The United States has had a history unlike any other. Sure, maybe we stole some ideas of ours from Ancient peoples and maybe we did not have the most moral beginnings, but the United States is undoubtedly a superpower of a country and therefore doing just fine. Like any other great country, the United States has gone through times with huge uprisings as well as times of despair and misfortune. Through these times, the United States has always prevailed and moved on to become greater and overall a better country for all. Seabiscuit and King of the World do a great job bringing two great American heroes into the spotlight and sharing their legacies with the world. The books Seabiscuit and King of the World both allow people to see the hope and perseverance that comes with being American through two great sports that struggled with economic class and race.
Seabiscuit was the most famous horse of all time when he died on May 17, 1947, but it was not always that way. Seabiscuit was born extremely undersized and was considered somewhat of a lost cause when Charles Howard bought him, but this did not deter his trainer. Seabiscuit was a tough horse to train, but eventually the training paid off and he was able to nearly win at Santa Anita. Santa Anita was Seabiscuit’s ride to fame and also his way of becoming an American hero. The timing of Seabiscuit’s fame was perfect because it was right in the middle of the Great Depression, and Seabiscuit allowed people to have optimism in their lives. Hillenbrand writes, “In the latter half of the Depression, Seabiscuit was nothing short of a cultural icon in America, enjoying adulation so intense and broad based that it transcended sport.” Seabiscuit is not only a story about a horse, it is a story about hope during the worst time in American history. Seabiscuit allows people to see a hurting country find something to root for in one of it’s greatest sports. After conducting further research on Seabiscuit, it was also apparent that although trainers and jockeys can do well, there are many who do not make enough to support their families, even though the horse owners are still making huge money. In this way, people can see the faults that are prevalent in America as well. Economic status plays a huge role in America whether we like it or not, because those who have the money control who is being hired as the “jockey” or the “trainer”.
Muhammad Ali was another American sensation, but unlike Seabiscuit he fought for social justice. Muhammad Ali was also a sign of hope, but for a different group of people than Seabiscuit. Muhammad Ali was a sign of hope for the African-American people in the United States on top of being an idol to much of the United States. Perhaps the most important stance Muhammad Ali took was the stance against the draft in which he risked being imprisoned as well as losing millions of dollars. Ali’s courage to take on the United States in the prime of his boxing career, where he had just won a title, just goes to show how much fire and how much will he had to fight for what was right. Remnick writes, “Clay knew McDonald was right, but he stood up to him all the same. The championship was all he’d ever wanted since he was twelve years old, it was his destiny, but he refused to deny his ties to the Nation.” Muhammad Ali showed the American people that fighting for what you believe in was always the right decision, no matter how big the sacrifice of doing so. At the same time, Ali served as a social justice activist who was often called “racist” towards white people. Ali made sure to use his position of power as “King of the World” and international superstar to point out the issues that were wrong with white people in America. It can easily be said that because of Ali, the United States is a better and at the very least, a more aware country.
Both Ali and Seabiscuit allowed large amounts of people to feel hope and purpose during tough periods of life that translate into today. Ali changed the boxing world opening doors for African-American boxers everywhere eventually leading to the likes of Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather, who are some of the greatest boxers of all time. At the same time, when delving deeper into horse racing it is still apparent that the amount the owners make compared to the trainers and jockeys who truly pour their souls into the animals, is disproportionate. There are still some problems with America, but there are also many athletes in the limelight who try to point them out. An example that comes to mind is Serena Williams, who fought vigorously for women to collect the same pay as men in grand slam Tennis matches. Another example would be the United States Women’s Soccer team who also have fought for equal pay in their sport. These two examples have given young women and girls everywhere hope that they can be equal with men when it comes to pay.