This project will trace the development of “American exceptionalism” in contemporary and modern us history from the end of the American reconstruction era (1877) to the end of the Cold War era (1991). The specific content of “American exceptionalism” has changed dramatically throughout American history, but regardless of its exact meaning, it’s always tightly connected to the current events specific to its time in history. Therefore, this project will be conducted by examining some of the most important historical events and trying to figure out the underlying influence of “American exceptionalism” behind these episodes. Although the international impact of American exceptionalism is also immense, the focus of this project will only be on the domestic discourse and influence of “American exceptionalism” inside America and on the American people.
Having many different meanings in many different scenarios, precisely defining the whole concept of “American exceptionalism” is rather challenging. The common-sensibly definition of “American exceptionalism” as the belief that the US is inherently different from other countries is too broad to be a suitable guideline for this project; every nation are different from each other in their own ways [2], simply saying that American is different doesn’t mean much. Luckily, after many years of research American historians have concluded the essence of “American exceptionalism” as the belief that America has a special mission of bringing freedom to all mankind by spreading the American way and making the entire world becoming “America writ large” [1]. This definition of “American exceptionalism” is much more profound than it might first appear since it well-defined the boundary of this concept, making it neither excessively all-encompassing nor overly specific; it clearly separates “American exceptionalism” from other concepts that influence American thoughts such as nationalism or patriotism, although they might still be intertwined depending on the situation. It also picks out some recent usage of “American exceptionalism” as political buzz words, preventing them from making the concept even more convoluted.
The concept of “American exceptionalism is a very agile analytical lens for contemporary American history since 1877: it faithfully reflects the continuity in the thought of the Americans, and transformations that the American society has endured. The essence of the concept of “American exceptionalism” has always been the same since the day America was established, but the specific context, application, and justification for “American exceptionalism” have always changed along with the history of the US. Closely studying the presence of “American exceptionalism” through US history will reveal how this concept has consistently directed American society; studying the gradual development of “American exceptionalism” in the US will unveil how the concept has, conversely, been adopted by the Americans in order to serve their needs in their time and space.
With the aforementioned definition, the concept of “American exceptionalism runs through the entire history of the United States of America, all the way until today. However, due to the nature of this project being historical research, the timeframe that will be covered in this project will start by 1877, but won’t end by 2019. This is because, due to the complexity of many recent events, I find it hard to maintain the necessary neutrality for historical research and acquire adequate, reliable information. Therefore, the timeframe of this project will fall between the years 1877 to 1991. This timeframe coincides with the end of the reconstruction era and the global Cold War era, in both cases the US successfully spread its way of freedom to a greater number of people and countries, thus “Ameican exceptionalism”, as defined by American historians, prevailed.
The conclusion of the reconstruction era sees the dawn of what’s later referred to as the “gilded age” of America [3]. This era, lasting from the 1860s to roughly the year 1900, was most known for the rapid internal and external growth of both the economy and territory. During this time period, the US was engaged in two different frontiers of expansion: the westward expansion along with the continuation of the American-Indian war, and the external colonial acquisition of territory–“American exceptionalism” is both a driving force and a driven force. In both of these cases, the concept of “American exceptionalism” has driven and supported these activities, and promptly utilized by Americans to morally justify their actions.
In between the two world wars that ravaged the Earth between the years 1914 and 1945, there’s a significant change in how “American exceptionalism” was perceived and used in the US. Instead of being a force for expansion in the previous era, “American exceptionalism” has come in support more and more for sentiments against the acquisition of more territory outside of the US. From a colonial empire that constantly demands more territorial gains, the US has turned into a status quo power that seeks to maintain the current world order. The usage of “American exceptionalism” had significantly broadened during this period of time, but its essence still remains the same–bringing freedom to all mankind through making them more American.
During the Cold War era from the year 1946 to the year 1991, “American exceptionalism” has been coined by many people to achieve different ends. But due to the separation of the world between the two blocs, it has more often than not been directed to the spread of the liberal world order and the containment of communism.
Notes:
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Eric Foner. “AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM, AMERICAN FREEDOM.” The Montréal Review, (January 2013)
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Peter S. Onuf, “American Exceptionalism and National Identity,” American Political Thought 1, no. 1 (Spring 2012): 77
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H. Wayne Morgan, “The Gilded Age,” American Heritage Magazine 35, issue 5 (August/September 1984)