Or are we unique with distinctive civilization of our own, as the proponents of “American exceptionally” have argued throughout our history? Are we basically a political community whose identity exist only in a social contract embodied in the Declaration of Independence and other founding documents? Are we multicultural, bicultural, unicultural, a mosaic or a melting pot? Do we have any meaningful identity as a nation that transcends our subnational ethnic, religious, and racial identities?” (page 9) What defines a culture or the identity of a nation? According to Webster Dictionary, it is the depiction of a country as a whole, encompassing its culture, traditions, languages, and politics.
He became the island’s resident commissioner in Washington where he argued for Puerto Rico’s self-government. He asserted that Puerto Ricans were Latin Americans and second class citizenship should not be imposed on them. He wanted for Puerto Rico the right to form a government for the people by the people and of the people. Marti however, defined a people and their homelands in terms of their distinct culture. Bolland notes that Marti believed that every patria has a unique history that is shaped by economic, political and cultural relations as well as has its own aspirations and traditions.
A nation is a collection of people bound together by shared values and common characteristics. Nationalism is sometimes categorised as a political doctrine, as opposed to a political ideology. It is often perceived as a single doctrine, due to its ability to attach itself to almost any wider political ideology, such as liberalism, conservatism, fascism and socialism. In contrast to the core ideologies, nationalism does not consist of complex interrelated ideas,and values, it is simply the belief that the nation is the natural unit of government. However, in other respects nationalism can be characterised by its significant divisions, this makes nationalism appear to be a collection of distinct and in some respects, sharply conflicting sub-strands.
It is the right of a people to freely define ways in which to use land, resources and manpower for their common good. Above all, sovereignty is the right of people to exist without external exploitation or interference.” (2) However, many of these rights of sovereignty were discarded by legislation passed by the U.S. Congress. One of the first such acts was the Indian Trade and Intercourse Act of 1790. This act effectively extended federal criminal jurisdiction into Indian territory (Kickingbird et al. 18).
The founding Fathers of this great nation, compelled on behalf of its citizens throughout, created, drafted, and adopted the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. Representing will and determination, both documents serve as a testament of freedom and the pursuit to obtain liberty and justice for all citizens. Both documents address the “people” but neither of them elaborates the meaning of the word “people” based upon gender. Men protected their freedoms with both the U.S. Constitution and The Declaration of Independence, while simultaneously using them to suppress the freedom of women, just as Judge Hunt did in the case against Susan B. Anthony. As the Judge seen fit to instruct the court, he openly acknowledges the
Identity of Slaves and Religious People The Melting Pot in North and South Every American is on the mission of living a life of freedom. It is not a question of what a free life is, but more of the independent model one bases his ideas on. 1. Thesis Statement From the moment people of British origin settled in the regions South and New England they grew into two distinct societies. With the Civil War, the two regions avoided a separation and remained one union.
Throughout this archive, Rakove defines the significance of those rights, there impact on the Constitution, and the society as a whole. In the sixteen and seventeenth centuries, American and British people occupied the thirteen colonies, and defined rights in their own way. Before the changes to the definition of rights, a right was something more than liberty or privileges that the state could offer or revoke. It was literally something that individuals owned. The legal sense of rights states that all other conceptions of rights, such as American views are described as liberty and privileges.
But being an American doesn’t mean only to live within the boundaries of the United States or simply holding a U.S. citizenship. American people are not defined by “blood and soil” but more likely as Teddy Roosevelt said” Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul.” As a diverse country, what unite the disparate people who make up our country are common constitutional principles interpreted by the political culture, which is defined as broadly shared value, beliefs, and attitudes about how the government should function. American political culture emphasizes the values of liberty, equality, and democracy, and that is what sets our country apart from others. As David Miller, a leading liberal nationalist, emphasizes, a shared sets of characteristics constituting a national culture is a necessary feature of national identity. “ As with many other nations in the world, America has to bear the brunt of national identity erosion in the face of globalization.
Slaves were considered property of the owners and could be treated however the owners wished. In 1857 the Dread Scott case ruled that slaves were not entitled to United States citizenship. Meaning they were
Introduction Nationalism The concept “nationalism” has different meanings relating to various types of analysis: nationalism as an ideology, a movement, the process of “nation” and “nation-state” building, and an individual’s political orientation. However what is important of nationalism (then any other political ideology) is that the origin of an ideology is the intersection of history and politics, in other words, the origin of an ideology is the mirror image of the identity of its subject, whether it is the human individual, the social class or the nation. Therefore examining origins of ideology require the use of history, which gives the historical character of nationalism. The opinion of national origin lives at the heart of the nationalist claim to power, claiming to define the truth of its authority and the legitimacy of its struggle for freedom and independence. However the origin of nationalisms is questionable in terms of historicity of the nation so that one can establish its authority and legitimacy as a political subject.