The document discusses the historical tasks and resulting paradoxes that have shaped the American way. The key historical tasks were the invasion and conquest of Native American lands, achieving nationhood after the American Revolution, settling the continent through westward expansion, and abolishing slavery. This led to paradoxes such as experimentation vs ideology, affirming equality but tolerating inequality, order and violence, conformity vs diversity, and materialism vs idealism. How Americans reconcile these tensions and contradictions defines the amorphous American way.

1. Rise of the American Way Historical Tasks and Paradoxes

2. What is the American way? Associated with: independence, work ethic, and self-reliance American Way [not equal to] American Dream American Dream of the beautiful house with the white picket fence, personal wealth, and happiness is both motivator and consequence of the American Way. It is a result of Historical tasks, resulting paradoxes, and how we reconcile them.

3. Historical tasks Invasion & conquest(exploration & settlement) – America was not an unpopulated wilderness; the number of Native Americans at the time of invasion and settlement was one to four million. The tribes were widely scattered, nomadic, and fragmented by tribe, language, and ritual. Establishing “America” meant that the Native Americans were either expelled (through departure or death) or they had to adapt to the new inhabitants. Invasion and settlement also meant that European ideas and institutions had to be adapted to American circumstances. The established rules no longer applied. Adaptation to the “new” country widened the deviation from the European way and led to Achievement of Nationhood. Achievement of Nationhood During the last quarter of the 18th C., travel and communication was slow and laborious. Americans were faced with the challenge of converting thirteen colonies into one cohesive democratic republic. This new democratic republic required inhabitants to maintain and further develop a new national identity, a national loyalty, and a national government. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution crystallized the American creed, affirming that all men were created equal with unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As we’re well aware, over 300 years later “men,” in this sense, were white men and not “men” in the sense of representing all of humanity. Specifically there were a number of factors that contributed to America achieving nationhood: abundant resources, literate population, Calvinistic work ethic, antecedent tradition of self government, and a relative isolation from foreign aggression.

4. Historical Tasks (con’t) Settling the Continent In their zeal for making a new life in America, the settlers smashed cultures and crushed (figuratively and literally) bodies of Native Americans. Eventually Americans began the move westward. Abolition of Slavery In the mid 1800s America was faced with having to deal with the aftermath and consequences of backward behavior and policy of slavery that had been perpetuated over hundreds of years. This particular task involves not only the abolition of slavery but also the consequences and ramifications of doing so; we are still dealing with it today.

5. Paradoxes Result of historical tasks and how America dealt with them (and continues to deal with them) Experiment vs. Ideology Americans were and are addicted to experimentation. The ways in which we approached the historical tasks and how we approach any change are all experiments. We are never able to wholly anticipate what results our actions will bring. Also, on a different level, Americans specifically are always looking for something “new” (includes methodology, products, innovation, technology, etc.). However, on the flip side of that, Americans have been and are quick to latch onto new ideologies (e.g. Calvinism, anti-communism, racism, etc). Thus, on the one hand, we are driven to reconcile our actions which, on the other hand, tends to contrast with (and sometimes contradict) our belief systems. Affirmation of equality vs. Tolerance of inequality We affirm “all men are created equal” and yet we perpetuate and tolerate inequality (on all levels: race, gender, ethnocentricity). This, of course, leads to racial unrest, discrimination, prejudice, aggression, and guilt (just to name a few), which are all very much characteristics of America/ns. Tension between order and violence America prides itself on devotion to the rule of law and peace, and yet history is marked by war, insurrection, riots, mobs, etc. This paradox vastly contributes to the American Way for if we did not have uprisings, upheavals, and dissension, there would be no “American Way.”

6. Paradoxes (con’t) Conformity vs. diversity There is a certain “tyranny of majority” in our society. We encourage stepping “outside the box” and, in theory, embrace diversity; however, anyone or anything that doesn’t conform to the American “standard” is ridiculed and ostracized. Conformity negates individualism and cultural / racial differences, and this runs contrary to our principle of promoting individualism and diversity. Materialism vs. idealism We have a zeal for bourgeois and materialism; on many levels it is every one for his or herself, and yet we also have a zeal for philanthropic humanitarian / social benefits. Although the two ideas are paradoxical, it is the unique blend of both that makes America what it is. Nature of American experiment itself We are a “redeemer nation”: a nation who “chooses” to fix all ills (whether they are created by the nature of experimentation or by others). This is paradoxical in itself because it contributes to all the other paradoxes and creates one of the primary complaints of today: how can we fix others if we can’t (or won’t) fix our own problems?

7. Concluding thoughts How we reconcile these paradoxes (and the subsequent and resulting paradoxes) are defining characteristics of “The American Way.” Just as race is neither a black or white issue, the images created by the tasks and paradoxes are amorphous and malleable. Neither paradox, or component of the binary, is better or more acceptable than the other, nor are they negative traits. They just are…aspects of the American Way.