23.02.2015

The video on God in America is about religious fundamentals in America. It describes in details coming of colonists called Puritans who came from Europe to find religious freedom. There were talking historians, religious specialists and actors who performed the most important events that time. As a good resource served journals written by John Winthrop. He founded a new Christian community in Massachusetts. He proclaimed the return to the Bible; he wanted to purify the Church. The colonists were dying and they believed that the God tested them and so no one could say any word against the God. It was a pure simple orthodox community. In 1634 Anne Hutchinson came in to the colony and spread her ideas among women that the God speaks to her and that anybody can be save. Winthrop on the other hand believed that the God speaks through the Bible. In 1637 Anne Hutchinson was taken to the trial where Winthrop was not capable of bringing up solid charges but still the court decided to put her in prison and then send away.

The video was not for me much interesting as for example a text Hector St. John Crevecoeur 1782 where are concluded the main characters of Americans. It is maybe because of the narrow range of the topic in the video or most probably it is because of the topic itself which does not concern me much. In comparison to the character of Americans where I found some really interesting ideas (e.g. mixing blood, loving their country) that show Americans in the way I perceive them.

Which brings me to the paper What is an American that is, compared to the other texts, rather not related to the history of establishment of the American nation but to the nation itself. It describes the bonds of Americans as dislike for monarchical form of government, an admiration for republicanism, shared hope of acquiring property, abnormal sensitiveness to foreign criticism. The last statement about criticism caught my attention. I do not know in which sense it is meant and in the text I did not find more about it but I consider American as a self-confident nation and all the texts confirm it.  So how can they not bear the criticism and how does it manifest.

One more thing mentioned in the text about a true nation that religious sentiment plays a great role in America. I started my reading with Illustrated history of the USA where I first come across the topic of religion. Since that time I did not take it into the consideration. I mean that religion took so important role by building a new nation. However it seems to be logical looking for religious freedom in a new land.

Illustrated history was a readable as well as interesting text with lots of details and some extra texts concerning the topic e.g. the origin of thanksgiving or the story about Wilderness Road In the part about Puritans there was not mentioned the name of Anne Hutchinson only John Winthrop and his idea about a city upon a hill. Contrary to the video where I understood that Annie was a big meaning for future formation of American values.

As I said it was a smooth text but written only from one point of view (a "white man" story). I really missed there the view of the original inhabitants of America.