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During the history of the United States many cultural
and intellectual developments and movements have
effected American society in profound ways. Often times
these developments focus and challenge our society
helping to shape and mold our definition of what it
means to be an American or to live the "American
Dream".
Literature
 Many
times in our history the redefining of American cultural
and intellectual life has sprung from the pages of our
greatest authors, journalists and intellectuals. From
the abolitionist pleas of Harriet Beecher Stowe's book Uncle
Tom's Cabin to the shocking photographs of Jacob
Riis' How the Other Half Lives to the consumer
defense of Ralph Nader's Unsafe at any Speed,
American literature has extended its impact well beyond
the printed page.
Entertainment
 Beginning
in the later half of the 19th century, a fractured and
increasingly diverse America began to find that common
forms of media and entertainment served as galvanizing
forces in creating a unified United States. Evolving
from the common traveling minstrel shows, to parlor
music, to professional sports, the phonograph, radio,
movies and television, to the Internet and beyond,
America's forms of entertainment evolved in scope and
message while providing a shared culture that became
uniquely American.
Cultural
Change
 Cultural
changes in America seem to occur either as profound
waves, washing over all of society or as gentle ripples,
making subtle yet noticeable differences on the surface
of American life. All cultural change however, happens a
result of some need or pressure either from within or
outside of American society.
Philosophy
 Various
movements in intellectual thought have helped shape the
destiny of America and individual Americans. From the
colonial leaders shaped by the philosophy of the
Enlightenment to the immigrant pushed by the teachings
of Social Darwinism, philosophies and their impact on
the thoughts and perceptions of the nation have helped
define American cultural and intellectual life.
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