Self Determination In American

The American persona has meant many different things since the formation of the country, because its ideals are ever-changing. What began as more humble and community centered ideals eventually turned into self-focused and egotistical ideals. True, not all people of America embody these ideals, but the world views its people by these prominent traits. Some characteristics of what defines an American have stayed the same, but today the American ideal is vastly different from the vision of the founders. To examine the changing identity of America, one must look first at America’s first citizens, the Native Americans. While no one can simply place all Native Americans under the same group, many of the tribes held the same ideals. One ideal

This ideal can be seen in such characters as Benjamin Franklin, and others. These men are self-reliant and steadfast, they are unafraid to do what it takes to get ahead. Franklin frequently took things into his own hands, working to better his life and circumstances. When he sets out to achieve moral perfection, he writes “I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into” (Franklin, par. 19). This sense of determination has many admirable qualities, but one must be careful to keep this determination from turning into arrogance. For, modern Americans have stemmed from this sense of self-determination, into a more self-gain-centered

The modern-day ideals of an American man is that of a businessman, who does whatever it take to get ahead in life. Columbus mirrored this in his actions towards the natives. He writes, “As soon as I arrived in the Indies…I took by force some of the natives” (Columbus, par. 8). Columbus took what he wanted in order to further his own purposes, not unlike the Americans of today. Surely there can be benefits to this sort of self-determination, but when one begins to think of oneself as better than a fellow man or group of people, then that characteristic is no longer beneficial to society or one’s own