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Many Britons after being forced to reach a peace settlement with America (1783) did not think the new nation could long endure without a monarchy, seen as a force for stability. At the time America was a great experiment, the world's only democratic republic. This proved not to be the case, but the issue of slavery defied political solution. President Lincoln addressed the question of democratic government during the Civil War in his Gettysburg Address (1863). This was the primary argument against America at the time. Ideas of race gained great currency in the 19th century. Some Europeans in the late-19th and early-20th century looked down on America for its mixed ethnic ancestry questioning whether this constituted the basis for a true nation. This idea was most prevalent in Germany, but not exclusively in Germany. American nationalism as it developed was fundamentally different than European nationalism. In this America's critics were essentially correct. There was no monarch as a national symbol. Nor was there a core ethnic group. They proved to be wrong, however, that there was no basis for American nationalism. The United Sates saw itself as a melting pot for a nation of immigrants. The national motto appearing on the Great Seal is e pluribus unum -- Out of many, one. A salad bowl might be a more accurate description. American nationalism was not rooted on a common ethnicity, but but belief in a common set of ideals--the Constitution, democracy and the rule of law. Race remained a problem, but the issue of religion was decisively settled by the Bill of Rights in principle if not in detail. Today in the United States the idea of nationalism is under attack as a destructive force. The Democratic Party has come to object to controls on immigration, border enforcement, and the proliferation of sanctuary cities. Many schools have dropped the morning pledge of allegiance . Teachers and textbooks influenced with left-wing ideology have begun to question the idea that America is a noble nation, commonly using carefully selected facts. Among the facts commonly excluded from the debate is the American humanitarian efforts saving millions; the destruction of the great totalitarian powers of the 20th century; the civil rights movement; major advances in the sciences including medical science; the expansion of democracy in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America; and the post World War II economic order that have brought prosperity to a billion poplin just one generation--the greatest expansion of well being in all of human history.
America began as 13 English colonies (17th century. As a result the fojndationm of each iof the colonies was based on English law, meaning both economic (capitalism) and poliyical (democracy) freedom--the cornerstones of modernity. The development of the various elements of freedom has a long history. The political basis of modern England began with the Anglo-Saxon invasions (5th centuray AD). The ruthless Vikings descended upon the Anglo-Saxon Lingdomsd, but surrisingly with the carnage left important democratic imnprints such as trial by jurry. The beginning of Enlish ddemoccy is generally sen as the Magna Carta (1215). Ling John was forced to rcognized the rights of the Barons, but over time the lesser ranks of English society acquired rights, especially importantly property rights. One of the curiosities of history is why modernity (capitalism and democracy) and the industrial revolution develooed on a small island on the perfiery of Europe which not onmly had a small population, but was were existed in the shadow of European culture until relatively recently. Through most of history it was China that was not only the richest society, but the great engine of inventing technology. One can argue just why the industrial revolutioin occurred in England and not China. But surely it was the property rights secured by Enlishmen were certainly a powerful factor. People have has ideas since the dawn oif civikization, but very few had the proerty (capital) to developo their ideas. This occuyyed with a vengence in England because of the wide spread property rights that had developed in Engand. And Ameruica wa an ingeritor of these developoments and they were magnuified because of the great gift of the Atlantic Ocean. This made it difficult for the Crown to limit the eneries and actibities of the colonists. And when the Crown got serious about trying to limit their enrgies--theysoioin had a revolution on their hannds. The Minute Men who fired the 'shot heard round the world' was the foundatioin of Americam natioanalism.
The founding documents of the American Republic were the Declaration of Indepndence and the Constitution, includiung the Bill of Rights. The Declaratgiom of Indeoendence contains a curious phrase. Jefferson writes, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The 'pursuit of hapiness' was a term that Jefferson invented out of whole cloth and never defined. The Revolutionary War was an outgrowth of the Enlightenment. But 'pursuit of hapiness' was not a term that any Enligtenment author had used. It was thus uniquely American. Notice that the operational world was 'pursuit', not 'guarantee of hapiness which modern woke politicans dangle before us. This became an integral part of American nationalism.
Many Britons after being forced to reach a peace settlement with America (1783) did not think the new nation could long endure without a monarchy, seen as a force for stability. At the time America was a great experiment, the world's only democratic republic. The importance of a monarcy proved of no great impediment.
The issue of slavery defied political solution.
President Lincoln addressed the question of democratic government during the Civil War in his Gettysburg Address (1863). This was the primary argument against America at the time.
Ideas of race gained great currency in the 19th century. The idea of Socila Darwinism took on great currency in Europe andf America. Some Europeans, especially the Germans, in the late-19th and early-20th century looked down on America for its mixed ethnic ancestry questioning whether this constituted the basis for a true nation. This idea was most prevalent in Germany, but not exclusively in Germany.
American nationalism as it developed was fundamentally different than European nationalism. In this America's critics were essentially correct. There was no monarch as a national symbol. Nor was there a core ethnic group. They proved to be wrong, however, that there was no basis for American nationalism. The United Sates saw itself as a melting pot for a nation of immigrants. The national motto appearing on the Great Seal is e pluribus unum -- out of many, one. A salad bowl might be a more accurate description. American nationalism was not rooted on a common ethnicity, but but belief in a common set of ideals--the Constitution, democracy and the rule of law. Race remained a problem, but the issue of religion was decisively settled by the Bill of Rights in principle if not in detail.
William Jennings Bryan (1860–1925) was an major Aerican politican and spell-minding orator. Although only a newly elected Congressman, he became a major force in the Democratic Party as progressives were becoming an imprtant force in the Democratic Party (mid-1890s). He was dominated by the Democratic Party for three presidential runs (1896, 1900, and 1908). He lost each time to the Republican nominees. In his spell-binding speeches and writings, he often stressed his faith in the wisdom of the common man and as a result he became known as the "The Great Commoner". [Nimick] He never expalined, however, why he thought voters who he claimed had such great wisdom rejected him three times. It was Bryan who invented the modern American stumping tour in which he spoke to an audiences totaling 5 million people in 27 states (1896) At the 1896 Democratic National Convention, Bryan delivered the 'Cross of Gold speech' for which he is best known. It was an attack on the gold standard and Eastern banking interests. He launched a crusdade for inflationary policies centered on the expanded silver coinage. In raised many of the samr economic thems that Democrats have raised beginning with President Obama (2009-17) and President Biden is expanding on. It is notable that the American economy steadily expanded under the economic policies Bryan so sharply criticised making Americans the most prosperous people on earth and propelling the country beyond all the Europoean Great Powers. Of coure America was far from perfect, but no other country comapred to Smerican in offering opportunity to the Common Man that Bryan spole so much about. This is why he lost his ekectiins and ewhy Eurooeans poured into American by their millions. In no othr country had so mmany people gained suycgh substantial property rights. We doubt if many of the imngrants had read Afam Smith, but millonsd haf heard rgat Zmerica was a laznd of opportunity and the great majority fiund it to be true. This opportunity necame an imprtant part of A,erican patriotism/nationalism.
America had tried to stay out of Workd War I. President Wilson was reelected in large measure because 'he kept us out of war'. After winnining relection (1916), Wilson set about applying real pressure on the Allies and Germany to end the War with a negoitiated settlement. Britain and France were relutant, but were dependent on American loans. The Germans hesitated, but ultimately decided on a military sollution. They decided that their U-boats could blockade Britain. And the Russian Revolution presented the oppoprtunity for a massive offensive on the Western Front. The Kaiser brought made the disaterious decision to bring America into the War by resuming unrestricted submarine warfare. The result was an explosion of patriotic feeling. Never before or after in Ameica has there been such unavashed patriotic exuberance, remarkable given the ressitance to the War. The President put the War on a high moral plane -- 'a war to end all wars' amd a war 'to mmake the world safe for democracy'. The Germans did not regard America, without a core ethnic base as a real nation. In fact, the various ethnicities that America mobilized for war fought with vigor and showed no attachment to their ancestrial homelands. The fighting became a race between the Gernans moving firces West and the Anericansd brining forces to France ti train. The Germans brought a ,illiom men from the Eastern Front for their great Western Offensive, but after initial successes, the Allies were bolstered by the even karger American Expeditionary Force. Throughout the year and a half of America's involvement of War there was midespread support and patriotiuc expression reaching a creshendo after the Germans gave in and agreed to an armisticebthat bordering on surender Within a short period, Americans became disenchanted with the War. It was true that the War was not the 'War to end all wars' and did not 'make the world safe for democracy'. Lost in the disencantment was the monumental achievement of American nationalism--preventing a single cojntry, namely Germany, from dominating Europe.
Today in the United States the idea of nationalism is under attack as a destructive force. The Democratic Party has come to object to controls on immigration, border enforcement, and the proliferation of sanctuary cities. Many schools have dropped the morning pledge of allegiance . Teachers and textbooks influenced with left-wing ideology have begun to question the idea that America is a noble nation, commonly using carefully selected facts. Among the facts commonly excluded from the debate is the American humanitarian efforts saving millions; the destruction of the great totalitarian powers of the 20th century; the civil rights movement; major advances in the sciences including medical science; the expansion of democracy in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America; and the post World War II economic order that have brought prosperity to a billion people just one generation--the greatest expansion of well being in all of human history.
Nimick, John. "Great Commoner Bryan dies in sleep, apoplexy given as cause of death". UPI release (July 27, 1925).
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