The Great American Story: A Land of Hope

Good history presents an accurate picture of what happened in the past with a sympathy for those who lived before us. Studying the birth, growth, and survival of America—one of the most significant events in human history—provides foundational knowledge that we can apply to the challenges of our day.

America has stood as a land of hope from the time of the explorers. Yet Christopher Columbus—eager to find a trade route to the East—could not see the great import of his discovery.

The British imperial system fostered habits of self-rule in the American colonies, which were strengthened by the Great Awakening and the Enlightenment. This revolution of self-rule culminated in the resonant words of the Declaration of Independence, which cited “the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God.”

After declaring independence from Great Britain, the Americans faced two monumental tasks. First, they had to defeat the mightiest military power in the world. Second, they had to establish a government capable of unifying the nation and securing their rights.

The brutal institution of slavery, which pre-dated the Founding of America, grew and became entrenched in the Southern states. Although it was antithetical to the principles of the Declaration of Independence, slavery survived the Constitutional Convention and became the great source of national dissolution.

The American experiment in self-government was contentious from the beginning, as leading citizens were divided over the policies needed to protect rights and promote happiness. During this period, George Washington proved indispensable as the new nation’s first president.

The election of Andrew Jackson in 1828 marked the beginning of a more democratic age, which brought important changes to many areas of American life, including politics, religion, and the arts.

As the North entered its age of democracy, the institution of slavery dominated the politics and economics of the antebellum South.

The Mexican War of 1846 pushed the United States toward a civil war by reviving the national debate concerning slavery in U.S. territories—a debate that the Missouri Compromise had attempted to settle in 1820.

In the wake of Southern rebellion, Abraham Lincoln faced the complicated task of winning a war and restoring the bonds of affection necessary for Union.

As the Civil War ended, America entered a period of reconstruction in an attempt to recover from the war’s devastation and find just terms for a settlement between the sections.

The Civil War serves as a kind of boundary between early and modern America, as the second half of the nineteenth century brought a series of reforms and modernization movements that changed the shape of American life.

After a respite from foreign affairs following the War of 1812, the United States emerged as a world power by the end of the nineteenth century. American involvement in Cuba and the Philippines raised important questions concerning the nature of the republic.

The progressives attempted to address the challenges posed by modern American life through a series of institutional changes that conflicted with the founders’ understanding of constitutional government.

Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson championed progressive philosophy in their efforts to transform the presidency and other American institutions.

Despite efforts to remain neutral, the United States entered World War I in 1917. The Americans helped the Allied powers secure victory a year later. The war took the lives of millions, and resulted in immense destruction and political instability in Europe and beyond. 

Following Woodrow Wilson’s failure to achieve his ambitious international goals, the presidents of the 1920s focused on American prosperity and enterprise.

In the midst of the Great Depression, Americans turned to Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his New Deal. The bevy of programs and new government agencies created under FDR did not solve the problems resulting from economic depression.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor spurred Americans to enter World War II. The economic and industrial might of the United States helped secure a decisive Allied victory, and the United States emerged from the war as a world superpower.

Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower pursued a post-war foreign policy of containing the growing threat of the Soviet Union and the spread of communism.

John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of America as a land of hope, as the former dealt with the Soviet Union abroad and the latter confronted racial inequality at home.

Lyndon B. Johnson entered office with an ambitious plan to expand the scope of government. Dubbed “The Great Society,” his efforts to transform domestic policy were stalled in part by his party’s opposition to America’s mounting commitments in Southeast Asia.

While Richard Nixon achieved important diplomatic victories in Vietnam and China, the American economy suffered from low growth and inflation. Nixon’s resignation, and the failures of the Carter administration, diminished America’s confidence in the presidency.

Ronald Reagan restored the office of the presidency to its place of prominence through policies that fostered a productive economy and that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union and an end to the Cold War. 

Despite the optimism that surrounded the end of the Cold War, the decades since have seen the United States divided over a series of important issues. To restore our common purpose, Americans should learn from the great examples of our nation’s past.