To a reasonable extent, diversity of views contributed to the transformation of American society. America, being a country, whose heritage is diverse due to the variety of the population, there are many mixed views due to the various cultural systems, beliefs, and practices (Dubois et al, 27). In the history of America as a country, there is a lot of evidence of inequality, oppression, and prejudice. This can be based be known to the readers of works of literature where there are thousands of authors and poets who wrote about the discrimination of people according to race, gender, social class, among other categories that are used to distinguish people in the American society, in course texts such as “Pride and Prejudice” “Othello” and poems such as “The Yellow Wall-Paper” by Charlotte Gilman, we see the limited or minority characters such as women, often with the human desire to concur the world in a society that expects them to remain silent and unseen. This typical plot is usually followed by a gut-wrecking desperate struggle to make it in a community deprived of freedom of speech and human rights. This plot is distinct as it images the old versus the new America and the efforts and agony of the heroes and heroines who got this done. These differences in views, opinions, and ideas and, most importantly, the courage to air them out in a society that judges and dictates a conventionally scripted way of conduct is the reason behind the transformation of American society.
Eve LaPlante best describes the Ancient American society that denied citizens their freedom of speech and religion through her text, “American Jezebel.” In her text, Eve uses an English woman, Ann Hutchinson, to describe the predicament of women in that era. She chooses a minor character, a woman who desires to do what women were not expected to do, to show the citizen’s denial of unconventional views about religion. Eve explores through her shuttering, difficult pursuit for expressing ideas about the hierarchy of the church of England. Being a successful midwife, Anne was influential enough to other men and women in her locality, and this escalated well that she could hold an informal gathering, helping them understand how to be saved. (a significant concern for the Puritans) (Bremer, 22). However, when it got to the Puritan ministers and the government that a woman was criticizing Puritan ministers and sermons, she was summoned by magistrates for antinomianism and brought for trial. Later as the story unfolds, her struggles contribute to the rights and freedoms of religion and speech enjoyed by American citizens.
Diversity of views played a vital role in the existing print media freedom. As per the “Repeal the Stamp Act,” media houses could not publish anything on any form of print media before it was reviewed, stamped, and passed by government officials. This was inclusive of all print media in newspapers, documents, and magazines. The stamp constituted a Tudor rose enclosed in the word “America (HARRIS, 9).” The majority of the American citizens considered this a violation of their rights. The parliament voted against the act in the year 1766. Protestants and demonstrations. Soon, due to the, all stamp officials were released from their positions. In the modern world, the current freedom of expression through the media that Americans enjoy resulted from the demonstrations against the Stamp Act.
Thirdly diversity of views was a vital component in the attainment of independence. According to the declaration of independence, all people are equal and have the rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness as God made it. It also states that the government that is endowed the responsibility of faithfully guarding these rights, failure to which the citizens of the nation are entitled to revolt and establish another government that respects the rights of the citizens (Jefferson, 17). This implied that all Americans had the freedom to express their views and opinions without any fear of discrimination. This included the views of the minority groups such as children, girls, and women.
In conclusion, the diversity of views was a real turnaround point for American society to disseminate freedom power and give Americans a voice. The transformation that occurred gradually over the years is the sole reason modern American citizens can enjoy liberty, freedom of expression, and independence, which interns transcend to a happier and better people. As the three study texts unfold, we realize the need for the different views of people for an act of revolt against the existing rules to develop. This is to say that the differences in thoughts, ideas, and opinions are the basic foundation of any change to be done. Secondly, the people ought to come together and fight against an ordinary injustice or norm to bring about a change. This should be a significant pointer to the education current education system. It should allow students to develop independent thoughts rather than read and reproduce what they read in tests. This will create a society where different ideas, opinions, and views are acceptable and valid. Hence, a community that can think rather than follow existing norms and standards as a basis for the diversity of thoughts.
Work Cited
Bremer, Francis J. “Dissenting Puritans: Anne Hutchinson and Mary Dyer.” Historical Journal of Massachusetts 46.1 (2018): 22-X.
Dubois, Elizabeth, and Grant Blank. “The echo chamber is overstated: the moderating effect of political interest and diverse media.” Information, communication & society 21.5 (2018): 729-745.
HARRIS, CHARLOTTE. “LOCAL REACTIONS, REVOLUTIONARY IMPLICATIONS: THE STAMP ACT REBELLION IN PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE AS A PRECURSOR TO AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE.” The Editorial Board: 29.
Jefferson, Thomas. The declaration of independence. Verso Books, 2019.
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