It is better to protest than to accept injustice." - Rosa Parks
The American people often respond to disappointing election results through protesting. Americans have been blessed with the privilege of freedom of speech, and therefore can peacefully protest to have their voices heard. Protests can also serve as a source of unity among peoples with similar beliefs. Although the ultimate goals of the protests are not always met, they do still raise awareness on the issues they are trying to resolve.
1773 Boston Tea PartyMarks, Allyson. "12 Protests That Changed History." Odyssey, Odyssey Media
Group, 2 Feb. 2017, www.theodysseyonline.com/protests-that-changed-history. Accessed 1 Nov. 2017. 1963 March on Washington In this monumental march, Martin Luther King Jr., along with 200,000 supporters, gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to fight for their rights as African American citizens, protesting racial inequality. This movement is said to have led the path for the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It is this tool of free speech that Americans have taken advantage of, particularly during elections, in order to gain such rights.
Marks, Allyson. "12 Protests That Changed History." Odyssey, Odyssey Media
Group, 2 Feb. 2017, www.theodysseyonline.com/protests-that-changed-history. Accessed 1 Nov. 2017. November 9th, 2016, New York
DuPree, Tiffani. "The Year in Protests since Donald Trump's Election."
Splinternews.com, 8 Nov. 2017, splinternews.com/ the-year-in-protests-since-donald-trumps-election-1820143751. Accessed 11 Jan. 2018. |
This photo, a painting of the Boston Tea Party, depicts the events of the earliest documented protest in history. The American colonists protested the high tax on imported British goods, by dumping 340 crates worth of tea from a British ship into the harbor. This protest proved beneficial for the colonists, as it led to the American Revolution and a victory for the Americans. It also led Americans to further protest for affairs concerning equal rights and election results.
Almost immediately after the results of the 2016 election, thousands gathered on 5th Avenue in front of Trump tower to protest his election as president. Many similar peaceful protests arose throughout the election year. These protests demonstrate the ability of the American people to use the right of free speech to their advantage. |
Watch as the protesters in New York march down 5th Avenue, causing a commotion in the city.
"Protests Grow outside Trump Tower in NYC." Youtube, 14 Aug. 2017,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H6SE2zHZYo. Accessed 12 Jan. 2018.
"Protests Grow outside Trump Tower in NYC." Youtube, 14 Aug. 2017,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H6SE2zHZYo. Accessed 12 Jan. 2018.