I wanted to wait until I got back from New York to post this blog, that and also i didn't realise I had to leave so early on Friday.

Being my third one day trip to the US, it was very different to before. When I was in Chicago I saw a very well kept city, I however never really left the uptown part, yet still it was well kept and relatively nice. Washington was amazing Georgetown and other part were well kept and very nice to walk around, it was also very clean and didn't smell and obviously capital hill and the capitol were very well built and well kept. However New York was not like this, it was nice and grand central station as well and Wall street were all very nice the interior of the EMpire state building as well as many places was very nice. Like in Chicago the roads and buildings were worn out. However in Chicago they didn't seem "grotty". In NYC I was so surprised from before I got off the plane. Newark airport was deserted... No airline except Continental/United seemed to park their planes their over night. Compared with LHR or LGW where every stand is full at night.

New York proper was amazing, yet everything looked like it needed a bit of money spent on it. the space between downtown and uptown was the middle of nowhere. Furthermore it didn't feel safe... there is a whole tension about it that I didn't feel in Washington. However New York is busy and can't afford time to get everything up to amazing standards, despite America being the richest nation in the world and NY being the economic centre of the world. This I can understand, and besides parts of it were Amazing and well built, I guess I was just a bit surprised.

Fortunately my seat allowed me to be the first to borders/customs Which was funny as I heard "Aircraft is in all officers to booths ready up boys." In an American accent. The border official was obviously scared that I had managed to get through every security check the other side of the flight and thus he carried a side arm. Which every person in a security position did. Thus I feel that this was the best view of America I had got. Chicago was a bit long ago and I was to young to look at everything around me. Washington was museum filled... New York was America, shopping markets and a very run down bit in the middle. However I really enjoyed the trip and seeing all the places that are famous thanks to films, tv and the news.

week 8 gun control

www.bradycampaign.org

This is a pro gun control website - a campaign to prevent gun violence . On the main home page it ‘names and shames’ people who through the lose gun laws have been able to open fire and as a result lives have been lost.

In the corner there is a statistic board which gives figures as to how many people have been killed through the use of guns in America so far this year and so far today. However this information is questionable as we are not sure where they are getting their figures from and could possibly be inaccurate.

The Brady campaign mission statement is:

We are devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.

The Brady Campaign works to pass and enforce sensible federal and state gun laws, regulations, and public policies through grassroots activism, electing public officials who support common sense gun laws, and increasing public awareness of gun violence. Through our Million Mom March and Brady Chapters, we work locally to educate people about the dangers of guns, honor victims of gun violence, and pass sensible gun laws, believing that all Americans, especially children, have the right to live free from the threat of gun violence.

The Brady Centre works to reform the gun industry by enacting and enforcing sensible regulations to reduce gun violence, including regulations governing the gun industry. In addition, we represent victims of gun violence in the courts.� We educate the public about gun violence through litigation, grassroots mobilization, and outreach to affected communities.

This website gives a detailed background onto legislation and provides its viewers with facts about the dangers of guns being so readily available to citizens of the US.

There is a lot of media coverage and many videos, articles and personal accounts available on the website.

The Brady campaign was signed by Jefferson Clinton in 1993.

www.campuscarry.com

This website set up by students is campaigning to legalise licensed concealed carry of guns on campus.

The campaign for campus carry first gained attention after the April 16^th 2007 Virginia tech shooting where 27 students were gunned down on campus by another student.

SCCC argued that, in light of the fact that most colleges are open environments, lacking security measures such as metal detectors and bag checks, state laws and school policies that prohibit concealed carry on campus only serve to stack the odds in favour of dangerous criminals who have no regard for state law or school policy.

There are many blog postings and discussions on this website for viewers to engage in.

www.bradycampaign.org was a far more convincing website as there was more information and more political influence. There are more examples of deaths caused by relaxed gun laws, it is possible to argue that in a situation where people where allowed to carry guns on campus it could in fact have an adverse effect and cause more shootings similar to that of the Virginia tech shooting if people act in the heat of the moment rage.

The American Dream - Not all it's cracked up to be?

One of the most prominent aspects to F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, is the way in which he has portrayed the idea of the failure of the American Dream. Fitzgerald has portrayed this idea through many various ways within the novel, however it could perhaps be seen that one way in particular he has done this is through his use of character representation. Fitzgerald has embodied his idea of the failed American Dream through each of his characters, and in particular that of Myrtle Wilson, Tom Buchanan and Jay Gatsby.

MYRTLE WILSON: - It could be argued that Myrtle's failure of the dream was that she constantly wanted more. For example, although she did not have material wealth she did have a loyal husband who loved her dearly, which clearly comes across when he suspects her of having an affair. However, she felt that the lack of her husband’s wealth was holding her back in society, thus it could be argued that it was because of this desire and desperation to gain status in society, that resulted in her downfall and her failure of the American Dream. Her belief was that Tom was her way forward, and that through him she would achieve her American Dream. However, due to the very fact that material possessions and wealth seemed to mean more to her than acknowledging the advantages that she had in the life she was living, it was her jealousy and greed which resulted in her failure of the Dream, and which as a result ultimately cost her her life.

TOM BUCHANAN: - In contrast to that of Myrtle, Tom was already very rich and powerful. However, something which both characters share was their lust for greed. It was clear in the novel that his power and status were not enough for him. His American Dream was that he wanted more and instead of having one woman, he wanted two. It could be argued that Fitzgerald's message of the two characters was that they did not acknowledge the successful aspects to their life. Both characters were equally lucky, just in different ways. Another fundamental message within the novel that could be applied through the character of Tom, was the ideas of what is there left to aspire to after you have achieved the American Dream? Tom was successful in more ways than one; he was wealthy, he lived in a big house and he had a traditional family. Ultimately had achieved his American Dream. Why, then, was he not happy? Why did he feel the need to want two women? It could be argued that one of Fitzgerald's main messages was the idea that after the American Dream has been achieved, there is nothing left to aspire to. Thus, perhaps suggesting that the Dream is incomplete.

JAY GATSBY:- The character of Gatsby is the key representation of the failure of the American Dream, although to some extent also the success of it. For example, the fact that he came from a lower class background, and managed to work his way up the social spectrum to be a man who holds lavish parties almost every night, supports the main idea of the American Dream that working hard will make you successful. However, he is also the representation of the fallen Dream through the fact that Gatsby used his material possessions to boost his obsession of Daisy, as well as him having the idea that he can re-create the past. This was what led to his eventual downfall and untimely death. The dominant message then, perhaps was that wealth cannot buy you everything. There are many references in the novel, especially in the earlier chapters, whereby minor characters judged Gatsby by looking at this possessions. Nobody knew what really hid behind his appearance and possessions; his obsession with Daisy. A dominant message that can be drawn from the novel is that although Americans hold this view of identifying the American Dream with the idea of wealth, this does not entitle you to, or secure you, a happy blissful life. How you live your life as a whole is equally fundamental to the failure or success of the American Dream.

The Great Gatsby: The Old and The New

The Great Gatsby deals with the theme of prosperity and money, and the old and new. These ideas are explored through the characters, in particular; Gatsby, Nick, Tom, Daisy and Jordan.

Gatsby represents new money as he did not inherit it the way that the others did, although he did inherit some of his money. In this way, Gatsby was part of a new generation of ‘New Americans’ also called the ‘nouveau riche’ meaning new money. This term was mostly used in derogatory terms by those who came from ‘old money’. Gatsby’s big house, extravagant parties and having the latest fashions; ‘“I’ve got a man in England [...] he sends over a selection of things... each season, spring and fall”’, all seem to point towards being new to money as everything he does is larger than life. Although it can be argued that he does all these things in order to impress Daisy. Compared to Tom and Myrtle’s party, Gatsby’s party is well organised and planned and shows an eagerness to make a good impression, whereas Tom and Myrtle’s is thrown together last minute. The intimacy of Tom and Myrtle’s party shows that the rich do not need to show off their wealth (although it could be argued that the reason for the intimate party was because of Tom and Myrtle’s affair), unlike Gatsby who throws grand parties with ‘his Rolls Royce became an omnibus’, ‘five crates of oranges and lemons’ and ‘the orchestra’ (the opening paragraph of chapter 3 shows the splendour and decadence).

The idea of the New American, represented by Gatsby, means that anyone can make it big, linking back to the American Dream and individual success, whereby one becomes successful by their own means. However, this idea is not accurately portrayed in The Great Gatsby because Gatsby did not become rich by simply working hard; he inherited a large sum from Dan Cody, who took him in under his wing. This idea of being helped by a rich authority figure is similar to that of Ragged Dick, where Dick was only able to get ahead in respectability because Mr. Whitney gave him $5. This further supports the idea of ‘pluck and luck’ put forward in week 9s workshop, showing that it is not possible to get move ahead unless one is helped by a patron. Yet, the New American can be seen in contemporary society through the likes of Donald Trump and Chris Gardner who came from nothing and today are both successful and rich, showing that to some extent the idea of the American Dream and individual success is still possible. On the other hand, the death of Gatsby represents the death of the New American and that heritage and class are still relevant no matter what riches are acquired. However, the idea of the American Dream being dead, is particularly interesting because it was during this time that Old America was in decline; and this is most notable in texts such as A Streetcar Named Desire, which portrays the destruction of Blanche who represents Old America, whilst Stanley, who represents the New America establishes himself.

The New American is also portrayed through Jordan. As a woman, she is very independent especially compared to Daisy. She drives (badly), goes to parties, plays typically masculine sports (such as golf) and is unmarried, showing a changing of the times. These things also show how Jordan is going against the traditional values during this period where it was expected for women to be married and play tennis; although this was also the time where the New Woman was beginning to emerge; as seen through the nineteenth amendment and votes for women, as well as advertising, like cigarettes. Jordan is an accurate portrayal of a woman in the 21^st century.

Contrastingly, Nick, Tom and Daisy represent the idea of old money, as they inherited their money from ancestors. Their old money represents stability as it has supported their families for generations, showing that old money was the building blocks of America.

Tom’s affair with Myrtle shows the power of traditional Old America. Tom’s audacity to visit Myrtle at her home where her husband was shows a disregard for lower classes and is rude. This exemplifies that the Old America has dominance over the lower classes and is further shown by Tom promising to sell his car to George but then almost changing his mind when George makes a remark about the car taking a long time; showing that the lower classes depend on those above them to give them a better life, similar to Johnny Nolan in Ragged Dick who is given a meal by Dick. As well as this, Toms paying for the apartment for Myrtle, the dog and other things supports the idea of stability as he has enough money to fund this lifestyle not only for Myrtle, but for himself, Daisy and their daughter.

On the whole, the novel displays the theme of the old and the new, and that despite all of this one’s birthright depicts their position in society no matter what they do to change it. This is seen by Nick returning West, and through nothing severely bad happening to the characters from old money.

Week 11 - American Doubt

The Great Gatsby presents many themes, but what stands out to me the most is how it shows the hollowness of the American Dream. Behind all the stunning glitter and glam that is abundant throughout the novel lies a story of discontent, especially is the case of Gatsby. Money and love are things that the most of us desire, and this story throws the very nature of our desires into a harsh shocking light. No matter if we achieve our desires it does not mean that we will achieve or find happiness. Fitzgerald manages to create a sad bleak portrait of America while maintaining a sense of restrained optimism for the future. This can be found evident in the final line of the book. So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. The Great Gatsby shows how we are shaped by our pasts and backgrounds no matter how hard we try to run away from them and re-invent ourselves. We can have optimism for the future even when we have a bleak past but the past will always be defining especially in the 1920s when old money was respected but not new money as it was often questioned how this new money came about.

Through Nick's narration we see a world that so many Americans dream of (a life of endless parties, delicious food, beautiful clothes) but only a select few achieve. The American Dream is depicted as being shallow, which Daisy demonstrates very well. "They're such beautiful shirts," she sobed... "It makes me sad because I've never seen such - such beautiful shirts before." At the time men and women were locked in a frenzied and ultimately doomed race for speed, money and sin. Gatsby and Daisy's love is doomed because their values have been distorted by money, comfort and opulence. They can't see the depths because they are too easily distracted by shiny surfaces. There is a gap between dreams and reality, between reality and perception. Wealth is hiding moral decay underneath.

It could be argued that Gatsby was ahead of his times. If Gatsby had done what he did then now, he would have loads of Daisy types throwing themselves at him. This would suggest that today values and morals have further decayed as despite the many flaws and shallowness of the 1920s there was still respect and respectability for the way in which people earned their money. Whereas today those flaws and shallowness still exist but respect has been lost, as times have moved on, corruption has further developed and morals and values are continuing to diminish.

The coca cola adverts began in 1886 and have been of great popularity throughout the years. Coca-cola adverts have always included themes and figures of the current time in their adverts (such as Elvis Presley in 1977) effectively associating itself with popular figures of the time

The coca cola advert also claims itself in many advertisements to be a ‘classic’ and in one particular advert quotes ‘a classic never goes out of style’ with a coca cola bottle made out of a collage of classic American figures. Many consumers buy into this patriotic sense that the coca cola advertisements have and other nations definitely do buy into the Americanisation of the adverts also.

Coca cola has been frequently credited for its invention of the modern image of Santa Claus. Santa Claus, to begin with was not initially red and white however due to the huge, infamous Christmas coca-cola advertising campaigns promoting Santa Claus in the coca-cola colours we now know Santa Claus as a typically red and white figure.

The red and white colours of Santa Claus may be just a coincidence however could also be embodying the colours of the American flag.

Nascar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhzeDTS50XY

1:12:14 in. The ad for Budweiser comes on. This ad is shown at nearly every commercial break. The ad hardly changes over the year. (I watch most Nascar races, there is something fascinating about seeing cars go around in circles a couple hundred times, I'm a boy). Most people watching Nascar are men, though women do watch it as well, racing cars is more a men's sport. Those watching from home normally have friends over and will be drinking an alcoholic beverage. By targeting Americans (with much of the viewers being very patriotic) with American beer and saying it will bring good times. throw in a few smiling guys and an America flag it is the perfect advertisement. The laid back attitude that comes with the advertisement that" just grab some bud". Appeals to many Americans who will be sitting watching the racing with a couple of mates, probably drinking beer, and Bud being the only beer that is shown on Nascar.

The placement of the Advertisement would be very expensive Nascar is the second most watched sport, the chase (the last ten races) especially. As well as the first (the daytona 500) the most famous race in the history of Nascar. The advertisement then is (superbowl aside) the single most watched show on tv and every ad gets massive exposure to General public.

Week 10: American Consumerism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yatSAEqNL7k
In terms of gadgets, the American brand 'Apple' has always led the way in consumer culture. This is the commercial for iphone 4 and it's feature of 'Face Time'. I found that the main ideas and values that were being conveyed were not only an obvious attempt to sell the product, but it could also be seen to portray the American values that are at the heart of society; for example, the family. There are many instances throughout the advert whereby the importance of the family is clearly visible. This idea is further enhanced by the fact that the majority of the commercial advertises the significance of it, as wells as that of relationships. Another American value that I found prominent was the idea of war. This particular scenario showed a soldier and how he couldn't be there to see the scan of his baby. This essentially reflects a negative view towards the notion of war, and could perhaps be seen to encourage the idea of 'world peace' that Americans hold so strongly. However, it is the product itself which enables him overcome the issue and to still witness the event; thus embodying the values within the commercial for the product.
Furthermore, the commercial could also be seen to reinforce the message that America 'dominates' the world. The main message and 'value' that the item embodies is obviously to bring people together. In this case, the item brings people together globally and essentially brings the world together. The fact that the product is American, and was created by the American Steve Jobs further enhances the ideology of America leading the way, and its significance and prominence within the consumer culture. This particular advert has been cleverly put together, not only to sell the product itself, but also to embody the values that America holds. Subtle conventions such as the choice of music, or the individual scenarios that are portrayed to the audience are what constitutes to the selling of the product. Although it is this which is the primary aspect, an important and noteworthy point is that the commercial as a whole reflects specific ideas and values on to the viewers which as a result makes America remain as the leaders of the consumer culture.

American Consumerism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKL254Y_jtc

This commercial is for Chrysler cars and its main focus is on luxury. The commercial opens with a question; “what does this city know about luxury” which gives the audience something to think about during the commercial, and during the commercial, this question is answered albeit in not an obvious way.

The commercial shows, not only Detroit, but America as a whole. For example the American flag can be seen twice in the commercial which shows patriotism, as well as this, the narrator says; “we're from America” which shows pride for the country and the company. The car drives through both the affluent and the impoverished areas of Detroit, as well as showing a glimpse of what the state was known for: industry. These show that there are different people in America, yet they all seem to work together, as seen in the painting of black and white factory workers. This diversity shows that America is united and that it does represent an example to the outside world and to the “folks who have never even been here”.

Following on from this, there appears to be an ‘us’ and ‘we’ complex in the commercial, with the narrator constantly referring to this. Despite the narrator including everyone, he also seems to be aware of the differences between the people watching the commercial, most probably: Americans and other countries; showing that outsiders do not understand the intricacies of American life. This can be heard when the narrator mentions that the city has “been to hell and back”, highlighting the resilience of America.

This distance shown in the ‘us’ and ‘we’ leads on to focus on what the product and in some ways, America, is not. The narrator makes the point; “we're from America, but this is not New York City” and goes on to say what else it is not: “the windy city” “emerald city” “sin city”. This idea of identifying something by what it is not, links back to how America wanted to define themselves when the early settlers arrived; i.e. not being like Europe. And by not being like Europe or in this case, these other cities, America and the brand can be an example to everywhere and everyone else, again linking back to America being a “city upon a hill”. This is also supported by the end of the commercial when Eminem says; "this is the motor city, and this is what we do", exemplifying the idea being different to others and showing outsiders how things are done.

Referring back to the narrator’s opening question, the commercial shows what luxury is and these are the values that the product claims to embody. The values of being united whilst being able to be an example to others, of coming back after being knocked down, and that it’s more “where it’s from than who it’s for” (America).

Week 10 - American Consumerisum

http://youtu.be/8hXlPY9OS1k

This is an advert for Jack in the Box which was aired at the 2011 Superbowl game (one of the biggest sporting events in the USA). Jack in the Box is just one of the many examples of American fast food chains. The advert is aimed directly at Americans as it starts off by saying 'Hello America'. Overall this advert is abundant in American symbolism. For example, the Bold Eagle and the buffalo.

To sell this product 'The All American Jack Combo' they have used an all American theme, which can also show the significance of it being aired at the Superbowl game. Further examples of this are with the pick up truck (yet another typical American consumer product, which is symbolic to American culture), they have further Americanized the pick up truck by giving it a 'custom Constitution paint job).

By having the face/mascot of the company dressed up as important and symbolic figures in American history, the Statue of Liberty and President Lincoln, to me this shows how dominant the consumer culture has become in America as in a way it is almost of if it is ridiculing/mocking these historical figures by imitating them. I see this as, consumer culture and takeaway/throw away society, replaying the core values of freedom and liberty that America was founded on.

The American dream

http://www.faireconomy.org/press_room/1997/born_on_third_base_sources_of_wealth_of_1997_forbes_400

The Horiatio Alger Myth, the american dream, is said to be dead on this site. It states "Only three out of ten on the Forbes list can be regarded as self-starters whose parents did not have great wealth or own a business with more than a few employees." Surely however this is in fact a support to the myth.

3 out of 10 of the forbes 400 have made the wealth by themselves without inheriting wealth. This is around 133 people who have not inherited their wealth. This Proves that you can, in America, make your wealth out of nothing. In America there is a lot more opportunity for people, the education system may be backward compared to the rest of the developed world, but Universities are not state funded, thus cost students more, and thus are superior to the majority of European Universities. In Europe, the education system is much more demanding, meaning those who do not have self discipline tend to struggle. The mentality in America is different too, in europe many familys in the lower classes have failed to drive their kids towards change, and tend to blame the government or authorities or others for any failings... In America it is down to you the mentality is that if you fail it is your fault, if you succeed you are somehow a better person. For these reason the Horatio Alger Myth still exists, In America it is much more what you know than who you know...

Week 9: The Horatio Alger Myth in Contemporary America

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1899396/the_horatio_alger_myth_is_alive_and.html "The Horatio Alger Myth is known country wide as being a proud national symbol of this economic empowerment."

Horatio Alger. Jr's Ragged Dick centres around the notion of the 'American Dream' through the concept of rags to riches. These ideas, as well as others, are essentially what the Horatio Alger Myth is based upon. This article by Sara Bilodeau shows how the notion still exists within society today, and how it can be applied to contemporary America.
One important aspect to the Horatio Alger Myth is how hard work leads to success. In Ragged Dick this concept is clearly visible, 'A good many distinguished men have once been poor boys. There's hope for you, Dick, if you'll try." (p.27) Bilodeau has applied this idea to contempoary America, "It is true that some Americans are able to achieve this myth within their lifetime, such as Bill Gates, but it is much more common for this goal to be obtained after several generations of hard work." Bilodeau portrays the idea of hard work for some as much easier than for others. Nonetheless, she recognises the importance that it has within the United States, and essentially the 'American Dream' as well as staying truthful to the Horatio Alger and the Horatio Alger Myth.

In addition to this, the idea of education is also another important aspect to the Horatio Alger Myth. According to Bilodeau education to date has a slightly different function to that which can be seen in Ragged Dick. For example, Alger's message within the book was that, as well as looking respectable, the only way of gaining a suitable standard within society to have a 'proper' education, "But, in order to succeed well, you must manage to get as good an education as you can. Until you do, you cannot get a position in an office, or counting room even to run errands." (p.36) In contrast however, Bilodeau portrays how nowadays there are financial benefits for those of the lower classes, "... the children of lower-class families have numerous opportunities to receive financial assistance to go to college if not a full ride to one... in order to go to college all you basically have to do is finish high school with relatively good grades." This shows how the importance of education to obtaining a good job has changed and developed over time. Now, thanks to 'financial asscistance' more people from the lower class are able to achieve good work than before.

Overall, through the concept of hard work and the importance of education, Bolideau has shown how the Horatio Alger Myth still exists within America today. Despite the fact that it has changed and differed slightly, like all things over time, the importance of hard work and education are still important factors to helping people reach their ideal 'American Dream'. In the words of Bilodeau herslef, "Although it may seem that the Horatio Alger Myth is unattainable, that is not the case. The hard work that is required to fulfill the myth is slightly different from the hard work that was originally implied, however, the myth still holds true and success is obtainable to even the most humble of people. All that is needed is the drive to succeed and an education."

Week 9 - The Horatio Alger Myth

http://www.fightbacknews.org/2004/01winter/algermyth.htm

This is an article that discusses American society today in relation to the Horatio Alger Myth. The article written by Adam Price argues that while it is true that many working class Americans have achieved a better standard of living and moved up in terms of social status, this success has been more to do with hard work less than luck which is ultimately the main reason for Ragged Dick's success. Ragged Dick did work hard but his big breaks came down to luck and chance for example it was only by chance that he happened to come across Frank and his Uncle. It was through this encounter that Dick obtained nice clothes making him 'respectable'. Once he looked the part he started to act the part. A smart appearance also made him more likable and approachable to older more dignified adults. The advice received from Mr Whitney was a turning point for Dick as the chances are, that without this advice Dick would have continued spending his money on gambling and in the theatre rather than saving it.

The success of working class Americans today is more to do with unions fighting for a decent wage an education system funded by taxes. Society today is more about communities looking after each other more than what they did in the times of Ragged Dick. today if a child lost their parents at the age of seven they would be put in a care home and would not have to live out on the streets , not to mention that fact that it would be illegal for a seven year old to be working. It could also be argued that the fact that there is a so called safety net , it may have lead people nowadays to not work as hard as people did back before there was social security.

Contemporary 'Horation Alger myth' Use

The Horatio Alger myth is the idea of “rags to riches”, “American Dream” and that from poor beginnings one can rise to have success.

I found an article on Joseph Michael Jaber who grew up as one of nine children to Lebanese immigrants and for a long time was “very, very poor”; but then became a Superior Judge. The title of the article caught my attention: From modest beginnings, great success. This alone is an example of the Horatio Alger myth which implies that you can rise from poor beginnings to become very successful. Jaber’s life follows this and despite some difference is actually quite accurate in relation to Ragged Dick. Jaber, like Ragged Dick, studied hard and got an education, and went on to have a position in society; and according to the article, Jaber was in “pursuit of his share of the American Dream”.

However, the article also points to an inaccuracy in relation to Ragged Dick. For example Jaber grew up “very, very poor, much as everyone down here was”. This last bit exemplifies how the Horatio Alger myth is not relevant to everyone, as from as far as this article implies, one else from his childhood community grew up to be successful like him, although it could be implied that they did not work hard; like Johnny Nolan in Ragged Dick who said that he could not learn how to read, almost refusing to. As I found in another example (Why Does the Myth of Horatio Alger Linger?), it seems almost impractical to suggest that the Horatio Alger myth can be realised by any and everyone. This is also something that Alger appears to imply in Ragged Dick, because if the other boot-blacks were like Ragged Dick who is ambitious and aims higher than himself, then they too would also become successful.

http://www.keepmecurrent.com/my_generation/from-modest-beginnings-great-success/article_0a70d484-eeab-11e0-8f8d-001cc4c002e0.html

http://open.salon.com/blog/paul_nevins/2011/02/12/why_does_the_myth_of_horatio_alger_linger

http://www.bradycampaign.org/

This website is about the problem of concealed carry. Most Americans i have spoken to are for the ability to have guns in your house shoot robbers. saying that there will always be illegal guns out there by banning it you would make it that only the bad guys have guns. But when it comes to concealed carry, the ability to carry a firearm around concealed under your clothes or in your handbag. The supporters of such a law say it is the same as having a gun in your house if some one is on the streets or attacks a restaurant, as we saw in class, you would be able to defend yourself. However I feel all of this is ridiculous. If you you feel that to be safe in society you need to walk around with a .44 revolver or a 9MM hand gun strapped to your hip then there is a major failing within such a society. If you are asking untrained mothers fathers even teenagers to defend themselves against people who, in most cases, legally acquired the firearm they are now using to execute people is absolutely absurd. Thus is such a major failing in society and should be reformed as soon as possible, seeming that every year more people die in America due to gun crime than in the many years of civil war in Yugoslavia... You would of thought that the American government is doing something about this...

... It isn't

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=4706

This website does the whole true or false quiz about gun myths a realities, it is obviously bias and is arguing against gun control. I am afraid like Americans and being a boy I think guns are cool and everything, and if America was invaded any occupier would have a horrid time trying to control a armed population. The unfortunate truth for Americans is that guns feel natural and not one wants to get rid of them. They thus have to try and explain why they should be allowed to keep them. There are good arguments for this, the safety they bring to some people, the feeling that if you are in a dangerous position you are the master of your own fate. There are many issues with getting rid of the current fire arms. The long and short of it however is for Americans guns are a right and are as natural as having a mobile phone or a computer. It is a problem we can not understand completely in Europe. What Americans fail to realise is that they see guns as a toy or a defensive weapon, it is novel that they can defend themselves, especially at home when being burgled, as well as the police never being able to arrive at a location. However the answer is not giving every body and their dogs a gun, a weapon refined over generations to be very effective at killing.

Week 8: Pro & Anti Gun Control Websites

ANTI GUN CONTROL
http://www.keepandbeararms.com/
'Keep and Bear Arms' is an anti gun control website, set up by people of the United States. Their main aim is to help '...lawful people maintain their abilities to protect themselves and the people they love effectively from anyone who would do them harm - through legal, private ownership and use of guns.' From this it is clear that the main belief that this anti gun website holds is that guns are a way of protecting family and friends through self defence. Furthermore, the Keep and Bear Arms website offers people the chance to become a member, which allows regular members to post on chat rooms. This enables them to have free speech on the issue of gun control, which in turn supports the website as a whole. The Keep and Bear Arms movement makes many references to the amendment of the Bill of rights, and in particular the notion of freedom, which is the obvious foundation on which they rest their views. In addition to this, the organisation have many interesting beliefs, one being that the media is biased against firearms and it is up to them to take 'appropriate action'. Whilst exploring the website, I also found the the word 'educate' came up a lot. For example, '...educate you about current problems facing our liberties and exactly what you CAN do about it.' However, the use of 'educate' could merely be a way for the website to feed people information about their views, rather than actually 'educating' people about what is really happening in the USA, on the issue of gun control. I also found the wording on the website quite patronising, in a way that subtly passes their views onto the reader, regardless of what their view on gun ownership maybe. 'If you've been sitting on the sidelines passively watching our Second Amendment being eroded away, it's okay. You're here now...' It is true to say that their loyalty towards 'freedom' and the right to own guns undoubtedly goes unnoticed.
PRO GUN CONTROL
http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~zj5j-gttl/guns.htm
This website titled 'A Case for Gun Control' is a clear representative for pro gun control. In comparison to the previous website, it makes a lot of references to the second amendment of the Bill of Rights. However, what I found interesting on this website was that it held views that some of the amendments were not 'absolute', for example '...even though the 1st Amendment guarantees me the right to free speech, the right is limited.' I found this very surprising for obvious reasons, such as the fact that the Bill of Rights is held in such high esteem for the American people, and yet these individuals are willing to criticise it. However, this is indeed a valid point which many Americans would agree with. The website also draws heavily on the view that guns are used for self-defense, and offers sufficient evidence to show how this is not always the case, 'Dr. Roth argues that "Self-defense is commonly cited as a reason to own a gun. This is the explanation given by 20 percent of all gun owners...But research has shown that a gun kept in the home is 43 times more likely to kill a member of the household, or friend, than an intruder.' By offering this as a piece of evidence, I believe that it strengthens this argument as it has been applied to actual society rather than the beliefs of a few.

Overall, I consider the pro gun control website to be more convincing for many reasons, but primarily because it hold views and beliefs to that of my own. In addition to this, I found that the way the 'Keep and Bear Arms' website spoke to the audience was too abrupt, as if it were trying to impose its views which I found off putting. However, a significant point to make is that the importance of America's freedom cannot go unrecognised. The fact that 'Keep and Bear Arms' stands up for what it believes in is a significant factor within the arguments for pro and anti gun control.

Week 8 - Gun Control

http://www.csgv.org/

This is a pro gun control website for the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. Their mission statement is 'The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence seeks to secure freedom from gun violence through research, strategic engagement and effective policy advocacy.' They are made up of 48 national organisations who work together in order to reduce gun violence. The website makes valid points about loopholes in legislation surrounding guns, such as being able to purchase guns at gun shows without needing a background check. The site also highlights some of the tragic results caused by guns for example '9 children die everyday due to gun violence'.

http://home.nra.org/#/home

This is the website for the National Rifle Association which is anti-gun control. They have described themselves as 'America's foremost defender of Second Ammendment rights'. The NRA has nearly 4 million members making it a much bigger and more dominiring force when compared to the CSGV. However when simply scanning over the websites I found that the language used on the CSGV site was more powerful and persuasive than the NRA, when reading the headline titles which are intended to grab the readers attention. The CSGV site also slanders the oppossing argument more often. An example on the CSGV site is 'Yes, people kill people, but without easy access to guns it would be a lot harder'. This is in relation to school shootings and the argument that these tragedies happened because of the mentality of individuals. Article headlines on the NRA site are less opinionated and more matter-of-fact. 'Armed forces retirement home bans vet' gun'. The issue is simply stated without using any emotive language. I also found that the CSGV site used rhetorical questions a lot when arguing their points ' Could it be that the gun industry has an ulterior motive to push for less gun control?' I found this to be more persuassive as it gets the reader to think more about the issue and they make the gun industry to sound more sinister.

Pro-gun Control and Anti-gun Control

http://www.goal.org/index.html

GOAL (Gun Owners’ Action League) is an anti-gun control website and their core belief is; “the basic right of firearms ownership for competition, recreation and self-protection.” They also claim to “hard to defend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights against those in Massachusetts who wish to infringe upon the freedoms guaranteed by our forefathers”. This was not very surprising as I expected this from a pro-gun control organization. However, what I did not expect was their “education” in which they teach young children and youths that guns are not toys or a means to resolve an argument. This definitely changed my opinion that introducing young people to guns would encourage them to misuse them. The League also helps to educate all people on gun use and have a section which states all the laws for owning a gun. I found this to be very helpful and it also kept in theme with their want to educate all people. What I also found very interesting was that this site was for pro-gun control in Massachusetts which also highlights how different states operate and what the feeling of gun control is in a particular state. On the other hand, as expected, there was a lot of text about maintaining the rights and freedom of America as well as links to make donations and a store, which would presumably raise funds for the organization.

http://www.bradycampaign.org/

BradyCampaign.org is an organisation that works to prevent gun violence. Their mission is to create “an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.” Their website has a lot of information about gun violence ordered in specific sections. The information is displayed clearly and is easy for anyone to read and understand. They also have other sections which lead onto further information such as: a blog, press releases, news and learn more. Also in the top right hand corner is a counter that shows how many people have been shot today, based on the estimates of how many people are shot on average. This really makes the effects of gun violence real and makes it more personal.

Similar to the GOAL website, bradycampaign.org also asks for donations which also shows that they need funds to help their organisation and that both sides (anti and pro gun control movements) need support from the public in order to continue putting forward their views.

Out of the two, I find the GOAL website to be more convincing because although they endorse gun ownership, they want to educate children and everyone about the uses and dangers of guns and they also provide all the information on gun laws.

manifest destin

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/07.123

This painting of the Rocky Mountains Landers Peak, was painted by a German - American painter Albert Bierstadt in 1863.

Bierstadt was best known for his paintings of lavish, sweeping landscapes of the american west. he was also known for his style - luminism.

this painting is based on sketches made during his travels with the honey road survey party in 1859 - this would suggest there is some unreliability to the painting. the landscape in the setting isn't in actual fact as it appears in landers peak but rather an ideal landscape based on nature altered by bierstadt for dramatic effect.

the painting shows landers peak in the Wyoming range of the rocky mountains with an area dominated by a native american campsite in the foreground.

bierstadts painting hit a nerve with contemporary Americans by portraying the grandeur and pristine beauty of the nations western wilderness. It was a reference to the idea of Manifest Destiny, where the rocky mountains represented both natural beauty and an obstacle to westward expansion.

American Wilderness

http://www.clemson.edu/caah/history/facultypages/PamMack/lec124/Twilight_wilderness.jpg

This painting is of the American Wilderness, with the sun setting in the west, just hiding behind the mountains. For Americans this was an important view point, as for them they felt they were establishing a nation out of nothing, out of the wilderness. Looking west to a whole new world and a new life for them, their family and friends. The sun setting in the west, I believe is a very strong image, by expanding ever west the sun would never set.

The sun is bringing light onto this other wise dark image. This shows us the dangers that were present as americans head forward into the wilderness to create their new nation. As well as showing us the darkness, the unknown, that Americans must of felt going deep into uncharted territories, without a TomTom or google maps, without any maps at all. Completely unknown lands, which is impossible to comprehend today.

The light at the far end of the painting shows a sentiment at the time that if you go beyond the wilderness and the mountains you will reach a bountiful land. Unfortunately for so many Americans and Indians (as well as Mexicans) this struggle west caused conflict and death, as well as genocide on a scale similar to those witnessed during WWII and in Soviet Russia.

Week 7: Manifest Destiny

By, Henry Lewis (1840's)
http://www.treefrogtreasures.com/reference/ttmmrblinesBC43083.html

This 19th Century painting by Henry Lewis portrays America's development and modernity, as well as its Manifest Destiny. Lewis has incorporated both the introduction of America's modernity, as well as the lives of the Native people. He has portrayed America's landscape as open, vast and spacious. Lewis has stressed America's beauty through the mountains that can be seen in the far distance. In the addition to this, he has also distinguished the Native Americans from the settlers through the use of colour. In the foreground, where it appears very dark, Native Americans can be seen with their teepee's which dominates the foreground of the painting. Lewis has also made reference to their culture and way of living, through showing their tribal dance. However, it is clear to the viewer that the development of America, its modernity and settlement are the primary aspect to the painting. In contrast to the Native side of the painting, America's importance is portrayed through much lighter colours. The notion of settlement dominates almost the entire painting. The modernity of America is shown through the development of the buildings, and in particular the main building which bears the American flag. The fact that Lewis has placed the American flag almost completely in the middle of the painting, although it is quite small, could be symbolic of his patriotism towards the United States. Also, the fact that settlement and modernity out weighs the overall painting strengthens this view. However, it is true to say that Lewis hasn't completely separated the Native Americans from the new settlement as more teepee's can be seen in the middle. The significance of this is that Lewis is showing a sort of integration, whereby America is becoming a multi-cultural country. Overall, Lewis recognises the importance of both the settlers and the Native Americans. Although settlement dominates the painting, the integration of both is recognised as equally important.

Nineteenth Century Painting: Thomas Cole, The Oxbow

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Thomas_Cole%2C_The_Oxbow.jpg

This painting was made in 1836 and it is of Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts. It was originally called: View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm—The Oxbow. This painting depicts the vastness of the American landscape and of its natural beauty.

The right half of the painting shows the land has been cultivated and settled, with patches of fields and trees that have been planted. It also shows mountains in the distance which symbolise the various heights of America and shows a difference to Europe as there were not many mountains. This cultivated side of the landscape shows that America is an open land and that there are opportunities for growth, as crops and trees are growing. It almost romanticises America, which is also interesting as Cole was the founder of the Hudson River School art movement, which painted romanticised pictures of the American landscape. The pale blue sky shows that things are peaceful and again makes America appear to be very romantic. The distant mountains and hills in the background also show that America is the land of opportunity as it goes on for miles and miles. The river almost symbolises and predestines the journey that America has been on and the journey ahead, as well as the twists and turns that are represented by the oxbow. This is also an example of the idea of manifest destiny, where it was thought it was predestined that America would be great. However, as the river is calm and gently it falsely portrays this journey as it does not indicate the civil war or the massacres of the native peoples or the hardships of the great depression.

The left half on the painting shows a different side of America. The land is uncultivated, the trees look unruly and the sky is dark and it looks like a thunderstorm is about to start. This shows the ugly side of America and that everything is not what it seems despite the beauty of the right-hand side of the painting. Contrary to the right side, the left-hand side of the painting looks savage, a term that was used heavily to describe the native peoples. This shows what America was like before the settlers arrived and transformed the landscape, and also represents the native peoples before the Europeans arrived and drove them out. The left side also represents uncertainty, but with a glimmer of hope as there appears to be light coming in through the dark clouds. There is a circle of birds in this light which is reminiscent of the story of Noah and the Ark; this links to something that Thomas Paine said in 1776: “We have it in our power to begin the world over again. A situation, similar to the present, has not happened since the days of Noah until now. The birthday of a new world is at hand”.

The two opposing sides of the painting look to show a “before and after” view, as well as a well-rounded view of America.

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/daghtml/dagocc.html

Here is a picture of railroad workers between 1850 and 1860. The building of the railroads from the east coast to the west was revolutionary. It enabled for the speed up of the process of expansion and settlement. It gave access for more exploration as it made the land further west more accessible. Settlement further west was made easier as material products from the cities in the east such as New York, could be easily transported. This meant that the railroads were used for trade and are still used for trade today. the picture is useful as it gives an insight into what sort of tools were used for the building of the railroads such as the cart. You can see from the picture that the clothing of the men is quite dirty, which indicates that the building was hard and messy work and it was only men who worked on the railroads as women did not do those sort of jobs, which is fairly true still today. The posture of how they are standing is quite proud, showing perhaps that they are proud of what they are doing and what they have accomplished.

http://conservapedia.com/Tea_Party_Movement

I thought, mainly because I have been slow to post and most of the big websites about the TEA party movement have already been used, I would go for a Wikipedia like website. I chose Conservapedia because it is a wiki about conservatism and its editors are right wing in their ideology, and would probably be supportive of the TEA party movement. Which of course they were.

In the UK we have a very obvious extreme parties that can be seen as good or bad, they represent portions of the population, UKIP for example. However when one party goes to far, in my opinion, they can be seen by the majority of the voting public to be outrageous and silly, like what happened with Nick Griffin and the BNP.However the TEA party in America is very subtle, on this wiki there is no criticism, thus making it bias, which I believe is a good view of how the TEA party portrays itself.

This wiki then had to be taken with a pinch of salt as obviously like most wikis anyone in an academic position throws garlic and a cross at it. But it is obvious that someone has written this wiki with an agenda and they cleverly worded it thus it would persuade those who read it to their point of view.

week 6 - tea party movement

The tea party movement is a political movement generally recognised as conservative and libertarian and associate themselves as republicans. The modern day tea parties were established not long after the election of Barack Obama to the White House. The tea parties are in reference to the Boston tea party - a protest by colonists who objected to a British tax on tea in 1773 and demonstrated by dumping British tea into the harbour. The tea party has no central leadership but it is composed of a loose affiliation of national local groups that determine their own platforms and agendas.

The tea party patriots (http://teapartypatriots.ning.com/) is the official home of the American tea party movement, the tea party patriots slogan is ‘’A community committed to standing together, shoulder to shoulder, to protect our country and the Constitution upon which we were founded!’’

This website makes use of various forms of media such as photos, videos, blog posts, and forums to attract the attention of the public and influence membership for the movement. However you are required to register to become a member in order to access this material. This may have been done to ensure that opposition are unable to comment and turn members against the movement and dissuade people from joining. However this may also backfire as people are less likely to bother joining in order to search the website, people are more likely to join if they are able to access the site freely and browse the material without registering and then make a decision to join.

Once I joined the site and became a member I was able to get full access to the material available on the site, I browsed through the photos and found many people had uploaded photos of themselves and others at protests and campaigns and also many had uploaded propaganda images persuading people to join the tea party movement, however these photos are only available to existing members and are more aimed at those who have not yet joined and are thinking about joining. Therefore this purpose has been defeated. There are also many blogs and forums which discuss the main points that surround the tea party movement, discussions particularly on taxes, government spending, anti – Obama related topics and immigration related topics.

The Tea Party

http://www.teaparty.org/

Teaparty.org is a prime example of the Tea Party, in the way that it holds very Republican views on issues such as immigration, taxes, jobs and Obamacare.

The website features many icons that you can click on in order to join the Party. It also has many icons that link to sending donations to the army. The power of military and military presence is one of the historic values of the Republicans and this shows that the Tea Party strongly advocate the values that first started to the Republican Party. Another example which highlights some of the Tea Party’s ideals is; “Due to the devastating effects of mass illegal immigration” (taken from http://www.teaparty.org/article.php?id=1600, 7 Billion and Still Counting). This shows that immigration is a big problem as the population around the world, as well as in America, is growing rapidly. In this article it claims that “those illegally entering will produce more children who will be undereducated and not inculcated in American culture.” As the Republican Party are conservative, they would be interested in making sure that all American citizens are immersed in American culture, so it would make lots of sense that the Tea Party would also be very concerned for the levels of immigration, but especially illegal immigration, something that Governor Brewer claims that Obama needs illegal immigrants in order to gain votes as seen in http://www.teaparty.org/article.php?id=1604.

However, the credibility of the website should be taken into account. Although it features many news articles and has links to donations and joining the party, the website is not an official Tea Party website. From having looked at many different Tea Party websites, this is merely one of many that have been set up. Looking at the layout and presentation of the website, it looks as though it was set up by a member of the Tea Party and gained followers through Facebook and Twitter (it also has links to these websites as well). Also, as it is hard to determine how many Tea Parties there are, it also raises the question of how valid this website is, as it could have been written by anyone.

Having researched a few Tea Party websites and party groups, it is fair to say that the Tea Party do hold on to the conservative and historic values of the republic as well as the Republican Party. Although some of their views may be a bit extreme and nonsensical (as seen in the youtube video shown in Wednesday's workshop), a lot of their views are indeed valid but are mostly based on some of the Republican views.

Week 6 - The New Republic: "Tea Party"

http://www.teapartyexpress.org/

'Propelled by millions of Tea Party supporters across the country, the Tea Party Express has become the most aggressive and influential national Tea Party group in the political arena. We are committed to identifying and supporting conservative candidates and causes that will champion tea party values and return our country to the Constitutional principles that have made America the “shining city on a hill.”'

This Tea Party website is a good example of the Tea Party movement, and the effects that it has within society today. After looking around the website, I found that it has some really interesting features. For example, the prominent aspect to their website is their believes about the government and what they stand for; No more bailouts, Reduce the size and intrusiveness of government, Stop raising our taxes, Repeal Obamacare, Cease out-of-control spending and Bring back American prosperity. The website also makes reference to the infamous quote of America being the 'Shining city on a hill'. According to this specific Tea Party movement, standing against Obama's governmental principles will eventually return America to its former glory of the 'shining city'. In addition to this, Tea Party Express also has a blog http://blogteapartyexpress.blogspot.com/ where the co-chairman of the 'The Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama', Lloyd Marcus, contributes and posts some lengthy debates with the critiques of Barack Obama. In addition to this, the blog also draws heavily upon race, and in particular that of Obama. After looking through some of the monthly posts, I found that Obama's full name Barack 'Hussein' Obama is used repeatedly, to stress the fact that he has foreign roots. I felt that the blog makes an issue out of this, which is unnecessary. The colour of his skin should make no difference to how well he runs the country. This could be seen as a weakness on behalf of the Tea Party Express, as because of this it, in my opinion, detracts from the points that are actually being made.

However, it is worth noting the website does have a contribution page, whereby donations and payments are asked for, to help defeat tax-and-spend liberals within Congress, and to support the Tea Party Express tour, which in turn serves to continue the legacy of the Tea Party. Supporters of the Tea Party Express, and the movement as a whole, can also be regularly kept up to date by joining their mailing lists and taking part in their regular tours around America.

Week 6 - Tea Party Websites

http://www.teapartypatriots.org/Default.aspx

Whilst this website is currently undergoing a revamp, it still has useful information for its members. For example it has a list of Tea Party events all across America such as 'Tea Party Solutions - Florida Tea Party Convention' which is in Daytona, Florida. They also have a list of all the different Tea Party movements and useful reading for members and those interested in the Tea Party, such as Underdogma. There is also a section on the website where members can network with each other. You can also donate via the website.

What I found most interesting about this website was that you can purchase colouring books. Colouring books are aimed at small children which shows that the Tea Party movement is trying to influence young children and enforce there political views on impressionable minds. I guess they are doing this in order to keep the Tea Party movement alive for future generations.

In letter 111 of letters of an American farmer, de Crevecoeur focuses on the definition of American and what it means to be an American.

‘’here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men’’, in this statement de Crevecoeur recognises that America is initially built up of many different nations conquering and migrating to the new America and therefore they are not all one single nationality but a mixture and therefore look to nationalism and patriotism to unite them as one country. They are putting their old nationalities aside and become American despite what origin is in their blood.

‘’Being an American is more than a matter of where you or your parents came from. It is a belief that all men are created free and equal.’’ This is a quote by Harry Truman on October 26^th 1948, in this statement we see that centuries on this opinion of Americans are still aware that they do not originate from the same place however they are ‘created free and equal’’; it is the idea that being American allows you to achieve anything and be whoever you want to be.

The future of America

"Thus Europeans become Americans."

Four words in letter III that sums up Europe now. Kids all over Europe are being brought up with American films, American ideology and American politics. In the UK it is almost as if we have embraced it and allowed it to happen. This may be because most of what we watch in Cinemas is American. The old class of Europe are trying to resist it, vigorously. In Asia, despite such heavy cultural differences, it is slowly being turned towards. Despite the American system falling apart, China and other countries still embrace the Capitalist ideologies, in fact it is these ideologies that have built China up. However, though America's short term future looks bleak, and there is a very real possibility of a major war. Americans have 3 advantages: Firstly, they already have a built in social system that can be tweaked and is adaptable, which can be seen with how people (not often) can come from nothing to being something, people now have rights whatever their background. Secondly they have a very strong intelligent & innovative class Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, W. James McNerney jr.. Thirdly they have the word "America". This country rose from nothing 400 years ago to becoming a world superpower on the premise that it is the greatest nation, they always think they have a little more, despite countless imperfections, millions of problems, you can always be sure of one thing: the Americans ability to pull together.

When Osama Bin Laden was shot, my reaction, as well as many Europeans, was should of been taken alive. To America it had just killed enemy number one! They were outside the White house, spontaneously, shouting USA USA USA. In Europe many people laughed, in America they felt pride. America is set up to run as a country ready for anything. It's biggest threat is not a renegade Chinese commander and a war, because America would win. It isn't a global economic crisis, America can pull through. its not even when the world catches up and becomes American. It is from it's self, if it fragments, Americans become Californians, Texans, etc. and it's companies like Apple, continue to build there goods in China, giving Chinese jobs and not American jobs. The American system can kill itself and in europe we should be worried because it is the same system we are in that is in fact killing itself. Then when that starts to happen, debt does become a problem.

Week 5: The New American

http://blogs.census.gov/directorsblog/2011/03/the-future-of-the-us-advertising-industry.html
"Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labours and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world." P.44

This quote from De Crevecoeur's 'Letters From an American Farmer' is an interesting quote that highlights a contemporary aspect of America that is still relevant today. Although the website where I found the above source focuses upon the notion of consumerism, the point about America's population is relevant to what I am discussing. It is fair to say that the power and influence that America has has encouraged migration and as a result America has become a multi-cultural society. America is one of the main places in the world where cultural diversity is prominent. De Crevecoeur makes a lot of references to 'The New American' throughout Chapter III. For example, De Crevecoeur states "...that strange mixture of blood, which you will find in no other country. I could point out to you a family, whose grandfather was an Englishman, whose wife was Dutch, whose son married a French woman, and whose present four sons have now four wives of different nations...They will finish the great circle. The Americans were once scattered all over Europe. Here they are incorporated into one of the finest systems of population..." P44. With reference to the above graph, it is clear to see the vast increase from the 1850's to 2009 of people who have migrated and had families within the USA. The purple bars show the population of foreigners born in millions, whereas the line graph represents the percentage that they make up over America as a whole. 1910 was the peak of immigration, before it started to falter between the 1950's and 70's. However from 1980 onwards, the American population boomed and as a result due to the fact that each year America grew and expanded, foreigners who migrated to the USA began to make up a smaller percentage. Nonetheless the graph is very significant in comparison to De Crevecoeurs quote. The fact that 38.5 million foreigners make up 12.6% of the overall population of America clearly represents how '...individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men...' And these figures are still increasing to this day.

De Crevecoeur made an interesting point, which indeed still has relevance today.

Week 5 - The New American

'Here are no aristocratical families, no courts, no kings, no bishops' (Crévecoeur, Letters from an American Farmer, p40) This quote from letter III What is an American in Crévecoeur's Letters from an American Farmer shows what could be advantages of living in America rather than in Europe, particularly so back then in the 18th century. America is being represented as a land of equal opportunity with no unfair hierarchy that exists in Europe. It is for the notion that it doesn't matter where or into what family you were born, but rather by how hard you work, that is what will give you success. It is this concept that attracted people to immigrate to the United States, as they would not be confined by class or oppressed by dictatorships.

The graph above shows the top ten countries of immigration in America in 2009. (http://www.migrationinformation.org/DataHub/charts/10.2009.shtml) Other than the countries that are geographically close to America, the countries that have a high amount of immigration to America are countries where there are a lot of inequalities such as China. I would also like to point out that after the Vietnam war there was a high trend in Vietnamese immigrants in the United States, partly caused by political oppression. This shows that the notion of America being the land of equal opportunity as suggested by Crevecoeur still exists today as major cause for immigration is to escape from political oppression and inequality.

De Crèvecœur’s Ideas in Contemporary America

“Go thou, and work, and till; thou shalt prosper, provided thou be just, grateful, and industrious.” Chapter 3: What is an American? P.66

This quote highlights the main ideologies of the American Dream; where by working hard, you will be rewarded and ‘prosper’. This ideal is one of the main attributes to being American as it shows determination and this vision of America still survives today.

My example of this is the ‘rags to riches’ story of Chris Gardner. The term ‘rags to riches’ is the idea of coming from nothing but being able to become successful. Chris Gardner came from an underprivileged African American background which saw him being kicked out of his house at a young age. After joining and leaving the navy, he became a salesman, but was not very successful. He then, through working hard went on to become a broker and entrepreneur, and is now a millionaire.

This example shows that De Crèvecœur’s vision of American still survives today because Chris Gardner worked hard and unpaid for several weeks as an intern. At several points he found himself homeless and slept in shelters, on buses and even in a public toilet. Despite this, he still managed to continue to work hard and eventually got a job as a broker for a prestigious firm.

His story appears to follow everything De Crèvecœur talked about, to a t, as he [Chris Gardner] did indeed become prosperous. In numerous interviews Gardner has mention how he was grateful to the reverend who allowed him to stay at the Glide Memorial United Methodist Church; this is in direct link to when De Crèvecœur says 'be [...] grateful'. Gardner was also the first to arrive at work, the last to leave and was able to make over 200 phone calls a day; this is also in direct link to when De Crèvecœur says 'be [...] industrious'. Through all of these things (eg. being grateful, industrious and working hard), it can be argued that Gardner is a contemporary example of De Crèvecœur's vision of what it means to be an American, and that his idea survives in America today.

His story was immortalised with his 2006 autobiography, 'The Pursuit of Happyness' and then by the film based on the autobiography of the same name in late 2006.

http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-rags-to-riches-stories.php

Week 4 - Exploration and Expectation

"Brothers: I am glad to hear you are all united, but I am surprised to find you talk of maintaining peace with the Americans, and at the same time support the King' s peace or Government.

"Brothers, your resolutions are very surprising. Where is there any one or body of men to be compared to the King? As for General Schuyler, (and the other Commissioners,) of whom you boast so much, what is he? He was born but yesterday; just now, as it were, started up out of the ground, and tomorrow will return into the earth whence he came. It will not be the space of a month before you hear him cry. He has no men, guns, cannon and ammunition, or clothing; and should he survive the summer, he must perish by the cold next winter for want of blankets. But the King wants neither men nor money; there is no computing his numbers. As to theCaughnawagas claiming seven tribes as under their jurisdiction, it is false; they tell a lie. The Caughnawagas are by themselves alone, and they are become Bostonians. But the other six tribes in that vicinity, with all the back nations, are at the King' s command and will take his side. And as for Canada, they are all (except twelve persons) returned to the King' s side.

"Brothers, you had better recall your resolutions, and determine to keep the King' s peace, and the King will then be glad to hear from you. What a wretched situation must you be in when the King attacks all the seaports ofAmerica, and comes in earnest to sweep off the Americans, if he finds you supporting the Americans!"

This is a letter from colonel butler in reply to a letter from s.kirkland- a New England missionary among the Oneidas. The Oneidas are Native American people who originally inhabited the area of central New York. The Oneidas, along with the five other tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy, initially maintained a policy of neutrality in the American Revolution. This policy allowed the Confederacy increased leverage against both sides in the war, because they could threaten to join one side or the other in the event of any provocation. However neutrality quickly crumbled.

In this letter colonel butler seems annoyed that the Oneidas are maintaining peace with the new settlers, and is warning them of the repercussions if they were to take the side of the new settlers over that of their king.

This extract shows the wide opposition in both America and Canada against the new settlers and the pressure for tribes not to maintain peace with them. The colonel seems adamant that the new settlers, with their lack of resources are highly unlikely to survive the winter, ‘’he must perish by the cold next winter for want of blankets.’’ This shows how the tribes saw the new settlers. They were unprepared for the weather and didn’t have the same experience as the tribes to survive in the wilderness.

This extract gives us an insight into the views of the tribes towards the new settlers and how they didn’t believe they stood a chance of survival and shows how most were unwilling to be accommodating to the settlers and didn’t appreciate the invasion of their land.