History of America

230 years ago, a group of men wrote a document that would forever change the history of mankind. In this document, it stated that all men are free and they have certain inalienable rights, among these are life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Many thought that these men were crazy for saying that their rights are the same as the king or a noblemen but these men would not stand the inequality that existed and fought to create a nation in which all men are free. That was how the United States began; a nation where all free men and women can pursue their dreams. However, not all men were free in the early stages of America. Black men were turned into slaves. They worked day and night under cruel and awful conditions. They were often beaten if they were disobedient and if they tried to run away, they were beaten some more or even shot to death. This cruelty remained in America for the first 100 years. One man stood up to put an end to this cruelty. His name was Abraham Lincoln. He wanted to free all slaves. However, many of the southern states disagreed saying that their economy is based on agriculture and they needed the slaves for labor. The northern states’ economy was not so dependent on slave labor because they had a more industrial economy. The south argued that Lincoln should split the nation; one with slavery and the other one without. Lincoln did not agree to this. He felt strongly that only one United States can exist. This was the start of the civil war. America must be a free nation where all men could pursue their dreams. He said in his famous Gettysburg address, “Government of the people, by the people, and for the people” A government exist in order to protect the inalienable rights of men and if a government does not protect them, that government is no longer a government of the people. Abraham Lincoln was able to win the war and he freed all the slaves. Abraham Lincoln was soon assassinated by a man who opposed his views. His dedication to a

cause helped bring America one step closer to realizing the dream of the founding fathers that “All men are created equal”

After Lincoln ended slavery, another form of cruelty pervaded in American society. It was called segregation. Segregation is the separation of black and white people into racial groups. It applied to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a washroom, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home. The majority of black people were treated unfairly due to this law. Another leader stood up to fight this injustice. His hame was Martin Luther King Jr. His dream was to end segregation and live in a society where you are not judged by the color of your skin but by the content of your character. He was angry that after 170 years since the words “all men are created equal” , there was still injustice in America against a black person. He gave a powerful speech at the Lincoln Memorial August 28, 1963. This movement was called the American Civil Rights Movement. It was a movement to realize racial equality and end discrimination. Martin Luther King Jr. achieved this without any violence. After his speech, he also was assassinated, like Lincoln but the society he left behind heads towards greater equality and opportunity for all races. On November 4, 2008 an epoch making event occurs in America. A black man became the first president of the United States. "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer," Obama proudly declared.

We can say that the American dream was finally realized. A dream to create a society where everyone

has a shot if they worked hard enough. On November night, that dream came.

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QuestionsWhat do you think about the men, in this article, who have changed the world we live in?Some men risk their life for a cause. What other people do you know who lived and died for a cause?Are there people now thatʼs trying to change our world? What are their causes?