HIST 1302 Writing Assignment #2- The American Experience In the last half of the nineteenth century, America was continuously changing as more people added to the population. America’s society and culture grew diverse as time passed. People of all ethnicities focused on being accepted, not just as an individual, but as a whole as well. It was important to them gain some kind of citizenship in the land they newly called home. Although their voice was limited, many made sure their voice was heard. Andrew Carnegie believed in the action of giving back to America. However, in order to receive anything from him, you had to have been a benefiting factor to society in any way possible. Carnegie didn’t approve of the characteristics of the typical ‘poor man’. He knew that “it were better for mankind that the millions of the rich were thrown in the sea than so spent as to encourage the slothful, the drunken, the unworthy” (Andrew Carnegie). Carnegie believed that most of money that would be donated as charity to help the less fortunate would be wrongfully used. Aside from being apart of the lower classes, people of different races also faced hardships. Although almost all people just wanted to fit in to America, a place they heard was so great; the struggle was just as terrible as if they were a poor white man. In Chief Joseph’s speech to a White Audience, he spoke of how they weren’t aloud to do certain things because they were Indians. Chief described themselves, the Indians, as “deer. They were like grizzly bears.” (Chief Joseph) The grizzly bears being the white men. The Indians did what they thought was right to help maintain peace among the white men and them. When peace wasn’t held, it was only right to take a stand. Being counted as a part of society took those of other races a step closer into achieving acceptance.
Chief Joseph was one of the many people who wanted equality for their race among the whites. People just wanted justice to be seen, to be all alike and treated fairly. Justice being rationed when Americans ask people of Chinese descendants to help “contribute