During the late 1880’s and through the early 1900’s America faced some tough questions. Do we make the slaves American citizens? Do we give the African Americans the same rights that Anglo Americans are given? How do we handle immigration and citizenship? The nation was divided on key points regarding race and rights. President Andrew Johnson declared “this is a country for white men, and as long as I am President, it shall be a government for white men". He also vetoed the amendment that granted citizenship to all people born in the United States. Fortunately congress later passed the Reconstruction Acts. Unfortunately, southern states enacted "Jim Crow" laws that made it lawful for Black and white American races to be separate. African Americans were not the only race that suffered from discrimination. With many Americans moving west to start a new life Native Americans were further pushed aside by "manifest destiny". With the success of the railroad and the aftermath of the Mexican war, Mexican Americans also struggled to keep their homes, and way of life. After reading the introduction for volume two, I found myself thinking more about present day America than America in late 1800’s. I found that even though times and technology have fast evolved there are still very important questions that keep reoccurring. With modern day immigration and border control a hot button topic during 2011, to me it seems that the questions facing early Americans still face American citizens today. I believe that most Americans in 2011 would agree with the sentiments that Aldrich expressed in his poem, Unguarded Gates, that America is “wide opened and unguarded”. There are many politicians currently wanting to build a wall to protect America’s borders. Today many cultures still struggle with having equal opportunities that faced many cultures previously. Even though the year is 2011, America is still facing the same questions that were posed during reconstruction. Who is an American? And more importantly who can be an American?
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