Individualism: -the concept shaped American culture

-self-reliance and responsibility for one’s own fate.

„If you work hard, you prosper- if you fail, it is your own fault“
-freedom and oportunity are necessary to have a chance to success
-rooted in the ideas of the Entlightenmen, Purtanism and frontier
-the volition for freedom and the tension between the individual and the
community are the pursuit of the American Dream

The Puritans: -The Puritans believed America is the promised land, their New Canaan.
-The Puritans shaped many aspects of the American civil religion: virtue,
integrity, education, work, individual freedom and communitarianism.
-religious movement within 16th 17th century
-wanted to reduce the influence of the english roman-catholic church

Ellis Island: -Ellis island was the headquarters of the U.S. immigration authority from
1892 to 1954.
-Almost 20 million people entered the US through Ellis island.

Manifest Destiny: -America’s mission is democratize the world and to manifest to mankind
the excellence of divine principles.
-America used this belief to justify its territorial expansion as well as
Imperialism.

Independence Day: -July 4, 1776.

New Canaan: -The name Canaan in the old testament referred to the land west of the river
jordan.
-It was the promised land god gave to Moses and his people. America was
seen as the New Canaan by those fleeing to America from
religious persecution

Frontier: - term which originally referred to the line of settlement, of civilisation. Today
the term is transmitted into scientific areas
-american idea of manifest destiny and explains the americans need for new
frontiers