After reading the entirety of the assignment in detail, the influences of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. and William James has further illuminated the context of which Pragmatism was created. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., a fascinating and complex character, suffered a great deal of tragedies during his service in the American Civil War. The accumulation of his experiences during the war led him away from several aspects of his worldview prior to. Furthermore, William James’ worldview was influenced heavily by his father, Henry James, Sr.; a man who possessed unorthodox views of the world and personal traits. In order to further depict how Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.’s experiences in the war and William James’ experiences with his father, Henry James, …show more content…
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. was a young man at this time, studying at Harvard University. Unlike his father, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. was against the idea of slavery and received much of his inspiration from Ralph Waldo Emerson, an anti-institutionalist who was a part of the abolitionist party. In fact, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. gained his infatuation for Emerson via his father; who wasn’t in favor of abolishing slavery, but admired Emerson enough to gift a collection of Emerson’s books to Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. one year for his …show more content…
He began to remove positions of absolutes or inherent duties from his thinking. Instead, Holmes saw the world as being moldable to a degree. In fact, he believed that the only duty that a person could have was that to one’s self in their immediate, semi-permanent context. Other than this temporary context, there is no further guidelines to how a person is to live his/her life. During his time as a supreme court justice, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. repeatedly voted in favor of bills that would, not establish a single truth, but establish the principle of the freedom to choose one’s own
Benjamin Banneker, the son of former slaves, wrote to Thomas Jefferson in 1791 to argue against slavery and that the freedom and tranquility we enjoy is a blessing from heaven. The author uses quotes, diction and rhetorical questions to develop and support his claims. Banneker’s purpose is to get Thomas Jefferson to consider the morals of slavery. The intended audience is Thomas Jefferson and any other government official who reads this letter. To begin, Banneker uses an intricate choice of words to express how unhappy he is with slavery and those who allow it.
Benjamin Banneker Essay Benjamin Banneker, a successful, educated son of former slaves and abolitionist, writes to Thomas Jefferson to persuade him to free the slaves. As a framer of the Declaration of Independence and the current Secretary of State, Jefferson could be the catalyst for change. Regardless of Banneker holding a lower societal status and no political authority, he still advocates the cause of abolition.
There are occasions that cause for political activist to take a stand. Benjamin Banneker and Florence Kelley address social issues with slavery and child labor laws, while John F Kennedy discuss economic issues with private vs public interests. As American society attempts to alter their progress in social equality and economic balance, it has stumbled upon obstacles. Americans strive to achieve greatness, yet the abuse of power and wealth stands in the way.
“Most men today cannot conceive of a freedom that does not involve somebody's slavery.” (W.E.B Du Bois). When asked about slavery, the majority of Americans in our day and age have a basic understanding of it’s history and how horrible it was. However, to Benjamin Banneker, it was much more personal. Banneker, born from a long line of slaves, defied the odds and became a successful scholar and activist.
Fitchat 1 Upton Sinclair Michael Fitchat Kevin Fober AP US History 25 January 2016 Fitchat 2 Upton Beale Sinclair, Jr. one of the most influential writers and muckrakers of the 1900s. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland on September 20, 1878. His family moved to New York when he was 10 years old.
Many northerners, Benjamin Franklin among them, began to question the legitimacy of the revolutionary ideal of liberty, if the same rights weren’t awarded to everyone. After landing the presidential seat of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society, Franklin started to protest the racist claims of his Southern counterparts (they argued that slaves were incapable of integrating into society). He also proposed legislation that called for the eventual emancipation of all slaves. After Franklin’s death in 1790, the political conversation about slavery halted. Ellis claims the discourse went “silent”.
Through diction he showed the audience a powerful argument with an extraordinary quotes, “is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty”. In this quote he argues for liberty not just for him although additionally for his fellow americans. Observing into the first quote and a part of the second quote it says “arduous struggle for
Men such as Ralph Waldo Emerson from Document D, and William Lloyd Garrison from Document E, fought tireless to spread their beliefs about the immoral nature of slavery. Emerson believed that the fugitive slave law contradicted the very Constitution it was protected by, as it took away the right to liberty and life. He felt that because the law is immoral and the constitution contradicted itself, the Union was coming to an end. William Lloyd Garrison shared similar views to that of Emerson, and refused to support a Constitution that protects slavery.
I, Frederick Douglass, a former slave and eminent human rights leader in the abolition movement, was the first black citizen to hold a high U.S. government rank. I was born into slavery in Talbot County, Maryland. I ended becoming a famous intellectual and got involved in a large range of causes lecturing thousands about women’s rights, and the abolition movement to name a few. I wasn’t born Frederick Douglass, rather my birth name was Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey. I was one of the first African-American social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer, and statesman, but more than that I wanted to help shape the United States as to where race and color did not matter, where everyone can live together without arguments over issues like these.
In Martin Luther King, Jr.’s essay, “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” and Henry David Thoreau essay “Civil Disobedience,” both share their opinions on social injustice and civil disobedience. They both believe that people can protest unfair and unjust laws imposed on them in a civil way. In addition, King and Thoreau are challenging the government with their essays, which they wrote after they got sent to jail. For protesting the treatment of blacks in Birmingham, Alabama, King spent eleven days in jail; Thoreau spent a night in jail for refusing to pay his poll tax. Both King and Thoreau’s essays present similar plans for a resolution.
Thomas Jefferson had an enormous impact on the American society. He influenced America to unite as one nation. He shaped a strong central government and had a judicial exceed. If he hadn’t shaped a strong government maybe we wouldn’t have the rights we have today. He proceeded by doing this by influencing the constitution.
When The Second Continental Congress approved of the Declaration of Independence, it purposefully avoided the complicated situation that was slavery. African Americans, both freed and enslaved, were outraged. How could the Founding Fathers write such a riveting and long document for themselves, while completely ignoring the African American struggle for freedom on the basis of skin tone? The hypocrisy was too much for Benjamin Banneker, who took it upon himself to write a letter to Thomas Jefferson about the atrocities of slavery, and persuade him to abolish the practice. In it, Banneker used allusions, a melancholy diction, and deductive reasoning to state his argument against the enslavement of his color.
Arshad Chowdhury Hypocrisy can be a funny thing. One never discovers the gravity of it, until far after the fact. One of the keen examples of hypocrisy can be seen through the seventeenth century all the way through the nineteenth century, in American slavery. Today many Americans feel guilty for the hardships the African Americans that were captured and forced to work like dogs for their ancestors. Benjamin Banneker, a distinguished man of many careers, happened to be the son of former slaves.
Have you ever wondered where the light bulb came from, or why you are able to have electricity everywhere in your house, or who invented what lets you watch your favorite movies and TV shows? Well, all this and much more was made possible by Thomas Alva Edison. Thomas Edison was a creative inventor that pushed the science world forward 100 years and had a major positive impact on his decade, the world, and even the rest of history. Thomas Edison had a major positive impact on his society. A large portion of jobs and inventions can be traced back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The work of Patrick Henry, John Winthrop, and Frederick Douglass have created a superior platform, it has influenced many people in a variety of ways. They used as a means of convincing an audience via the authority, they convinced the audience of an argument by creating an emotional response, and they persuade the audience with reasons and facts. Moreover, it has created wars, demonstrate their power and strength. However, the three works have different meanings and purposes. They all try to get into the people in a variety of different ways.