we learned about the development of America from 1865 to 1920. This time period encompasses some of the biggest changes in America’s history.

The most surprising thing that I learned about this semester in American history was the scale and impact of immigration to America. This point in American history was pivotal to the development of the United States as it is today, and is even relevant when talking about modern day immigration. Immigration was one of the driving forces for the modernization, and the creation of cities and industry in the 19^th century. Although this is the view of someone with hindsight, but people in the 19^th century were experiencing the same fears that people are feeling today. People today are worried that an influx of immigrants will cause a repeat of what happened in the 19^th century with the reduction of jobs and decrease in wages. Knowing the past is an important part of making decisions for the future.

I was also surprised to hear about the depth of racial travesties that occurred even before America was founded. The part of history that our class mainly focused on was the treatment and hardships of African Americans, Native Americans, and foreign immigrants. Studying this made me more aware of the fact that discrimination lasted even up until the industrial revolution. Knowing this terrible history helps me to better understand why there is still racial prejudice today, and also helps me sympathize with people who are going through struggles today.

The thing that has made the biggest impact on me was the subject of industry. The moral issues caused by intense wealth and power generated during the Industrial Revolution in the 19^th century will continue to fascinate me. This period in time is so impactful to me because it is considered both Americas highest and also lowest point in history. The immense growth that this industry caused shaped the face of America. Understanding the growth of America is one of the most important things to know from American history.

Considering this, I would call the era from 1865 to 1920 the “age of growth”. This point in time is the most influential part of American history. America changed the most it ever has in any point in time and it would not be what it is today if this had not occurred. The past two quarters learning about American history has made me realize that our country went through many hardships in this era but it made me pleasantly surprised to see that Americans are resilient and resourceful and have come together to form a strong and diverse community all throughout history.