Chapter+Rationale

One of the best ways to explore the spirit of a people is to study how they respond to the challenges they face. To study the spirit of the American people, one could study the years between 2000 and 2009. These years brought challenge, tragedy, natural and economic disasters, but also brought hope for the future. The politics of this era began with the hotly contested election of 2000 and ended with the inauguration of the first African American president. This era saw the tragedy of 9/11 and the horror of war. Natural and economic disasters forever scarred the decade. But as one begins to study 2009, they will see that the spirit of the American people has not been defeated in spite of it all and has emerged with a renewed hope of better days to come. The challenges of the decade have had the most impact on its history as it relates to the American people as a whole.

Politics were the frame of the decade. The election of 2000 began the challenging era ahead, while the election of 2008 brought hopes that the worst of the decade was over. The election of 2000 was a greatly important historical event because of how it impacted the people. The people of the United States waited until December to find out who their new leader was because of the Florida ballot debacle. The mere lack of knowing created challenge. Even after the issue was resolved, controversy still surrounded the election because George W. Bush’s brother Jeb was the governor of the state of Florida at the time of the election. In contrast to the election of 2000 was the election of 2008. This election had a far different impact on the American people. Instead of being surrounded in controversy, this election brought hope after all of the challenges the nation had faced in the past eight years. Many felt that the American Dream and Dr. King’s dream of racial equality had finally been fulfilled as Barack Obama, the first African American president, was sworn into office. The fulfillment of these dreams and Obama’s overall message of change brought hope to a nation who had been dealt so many blows and looked for a change in the country’s path of history.

In addition to politics, terror and war brought another set of challenges. The American spirit was scarred by the September 11 attacks and the massive loss of American lives that resulted. Though their spirit had been scarred, the American people rose from the debris of the attacks with a stronger sense of patriotism and unity. The attack and its impact on the spirit of the American people make it of great importance when studying the decade in history. With September 11 still fresh in the American conscious, another threat came upon the nation. The notorious regime of Saddam Hussein was reported to have weapons of mass destruction at its disposal. The response of the American public was divided. Some felt that war was necessary when Hussein would not cooperate with the investigation, while others felt that going to war was unnecessary. After the capture of Saddam Hussein, support for the war dwindled as the death toll of troops rose. Eventually, the general attitude was disapproval of the war as more families sustained losses. The change in attitude as the war progressed had a more negative impact on the spirit of the American people, but is still key to understanding its role during this decade.

It was not only war and politics that defined the years between 2000 and 2009, but natural and economic disasters as well. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. The immediate effects concerned the victims of the storm, many of whom remained optimistic about what the storm didn’t destroy. Those whose homes were lost still often had their families. These effects make it worthy of study as do the effects on the country as a whole. Oil prices went up due to damage to oil supplies in the Gulf of Mexico and many criticized the government for their slow response to the disaster. Many Americans were upset by slow government response, but some helped the victims rebuild after the flood water cleared. The spirit of helping those in need is a defining characteristic of the American spirit, and therefore important to study when discussing the challenges faced by Americans and the effects on their spirit. America’s next disaster didn’t come from the sea, but instead from the housing market. The economic downturn occurred as a result of a rise in housing foreclosures due to rising mortgage rates. The banks that had lent the money suffered severe losses as a result and the threat of collapse appeared. The threat of collapse eventually brought about a recession. Unemployment rose, housing prices dropped, and times were hard. Americans cut back, which they did, showing their willingness to adjust to hard times. Though temporarily subjected to economic troubles, the people of the United States still had hope for better days ahead. The optimistic nature of the American people during dark times is key to understanding their spirit.

Though it was the challenges faced by the American people that defined the decade, these were not the only events that occurred. There were numerous technological advances such as the iPod, iPhone, and flat-panel TVs. Though many Americans use such devices, these did not present a challenge for the people to overcome that showed the strength of their spirit. Pop culture was also important in the era- the era saw the death of music legend Michael Jackson and the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. It saw the controversy of Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl halftime show, Brittany Spears’ arrival in rehab, and the arrests of Nicole Ritchie, Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan. Though pop culture situations often ruled everyday conversation, and were a main part of American culture, it had no lasting impact on American spirit the way that events such as September 11 or Hurricane Katrina did. Though both pop culture events and technological innovations occasionally made the news and newspapers, these were diversions compared with updates on the latest election or economic problem that made the news almost every day. These updates on economic and political issues became a major force in testing the American spirit during the years between 2000 and 2009.

The years 2000 through 2009 brought numerous challenges to be met by the American people. From the debated 2000 election to the fulfillment of the American Dream in the 2008 election, Americans rose above the challenges that ruled the decade and emerged with a renewed hope of better days to come. Though tested by blow after blow to their spirit, the American people remained united and overcame each challenge as it came. To those studying the American spirit and the response to these challenges, the strength and resilience of the people becomes clearly apparent.