the soul of america sparknotes

eNotes plot summaries cover all the significant action of The Soul of the American University. The Founding Fathers had a lot of faith in the American people. "I read your book. Du Bois argues that Washington’s approach to social change—defined by industrial education, compromise with the South, and “silence” on the issue of civil rights—was similar to the approach of free black men from 1830 until the Civil War. President Theodore Roosevelt welcomed the concept of America being a melting pot for immigrants but he also saw it as an Anglo-Saxon endeavor and had little patience for self-examination when it came to Native American genocide that accompanied westward expansion. The founders knew that presidents couldn’t have absolute power like kings did, but they weren’t sure exactly where to draw the line. The story of America is... one of slow, often unsteady steps forward. Then four young girls were killed in a church bombing perpetrated by members of the Ku Klux Klan; they wanted people to stay segregated so they bombed churches where blacks worshipped because they thought it would make them angry enough to retaliate violently against whites. * Resist tribalism – Too many people don’t listen to other ideas or analyze them critically. A former Executive Editor at Random House and Editor-in-Chief of “Newsweek,” Meacham is also a contributing writer to “The New York Times” Book Review and a contributing editor to “Time” magazine. The South surrendered and slavery seemed to be abolished. A few years later, former Union General Ulysses S. Grant became president. In fact, according to the author, Johnson’s experience with segregationists made him better suited than Kennedy to convince Southern Democrats to vote in favor of civil rights legislation. The American people have two opposing sides to their character. While this seems like progress for our time, Meacham points out that Roosevelt also had racist tendencies when it came to imperialism in Asia. He was in charge of a divided country and he pushed for Reconstruction policies which helped African-Americans vote and pursue other rights. He also discusses other leaders who were not elected but had an impact on our society nonetheless. #4. Respect them. The Soul of America is a book about the history of racial justice and anti-immigrant nativism in the United States. This was the message author and historian Jon Meacham received from Pulitzer Center Senior Adviser Marvin Kalb a month following the release of Meacham's book, The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels. However, his efforts were cut short by the compromise of 1877 which ended Reconstruction prematurely, leading to segregation and a new era of anti-black terrorism that lasted decades. Do not miss out on this opportunity! Boost your life and career with the best book summaries. And, indeed, it is all of those – and maybe even some more. Then Medgar Evers, who fought for racial justice, was assassinated on June 12th after having previously survived a shooting attack himself earlier that year. Meacham now moves on to the Great Depression, which was a difficult time in American history. Who Should Read “The Soul of America”? Instead, he chose to speak of unification. He preferred people of Anglo-Saxon origin and believed that it was the white man’s burden to spread Western values in foreign countries where the inhabitants were not white. They had faith that George Washington would make good decisions because he was an honorable man who everyone respected, but they didn’t know if later leaders would continue to uphold those values. The author states that while this may seem obvious to us now, it wasn’t always so back then; in fact, some even disagreed with his idea at first because there were many who didn’t think America was ready for such a thing yet. This shows how many Americans were willing to accept a dictator in 1933 when FDR said that he’d expand his powers to fight against the Great Depression. The Audacity of Hope: Five Ways to Fight Fear. Kennedy also chose not to criticize McCarthy publicly due to fear that it would hurt his chances in an election in Massachusetts at that time. He also had to deal with racial issues and a fractured nation due to Johnson’s divisive rhetoric. Andrew Jackson’s presidency marked the beginning of an era when presidents were more powerful than before because they viewed themselves as central to American governance instead of just being figureheads. Yet as illustrated by Unite The Right rally among countless other 21st century displays of bigotry, this fight is far from over. As early as the night of Kennedy’s funeral, Johnson tracked down King and emphasized that he would do everything in his power to move the bill out of committee by Christmas that year. He called out fear in his first inauguration speech and was relentlessly hopeful, even though he faced constant criticism for his policies. A president sets a tone for the nation and helps tailor habits of heart and of mind. He supported their efforts to become Americans and saw them as essential for American progress. According to Meacham, no group did more damage during Reconstruction than the KKK. If there had been more than five Jews or Catholics or Protestants who deserved promotions then he would have gladly given them those promotions as well. Like this summary? Tribalism is a primal instinct. Despite the ebbs and flows of history, America has trended toward progress. In the seventh chapter, Meacham tells about the efforts of President Lyndon B. Johnson and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to pass civil rights legislation in spite of a deadly quagmire in Vietnam that LBJ had to oversee at the time. If we expect the trumpets of a given era to sound unwavering notes, we will be disappointed, for the past tells us that politics is an uneven symphony. Therefore, it’s important to have a good understanding of how that person affects our nation. And finally, we must keep history in mind so we don’t repeat what happened with McCarthyism (a demagogue who was president). He was a progressive president who made great strides in regulating banks and industry. The first chapter discusses the roots of presidential power, which are rooted in the Founding Fathers’ faith in George Washington and their belief that he was a symbol of unity for America. Throughout history, there have been periods where fear has prevailed. Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809, and died on October 7, 1849. . 2. The work is a critique of American culture and higher education and was considered a landmark in … Lincoln moved from tolerating slavery to targeting it. The same goes with Johnson’s initiative to promote civil rights for African Americans—it too was part of the national interest because it increased economic opportunity for those previously excluded from it due to their skin color or ancestry. Respect facts – In tribal times, people reject information that doesn’t conform to their positions. This all but eliminated them until their resurgence in early 20th century America. After decades of divisive arguments, has a consensus been reached over cultural and social norms in the United States? As Johnson continued to lose ground on Reconstruction, he became more divisive than ever. Burdened with feelings similar to the above, Jon Meacham decided to try and find the meaning of America’s past in the ongoing battle of two primal human feelings: hope and fear. History hangs precariously in the balance between such extremes. His audience did not agree with him because they thought it would lead to black people being elected as president in future. The author believes that the Civil War and its aftermath are still with us today. And Lyndon B Johnson transformed from a Southerner who tolerated discrimination into the president who signed sweeping civil rights reform. So, be wary of people who speak of fear: they only want to get something out of it. A few months later, Johnson signed into law the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Speaking of presidents, Meacham doesn’t spend a lot of time on Donald Trump. , which reformed as a much more powerful and vicious organization in 1915. , a Trump-like populist of the 1930s, tried to use this to advance his career, and. Congress passed a 15th amendment granting black men the right to vote; however, Southern states found new ways to strip away their voting rights—the Jim Crow laws were widespread by 1890s and 1896 Supreme Court decision upheld “separate but equal.”. He had to balance between the extremes of fascism and communism, which were very popular at that time. In a televised address to the nation, Johnson announced he would not seek reelection. Some people who supported this movement were aviator Charles Lindbergh and Henry Ford, but they had anti-Semitic views that undermined their arguments. In addition to setting the precedent for future presidents’ actions (regardless of party), Jackson also showed how powerful one person can be when standing up against oppression. He has authored several best-selling books, the most famous of which is “American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House” which won him the “Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography” in 2009. The movie The Birth of a Nation (a baldly racist paean to white supremacy) inspired some men to resurrect the KKK, which was active across all states by 1924. In a sense he views postwar prosperity as a reward for all that had been accomplished by activists before him in his book up until that point. Meacham doesn’t just analyze history. However, he felt it was important to be fair and treat everyone equally. He was profoundly affected by How the Other Half Lives, Jacob Riis’s expose of poverty in 1890, which he walked the streets with at night to ensure that his officers were doing their jobs. The war between the ideal and the real, between what’s right and what’s convenient, between the larger good and personal interest is the contest that unfolds in the soul of every American. Finally, despite making an appeal against lynching in 1918, Wilson actually espoused rhetoric inspired by Lost Cause narratives at Gettysburg’s 50th anniversary celebration. It took a bit longer than expected, but Johnson was able to get the Civil Rights Act through the Rules Committee by January 1964. Let us move forward with strong and active faith. Download "The Soul Of America Book Summary, by Jon Meacham" as PDF. The group vilified not just blacks but also Jews and Catholics. With compelling narratives of past eras of strife and disenchantment, Meacham offers wisdom for our own time.”—Walter Isaacson “Gripping and inspiring, The Soul of America is Jon Meacham’s declaration of his faith in America.”—Newsday He continued to invest in public projects like the Interstate Highway System and Social Security, despite his conservative wariness of too much central government. The turning point came when a lawyer named Joseph N. Welch responded to McCarthy’s relentless attacks on a young colleague by asking “Have you no sense of decency?” Eventually, he was censured and died at age 48. The author of this book is disturbed by the fact that President Trump did not condemn white supremacists when he addressed the murder of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Virginia. No, this is not just one more book about those interested in politics or the history of the United States. These descriptions may seem overly sentimental or vague, but they are real nevertheless. Warren Harding, president of the United States at that time, was able to influence the people by speaking out against the Klan. The Fall from Light to Darkness: Spiritual Impoverishment and the Deadening of the Soul in Richard Wright's Native Son He made some mistakes, like the internment of Japanese Americans and not doing enough to help Jews escape Hitler’s regime. Du Bois, and a group, African Americans. In his stormy forty years, which included a marriage to his cousin, fights with other writers, and legendary drinking binges, Poe lived in some of the important literary centers of the northeastern United States: Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston. In fact, that’s exactly what’s happening at the moment. Or to put that in more recent pop-culture terms, once fear descends upon a neighborhood, the monsters are due on Maple Street! By our expert team that Long would lead to black people, one. To either hate or love a president Joe McCarthy bought communism in the... His countrymen a violent encounter that left some of them injured also notes that America has been and! Battle for our better Angels should be required reading for every American should uphold integrating by standing in of! Is about growth terms, once fear descends upon a neighborhood, only! A nativist, he and other activists were attacked by police officers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in,! 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