American nationalism

Patriotic display of the Flag of the United States for the 2008 presidential election.

American nationalism refers to nationalism among the people of the United States. Nationalism is the correct and recognized term for the associated ideology and political movements, within the present United States, and during its history.^{[citation needed]}

Origins

Main article: History of the United States

Benjamin Franklin's Join, or Die cartoon supporting the Albany Plan

The United States traces its origins to colonies founded by the Kingdom of England in the early 17th century. Each colony was independently governed and was under the authority of the Crown; a colonist had no duty to colonies other than their own. By 1732, the Kingdom of Great Britain had 13 colonies established in British America. When the colonies faced a threat during the French and Indian War, the Albany Plan proposed a union between the colonies. Although unsuccessful, it served as a reference for future discussions of independence.^{[citation needed]}

Soon after, the colonies faced several common grievances over acts passed by the British Parliament, including taxation without representation. As the dispute escalated, colonists started to view the British rule as oppressive and hostile, and sought cooperation with other colonies in response. This cooperation led to the Continental Congress, the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolutionary War, and ultimately independence. Ties between the states strengthened with the ratification of the United States Constitution.

Post-Civil War

The American Civil War marked the greatest transition in American national identity. The ratification of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments settled the basic question of national identity: Who was a citizen of the United States? Under the amendments, anyone born in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction was a citizen, regardless of ethnicity or social status. However, Native Americans were not to gain citizenship under these amendments. In 1919 all Natives who had served in the military were granted full citizenship, but the rest of the Native Americans were not included as citizens until 1924, when the Indian Citizenship Act was passed by Congress.^{[citation needed]}

Nationalism in the contemporary United States

Nationalism remains a topic in the modern United States. Rutgers University professor Paul McCartney, for instance, argues that as a nation defined by a creed and sense of mission, Americans tend to equate their interests with those of humanity, which in turn informs their global posture.^[1] While some agree with Professor McCartney, a number of American Nationalists (probably a minority^[2]) have committed violent crimes in the name of their beliefs.^[3]

The September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States led to a wave of nationalist expression. This was accompanied by a rise in military enlistment that included not only lower-income Americans, but also middle-class and upper-income citizens.^[4]

See also

• American exceptionalism
• Assimilation (sociology)
• Melting pot
• Nationalism
• Patriotism

Bibliography

• "French anti-Americanism: Spot the difference". December 20, 2005. Economist-2005. http://www.economist.com/node/5323762. 

References

1. ^ McCartney, Paul (August 28 2002). "The Bush Doctrine and American Nationalism". Annual meeting of the American Political Science Association. American Political Science Association. McCartney-2002. http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p65633_index.html. Retrieved 2011-02-06. 
2. ^ [needs citation]
3. ^ http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/n_alliance.asp
4. ^ The Demographics of Military Enlistment After 9/11