American Dream Essays (804 words) - Harlem Renaissance, Free Essays

American Dream Essays (804 words) - Harlem Renaissance, Free Essays American Dream What is the AMERICAN DREAM? I concluded the matter of dreaming about lifes basics wants that are exclusive to North America. The American Dream is the following: Go to college, get a good job, and finally get your own family. If we think about it, the American Dream is indeed a UNIVERSAL DREAM. The concept of the American Dream is created by this value system. The American Dream is intended to be a way of life attainable to all Americans. Whatever maybe the case, the act of trying to escape reality and the result such an act brings, is evident throughout the three novels Jews without money, by Michael Gold, Street Corner Society by William Whyte, and Passing, by Nella Larsen. All three of these books confront the myth of the American Dream. The American Dream can either be a reality or a nightmare depending upon the cultural prejudices and availability of freedom. Individuals who are united through some common bond, which may be religion social status of color, create a group or class of people. While individuals are subject to racial prejudices, which often makes up upward mobility not possible. Without equal opportunities to move upwards within society, the American Dream is not attainable. But it is possible in cases where people are willing to sacrifice their heritage culture etc. Nella Larsen, show us through this novel, that if people want, they can achieve the American Dream, but they would have to pay a price for it. This is especially true of Clare Kendry. Her passing is motivated by her desire to improve the conditions of her socioeconomic life. She is successful in achieving her American Dream, but in the end she does face the consequences of her actions. She manages to rise from being a poor girl to settling down in a well household. Using her white skin color and blond hair as commodities, she escapes the reality of her true character. She gained wealth and respect in the community through marrying an affluent successful white man. But the truth is that she paid the price of passing because she couldnt express who she was and her true identity in the fear of being caught and then left aside abandoned from the whites and the black communities. In her case, her decision to pass was self-initiated. Clare was afraid to face everyone, especially her husban d, with her blackness. When one cannot stand in front of a mirror and except him or herself, that person is bound to be doomed. In Clares case it resulted in her death. So it can be said, that in this case Clare achieved the dream of being accepted into society and a well off rich husband, but in the end she did pay the price for that sacrifice she made. Jews Without Money is a novel of life of Jewish immigrants in the tenements of New York City's Lower East Side in the early part of this century. It's a day-in-the-life tale of thieves, gangsters and honest folks just trying to get by in a new country. The novel Jews without money by Michael Gold explores the fundamental discrepancy between the American Dream v/s the American Reality due to the warping of poverty. The immigrant Jews step from steerage in search of the American dream and instead find themselves crowded in filthy, roach-ridden tenements, at the mercy of factory owners, and gangsters (the American Reality). Social depression arising due to extreme poverty led to the establishments of ghettos a completely new lifestyle. Thus the fundamental discrepancy between the American Dream v/s the American Reality exists due to the existence of poverty. Poverty seems to be the underlying cause of every misfortune in life, and thus even in their make believe world, everything they v ainly want is due to poverty and nothing else. The novel displays different forms of struggles that immigrants go through in order to escape the reality. Michael Gold wishes to be rich, but he is not able to fulfill his dreams and he believes that the American Dream is a lie. His family is unable to lift itself from the bottom of the ladder and prosper. One of their main struggle, is

Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812

Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812 The Battle of New Orleans was fought December 23, 1814-January 8, 1815, during the War of 1812 (1812-1815). Armies Commanders Americans Major General Andrew JacksonCommodore Daniel Pattersonapprox. 4,700-4,800 men British Major General Edward PakenhamVice Admiral Sir Alexander CochraneMajor General John Lambertapprox. 8,000-9,000 men Battle of New Orleans - Background In 1814, with the Napoleonic Wars concluding in Europe, Britain was free to focus its attention on fighting the Americans in North America. The British plan for the year called for three major offensives with one coming from Canada, another striking at Washington, and the third hitting New Orleans. While the thrust from Canada was defeated at the Battle of Plattsburgh by Commodore Thomas MacDonough and Brigadier General Alexander Macomb, the offensive in the Chesapeake region saw some success before being halted at Fort McHenry. A veteran of the latter campaign, Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane moved south that fall for the attack on New Orleans. Having embarked 8,000-9,000 men, under the command of Major General Edward Pakenham, a veteran of the Duke of Wellingtons Spanish campaigns, Cochranes fleet of around 60 ships arrived off Lake Borgne on December 12. In New Orleans, the defense of the city was tasked to Major General Andrew Jackson, commanding the Seventh Military District, and Commodore Daniel Patterson who oversaw the US Navys forces in the region. Working frantically, Jackson assembled around 4,700 men which included the 7th US Infantry, 58 US Marines, a variety of militia, Jean Lafittes Baratarian pirates, as well as free black and Native American troops (Map). Battle of New Orleans - Fighting on Lake Borgne Desiring to approach New Orleans through Lake Borgne and the adjacent bayous, Cochrane directed Commander  Nicholas Lockyer to assemble a force of 42 armed longboats to sweep American gunboats from the lake.   Commanded by Lieutenant Thomas ap Catesby Jones, American forces on Lake Borgne numbered five gunboats and two small sloops of war.   Departing on December 12, Lockyers 1,200-man force located Jones squadron 36 hours later.   Closing with the enemy, his men were able to board the American vessels and overwhelm their crews.   Though a victory for British, the engagement delayed their advance and gave Jackson additional time to prepare his defenses.   Battle of New Orleans - The British Approach With the lake open, Major General John Keane landed on Pea Island and established a British garrison. Pushing forward, Keane and 1,800 men reached the east bank of the Mississippi River approximately nine miles south of the city on December 23 and encamped on the Lacoste Plantation. Had Keane continued his advance up the river, he would have found the road to New Orleans undefended.   Alerted to the British presence by  Colonel Thomas Hinds dragoons, Jackson reportedly proclaimed  By the Eternal, they shall not sleep on our soil and commenced preparations for an immediate strike against the enemy camp. Early that evening, Jackson arrived north of Keanes position with 2,131men.   Launching a three-pronged attack on the camp, a sharp fight ensued that saw American forces inflict 277 (46 killed) casualties while sustaining 213 (24 killed). Falling back after the battle, Jackson established a line along the Rodriguez Canal four miles south of the city at Chalmette. Though a tactical victory for Keane, the American attack put the British commander off balance, causing him to delay any advance on the city. Using this time, Jacksons men began fortifying the canal, dubbing it Line Jackson. Two days later, Pakenham arrived on the scene and was angered by the armys position opposite an increasingly strong fortification. Though Pakenham initially wished to move the army through the Chef Menteur Pass to Lake Pontchartrain, he was convinced by his staff to move against Line Jackson as they believed the small American force could be easily defeated. Repelling British probing attacks on December 28, Jacksons men began eight constructing batteries along the line and on the west bank of the Mississippi. These were supported by the sloop of war USS Louisiana (16 guns) in the river.   As Pakenhams main force arrived on January 1, an artillery duel began between the opposing forces. Though several American guns were disabled, Pakenham elected to delay his main attack. Battle of New Orleans - Pakenhams Plan For his main assault, Pakenham wished an attack on both sides of the river. A force under Colonel William Thornton was to cross to the west bank, assault the American batteries, and turn their guns on Jacksons line. As this occurred, the main body of the army would attack Line Jackson with Major General Samuel Gibbs advancing on the right, with Keane to his left. A smaller force under Colonel Robert Rennie would move forward along the river. This plan quickly ran into problems as difficulties arose getting the boats to move Thorntons men from Lake Borne to the river. While a canal had been constructed, it began to collapse and the dam intended to divert water into the new channel failed. As a result, the boats had to be dragged through the mud leading to a 12-hour delay. As a result, Thornton was late in crossing on the night of January 7/8 and the current forced him to land further downstream than intended. Despite knowing that Thornton would not be in place to attack in concert with the army, Pakenham elected to move forward. Additional delays soon occurred when Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Mullens 44th Irish Regiment, which was meant to lead Gibbs attack and bridge the canal with ladders and fascines, could not be found in the morning fog. With dawn approaching, Pakenham ordered the attack to begin. While Gibbs and Rennie advanced, Keane was further delayed. Battle of New Orleans - Standing Firm As his men moved onto the Chalmette plain, Pakenham hoped that the dense fog would provide some protection. This was soon dashed as the fog melted away under the morning sun. Seeing the British columns before their line, Jacksons men opened an intense artillery and rifle fire upon the enemy. Along the river, Rennies men succeeded in taking a redoubt in front of the American lines. Storming inside, they were halted by fire from the main line and Rennie was shot dead. On the British right, Gibbs column, under heavy fire, was approaching the ditch in front of the American lines but lacked the fascines to cross (Map). With his command falling apart, Gibbs was soon joined by Pakenham who led the wayward 44th Irish forward. Despite their arrival, the advance remained stalled and Pakenham was soon wounded in the arm. Seeing Gibbs men faltering, Keane foolishly ordered the 93rd Highlanders to angle across the field to their aid. Absorbing fire from the Americans, the Highlanders soon lost their commander, Colonel Robert Dale. With his army collapsing, Pakenham ordered Major General John Lambert to lead the reserves forward. Moving to rally the Highlanders, he was struck in the thigh, and then mortally wounded in the spine. The loss of Pakenham was soon followed by the death of Gibbs and the wounding of Keane. In a matter of minutes, the entirety of British senior command on the field was down. Leaderless, British troops remained on the killing field. Pushing forward with the reserves, Lambert was met by the remnants of the attack columns as they fled towards the rear. Seeing the situation as hopeless, Lambert pulled back. The only success of the day came across the river where Thorntons command overwhelmed the American position. This too was surrendered though after Lambert learned that it would take 2,000 men to hold the west bank. Battle of New Orleans - Aftermath The victory at New Orleans on January 8 cost Jackson around 13 killed, 58 wounded, and 30 captured for a total of 101. The British reported their losses as 291 killed, 1,262 wounded, and 484 captured/missing for a total of 2,037. A stunningly one-sided victory, the Battle of New Orleans was the signature American land victory of the war. In the wake of the defeat, Lambert and Cochrane withdrew after bombarding Fort St. Philip. Sailing to Mobile Bay, they captured Fort Bowyer in February and made preparations for attacking Mobile. Before the attack could go forward, the British commanders learned that a peace treaty had been signed at Ghent, Belgium. In fact, the treaty had been signed on December 24, 1814, prior to the majority of the fighting in New Orleans. Though the United States Senate had yet to ratify the treaty, its terms stipulated that fighting should cease. While the victory at New Orleans did not influence the content of the treaty, it did aid in forcing the British to abide by its terms. In addition, the battle made Jackson a national hero and aided in propelling him to the presidency. Selected Sources US Army Center for Military History: Battle of New OrleansAndrew Jackson: Leading the Battle of New OrleansJean Lafitte National Historical Park