What Is an American

American writings have portrayed numerous ideologies of what it means to be an American and these ideals have transcended throughout time and can clearly be depicted by the major influential literary aspirants from each century. The one thing that remains the same is that it has always been a struggle to forge a truly "American" identity given the fact that our nation is one of immigrants. These early works reached the level of literature, as in the robust and perhaps truthful account of his adventures by many literary aspirants such as: Thomas Jefferson, William Bradford, Crevecoeur, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Through the tendentious journalistic accounts as directed by the edification of these credited writers, the identity of these writers can clearly be depicted through their doctrine.
In “Notes on the State of Virginia”, the ideas that Thomas Jefferson expressed primarily explains that man is born free and that he chooses to give up some rights to join into a governed society. One of Thomas Jefferson’s infamous statements was that, “all men are created equal.” In “Notes on the State of Virginia”, it emphasizes on human potential and reason, much of this literature reflects the prevailing sentiments of its era, often called the Enlightenment or the Age of Reason. Jefferson says “I would not honor with the appellation of knowledge, what I derive from the fables published of them. These I believe to be just as true as the fables of Aesop. This belief is founded on what I have seen of man…” Thomas Jefferson’s writing is laced with the philosophy of objective thinking and the search for the pursuit of happiness. In “Notes on the State of Virginia,” he spoke of freedoms in all areas with the condition the freedom did not harm others. As a part of these freedoms he specifically wrote, “To establish religious freedom on the broadest bottom.” He then went on to write, “The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others.” Jefferson