What makes an American an American? Is it the accent, the clothing, the fact that you
can speak the English language, or is it the fact that you were born on American soil? I believe
it's certain characteristics that set us apart from other countries. The fact we are self-reliant, and
competitive, and the compassion we bring to others are some, of many, American characteristics that help set us apart. These are the three characteristics that I have chosen to write about.
Our self-reliance begins in the1600's when English settlers came over to America on the Mayflower because they wanted religious freedom. These people were called Pilgrims. The Pilgrims didn't just come to America for religious reasons. Some of the reasons stem from their desire to preserve their own language and customs of life while others involved their livelihood. It was difficult finding similar employment that they were accustomed to in England. Therefore, their work was hard and took its toll upon the health and well-being of not only the adults, but the children as well. They came to America not knowing if they would even have any good resources in order to survive. They relied on their own judgement and things didn't turn out too bad for them.
And what about the Native Americans? Most people know that they helped the Pilgrims grow crops and also taught them how to survive on this new land, but what about the Native Americans? Who taught them? They depended on their own self-reliance, judgement, or resources. They had no one to tell them which berries were good and which were poisonous, no one taught them how to kill an animal and prepare it to cook. They taught and relied on themselves.
Another example of America's self-reliance was in1776, when Americans liberated themselves from Britain. After the French and Indian War the British needed to recoup some of the cost of the war from the colonists. They decided to tax the Americans which then resulted into the Boston Tea Party and then the Revolutionary War. Americans felt the taxes were outrageous and they didn't want to be 2nd class Englishmen anymore. They had came to America for freedom and the British were not giving it to them. The Americans wanted their independence and on July 4th 1776 we declared it!
Americans are defined by the respect they have for their country and its government, in taking advantage of their freedoms and rights that they gain by showing respect through allegiance, pride, and loyalty.
There exists a lot of controversy over the term “American Exceptionalism.” Not only was this debate prevalent many years ago, it also exists today. There are many aspects of American culture that can make it seem like the most superior country in the world, but also there exists many that make it seem otherwise. The term American Exceptionalism is a term that is used to strengthen a country. In times of peril and chaos, the most important action a country can do is to come together as one. Exceptionalism is not only a term for leaders to live by, but also is a term that equates to a sense of pride for the entire country.
The United States has a unique character shaped by its history and culture that sets it apart from any other nation in the world. America’s character is incomparable to other nations because it is shaped by the ideals of freedom, social mobility through hard work and the opportunity of achievement and success. There are many defining moments in America history that represent American Character.
American Exceptionalism is a term used to describe the stability and longevity that America as a nation has enjoyed since the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. In contrast, most other nations of the world experience a revolution every 20 to 30 years.
What does it mean to be an American? In my eyes to be an American means to have privileges, rights, and freedom. America isn't perfect, but it is one of the only countries that have rights given to people of different diversities and gender. America does not have tremendous poverty. Instead we have choices given to us by the people who fought and died for the American people. Without George Washington and the other patriots who planted the first seed in the ground and help plant the American nation we live in now who knows what America would be like now.
(An in depth analysis into my personal views on what it means to be an American)
way we talk (eh), the courtesy that we have towards other countries, the food we
Why did Americans view themselves in such grand and venerable terms? Were they more superior than other nations and countries? Well, in fact, this is exactly how they felt. There were essentially three explanations why Americans held themselves in this regard: the virtue of the American people and their institutions; the mission to spread these institutions, thereby redeeming and remaking the world in the image of the U.S.; and the destiny under
American, there are so many words to describe this one single person. The diversity, the love and the compassion of everyone in this country No other country, in the world can compare to our country; we are Americans. We are tolerant, diverse and both of those values mutually. It all began on July 4th 1776, on the day we declared our own independence, and this soil that you stand upon has never been the same. The truth about this nation is revealed through the acts us Americans do everyday and that we will continue to do in the future.
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
What does it mean to be an American? To become an American your first step will have to be getting rid of those pesky morals and ethics. Now that the irrelevant things are out of the way, we can really begin.
What does it mean to be an American? Can this statement ever really be defined since America is a melting pot of different races, religions, political views, social views and so on and so fourth. To be an American can mean virtually anything and whether or not somebody supports national symbols is just another part of being and American. As Americans we have the right to disagree with the government, the right to protest against something unjust, the right to burn a flag in disgrace because after all we have freedom of speech. To some these things are un-American, but to others they are the reasons America is such a wonderful place to live. There is no definite answer to this question, but many different possibilities.
self-reliant ,in my opinion, by begin reliant to their own powers and resources rather than others.
The definition of an American, is someone who is a citizen of the United States. Many African Americans, and immigrants struggled to become actual Americans in their lifetimes, because others didn 't see them as actual people; and based it on the color of someone. In today 's world people who live in America consider themselves as Americans, but to me there is certain qualities that make a person an American. To me being a true American is not based off of what Country they were born in, or what race their parents are, or even if they were immigrated to the United States. People from all over the world would say that maybe people could base this off of someone 's family heritage, or where they were before they came to America. If you were asked what makes an American an American what would you base it off of? To me there are four specific characteristics that make a person a true American; those three things would be, freedom, individuality, belief in the country, and happiness.
From the movie episodes of, “America the Story of Us” I saw how America globalized to become the “unique nation” tha...