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Not Merely a Nation: The Country Is Where the Heart Is Given
| Article
# : |
10692 |
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Section : |
CULTURE
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| Issue
Date : |
1 / 1986 |
2,053 Words |
| Author
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Nancy Halsey
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America: a symbol of liberty and opportunity, a beacon of hope to the peoples of the world. More than any other nation, American has represented the tantalizing promise of an earthly paradise, a place where young people and families who were bold and adventurous enough could seek and find their fortunes; where pilgrims in search of spiritual life could hope to build heaven on earth.
A country of tension and contrast, where the clashing and coming together, the working out of so many immigrant strains has created a unique land, one which has been evolving for more than 300 years. As Walt Whitman wrote,
These states are the amplest poem,
Here is not merely a nation,
But a teeming nation of nations.
Surely the discovery of a vast, virtually uninhabited continent must have fired the imaginations of 17th century men and women. To come to America in those days would be like going into outer space for us. At that time, no one could imagine that this continent would ever be filled, and the opportunity to go gave inspiration to great dreams, although to take advantage of such opportunity could involve risking everything, including one's life.
The first Americans came with two main preoccupations: a desire for spiritual freedom and the hope of material prosperity. Whichever impulse was behind them, the earliest immigrants to America's shores were sustained by a special kind of courage.
... (1936 of 11586 Characters)
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