Chapitre 1: The myths that made the United States
I - The Myth of the Pilgrim Fathers and the Promised Land
The British Empire spanned five centuries (from the 16th to the end of the 20th century) and comprised colonies and territories all over the globe. The British were among the most important colonizers of the Americas.
In 1607, they established the first permanent settlement of Jamestown, Virginia. Virginia was one of the Thirteen colonies of North America, under the administration of the English and then the British.
In 1620, 102 passengers traveled from England and the Netherlands to America aboard the Mayflower. Some of them were protestant; they were called separatist Puritans (known today as the Pilgrims). They strongly opposed the Church of England and wanted to split away from it. Indeed, in 1534, King Henry VIII separated the English Church from the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope. A few people felt that he went too far and that the country had become un-Godly. As they were not allowed to be part of any other church, they fled England looking for religious tolerance and political freedom.
Astuces: On n'utilise pas d'article devant les noms propres (pays, villes, personnes, etc). Exceptions : the United States, the United Kingdom car ce sont des "nations unies" ; un "royaume-uni".
The Virginia Plymouth Company agreed to fund their trip, in exchange for supplies, such as timber, fur and fish. They were supposed to arrive in Virginia and establish near Jamestown, but they made a navigation mistake. They established the Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts. Since they were not within the jurisdiction of the Virginia Company, they had no ruler. 41 of the men aboard the ship signed the Mayflower Compact and decided that they would rule themselves.
Why is it important? The myth of the Pilgrim Fathers is a foundational myth; that is to say it is the story that explains America’s beginnings. Indeed, the Pilgrims are often considered as the first Americans. For instance, the idea that the first American settlers were pious people looking for religious freedom is still prevalent today. (Actually, it is not true - they were quite strict and authoritarian people).
Astuce: Les articles "a" et "an" se traduisent par "un(e)". Ce sont des déterminants indéfinis. Ils ne peuvent être utilisés que 1) devant des noms dénombrables singuliers -qui commencent par une consonne-qui commencent par les voyelles u et y. Par exemple, "a beautiful house" ; "a wise man" ; "a young girl" ; "a year".
The myth holds a certain religious significance. Separatists saw themselves as God’s chosen people. They believed that America was their Promised Land and that they would become the beacon of the world.
Moreover, people in Europe viewed the New World as a utopia - a notion that was still very important in the 19th and 20th centuries. It symbolizes the spirit of American exceptionalism - the ideology according to which the United States is a perfect and unique nation, which embodies the ideals of democracy and personal freedom. After the declaration of Independence in 1776, the Pilgrim Fathers turned into a national myth.
The myth of Thanksgiving - It has commonly been assumed that, around 1621, separatists were taught how to grow corn and catch fish by an American Indian named Squanto. They supposedly established a treaty with Chief Massasoit and organized a feast with their Native American.
Astuce: "a" et "an" ne s'utilisent jamais avec des noms pluriels, ni avec des noms indénombrables (qu'on ne peut pas compter).
This story has since become one of the best-known in American history. However, contrary to popular belief, this is not what really happened. This notion of Thanksgiving is quite ambiguous. Pilgrims and Indians lived in the same territory; they signed a treaty. However, they only agreed to protect each other against potential enemies. The Pilgrims clearly did not invent Thanksgiving, let alone invite Native Americans to share a feast.
In fact, it became a national holiday in 1863, when U.S. President Abraham Lincoln decided it would be a good idea to commemorate the so-called “feast” that took place in Plymouth in 1621. At the time of the American Civil War, he wanted to promote an ideology of peace and harmony. He used this distorted image of Pilgrims and Indians at peace with each other as a political strategy.
II - The Myth of the Founding Fathers
Painting by David WAGNER
In 1765, the colonists decided to reject the authority of the British Parliament, which marked the beginning of the American Revolution (1765-1783).
In 1776, the colonists, still at war with the Kingdom of Great Britain, declared their independence and formed a new nation, the United States of America. They wrote the Declaration of Independence, which stated that all men were endowed with unalienable rights such as "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". The war only came to an end in 1783, as Britain finally signed the Treaty of Paris.
The FF later ratified the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights (1789-1791).
The Founding Fathers held important roles in the American Revolution and the establishment of the United States of America. John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Jay, and George Washington, to name a few. For instance, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. James Madison wrote the Constitution. As for George Washington, he led many armies into battle and is known as the first President of the United States.
Astuce 1: "The" s'utilise devant des noms définis, qu'ils soient singuliers ou pluriels. Ex: "the boy" ; "the boys".
Astuce 2: "a few" sert à exprimer une petite quantité. Il s'utilise devant des noms dénombrables. "a few men" . Il ne faut pas le confondre avec "few" qui, lui, veut exprimer une quantité insuffisante. "Few colonists survived the harsh winter.". Ne pas non plus le confondre avec ("a little" = une petite quantité / "little" = une quantité insuffisante) qui s'utilisent avec des noms indénombrables.
Why does it matter? According to public opinion, it explains the origin of American democratic values and culture (liberal ideas, nationhood, republicanism).
The notion of liberty was probably what mattered the most for the Founding Fathers. It indeed became a focal point in the U.S. Constitution. For instance, the Constitution still has impacts and affects people’s daily life - one could mention the debate over the second amendment and the belief that restrictions on owning guns represent a threat to liberty.
As opposed to the myth of the Pilgrim Fathers which holds a religious significance, the Founding Fathers is a political myth. The term ‘Fathers’ suggests tradition, legacy and paternity; it represents the union and cohesion of a nation. The Founding Fathers symbolize the foundations of American mythology and culture. These individuals embody different values (such as genius, authenticity and courage). Those individuals can be regarded as heroes that put all the efforts into hard work and fought against an oppressive country.
However, this myth tends to be idealized and romanticized. The founding fathers can be seen as heroes that changed the whole course of American History. But, once again, the reality is far different from the common representation. They did influence the American political and economical system. Yet, this myth is quite paradoxical. Even though they considered liberty as the most important value, they also lived amidst Slavery. Some of them were slave-owners. Yet, they were totally aware of the fact it was an unjust and cruel institution.
Astuces: "Some" sert à exprimer "une certaine quantité de" ou "quelques". Dans une question, on emploie "some" car on suppose que la réponse sera positive. Ex: May I have some sugar, please? Il ne s'utilise pas dans une phrase négative.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, this myth has become quite controversial. American values and policies can be easily discussed; some may even say that those are the source of American racism, intolerance and arrogance.
III - The Myth of the Frontier
The myth of the Frontier first appeared in the 1600s-1700s (with American colonial writers such as John Smith 1616, William Bradford 1650, and William Byrd, 1728), but became very significant in the 19th century - a period characterized by westward expansion. It indeed developed as Euro-Americans colonized and expanded across North America. Thereby, it is one of the most influential myths in American culture.
According to the myth, the frontier is a place that exists beyond civilization. It symbolizes the limit between the colonized territories, where white Europeans have brought civilization and progress, and the unexplored territories, occupied by Native Americans. They are considered to be ‘savages’ that lack culture, reason, religion, science, property, respect, etc. Therefore, the myth is used as a justification for colonization and westward expansion. It includes the Manifest Destiny, the belief according to which Americans were chosen by God to spread democracy, civilization and capitalism across the entire North American continent. It is characterized by a sense of unlimited opportunity and optimism.
Frederick Jackson Turner (1861-1932) defined the myth of the Frontier as “the meeting point between savagery and civilization”. Not only did he argue that it laid the foundation for American identity and politics, but he also believed that the frontier resulted in nationalism, democracy, individualism and a rejection of European ideals.
Popular representations in culture and literature
The myth of the frontier mostly developed due to the fact this period became romanticized and idealized in literature and art. For example, legends like Calamity Jane, Jesse James' gang, Buffalo Bill and comics like Lucky Luke are results of this myth; they are still very important in popular culture.
It became a recurrent theme in 19th century Western fiction, mainstream literature, newspapers. A great number of plays
and comics (DC Comics, Marvel) also portrayed the West as both the land
of savages and the idealistic way of living for rugged people (figure
of the cowboy).
Astuce: A great number of / A large number of s'utilisent avec des noms dénombrables. Ex: A large number of books. A great deal of / A large amount of s'utilisent avec des noms indénombrables. Ex: A large amount of money.
Calamity Jane (1852-1903), a frontierswoman and scout known for fighting against Indians.
Why does it matter? First of all, the myth of the frontier is an essential aspect of American mythology and culture. Indeed, like the myth of the Founding Fathers and the myth of the Pilgrim Fathers, it explains the origins of American political and cultural values as well as American exceptionalism.
So, as I said, the myth of the frontier was developed to meet the needs of expansion and industrialization. However, the myth of the frontier was used as an excuse for colonizing Native Americans. Since the 19th century, it has been way too much romanticized, to the point it completely distorts the historical reality. The myth is far removed from reality; in fact, it is characterized by a insatiable appetite for wealth, selfishness, racism and extreme violence towards Native Americans. Yet, movies, comics and American literature tend to ignore these aspects of the Frontier. They often promote stereotypes and archetypes of characters. Four archetype heroes have been identified (Kent Steckmesser): Kit Carson, outlaw Billy the Kid, gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok, and soldier George Armstrong Custer.
IV - The Myth of the American Dream and the Self-made man
The United States is said to be the country of freedom; freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success. The American Dream is characterized by the belief there are only few inconvenients in the United States. There is the general assumption that the political system does not oppress its citizens. People are independent and self-reliant; hence, anyone can succeed if they put a lot of effort into what they do.
Astuce: Les quantifieurs a lot of / lots of expriment une grande quantité mais leur utilisation reste familière. Ils s'utilisent aussi bien avec des noms singuliers indénombrables qu'avec des noms pluriels dénombrables. Exs: The puritans didn't have a lot of money. They did not have a lot of time ahead of them. When they arrived in America, they had lots of things to do.
It means that any American can attain better living conditions (such as owning a home and a car, establishing a business, getting an education).
Astuce: Le quantifieur "any" peut avoir différents sens. Dans les phrases affirmatives, "any" veut dire "n'importe lequel". Ex: Any child will say yes if you give them candy. Dans une question, on emploie "any" car on ignore si la réponse sera positive ou négative. Ex: Are there any biscuits left? Dans une phrase négative, "any" exprime la quantité, comme par exemple "There aren't any adult to supervise the school ground today".
The American Dream is another important foundation of American core values, for it can be traced back to America’s beginnings and the Founding Fathers. In the Declaration of Independence, they stated that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Not only does the American political system defend the American Dream and the right to be happy, but it also enforces the idea of America being an exceptional country. Let’s put it this way: in the U.S.A, anyone can be free, happy, successful and wealthy, regardless of their origin and social class. Then, people will believe the nation has so much more to offer than any other nation. This ideology is used to contrast the ideals of American and European societies (Europe represents oppression here).
Astuce: "Much" exprime une grande quantité, tout comme "many". La seule différence étant que "many" s'emploie avec les noms dénombrables; "much" avec les noms indénombrables. "The Pilgrims have many friends but they don't have much money".
The American Dream also explains America’s individualistic society. Since every American is endowed with the same capacity and is able to achieve their potential; it is up to them to improve their living conditions. It is a culture in which uniqueness, competition and creativity are valued.
Note: The idea of an American Dream was particularly popular in the 1930s, through the 1970s. It was emphasized by the establishment of industrialization, consumerism and the concepts of home ownership and mortgage credit (first government assistance)
“Rags to riches” narrative
The “rags to riches” narrative has been prevalent in American culture, literature and cinema. It relates the popular story of a character who rises from extreme poverty to wealth and fame. This type of character is often called “a self-made man”, that is to say a man that does not owe anyone anything. He made it on his own.
Those men (and women) can be regarded as heroes. Some modern figures that rose from poverty to fame include Steve Jobs, Eminem, Charlie Chaplin, Mark Zuckerberg, etc.
Why should I care? First of all, it is an essential definition in American culture (the embodiment of freedom). For further information, go check out the myth of the road, which also represents the American dream.
Second, it occupies such an important place in the society that it has overshadowed a great part of American history - from west expansion, Indian wars and massacres, to slavery and segregation. For instance, the American Dream has always been based on racial equality and equal access to quality education. However, at the time of racial segregation, education taught in black schools was very different from the one taught in white schools. In other words, unequal education implied unequal opportunity and racial inequality. One can consider the American Dream to be flawed for several reasons.
It is easy to choose to turn a blind eye on a history of massacres, colonization and oppression. It is easy to assume that the United States is a perfect and flawless nation, based on equality of chances. Still, the notions of race and origin can be particularly problematic in some states. (for further information, see Black Lives’ Matter movement ; policies of Hispanic assimilation ; etc).
Even though the definition has remained the same throughout the years, people are getting highly critical of this notion of the American Dream. Opinion is divided on whether the American Dream is dead or has only been an illusion / a myth. In a given materialistic society, the American Dream symbolizes the desire to earn and buy as much as possible.