Reference no: EM131320206

Since 1865, African Americans, Native Americans, Women, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, other Minority Groups (native-born and immigrant), Homosexuals, Immigrants from all over, Religious Groups, etc. all agitated for a more expansive definition of "American" at one time or other (even today). In what ways has the definition of "American" changed over the last 150 years? In what ways has the promise of American democracy been achieved? In what ways have we failed to achieve the promise of American democracy? Freedmen after the Civil War, Populists, Progressives, Imperialists/Anti-imperialists, Labor, Big Businesses, Wilson's 12 Points, New Dealers and FDR's Four Freedoms, Cold War politicians, the "New Left" of the 1960s &70s, and the Conservative backlash that followed it, and lots of movements in between, have ALL viewed "freedom" as an American right, but have not always defined it the same way. Today, Americans typically view "freedom" as an individualistic, or private, matter, but it has not always been seen as an individualistic matter. Discuss the way various groups have tried to define "freedom" over the last 150 years. Examine the way various political/social movements have viewed "freedom." Describe the long American Civil Rights Movement and its many features, beginning with the end of Reconstruction-"Redemption"-and going as far as you think necessary. Be sure to highlight key events/people/milestones along the way. From 1929 through the 1970s, the U.S. Government became increasingly involved in its citizens' daily lives. Explain and describe how The Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, and the Great Society all played a role in expanding the size and scope of government. Be sure to discuss major policy initiatives and social movements that fit into this period.