In the 1920's, many technological advanced had been made. In the home, people were beginning to utilize electricity and the new invention of the lightbulb. The automobile became more available to citizens. However, there was a much more exciting invention during this era as well: the airplane.
Like any invention, the airplane was first used on a smaller scale. Teams underwent short flights, not across a country, but simply for smaller distances which required less fuel. However, as the technology continued to advance, barriers were shattered. In 1927, 25 year old Charles Lindbergh decided that he wanted to go where none had other gone before him. Several men had tried to single-handedly fly across the Atlantic, but none had been successful. Lindbergh proclaimed that he would be the first.
After a 33+ hour flight from St. Louis, Lindbergh landed in Paris, France. He was the first to ever fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, thus making the American people extremely impressed. Everybody knew who he was and what he had accomplished. When he returned to the United States, his bravery and skill as a pilot had made him a national hero.
I think accomplishments similar of Charles Lindbergh's is what has made America to what it is today. This country is formed on dreams, Charles had a dream to be the first man to fly across the Atlantic and he made it happen. This is why he was portrayed as a hero, because he made it happen. People today in America who make things happen like Charles, may not be pictured as American Hero's but they are successful. Commonly throughout American history people have defined the American dream as being successful, maybe this was an earlier version of the American Dream?
ReplyDeleteOne interesting point you mentioned nearing the end of your post was the reason for which Lindbergh was such a national hero on his return. Before that point, many inventions were made and many barriers crossed, but no one came close to the fame this one American received. His flight was in fact extraordinary, but what made him a national hero was the American values that brought him to his victory. Lindbergh represented heroic values such as endurance, determination, patriotism, and skill. All these attributes came with hard work, which is exactly why he represented what the country wanted to see during the 1920s.
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