Blog #81 – American Exceptionalism
Charles Murray wrote the pamphlet that you’ve read, “American Exceptionalism,” and in it, he describes the four qualities of American Exceptionalism:
1. American Exceptionalism is a concept that was shared by foreign / Western observers in the 19th Century;
2. American Exceptionalism doesn’t imply excellence or superiority;
3. American Exceptionalism is a fact of the past, not something you believe in;
4. American Exceptionalism typified qualities that we see in the 19th Century.
Murray analyzes the reasons why America is exceptional, including geography, ideology, exceptional traits (like industriousness, egalitarianism, religiosity, and community life) and politics.
Please answer four of the following questions (you must include the two bold ones in your post):
1. How has the frontier shaped America?
2. Define in your own words the phrase “self-interest rightly understood” and then explain how this phrase has shaped American thinking (pgs. 15-16).
3. Do you find that we still have an egalitarian society as defined by Murray? Why or why not?
4. How have the Great Awakenings affected American society?
5. According to Murray, the aspect of community life / voluntary associations peaked in the first part of the 20th Century but now “has been largely forgotten.” Why do you think this is so (compare / contrast your opinion w/ Murray’s later in the essay)?
6. Murray says that the reason America doesn’t have a strong working-class political party because “America did not live in a class conscious culture.” What do you think Murray means by this? Do you agree with his assessment? Why or why not?
7. Which of the six areas of criticism of American Exceptionalism are the most valid and least valid in your opinion? Explain.
8. Would you agree w/ Murray’s contention that today’s elite “never had personal exposure to life in mainstream America”? Why or why not?
9. Take a stand: Is America still exceptional? Explain what you mean by exceptional and why or why not. (You can use Murray’s reasons or come up with some of your own).
3. I believe we do still have an egalitarian system, or at least the kind that Murray defined in his essay. Murray defined egalitarian as “equality of human dignity”. This means that every life deserves the same opportunities, and I believe America still holds these ideals. America truly is classless (pun intended), and this means that no matter your parents or where you are born, if you work hard, you will be rewarded. Now this is not 100% accurate in today’s society, as there is definitely a discrepancy of achievements between a black woman and a while man, regardless of how hard they both worked. I still believe that there is a relevant ideology in our egalitarian system, and it most definitely still exists.
6. America has never really had a “working-class party”, at least until Bernie Sanders. Murray is correct in his statement though, as America was, and still is staunchly anti-Communist and anti-Socialist. This could be because of the egalitarian ideals that I mentioned above. I’m going to take some liberty in this blog and make a synthesis point: the Death Tax. The Death Tax states that when you die, and your property is worth more than $5,450,000. That’s a considerable amount of money. But it faces severe political opposition. Why? Because all Americans think “I don’t have a fortune, but I’d like to amass one. When I do, I don’t want it to be taxed”. Americans think that if they work hard, they can amass a fortune and make it to the top, and it’s tough to propose socialism with that mindset. Americans want to work hard and make millions, but Socialism say’s the rich pay for the poor, but Americans don’t think they’ll be poor. They think they’ll be rich. Murray says we don’t have a class conscious culture because where you’re born is not where you’ll end up. If you’re born poor, you could end up rich. Because everyone believes they are capable of more, they won’t want to help a class they might not be in decades from now.
7. I think all the criticism is valid, but among those which were particularly accurate were the topics of Slavery and Indians. America is so incredibly hypocritical when it comes to African Americans, considering that our beloved Declaration of Independence boasts that “all men are created equal”, but we obviously don’t live up to that mentality. Another harsh criticism that was eloquently placed was the community. I didn’t believe it was that exceptional, and Murray further shot it down by illustrating how it actually weakened us as a people. The one argument that seemed rather out of place was the one against religion. I have many strong feelings about religion, and I believe it has caused so much unneeded suffering, every war in the Middle East, and Ben Carson’s candidacy. But I also believe that America’s devout nature isn’t exactly a problem, but rather the homophobic or racist bigots who use their faith as a weapon, rather than the tool of peace it is meant to be. I believe the argument over Religion’s merits should be had, but this is not the document to use it, as it is the world’s problem as much as it is America’s problem, making us not exceptional.
9. America is exceptional. We have been doing things our own special way since day one when the Native Americans wandered onto the continent. Only in America would you find an orangutang wearing a wig running for president. Only in America would the news spend more time covering the National Spelling Bee than Global Warming. Only in America would a person refuse to make a cake for a gay couple, which honestly is better than it sounds. In other countries, a gay man would be killed. America is exceptional because of everything that Murray has mentioned, as well just the fact that we are proud. All Americans can find something in its history to be proud of, as well as something to be ashamed of. America is exceptional because it has changed so much and continues to change. It has gone from an unknown land mass, to a majority white population, to its own country, to becoming a player on the global stage. America promises something for everyone who wants to work hard, sometimes they’ll have to work twice as hard to go half as a far, but if they work, they can make it in the home of the brave and land of the free.
1. The frontier shaped America for several reasons the biggest being, drawing people from all over the world. When America was first discovered all there was, were un-colonized territories, Indians, and mountains to be explored. A few hundred years later, people emigrated from all different areas of the continent for example, Latin America, Asia, and mostly Europe. One of the biggest effects from the frontier was culture because all of the different people and places mixed together and created different religions, languages, and practices. From the melting pot came, different regions and separate colonies which created small towns that lead to suburbs and today, icon cities. The reason why we have such big metropolitan areas is because of the frontier, which influenced our country greatly. Without the effect of the frontier the U.S may not be as built up as it is today.
4. The few Great Awakenings America has experienced have been very influential on the American people. In 1750 was the start of the Great Awakenings. During each awakening the main idea was that someone got upset at their head of religion and educated other people on what they thought the religion should be. For example the old lights against the new lights. This changed people’s ways of thinking and started creating new branches of religion. The second great awakening happened around the time of 1820 brought support for ending slavery and support for education. The latest Great Awakening occurred in the 1800’s and raised awareness for women, the new deal, and civil rights movement.
7. I think that Religiosity is the most important criticism out of all the six and the least valid is Industriousness. I think that Religion is very important because it is a form of free speech. America has finally gotten to the point where a person can speak freely on what they believe in and what they want out of their private religious life. This applies to almost every in the U.S because no matter if you believe in a religion or you are an Atheist you still will tell people why you believe in it. I also believe that Industriousness is the least valid because it doesn’t apply to everyone and therefore not everyone will have a say in it.
9. Yes, I think America is still exceptional because in my opinion exceptional means that people still believe that America can thrive but at this point many people don’t believe in putting in work to something they think will later fail. By accepting the way America is other countries will also better themselves and eventually we will have a fully happy working world.
1) The frontier has shaped America in the sense that it gave America its character. According to Murray, only the extremely devoted and passionate would take up farming on the thin, rocky New England soil. The people had to be hardworking and dedicated, or else America would not have flourished as it did. The land needed work to be done to it, such as forests needing to be cleared in order for farming to be possible. The fresh frontier was certainly not comfortable when the people first arrived. They had to get their hands dirty in order to achieve a somewhat comfortable lifestyle or daily routine. This bred a hardworking people that were willing to start with nothing in America. In Turner’s point of view, the frontier ‘promoted the rugged individualism’ of America, a quality that made America as unique as it is.
2) I think the phrase ‘self-interest rightly understood’ means that even though mankind can be selfish sometimes, that selfishness can be what benefits society. For example, if a woman wanted to make money by selling merchandise, she would then make the merchandise and sell it to the people who are in need of that merchandise. Despite it being a motive in ‘self-interest’, it is ‘rightly understood’ to help society in that it benefits the people somehow. However, I don’t think this theory includes purely greedy and selfish motives, but rather motives that are created more out of self-preservation or sustenance. This phrase has shaped American thinking in a way that perpetuates capitalism, creating the flow between making things and buying things, which is essentially how the money goes around.
7) Of the six areas of criticism of American exceptionalism, I find the most valid to be slavery and Indians. This criticism points out the hypocrisy in America’s pride for their revolution while they frowned down and crushed any opportunities of independence for slaves and Native Americans. Their sense of exceptionalism, in this case, was built off the backs of overworked slaves and hunted Native Americans. American exceptionalism ignored the horrible treatment of slaves and natives, instead pretending that the farming industry was booming with no thanks to slaves and such. This hypocrisy is incredibly obvious, because while we were crying out for our rights to trade, slaves and natives were crying out for their basic civil rights and we pretended that our situation was much worse by comparison. The least valid criticism, in my opinion, is the Egalitarianism criticism. He didn’t really show how America was more materialistic than Europe. It gives no evidence to show that Europe wasn’t, in fact, as materialistic as America. It could be argued that Europe was equal in this sense, or maybe even more so, because of their industrial revolution, and the beginning of advertisements where Londoners wanted to buy tea sets made by the man who made tea sets for the Queen.
9) I believe America is still exceptional, both in positive and negative ways. It is exceptional that we haven’t experienced a war in our backyards for so long, but it is also exceptional that we have such a gap on language learning compared to other countries. America is one of the only countries that does not have a strict requirement in learning another language, such as in other countries where English or another common language is required to be taught at a young age in school. However, we are exceptional in that we are still pursuing freedom and civil rights till this day—that we have not given up on our freedom. America is continuously trying—pushing—to improve.
1. The frontier shaped America by increasing the size and also becoming a home for any and all people. There were no exclusions to this land so it was rather peaceful. People could be themselves and grow as individuals. There were many new chances for people who were once lower class because there was so much land to be shared. They were hard working people who ended up shaping America. The new Frontier people needed manufactured goods from the East Coast. By getting the goods, it contributed to the growth of the nation’s transportation infrastructure.
3. I believe that we still have an Egalitarian society defined by Murray because he says that America was egalitarian because of the way the classes got along. He brings up that unlike other countries, Americans of the lower class never had to treat the “wealthy” class any differently. They were all human beings. We didn’t let the classes define us and that’s why America was not a class society. America also had a social class system, people felt that the way to judge a person was by how much money they had. Since America never did let social classes get in the way of how people act towards each other, you could say that America is still an Egalitarian country.
7. I feel the most valid area of criticism is the point of slavery and Indians. I can’t find any positives to the situation that occurred. Most blacks and Native Americans were enslaved. I feel we as a country used to be a lot more racist than to this day. I feel we have come a long way even though there are a select few who still judge a book by its cover. That is life, this situation will never be perfect no matter what anyone tries to do but I feel we as a country have come a long way with trying to eliminate racism. I feel the most invalid point made by Murray is that of Industriousness. He said that Americans are obsessed with possessions, money, and power. He claimed Europeans are not like this. This statement made by Murray is an opinion that some may not agree with so that is why I feel this is the most invalid point.
9. I believe America is still exceptional. We have kept up our revolutionary beliefs and values that Americans fought for at the start of this Nation. We value our systems and people are willing to go to extreme lengths to keep these values that we hold close to our hearts. People go into the military to fight and keep our values. They do this for their country, which they believe is the greatest country. They know there is hope. Exceptionalism means that we will do whatever it takes to keep our values that were so important. Looking at this definition, I believe America is still exceptional.
2) I interpret the phrase “self-interest rightly understood” to mean that a man should put himself and his family at the top of his priority list and should make decisions that directly benefit him. That phrase in itself could be used to summarize our current economic system (everybody’s favorite): Capitalism, which is based on the free market. In other words, there is little to no government regulation on the market because it regulates itself. No other economic system in the world has produced as much wealth as Capitalism. It runs on the philosophy of “may the best man win,” essentially. Those with new ideas, inventions, or skills will benefit tremendously under this economic system. For example, my Dad started his own business in which he services and repairs vintage Hammond Organs used in almost every African-American church in Detroit, and in all parts of the country. These instruments were made to last, but they were also made several decades ago, so naturally they need repairs from time to time. During the 2008 economic collapse, he was laid off from his full-time job as at Chrysler, but luckily for our family, he had this business to fall back on – though at the time he was only doing this on the side. He now does this full-time and has over 3,000 clients in Michigan, Ohio, and several other states. My point is this: there was a demand for this type of work to be done, he recognized that, taught himself the trade, and is now a very successful small business owner. They call this the land of opportunity for a reason. People were and are flooding into our country just to get a shot at the “American Dream”. I often hear students who are unmotivated to do their assignments say things such as: “Bill Gates dropped out of school, and he’s a billionaire.” Yes, but Bill Gates had an idea that ended up changing the world. Getting a college degree is a great way to ensure you will live a comfortable life, but those who are cunning enough to be able to fully take advantage of the system will definitely prosper as well.
3) I strongly believe that we live in an egalitarian society as of now, but I also believe that it has not always been that way. When the founding fathers were establishing this country, they based it on the principle of every man holding an equal position in society. That sounds appealing, though the reality is that you would only hold a meaningful place in society if you were a white, wealthy, landowner. Minorities and women were completely disregarded and had no say in anything. In 2016, we now have a society where any person of any race or gender can accomplish anything that they aspire to. The problem is that when you begin adding Affirmative Action programs, you are taking away the level playing field, and in reality, you are not helping that minority group by making it easier for them, you are weakening them. Struggle is nature’s way of strengthening. People often complain that there are not enough of these people in this job or these people on that TV show and that there are too many white people occupying these roles. 77% percent of America is white. If you hire unqualified minorities just for the sake of diversity, you are going to strip ambition away from the majority of the U.S. population. The reality is that anyone can be anything they want to be, and if you choose to be the victim and believe that the odds are stacked against you, then you will not succeed. Henry Ford had a sign on the wall of his first factory that read: “Whether you think you can or you can’t – you’ll be right.”
7) In my opinion, the most valid criticism by far is on our treatment of African-Americans and Indians. People tend to overlook how dark our nation’s history really is, and I can understand why people would want to disregard it, but even if we do not talk about it, we cannot pretend that it did not happen. We enslaved a race and kicked native people off of their land so we could use it to our own benefit. This especially being disadvantageous to our reputation because in our own Declaration of Independence it states that “all men are created equal”. I think that the least valid criticism is on religion. The paragraph essentially says that anyone who has any religious beliefs whatsoever is unintelligent. It also claims that it is about politics, rather than faith and morals, but there is no evidence to support these claims.
9) I believe that America is still an exceptional country. People across the globe, no matter how loyal they are to their own country, know that we are an exceptional country. Whenever there is a disaster in the world, we send people to help immediately. Americans aided earthquakes that occurred in Japan and Haiti and fundraisers were put on at schools throughout the nation to help these countries when they needed it. We are one of the, if not the, most welcoming countries on the world. When you come to this country and visit any government building, the documents are translated in languages that I cannot even recognize to accommodate anyone who may enter. We still value the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is still a fundamental document in the way our country functions. You can tell a police officer that he may not search your vehicle, and unless there is an obvious reason for why he has to, he cannot. You can thank the 4th Amendment for that one. You have the freedom to say whatever you like without prosecution (except for a few things that you should not be saying anyway) and we are still one of the freest nations on the planet, 240 years later. We still uphold the values that our founding fathers based the country and we will not turn our backs on anyone that is undeserving.
7. Out of the six areas of criticism of American Exceptionalism, I think, by far, the most valid critique was our treatment of slaves and Indians. It was the biggest flaw in our history and showed a terrible side to the character of the American people. With the Indians, we brutally forced them off their land only after forcing them to change to Western standards of living and trampling their traditions and exploiting their knowledge. Slavery was a cruel showing human enslavement where white people forced black people to work on plantations where their natural rights were tarnished and a decent standard of living was obliterated. Because of these terrible things, it is only natural that those opposed to American Exceptionalism would use these points in history as a major argument tool, and rightly so, considering it all actually happened. The least valid point, I believe, is the lack of religion, or religiosity, in growing America. I think that just because less people are attending church on Sundays or choosing not to believe in God at all is not evidence for a decline in the good character of American people. At the the start of the country, religion was a big tool for the young republic because it instilled good morals and laws for every man and women to abide by. Religion was what made murder, cheating, and lying morally wrong and it is what made being friendly to neighbors, always listening to your parents, and telling the truth morally right. But, in more recent times, Americans do not need religion to tell wrong from right, they are able to make decisions without consulting a higher being, and have proven to be just as good a person as any religious person. So just because their might be less feverish religious dedication does not make the average American any less exceptional.
9. I believe America is still exceptional because our country is still unique to every other advanced country in the world and we are constantly the leading pioneers in various efforts to enforce change and make the world better. We are still unique because, just like when the country founded, our political system is so different from any other place. In no other country will you find that the people have so much say, and in no other country will you find the people speaking out so much to use their say. We are a country of strong-willed individuals who will go to any lengths to achieve what they believe in, and I think that is still what sets our country apart. Larger causes include the bill that made same-sex marriage legal, the determination to make a U.N. resolution for climate change, and the Black Lives Matter movement. All people from the common man in a midwestern suburb to government officials strives for what they believe in and Americans are often they first people you hear about calling attention to certain topics.
The frontier shaped America because it essentially created and defined a brand of American people, as well as helping geographically. Land wise, the frontier allowed for vast movement across the country where any farmer, rich or poor, could settle and start up right away. This was allowed by the particularly rich soil and open plains. The amount of land available decreased the competition to buy acreage and spread out. The frontier also made a type of person unlike any before. The people on the frontier were large determined individuals with large muscles and quick wit, high energy and a knack for building material things. Eventually these are the types of Americans that would go down in American storytelling legend, the people that we associate with the words freedom, drive, and generally the frontier/great plains.
I believed the phrase “self-interest rightly understood,” means that individuals working for their own best interest will unconsciously help the public. An example is if I started a business, and working in my own self-interest, I want it to be the best business ever. I am going to buy the best raw goods from another business, hire good workers, and put out great products. By doing all of that, I have just helped the market by being a consumer to another business, employing the public, and putting out valuable product for the consumer. i think this phrase shaped American thinking because it put people in the mindset that if I’m doing my absolute best at something, I’m not only helping myself, I’m helping the public. It gives people an ulterior motive to work for others and not just their own pride.
1. The frontier shaped America not only in characteristics, but also through the individualism that it shaped. First, Murray argues that the frontier brought many striking characteristics, including our grasp for material things, our working for good and for evil, our dominant individualism, etc. In addition, the frontier brought liberated American people that were fused in race. Most importantly, it is argued that the frontier helped evolve American identity, and how our status came and developed not only to ourselves but to other countries.
5. Murray describes community life and voluntary associations as parts of volunteerism, giving to others, and engagement with the community. In this subset, voluntary associations is encompassed, which were about solving local problems within civic engagement. I think that a decrease in this comes in a comparison he writes about Americans to Europeans, and how Americans live to work and how Europeans work to live. What I think Murray forgets, is the selfishness that comes with living to work. American high schoolers will do dozens of hours claiming that they want to help re-vamp their city, yet the underlying cause of those hours spent playing with whiny 6 year olds from 9-5 is for the community service hours they need to get into college. I think a lack neighborliness, another aspect in community life, is due to another portion of our human nature-hating people for no reason. In a world where social media is more prominent, people are sometime more intrigued by in their phones or inside on the TV, computer, etc to really worry about their neighbors. While Murray argues that the evolution of the Internet would actually have an increase in that, I think it would have a decrease because the Internet can eliminate the social aspect that you get from living in a close community.
7. The criticism of Americas that I think are most valid are that of the African Americans and Indians. Civil society and America is rooted in an anti-blackness and decolonization of Indian land and population. The concept of American exceptionalism puts America as exceptional through things like community life, religion, etc. but nowhere in this high ranking of themselves do they acknowledge the history and the affects it has on oppressed groups currently in the status quo. The least valid criticism is the one of ideology, created by the Founding Fathers passion for limited government. I think it’s the least valid, solely because there are other problems that I think can have bigger impacts on society. Some of these other factors include the egalitarianism and religiosity.
9. Despite the difficulty for me to write this, I don’t think that America is exceptional as it used to be, but Murray brings up points that can’t help me prove otherwise. One of these is the fact that the whole idea of American exceptionalism ignores slavery and African Americans. It’s hard for me to think that American could be exceptional when it ignores and is exclusionary the history and oppression of my people. In addition, there is an overall unconcern in America for economic inequality that is evident (a subset of economic inequality, wage gaps, has become the focus of many white feminist movements because of this). Although there are concepts Murray brings up that make me think American is exceptional, these two examples make me think that America isn’t and won’t be exceptional without acknowledgement of its own history.
1.The frontier has shaped America in many ways. It provided a safe place for immigrants to settle with American citizens without making them fight to achieve something.The frontier offered enough land for Americans and non-Americans which is why people didn’t really have to fight. All of this land also called for the expansion of land. People found new and rich soil. The frontier also created the need to create ways to get costal goods inland towards the growing number of settlers. The transportation included roads, canals, and railways. People started to develop individualism, since they were just getting up and starting over. These people got to choose their own life path.
7. I think the most valid area of criticism of American Exceptionalism is the area of slavery. In my own opinion i just don’t believe that it should be included when talking about American exceptionalism because how is the enslavement of another race an exceptional trait. Murray argues that, “Americans are obsessed with money, possessions, and power. Europeans take time to smell the roses.” I believe that Murray was right as far as the American part, because we do tend to focus on money first before anything. Americans justified that slavery was right using the Bible just so the could make more money. It’s not like Americans were the only ones to have slaves , but they were one of the most savage people when it came to that. Also the treatment of Indians in my opinion should not be an exceptional trait. Americans stole land from people and killed them off for their land. There is actually no way possible to make that seem positive. The most invalid part of American Exceptionalism is Religiosity. John Adams wrote “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people,”I only say this because there was so many different religions with new immigrants coming in people were different and I don’t know if what he he believed as being moral and religious applied to everyone.
9. I believe that America is still exceptional in some aspects, but not all. The definition of exceptional unusually good. The American people have an exceptionally high expectation. America is exceptional because you really don’t have to worry about much. Such as dictators, bombs dropping on our heads and many more. We are one of the most powerful countries in the world. Also we have fairly good education, which a lot of other countries don’t. Americans have more opportunities than people from other countries. Even though we do have a lot of poverty it’s not as bad as it could be such as Africa where they have a lot of starving people or Iraq where kids have to worry about bombs dropping on their home and killing them or their family.
8. I would agree in saying that many of today’s elite “never had personal exposure to life in mainstream America.” I believe this is completely true because people such as celebrities or people born into wealthy families cannot actually relate to little problems that the typical American person goes through. The elite of America never has to worry about where their next meal is coming from or worry about whether or not the check is going to last all through the month. They literally get to experience America in the most exceptional way. You see on tv shows where people argue about little petty things such as some as little as the food someone got or the clothes someone is wearing instead of real problems. Not all of the elite, but most have grown up with everything handed to them on a silver spoon so yeah I don’t believe that they have experienced mainstream America.
Murray defines egalitarian society as the almost absence of classes. I don’t think we have an egalitarian society because in different parts of America, the difference is huge. The rich live extravagant lives and you can tell by the brands they own or the jobs/education they have if they are rich. The poor are looked down upon and in cases, people struggle greatly to live in houses or eat. There is no required way to treat the rich, but the some rich people don’t treat the poor with acceptance.
Great Awakenings affect America in the way new ideas are introduced. In Great Awakenings, new religious aspects are delivered. People change the way they practice their religion, which can affect how they behave. In the first Great Awakening, people were told they could actually speak to God without going to Church. In this way, they begin to deal with their own issues and church is encouraged to go to. The behavior begins to change because of religious practices.
I think egalitarianism is important and should be valued more. It’s a valid concept to take note of. You cannot have a country built on equality if not everyone can easily achieve their goals. I also think that a very important part of critical view of America is slavery and Indians. I think it is ignored in education and the media. I think because it’s ignored, most people then think it’s okay to be racist because the oppressed races are pretty much ignored. I don’t think that religiosity is valid because many religions are practiced and supported here.
I’ve thought about whether or not I think America is exceptional, and I really can’t decide. The country itself is full of rich historical sites, wonderful opportunity, and beautiful natural features. But there are still areas with crime, poor funding, and have hit by natural disasters. That doesn’t mean that’s the whole country, but ignoring the issues won’t help the cause. Personally, America is a solid country, but people, specifically Americans, become power hungry. With power, it gets to their head and they want to exhibit the power. I think in history you see that America spends time on other countries rather than thinking of what’s happening at home. I think if leaders would take time to address the needs of their own country and how to reach a better country, we would be stronger. America wants to exhibit power to other countries by trying to share our policy of equality. But, by spending time by trying to share our equal policy, we forget to make the country equal. Most Americans don’t take time to think of other people’s needs and opinions and only find a way to change the country for their views. The country needs to work together and consider everyone living in it before only thinking of one idea.
3. I believe that America today is an egalitarian society just as Murray described in the nineteenth century. He describe the society saying that all classes were able to get along and there was no large social barriers between the rich elite and the common man, everyone had equal opportunities. This fact was reflected In the election of 1829 with Jackson (a common man) taking office. We now as a country can still see these type of ideas reflected in or government and believe in equality for all people be that sex race or wealth. Economic classes have not only disappeared socially but also in government. People that come from nothing can run for office and win and we’ve see this throughout American history.
4. The Great Awakenings had a great impact on the American society. The Great Awakenings challenged people to break away from traditional religious practice where they would follow the preacher or priest without thinking for themselves. This opened up the idea of humanistic thinking made religion more personal but also gave people more of their own thought which then reflected onto their own social lives by letting them act more freely.
7. I think the most valid are of the American Exeptionalism that Charles Murray was talking about was Industrious. Even before the Revolutionary war during the time of salutary neglect, Americans were on their own and made a place for themselves. They didn’t need any help but from themselves, this was a result of their extremely hard work, dedication, and innovativeness. After the war of independence we became an even greater country and formed a great government form scratch all by ourselves, all the way fighting the Spanish, French, Indians and even ourselves at times. The sheer fact of us doing all that can only be describes as industrious. I think the least valid aspect of American Execptionalism is community religiosity. I don’t think religion united anyone and if anything was a barrier between people and at the time made the country somewhat worse than what it was. You would see religious persecution in some states. As I mentioned before, I think today and then there was an egalitarian society and if that was true then it wouldn’t matter what religion you were.
9. I believe that America is no longer exceptional, at least not as exceptional as it once was. I don’t believe that the government is for the people by the people like It once was. I think that was a key aspect of what made America great and I don’t see that anymore. I think as citizens our voices are silenced, it can be reflected in our schools and our communities. I also don’t think the country is united anymore. I think the PC culture is silencing our young people (inheritors of the country) but also but also creating an abundance of close minded zombies that cant think for themselves. We are also getting involved way too much in other countries business and sending to much money and time on other countries rather than worrying about the multitude of problems we have in our own backyard. For these reason I don’t believe America is exceptional.
3. The definition of Egalitarianism is a belief is human equality with respect to social, political and economic affairs. Murray defined egalitarianism in 19th century America by the absence of the paraphernalia of class. He means that in America there are no labels for different social levels, for example a poor farmer would not bow to a wealthy plantation owner. I believe that his exists today but to a certain point. Today nobody in America is going to bow to anyone else and I think that we do still have an Egalitarian society. One argument you could make is that famous or wealthy people can be considered of a higher social class than the rest of Americans because they can be treated differently than middle class or lower class people. But ultimately Americans these days are on their way to treating everyone the same no matter who they are with campaigns in equal rights ever growing in popularity like black lives matter and the gay rights debate.
7. The most valid areas of criticism in my opinion are slavery and the Indians because these are the most glaringly obvious criticisms. Seriously everyone talks about this that the big problem is that we say everyone is equal but we own slaves and persecute Native Americans and it has to be the hardest criticism to argue against. The least valid would have to be industriousness because he argues that Americans are just obsessed with money with very little evidence.
8. I agree that America’s elite have never had a personal exposure to mainstream American life. If you look at people today who have always been wealthy, usually they have no idea what it’s like to not have enough money for certain luxuries and how hard work can grant you success. I think this is shown very prominently in America’s celebrity culture nowadays. While jokes about first world problems can be funny the real joke is that some certain reality T.V. show stars actually consider them real issues in their lives. Because of this I’m sure most of our elite haven’t a clue about mainstream American life.
9. Today I still believe that America is still exceptional. The system that was made 200 years ago by our founding fathers in Philadelphia still stands today as a living breathing document with the adaptability to change with the times. And we are still standing up and fighting for the rights we sought in our revolution.
American Exceptionalism by Ian H
1. How has the frontier shaped America?
The frontier has greatly shaped America. First of all, it supported America’s “manifest destiny.” America was destined to expand throughout the continent, it was inevitable. New, fertile land was gained by the country allowing for more crops. The westward expansion gave farmers, and immigrants from all over a chance to rise up in rank, which is also one of the reasons the democratic republican party grew and the more inclusive federalist party started to disintegrate. Railroads and roads were made, (most notably the National road, or Cumberland road) to unite the country and all of its inhabitants. Nationalism grew during the frontier, America was an exceptional place to be.
3. Do you find that we still have an egalitarian society as defined by Murray? Why or why not?
I believe that we still have an egalitarian society as defined by Murray. Although there is still divide between the rich and the poor, I don’t find that most people treat people worse or better depending on their “social class” in society. An egalitarian society is defined as a trend of thought that favors equality for all people. In an egalitarian society maintain that all humans are equal in fundamental worth or social statues. People stand for equality on the time, it may not be completely achieved yet but the majority of people in the society we live in stand for the egalitarian doctrine. This is seen by demonstrations all around the country for causes such as Black Lives Matter.
7. Which of the six areas of criticism of American Exceptionalism are the most valid and least valid in your opinion? Explain.
In my opinion, the most valid of the six areas of criticism of American Exceptionalism is that of the treatment of Indians, and slavery. There is no way to portray either of these as exceptional. American Exceptionalism supposedly followed egalitarianism. All people are supposed to be equal. The 3/5 compromise resulted in slaves being counted as 3/5 of a person. They were treated as property and punishments were very harsh if they tried to escape. This obviously doesn’t fit the egalitarian ideals. America was shaped by the frontier, offering new jobs to farmers and immigrants from around the world. However, when you consider how many Native Americans were killed by this it doesn’t really show ideals of American Exceptionalism. Indians were pushed further and further off their territory that they called home. One of the six areas of criticism of American Exceptionalism I disagree with is that of religion. Our country has freedom of religion and people don’t judge each other by what religion they are. In other European countries, freedom of religion isn’t really all that much of a choice. People also stopped becoming too deep into religion as well.
9. Take a stand: Is America still exceptional? Explain what you mean by exceptional and why or why not. (You can use Murray’s reasons or come up with some of your own).
I believe America is as still exceptional as it was in the 19th century, if not more. By exceptional I mean it is nation of nationalism, but without excessive arrogance. We don’t rub anything in other countries’ faces and try to help other countries in need. I also believe that America is a place where no matter what your social class, what we know today as rich, middle-class, or poor, you will always have the opportunity to rise up in rank and become a self-made person if you put enough work into it. We still have the same rights we have always had such as freedom of religion and America is even more “exceptional” than before because we have more of an egalitarian society. Since the 1900’s women and blacks can now vote.
1.) The frontier shaped America due to the fact that it gave the people that lived in America characteristics that were rarely found this abundant in other places. As Charles Murray states in the article “What kind of people were willing to cross the ocean, chop down the forest, and, after all that, were prepared to subsist with hardly any access to either the necessities or comforts of life that weren’t grown, gathered, shot, bred, spun, woven, salted, churned, milled distilled, quarried, hewn, and constructed by their own families?” (Murray 9). Early Americans were so determined and strong-willed, that they put their lives on the line every step of the way when coming to America and living here. Only the best were able to survive in these unapologetic conditions, as a form of natural selection occurred, weeding out the indolent as they weren’t fit to become part of what built America. Another frontier advantage that shaped America was the cushion of ocean that prevented attacks from European nations. One-quarter of the globe kept the Americans safe from the most powerful armies and fleets that the world had ever seen. Moving West, the rich soils of the Great Plains allowed for farms to boom as American Agriculture proved to be vital in developing a strong economy. The people that did move West still needed goods from the East, which caused the nation’s infrastructure of roads, canals, and railways to appear, developing necessary means of moving people and goods across the country.
3.) I do not think we have an egalitarian society as defined by Murray. In the text, Murray says that “…egalitarianism of nineteenth-century America had nothing to do with equality of outcome but with equality of human dignity” (Murray 21). These human dignities that Murray speaks of were received by the people. Americans no longer have to deal with aristocrats or calling people “my lord” or “your grace”. Labels that were used throughout society have been abandoned and are nowhere to be found today. Also, you usually cannot tell someone’s wealth just by looking at the clothes these days. It takes more than that to find out what class they belong to. Even though there is evidence of a wealth gap growing in America, the definition that Murray uses of “human dignity” has disappeared from American society.
7.) The area of criticism of American Exceptionalism that is the most valid is the Slavery and Indians criticism. Slavery and the treatment of the Native Americans were some of the most despicable acts mankind has ever committed. It should be known that this is what the people that founded our country partook in and their actions were unacceptable and still are. The Trail of Tears that the Native Americans were sent on, removing them from the lands that they had lived in for generation after generation, was inhumane and brutally harming. With the positive image of American Exceptionalism, ignoring slavery and the genocide committed against Native Americans is common, but these events need to be spoken of and brought to people’s attention, because leaving it out of the details of America’s founding would be the same as claiming that these behaviors never occurred. The least valid of the six areas of criticism is Industriousness. Charles Murray claims that Americans are so obsessed with power, money, and possessions that they race through life without paying attention to what is around them. I wholeheartedly disagree with this statement. I concede that there are some Americans who are obsessed with this, but I do not feel that the majority of society is like this. Even so, people that obsess over money and power are found all over the world in all countries. Greed is not just a trait that plagues Americans, but one that affects all of humanity.
9.) Using Murray’s definition of exceptionalism meaning that “America has a special mission in the world and used in support of whatever measures that mission is taken to imply”, I believe that America is still exceptional. America, from the start, has always stood up in the face of injustice throughout the world. America will solve issues with countries, fight against terrorism throughout the world, and fight for democracy in areas that don’t have it. Regardless of the situation, it seems as though the US always comes in and has a strong will to get the job at hand done so that innocent people aren’t harmed. Other countries see the United States as too over the top and sticking their nose in where they don’t belong, but they are protecting the rights of Americans and the free world against threats not their turf and away from home.
1. As Murray notes, the existence of a frontier in the developing America was crucial in the growth of its culture. In Europe, land and property were already claimed and competition for land was a common thing. In America, despite this frontier being populated by native people, it was essentially free for the taking to the colonists and, if either a man or a family had a need to get a fresh start, they had that very opportunity in the west. Land was bountiful, and the ability of the colonists to spread out developed the American identity, and a geographically larger country necessitated more advanced trade and infrastructure, eventually via roads, canals, and railways. The connection of people came with a border extending westward, and so too did the ever coveted and cherished sense of individualism, of the rugged independence many hoped to gain in the western frontier.
6. Despite parties in the past and present having economically stood for either the rich, poor, or “common man,” focus has rarely gone to the working class, just as Murray notes. He further comments that social class was largely absent in initial American culture, a stark contrast from Europe with people recognizing class in dress, presentation, and even accent. However, I believe this to be incorrect, as social class certainly existed, for example, in factions typically composed of the wealthy (Federalists), who admired British politics. Rather, social class was not as central in American society, but both then and now, it is still prominent regardless. Today, specifically in the ongoing election, the ways candidates will support the middle and lower classes are often called into question.
7. The United States’ history regarding slavery and Native Americans is a prime example of negative American exceptionalism. Any person I’ve met who proudly proclaims themselves a patriot effortlessly ignores this country’s abhorrent treatment of both its native people and African-Americans. American treatment of Native Americans in the past to me constitutes genocide, with the Trail of Tears and Indian Removal Act standing out as particularly inhuman. Comparing two separate struggles would be futile, but African-Americans have suffered and are still suffering in this country as a whole, having gone from slavery to a faux freedom still based in oppression, and the reality that society a reminder that their lives matter should not exist.
9. America is almost certainly still exceptional in contemporary times, though the distorted and positive perspective many Americans have of it could not be further from reality. Patriotism, in my eyes, and how I describe myself, is having faith in one’s country but also recognizing how, in many ways, it may not deserve that faith and still has a long way to go ethically. American exceptionalism itself was a term coined when it first became a major world power during the WWI-WWII era, and its impact in world politics is undeniable by now. In following the ideology of egalitarianism and basic human freedoms, America has always carried with it a hypocrisy that still weighs heavy, in the form of violence and oppression that necessitates multiple civil rights movements. This country is certainly exceptional, but it has a long journey for that exceptionalism to become positive.
1)Americas frontier has helped shape this country by giving the people of America something to strive for. The frontier represented a great struggle to many as it seemed extremely daunting, However to some it represented great opportunity. Americas struggle against nature is well documented by many, (i.e.Lewis and Clarke, Oregon trial) and from many of these transcripts we see how the American people really had to fight against nature in order to succeed. America in its beginning had this sort of roughness to it in comparison to the rest of the world, and this could be contributed to the fact that America was “the new world”. A new frontier untouched by man where anyone could succeed if they had the nerve and grit etc etc. the frontier gave America its reputation and it made the people of America opportunists.
4)Great awakenings have shaped Americas society since day one. Enlightenment ideas hold the foundations of this country. Religious great awakenings have both brought the American people together and tore them apart. It is even arguable that it (the first great awakening) led to the development of democratic thinking. Religion has really been a pivotal factor of American history ever since its conception. They have shaped our society because of the idea of religious freedom is not something the colonists were born with its something that was shown to them through the great awakening. It helped America gain some diversity and helped the American people to have more free thinking ideas.
7)America was least exceptional when it came to the horrible crimes committed against the natives and matters of Slavery. It is the most valid area of criticism. Many politicians at the time of slavery knew that it was in its nature not humane but they did it anyway because they thought it a necessary evil. Turning a blind eye in the face of injustice is not an exceptional thing. Then there is the matter of the natives. Americas have been horrible to the natives since the first day they arrived on this continent. The trial of tears isn’t exceptional in anyway. And murrays least valid point would be that America doesn’t help out without gain or at least the American people don’t. That is a very pessimistic world view. America has always been obsessed with Christian values and one of those main core values was “helping thy neighbor”. This doesn’t mean it’s always practiced but I think it is valid.
9) I think America is still exceptional in some ways. We have never been progressing (in terms of technology) faster. And with new widespread expectance of ideas that would have been laughed at or shunned just 20 years ago shows that America is also progress in its ideas. However I feel we don’t have to same strength we once might have had. There was a time in American history where the American presidential election was supposed to be a serious matter. It’s now been reduced to basically a joke. George Washington would be rolling in his grave if he saw the state of discord in our country in terms of the people’s ideas. Sometimes it’s leads to questions along the lines of why are we fighting all these other counties when we have so many internal battles being fought. The people don’t seem as United as the once were. I don’t think that makes America unexceptional however I think it hair means we have issues that need addressing.
9. Take a stand: Is America still exceptional? Explain what you mean by exceptional and why or why not. (You can use Murray’s reasons or come up with some of your own).
America is exceptional in some ways and in others its exceptionalism has been eroded or broken down. I see American exceptionalism as the positive characteristics that helped America be America. These characteristics helped to grow the country not only in size and population but strength too. Murray’s characteristics were settings, ideology, traits and politics. The exceptionalism to the American settings is now gone, as Murray said, our buffers and frontier are gone and we now have to protect ourselves from terrorists and higher technology. This has taken away some of the American dream, where people can start with nothing and work their way to becoming who they want to be. Their dream of coming to America and becoming who they want has been contaminated by the nightmares of trying to cross borders, keeping a job, and finding somewhere to live. In other areas American exceptionalism still stands, for example American politics have still been as open as they have ever been. In other areas some of it has stayed exceptional and in others it has become a little diluted. In American Traits, for example while industriousness has stayed almost the same with Americans still working many hours, there is also the community life that has continued to decline and has still not risen up again. While there is still volunteering there is less and less of it.
7. Which of the six areas of criticism of American Exceptionalism are the most valid and least valid in your opinion? Explain.
I see American exceptionalism as the characteristics that the people of America have made for themselves like politics and industriousness, I view America’s Settings as the least valid point. This is because what I believe made America work was not really the setting it was in but how the American people were more open to new ideas. I believe that the American Traits was one of the most valid points. Countries fall apart mostly due to war inside themselves and the fact that Americans were open meant that they did not have to fight for what they believed in. This relieves a lot of the pressure of society.
1. How has the frontier shaped America?
The frontier has shaped America in many ways. At the beginning the frontier was large, and Native Americans did not want the frontiersmen there, so they fought back. Riots began to appear, because the frontiersmen were angry that the government did not help them. The riots grew so the government stepped in at the Whiskey Rebellion. They used their army to scare away the frontiersmen and this helped the American Government show off that they were in charge. The frontier also gave many the land that they needed to farm and shape America’s economy. The frontier also served as a buffer between America and others from Europe.
4. How have the Great Awakenings affected American society?
Each Great Awakening shook America. Each one pushed the American Society to a better place. For example the first Great Awakening pushed us to the Revolutionary war against the British. The second Great Awakening was during 1800-1840, with it it brought the temperance act, abolitionism and the support for universal elementary education. The third Great Awakening pushed America to the reforms of the new deal, the ethical basis for the emancipation of women and later the civil rights movement. Each of the awakenings had a large impact on American Society and what laws the government passed.
1. The frontier has shaped America in many ways. The most important is that land is abundant and this offered people of many different cultures to spread out and settle their own land without causing conflict with other cultures. When immigrants come to America, they have various options of places to settle and start a new life. This is something that makes America unique because not every country has this option. Also, America is far away from the places where the immigrants came from which provides them with an opportunity to start new. This abundance of land helped form American identity because it brought people with many different backgrounds, different races and cultures to America, developing an identity like no other country. The frontier shaped America because it provided many intriguing opportunities to immigrants who wanted to start a new life and the availability of land allowed them to do so.
2. The phrase “self-interest rightly understood” means that as long as a person looks out for himself, it will benefit other people in the community. Charles Murray states “One of the key tenets of the American ideology was that human beings acting in their own best interest will also serve the public good-that’s why freedom works in practice.” I believe the best way to explain this idea is with economics. For example, the idea is that while one person is trying to start a business, they will benefit others along the way even though they are acting in their own best interest. I do not believe that this is still the American way of thinking anymore, if it ever was, because some people do not understand how to fulfil this idea. Some believe you need to keep others interests ahead of your own because that is what is best for society. I am unsure of what is the correct way of thinking or which one is the most effective but our society now has these ideas within it along with many other ideas.
7. The most valid criticism of American Exceptionalism is that “Americans are obsessed with money, possessions, and power.” This is the most valid because it can be seen everywhere in our society. Far too many people work only to gain money for their expenses rather than work because it is what they are passionate about. I believe this is also because of the structure of our society, where everything costs money and the struggle to maintain a status depends on what you own. That does not change the fact that everyone is obsessed with having power. Whether it be in the workplace, school or some other location where power is respected, people are constantly competing for power. The least valid criticism of American Exceptionalism is that “The Founders’ passion for limited government and individualism was misplaced.” I do not believe this is true because individualism is still greatly valued in our society. It takes a while for people to accept when someone is different but it is a common occurrence for someone who embraces their individualism to be highly respected. As for the part regarding limited government, that is true. We no longer have a limited government, they are part of almost every single aspect of citizens lives’. I do not believe there is a way to change that now because this has been the norm for so long now.
9. I believe that America is still exceptional because America has not changed to fit general rules and principles. I define exceptionalism exactly how the definition does which is that something is so unusual or extraordinary in some way that it does not need to conform to fit general rules and principles. When our country was first founded, the founders broke many general principles by forming a democracy where the people had a say in government affairs and we have only continued to increase the peoples’ say ever since. America has had to face many struggles throughout the years such as terrorism and economic issues but we are not at war and not in complete chaos so I would say that the government and citizens have handled it quite well. Although we may not have all of the same characteristics that we started with and have made many terrible mistakes, we continue to advance and leave an impression on other countries which makes America exceptional.
3. I do think that we still live in an egalitarian society as defined by Murray, I say this because he points out that America was egalitarian because of the way the classes were able to interact peacefully. Murray states that unlike other countries, The lower class Americans didn’t have to treat the wealthy any differently. Although there were different classes America was not a class society because the people didn’t let the classes mean anything other than how much money you had; it was not defining.This was very different that other countries in the sense that you were not defined by your money. Because of this mindset I believe that its still clear that America remains an egalitarian society.
5. I believe that the aspect of community life and voluntary associations has been forgotten over time, I say this because as time went on people lost fait in each other. Having seen the worst in people, neighbors lacked a sense of togetherness by the end of 30th century. I agree with Murray when he talks about how the working class has lost community, because as an overall America is losing its sense of community. Although I grew with him Im not quiet sure why he focuses of the working class. Murray points out that Americans would depend on strangers to be kind and neighborly and and I dint see why this applies to just the working class. I attribute the loos of community to peoples new found freeness after leaving the british government. Because of this people became more indecent and and didn’t feel the need to depend or work together anymore.
7. To me, the most valid are of exeptionalism is Industriousness. After ganging their independence Americans really started to see their true potential. The war changed their views on themselves, they finally realized that they could be a self reliant country, a pioneer for a democracy and an example to all other countries. Murray said that working hard wasn’t the only aspect of Industriousness, he backs this up with the numerous examples of American leaders. Most all of our presidents had to make tough decisions and work hard, but they did more than work hard. They fought for our rights and beliefs. They made the choices that no one else could.
9. I think that America is still exceptional. I feel this way because I think that America is special. Although I don’t agree with some of the things happening in American government that doesn’t change that I think America is great. I fortunate enough to have rights and be free to do what I want and when. America is different that most other countries, in a good way. I really do believe our founding fathers would be pleased by what America has become and I think that this is the life that they imagined for all Americans. Sometimes I feel that Americans can take all the luxuries we have for granted, i am guilty myself, but other people in third world countries will probably never get the chance to experience just a fraction of the privileges we get.
1) The frontier shaped the American people to be an independent people- when the land was first settled, the dangers of hostile natives made one defend his home and family, and the need to farm for one’s self-sustenance and to feed families made the average American reliable. The terrain was not easy to make a living off of, but yet the settlers brought forth a population. This sense of independence led to greater things, like establishing a government and a justice system and overthrowing powerful European rule.
4) Great awakenings shaped America, even up to now. You could compare the preaching tour of George Whitfield, where he caused many people to devote their faith to different aspects and purposes, to the rallying campaign tour of Donald J. Trump, where he, to this day, causes thousands of good Americans to “Convert” to views of bigotry. (I am not saying that Christianity is related to bigotry, I’m just saying that people flock to Donald like they did to George) Great awakenings in America led to different views in Christianity, mostly, that made up most of the conservative views in America, which has also made up exceptional biases.
7) One of the most valid points of Murray’s writing is Industrialism, where Americans discover their true powers of technology and politics. After the American revolution, Americans spent long periods of time Revising their own technological advances and iffy spots of their own constitutional government. Americans advanced themselves to who they are today. If Americans had not made themselves so advanced, powers like the USSR might still be standing today.
9) I still believe America is exceptional. Americans take it on themselves to be “the world’s police” and push on to give freedom to other people, sell weapons to anti-communists, make strenuous wars, or anything that might protect American soil. Are the American people more exceptional? Maybe. Some may say the exceptional ones are the people that thinks being American gives them the right to bash on gays, pop off rounds, or get drunk and yell at minorities because they think the blood shed across the seas to protect what is back home was truly a sacrifice for them to just live how they wish…we are exceptional because we think freedom is free.
3. Do you find that we still have an egalitarian society as defined by Murray? Why or why not?
Personally I’d say most people would like to have an egalitarian society where everyone is treated equally. Though there is still so much to be done for example: the Black Lives matter movement, the Women’s rights movements, the LGBTQ+ movement. They all are important issues to recognize and protect and provide for these groups make up a great population of people who still see things wrong with the way people are treated as human beings; weather they had been cast out, ignored, or even shoot down. There are flaws in the American society but we as a nation are trying to do something about it to deter the racism, sexism, homophobia that some people have and change for the better. So as a country we can stand next to each other as equals and not divided amongst race, sex, class, or sexuality.
8. Would you agree w/ Murray’s contention that today’s elite “never had personal exposure to life in mainstream America”? Why or why not?
Yes and no, I think it really depends on the person for example the CEO of Five Hour Energy, Manoj Bhargava, has donated most of his wealth to helping countries with limited access to water and medical treatment the facilities and machinery they need to improve the prosperity of the country. On the other hand there are people who flaunt their money around and bribe people into helping them increase their own status and power. People who grew into riches seem to have an easier time giving while children born into riches come off as pretentious and stuck-up and very egotistical. Reason as to why people turn out the way they do is because of the parents, the examples put in front of them, and their experiences.
9. Take a stand: Is America still exceptional? Explain what you mean by exceptional and why or why not. (You can use Murray’s reasons or come up with some of your own).
In my opinion America is in the “okay,” range of exceptional; we could be better but we could also be a lot worse. I don’t see America as a bad example, but I also don’t see it as an outstanding role model. Our economy is separated between race where as white males still hold the top status, our education systems are underfunded and extra circulars have been cut and staff under paid, the injustices in society that can turn a blind eye to people and wish them to go away, and the lack of jobs for Americans, the increase of money needed to sustain a healthy life style, and the pressure that asserts itself into making everyone like you. America is not one of the very best countries but it is pretty high on the list as we can optimistically believe that we are the best self absorbedly because we don’t have the curtsey to learn about other countries problems because: “It doesn’t affect me. So why should I care?” Which is an attitude showed in some Americans. (I’d like to say my generation isn’t that bad, but people are crazy so I respectfully keep my mouth shut.)
1. The frontier shaped America because not only was it productive of individualism, it promoted the formation of a composite nationality for the American people (very welcoming), and it was in an untroubled state. It was inviting towards all outsiders, offering much land all around. It was almost like a new beginning for those who needed it. As immigration flowed across the free lands, they found more goods, soil well enough for agriculture, etc. The frontier produced much culture, ranging from religion, language, etc.
4. The Great awakenings affected American society in numerous ways. It influenced religious revival, it influenced culture, and it also made an impact on what acceptable or not acceptable in the society. It basically divided the American people, and brought them closer together as far as religion (Old lights and new lights). Old teachings were abandoned my many and leaned more towards the new teachings. Old lights were simply orthodox members of the clergy who believed that the new ways of revivals and emotional preaching were unnecessary, while the new lights were the more modern-thinking members of the clergy who strongly believed in the Great Awakening. Old lights believed they should never be questioned and what they say goes, but the new lights were more brought more criticism into it, and more humanist thinking.
7. I have to say slavery and Indians is the most valid area of criticism of American Exceptionalism in my opinion. We read about the history of slavery as we are educated on it today, and it’s never a positive topic. If America lacked Exceptionalism it was most definitely here, in the time periods where the Indians and slaves were treated with the least amount of respect. America used its evil, inconsiderate ways to benefit themselves, the trail of tears for example, forcing the natives to find new land only to make more room. Enslaved African-Americans were not given justice when it was needed, even with the natural rights in which they were born with. As for the most invalid part of American Exceptionalism, I would have to say is community religiosity. Much culture took place during this time period, and religion is definitely included. With all of the different beliefs religion really divided the society.
9. In some ways yes I do believe America is still exceptional. As a country, we have the technology and the resources that others do not. What we have is what makes us, and what makes us pretty much puts us on top. We make easy so that pretty much anyone can have a lifestyle if they wanted it, and education, job opportunities, whatever the case may be. America is very opinionated, and idealistic. America is portrayed as to have the determination to make the country a better place for all. Government is loosening up on laws tightening up on others. Our society is really taking parts in the nationwide movement of black lives matter. So in some ways I would say so.
1. The frontier has shaped America by being a mixing pot for the many cultures from around the world, creating the diversity we see today. From the beginning, the people from Europe colonized up and down the eastern coast, but wanted more land. Over the years, millions of people became citizens from increasingly diverse places, settling on the frontier. Every person would have to go farther and had the unique opportunity to create a completely new life. Only the most determined, innovative, and hardworking people dared to start their lives from scratch with hope of being successful. All those cultures bled together as more and more people moved to the frontier. The frontier has not only expanded the country, but created a unique blend of cultures that have come to define the United States today.
7. The most valid criticism is the treatment of African-Americans and Native Americans. Most of the work in the early days of this country was done by slaves. The country wouldn’t have been able to create an economy so quickly without enslaving thousands of people. Even after slavery was made illegal, it had done irreparable damage to the way Blacks would be viewed hundreds of years, making it impossible for all men to be equal to be true. The land that this country is built on was already inhabited by an entire nation of people before any Europeans arrived. As the United Sates grew, Native Americans were lied to, enslaved, and massacred for new land. I don’t know how building a nation on the backs of enslaved people on stolen land is exceptional.
The least valid criticisms are about religion. The number of religious people has nothing to do with the morality of the country. Although religion is often a way for people to know what is right and wrong (for example in Christianity, murder, stealing, lying are taught to be bad, honesty and peace are good), laws are there for the same reason so there isn’t a true need for religion in the country.
8. I agree with Murray that today’s elite “never had personal exposure to life in mainstream America” because most of them were born into wealth. Although some people are able to achieve the “American Dream” and achieve great success from nothing, the reality is that the most popular and successful people are often the product of generations of wealth. If they never had to work had to get their wealth, it is hard for them to relate to the vast majority of people who have to make their own lives.
9. I believe that America is not exceptional today. I think being exceptional means being the best we can possibly be as a country. There are countless incidents that prove race is still an issue today. Violence within the country is also a big problem. Education is not great compared to other countries, and obesity is a problem too. I believe that if the country were still exceptional, there would not only be bigger efforts to solve these problems, but at least some of them would be solved.