Although through the trial and hardships, from 1492 to 1877 the core of the american identity, the frontier had a constant presence through the years, but through the founding of Jamestown and Plymouth, the American Revolution, Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklins virtues, letters, Abolitionist, such as William Garrison, Fredrick Douglas, and the civil war, the definition of american identity as the frontier grew and developed into something that defines what it means to be an american.
The american identity started to develop in 1492 when Columbus set sail west under Spanish authority to find a new faster route to Asia, the indies, where the riches of gold, pearls and spice awaited. He ended up founding a vast new land full of opportunity. In April 26, 1607, three small ships carrying colonists from England settled out of Cape Henry, in a small town they soon called Jamestown, as an opportunity for a new life. The first settlers who arrived on the east coast in the 17th century acted and thought like Europeans.
They adapted to the new physical, economic and political environment in certain ways eventually, as they become their own. The land quickly turned out to be unfriendly, brutal and unforgiving, with harsh winters and intense heat that had taken a toll on the unprepared colonists and settlers by surprise, causing the death of most of the original population. But though the determination of building a successful settlement in the new world they found a way. Without the Captains friendship and trade with the Powhatan Indians, the colony wouldn’t have stayed alive.
The important thing that really made Jamestown help the identity was Once settled they used the land as a place to grow the booming bossiness of tobacco, which was then exported to the mother country, as a way to gain wealth in Jamestown, in turn the wealth made way for new opportunities of other businesses to come about, further distances theirselves with the mother country. Another example is the founding of the Plymouth colony. Right at the start, the only way the colonists could go was if they agreed to repay the Virginia Company by sending back to England furs, fish, and lumber.
These colonist were Separatists, people who had separated from the King’s Church of England, and at that time if you weren’t apart of that church you were put in jail. Plymouth was then founded as a place separate from the kings church, a religious refuge, a place where they could go and safely worship as Separatists. One prime example that helped develop the american identity came from the Pilgrims leaving England to be away from the tyrannical rule of the king, because it led to the creation of the mayflower compact, the first example of self-government by colonists in the Americas.
The compact led to the colonist becoming their own individual, because it laid out their own “… equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices… ” separate from the mother country, in order for the, “… advancement of the christian faith. ” Both the Plymouth pilgrims and the Jamestown colonists kept moving forward, even through the harsh winters they were so unprepared for, but looking ahead at the opportunity the land awaits, led to the building of farms, ranches, towns and religious freedom.
The definition of american identity, the frontier, during the time period from 1492 to 1750 became characterized as becoming their own individual, but staying affiliated with the mother country as a source of resources for that they can’t produce on their own, as a means for successful religious freedom and vast amounts of land for unlimited opportunities, with help from the natives to survive. “Last of the Mohicans” helps add to understanding of this definition of “the frontier,” because its shows the tons of wild, green, untamed, open, alive, ripe for the taking, land, where settlers and native americans met, fought, and coexisted.
The time of 1750 to 1828 was a time of change,unity and war. At this time the new world had grown into 13 colonies. After all these settlers had lived secluded from their mother (salutary neglect), they had come to make their own laws, food, family, and a life without the help from England, they had become their own individual. once the king wanted to regain control of his colonies after being gone for so many years chaos struck, which led to the American Revolution, with the goals of becoming an independent nation, creating a new system of self-governance, and rid themselves of tyranny.
During this time they were still looking ahead, just looking at something different. Instead of looking at surviving the land, and all the opportunity they had yet to accomplish, they were looking not at the land, but at their independence from the mother country, unifying the place they live. The declaration of independence of 1776, unified the colonies in the time of war and separated then from England, but most importantly evolved the american identity into something different with these words, “… ll men are created equal… they are endowed… with certain unalienable rights… that are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ” Whats important to take away from these words that it says “pursuit of happiness” instead of “pursuit of property. ” Previously in 1492 to 1750 land meant wealth, and although it still does it isn’t as important for everyone, as in the natives and slaves, to have land. These words unify the colonies into a nation and have them looking towards freedom.
But thats not all that helps describe the identity of this period, after the win of independence in the war, life became more about changing ones self into a better american. For example, in “The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, 1791,” Ben lists and describes 13 virtues in “arriving at perfection”, that he says are “necessary and desirable,” to become a good american. “Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity, Humility,” are the 13 way Benjamin thinks one should change hemselves to become a perfect american in the new found independence life. The last thing that helps describe how frontier identity is shaped in this time comes from “Letters from an American Farmer: Letter III, J. Hector St. John De Crevecoeur, 1782. ” This letter, describes the american country as a family in the way that now, “his country… gives him land, bread, protection, and consequence. ”
The author cleary recognizes that america has its own identity separate from other nations in that by describing america as a place where, “… ndividuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men. ” The author of this letter doesn’t fail to mention the acceptance of change one must undertake to be an american, because one has to “leave behind all his [past beliefs] and manners, and receive new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced, the new government he obeys, and the new rank he holds,” but “here religion demands little on him. ” From the period of 1492-1750 to the period of 1750 to 1828, the definition of the american “frontier” identity, has changed a lot in the way of what they are moving forward towards.
From 1750 to 1828, the definition of the frontier identity of an american, has developed into characterizing the becoming their own legal independent united 13 colonies, who focuses less on religion and more on creating and changing ones self to be the perfect American, with the means of grasping the unlimited opportunities of freedom, and has no affiliation with the mother country. Lastly, through the growing pains of the 1800s to 1877, america became more about the politics of freedom for everybody, blacks and white, and the opportunity for both.
As the political parties of the north and south divided on the decision of slavery a war within the country under president Lincoln, known as the civil war occurred for every changing the american identity. during this time the identity was less focused on being a perfect independent american and more about looking for the definition of freedom, did it include blacks, does that means black can vote and be paid for work instead of being roperty? once the North proslavery won the war, the goals of the divided nation became to unify the north and south, while emancipating slaves. although this brought much chaos its important to recognize that in this time period the american identity didn’t define the white american, but now included the black. There’s much controversy over weather slaves should be free.
William Lloyd Garrison in 1854, helps evolve the american identity by taking what the american fully believes in,”The declaration of Independence,” and putting it in the perspective of whites and blacks as a whole, by saying as a believer in declaration and an abolitionists that, “the Declaration of American Independence in which it is set forth, as among selfevident truths, “that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
I cannot but regard oppression in every form – and most of all, that which turns a man into a thing – with indignation. ” He admits that their is no form of compromise because by the very laws America lives by technically a slave is a stolen man, making every whitman slave holder a stealer, a criminal. There is no way to put it that justifies slaveholding. The previous period of time was concerned with freedom, but what is to notice is, the freedom the revolutionary war only applied to freedom of the whites, whereas this time period of growing pains, the freedom now applies to the colored as well.
Fredrick Douglass puts it best in his “Independence say Speech at Rochester in 1852,” when he says, “What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us? and am I, therefore, called upon… to confess the benefits and express gratitude for the blessings resulting from your independence to us?… Your independence only reveals immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice are not enjoyed in common.
The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and independence [given] by your fathers is shared by you, not by me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, || must mourn. “I and us being the colored population and you being the white people, he conveys that is now the blacks time for freedom. Which it does become when the 13th amendment which free slaves, the 14th amendment that makes them citizens with the rights of citizens, and the 15th amendment giving them the right to vote, are passed, making all men truly created equal by the law.
The people aren’t looking towards surviving on unknown new found land, the opportunities that await, or becoming the perfect american, the people are identified as the frontier, because they are looking forward and moving forward towards equality of race and being able no matter race, religion or background actually being able to obtain all the opportunities of the nation, be that voting or working for money.
The 1800 to 1877 definition of the american identity of frontier evolved into being characterized as the free individual, citizen, of the united states of america, who is black or white, and has the legal right to vote, as well as the individual no matter race is the perfect American, who can equally grasp the unlimited opportunities of freedom the nation obtains.
In conclusion, the development of the american identity through the years of the foundation, creation of a nation, and the growing pains of 1492 to 1877 is a tale of success, but also one of survival, persistence, and the merging of peoples and cultures that gave birth and continuing life to America.
Through the established liberty by releasing Americans from European mindsets and the old, dysfunctional customs of the mother country, treaties with foreign nations and native tribes; political compromise; military conquest; establishment of law and order; the building of farms, ranches, and towns; the marking of trails and digging of mines; and the pulling in of great migrations of foreigners, freedom, voting, citizenship, blacks, whites, war within, the use of the land, the development of markets, and the formation of states, created the evolution of the american dentity and a prosperous nation full of equal opportunity.
But this Evolution of the american identity of the frontier isn’t over yet, John F Kennedy once said, that “there is still today a frontier that remains unconquered—an America unreclaimed. This is the great, the nation-wide frontier of insecurity, of human want and fear. This is the frontier—the America—we have set ourselves to reclaim. ” The frontier is evolving everyday from scientific innovation to today Electronic frontier. Americans never stop moving forward.