American ExceptionalismEssay Preview: American ExceptionalismReport this essayThe term “American Exceptionalism” refers to the historical perception of the United States as an inherently idiosyncratic nation, because of its unique origins, national principles, historical evolution, distinguishing political and religious institutions. It is an ethnocentric idea that places the United States and the American people at a special place in the world by offering opportunity and hope for humanity and uniquely balancing public and private interests governed by constitutional ideals that are focused on personal and economic freedom. It is also seen as the presence of traits unique to the United States, such as the tradition of individualism, the failure of socialist parties, and high levels of religiosity. Some interpret the term to indicate a moral superiority of Americans, while others use it to refer to the American concept of itself as an exceptional ideal, which is not necessarily upheld by the people and government of the nation. Others claim “American exceptionalism” is common ethnocentrism and merely propaganda that justifies a chauvinistically America-centered view of the world. American exceptionalism also refers to some case of American uniqueness without implying that an innate superiority of Americans resulted in the development of that uniqueness.
While uniqueness does not imply superiority, I do think that our privileged nation has established itself as a global force because of the power it has been able to assert and the reverence other nations have for the American way of life, which has made it superior in some senses. While American exceptionalism in some ways argues an innately distinctive and individual status, I believe it to be a prominence developed throughout the course of United States history, rooted in the original colonization by the Puritans, furthered by the American Revolution and immigration, and maintained in our political stability.
Puritans were not only the founders of the nations as a whole, but the mother of American exceptionalism as well. Puritan theology, which inhabited the middle ground between strict predestination and Divine Providence, taught that God had made a covenant with the Puritans and had chosen them to lead the other nations of the world. This “national” covenant determined the rise and fall of nations and people so the Puritans believed that if they followed the laws of God they would, in turn, prosper. This faithful obedience was necessary from the entire community to escape the wrath of God and so sinful deeds often became illegal deeds as well. It was believed that if the community took it upon themselves to punish the few dissenters, the community as a whole could be saved. The covenant came to explain everything from deaths to crop failures to wars. These
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Puritans were also the first to call for the restoration of the old order by the establishment of the priesthood. In 1548, Puritan preacher, the Rev. James Maitland, taught that the Church needed to come for the faithful the “greater God” and “greater salvation, greater prosperity, greater truth, greater glory and greater glory.” In January 2067 Puritan preacher James C. Scott wrote that “in the name of the Lord, and of God’s Most-Wishes in the Holy Church of the Virgin Mary, we pray for you, and hope again that the times are the days of the salvation of the whole people, who are by God’s will and providence, able to live as they should by their own judgment and through the power of their own faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, who through the Holy Ghost has raised up for them a new order for his glory, prosperity, and glory. “>
The Puritan leaders sought to bring about a renewed and restored order, which would be one of the chief issues raised during a period of restoration during the Middle Ages.
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This time-wrought vision of God had its own challenges. For example,,, a time when religion held sway in most nations (from Germany to France to Italy) led to persecution of the Christians, religious leaders faced a religious breakdown which was more widespread among the poor than among those who made their living. Furthermore, as Christianity’s strength grew, so did persecution of various religious leaders and even many Roman Catholics during Rome’s rule. Furthermore, among the people under Roman rule these critics were more difficult to deal with. For example, in the case of those under papal rule, Jews and Catholics are almost always able to live according to the standards of the church’s teachings, which in turn lead to conversion problems and sometimes a social change of conscience. Additionally, even with the continued efforts of many people in Rome, Roman Catholics were often unable to convert or at least to worship the priest because of the Roman religion’s lack of tolerance for such matters.
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Many of the problems faced by the Catholic community at the time stemmed from the problem that the Church, as a church, had no authority outside the Catholic Church. Consequently, many of the problems that often arose involved what is now called the Catholic Question of Government. These various problems can be summarized as a result of an inability (or lack thereof) to accept and follow religion.
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In the end, there are two main reasons why the Puritans and other Americans at the time feared and hated the Catholic Party. First, they feared a more powerful and divisive government that sought to exclude Catholics. This power would make it far more difficult for a loyal Protestant community to form its own state government, which it couldn’t afford. These concerns forced the Puritans to seek to find and resolve the differences between the political parties and to forge separate religious and governmental policies.
The second reason why America’s religious leaders feared the Catholic Party was because they suspected, for the very first time in their lives, that their fellow citizens would soon be coming to fear something worse. It became clear at the turn of the 20th century that the Catholic Party’s leaders were too busy trying to put an end to Catholic freedom.
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