American War of Independence - Essay Example

THE AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE Nationalism is that phenomenon which stems from complete loyalty and love for one's nation. Under the influence of nationalism, a citizen forms his personal sense of identity in context of the broad characterization of the nation. This consequently leads to mass identity along the same lines when like minded persons get together - a phenomenon better described as national identity. Reversibly, the identity of a nation is formed by the sentiments, attitudes and broad cultural assimilation under which its people function. The theories of nationalism and national identity are complementary to each other, and these inspire entire generations. Nationalism remains an important issue in the modern United States. In the contemporary United States, nationalists usually hold significant veneration of the flag of the United States and other national symbols, while other cultures tend to regard this mentality with hostility, giving rise to anti-Americanism. (Smith, 1898) One of the foremost strategies that the British could have employed was to break the very basis of the organisation of the social movement that culminated into the American war of independence. A social movement is one that is punctuated with a highly idealistic environment with realistic parameters that set the stage for immediate results and emergence of future trends that will go onto dominate the structure and functioning of that particular society for generations to come. Issues like principles, revolutionary change and personal strength and a search for identity of a group of people or society, are synonymous with social movements. For the measurement of success of any social movement, factors like skilful organisation, optimum use of resources and the identification of opportunities, are vital indicators. Although the United States is usually regarded as a nation-state, supporters of American exceptionalism may prefer to see it as a state bathed in the glory of its own unique light. The country clearly has a sense of national identity and history, Americans refer to an 'American people'. Thus, patriotism is prominent in public life. Nationalism is the appropriate and recognized term for the associated ideology and political movements, within the present United States, and during its history. That does not necessarily correspond with current usage of the term in American politics, or with the views of self-described 'American nationalists'. (Bradford, 1999) In this regard, the British were more corrupt in America during the 19th century than any other colony. They could have established a more urban society and structure in order to lull the Americans into a false sense of rest as a strategy to curb the rebellion. (Smith, 1898) There are no two same theories about when the United States became a nation-state, and developed a sense of national identity. Some historians think that the United States was already a nation-state at independence, others that this occurred during the 19th century, either before or after the American Civil War. The United States was formed from a group of colonies under the authority of the British Crown, each established and governed independently of the others. For most of colonial America's history, a colonist had a duty to the colony and to the Crown, but not to other colonies. (Bradford, 1999) This attitude changed noticeably when the colonies faced a common threat in the French and Indian War. The Albany Plan of Union, although unsuccessful, served as a reference for future discussions. Soon after, the colonies faced another common grievance over taxes enacted by the British Parliament. As the dispute escalated, colonists started to view the British administration as hostile, and sought cooperation with other colonies in response. This cooperation produced the Continental Congress and ultimately independence as a confederation. Ties between the states strengthened with the ratification of the United States Constitution. (Smith, 1898) The early United States boasted of an agrarian economy, and the temptation of sparsely occupied land to the west proved irresistible. This was one of the options that the British had for suppressing the unrest in the colony. Through the Northwest Indian War and Louisiana Purchase the country vastly increased its territory. The War of 1812 showed that the country could defend its political interests against a major power, though the war did end up with neither side winning. The idea that the United States could hold its own further fuelled efforts towards expansion. Many politicians adopted the doctrine of Manifest Destiny, under which it was God's will that the United States should span North America. To begin with, it may be noted that the American Civil War marked the greatest transition in American national identity. The states were so economically and politically integrated that Abraham Lincoln chose to go to war to keep them united. In defeating the secessionist movement, he established that the union was permanent. (Bradford, 1999) The ratification of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments settled the basic question of national identity: Who was a citizen of the United States Under the amendments, anyone born in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction was a citizen, regardless of ethnicity or social status. However, the Indians were not to gain citizenship under these amendments. In 1919 all Indians who had served in the military were granted full citizenship but the rest of Native America was not included as citizens until 1924 when the Indian Citizenship Act was passed by Congress. (Smith, 1898) This was one of the options in suppressing the rebellion. The British could have given the Americans a nominal entrance into the parliament. In this context, John Smith's "A Description of New England" is a story of America, accounted through a set of rose-colored glasses. His account is embellished and exaggerated to the point where it was no longer realistic. He made it sound like America was heaven on earth, which is far from the truth and far from reality. John Smith was trying to recruit people to come to America, so naturally his account is biased. And although he makes America sound like a beautiful, easy place to live in, no one with half a brain would believe everything that he's saying. It does not take close scrutiny to see that both John Smith's essay "A Description of New England," and the excerpts from Of Plymouth Plantation, by William Bradford, are both a collogue of elaborated ad dilated truths. Obviously, one cannot "kill in one day with his hook and line one, two, or three hundred cods" as John Smith. Or overlook the exaggeration of William Bradford when he said about the Indians "the barbarians showed them no small kindness in refreshing them" (Smith, 1898, Pp 21) Britain could have suppressed the American rebellion through a divide and rule policy that was followed in colonies like India. Yet, America itself was founded based on the belief in certain freedoms. People have journeyed to America for thousands of years to obtain these freedoms and live the American dream. The pilgrims traveled to the new world to escape religious persecution and to start a new life. They call themselves the cream of the crop, the land of the free and the home of the brave. Their Founding Fathers spent countless efforts to ensure that their beliefs in freedom and fortune lived as long as the country lived. Numerous wars have been fought to maintain our freedom. American soldiers have paved the road to our great nation's success with their lives. Key characteristics of American people include: patriotism, belief in God, hard work, belief in equality, independence, and hope. (Bradford, 1999) References Cited: 1. John Smith. "A description of New England". G.P. Humphrey (1898) 2. William Bradford. "Of Plymouth Plantation". The Vision Forum, Inc. (January 1, 1999) Read More