Essay On American Exceptionalism

801 Words2 Pages

American exceptionalism is a term suggesting that America was the best or superior; it was a term saying that it was different than any other place. Winthrop talks about the city upon the hill, which suggests America being a model or setting an example for other countries. We were supposed to be a beacon of liberty and freedom. During the founding of America, America was different than any other place. At its founding America was exceptional because it was different in the way people interacted with each other, different in the way the government worked, and different in its aspirations. The ideology of America has changed making it where America is no longer exceptional.
One of the ideologies of America was that the best government was a small government. Our country was founded by settlers who wanted to get out of the grasp of Great Britain rule. These settlers wanted to have the natural rights that they felt were guaranteed to them by god. The Declaration of Independence was written to declare that the thirteen colonies were claiming themselves as independent states. Then U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights were written. These important papers spell out freedoms guaranteed to Americans and the laws that protect those freedoms. They talk of a government that works for the people. …show more content…

Even after declaring slavery illegal Jim Crowe laws restricted the freedoms of anyone that wasn’t white. America kept Japanese people in concentration camps under the guise that they were a threat against or safety and freedom. It was easy to justify taking someone else’s freedom away by making sure America knew they were attacking ours. America a nation built by immigration was also plagued by some of the most racist and unjust immigration laws. Freedom may be guaranteed in America but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t

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