A Description of New England Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

A Description of New England - Essay Example Nationalism remains an important issue in the modern United States. In the contemporary United States, nationalists usually hold significant veneration of the flag of the United States and other national symbols, while other cultures tend to regard this mentality with hostility, giving rise to anti-Americanism. Although the United States is usually regarded as a nation-state, supporters of American exceptionalism may prefer to see it as a state bathed in the glory of its own unique light. The country clearly has a sense of national identity and history, Americans refer to an American people. Thus, patriotism is prominent in public life. Nationalism is the appropriate and recognized term for the associated ideology and political movements, within the present United States, and during its history. That does not necessarily correspond with current usage of the term in American politics, or with the views of self-described American nationalists. There are no two same theories about when the United States became a nation-state, and developed a sense of national identity. Some historians think that the United States was already a nation-state at independence, others that this occurred during the 19th century, either before or after the American Civil War. In essence, the new world discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, led to a new start for people’s lives in America for centuries to come. America today is still referred to as the land of dreams, but over three hundred years ago that phrase had much more meaning to the people. A few people would travel across the Atlantic in search of Asia to establish faster trade routes, later some would travel to the new world to find riches, and than even more would travel for freedom.