Nowhere is that more apparent than in the rise of an obscure sermon, A Model of Christian Charity, by the first Puritan governor of Massachusetts Bay, John Winthrop. And so, while the Pilgrims were not “first” in any formal way, they were made first in order to define America as a certain set of ideals. They could proclaim themselves a moral beacon to the world. They could claim to have established self-government. Through the Pilgrims, Americans could claim to stand for God, not gold for freedom, not slavery. So why do they make the list?Įver since the early 1800s, the Pilgrim origin story of Plymouth Rock has served to isolate a purer purpose for America, defining the nation as distinct from all other countries on earth. In many ways, they were late to the game. They were not the first people here, nor the first Europeans, nor the first Englishmen, nor the first permanent English settlers. What do all these different answers mean? They mean that America has many origins, and all of them matter. The Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution delimit “America” as a political nation, the United States, which began at a certain time. The arrival of enslaved Africans marks and defines America through the institution of slavery. Beginning with Jamestown means identifying the first permanent English settlement. Starting with Columbus means locating an origin in the first Europeans. Starting with Native Americans means highlighting the first people to set foot in this land while also including all who have ever since come. But more than the messiness of a story with no solitary beginning, they also show how talk of origins does little to sort the truths of history and much more to identify definitions of “America” in the present day. They mean that America has many origins, and all of them matter. What do all these different answers mean? Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue Topic Transatlantic Policy Network on Religion and Diplomacy.Towards a Global Culture of Safeguarding.Revitalizing Global Religious and Interfaith Networks.Religion and the Crisis of Displaced Persons.
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