APUSH Final Project
Period 1: "Part of Your World"
In the period from 1491 to 1607 in American History, Europeans, Native Americans, and Africans made contact with each other in America, leading to the exchange of resources and cultural aspects among each of the groups. A major reason why Europeans began to explore the Americas was because they were in search of wealth and more resources to become more powerful. The song “Part of Your World” by Jodi Benson from the movie “The Little Mermaid” can strongly relate to this period because it describes a mermaid who seemingly has plenty of material things and should be satisfied with what she has, however, she is always looking to acquire new things. Similar to the mermaid, Europeans came to America in search of new resources and wealth even though they had plenty of resources back at home that they would come to need upon their settlement. The mermaid in the song also describes wanting to come in contact with the people on land and to become a part of their culture. This is similar to how all of the cultural groups that ended up in America adopted different traits from each other and became a part of each other’s cultures.
Period 2: "Where is the Love"
The idea that there was severe corruption in society and the government period from 1607 to 1754 brought forth the First Great Awakening and the spread of Enlightenment ideas that made settlers more religion dependent. The lyrics “Can you practice what you preach? Or would you turn the other cheek?” in “Where is the Love?” by The Black Eyed Peas can relate back to this unit because they represent the idea from the First Great Awakening of criticizing ministers who were not acting in the way that they taught about Christianity and deeming them as unfit to spread the word of God. In addition, the lyrics, “Father, Father, Father help us, Send some guidance from above, 'Cause people got me, got me questionin', Where is the love?” represent the period because people in America began turning to God for guidance in breaking away from ideals and constraints from the past and building back a better American society through faith.
Period 3: "Non-Stop"
The song “Non-Stop” from the musical “Hamilton” perfectly details the events in the later years of the period from 1754-1800 because it describes the events that occurred after the American Revolution when America was trying to set up an organized government. More specifically, it details the impact that Alexander Hamilton had on the development of an American government system. The song details Hamilton’s appearance at the Constitutional Convention where the Constitution of the United States was created along with the branches of government. The lyrics “John Jay got sick after writing five, James Madison wrote 29, Hamilton wrote the other 51” detail the role Hamilton played in the ratification of the constitution by writing the majority of the Federalist Papers.
Period 4: "Man in the Mirror"
The song “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson is all about making a change in your life for the better and making a difference in society that is beneficial to yourself and others. This song represents period four because during this period, a variety of social and moral movements, such as the temperance and abolition movements, came to fruition due to the Second Great Awakening. The Temperance Movement focused on limiting American consumption of alcohol and drugs, while the Abolition movement focused on protecting the lives of African Americans and working towards their emancipation. Both movements can be connected to “Man in the Mirror” since they address the needs of the people in order to improve their quality of life just like Michael Jackson is trying to do in this song.
Period 5: "Start Over"
During the period from 1844 to 1877, the Civil War occurred, and the aftermath of this war brought on a period of Reconstruction where America tried to recover from the damages the war had caused. During the Reconstruction period, a weak United States struggled to conform back into the Union and achieve compromise over many issues fought over in the Civil War such as slavery and the status of African Americans. In the song “Start Over” by Beyonce, Beyonce describes herself as a weak girl who wants to revive a past relationship, and she wants to keep climbing to overcome the struggles her and her partner faced in the relationship. She wants to stop fighting about the same things and stop being selfish in order to make the relationship work. This song can be related to the period of Reconstruction because similarly to Beyonce, the United States worked to repair the relationship between the North and South which meant they had to stop fighting and being selfish in order to compromise and form back into a Union.
Period 6: "Empire State of Mind"
The song “Empire State of Mind” well represents a part of period 6 known as “The Gilded Age,” specifically the “gilded” aspect. The song is all about the success that New York has brought to Jay-Z and how he leads a glamourous life free of worry and full of riches. The life he details is similar to that of the billionaires that emerged out of The Gilded Age such as Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and Cornelius Vanderbilt. This song can also relate back to The Gilded Age because during that time period the beautiful architecture that captured the richness of the era and intricate mansions being built for the wealthy in New York City all played a part in developing the “Concrete jungle where dreams are made of” as described by Jay-Z in this song.
Period 7: "Almost There"
In the period from 1890 to 1945, American went through a wide range of economic and social change that effected American citizens in a variety of ways. The song “Almost There” by Anika Noni Rose captures a specific viewpoint of a woman from this era who is trying to make it on her own while navigating a financial crisis. The lyrics, “There's been trials and tribulations, You know I've had my share, But I've climbed the mountain, I've crossed the river, And I'm almost there,” perfectly sum up the time period when it comes to the Great Depression. Many citizens faced great hardships when the stock market crashed, and with help from government programs brought forth by Roosevelt’s New Deal, people were better able to overcome their financial obstacles and become closer to getting back to the lives they used to live before the Depression.
Period 8: "Hammer to Fall"
The Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union occurred during the period from 1945 to 1980 where the countries went through periods of conflict regarding the status of Communism. The song “Hammer to Fall” by Queen can be related to this conflict because the lyrics, “We’re just waiting for the hammer to fall” can represent the escalation of the Cold War and the anticipation that this indirect conflict could become a direct one by means of military action. The song also describes the feeling of being silenced and wanting your voice to be heard, and this can be related to the propaganda being spread by the Soviet Union regarding Communism. Many people in the Soviet Union did not support the idea of Communism but lived in fear that speaking out against it would lead to them facing the consequences.
Period 9: "Skyfall"
In the period from 1980 to present falls the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York City on September 11, 2001. The lyrics “Let the sky fall, When it crumbles, We will stand tall, Face it all together” in “Skyfall” by Adele relate to this period because after the fall of the twin towers, America experienced a sense of nationalism and citizens came together to support each other. American also faced the tragedy by forming a military agenda against terrorism and increased security within the United States to protect the citizens. The attack on America on September 11 proved that even in face of hardship and tragedy, Americans will stand together and can rely on each other no matter what.
All Of American History: "Go the Distance"
The song “Go the Distance” by Michael Bolton is about how if you are strong in the face of obstacles and never give up even when the future is unknown and scary, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. I think the ideals described in that song represent American history as a whole because it is evident that there have been countless times throughout history where we have been faced with obstacles that seem impossible to overcome, however, hard work by many people throughout history has led us to overcome them and lead us to where we are today. The lyrics, “I'll stay on track, no I won't accept defeat,” resemble the values held by America since this country has always fought for the best for its citizens no matter what and we have never stopped doing so even when times have gotten hard. This song also mentions being a hero and looking beyond glory, and I think that this can be related back to countless figures in history who worked hard to provide for the generations of people ahead of them and have become true American heroes.
Where I think the country is headed: "Walking the Wire"
The song “Walking the Wire” by Imagine Dragons describes how there is a storm raging against us, but you need to stay positive and take things as you go. I think this song is a representation of where the country is headed because in the past few years, many obstacles have been thrown in America’s way. There has been a global pandemic, an ongoing climate crisis, potential threats to our democracy, and many other obstacles we have been forced to overcome. I think that in the future, America will continue to have a variety of different problems thrown its way that it will be forced to overcome, and there is nothing we can do to prevent that. However, just as the song says, we will continue to take these challenges head on as they come and overcome each and every one.