Examples Of American Exceptionalism
American Exceptionalism
1630
The colonists must work to make New England a model for future settlements. Puritan lawyer John Winthrop states that the new land is to “be as a city upon a hill,” and, “the eyes of all people are upon us”
1776-89
Thomas Paine describes America as a beacon of liberty for the world stating, “Freedom hath been hunted around the globe.” He goes on to say that America is not like any other, and the world does not know how to regard her.
Declaration of independence
Revolution
Constitution
1840
French intellectual Alexis de Tocqueville writes that the "position of the Americans" is "quite exceptional, and it may be believed that no democratic people will ever be placed in a similar one."
1898
Mark Twain writes, …show more content…
American exceptionalism is also the belief that the United States is unique, or exceptional, when compared with the historical development of other countries (Friedman, Thomas). The revolution and the freeing of ourselves from Great Britain are very important to the ideas of American exceptionalism. Because of this belief, it is assumed that things such as dictatorship or terrorism cannot happen here (Daniel). We are the ones who are supposes to play an activist role on the global scale by promoting freedom and setting an example. This is exemplified when John Winthrop declared that the new land is to “be as a city upon a hill,” and, “the eyes of all people are upon us” in 1630, before America was truly even founded (Friedman, Uri). We had already begun to see ourselves as more virtuous. This worked itself into our forming foreign policy …show more content…
Rodgers. "American Exceptionalism Revisited." Raritan 24.2 (2004): 21-47. ProQuest Central; ProQuest Psychology Journals. Web. 21 Jan. 2013.
Friedman, Thomas L., and MICHAEL MANDELBAUM. "America Really Was That Great (But That Doesn 't Mean We Are Now)." Foreign Policy 189 (2011): 76-78. America: History & Life. Web. 21 Jan. 2013.
Friedman, Uri. "A Short History of American Exceptionalism." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. PG Publishing Co., Inc., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2013.
Joyce, E. Chaplin. "Expansion and Exceptionalism in Early American History." The Journal of American History 89.4 (2003): 1431-55. ProQuest Central; ProQuest Psychology Journals. Web. 21 Jan. 2013.
Perl, Anthony. "The Roots of American Exceptionalism." Canadian Journal of Political Science 38.3 (2005): 791. ProQuest Central; ProQuest Politics Collection; ProQuest Psychology Journals. Web. 21 Jan. 2013.
Wrobel, David M. "Exceptionalism And Globalism: Travel Writers And The Nineteenth-Century American West." Historian 68.3 (2006): 431-460. America: History & Life. Web. 21 Jan.
1630
The colonists must work to make New England a model for future settlements. Puritan lawyer John Winthrop states that the new land is to “be as a city upon a hill,” and, “the eyes of all people are upon us”
1776-89
Thomas Paine describes America as a beacon of liberty for the world stating, “Freedom hath been hunted around the globe.” He goes on to say that America is not like any other, and the world does not know how to regard her.
Declaration of independence
Revolution
Constitution
1840
French intellectual Alexis de Tocqueville writes that the "position of the Americans" is "quite exceptional, and it may be believed that no democratic people will ever be placed in a similar one."
1898
Mark Twain writes, …show more content…
American exceptionalism is also the belief that the United States is unique, or exceptional, when compared with the historical development of other countries (Friedman, Thomas). The revolution and the freeing of ourselves from Great Britain are very important to the ideas of American exceptionalism. Because of this belief, it is assumed that things such as dictatorship or terrorism cannot happen here (Daniel). We are the ones who are supposes to play an activist role on the global scale by promoting freedom and setting an example. This is exemplified when John Winthrop declared that the new land is to “be as a city upon a hill,” and, “the eyes of all people are upon us” in 1630, before America was truly even founded (Friedman, Uri). We had already begun to see ourselves as more virtuous. This worked itself into our forming foreign policy …show more content…
Rodgers. "American Exceptionalism Revisited." Raritan 24.2 (2004): 21-47. ProQuest Central; ProQuest Psychology Journals. Web. 21 Jan. 2013.
Friedman, Thomas L., and MICHAEL MANDELBAUM. "America Really Was That Great (But That Doesn 't Mean We Are Now)." Foreign Policy 189 (2011): 76-78. America: History & Life. Web. 21 Jan. 2013.
Friedman, Uri. "A Short History of American Exceptionalism." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. PG Publishing Co., Inc., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2013.
Joyce, E. Chaplin. "Expansion and Exceptionalism in Early American History." The Journal of American History 89.4 (2003): 1431-55. ProQuest Central; ProQuest Psychology Journals. Web. 21 Jan. 2013.
Perl, Anthony. "The Roots of American Exceptionalism." Canadian Journal of Political Science 38.3 (2005): 791. ProQuest Central; ProQuest Politics Collection; ProQuest Psychology Journals. Web. 21 Jan. 2013.
Wrobel, David M. "Exceptionalism And Globalism: Travel Writers And The Nineteenth-Century American West." Historian 68.3 (2006): 431-460. America: History & Life. Web. 21 Jan.