Herber Croly "The Promise of American Life"

Herber Croly

This selection is from the key chapter of The Promise of American Life, in which 

Croly synthesizes Hamiltonian and Jeffersonian viewpoints to produce the basic rationale of the new positive state: big government will control big corporations in the name of the people, thus serving the causes of democracy, equal rights, and ultimate social harmony.”

Croly was a politician who believed in democracy and begins a review of American Political ideas and practices. American political ideas mean democracy; a government that pleases the people. He gives an assertion of political theories of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, and compares Hamilton`s strong federal regulation with the forces of individualism by Jefferson.

Croly believed that opposition is important in politics, and it is positive. Democracy is the best way to construct a big government; defined as popular government. It makes possible equal rights and attract people to be good each other.  

Answer the following on your blogs:

1.      Why are African-Americans supposed to be more sensitive to the gap between our inner essence and external appearance?

African Americans tend to be more sensitive because they have suffered in his flesh the need to be accepted and respected in society. They were rejected by their skin color and slaves for more than a century. Du Bois expressed his discontent in his book “The Souls of Black Folk.” Whites rejected to educate blacks to continue press them. Blacks suffered an interior conflict about their identities.

2.      Why does DuBois say the history of whites and blacks are inseparable? 


Because Blacks and Whites ironically were together for years. Since 1776 Whites enslaves blacks so that they would work their land withough being paid. Whites as they were not good agriculture, brought blacks to benefit from them and so do their wealth.

3.      Why is the 'color line' the most pressing problem of the 20th century according to DuBois? 


 Asian American (yellow peril) and African-Americans (blacks) were excluded from nearly every progression definition of freedom. Du Bois was so sentimental when he said that color line was more related with darker color of black skin. In addition, the United States had a racial discrimination and legalized segregation.

4.      Why the South is considered a 'marginal region'?

Jim Crow flourished in the South where institutions with signs of separation, “white” and “colored” were signaled. Marginal region refers to economic situation, blacks people in South suffer due to racism. They could not growth as workers because whites had all the power, and blacks had all disadvantages of progress.

5.      How do low wages damage the work ethic?

African Americans were condemned to work for low wages in. The fact that cities were growing up significantly, and factories were move to the South, made that rent and transportation increased. Therefore, manufacturers had been bought supplies to high cost, and a conflict started between blacks and whites.

6.      Why is the church as an institution so important in African-American

Communities? 


White Christian denominations were open to enslave African Americans. So, Blacks invoked the Bible to preach justice and forgiveness even though whites stressed them out with protests. Black church focused blacks on Africans religious life. They spread their broader culture. The Souls of black folk is a book written by Bu Bois that include such important contributions as "The Negro Church” that was the first distinctively Negro American social institution.

7.      What is fatalism?

Fatalism is a word that emphasized the subjugation of all events or actions to fate. That word may be considered use to describe the fate of Africans when they were enslaved by Whites.

8.      How is fatalism associated with sensualism? 


 Both are philosophical science. Fatalism is a subjugation signifying that men don’t have their proper or no power to influence the future. Sensualism is a theory of knowledge of though and sensations.

9.      How are themes of emancipation used in the Bible?

The Old Testament has been justified slavery, Exodus 21:3, 9 providing for Hebrew indentured servants, marriage rights. Exodus 21:4 provides for Hebrew daughter contracted into a marriage. However, in the New Testament slaves converted to Christianity, were regarded as freeman brothers in Christ. “By the end of the medieval period, enslavement of Christians had been largely abolished throughout Europe, although enslavement of non-Christians remained an open question. Although Catholic clergy, religious orders and even popes owned slaves, Catholic teaching began to turn towards the abolition of slavery beginning in 1435 and culminating in three major pronouncements against slavery by Pope Paul III in 1537.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_views_on_slavery)

(Andrew Carnegie)

“He funded the building of over 3,000 public libraries in 47 states and many more overseas, along with numerous hospitals, universities, scientific-research efforts, and artistic institutions. Concerned about the well-being of his former workers, he founded a pension company that later became the giant financial-services non-profit TIAA/CREF. He also aided many projects sponsored by Booker T. Washington to help African Americans, including the Tuskegee Institute and the National Negro Business League.”

Carnegie an industrial giant who established a vertical integrated steel company, the second richest in history who was a success man that controlled every phrase of business from raw materials to transportation, manufacturing and distribution. He had accumulated a fortune worth hundreds of millions of dollars. With his fortune he distributed much of his wealth to humanitarianism, especially the creation of public libraries throughout the countries and overseas. Also, he was a great benefactor of funding others institutions, like: hospitals, universities, scientific-research efforts, and artistic institutions and pension company. In addition, he though in the most vulnerable people of that era, Black Americans.

I choose this paragraph because I admire Carnegie. He had a very sense of humanity. This world is full of rich people who usually think on construct an imperial politic power. However, this man though on how to fund the most important causes that people had, using his generosity. He funded in health, education, etc.     

Abraham Lincoln. A quote about his second speech.

“The Second Inaugural Address is one of the most famous political speeches of all time (along with the Gettysburg Address). In this speech Lincoln tries put the war in context, he views it as a long and painful act of atonement for the sins of slavery. Slavery is a crime against nature and a part of "original sin" in Christian doctrine.”

This was his second inauguration of as president of the Unites States and the victory of the American Civil War where the days of slavery possibly end. Lincoln`s speech was full of emotions. He was so firm that God give people the right of thing, believe, speak, worship, and generally act as they choose, but not infringe on another person`s freedom. He said that slavery is crime condemned by Christian doctrine as sins.

I admire President Lincoln because he was courage to be a white man who emancipates blacks’ people. He was considered the first president of the black man. He sacrifices himself for black Americans; he fought until he was assassinated. He was the personification of America and the savior of the Union.  Also, he was a man and a brilliant politician. He freed slaves, he made emancipation proclamation. In addition, he reconciled North and South to provided new opportunities to blacks. He wanted to achieve and cherish peace among ourselves and with all nations.

Speech at the Anti-Slavery Associacion (1948)

This quote from Page 238
"I will just say, however, that we had some advice given us lately, from very high authority, I allude to Henry Clay, who, in his last speech before the Colonization Society, at Washington, advised the free colored people of the United States that they had better to go to Africa."

Frederick Douglas expresed himself in his speech against a high authority (Henry Clay) who believed that was better that Africans stayed in their counties intead of being in The United States. Douglas was totally disagree because he was claiming the Rights of the Constitution which is against discrimination (gender, race, national origin, age, sexual orientation or gender identity, and individual rights such as freedom of thought, speech, religion, the press and movement).

I pick this quote because I believe that everyone has the right to stay where a person decide to stay, and nobody has to go or not to their country of origin if he/she don`t want. American Colonization Society was planning to freed African Americans in order to take them far from the United States because of their racism. According to the Constitution, Africans suppose to be free with nothing in change. The Amendment # 13 "abolishes slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime."

Hamilton and Jefferson

Jefferson and Hamilton are usually understood as opposites from one another. Where Hamilton favored a strong national government supported by business and finance; Jefferson was more a believer in state's rights and tended to favor the smaller farmers more. However both more or less agreed on what they saw as the unique position of the United States, as well as the need to create a national sense of identity and community. The differences can more accurately be explained by the different methods and different pace at which they sought to realize their goals. Hamilton favored rapid expansion and growth: this is why he favored business and industry, he saw the quicker they grew the faster the government would grow in power. Jefferson did not see the need for as rapid an expansion, believing instead that developing too quickly would lead to serious inequalities and damage the long-term health of the nation. Hamilton tended to be less concerned about equality than Jefferson was.

I choose this quote because I think that is interesting to know how two presidents could have different ways of believing. Opposition is important in politics matters because it is a way on how people may know the differences between presidents.
Two opposite presidents  Hamilton and Jeffereson. While Hamilton believed in to increase business and industry, Jefferson believed in to be in favor of smaller farmers. Hamilton had a clear vission on how to intervene to support business and industry. He was in favor of a rapid expansion and growth of it even though poors were affected. In addition, he saw that rapid growth of business is (sinonym) of power. Jefferson believed that rapid expansion and growth could be dangerous because it could let a serious inequalities and damage. Hamilton believed in inequality, Jeferson not. However, they were a little big agreed on a national sense of identity and community.

Anti- Federalist

"In many of the counties the people did not attend the elections, as they had not an opportunity of judging of the plan. Others did not consider themselves bound by the call of a set of men who assembled at the State-house in Philadelphia and assumed the name of the legislature of Pennsylvania; and some were prevented from voting by the violence of the party who were determined at all events to force down the measure." (P. 126)

The people did not attend the elections because they did not have a say; therefore, they did not see the importance to be part of the elections and to vote. They had different reasons as to why they did not want to vote. For example: some people could not vote at all because the violence of the party were forceful. Others had a different motive for not voting, but in the end, it led for them not to be part of the elections and being part of the government.

I believe that people in Philadelphia thought that was not necessary to attend the election. They felt that they had not reason for to vote because anyway parties would forced them to accept the constitution even though they disagree.

Questions for Midterm Exam

1.    Who were the federalist and anti- federalist? What were the different views and explain how both ideas were combined in the Constitution?

2.    Why was the Declaration of Independence established and how did Thomas Paine Common Sense influence the document?

3.   Select 3 amendments from the Constitution. Explain in detail how each amendment is important to the United States and one court cases in relation to the amendment. 

The constitution of the U.S.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Congress cannot intervene with the decision that people have according to their religion, freedom of speech, or of the press; each person have the right to reunite with others peaceably, and request to government assistance of any complaint.

This quote is important to me because I believe that each person has the right to choose his/ her religion. People have a special relationship with who they believe is his/ her God. Also freedom of speech is other right that I consider vital for each person. Everyone needs to express his/ her feelings even good or bad, and be free as God create us. People have the right to share with others always that do not disturb the tranquility of others. 

On Liberty

The covenant between you and us is the oath you have taken of us, which is to this purpose: that we shall govern you and judge your causes by the rules of God's laws and our own, according to our best skill.

John Winthrop in his speech wanted to express that exist a pact between governants and people. In addition, they can judge and govern under God and rules` men as correspond to their best knowledment. He was telling people that even though he  was impeached by men, the justice of God is superior and people can continue having confidence in governants  because when bad people accuse, exist  one God that will bring to the light everything.

The pact that Winthop is talking about sound funny. I know that God is a reality but I dont think that governants apply the rule as God desire. I believe that politic and religion does not match.

What is America?

It may have seemed something less than a compliment to compare the American Constitution to the Spanish Inquisition. But oddly enough, it does involve a truth; and still more oddly perhaps, it does involve a compliment. The American Constitution does resemble the Spanish Inquisition in this: that it is founded on a creed. America is the only nation in the world that is founded on a creed. That creed is set forth with dogmatic and even theological lucidity in the Declaration of Independence; perhaps the only piece of practical politics that is also theoretical politics and also great literature. It enunciates that all men are equal in their claim to justice, that governments exist to give them that justice, and that their authority is for that reason just. It certainly does condemn anarchism, and it does also by inference condemn atheism, since it clearly names the Creator as the ultimate authority from whom these equal rights are derived. Nobody expects a modern political system to proceed logically in the application of such dogmas, and in the matter of God and Government it is naturally God whose claim is taken more lightly. The point is that there is a creed, if not about divine, at least about human things.

According to the author, the constitution of the United States is compared to the Spanish Inquisition. It is based on maintaining Catholic ortodoxy in their kingdoms. It seems that for the United States perceptions of the inquisition were good. The Spanish Inquisition and the constitution of the United States are based on a creed, a religious belief sistem, thus mixing politics with religion. They want to convince people that they all have equal rights, condemn anarchism and atheism, claiming that the creator has the highest authority itself as people have the same rights. It is illogical to think that a modern political system as the United States can proceed successfully by mixing God, who is divine, with human beliefs, which are not.

I believe that the constitution of the United States is properly constituted if it obeyed as it says. This set is based on that all people are equal and therefore have the same right. However, that is not true because in this country there is much racism and power abuse. Also, if God is giving its rightful place, politics was really well organized and the justice, but people dont have the same rights as God has establihed.