The Search For National Identity
Nationalism is the attitude members of a nation have when they care about their national identity. Nationalism can also be the love of a country and the willingness to make sacrifices for it. Just as a person’s identity is affected by other people and the events in their life, a nation is affected the same way. There have been many people and events that have affected the national identity of America.
There were two Awakenings that spread different aspects of American thought. The first Awakening brought a change in the style of preaching. The new style that took hold was passionate and fiery, characterized by preachers giving detailed descriptions of the fate of those headed to eternal punishment in hell.
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(Berkin pg. 255) The term destiny displays the thinking that there was a divine plan for the spread of American thought (predominated by belief in the Gospel) across the continent. Thus, many missionaries were sent westward.
There were a few factors that influenced the push west. Many artists influenced Manifest Destiny. The Hudson River School was a group of artists founded by the popular artist, Thomas Cole. (Berkin pg. 238) The school painted beautiful works of art that depicted the wonderful landscape of the West. Since most people did not actually know what the West really looked like, they were influenced by the works of art by the Hudson River School. The art made the West look better than it actually was, and drew many unknowing people westward. The Oregon Trail was the path to get to Oregon. The Oregon Trail was a 2,500-mile stretch of land that settlers of the West traversed. The trail had branches that went to California and Utah. The trail was very rugged and the weather was not always good. So many people died along the Oregon Trail that a grave could have been placed every 80 yards.
The war with Mexico also expanded American territory. Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott were two army leaders during that war. Taylor led the defeat of Mexico’s Santa Anna at Buena Vista. ( Berkin pg. 262) The victory made Taylor a hero in the eyes of Americans and led to his eventual presidency. Scott was a leader of troops during the war with Mexico and the war of 1812. A
The idea of moving West started in the mid-nineteenth century. Editor Horace Greely said “Go west, young man” which encouraged many people to move west. The Journey Westward was hard on many families. They were being uprooted and leaving their homes. They sold their farms and homes in the east and packed wagons with enough supplies to travel for about 6 months. In 1869 alone, an estimated 50,000 people migrated to the new territory. Many women felt that their husbands were on “a wild goose chase” and could not understand why they were being moved to this land.
Nationalism is patriotic feeling, principles, efforts or having pride in your country. nationalism was another big part in world war I. ("DBQ: What Were the Underlying ...", 2010, p. Doc 1) If it was not for the pride in one’s countries, there would be total chaotic war. There was total war because of imperialism also. Because of this soldiers were ready to run towards the front lines and risk his life for his country.
Nationalism involves an individual identifying with, or becoming attached to one’s nation. A nation often trying to develop people’s nationalism within their country. Nationalism will lead to a state of ultranationalism -- an extreme form of nationalism – ultranationalists are often fanatically loyal to their own nation and hostile and racist toward other nations. Three examples of ultranationalists are Hirohito(Japan), Adolf Hitler(Germany), and Joseph Stalin(Russia).
Nationalism is the doctrine that your national culture and interests are superior to any other. From just reading the meaning of nationalism it is quit obvious to see that this idea will
The Awakenings happened during the seventeenth and eighteenth century when American were trying to find their national identity while under British rule and. They both focused on God and eternal damnation but for different reasons. The First Great Awakening focused on Calvinist ideals such the inheritance of sinfulness. According to the preachers, a person is eternally damned and there is nothing that can be done about it except to fear God. The Second Great Awakening focused on Arminian ideals. This meant that you have a choice between salvation and damnation. You still had to fear God, but now you have a choice in your destiny. Several other differences and similarities between the two Great Awakenings helped shape the future of the colonists and America.
In the 19th century the settlers in America believed they had a mandate from God to expand west, this is called the Manifest Destiny. This expansion would involve not merely territorial aggrandizement, but the progress of liberty and individual economic opportunity as well. The Manifest Destiny shaped America throughout the years. Three main things that revolve around the Manifest Destiny are the moon race with Russia, western expansion, and how we found more resources and advancements in technology.
Second Great Awakening: The second great awakening focused more on science as well as a revival of the church.
A) The "Great Awakening" was a religious revival. It began in Massachusetts by a pastor named Jonathan Edwards and spread the idea that doing good things and believing in God's forgiveness would help somebody get into heaven. He painted a very scary picture of hell in the minds of people, therefore influencing them to go into a life of doing good things. A man named George Whitefield preached human helplessness and God's great power. Revival meetings were very effective in evoking emotion, and sinners would profess confessions, while those who are saved would be excited, even creating a show. The Awakening was said to revitalize American religion. The Awakening focused on direct and emotive spirituality which undermined old clergy and caused
Described as theologically significant, The First Great Awakening (c. 1735-1743) was the beginning of a revitalization that hit the American colonies by storm. It began to form once religion had eased down and preachers began to take an emotional foot in religion and increasing liberalism - Armenia (free will) ideals began to form. George Whitefield, a circuit rider who preached spiritual awakening, and Jonathan Edwards, imposed fear in people by claiming God had already chosen who get his salvation, were the main contributors to the First Great Awakening. The Second Great Awakening (c.1795-1830) was experienced across the country due to the advancement in the nation's economic growth. Preachers often spoke emotionally about their message to increase the reaction in people. Preaches proclaimed that the power of eternal salvation is in the hands of the person to decided to be saved and avoid eternal damnation. This ideals were closest related/influenced by Arminianism which sinfulness is a choice rather than a destiny in which it appealed to more people because of its optimistic outlook. The First Great Awakening changed religious ideology by promoting Calvinist ideals and individualism amongst people; The Second Great Awakening promoted salvation and damnation at the expense of the person true willingness to be saved, positive female roles in the church and the infusion of lower classes with higher classes; both transforming the methods of worship to become more emotionally
Nationalism is way of thinking both political and socially to create a community united by: history, ethnicity, religions, common culture, and language. Numerous effects occurred while establishing a Nationalist community, some effects were a long term impact on Nationalism, and other was short term impacts on Nationalism.
Nationalism is a sense of strong pride and loyalty of ones nation over other nations. This is different from past
Nationalism is how one feels toward their nation. Therefore nationalism determines how strong a nation is, by the unity of the people. America was very young as a nation in the early to mid 1800s and was not meeting the standards of the people. Changes needed to be made. Nationalism was changed in America with many great reform movements taking place which warped America to what it is today. Education reform, Industrial revolution, and transportation alongside technological advancements played a large roll in nationalism.
As the main source of national identity, nationalism “makes [people] feel connected not only to one another but also to the homeland itself” (Jusdanis 28). In the case of the American founding, when the delegates from respective states met to construct a more perfect union, they did not identify themselves as Virginians or New Yorkers. Instead, they defined themselves as “we the people of the United States” as it appears in the Preamble to the US constitution. The shared interest in liberty and freedom as well as the attachment to the land of their fathers made it possible for the vast population of the thirteen states to think of itself as a unified body despite their internal ethnic and cultural divide. By identifying themselves as a member of certain group, people will form a society with certain shared value, which ultimately can become the political units for a democratic government. Nationalism is essential for creating a cohesive political community.
Nationalism can be described as a mix, multidimensional morally developed or created concept involving a shared common identification with one's Nation. It is more on politically motivated towards working and maintaining self-governance, or full sovereignty, working towards to a specific land or a territory of historical significance to the group such as land and its belongings. In simple Nationalism is a nation command and lead itself, free from foreign influence, it is the concept of self-rule. Nationalism is further formed towards maintaining and developing a Sovereignty based on shared features such as religion, language, race, culture, or either political goals or a belief in a customary ancestry. So its pride towards nation's achievements, and the concept in world history has shown positive and negative impact, moreover in a political dimension it leads either unification or disintegration.
However, nationalism does not have one single definition, its meaning has evolved as society changes and modernises. Nationalism can “...refer to any behaviour designed to restore, maintain, or advance public images of that national community” (Gries, 2005:9). By the mid-1960s there were two main proposals to understanding nationalism. “In the first, nationalism was an aspect of national history, a sentiment associated with the nation...In the second approach, nationalism was a modern, irrational doctrine which could acquire sufficient power...to generate nationalists sentiments and even nation states” (Gellner, 2008:xx). Nationalism is defined differently by different schools of thought and theorists.