The value and importance of individu-
ality in the United States has been height-
ened through folklore and the popular
media. For example, novels often portray
the American settler as moving westward
into new lands, carving out a homestead in
the wilderness remote from others. Rugged individualism is exemplified in the image of
the American cowboy—someone unencumbered by restrictive obligations or personal
ties, free to roam the spacious American West at will, and able to surmount all
challenges single-handedly. Stewart and Bennett, however, have pointed out that
the early frontier individualism, so commonly portrayed in popular media, was more
myth than reality.^20 Early settlers actually came together in loosely formed, informal
groups to help each other accomplish various tasks, such as harvesting crops or building
a church or barn, to barter for goods, or simply to socialize. Indeed, the role of groups in
early and present-day American life has led Fischer to consider U.S. culture as charac-
terized by voluntarism rather than individualism, where the self-reliant, independent
individual recognizes the benefits of communal activity but engages in those activities
on a self-selective, voluntary basis,^21 unlike the compelling sense of mutual obligation
so prevalent in collectivistic cultures.
Disdain for formality and wasting time was also part of the colonial experience.
Settling a new, undeveloped land required that a great deal of hard work be devoted
to the daily activities of surviving, a situation that did not lend itself to idleness or
pretentious formality. There was no time to be squandered on the nonsense of the
rigid European and British rules of formality. Only resourceful, determined people sur-
vived. The challenging geographical factors of the Western frontier also had a far-
reaching influence on the settlers. The behaviors of survival based on individualism
(voluntarism), a lack of formality, and efficiency soon gave rise to corresponding
beliefs, values, and attitudes. Accounts of the early immigrants’ability to overcome
the many challenges faced in taming the new land have inculcated cultural values of
independence and individualism. Anything that might violate free expression and the
right to decide for oneself is considered morally wrong.
U.S. history is also replete with instances of violence and war, experiences that
shaped both the culture and the geographical borders. Indeed, from some perspectives,
it could be said that the United States is a product of conflict. The early history of
the United States witnessed the taking of American Indian lands by force; the cap-
ture, importation, and enslavement of Africans; and numerous wars, such as the
Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Mexican-American War,
and the Spanish-American War. The latter two profoundly changed U.S. national
borders and its overseas domain. The Mexican-American War and its consequences
are discussed further in the section on Mexican history. The Spanish-American War
placed several of Spain’s colonial holdings under U.S. control, where Puerto Rico and
Guam remain today. There are, of course, many other examples that reflect the
American belief in possessing and using military force. As McElroy points out,
“The most remarkable cultural feature of American behavior in the twentieth century
is [was] repeatedly deploying huge armies and other military forces on far-distant con-
tinents and seas and in transferring colossal quantities of war supplies to distant
allies.”^22 That pattern has continued into the twenty-first century as witnessed by
the conflicts in the Middle East. The United States, with the world’s largest standing
armed forces, maintains approximately 1,000 overseas military installations.^23 It is alsoREMEMBER THIS
The history of the United States demonstrates a cultural heritage
that emphasizes egalitarianism, independence, frequent change,
and a willingness to take chances.166 CHAPTER 5•Cultural History: Precursor to the Present and Future
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