History and Identity Thirteen American colonies gained their independence from Britain in 1776 The Declaration of Independence lays out their reasons for wanting to separate It also outlines their basic beliefs One belief is that all men are created equal Another is that people have the right to a happy life Prominent men wrote the Declaration of Independence These doctors lawyers farmers and politicians are known as the Founding Fathers When writing the document women African Americans and Native Americans were not foremost in their minds However the document they created came to represent the new nation’s ideals The Founding Fathers The Founding Fathers helped to shape American identity But like all people they were not perfect Thomas Jefferson wrote all men are created equal in the Declaration of Independence Yet like many people of his time he owned slaves 6
The John Trumbull painting Declaration of Independence shows the presentation of a draft of the famous document A Nation of Immigrants The United States is a nation of immigrants People of any race or religion can be American The country
Native American dancers at the annual Gathering of Nations 8
is often called a melting pot Immigrants come to the United States seeking a better life Some people came to America unwillingly though The first African people arrived in 1619 They were enslaved Slaves suffered in America for more than 200 years Only after the American Civil War 1861 1865 was slavery outlawed Early European settlers in North America did not arrive on an empty landscape Native Americans lived throughout the continent Settlers took land from Native Americans This led to clashes By the 1800s the US government PERSPECTIVES A Weakening Identity Some Americans worry that the country’s national identity is weakening They worry about immigration Immigration became a topic of debate during the 2016 presidential campaign The candidates held different views Some favored sending illegal immigrants back to their home countries Others suggested ways to allow them to stay legally in the United States 9
