APT 2 Political ideals and ideals associated with the new world

New World

For settlers a state of mind, not a place

Frontier influence: myth and influence

• liberty

• “Virgin unsettled country”

• Risk takers

• Individualistic ethic: being independent

• America = economic resource

• Second chance for people

• Would shape American politics

• Agrarian democracy

• Particular view of west (Montana/west vs NY): cowboys, potatoes, live in spreads, everyone laconic, rivers that don’t flood, always thundering but it never rains, all ranchers, kettles, easy life, guitar, horses, happy, overweight/strong women

• East: work all day, narcotic, slim women

• For immigrants west was a place to go not to stay = always in motion/moving

• Blind enthusiasm, unsure what they will get there

Frontier as “freedom form”

• old world hardships: class system, name/face determined future, persecution, psychological old badges

• Customs, traditions got transformed

• Self-made woman vs family

• Celebrated adventurer, entrepreneur, individualism

• Early Americans blinded of limited resources

• White colonial relationship to land = challenge, temptation

• Nature/wilderness is something to conquer/utilize → conflict with Natives, genocide

• Whites: develop, Natives: respect nature

• To conquer wilderness is badge of individuality

• How to create community in celebrated individualism?

• Break away from old family ties

• Independence was what united through centuries, across country (shared sense, own separateness), together we defend our independence→ ambivalence: desire to be alone and desire to belong

• In those days goodbye was forever

• Americans institutionalised old people homes

• Needed a lot of government push: pioneers chose water access, military installations, forts (fear of Natives), low government fees for land prices

• 1800-1840: 90% of military stationed west of Mississippi

Frontier social philosophy

• pragmatism: this is it, practical

• Element of expertise

• Materialistic views, using experience of world, is that useful/handful

• What will reduce human hardship?

• Evolves out of immigrant/farmers need to adapt to environment

• Naturally dislike abstract philosophic ideas = the doer, get the job done, people of action

• Tools to advance goals

• No ultimate truth (not the goof life, a goof life)

• You got to be flexible, no old dogma

Heterogeneity

• English and non-English elements pour into US

• “Old” immigrants: West Europe

• “New”: east/south Europe

American dilemma

• stress on equal rights but intolerant racism

• Immigrants: hope to seek refuge and each new wave of immigrants faces rejection (old ones intolerant to new)

• Humans as property

• Here they rank as citizens

• Idea of natural rights, no matter their gender/social class/sex

→ hard to apply this to new immigrants

Questioning old European customs + traditions

• who would rule, How and where?

• Religious salvation: who is in charge? Leader, community, individual?

• Why should king be in charge of ecomics?

Abundance of natural sources: human and non-human

• attracted to “untamed” land

• Americas lacking economy, so the assumption

• Huge resources in new world

• No limits by previous human action

• Settlers can have property here, equal opportunities

• Enough is not in American vocabulary, always want more

Abundance of natural sources: changed attitude to change itself

• change like youth is wasted in young

• Believe in change = tomorrow

• Risk takers on future, gambler, tomorrow is another day = optimism

• Past rather negative

• Youth is America’s oldest tradition (Oscar Wilde)

• Break away from 9ld world in space and time = new culture is movement

• America invents everything, but tired of it when it becomes warm

Abundance of natural sources: optimism in future

• fail/discourage: sin like adultery (Fremdgehen), sign of weakness

• Bending environment to human needs

• Importance of innovation

• Slogan: you can

• What you cannot do is not worth thinking about

• Reduction of human suffering

• Special responsibility and unique opportunity to build better world (especially Puritans)