The United States Of America Essay

In today’s world, many people consider our country, The United States of America, to be outstanding and a great country. Others do not think the same. This concept is known as American exceptionalism. This concept has been debated for many years, and to this day it still is. Although American exceptionalism can be hard to define, there are many ways to define it. Some say that we are exceptional because we are superior to everybody else and are better. Others say that God has given us the power to help us succeed. There are many different ways to view it or to understand why we are an exceptional country. Exceptional means that something stands out or is great, and adding American in front of it means that our country is exceptional in one form or another. No matter how one views it, everyone has a standpoint on the concept. Liberals like to think that we are ordinary and because of this, they do not like to believe in the exceptionalism and are “antiexceptionalists.” Conservatives on the other hand, like to think that we are special and unique compared to other countries. Therefore, they believe that we are an exceptional country. The United States of America is different than any other country in the world and that is what helps make us exceptional. From our freedom, to the beautiful country that we live in. Our nation is not only smart and strong, but it is diverse and unique.

Globally, the United States has been known as "a nation of immigrants" almost from its inception. Beginning in the 1600s with English Puritans and continuing today, America is a melting pot of culture and ethnicity. In fact, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, immigration was the major source of U.S. population growth. Looking over our 200+ years we find that to clearly be true, with approximately 1 million immigrants coming to America during the 17th and 18th century. Almost 3 million arrived during the 1860s, and another 3 million in the 1870s. In the next four decades, the number of immigrants rose to over 25 million people, most from various European nations, most arriving in New York or one of the Eastern seaports (Damon, 1981). Despite the politicization, as of 2006, the United States actually was the number one country globally to accept legal immigrants into the country, with a current immigrant population of almost 40 million (Terrazas and Batalova, 2009). In fact, the peak of immigration was 1907, when over 1.2 million Europeans entered the country beginning a push towards legislation limiting immigration in the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1924 and the 1921 Congressional Quota Act. These immigrants came for two sociological reasons: the push factor (wars, famine, persecution and overpopulation) and the pull factors (jobs and the promise of freedom). Most came by ship, and a passage often cost the equivalent of an entire life's savings causing many

The United States of America is a melting pot of various cultures, who wish to obtain one goal, the “American Dream”. Being an American means one is guaranteed by law to have natural rights, which are life, liberty, and property. In the government’s eyes, one must become a legalized citizen in the United States, to be considered as “American”, but there happens to be a deeper reasoning to be truly recognized as an American. Americans are seen equally, which allow most individuals to be successful in what they want to pursue. Many Americans show patriotism towards The United States of America by celebrating national holidays, and going to patriotic events.

Since its founding, the United States has attracted immigrants from all over the world and consists of a variety of different cultures. Immigration has had an enormous impact on American society and economy and shaped the country remarkably.

The physical side is at one time they did love each other because kids were born. The shared activities are the fact they have children and they still do things as a family.

The “American dream,” a promise of the ability to turn your life from rags to riches if you try hard in the United States of America, has been the definition of what it means to be an American. But over time it the American dream has changed and its pledge perhaps more viable than ever. This is due to the simple fact that America as a nation has evolved over time and the core values which its people encompass are a reflection of the times. So as an American how do we define ourselves and our nation outside of the American dream? America has been known over time as a “big brother”- protector of mankind. Yet many of our citizens did not have equal rights until the 1960’s and it took the fourteenth amendment to guarantee equal protection

The United States is known as a free country, and has become a popular destination for many to immigrate to. Along with this immigration, came many problems and controversy since the 1790s and still continues to raise concerns today. The immigration problems in the late 1800s and 1900s are very similar to today. This is evident in the different complications and disputes that occurred in the late 1800s and 1900s all the way to 2015.

The presidential election is drawing closer and immigration reform continues to be a key issue. There are proposals to build a massive wall, deport all illegal aliens, and instill a new kind of grandfather clause. Even though the United States is revered as a “nation of immigrants” it continues to hold nativist sentiments against newcomers. Before we make a decision, it is necessary to revisit our own immigrant roots.

The United States of America is one of the most advanced countries around the world. It is a country full of opportunities where most of its citizens have a high standard of living unlike many other countries around the world. It is a country that ensures its citizens with “the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The qualities of this country are the leading cause for the increase in immigration. People from Mexico, Asia, Europe, South America and the rest of the world immigrate to the U. S. for reasons, such as freedom and the desire of a better life. Immigration is not a recent issue. There were thousands of immigrants coming into this country years ago. Immigration waves mostly began in the nineteenth century. However,

Back in the 19th century, there was a common belief that God had destined The United States to expand entirely across the North American continent, and eventually across the entire Western Hemisphere. They believed that what they were doing was justifiable, because they believed that God was telling them to do this. It had a huge impact on who America is today as a country and if the expansion had not occurred, it is easy to believe that America would not be the thriving and successful country that it is now. There were many positive sides to Manifest Destiny such as; America was successful in expanding its land from the east to the west coast, which is a positive, because it allowed many people to come to America who otherwise would not have had the chance because there would have been no room for any more people. Another positive side is that it gave America a lot more culture than it had before. But if there is a positive side, that means there has to be a negative side. One of the negative sides to Manifest Destiny and territorial expansion was that they did whatever they could possibly do to get that land and they did not care who it hurt, killed, or negatively affected in the process. This is the reason why so many people debate whether or not manifest destiny was a good or a bad thing, because there are valid reasons for both sides.

Some of the first immigrants who came to the American land were people in search of religious freedom in 1600s’. A larger portion of people came to America in search of economic opportunities. When English men and women first came to the American land they were considered as an immigrants. As there was so much vacant land America promoted immigration during the 1800’s. This did not only help to populate

Immigration is an important part of the world, it affects our lives today. Our country was founded on immigration and it’s an important subject. Our past can guide us through changes in America 's immigration reform.

In one time, William McKinley manifested “Expositions are the timekeepers of progress,” inspiring America that the workflow will be presented graciously. Reaching to the years of massive expansions, America had grown tremendously with goods and services. During the late 1890s, President McKinley urged Americans to transformed America into the greatest powerful nation in the whole world. In preparing for a strong nation, the Spanish-American War had enclosed their attainments due to tensions between Spain and United States. American had its victories and forwarded the Treaty of Paris which had control over several foreign countries. After the war, United States focused on up warding their nation. America’s progression of new

The government in the United States supposedly revolves around American ideals such as equality and diversity; however, this is simply not the case as perpetuated by class inequalities. The meaning of democracy has been skewed in the United States to represent something entirely different than it did in 1776. Today, American democracy behaves more like an aristocracy, where the upper class exercises power within the government and state, influencing discourse and therefore the laws and resources in our country, which are purportedly “for the people”. Democracy is presumed to provide everyone with equal political power, but the government in today’s America, although seemingly following this ideal model, does not. Instead, the elite upper class has a monopoly over the political influence and are the sole benefactors from public policies due to their influence over the policy making process. The upper class has an overall benefit from class inequality, as it greatly impacts American ‘democracy’ through the significant power gained through money and status, leadership roles that impact government, and the influence in the policymaking process that creates upper class advantages.

Today, in the 21st century, English has become one of the most used languages around the world. It is so widely used that linguists have considered it to be the new ‘lingua franca’. Along with its language the United States is one of the most influential countries around the globe. There is no denying its presence in everything from international politics to entertainment. In fact, it is thought to be the only country that rivals the world 's once-great empires in terms of its global impact. In an article written by Mclean, she proclaims, “the U.S dominates world politics by providing the language, ideas, and institutional frameworks around which much of the world turns” (2). However, the United States did not just become an imperial power over night. From the middle of the 19th century till present time the U.S has been intervening in foreign lands. One country that has been immensely influenced by English colonization, to present day, is the Island of the Philippines. Whether it was consciously or not, the control of the Philippines by U.S after the Spanish-American War was a small step towards world power. A brief look into Philippines’ history shows how much different the island would’ve been without English rule. Although the Philippines were not pleased with the transfer of power over to America in the Treaty of Paris, the short 50 year rule proves to have had a major impact on Philippine culture, customs, and politics today.