The Impact Of Exceptionalism On The United States

Howard Zinn defines American exceptionalism as the belief “...that the United States alone has the right, whether it be divine sanction or moral obligation, to bring civilization, or democracy, or liberty to the rest of the world, by violence if necessary.” The American exceptionalist ideology has domestic implications found in political rhetoric and within the founding of the United States. External implications of exceptionalism are evident in American foreign policy and militaristic interventions such as Vietnam and Iraq. A new definition of has arisen, highlighting the negative implications of exceptionalism, “Roast beef and apple pie explained exceptionalism but now we are back to moldy rye bread and water.”

American Exceptionalism is a term used to define the ideal that America is far superior to all other countries. It has been used to justify unfair actions and used to cover up flaws. Children are taught from a young age that America is the model country, and the people living there can do no wrong. In school, each bad thing that America has done in history is skimmed over, yet the accomplishments and victories are taught in great detail. For years, Americans have hid behind the phrase American exceptionalism as a way to not only avoid taking responsibility for their actions but to not push themselves to be better, as they already consider themselves perfect. The concept of this exceptionalism impedes the progress and evolution of mankind as they give up caring and trying to better themselves.

American Exceptionalism explained by David Barton is the longevity of the American U.S. Constitution compared to other nations form of government. America has had an exceptional record of accomplishment of stability because it has not gone through a Revolution over the pass 20-30 years. Alexis DeTocqueville created the term American Exceptionalism. DeTocqueville observation of America lead him to believe that America is an exceptional democratic type of people.

What was the destiny of America viewed by American Exceptionalis? All along as time has advanced, travelers have come here in great hopes to establish a great country, escape from persecution, to become rich, and many other ideas of the American dream, so to speak. After many years these ideas of what America should be has accomplished great achievements and perhaps combined the destinies of many exceptionalist. There are three separate ideas of destiny that I am going to discuss and how they combined to be what America is now.

Exceptionalism, Expansionism, and Isolationism Throughout the United States’ history three key values has steered our foreign policy; these include exceptionalism, isolationism, and expansionism. These three connected principles fight against American morals and obligation but helped the United States become a superpower. In this paper, I will explain these three forces and how they interconnect, argue the belief that they helped shape America as a supreme power, and look back on these principles and how they led to the Mexican- American War, and provide a contemporary example.

After receiving a charter from the British Massachusetts Bay Company to settle across the lands of current-day Massachusetts, and abandoning his manor lordship in English, John Winthrop would declare towards those settles of the Massachusetts Colony that "We shall be as a city upon a hill,". The idea of American exceptionalism is an idea that has been dated back towards the time of settlement, and that could be traced into the current twenty-first century. When we trace this idea from beginning to end, one is able to see that American exceptionalism was a good thing for the world as a whole. By analyzing the spreading of the American political ideas into the European nations, and how American acted as the defense against tyranny, one will be able to understand the reasons why American exceptionalism has created good in the world. Additionally, there will be discussion of the pro-team of the team, the process of their research, the reason why they lost, and what could be improved.

In the evaluation of history as a representation of the past, it is necessary to consider the many facets that every piece of history possesses. In the evaluation of American exceptionalism it is essential to consider what exceptionalism is and how it has been integral in production of the modern day United States of America. As a result of exceptionalism and indeed expansionism in America it is also of supreme importance to look into the effects of such a radical policy, in particular the plight of the native Americans, how their lives were changed and in many cases destroyed because of Anglo-Saxon settlement. With the lives lost, the culture destroyed, the land plundered and as a result a nation created, the end did not justify the means.

Politics was also central in American labor movements. In the book, The Making of American Exceptionalism: The Knights of Labor and Class Formation in the Nineteenth Century, author Kim Voss shows how and why a successful labor movement never gained political strength as it did in England and France. The United States had similarities with its labor movements with its European counterparts. However, it was mainly because of the failure by the Knights of Labor that caused the American labor movement to go a different route. Unlike Europe, where labor movements were often supported, the United States did not support these groups. It did not witness the rise of a powerfully large socialist party either. The Knights of Labor emerged as a labor organization that welcomed all

Although the United States of America is thought of as an exceptional nation, the term, American exceptionalism itself, is believed to be extraordinary in one way or another. American exceptionalism refers to America as a unique land of great opportunity that is extremely different from other nations. According to Stephen M. Walt, author of the well-written article, The Myth of American

The concept of American exceptionalism refers to the fact that America see itself as a unique country that is based on democracy as well as personal liberties. In many occasions, the idea is thought to have originated from the ancient political institutions that characterized the American a long period ago from between 1776 to 1789. The idea of exceptionalism has made the US stand out among many nations across the world due to its unique stand on matters of democracy every person and their personal liberty.

While some find us arrogant, condescending and imperialistic, those who have come to join us in America find that there is some truth in the notion that our country is unique. Nowhere else is the freedom to express and improve yourself so widespread, and no other country welcomes those seeking that freedom so openly. Assimilation to our culture is not forced, but it is the rare individual who does not welcome it once they are here. Many people consider themselves to be the best humans on the planet, or maybe the only ones chosen by their god to succeed, but nobody can claim to be as powerful and prosperous as Americans are. To us the idea of American Exceptionalism is not propaganda or a myth; it is the understanding that the only way to the make the most of oneself is to have the freedom to do so.

The idea of American exceptionalism and self determination was an outlook that was brought upon by the first individuals that travelled to the New World from Europe. The first settlers, known as the puritans, were highly influential with the upbringing of exceptionalism and self determination on the frontier. Exceptionalism is defined by being the ideology that makes America unique and greater upon all other nations because of it’s practices of personal freedom and democracy (yourdictionary). Self determination is a term that goes hand in hand with the process of individual freedom. It goes with the concept that an individual can have anything that they want, though succession, as long as they are willing to work hard for it. Many people saw America as the land of opportunity because of the fact that there is a presence of these practices, and many other things that countries during the early times didn’t have. America is considered to be the “greatest country in the world”, but why is this even considered to be true? This is how our country has been built up since Christopher Columbus came and saw the opportunity that lied within the frontier. Many other historical figures saw the fortuity that Columbus saw, and expressed it through the argument that this is how things are intended to be for the New World. They convey to their audiences that making America the “nation of all nations” will work through the performance of bringing together their communities, to which they

Americans through the years of existence have adapted well to the radical changes throughout the world. Technology, independence and social equality are some of the diverse concepts the United States have adapted to and developed in order to become a more unified country. Our nation believes that it is exceptional when it comes to other countries worldwide. As can be shown through the popular reference to America as the ‘shining city on a hill’. The term “American exceptionalism” is derived from ideals held by many Americans throughout history. Different people have analyzed American exceptionalism through multiple literary devices. Works such as A Model of Christian Charity, What is an American and Acres of Diamonds illustrate the

The ideology and terminology of American uniqueness throughout world history was influenced by Alexis de Tocqueville’s idea on America’s difference from Europe that became a determining factor for defining America’s identity. The author in the following passage argues for the legacy of the national and transnational historiographies, he also shows the need to get rid of the boundaries of nationalism. In this context, the argument states that the main focus of this passage is to emphasize the concept of transnational history and its relation or similarity to comparative history.

Our nation’s history plays an important role in American society, it sets forth the foundation on which our morals and values are based on as Americans. If we truly are one united nation under God, and our morals and values are based on what history tells us, why is it then that there is so much disparity among the American people. One reason is that our history textbooks and what we are taught by educational leaders only emphasize American Exceptionalism. The history of our nation is not fully disclosed, it omits the nasty and ugly parts. It is time that the U.S. let their skeletons out of the closet, the truth needs to be told no matter how ugly or nasty it is. The period in history known as the Nadir of Race relations, 1890 through the1960’s between whites and blacks is a prime example of American Exceptionalism.