The Roots Of American Individualism

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The Roots Of American Individualism

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Author : Alex Zakaras
language : en
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Release Date : 2024-08-20

The Roots Of American Individualism written by Alex Zakaras and has been published by Princeton University Press this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2024-08-20 with History categories.

A panoramic history of American individualism from its nineteenth-century origins to today’s bitterly divided politics Individualism is a defining feature of American public life. Its influence is pervasive today, with liberals and conservatives alike promising to expand personal freedom and defend individual rights against unwanted intrusion, be it from big government, big corporations, or intolerant majorities. The Roots of American Individualism traces the origins of individualist ideas to the turbulent political controversies of the Jacksonian era (1820–1850) and explores their enduring influence on American politics and culture. Alex Zakaras plunges readers into the spirited and rancorous political debates of Andrew Jackson’s America, drawing on the stump speeches, newspaper editorials, magazine articles, and sermons that captivated mass audiences and shaped partisan identities. He shows how these debates popularized three powerful myths that celebrated the young nation as an exceptional land of liberty: the myth of the independent proprietor, the myth of the rights-bearer, and the myth of the self-made man. The Roots of American Individualism reveals how generations of politicians, pundits, and provocateurs have invoked these myths for competing political purposes. Time and again, the myths were used to determine who would enjoy equal rights and freedoms and who would not. They also conjured up heavily idealized, apolitical visions of social harmony and boundless opportunity, typically centered on the free market, that have distorted American political thought to this day.

The Myth Of American Individualism

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Author : Barry Alan Shain
language : en
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Release Date : 2021-02-09

The Myth Of American Individualism written by Barry Alan Shain and has been published by Princeton University Press this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2021-02-09 with History categories.

Sharpening the debate over the values that formed America's founding political philosophy, Barry Alan Shain challenges us to reconsider what early Americans meant when they used such basic political concepts as the public good, liberty, and slavery. We have too readily assumed, he argues, that eighteenth-century Americans understood these and other terms in an individualistic manner. However, by exploring how these core elements of their political thought were employed in Revolutionary-era sermons, public documents, newspaper editorials, and political pamphlets, Shain reveals a very different understanding--one based on a reformed Protestant communalism. In this context, individual liberty was the freedom to order one's life in accord with the demanding ethical standards found in Scripture and confirmed by reason. This was in keeping with Americans' widespread acceptance of original sin and the related assumption that a well-lived life was only possible in a tightly knit, intrusive community made up of families, congregations, and local government bodies. Shain concludes that Revolutionary-era Americans defended a Protestant communal vision of human flourishing that stands in stark opposition to contemporary liberal individualism. This overlooked component of the American political inheritance, he further suggests, demands examination because it alters the historical ground upon which contemporary political alternatives often seek legitimation, and it facilitates our understanding of much of American history and of the foundational language still used in authoritative political documents.

American Individualism

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Author :
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 1979

American Individualism written by and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 1979 with categories.

The Cult Of Individualism

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Author : Aaron Barlow
language : en
Publisher: Praeger
Release Date : 2013-08-27

The Cult Of Individualism written by Aaron Barlow and has been published by Praeger this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2013-08-27 with Political Science categories.

American individualism: It is the reason for American success, but it also tears the nation apart. Why do Americans have so much trouble seeing eye to eye today? Is this new? Was there ever an American consensus? The Cult of Individualism: A History of an Enduring American Myth explores the rarely discussed cultural differences leading to today's seemingly intractable political divides. After an examination of the various meanings of individualism in America, author Aaron Barlow describes the progression and evolution of the concept from the 18th century on, illuminating the wide division in Caucasian American culture that developed between the culture based on the ideals of the English Enlightenment and that of the Scots-Irish "Borderers." The "Borderer" legacy, generally explored only by students of Appalachian culture, remains as pervasive and significant in contemporary American culture and politics as it is, unfortunately, overlooked. It is from the "Borderers" that the Tea Party sprang, along with many of the attitudes of the contemporary American right, making it imperative that this culture be thoroughly explored.

American Individualism

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Author : Herbert Hoover
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 1989

American Individualism written by Herbert Hoover and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 1989 with Business & Economics categories.

From the Preface: Hoover's message in American Individualism was not so gray as his prose. Like most one-time Progressives, he looked forward to perpetual advance, spurred on by technology, inhibited only by irrational politicians, greedy interest groups, and what he called "individualism run riot." His was an incremental idealism, wherein personal success was tempered and purified by service to others. "Character is made in the community as well as in the individual by assuming responsibilities," wrote the man who had abandoned his engineering career to feed war-ravaged Europe, "not by escape from them." In his 1922 work, the future president envisioned a delicate balancing act between capitalists, workers and a public represented by the national government. Should one group gain authority over the others, the result would be fascism, socialism, or tyranny by bureaucracy. And individualism-the mainspring of American greatness-would be crippled for good. Twelve years would pass before Hoover's next attempt at codifying values. The Challenge to Liberty was necessarily a very different work, less a summons to cooperation than a warning against incipient fascism. "I am no more fond of the Wall Street model of liberty than I am of the Pennsylvania Avenue model," asserted the former president, for whom the Bill of Rights took precedence over property rights. Now, as in 1922, Hoover wrote in the shadow of revolution, nationalistic frenzy and economic confusion. But he did not fear Depression-era mobs in the streets of American cities. The threat to liberty was more subtile than that. What Hoover termed "the tragedy of Liberty" followed a similar pattern on both sides of the Atlantic: "idealism without realism, slogans, phrases and statements destructive to confidence in existing institutions, demands for violent action against slowly curable ills; unfair representation that sporadic wickedness in the system itself." Next came the man on horseback, demanding delegation of authority from elected representatives, denouncing all opposition and exploiting propagandists in the pay of the state.

American Individualism

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Author : Hoover Herbert
language : en
Publisher: Franklin Classics Trade Press
Release Date : 2018-10-17

American Individualism written by Hoover Herbert and has been published by Franklin Classics Trade Press this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2018-10-17 with categories.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The Cult Of Individualism

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Author : Aaron Barlow
language : en
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Release Date : 2013-08-27

The Cult Of Individualism written by Aaron Barlow and has been published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2013-08-27 with Political Science categories.

American individualism: It is the reason for American success, but it also tears the nation apart. Why do Americans have so much trouble seeing eye to eye today? Is this new? Was there ever an American consensus? The Cult of Individualism: A History of an Enduring American Myth explores the rarely discussed cultural differences leading to today's seemingly intractable political divides. After an examination of the various meanings of individualism in America, author Aaron Barlow describes the progression and evolution of the concept from the 18th century on, illuminating the wide division in Caucasian American culture that developed between the culture based on the ideals of the English Enlightenment and that of the Scots-Irish "Borderers." The "Borderer" legacy, generally explored only by students of Appalachian culture, remains as pervasive and significant in contemporary American culture and politics as it is, unfortunately, overlooked. It is from the "Borderers" that the Tea Party sprang, along with many of the attitudes of the contemporary American right, making it imperative that this culture be thoroughly explored.

Herbert Hoover And American Individualism

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Author : Walter Friar Dexter
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 1932

Herbert Hoover And American Individualism written by Walter Friar Dexter and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 1932 with categories.

A modern interpretation of a national ideal.

American Spirit

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Author : Roger Smith
language : en
Publisher: iUniverse
Release Date : 2013-01-24

American Spirit written by Roger Smith and has been published by iUniverse this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2013-01-24 with Fiction categories.

The first European immigrants came to the American colonies to escape incessant wars, oppressive governments, lack of opportunity, and tyrannical religious authorities. The dangerous and mysterious new world couldn’t rectify all the ills of the old world, but it offered something that resonated with their Christian faith—hope for a better life for their loved ones. They miraculously built a government that preserved more freedom and opportunity for the American people than any government in history. The United States can continue as a beacon of hope if its citizens focus on the common goodness of their past that binds them instead of the differences that divide them. American Spirit presents this refreshing perspective through an exciting mosaic of adventure, despair, hope, faith, and love. Smith’s incredible research and vivid writing style as he follows multiple generations of immigrants seeking freedom in America make this book an essential read. Smith’s novel is historical fiction that intrigues, engages, and lingers, long after the last page is turned. — Joe Kilgore, US Review of Books The Civil War is an ugly period of American history. Uglier still, are the many times inaccurate accounts of the war were told. Roger Smith has taken a giant step forward in setting the record straight. Reading this book will open your mind. It is much more than just another war story. — Dan Mackintosh, Pacific Book Review

American Individualism

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Author : Herbert Hoover
language : en
Publisher: Hoover Press
Release Date : 2016-12-01

American Individualism written by Herbert Hoover and has been published by Hoover Press this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2016-12-01 with Political Science categories.

In late 1921, then secretary of commerce Herbert Hoover decided to distill from his experiences a coherent understanding of the American experiment he cherished. The result was the 1922 book American Individualism. In it, Hoover expounded and vigorously defended what has come to be called American exceptionalism: the set of beliefs and values that still makes America unique. He argued that America can make steady, sure progress if we preserve our individualism, preserve and stimulate the initiative of our people, insist on and maintain the safeguards to equality of opportunity, and honor service as a part of our national character. American Individualism asserts that equal opportunity for individuals to develop their abilities is "the sole source of progress" and the fundamental impulse behind American civilization for three—now four—centuries. More than ninety years have passed since this book was first published; it is clear, in retrospect, that the volume was partly motivated by the political controversies of the time. But American Individualism is not simply a product of a dim and receding past. To a considerable degree the ideological battles of Hoover's era are the battles of our own, and the interpretations we make of our past—particularly the years between 1921 and 1933—will mold our perspective on the crises of the present.