At the end of each term, we ask the students to pontificate on the meaning of America and Americaness; based on the history and time period we have covered and the documents at hand.
What is America? By Bridget Durham
America is a nation that should have failed as soon as the pilgrims came to America in the 15th century. Sarah Vowell puts it best when she says, “You know your country has a checkered history when you find yourself sitting around pondering the humanitarian upside of sticking with the British Empire.” Lafayette in the Somewhat United States. America’s fate seemed to be pre-determined the first couple winters after they came over to the New World and their population fell by more than half. But with the help of the Native people, they managed to survive and colonize land that they did not own. This is where the issues begin. Colonizers then kicked people off land that they had an ancestral claim too because they wanted to “form a more perfect union.” Before this turmoil they needed to gain independence from the British, the biggest army in the world, and do all of this with about 1/3 of the population; the odds were against the Americans because everyone else was either a woman, enslaved, or helping the British because the tensions were high between the Natives and Americans. A major influence in the beginning of the war was Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence where he states, “when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” Jefferson is telling the people that it is their duty to overthrow the government when they have been subjected to unnecessary punishment and the government starts to overreach their power.
The least important to the government was the rights of the people raising future citizens. Women did not gain the right to vote until the 1920; pre-dating this they were property of their husband for thousands of years. There was even a movement called the “cult of domesticity” that referred to a woman’s place in the home as being to take care of the children. At the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments, Elizabeth Cady Stanton said, “He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead.” This describes how oppressed women were during this time and shows that they had multiple reasons to rebel against the government.
Another major issue that should have crumbled America from the inside out is slavery. Slaves were tortured and used for inhumane work from the beginning of American history. It started to gain traction in the 18th century because of the economic benefits in the southern states; without it, the economy of the south would have either crumbled or been more like the north.
Either way the seeds were planted exceedingly early on in America, and it was almost one of the reasons for its downfall. Fredrick Douglas wrote about these injustices and said, “The American people have this to learn that where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither person nor property is safe.” Fredrick Douglas, Public Opinions, and attitudes. “Neither person nor property is safe” is referring to how they have created this hierarchy in America, a division among classes, and because of this, no one is safe; if they did not act, the Union would crumble. Slavery did cause the Union to crumble momentarily and could have very easily have been the end of a brief history for a new and broken nation.
Finally, the people who suffered the most between the 15th and 18th century were the Native people. They were driven out of their homeland, ridiculed, and killed in enormous quantities. Native Removal happened under the Jackson Administration and if their population had not been so substantially weakened from decades of war, disease, and famine, natives would have rebelled against the American government, stating Jefferson as their reasoning. America, being so new at the time and having just fought of Great Britain twice, would have fallen because there was nowhere to escape, and the Native people did not have to cross an ocean to fight them. Edward Everett stated in a letter to congress that, “The evil, Sir, is enormous, the inevitable suffering incalculable. Do not stain the fair fame of the country… Nations of dependent Indians, against their will, under color of law, are driven from their homes into the wilderness. You cannot explain it; you cannot reason it away.
Our friends will view this measure with sorrow, and our enemies alone with joy. And we ourselves, Sir, when the interests and passions of the day are past, shall look back upon it, I fear, with self-reproach, and a regret as bitter as unavailing.” The native people too had every reason to rebel and cause a new nation that was barely just getting its footing to fail. Jefferson’s words are dangerous and if Americas were not careful, his words would have caused the demise of their new nation.
In conclusion, America should have been a short-lived blip in history, but its not. American work ethic and the idea that they are a “city upon a hill,” kept them going. They should have been overthrown many times, but the underdogs always pulled through. (897)
What It Means to Be American by Josh Stephenson
The title of being American is a name that comes with many qualities. When thinking about what it truly means to be American, countless virtues come to mind. Ideals of bravery, courage, determination, and optimism are all aspects of one’s character that come with this title. Overall, the definition of what it means to be American can be described as possessing the desire and perseverance to constantly move and progress forward to be the best version of oneself. This is an ideology that Americans have both individually and collectively, and throughout history, this idea of never being satisfied and instead striving for exceptionalism has been expressed in many ways.
The first way in which the American quest for exceptionalism has been expressed in the country’s history is through an individual desire for perfection. This has been depicted through history in the form of personal accounts such as Ben Franklin’s autobiography from 1791.
Franklin, one of America’s most prominent historical figures, embodies the American drive to achieve individual greatness. In his autobiography, he details his exercise to reach moral perfection. Through tracking his ability to express thirteen different virtues in his daily life, Franklin is able to understand what morals he needs to work on to become the best version of himself. He describes his struggles of acting with certain virtues and even his battles with his own ego to see his imperfections. However, his yearning to achieve perfection morally rather than settling for mediocrity truly mirrors the American ideal of exceptionalism and reaching for the best. The fact that one of the men who set the foundation for America today had such a strong yearning for flawlessness morally speaks volumes to the ideals of the nation as a whole. The determination to reach excellence is not just an individual desire but also a collective goal of Americans.
Another way in which the American want of being excellent is reflected in history is through artwork. Through art, Americans have the ability to not only send a clear message of who they are, but also to provide a visual representation of the facets of what American Exceptionalism truly is. One of history’s best representations of this is John Gast’s American Progress painting from 1872. In the work, the angel Columbia is seen guiding a group of American explorers as they expand westward. Following them is a bright, shining light in the background as they march forward. In the image, the movement of the explorers in addition to them facing ahead signifies the idea of progress. The American people are not static, but instead are constantly pushing forward to new, better aspects of life. The light that trails the people as they move forward pushes the idea that this progress is a positive action. Through their progress, Americans are literally illuminating the earth. This forward movement depicts the American determination to reach superiority as a whole. There is no quit, or lack of progression in the American people, but rather perseverance to achieve the best as a collective unit. Led by God, as shown through the angel Columbia, the idea of American Exceptionalism is not simply individual but also collective.
The quest to overcome mediocrity that defines what it truly means to be American is also shown in the form of literature. Nathaniel Hawthornes, “The Birthmark” is a work that once again reflects the American desire to achieve superiority and greatness. In the story, a mad scientist named Aylmer becomes obsessed with removing a birthmark on his wife, Georgiana’s, cheek. Despite this being her only flaw and guidance from his servant Aminadab to not go through with the experiment, he does so anyway. Despite successfully removing the birthmark, the experiment kills Georgiana. Hawthorne’s tale once again depicts the American desire to achieve flawlessness and the determination to do so. However, he displays how this lust for perfection can often be negative as the focus on overcoming mediocrity is so strong that the moral and logical aspects of a situation are ignored. This issue is shown in 19th century America in a strong way as the push by Americans in this time to maximize the land and reach a perfect nation led to senseless killing and harsh treatment of the Native American people. Often, the American push to progress towards greatness can have detrimental consequences.
A final way in which the perseverance to reach perfection that characterizes Americans is displayed through the nation’s history is through songs. Quite possibly the greatest example of this is through the Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key in 1814. An analysis of the tune’s lyrics reveal its message about American Exceptionalism and determination to achieve greatness despite any challenges that may be presented. The song describes the American defense at Fort McHenry in 1814 against British bombardment. The smoke from the attack made it unclear who had won the battle, so Key had to wait until after the night to see if the American flag was still standing. The flag’s steadfastness perfectly embodies the idea of American Exceptionalism.
Despite the obstacles and challenges that may be presented in life, the American people are going to continue to push through and persevere no matter what. Even through the smoke, America arose.
The question of what it means to be American is a complex one with a simple answer. Simply, being American means having the desire, determination, and perseverance to achieve greatness. This ideology has been displayed throughout history in many different forms such as personal accounts, paintings, literature, and songs. All in all, American Exceptionalism means rising above mediocrity. That’s what it means to be an American.
