470 Chapter 20 | the BreaKDoWn oF ConsensUs | period eight 1945 –198 0 putting it all together^471471
Reagan presents himself in a grandfatherly, humble, folksy manner. He acknowl-
edges the writings of the founding fathers but presents his concern as preserving that
heritage rather than authenticating it.
Given the varied voices that are found in our increasingly pluralistic world, a
speaker’s ability to communicate a message matters as much as the message itself.
There can also be a persona to a group document. For example, the American Indian
Movement’s 20 Point Proposal (Doc. 20.12) carries a slightly less urgent persona than
the Weatherman Underground’s Communiqué No. 1 (Doc. 20.11). Consider the fol-
lowing prompt:I was told by this man that the story could be found in the writings of
Jefferson. I confess, I never researched or made an effort to verify it.In the era after World War II, in what ways did Americans struggle with
the ideas of national unity and diversity?Step 1 Understand the prompt, and identify the key words
Step 2 Generate a working thesis
Step 3 Identify and organize your evidence
As you have done with previous chapters, organize your evidence around various
voices. The following graphic organizer provides some suggestions about how to
monitor the relationship between persona and historical significance:Document Key words personaIntended effect
upon audience
Reagan address
(Doc. 20.13)“abiding love of
freedom”folksy/nostalgic Presentation of
American indepen-
dent ideas
MLK “I Have
a Dream”
(Doc. 20.4)“beautiful symphony
of brotherhood”moral/uplifting Beautiful symphony
of brotherhoodAIM proposal
(Doc. 20.12)“There is less need for
more attorney assur-
ances than there is for
institution of protec-
tions that reduce viola-
tions and minimize the
possibilities for attacks
upon Indian rights”rational/determined Dual demand: sover-
eignty over a cultural
heritage and gov-
ernmental protection
of these rights and
liberties21_STA_2012_ch20_447-472.indd 471 28/04/15 9:36 AM