Semester Reflection

This semester Lauren was pleasantly surprised to learn about the Old West because it was really interesting for Lauren to see how stereotypes and Hollywood can completely change the perception the public today has on cowboys and saloons. It was really cool to get the story straight and also kind of ironic that the lowest of the low job in the West somehow morphed into the idealistic vision of a hunky Clint Eastwood riding around on horseback protecting women and seeking justice. On the other side of stereotypes were the Indians. Lauren found it super unfortunate that Native Americans faced such discrimination in the past and even now in the way we advertise and exhibit their dress and views. It was extremely disheartening to learn about all of the Native American casualties due to our own military but by far the worst to learn about was The Sand Creek Massacre and how a reckless Commander could devastate a community like that and ultimately cause further battles with the Indians. Lauren found it quite hard to believe that citizens were committing such cruelties but she found it even more difficult to think about the abuse coming directly from the American military. Lauren will most likely remember her research on Coney Island ten years from now because of the vast importance it had on the rise of leisure time, city life, interracial mixing, and social boundaries. Learning about the feats of engineering and developments of the time also interested her and lead her to look further into other boardwalk style attractions such as Atlantic City that featured even more extreme shows such as horse diving and free falls from towers into nets. She will also likely remember her research on Harvey Pratt and how his heritage influenced his career choices and essentially his entire life. One problem that was a problem then and is still a problem now in the United States is that racism is still raging today. Throughout all of the units of study, race and people of foreign backgrounds constantly had to fight for their jobs and rights to equality. If Lauren was to name the times from 1865-1920 she would name it the Era of Opportunities because during this time everyone got a new start in the United States and had many chances to bring themselves up the world.  People such as Rockefeller or Carnegie prove that with a little innovation and hard work you can completely change your life and the world you live in.