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Paper Abstract: Traces the origins and evolution of key values of U.S. The ideals and values that shaped American culture and beliefs. Contends that while the U.S. has not always lived up to its ideals, the national ethos has always centered upon the principle of equality and justice. How terrorist events of 9/11 challenged the U.S. and made the country more focused on core values. Table of Contents. Paper Introduction: Table of Contents Page Preface 2 Introduction 4 Predominant Values 6 Origins and How Evolved 10 Contemporary Manifestations 17 Conclusion 22 References 23 Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. New York: Random House. In theProgressive Era, volunteer associations such as women's clubs and malefraternal organizations advanced a social change agenda that sought toempower and uplift members of the lower socioeconomic classes. Americanshave organized around social welfare concerns, prohibition, war andmilitary interventionism, environmental issues, education, and countlessother causes that speak directly to national values. Though all but one of America's presidents have been members ofdifferent Protestant religious sects, religious tolerance is a keycharacteristic and value of the United States. Martin and Roberts (1989) have pointed out that universalsuffrage, the civil rights movement, the abolition of slavery, and otherkey changes in the United States owe much to volunteer efforts. Goode (1997, p. Trust in government and the police, interest in politics,volunteerism, and activism have all increased in a few short months. (2 2). Life on the frontierdemanded a high degree of self-sufficiency that was unique. 497)."Lincoln was speaking about the tasks confronting the country as aconsequence of civil war, but he was also making reference to the valuesand ideals that had long underpinned the grand American experiment indemocratic government. Religious freedom, religious tolerance, the right toexpress different or dissenting political views, the right to own property,the right to an equal education and an equal opportunity for personal andeconomic advancement, and the right to form associations are among thevalues that Goode (1997) believes have operated in the United Statesthroughout its history. References Breslau, K. Newsweek, December 17,52-56+. New York:Harper Collins. (1989). The thesis addressed herein is that America's national commitmentto the democratic tradition and it emphasis on tolerance, individualism,tolerance, justice, equality, and responsibility has become stronger inrecent months and signals a return to a more activist political orientationon the part of ordinary citizens. (1997). Putnam, R. The events of September 11, 2 1challenged Americans to reassess their own goals and objectives and toaccept the necessity of sacrifice in the cause of democratic freedom. Almost from the very start of the colonial period, andthrough to the present time, Americans have volunteered their time invarious causes or interest group activities. AmericanDemographics (Faith in institutions, 2 2) reported that after September11th, a national poll of American citizens identified government as "ourgovernment" and not as "the government." This represents a remarkableshift in attitude and a surge of faith in both the government and thetraditional values of the nation as articulated by President George W.Bush. The report traces the origins and evolution ofthese values and then assesses contemporary manifestations of specificvalues. Revolutionary America was viewed by Foner (1998) has havingestablished an egalitarian atmosphere that did not create real equality fortwo groups: women and the enslaved. These values - individualism, equality, toleration,justice, and responsibility and obligation for both government and citizens- have been deeply ingrained in the hearts and minds of many generations ofAmericans, though Hofstadter (1976) as well as Foner (1998) recognize thatthe degree to which each of these values has functioned in society orshaped social and governmental actions has fluctuated. Today, as the United States confronts one of its greatest challengesin the War on Terror, a new attitude toward government and towardpatriotism has emerged (Faith in institutions, 2 2). The value of reciprocity in the relationship between government andthe citizenry, between the state and national governments, and betweencitizens themselves is said by Johnson (1997) to be fundamental to theAmerican ethos. The country is united in waysthat could not have been anticipated even a year ago. The American Prospect, 13(3), 2 -23. Notions of equality and freedom fromoppression as well as freedom from the tyranny of poor government wereintegral to the thought of both the founders and the framers. Hofstadter (1976) asserts that many of these values are linked to theideals of the Enlightenment. The Origins of Major American ValuesIntroduction When a small handful of American colonists gathered on July 4, 1776in Philadelphia, the result was the creation of a radical manifesto, "TheDeclaration of Independence." Written in large measure by ThomasJefferson, an aristocratic Virginia planter and Renaissance man, thestirring words of this challenge to the political hegemony of Great Britainand the Crown set forth what would become the seminal values of a newnation (Martin & Roberts, 1989). France, D., & Noonan, D. Putnam (2 2) also pointed out that the widespread outpouring ofcompassion and patriotism that has occurred since September 11th isconsistent across ethnic groups, social classes, and regions of thecountry. Congress passed a lawrequiring that military chaplains be regularly ordained ministers ofChristian denominations. (1976). Hofstadter (1976) asserts that American values have changed over timewith respect to their primacy, but not with respect to their existence.Depending upon the political ideology of the national government and thepresidential administration in power, different values have predominated.During the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, for instance, Hofstadter(1976) identified a strong strain of progressivism at work. The real story of Flight 93. They are practical purposes aswell as ideals. Individualism will undoubtedly always be a key American value.Johnson (1997) believes that the image of the independent, autonomouspioneer will always be deeply ingrained in the American ethos. Leaving normal behind. Martin, J.K., & Roberts, R. Jameson, J.F. Skocpol, etal (2 ), commented that Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in the 183 s thatAmericans had eagerly embraced both volunteerism and participation in smallgroups with an action-oriented purpose. Goode, S. Racial relations are still troubled,the country is experiencing difficulty in coming to terms with the fullimplications of multiculturalism and diversity, and many formerlyflourishing civic organizations struggle to remain functional (Putnam,2 2). Foner (1998) considers the word "liberty" as the word most frequentlyused during the revolutionary period and the period in which the new nationwas developed. This report explores theorigins and the evolution of major American values from 1776 through 2 1.It traces, albeit briefly, the ebb and flow of public participation in avalue-driven social system. Implicit within revolutionary thoughtwere the values that have been discussed above. Skocpol, T., Ganz, M., & Munson, Z. They also ensured that the national government couldnot infringe on such rights as freedom of the press and trial by jury.Subsequent constitutional amendments have further delineated these rightswith respect to the abolition of slavery, universal suffrage, the rights ofpeople of color, and the rights of all individuals to life, liberty,control of property, and the protection of due process of law (Martin &Roberts, 1989). Therights of citizenship parallel each of these obligations and are freedom,diversity, privacy, due process, private property, and human rights. Thisactivism dwindled, claims Hofstadter (1976), in the years following WorldWar I, but rebounded as America entered World War II. are said by Putnam (2 2) to have replenished the wells ofsolidarity in American communities. Thus, by definingthe goal of the Revolution as the creation of a republic in which a commongood shaped all actions, Jefferson and the other founders made a case forthe twin constructs of responsibility and rights. It was Jefferson's linking of popularsovereignty with liberty, both rooted in a divine plan and legitimized byancient practice and English tradition that gave the American colonists astrong, clear, and plausible conceptual basis for their revolution. Insight on the News, 13(16), 14-15. American Demographics, December 1,41-44+. According to Stevens (2 2), the obligations of citizenship consistof justice, equality, authority, participation, truth, and patriotism. Jefferson and the others who helped to write the Declaration furtheraffirmed that when an appeal to the native justice and magnanimity of aruler is rejected, human beings have the right and indeed the obligation topursue life, liberty, and happiness (Hofstadter, 1976). 68) states that "in the wake of thishorrific tragedy, we, the people of the United States, are trying to pullourselves out of the mire for what had previously passed for normal."Conclusion In tracing the origins and evolution of key American values, itbecomes clear that despite temporary setbacks and fluctuations, theunderlying normative ethos of the American democratic tradition hasremained remarkably stable. Jameson (1967) contends that the American Revolution was as much asocial movement as a political one. Even after thefrontier was settled, isolated farmers and villagers were largely dependentupon their own skills and efforts to supply many of life's necessities. This subject has taken on enhanced significance in the wake of theterrorist attack on the United States on September 11, 2 1. Indeed, there are those who would suggest that America hasnever and may never live up to its ideals (Foner, 1998). Christianity Today,45(15), 68. The values describedin this report are more than watchwords. Though America has often struggled with issues ofracial and gender equality, religious toleration, the relativeresponsibilities of citizens and government, and questions related tojustice, the simple fact that a struggle occurred serves as evidence of theimportance of values in the American democratic tradition. The first was the primacy of individual rights and the second,was the placing of these rights within the context of a fundamentalcommitment to popular sovereignty. Despite the tragedy of September 11, 2 1, the Americanrepublic is stronger, more united, and more focused on democracy, equality,freedom, toleration, individualism, and justice than ever before. Bush identified this change, declaring thatwhere once Americans subscribed to an ideology of doing what felt good,Americans today are ready "to roll." Loyalty, patriotism, discipline, andduty are the new watchwords of a country energized by tragedy (Stevens,2 2).Predominant Values What are the predominant values of the historical andcontemporary United States? New York: New American Library. The Federalist Papers. A holier holiday season. In 1861, the U.S. Stephen L. Hamilton and John Jay agreed that astrong government would be a government dedicated to protecting the rightsof citizens and that citizens would have equal obligations to governmentand one another (Hamilton, Madison, & Jay, 1961). Social Education,66(1), 18-25. Jameson (1967) traces manyof the charitable, philanthropic, and social welfare agencies to theRevolution. Newsweek,December 3, 54-58. A nation of organizers: The institutional origins of civic voluntarism in the United States.American Political Science Review, 94(3), 527-55 . This conflict is between concern for thepublic good and citizens' obligations to the polity as well as determiningthe degree to which individual rights are to be valued over the commongood. However, when American Jewish groups protested,Congress recanted and allowed rabbis to serve as military chaplains (Goode,1997). New York: W.W.Norton & Co. (1961). (2 1). The report draws upon both historical and contemporary sources toexplore the meaning of values and ideals in shaping the American ethos.From the Enlightenment to the present time, values are portrayed as havingplayed a significant role in shaping American culture and beliefs. 14) quotes President George Washington as havingsaid, "in this enlightened age and in this land of equal liberty it is ourboast that a man's religious tenets will not forfeit the protection of thelaws, nor deprive him of the right of attaining and holding the highestthat are known in the United States." James Madison wrote in TheFederalist Papers that in a free government the security for civil rightsmust be the same as that for religious rights (Hamilton, Madison, & Jay,1961). Many of the great economic enginesof change in American history, such as the railroads, the automobileindustry, the steel industry, and the oil industry were created byentrepreneurial individualists. Certainly, there have beenperiods when institutional religious bigotry has flourished in America.For example, the Know Nothing Nativist Party of the mid-to-late nineteenthcentury campaigned against permitting Roman Catholic and Jewish immigrantsto settle in the United States. Athoughtful patriotism that recognizes the necessity of dissent and thevalue of dissent should underpin any contemporary debate over what Americashould and must be. Foner (1998)believes that the rallying cry throughout America's history has been a callfor freedom. Whether articulated by President Theodore Roosevelt in defense ofAmerican intervention abroad or by Woodrow Wilson in support of Americanparticipation in a universal government, Hofstadter (1976) maintains thatfrom her very first decades as a nation, the United States has perceivedherself as obligated to extend the benefits of democracy to others.Whether the country "walks softly and carries a big stick" or stomps loudlythrough the world, American governments and the American people haveconsistently responded to cries for help necessitating either militaryintervention or other forms of assistance (e.g., economic, medical,humanitarian). Most significantly, younger Americans (i.e., those aged 35 andyounger) are becoming more actively involved with and engaged in civicaffairs. Raadschelders, J.C.N. Johnson (1997) assertsthat individualism was important in the early years of colonial settlementand during the expansion of the new, young nation. Other key values that have been omnipresent in American life (thoughfluctuating in various time periods) including volunteerism and political,civil and social activism (Has America changed..., 1993; Skocpol, Ganz, &Munson, 2 ). The values that are indigenous to this political tradition areindividualism, equality, toleration, justice, freedom, and responsibility.This country was built on the twin beliefs of citizens' rights andcitizens' responsibilities (Hofstadter, 1976). Faith in institutions: Americans find new hope in their government.American Demographics, January 1, 2 -21+. Hofstadter's (1976) thesis regarding shifts in the American politicaltradition related to national values is that in times of nationalemergencies or crises, the fundamental values espoused by the founders andframers tend to be revitalized. Why religious persecution violates Americanvalues. To that end, Raadschelders (1997) commented that theAmerican body politic was shaped with respect to a value orientationaffirming individualism, equality, and liberalism. While the strength of suchgroups has waned in the last 5 years, these groups continue to exert aninfluence in shaping the American value system.Origins and How Values Evolved Historian Paul Johnson (1997) contends that when the leaders of theThirteen Colonies began to consider breaking the ties that bound them toGreat Britain, Thomas Jefferson worked to graft onto the meritocraticstructure of a commonwealth created by philosopher John Locke, two themesthat would become the primary leitmotifs of the Revolutionary struggle inAmerica. Johnson, P. A renewedspirit of community and connectedness similar to that enjoyed in the pasthas emerged. As Johnson (1997) hascommented, while citizenship was understood as conferring very real and"unalienable" rights upon individuals, it was also accompanied by a well-defined set of duties, responsibilities, and obligations owed by oneindividual to the polity. When it cametime for the new nation to move beyond the Articles of Confederation andcreate a Constitution, the delegates who gathered in 1787 at theConstitutional Convention in Philadelphia sought to create a charter thatwould identify the rights and obligations of citizens, the responsibilitiesof a federal tripartite government, and the relationships between thestates and the new central government (Martin & Roberts, 1989). This imagenevertheless encompasses tolerance for diversity and can peacefully coexistwith the notion of the collective. At the same time, while recognizingthat a representative democracy or republic is inevitably a collection ofdifferent interest groups and individuals, Freedland (1998) claims that ahigh value has also been placed on individualism in America. The goal of this study is to examine the origins and the developmentof major American values. America and Its People. Prior to September11, 2 1, many Americans had developed a degree of distrust with respect togovernment and had begun to abandon patriotic sentiments and a belief inthe principles upon which the country had been founded. The Story of American Freedom. With respect to the question of religious tolerance, Stephen Goode(1997) contends that periods of antireligious bigotry in the history of theUnited States have been offset by a general tendency toward toleration andopenness. Perhaps the most striking symbol of American values and the newAmerican attitude is reflected in the actions of the men and women onFlight 93, the hijacked plane that crashed in the Pennsylvania countrysideon September 11, 2 1 (Breslau, 2 1). Hamilton, A., Madison, J., & Jay, J. Rockefeller. The report argues that while many of thefundamental values that had long been established in the country had notdisappeared, but rather had diminished in terms of its influence, theevents of September 11th have fostered a resurgence of value-drivenactivism. At the same time, Americans give more to charity today, volunteertheir time more freely, trust government more fully, and live in harmonywith less tension than in the recent past. In the wake of September 11th, Americans have begun to contributemore liberally than before to philanthropies and charities. Martin and Roberts (1989) agree and arguethat the seeming complacency of the United States during the 195 sforeshadowed a new level of activism focused on equality in the 196 s. Jonathan Freedland (1998) identified a numberof these values as emanating from the phrase "we the people." This simplephrase encompasses the notion that the American democratic tradition valuesthe collective over the individual. (1973). Over time, though government has taken on greaterresponsibility for functions once almost exclusively the province of theprivate sector, the private sector continues to be of enormous significancein meeting certain kinds of needs. Thoughthe country and its institutions and citizens have often fallen short ofrealizing many of these values in day-to-day life, the history of theUnited States is essentially a history of a struggle to operationalizeabstract concepts. Hofstadter, R. The notion of America as a country in which rugged individualism ishighly valued has also persisted over time. As the United States grew and became a republic with 5 individualstates and as industrialized capitalism took hold, entrepreneurialindividualism emerged (Johnson, 1997). Of course, asFoner (1998) has argued, almost 2 years passed before all people in theUnited States were given constitutional protections and guaranteessupporting these rights. New Statesman,127(4392), 9-11. Another set of values found throughout the history of the UnitedStates focus on the obligation of the nation and its people to promote thedemocratic tradition abroad as well as to maintain it at home (Hofstadter,1976). Johnson (1997) traces theemergence of individualism as a cultural value to the Puritan era. Noting that the United States is a country based on ideas and ideals drawnfrom such diverse voices as Plato's The Republic and Thomas Paine's Rightsof Man, Stevens (2 2) claims that the key values that must now take centerstage in the United States are loyalty, patriotism, discipline, and duty.Stevens (2 2) says that the values now predominant in American societyconsist of the obligations and rights of citizenship. Ordinary Americans - married andsingle, gay and straight, male and female - attempted to regain control ofthe hijacked airplane and went to their deaths rather than allowing thehijackers to use the plane as a bomb. Individuals areclosely bound to one another by strong families, tightly knitneighborhoods, and active voluntary and maternal groups. As RobertStevens (2 2, p. Brandweek,34(44), 24-25. Further, says Foner (1998), the earlyrepublic was one in which private property and the ownership thereof was akey element in determining citizenship and rights. Just as Americans coalesced around events taking place on December7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor, so have Americans coalesced in recent months. Foner, E. Even in the present day, entrepreneurialindividualism can be said to drive the technological revolution.Entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates of Microsoft and Steve Case of AmericaOnline are individualists of the same type as Henry Ford, Andrew J.Carnegie, and John D. More and more Americans are proudly flying the American flag,displaying it in their homes and vehicles. AlexanderHamilton wrote in The Federalist Papers that the vigor of government isessential to the security of liberty. Blood and money: Since September11, Americans have given $1.4 billion to charity. This report takes as a watershed the events of September 11, 2 1,when America experienced a terrorist attack that challenged a nation'sconception of its own security. Lessons from America. Support for the nationalgovernment and the War on Terror has been forthcoming from virtually allsectors of American society. Theimages of shared suffering following the terrorist attacks on New York andWashington, D.C. When the Constitution proved insufficient to identify specificallythe rights of individuals, the framers appended ten amendments knowncollectively as the Bill of Rights. (2 2). (1998). Princeton: Princeton University Press. 18) has stated, "the tragedy of this single day seems tohave moved us as a nation from an attitude of individualism back to a senseof community." While individualism is valued today as it always has beenin America, a new wave of patriotism representing the ideas and idealspromulgated by the Founding Fathers has emerged. Indeed, many of the major social advances that have occurred in thehistory of the United States owe their existence to American activism andvolunteerism. (2 1). Martin and Roberts (1989) state thatthese ten amendments guaranteed individual liberties, including freedom ofspeech and religion, the right of peaceable assembly, and the right topetition government. Carter (2 1)includes among these examples, a renewed participation in civic life, ahigher level of volunteerism, a greater degree of spirituality andreligious tolerance, and a recognition that the reckless celebration of theself must be tempered by immersion in the body politic. (1997). A conflict betweenliberalism and republicanism existed then as it has continued to existthroughout American history. Carter, S.L. By drawing on a number of disparate sources,this study will demonstrate that while America has not always lived up tothe ideals of the Founding Fathers and their successors, the national ethoshas always been centered upon the principle of equality and its corollary,justice. In the very concept of a republic, Jefferson saw a commitment toplace each selfish and separate interest in the search for the res publica,the "public thing" or the common good (Johnson, 1997). Bowling together: The United States of America. The American Political Tradition and the MenWho Made It. However, Putnam (2 2) asserts that the levels of politicalconsciousness and engagement are substantially higher today than they werea year ago. (1998). These small,local, and human-scale associations have helped Americans achieve a senseof belonging and connectedness while tackling the full range of social andhuman problems experienced in the country. Freedland, J. It has taken more than 2 years for the values set forthin the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution to be applied toall Americans. Stevens, R. As Jefferson phrased it, the colonistsheld certain truths to be "self-evident." These truths are worthy ofrepetition herein: 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; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness (In Martin & Roberts, 1989, p. Whereas the sovereignty of the people or the collective is emphasizedthroughout many of the early documents created by the Founding Fathers andthe framers of the Constitution, individualism with respect to rights suchas those to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are also emphasized(Goode, 1997). There are any number of examples of how Americans are exemplifyingthe values shaped by the founders and framers. Based on this discussion, what emerges is the realization that thereare a number of key values that have prevailed in American life since thecountry was created. Putnam (2 2, p. This opinion encouragedsuch traits or activities as volunteerism, the creation of a legal systembased on justice and fairness, religious toleration, and the freedom ofindividuals to express their views and to dissent from public policy(Raadschelders, 1997). A thoughtful patriotism. The progress of civil society.Administration & Society, 29(4), 471-49 . 33 ) stated that "as the century drew to aclose, freedom remained both a source of contention and a crucial point ofself-definitions for individuals and society at large."Contemporary Manifestations Stevens (2 2) maintains that September 11, 2 1 marked a majorturning point in American life. (1997). Table of Contents PagePreface 2Introduction 4Predominant Values 6Origins and How Evolved 1 Contemporary Manifestations 17Conclusion 22References 23 Preface When Abraham Lincoln spoke at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on November19, 1863, he reminded Americans that their country was "dedicated to theproposition that all men were created equal" and referred to "unfinishedwork" and "the great task remaining before us (in Johnson, 1997, p. (2 1). Beginning with thegreat Declaration, continuing in the writing of the Constitution of theUnited States of America, and the Bill of Rights and subsequent amendments,and reflected in such documents and publications as The Federalist Papers,the central values of the United States of America have been identifiedtime and time again. The country, its governmental institutions,and its citizens have failed at times to ensure that equality is universal(Foner, 1998). Thoughthe elite theocrats of Puritan colonial America called for conformity,resistance to this demand has always been strong. As Skocpol, et al (2 ), suggest, American life has beencharacterized by its self-containment and its cohesiveness. A History of the American People. Has America changes as much as you think it has? (2 ). The study moves from an introduction defining the sources of valuesin American life to a description of the predominant values that haveshaped the national agenda. While it might be premature to suggest that the passengers on Flight93 established values that will shape the attitudes and behaviors of allAmericans, it is not premature to conclude that the men and women who"rolled" and prevented the attack on Washington from succeeding were actingas had countless Americans in the past. More significantly, the terrorist attackon the United States led many Americans to rethink their values and toreconsider how those values should be reflected in public and private life. 21) states that "as 2 1 ended, Americans weremore united, readier for collective sacrifice, and more attuned to publicpurpose than we have been for several decades." There is a more capacioussense of collectivism at work in the nation than there has been since WorldWar II. NewYork: Harper Collins. American traditions show a strong biasin favor of equality and representative democracy and Hofstadter (1976)further argues that democratic ideals took root in the new nation amongdiscontented and oppressed classes and rising middle classes. (2 1). In a televisionstatement, President George W. Political activism, work forhumanitarian and social causes, membership in various civic andphilanthropic (as well as religious) groups, and participation in civicinstitutions are all valued by the vast majority of Americans. (1993). Though Americans reserve the rightto disagree with another and with their government, when confronted with achallenge they almost invariably rise to meet it (Breslau, 2 1). Implicit within the array of values and rights promulgated in TheFederalist Papers (Hamilton, Madison, & Jay, 1961) are religious tolerance,individual opportunity, representative government, private propertyownership, due process, and reliance upon the common law. Evidence of this attitudinal shift was reported by France and Noonan(2 1). Foner (1998, p. This is not to say that September 11th eliminated all of the problemsand tensions in the United States. Hofstadter (1976) believes that values such as individualism andequality must also be understood as having developed within the context ofcapitalism and Protestant morality. A2). A country that hadbegun to progressively drift from community and obligation to a mutedhedonism and a self-centered ideology has shifted back toward thefundamental values contained in the phrase "life, liberty, and the pursuitof happiness." Carter (2 1, p. The American Revolution Considered As aSocial Movement. Interestingly, one of the artifacts of September 11th was thestrengthening of spiritual beliefs among Americans of all ages, racial andethnic groups, and socioeconomic classes (A holier holiday season, 2 1).Various surveys indicate that a renewal of faith has occurred side-by-sidewith a renewed emphasis on the obligations of ordinary men and women totheir country, their communities, and their fellow citizens. 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