is a book I found quite fascinating; one of the points I found quite fascinating is that while the US of course traces from British culture, it is quite distinct as well. And the reason for that was the particular British colonial experience, which related to the particulars of their situation. The Spaniards, Portuguese, and French also colonized the Americas, but their experiences were different and their objectives were different.
- American Beliefs:
- What Keeps a Big Country and a Diverse People United by John Harmon McElroy
The Spaniards actually found bronze age countries in South America, which they conquered as they would have liked to conquer England. And since those countries were already going concerns, there was no call for importing many farmers or tradesmen from Spain. Only gentlemen and soldiers were needed.
The Portuguese did import labor - but they wanted unskilled labor, and they imported it from Africa as slaves. No Portuguese were needed.
The French in Canada wanted to trade with the "Indians," and to control navigation on the St. Laurence River. Again, all they needed were a few traders, and soldiers and leadership loyal to the king of France.
The English, OTOH, found only potential farmland and stone age Indians. Not much in the way of gold or silver, but an enormous opportunity for farmers and supporting tradesmen. Consequently the English, later British, colonies quickly adopted an ethic which says that "all honest work is honorable." Calluses on the hands have always been badges of honor among American men. We didn't get that attitude from England.
And it traces back to the fact that the Indians were stone age people.
Maybe it also traces back to the fact that most of the early colonists were not well educated academics or tradesmen, but rather common laborers of one sort or another.
We have had discussions on FreeRepublic about the fact that geneticists have identified a gene that is described as a risk taking gene, a gene that actually identifies an inherited tendency toward risk taking, excitement seeking, adventure. I think that many of the early colonists that came to America possessed this gene and it drove them to a life of hard work, adventure and the drive to seek new horizons.
Looking back at my ancestors, the drive for adventure and risk taking was not always connected to a drive for wealth, but simply a life style choice. My ancestors came to this country in 1632 and had spread across the country to WA and Oregon by the end of the Civil War. Everywhere I go, I find people who are related to me through my grandmother.