David Kennedy’s Theory Essay, Research Paper

Carl C. GregoryDr. Thomas Green23 February 1999History Kennedy s Theory David Kennedy does a good job in explaining the changes in American society during the first World War in his book “Over Here”. Kennedy goes into deep discussion of how the First World War and progressive movement combined to change early twentieth century society. With Kennedy s report of how the war effort is in Europe, the American people begin to shift their thoughts on the war. Even though America remained a neutral country, Kennedy reports that many Americans began to feel sympathy for Britain and France. In addition, these tensions became the cause for fractures in the fragile social that led to permanent changes in American society. Kennedy explains that many wartime changes adopted, reached far into American society and brought about many changing conflicts.In Kennedy s works he discusses the fundamental change in American character during this period. He, concerns himself with the change in American’s perceptions of the authority of government. Kennedy compares American society with the European nations at war in an effort to bring about the dramatically different ideals of government. His discussions of literature attempt to prove that exposure to the old world and the change in the perception of governmental power were directly related. Post-war reports did not portray the war as most American soldiers had, which resulted in a growing separation between intellectuals and the masses. In a rather awkward manner, Kennedy separates his discussion of the war’s effects on African-Americans, women and intellectuals from the greater narrative of the book. This shadows the strides of new social historians who proved the most successful histories include minority groups in the descriptions of the majority. It would have contributed to the overall effectiveness of the study to include these minority groups throughout the narrative. Kennedy claims that for many people the war created an opening for progressive, political and social change. Businesses could be made to operate in uniform, labor unions could be overseen, and probably most important, theories of political economics could be changed. Government gained strength, but maliciously coerced the American people. Kennedy claims that paradoxically, this coercion was sometimes in American’s best interest. Kennedy lays out these ironies during his book, intentionally creating suspense which is resolved in Kennedy’s conclusion. He plainly asserts that the war was, as most other historians have concluded before him, a tragic event.

Many Progressive ideals also faded during the Great War. The American government’s relationship to “the people” changed dramatically. American nativism was beginning to perish under the “100% Americanism” slogans and patriotism reached a high as lynching and riots erupted. Furthermore, the war served to separate the intellectuals from the masses, which Kennedy claims was one of the lasting legacies of the war. While the war lifted many progressives’ hopes of change, Kennedy also notes that the “progressive soul” was a casualty of the war. Ideals set in many progressives minds faded as they lost faith in man’s ability to reason and educate themselves. In turn, they looked to efficient government to guide them.Over Here is one of the premiere books that examines the transformation of the American society. Kennedy, in recognized the monumental impact the war had upon the Progressive movement and its reforms. The increase of the political economy centralized the government and propelled American commerce into the forefront of world trade. Kennedy also elevated to the many changes in American society that arose during the Great War. He treated the struggles over taxation and American intervention quite well from a political standpoint. Kennedy s book over here is a discussion of the American government, and brief thoughts on other social groups. However in his works he seems to make descriptions of minorities. His descriptions do not play a very relevant role in his argument throughout the book.David Kennedy was a man who was able to see past all the politics, and see what was essentially going in our nation during this period. He was able to note that the social sways was leading away from it s norms and into a new perspective which hadn t been anticipated . Kennedy was truly a man of intellectual thought. In some instances however, he swayed from his thesis when he began to portray the description of minorities for the time. All in all the material was well presented and it forced me to think of the possible alternatives to the outcome of the period.

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