Historically, the United States has been viewed as "the land of opportunity," attracting
immigrants from all over the world. The opportunities they believed they would find in
America and the experiences that most people actually had when they arrived nurtured a
unique set of values. We will examine six basic values that have become traditional
American values in three pairs: individual freedom and self-reliance, equality of
opportunity and competition, material wealth and hard work.
Individual Freedom and Self-Reliance
Individual liberty is rooted in the early immigrant experience: the Pilgrims, for example,
came to North America to be able to freely follow their own religion (never mind that
they didn't want other people to practice other religions!). Many others followed them to
America for similar reasons, such as to escape oppressive societies or persecution, or to
be able to own land.
By freedom, Americans mean the desire and the right of all individuals to control their
own destiny without outside interference from the government, a ruling noble class, the
church, or any other organized authority. The desire to be free of controls was a basic
value of the new nation in 1776, and it has continued to attract immigrants to this
country.
Self-reliant is the cost of indiviadual freedom. Individuals must learn to rely on
themselves, or they will lose their independence. They must take full responsibility of
their own lives. This has traditionally meant gaining financial and emotional
independence from their parents as soon as possible, generally by the age of eighteen or
twenty-one. Americans who believe in self-reliance think that they should look for
themselves, handle their own issues, and "stand on their own two feet."
Equality of Opportunity and Competition
Material Wealth and Hard Work