The definition of an American can be interpreted in a number of ways. America has a rich, diverse, and at times, upsetting history that has accumulated over the last few centuries, shaping the way that Americans are defined by people of other nations, as well as the way that they define themselves. Years of exploration and immigration have molded America and created a unique culture, so unique at times that parts of the culture clash. This has become the basis of conflict and prejudice that still prevails in today’s society and government. Explorers like Christopher Columbus used force to gain power and money, while other groups like the Pilgrims came to America for religious freedom, proving that Americans are built on a foundation of …show more content…
Although he did not actually “discover America” in 1492, he certainly discovered (and destroyed) groups of native “Indian” people in the Bahamas, Hispaniola (present day Haiti), and surrounding islands. His cruel actions toward these innocent people are often overlooked and buried by the glory he receives for his supposed founding of America. Shedding some light on the history surrounding Columbus shows that he enslaved and forced native people into labor, as describe in The Very Brief Relation of the Devastation of the West Indies by Spanish historian and social reformer Bartolomé De las Casas: “[The Spaniards] have brought to the island of Hispaniola and the island of San Juan more than two million souls taken captive, and have sent them to do hard labor in the mines, labor that caused many of them to die” (De las Casas 1). In letters sent to the King and Queen of Spain, the country that sponsored his voyages, Columbus begs for pardon after being captured and tortured by pirates. He seems to completely overlook the severity of his actions against the native people and is only concerned with himself, seeking pity and sympathy in his writing: “Heaven have mercy upon me....Weep for me, whoever has charity, truth and justice” (Columbus 4). Through his dehumanizing acts and self-centered …show more content…
America became a symbol of “a better life” for Puritan Pilgrims when they were faced with religious persecution in their European homeland in the mid-1600s. These people took a step into the unknown by leaving behind all that they were familiar with and traveling to America in search of the right to exercise their beliefs. They faced many obstacles on their journey, as described in Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford, one of the original Puritan Pilgrims: “In sundry of these storms the winds were so fierce, and the seas so high, as they could not bear a knot of sail, but were forced to hull, for diverse day later” (Bradford 59). In addition to inclimate weather, the Pilgrims were plagued by many diseases and poverty to such a severity that they were lucky to survive the trip itself. When they arrived on land, they celebrated and prepared for the difficult winter ahead of them, described by Bradford: “Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and bless the God of Heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof...” (Bradford 60). The amount of joy that they felt when they arrived in Cape Cod safely is unimaginable. After facing such a threat in Europe, the relief of knowing that they