American history in general, isn’t always marked by events, figures, or remarkable speeches. The history of a great nation consists of setbacks, and the ways people recover from them. In the context of American history, there are a few exta moments when everything changed. These are not always one-day events, though some are sudden. These events altered how Americans viewed themselves, the world, and their place in it. It’s worth noting what these events were and how they forever changed the nation.
The American Revolution tranformed a small group of colonies. The Englishmen colonos saw themselves as far from home. After America’s independence, the vision of our country changed. We were now a proud new nation with our own view of the world and our own hopes and dreams.
World War II was an experince struggle, that a war demands, and that, changed how we saw ourselves. Our victory against Japan, Germany, and their allies gave us confidence. We knew that we could influence world history for the better. It also gave us a tremendous sense of responsibility. When we dropped the bombs on Japan, the entire world began to understand the power now in humanity’s hands. That was a time in America’s hands, and the responsibility for mankind’s fate that came with that power.
Pearl Harbor, as part of World War II, deserves its own mention as it changed how America viewed itself in the world. Before that attack, America considered itself invulnerable. Like a teenager who thinks they can never be hurt, we had never been attacked on our homeland before. But Japan showed that they could not only attack us but hurt us. Yes, we responded with wrath. But from that moment forward. We knew we, like everyone else in the world, were vulnerable. And so we had to start behaving in a world full of friends and foes.
Outside of the military world. The I Have a Dream Speech by Dr. Martin Luther King on Washington on August 28, 1963 changed the black community. Yes, that speech had a mighty effect on the way the African American community saw their future. The speech gave inspiration to a struggling civil rights movement. That speech took the movement to victory. This affected all Americans as we started to see ourselves as a community of many cultures. Yes Sir, many races and many orientations. It was the beginning of acceptance in this country. But that is a process which is far from over.
The attacks on the word Trade Center on September 11, 2001 had a deep impact on the hearts and minds of Americans. We are still learning how that effect will show itself as the ripples of shock. As fear, anxiety and reprisals are still going on. But, as with Pearl Harbor. The effects on feelings about our place in the world changed forever.
