Blog #2

People often mistake the Americas to be a young land. It is often mistaken that Columbus was the first to bring settlements to this land. What our readings and discussions pointed out was that these lands had long been inhabited before the days of Columbus. It was by power and force that we made this land our own. We often discount the fact that not only were the Indians here first, if it were not for them we may not have even survived here. Aside from the false assumptions of colonization, I found the importance and evolution of the print culture interesting. The fact that writings were being able to be mass distributed helped tremendously in the advancement of new American culture. The distribution and publication of maps also did a great deal in helping the new colonizers move forward in their frontier. The early printing presses aided by rudimentary postal transport also helped spread news and ideas throughout the colonies. It is insight to knowledge about true stories like this that give me a great amount of respect for the trials and tribulations behind the foundation of this nation.

Blog #1: American Identity

Our view and attachment to our American identity is formed solely on the experiences we have encountered. I used to believe that an American identity was something we either had or did not have; people either felt strongly about their identity or they did not depending on their past. However, the fact is, American identity 
is something in which we all hold an equal role. As we saw in the video clips in class, stereotypically, the American identity consists of flags, monuments, songs, and poems. In reality the identity is the people that give meaning to those symbols. In her poem "The New Colossus", Emma Lazarus describes the vivid American dream. A dream of a land that bears no judgment, harbors the weak, and huddles the weary. In essence a safe haven among an otherwise cruel world. Thomas Aldrich described a similar America in "Unguarded Gates". However, he writes about the tarnishing of the American identity from freeloaders and undeserving immigrants. So, why is there such a difference in the descriptions of American identity between these two poets? It's because of their experiences. Not any single person can define American identity; to each their own. American identity is what we take from our experiences in the past and how we act on those experiences today.