David Mccullough's Speech: Knowing History And Knowing Who We Are
470 Words2 Pages
Martin Luther King Jr. once said that we do not make history, we are made by history. History plays a major role in our lives, because the events that occurred in the past shaped the world we live in today, and we look back at history to prevent any tragic events from occurring again. David McCullough explains this in his speech, “ Knowing History and Knowing Who We Are” and explains major points like how people are affected by others, how our rights were the struggle of others, and that actions have consequences. These major points can all be connected to an event or person in history like the bombing of Pearl Harbor, activist Rosa Parks, and the tragic event of September 11. McCullough explains how actions have consequences, which is seen frequently in history. For example, after America placed an embargo on Japan, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Not only did America lose thousands of men, but Americans felt terror, causing them to isolate Japanese people in camps. However, if America had not placed an embargo, the bombing of Pearl Harbor could have been avoided. It is decisions like these that McCullough refers to when he mentions that history could have gone off in several different ways.…show more content… Rosa Parks, along with others, fought for civil rights during a time of segregation. When Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white person, it sparked a revolution for civil rights. Her struggle, along with others like that of Martin Luther King Jr, are the reason why we have our rights today, which is what McCullough