Harry S. Truman stated years ago that “America was not built on fear, America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” Throughout the years America has been known for its trial and success over different situations. Nothing de-scribes Truman’s quote better than the strenuous life throughout the time. The ideas about race, class, and gender played a major part in shaping America into the country it is now. Over the timespan from 1893 to World War I the views on gender varied greatly. As jobs and expectations changed for genders, so did America’s culture and society. In 1893 American men where typically farmers, tough and very many, however men started working in businesses and in less labor intensive jobs. In Teddy Rooselvet’s speech, he refers to this idea of the strenu-ous life as, “the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife” (Roosevelt, The Strenuous Life). This idea that men should be tough and take pride in the fact that they work hard to earn what they have became very popular in what was attractive and desirable. Men were said to gain success, “not to the man who desires mere easy peace, but to the man who does not shrink from danger, from hardship, or from bitter toil” (Roosevelt, The Strenuous Life). Men of that time were ex-pected to take care and take pride in themselves and in their families. These views increased sup-port in America’s soldiers who worked hard to protect our country. An interest in football also started during this time. Football was viewed as a manly sport, and its popularity has shaped our culture in America and our culture here at Mizzou. Yet another thing that has shaped American culture and society is it’s separation into classes. Earlier in time class and social status did not have the amount of impact that it does to-day. Andrew Carnegie pointed out “the contrast between the palace of the millionaire and the cot-tage of the laborer with us to-day measures the change which has come with civilization” (Carnegie, Wealth). The separation of classes caused a significant change over time in America that has carried over into our culture now. You can see a clear difference between classes in our society whether it comes to clothes, the car they drive, or who they spend their time with. With the rise of immigration and the slavery acts taking place in that time, racism was an aspect that had a great impact on American culture. Immigration had begun, and there was a strong fear that immigrants were taking jobs that americans needed. Along with this fear was the idea they they were going to have more kids than Americans and overpopulate the white race. Because of this, emphasis was placed on white women having children. In the article, National Disgrace racial tensions and competition are clearly seen. The article shows how the competition has been taken to a whole new level, “these gentlemen object to a national disgrace of a white and black man struggling for physical supremacy as man to man” (The National Disgrace). The fight between Jack Johnson and James J. Jeffries was not just a fight between two people, it was a fight between races, and a fight that received ample amounts of attention. The cartoon White Man’s Government shows three black men with their foot on top of a black man who is laying onthe ground. This image is obviously portraying superiority. After the fight between Johnson and Jeffries the white race felt that they needed to amplify their power in society and remind blackswhere they stand. This lead to increased tension between races, as well as segregation. Because of the hatred between races, separate communities were formed, and America’s culture continuedto be shaped. The history of our nation has indeed shaped our culture today. When it comes to gender, classes, and race all of these things are still prevalent. One can clearly see the ties to our history when you look at the now. Works Cited Roosevelt, Theodore. The Strenuous Life; Essays and Addresses. New York: The Century Co., 1900. Copyright, 1900, by the Outlook Company; 1900, by the Churchman Co.; 1899, by the S.S. McClure Co.; 1900, by the Century Co. The DeVinne Press; Bartleby.com, 1998. www.bartleby.com/58/. "WEALTH." Carnegie.Gospel of Wealth. Web. 6 Oct.