The New Englanders desired a place where they prosper together as a community. They were more than concerned about the moral health of the whole community and would do whatever was called for to keep their community strong and happy. " This court in the interim recommends [that] all tradesmen and laborers consider the religious end of their callings, which is that receiving such moderate profits as may enable them to serve God and their neighbors", DOC. E, this shows that they would give their money away to help their fellow man.…
John Winthrop, Jonathan Edwards, and Thomas Paine were all writers who called for their audiences to denounce their previous actions and live according to certain ideals in order to reach their desired destination: in the case of Winthrop and Edwards, that destination was reunion and harmony with God; in Paine’s case, he needed to persuade his audience to continue to fight through their God-given advantages so that America would defeat England. All three writers attempted to persuade their audiences through the usage of religion; religion is what would allow the Puritans to prosper, rebellion to religion is what would cause the Puritans eternal suffering, and religion is what would prevail so that the American soldiers would win the war. However, each author used three very distinct approaches to religion; Winthrop positively proclaimed that the Puritans were God’s chosen people, while Edwards used pain and suffering to demonstrate to the…
The 5000 Year Leap by Cleon Skousen analyzes the 28 principles that the Founding Fathers believed to be necessary for peace and prosperity in America and illustrates how those beliefs perpetuated greater progress in 200 years than was previosly made in 5000. To America by Stephen E. Ambrose is a historian’s personal reflections on America’s history and the people who contributed to making it into the country it is today. By analyzing both books, one can observe where America upheld and fell short in meeting the principles that the Founding Fathers viewed as essential to the country’s success. One can also view where America has fallen short in observing these principles and the effect left on the American people as a result. Certain principles were more significant to the founding and guiding of our country and had a more considerable effect on America.…
Unlike New England, many people died due to the diseases in areas like Virginia. Christian-like values were not always present as the settlers “vile” commanders demanded more money in exchange for food and water. Document E discusses the low wages in Connecticut and how the people came together to modify and regulate the prices. This shows how New England societies had a strong sense of unity by working out proper wages that all Puritans can live comfortably with to serve under God. This method of solving problems contrasted greatly with the Virginian colonies as shown in Document H where…
In “Narrative of Commercial Life,” T. H. Breen explores economic and cultural changes in eighteenth century British North America that came about after the French and Indian War. Breen argues that those changes informed colonial protest movements, most notably nonimportation agreements, and that those “specific styles of resistance” caused colonists to unite and “...to reimagine themselves within an independent commercial empire” (Breen 472). Staughton Lynd and David Waldstreicher’s article “Free Trade, Sovereignty, and Slavery” begins with a discussion of how both modern historians and early Americans have viewed the causes and ideology of the American Revolution. Lynd and Waldstreicher claim that the main contentions are whether the Americans…
During the 17th century, many Europeans, especially the English came over to America in search of a life better than the one they had in England. In the early to mid 1600s, two different groups of people, the participants from the Virginia Company and the Puritans. Despite this similarity, both the participants and the Puritans had other intentions of moving to America and with this, many other differences. Taking all the advantages and disadvantages the two groups had into consideration, the state of Rhode Island in the New England colonies would have been in the best condition to live in.…
The Temperance Movement was organized around the 1820s, during the 19th and 20th centuries determined to promote the moderation or outlaw the consumption and distribution of alcoholic beverages. At the time, the average American was around 15 years of age and would consume up to seven gallons of alcohol a year. With this abuse of alcohol, came the aggression of many men, which women had few rights to protect themselves from, or were able to support themselves. During the early 19th century, people of the United States panicked that they were living in sin, and feared God would no longer bless the U.S. That the unholy citizens would threaten the political system, and they were in need of virtuous citizens.…
The American Dream term was initially derived in the year 1931 and has consistently modified its projected goal throughout the decades. Originally, people believed that anything could be attainable if one decided to strive in the workforce and enhance their current financial status. But as the world introduced a wide variety of customs, beliefs, advancements in technology, and other impactful sources in social life, people have begun to misinterpret the American Dream and have been provoked to seek a new definition that qualifies in relation to their outside influences. In the modern United States, it is nearly impossible to achieve the entirety of the American Dream because people are either born into a family of wealth or into a deficient situation where they simply have to commence their journey from the lowest levels of the pyramid. Literary texts such as The Great Gatsby, American Dream is Elusive for New Generation, and Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, portray the necessity of obtaining…
The European and American inhabitants both had a significant effect on each other and their environment. Through American literature the Europeans learned that the Christian moral code was one of many and that numerous forms of education and viewpoints regarding tradition. Crops, like sugarcane, that were familiar to the Europeans but did not pro paper well seemed to thrive better on American soil.…
“Religion is the mortar that binds society together; the granite pedestal of liberty; the strong backbone of the social system”(Thomas Guthrie). During the 1600’s, religion was forced upon the people. It was either you deal with the religion chosen by the king or face execution. Puritan leader John Winthrop seeked religious freedom. In his sermon, Winthrop discussed his goal to establish a successful society.…
Failure is a blessing The world consists of those with the aspiration for greatness; however, there are few that actually are. Authors use their power of having a large audience to convey messages that he or she feels is important. In his Nobel Prize for Literature Acceptance Speech, John Steinbeck, the author of literary treasures, spoke of what an author’s responsibility is as a creator. Writers are delegated to present the good side of humanity like love and triumph but also dark sides like failure and greed.…
The “American Dream” has been a central piece of ideology in American culture and history; the thought that any person, regardless of their background, could transcend their assigned socioeconomic class was among the most attractive reasons for coming to the new world. The transition from agrarianism (pre 1850) into industrialism (post 1850) changed the class structure from a relatively fixed one, making it easier for common workers to move their way up to the middle class. A more complex economy allowed them to take different career paths, and were rewarded based off merit rather than ownership. The same new economy allowed common workers to advocate for themselves where previously they could not. Although during these times there were several economic highs and lows, after the industrial revolution, intrinsic efforts from common workers to move into the middle class were more rewarded than they were previously.…
In Seth Rockman’s monograph “Scraping By”, Rockman provides a grim outlook on Baltimore, Maryland’s wage-labor during the early 1800’s. No matter the age, race, ethnicity, or gender, the people of Baltimore struggled and “scraped by” in order to survive. Rockman challenges the notion that the early republic was a time of great growth and upward opportunity for people. Instead, he reveals the harsh truth of living in Baltimore, from scraping human feces off the streets, to prostitution, or toiling as a mud machine workers.…
In The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin, Wood explains the life of the Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, and shows how he became one of America’s greatest icons. Also, he gives readers a new understanding of the American Revolution and a profound insight into the emergence of America’s ideas itself (16). Wood also examines the events that caused Franklin’s life and views to change not only himself but American Culture (246). Moreover, individuals today do not know where life will lead them; however, just like Franklin he was never destined to be the symbol of significance as the entrepreneurial American nor was he destined to be an American (x). Therefore, just like Franklin, individuals should never give up nor settle for less in order to achieve their dreams.…
American democracy is driven by the foundation of equality. According to Tocqueville, the American Revolution had produced a great degree of social equality among the social classes. Conditions of equality in America, gives its citizens the ability to strive for equal status—socially and economically. Democracy allowed influence to be taken from a few aristocrats and given to the people—which leads to the end of legal differences in status, of noble ranks and titles, and of hereditary privileges. However, this is not to say that there is not a potential for a highly individualized society brought about through equality.…