Reaction to Readings: The Rise of American Socialism and Unionization

Although America is often said to be founded upon the concept of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness being accorded to all citizens in its Declaration of Independence, it is important to remember that the formulation of that philosophy began as an endorsement of life, liberty, and property being the foundation of all human rights. In other words, the ideal of American prosperity has long been linked to property ownership and capitalism. However, as the increased wealth inequities of the late 19th and early 20th century increased, there was greater and greater resistance to the notion that it was possible to pull ones self up by ones own bootstraps and all persons who had accumulated great wealth had done so justly.

It...

Workers labored under no safety protections, with no limits on hours, and with no protection from unions or the laws. The Preamble states that if the imbalance of rich and poor continue, this will result in...…their ideas are still highly relevant today. America is still a nation with great divides between rich and poor, or haves and have-nots. As this divide increases, the question arises as to whether social mobility in the U.S. is possible, especially from those who come from historically discriminated-against groups like Parsons, and those who do not come from family wealth. If social mobility is impossible, the ideal of anyone being able to make it in America through hard work and to own property (and make a profit from that property) calls into question the ability of unchecked capitalism and democracy to live comfortably…