Topic 3.11: Developing an American Identity

abolition of aristocratic titles

• state constitutions and laws abolished old institutions that had originated in medieval Europe

• no legislature could grant titles of nobility

separation of church and state

• most states refused to give financial support to any religious group

Anglican Church

• became known as the Episcopal Church, formerly had been closely tied to the king’s government but later disestablished (lost state support) in the south

regional variations

• biggest difference was slavery, as slavery declined in northern states, but became stronger in southern states

• northerners were more serious and preserving in their work

• southerners were more generous and forthright in their speech

political change

• development of political parties added to the American identity

• distinctions in viewpoints matured largely based on regional differences and distinct views of the roles, functions, and powers of the federal government

cultural changes

• began to change from the nation’s British origins

• facilitated by the expansion of newspapers in the late 1700s as a means of communication and a source for political discussion

Charles Wilson Peale

• opened what is recognized as the first art gallery in Philadelphia

PIerre Charles L’Enfant

• developed the design for Washington, D.C.

Gilbert Stuart

• painted the nation’s leaders, and the American Academy of Fine Arts held its first exhibition