| Immigration became the foundation for a nation destined to
lead the world. The ‘United States of America’ did not exist in the minds of men
in the 16th century, it was just another place that began humbly as a small settlement.
With the arrival of more people, another colony of Great Britain was born. In those early years, almost every resident was an immigrant, but the term had little meaning to the souls that traversed the Atlantic Ocean seeking a better life. Most of them were natives of Great Britain sharing a similar cultural background and language. Their mutual interest in social order, jurisprudence, and the common good, allowed them to concentrate on survival as a colony in their new, often inhospitable, environment. Although a passive peace existed, for the most part, between the new white settlers and the native American Indians of this vast land, it would eventually erupt in violence. As the years passed, the colonies flourished and grew to control most of the east coast of the North American continent. Families proliferated, producing generations of Americans with allegiances unlike their forebears, less inclined to adhere to the dictates of a people they had not met and a place they had never trod. The establishment of the U.S. at the end of the Revolutionary War was the beginning of America’s pluralism, the melting pot of the world, and the basis for its greatness. They came from every culture, every socioeconomic level, (most were poor and desperate for a new life), bringing with them a vitality and a faith in God that became a bedrock for America. They came by the millions with skills needed for the nation’s growth. Many of Britain’s underprivileged continued to come, while her wealthy families poured millions of pounds into the development of the U.S. Germans came with an unparalleled work ethic. The Irish served as laborers building the roads, canals and railroads. Italians came to settle and work in the nation’s largest cities. Danes came as skilled farmers, Norwegians as expert fishermen/lumbermen, and Swedes proficient in mining/working with metals. Blacks were first brought from African countries as slaves and later came as free immigrants, challenging us to live our nation’s basic right that, "All men are created equal." They labored, pouring sweat, building the agricultural base of many states and firing the industrial growth of others. Nationals from around the world arrived with sought after skills from tradesmen to merchants, industrialists to leaders of men. So the experiment prospered and a super power was born. [Back] [Next] [Up] [New Search] 'Immigration' segment written in November, 1997 by David Lodge |