Americans have used protests as a way to seek justice since the beginning of the original thirteen colonies. Since then, it has been made evident that protests are the most powerful method to spark a movement. Throughout the course of history, many political and rebel groups have risen in order to inspire change. While America has progressed in addressing it is needs, modern day activists prove that there are still ways to go. These activists promote change based on the maltreatment of the environment, racial injustice, and American involvement in wars. The world would not be the same without those important figures who learned to speak up and claim their right to a democracy. Protests such as the Quaker Petition of 1688, the Silent Spring …show more content…
Numbers show that both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution did not eradicate slavery in America but instead perpetuated it- by 1860 there were four million slaves in America (Rohde). Due to the abundance of slaves, many would argue that it became tightly woven into the American identity. For this reason, abolitionists knew a change must occur. In 1860 the course of history would change, Abraham Lincoln would be elected as President. While many white citizens had their own ideas about slavery, the words of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Beecher-Stowe pathed way for Americans to be educated on the life of slaves. Therefore, white colonists became abolitionists fueled with sympathy. When Southern states, particularly Virginia, wished to secede, America called for unity. America could not be divided over an economy based on the mass import and demand of slaves. One of the most radical forms of protest to ever occur could be deemed as the Civil War. States under the modern day Mason-Dixon line did not agree with the ideas of President Lincoln and therefore called for change. However, those in the North did agree with ending slavery and were willing to fight for such freedom. By 1864, abolitionists gathered 400,000 signatures …show more content…
During this time of corruption and deficit, many looked to the environment. Here, it was made evident that not only was the economy suffering but so was many of its natural resources. In particular, the Dust Bowl and the Great Plains played a large part acting as a catalyst for the many laws that needed to be past in order to ensure stability for wildlife. Due to this, in 1919 the National Parks Association (known as the National Parks Conservation Association today), an independent membership organization, was created in order to look after other organizations in order to ensure that they were making the best decisions for the good of the wildlife (Voorhees). The emphasis on preservation of wildlife and stability in the west made itself more prevalent during Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s administration. During his administration, Roosevelt made a point to address flood preventions, soil conservation, and resource management efforts “through the construction of reservoirs and dams, such as those built under the Tennessee Valley Authority” (Alt). Through this corporation, many others followed suit in making the environment a safe place for people to enjoy. While this association was not particularly protesting something, it was foreshadowing a civilization where politics would take over to the extent that no one would care