What does it mean to be American? Images fast to jump to mind consist of anything from pioneers to gold miners, The Great Gatsby to the Great Depression. Who are Americans? Who gets to be American, and what qualifications does one need to earn that title, if they do not get it by default simply by being born here? America is almost synonymous with freedom. That is the vision our forefathers had for us. However, they were really only thinking of a certain representation of the population: the white, Christian male. The idea of an American has been one that hurts minorities from the time the Mayflower dropped its anchor. As the colonies were trying to stand on their own two feet, they had to establish an identity for themselves at the same
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“Go thou and work and till; thou shalt prosper, provided thou be just, grateful, and industrious” (Crévecoeur 614). Class did not matter back then because the inhabitants of the new world could not afford to care about anything other than their own survival. Crévecoeur speaks a lot about self-interest and working hard to earn as much as possible (607). Even back them, one has good reason to be skeptical. He treats this new world as a wonderland, a place where anyone can prosper. Today, and probably in colonial days as well, sometimes a person can work herself nearly to death and still not get any further ahead in the game. Sometimes it is about luck more than hard work, or who you know. Crévecoeur puts a great emphasis on riches being equally spread between the people, that this new country of America had no small group of people at the top, much wealthier than the rest, telling the poor what to do (606). Ironically, this idea somewhat resembles communism, a word that just two centuries later would strike fear and paranoia into the hearts of American citizens. These words also come from a man whose father “transmitted to [him] his fair inheritance” (Crévecoeur 609). It is easy for someone who comes from money to say that anyone can make it with a little hard work. This is a problem that still persists today. Sometimes it is …show more content…
One could not speak ill about the Lord without consequences, as Thomas Paine discovered after his piece on his opinions on religion. “How does it concern the welfare of the country, or of the province at large, what this man’s religious sentiments are, or really whether he has any at all? He is a good farmer, he is a sober, peaceable, good citizen: William Penn himself would not wish for more” (Crévecoeur 611). It sounds too good to be true. History shows that it is no small feat for two different peoples to get along peaceably. Even between the Christian throughout the history of just the United States, there has been a great amount of prejudice. Crévecoeur’s words do not persist to modern times; think of the American Sikhs targeted immediately after the 9/11 terror attacks. Although the media can portray it this way, the United States is not a place of total intolerance. Many Americans of infinite backgrounds have no problem accepting other religions, but especially in small, conservative towns, if someone never attends church, people will
“Go thou and work and till; thou shalt prosper, provided thou be just, grateful, and industrious” (Crévecoeur 614). Class did not matter back then because the inhabitants of the new world could not afford to care about anything other than their own survival. Crévecoeur speaks a lot about self-interest and working hard to earn as much as possible (607). Even back them, one has good reason to be skeptical. He treats this new world as a wonderland, a place where anyone can prosper. Today, and probably in colonial days as well, sometimes a person can work herself nearly to death and still not get any further ahead in the game. Sometimes it is about luck more than hard work, or who you know. Crévecoeur puts a great emphasis on riches being equally spread between the people, that this new country of America had no small group of people at the top, much wealthier than the rest, telling the poor what to do (606). Ironically, this idea somewhat resembles communism, a word that just two centuries later would strike fear and paranoia into the hearts of American citizens. These words also come from a man whose father “transmitted to [him] his fair inheritance” (Crévecoeur 609). It is easy for someone who comes from money to say that anyone can make it with a little hard work. This is a problem that still persists today. Sometimes it is …show more content…
One could not speak ill about the Lord without consequences, as Thomas Paine discovered after his piece on his opinions on religion. “How does it concern the welfare of the country, or of the province at large, what this man’s religious sentiments are, or really whether he has any at all? He is a good farmer, he is a sober, peaceable, good citizen: William Penn himself would not wish for more” (Crévecoeur 611). It sounds too good to be true. History shows that it is no small feat for two different peoples to get along peaceably. Even between the Christian throughout the history of just the United States, there has been a great amount of prejudice. Crévecoeur’s words do not persist to modern times; think of the American Sikhs targeted immediately after the 9/11 terror attacks. Although the media can portray it this way, the United States is not a place of total intolerance. Many Americans of infinite backgrounds have no problem accepting other religions, but especially in small, conservative towns, if someone never attends church, people will