The American Idea: American Writers and a History of Challenging Dogmatic Practices

By Dale Heckman

A new world is discovered. Opportunities for adventure, God, and wealth attract the under wealth of Europe. Once this new world was formed into an independent country America-- Americans found themselves creating and overcoming dogma and prejudices. Inspired by Emerson's The American Scholar, "Books are the best type of the influence of the past, and perhaps we shall get at the truth-learn the amounts of this influence more conveniently-by considering their value alone (193 Emerson Vol. 2):" may the readers be reminded-what is the American idea? American's during the time of colonization, native removal, human rights, and philosophy broke away from standard practices in pursuit of what they believed to be right.

European colonist are the pioneers of the "American idea." In Europe people were taken care of under their domain; they worked hard-in honor of their monarch-but were depraved unto the position they had been born in. Eventually stories came from people like John Smith (a fanner turned adventure): who gave flame to an idea of settling in a new uncivilized world. Europe grew divided, the church split into factions, tensions increased, and famine spread throughout Europe; rumors spread that Europe and Spain would go to war with one and another. Thus, began a wave of migration to the new world; a land where a chance to change one's circumstance was possible. William Bradford was one of these people: a pilgrim who sailed toward the new world and started his own community and church: escaping religious persecution. His writing brought light to the turmoil in Europe; "the twelve years of truce were now out, and there was nothing but beating of drums, and preparing for war," […] "the Spaniard might prove as cruel as the savages of America, and the famine and pestilence as sore here as there, and their liberty less to look out for remedy (133 vol. A)." Bradford, and his peers, had no desire to fight against Spain, only wanting to safely practice their faith, and in tears they left their home-setting sail for America. This era of American history challenged European tradition the honor of serving someone else and receiving the safety and liberty they would offer or risking these benefits for the unknown in the new world (America).

During the time of "native removal," natives showed the American idea through their written protest of treatment under the law. The Natives, through treaties, were "accepted" as Americans; however, with property being represented by paper, the natives were deceived out of their land and felt that their homes had been stolen. Natives represented the American ideal through these writings: protesting and giving awareness to this issue. Black Hawk's testimony gave readers a powerful image of the issues that his tribe faced. After signing a peace treaty with America, he returned to find his home destroyed and colonists living in place of what was once his village. The colonists in the village committed crimes against the natives that once lived there: destruction of crops, assaults, and even murder; he recalls, "One of my old friends thought he was safe. His cornfield was on a small island of Rock River. He planted his corn;" […] "but the white man saw it! —he wanted the island, and took his team over, ploughed up com, and replanted it for himself! The old man shed tears; not for himself, but the distress his family would be in if they raised no corn (299 vol. B)." In this case the law failed to protect an old man, his land, and his family-leaving them to starve. Black Hawk, and many others, wrote their testimonies and sent them to congress; the natives hoped to either have their land returned or else equal treatment under the law-like they had agreed upon. Just as the colonist resisted the dogma of European rule, the natives wished to obtain the right to their life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Protest and great Americans writers tend to connect in American history, but Native Americans set an example of resisting cruel practices with their writing to congress.

Natural and human rights was one of the first concepts of American philosophy; but women and slaves found themselves fighting to gain these promised rights. Judith Murray demand in her writing: the same education, social, legal, and political privileges that were available to most men (666 vol. B); however, slaves-who desired the same rights-had to first fight to be recognized as a person-being alienated from their right of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Slaves found that they had no rights to their children, marriage, freedom, or legal representation. Those who were in slavery resisted by escaping servitude, holding political gatherings (conventions), and writings: newspapers (Freedom's Journal) and books (Uncle Tom's Cabin and Narrative of the Life); they used these tools to share their stories and bring awareness to the "African American Experience." Women related to this struggle-through their pursuit of women's rights-and allied with the anti-slavery movement. They resisted by pointing out the hypocrisy of people who claimed to be Christian and their behavior; David Walker explains, "but we will leave the whites or Europeans as heathens and take a view of them as Christians, in which capacity we see them as cruel, if not more so than ever. In fact, take them as a body, they are ten times more cruel, avaricious, and unmerciful than ever they were (744 vol. B)." The anti-slavery writers challenged Americans to strive towards the ideals that people claimed to live by. Equality and rights are a desire and the expectation of Americans; many writers understood Americans were striving towards Christian values, but many Americans did not practice them. Equiano's testimony brings light to this issue: when he accounts becoming a Christian-after being taught by a woman in England. When he was being sold to a new master Equiano says: "I told him my master could not sell me to him, nor to anyone else." […] " I have been baptized, and by the laws of the land no man has a right to sell me (668 vol. A):" referencing Luke 8: 14 (Jesus answered, " it is written: "Worship the Lord your God and serve him only."). His new master threatened him over this response and stole Equiano 's money (which he was saving to purchase his freedom). This powerful account from him gives an example of him (Equiano) resisting others' beliefs for his own.

The writings showed a changing philosophy overtime. Ben Franklin said: to hold people of faith to the highest regard; he explains, regarding virtue and wisdom, "conceiving God to be the Fountain of Wisdom, I thought it right and necessary to solicit his Assistance for obtaining it;" […] "I was Surpris'd to find myself so much fuller of Faults than I had imagined, but I had the Satisfaction of seeing them diminish." However, those who blindly followed this advice found that it is difficult to recognize people of faith and some people who make such claims are quite cruel. During the anti-slavery moment, literature showed examples of good and bad people who claimed to embody Christian virtues-just as Equiano described. Thoreau explained his values before and after his time at Walden Pond; he explained that his views when in society were different than when he was in nature. In "Higher Laws" he shares that his peers often choose to abstain from meat, but after his time in nature he found that intent was much more virtuous than a person's action: like Luke's: "one man's faith allows him to eat meat, while the other man's faith only allows him vegetables (Luke 4:8)." Thoreau gives this example to explain, that in society, what groups encourage to be humane, or scared, can be inhumane outside those circles (communities); he adds to use one's inner genius (thoughts or intuition) to make conclusions about these matters. The writings from Thomas Jefferson shows a difference of philosophy over time; Jefferson practiced slavery and prioritized his plantation over the virtue he claimed Americans should strive for: "all men created equal (624 vol. A)". Jefferson wrote, "from the rank in the scale of beings which their Creator may perhaps have given them." […] "I advance it, therefore, as a suspicion only, that the blacks, whether originally a distinct race, or made distinct by time and circumstances, are inferior to the whites in the endowments both of body and mind (740 vol. B);" his writings saddened and brought discontent among the great American writers. Americans made clear through literature and movements that they desired every person should be equal not just the elect and opposed the idea of superiority among any of God's creation. The thoughts, and oppositions, of many great Americans laid the foundation towards the ideals created over time; ideas still come and leave society: shaping American communities.

Through the times of colonization, native removal, human rights, and philosophy Americans sought to breakdown old beliefs and build new ones fitting their ideals; they, overtime, repeated this as their goals changed. In Europe, "Americans" did not wish to be forced into the beliefs and positions set by their rulers. During the time of "Native Removal," the Native Americans protested American tyranny. Americans fought for "Human Rights:" striving to connect rights and equality to everyone. As well as, revealing that our practices and our ideals were not always in union-through writings and "Philosophy." The American idea is always striving for what is perceived to be righteous: individually and in society. Even in 2023, Americans strive to test if all people have the right to life, libe11y, and pursuit of happiness. We test if we are we helping our neighbors: welcoming a foreigner and sharing our views: right and wrong. This may be why I have heard people consider America an "experiment," because this system can only be successful by discovering our own beliefs and challenging them with other people's views; this process also requires a cornerstone or solid foundation to lean on during challenging times. At the very least, many great American writers did not accept their circumstance over what they envisioned to be possible.

Levine, Robert S. The Norton Anthology \ American Literature . 10th ed., vol. A, W.W.Norton & Company, 2022.

NIV Thompson Chain-Reference Bible. Zondervan, 2022.