The Rest of the Century
Other online resources
Heroes of the New Millennium
by Geoff Cooper
Franklin D. Roosevelt *** Jackie Robinson *** John Glenn *** Bob Dylan *** Lady Diana Spencer *** Colin Powell *** Rosa Parks *** Mother Teresa *** John F. Kennedy *** Martin Luther King, Jr.
America has a resilient history of efficiently adapting its character to meet the progression of time and the constantly changing world. Since it declared its independence in 1776, America has always looked to important heroes to lead its people through these changing times — military conflicts, economic recessions, political problems, racial struggles and other obstacles. Just as the times have evolved, so have the role and characteristics of the American hero. The coming of the new millennium will surely be no different, bringing with it a host of new challenges, unforeseen obstacles and difficult tasks. Who will Americans look to for guidance through these times? Who will be the American heroes of the new millennium?
Duane Lowry, a member of the American Political Historians Association, defined the American hero as "someone who embodies popular values and is the driving force behind an important social, political, or scientific change or transformation that lifts the spirit of America and betters the situation of the country." Via e-mail, Lowry said his definition is a broader, more general description and that other factors play into the creation of an American hero. Personality, strength of character and intelligence are other factors American heroes often possess, Lowry said, but those factors are "secondary" to the change or revolution the hero actually perpetuates.
Another historian, Forrest Wilson, provided a different definition by e-mail. An American hero is "a person that provides a positive role model for Americans and also holds a system of morals that American citizens aspire to reach," according to Wilson, publications director of the McCaffrey Group, a historical society that focuses on the economic history of the 20th century. Wilson added that the accomplishment of an extraordinary task is not necessary for an American hero. "Some would consider Henry Ford a hero because he made the lives of so many people easier, but he never led troops through battle or overcame a crippling illness," Wilson said. "Even though he didn't invent the automobile - he re-invented it - some would place him on the list."
Historians seem to agree that the role of the American hero has changed somewhat in the last century. The public's expectations of public figures is different now than it was one hundred (or even thirty) years ago. Lowry, 58, said that his idea of the American hero has drastically changed over the years. The contemporary American public realizes that no one is perfect, Lowry said, and it is willing to accept someone as a hero, despite slight "flaws and questions of character." Lowry said the Vietnam era was a major turning point in the American's conception of a hero, because the country's citizens "learned that they can't fully trust anyone, including the government." According to Lowry, former President John F. Kennedy had a past riddled with alleged affairs and extra-marital encounters, but, because he was instrumental in influencing social thought and behavior, he is idolized as an American hero. "Kennedy's personal life was undermined by what he did for the civil rights movement, foreign policy and the American morale in general," Lowry said. "And his personal life wasn't under the microscope that Clinton's is."
Patricia Thompson, of the Women's History Foundation, said, by telephone, she believes heroes are virtually non-existent in contemporary American society. "To be a hero, a certain level of purity and untaintedness must exist. Very few people in the modern public arena, besides people like Mother Theresa, possess that quality of not being corrupted at some level," Thompson said. Lowell Soike, a historian at the Iowa Historical Society, agreed with Thompson. "The word 'hero' has really disappeared from our culture. I'm having a hard time coming up with any modern heroes," Soike said by telephone. Soike defined heroism as "the sacrificing of one's self for a larger good with no self-interested motives. The person has an honest impulse to do something for society without reaping the benefits for themselves."
The contributions of many American heroes in the 20th century are still recognized, but younger generations will soon need modern heroes to look up to as role models. Public figures in today's America would do well to embrace the same values and ideologies as the 10 persons selected by the author as 20th century heroes. A majority of the historians consulted for this project agreed that the following 10 persons, in no particular order, could be considered American heroes of the 20th century for various reasons. Two of the 10 listed heroes are non-Americans, but, as Lowry said, "they have both definitely had significant impacts on Americans and could be held in the same esteem as the others on the list."
Franklin
D. Roosevelt *** Jackie Robinson
*** John Glenn *** Bob
Dylan *** Lady Diana Spencer ***
Colin Powell *** Rosa
Parks *** Mother Teresa *** John
F. Kennedy *** Martin Luther King, Jr.
Surely some of the selections on this list could be disputed, but each of these 10 American heroes were agreed upon by several historians as having a significant impact on the social, political and/or economic history of 20th century America. These heroes acted as leaders of America's people in times of adversity or unwelcomed change. While none was perfect, each provided a positive role model for different cross-sections of the American public.
Who, then, will fill the shoes of these American heroes in the new millennium? Will there be virtually no heroes, as Thompson suggested? The emergence of heroes is inevitable, Lowry said. When the character of America is tested, a leader always emerges to guide the country's people over the obstacles. "Maybe we can't identify any heroes since the Gulf War because we haven't really had any situations that have caused America to struggle," Lowry said. Soike agreed that a collective obstacle is essential for the emergence of a hero. "The fact that we have not had any great trials in the last several years makes it harder to find heroes," Soike said.
Thompson, of the Women's History Foundation, said contemporary America is happy just idolizing sports icons and television stars. "People would probably say that Michael Jordan is a hero before they would say that Maya Angelou is a hero," Thompson said. "He makes lots of money, does commercials and he's good at basketball. But what has he done to change the world - we don't know anything else about his personality." Soike said Americans are turning to popular culture for their modern heroes. "The focus is so much more on the huge amounts of money these people make," Soike said. "Many of them are good, decent people, but weÕve really reduced and confined the definition of the hero."
Who will lead America through its next struggle? Will our country's citizens remain complicit in idolizing popular culture icons? Historians agree that these questions won't and can't be answered until such a collective struggle presents Americans with the opportunity to step forward and provide leadership. The emergence of a hero in a time of instability is inevitable, historians say, and it is a natural process for America to place its trust in the hands of a hero.