U.S. History I: United States History 1607-1865 ... - Textbook Equity

strongly on both sides of the Atlantic.
Later, as America filled up its frontiers, 19th-century Americans went about their business
without much reference to the rest of the world, except, of course, for the influence of millions
of refugees and immigrants who poured in through Ellis Island and other ports in the
latter decades. Following the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, the European world
was relatively free from conflict until 1914, a period known as the “Hundred Years’ Peace.”
During that time America was relatively untouched by major events beyond our shores.
Eventually, perhaps inevitably, America was dragged into conflicts with foreign powers, but
those periods were typically followed by periods of withdrawal—or isolation, as it is sometimes
called. It was only during the 20th century, beginning with World War I, that the
United States became a major player on the international scene. Since the end of World War
II America has been a dominant force in international affairs.
To go back to our origins, however, we may start with the proposition that American history
did not begin with Jamestown, nor the Spanish settlement of North America, nor Columbus,
nor even with the arrival of the Native Americans. For America is a Western nation, a nation
whose roots lie deeply in Europe, albeit with powerful strains of Native American, African,
and Asian cultures mixed in. America is an outgrowth of the evolution of European society
and culture. From our politics to our religion to our economic and social behavior, we follow
patterns that emerged over time from the ancient civilizations of the Western world—
Greece, Rome, the Middle East, and the barbarian tribes that ranged across northern Europe
before the rise of the Roman Republic and the Greek city-states.
Our principal religion is Christianity. Our drama is tinged with the influence of Greek tragedy.
Our laws have grown out of the experiences of the Roman Republic, the Greek citystate
and English common law. Our philosophy is heavily derived from Plato and Aristotle,
and our science and mathematics also stem from the ancient world, often via Islamic and
African scholars who picked up long-lost threads and wove them into new shapes that were
embraced by Europeans during and after the Renaissance. Those developments in science
and mathematics made possible the great age of exploration, which led to the discovery of
America (or “rediscovery” if you prefer) by Columbus and his successors.
Following are ways in which the pre-Columbian world touched American history:
• Religious: The Judeo-Christian heritage of America is strong and still has enormous
influence over our attitudes and beliefs. The Crusades, the Reformation, and the entire
religious history of Europe are part of the background of America. Our religious
heritage helps determine our relationships with the rest of the world.
• Political: Early concepts of democracy were Greek—the funeral oration of Pericles
from Thucydides could be used at a present-day 4th of July celebration. The Roman
Republic was the last great republic before the United States. The founding fathers
were aware of that history and used it in making their revolution and writing our
Constitution.
• Philosophical: As Alfred North Whitehead remarked, “The safest general characterization
of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes
to Plato.” In other words, our ideas of self, society, and government, and the nature
of our universe, have roots in ancient and medieval philosophies.
• Cultural: Our poetry, drama, music, literature, and language are all part of the Western
European heritage. We formed our own culture, but it was informed by all that
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