Pushmataha was a mighty Choctaw Chief and warrior. When he was asked to sign The Treaty of Doak's Stand, a treaty he did not believe in, he replied, "I know very well who you are, but I wish you to understand that I am Pushmataha, head chief of the Choctaws; and, by the Eternal, I will not sign that treaty." By doing this, he stood up for his beliefs and for his people against a stronger power. Pushmataha was brave to stand up to the white man. Courage is doing something even when you are afraid. He was respected, a friend of Andrew Jackson, and is the only Indian chief to be interred in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC.
We became a nation, free from tyranny by proclaiming ourselves independent from the British. It started out as just groups of rebels who wanted to be able to pursue any religion they chose. The Declaration of Independence announced America's intention to be an independent country. Though faced with the massive numbers of the empire where “the sun never set”, Americans fought to become an individual country. The truth behind courage is found in this document. All the men who signed this document were truly heroes of our nation as the Declaration of Independence gave people the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
If all men were created equal, then why were the black people slaves to the white man? Did the Declaration of Independence not mean ALL men? Abraham Lincoln later fought for the abolishment of slavery. He became one of the least popular men in the confederate states by his Emancipation Proclamation. He was courageous to stand up to others and do what was right for ALL men, not just those who had a certain color of skin.
How does a high school sophomore show courage along the same lines as these great American heroes? I believe it is possible by doing what I can with the resources I have, an individual personality, a commitment to things I believe in, and the ability to speak for myself. By having an individual personality, I have the courage to set myself apart from others, to be a leader and to possibly make the world better. By having a commitment to things I believe in, I will not be easily pushed away from my goal, a trait that I feel I have in common with those heroes from the past. By having the ability to speak for myself, I am able to live up to the given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
In conclusion, I believe courage is the most important civic value to being an American because of the above stated reasons. Many people throughout history have fought and died to protect the rights given in the Declaration of Independence. From those who signed the Declaration, to those who fought to abolish slavery, to my Choctaw ancestors who walked the Trail of Tears. All of which have shown great courage to improve the world to what it is today. Pushmataha was courageous and led the Choctaw people bravely and did not fold to the tyranny of the white man. The Declaration of Independence is a symbol of freedom against the tyranny of England, freeing the American colonies. Abraham Lincoln was courageous to stand behind the “ALL men being created equal,” including those of a different color. I believe that everyone, even faced with fear, should have the courage to do what they believe is right, no matter what other people might think.