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What country was Nebraska or Wyoming? I missed that somehow. Indian nations?
What time period are we talking?
When the original 13 colonies united to remove themselves from governance by England and then under the Articles of Confederation, each former colony considered itself a separate country that had united with twelve other countries.
The bond was never very strong even after the Constitution was ratified, and grew weaker into the 19th C.
When war with England started in 1812 the New England states convened a secession convention to leave the Union, as England was its biggest trading partner.
Being educated in an eastern state I can't remember Nebraska or Wyoming even being mentioned.
I think the American Revolution (1765 to 1783) was greatly influenced by the English civil wars (1642 – 1651) and the Republican government of the commonwealth of England (1649–1660) that formed out of it. If it wasn’t for the Stuart Restoration, the parliamentarians would’ve remained in power and the UK to this day wouldn’t have a monarchy. This is also the root to the cultural split between the north and the south, as the puritans of New England supported the parliamentarians while Virginia supported the Royalists/Cavaliers.
I can think of THREE big European contributors that left a lasting contribution to the CULTURE of the United States.
The Early map of the Colonial regions of the North American Atlantic Coast featured three colonies- New England, The New Netherlands and Virginia.
One might think that Great Britain/English is our most obvious influence but I can make the argument that, at BEST, they are #3 or maybe #2. I'll start in reverse ranking:
The Early map of the Colonial regions of the North American Atlantic Coast featured three colonies- New England, The New Netherlands and Virginia.
#3 Great Britain/ English
Obviously Great Britain contributed their language but Americans, over time, rejected other English cultural and governmental influences.
New England was extremely utopian and Hierarchical. Not only was Freedom of Religion...Freedom of Christian Religion was discouraged. You were to be an upper class PURITAN family with an distaste for Catholicism or Anglicanism (Church of England) because, in their minds, the church and had not reformed enough to their reformation utopian ideals.
A strict WASP hierarchy was adhered to and Education prestige was of paramount importance. Hence, the Ivy League Colleges radiating out of Boston/ New England.
Virginia was a start contrast to New England. It was not settled by Utopian minded families but mostly by single men that were either prisoners, indentured servants or just escaping something or seeking agricultural jobs in the New World. It was extremely difficult, for an English man, to raise his stock in the English Hierarchical system.
Americans, acting as an rebellious independent children, slowly rejected almost all of the cultural influences from their "Motherland".
They embraced 'Freedom of religion"
They rejected the Monarchy, replacing it with a President/ Congress/ Senate full of a ton of Cheks and Balances.
They encouraged immigration and promised you can become whatever you want via the American Dream (spoiler. A Dutch attitude, not an English one)
They rejected almost all of the English sports or morphed them into versions of their own, The US was one of the first Countries to receive 'Soccer' (Association Football) but quickly discarded it and merged it with Rugby to create "American Football". they did the same with Cricket, creating Baseball.
#2. Germany/ German
While they did not colonize parts of the United States, their cultural influence is undeniable. They sent over so many that at one point in the late 20th century something like 1/4- 1/3 of ALL Americans were of German descent. they were so prevalent, before WWI, there were actual movements to make German the official language of the United States.
The Germans were NOT city people. They brought a strong, orderly work ethic and made it a priority to be ON TIME...a trait that is still very important to Americans today. Their fall festivals and beer were so influential that many of the early US brewers were created German families.
They also sneakily contributed musical influences. Tejano music, popular in Spanish speaking parts of Texas is German music with Spanish lyrics.
#1. The Netherlands/ Dutch
The attitude behind the whole concept of the Entrepreneurship of the "American Dream" is Dutch. the New Netherlands, centered on New Amsterdam/ New York City, was a weird alien colony sandwiched between the two major English Colonies.
The Dutch, form day one, REQUIRED Freedom of religion.
They preached CAPITALISM over all.
They allowed immigrants, from any country, provided you were here to make a contribution to American New Netherlands.
They abandoned the hierarchical rigid system of the English and allowed anyone to mo0ve up the ladder via hard work...the seedlings for the American Dream.
It is no coincidence that THE ALPHA CITY OF THE UNITED STATES is New York City, a Dutch creation.
The Dutch were also less rigid than the English. Santa Claus was first allowed by the Dutch as the English initially forbade celebration Christmas with Santa Claus.
Also, Dutch words like 'Boss' and 'Cookie' are very much part of out American language today.
Early American Leaders, when drafting our early documents not only modeled themselves after Dutch thought and policies...they essentially did so while delivering a giant F You to the English ways of government.
I would add French to this as well. The influence is most pronounced in Louisiana. Catholicism was a big part of New France.
France colonized huge swaths of North America. Many cities throughout the Midwest were founded by French explorers/fur traders. Among them, Detroit, St. Louis, Prairie du Chien, Dubuque, Green Bay, Ste. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau, Vincennes, Duluth,etc. Some southern cities such as New Orleans, Biloxi, Baton Rouge, and Mobile were founded by the French. Within the southern USA, cities of French origin are often the biggest centers of Catholicism in the Deep South, an otherwise Protestant region. French culture in Louisiana isn't just limited to Cajun culture. In fact, it was there long before the settlement of Acadians in Louisiana (later to be known as "Cajuns").
Joie de vivre and the Catholic faith are part of the French culture. Mardi Gras got started in Mobile, but it's even bigger in New Orleans. New Orleans has long been a Catholic city (and attracted alot of Catholic immigrants, such as Italians, Cubans, Croatians, Irish, Germans, etc). It is home to the only Catholic-based HBCU in America.
French influence exists outside of Louisiana too. Consider some cities and their city plans. Washington, DC was never settled by the French. However, DC was planned in Baroque style by Pierre L'Enfant, a French artist and military engineer. Large avenues, triangular-shaped parks, squares, circular areas, certain roads branching out in a radial pattern, this is part of the L'Enfant Plan.
Detroit, founded by French fur traders in the early 1700s, has some French influence in its city planning. After the Detroit fire of 1805, the city was planned out with radial avenues. The plan that Augustus Woodward used borrowed alot from the L'Enfant Plan. You can see this in Downtown Detroit today.
In parts of New England, French can be heard. In particular, northern New England. Northern Maine has several communities where a majority of the population speaks French.
Southern New England has also received some French influence. In particular, Rhode Island and some portions of Massachusetts (namely Lowell and Fall River).
Notable New Englanders of French descent..
-Leo Durocher. MLB manager, he managed the Brooklyn Dodgers during the time Jackie Robinson played for the team. Though born in West Springfield, MA, he started school without knowing a word of English.
-Nap Lajoie. MLB player/Hall of Famer. He played for the now-Cleveland Guardians. Born and raised in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
-Rabbit Maranville (he lived in the same neighborhood as Leo Durocher in West Springfield). MLB player/Hall of Famer
-Emeril Lagasse. Well-known chef who would take has craft to New Orleans. He was born and raised in Fall River, MA.
-Mark Belanger. MLB player, spent most of his career with the Baltimore Orioles. From Pittsfield, MA.
-Jack Kerouac. Novelist from the Beatnik era, Merchant Marine. Born and raised in Lowell, MA. Born to French Canadian parents. He didn't start learning English until he was 6.
-Tom Bergeron (of Haverhill, MA). He was the host of America's Funniest Home Videos from 2001-2015. He was also on Good Morning America.
-Matt Leblanc, of Newton, MA. He's known as the actor who played Joy Tribbiani from the show Friends.
French contributions are under recognized. Gaining our national independence is one example of the French contribution, especially at Yorktown.
Years ago I met an elderly man who still spoke Missouri’s Paw-Paw French left over in isolated places since colonial days. There is an effort to revive the dialect.
French contributions are under recognized. Gaining our national independence is one example of the French contribution, especially at Yorktown.
Years ago I met an elderly man who still spoke Missouri’s Paw-Paw French left over in isolated places since colonial days. There is an effort to revive the dialect.
Many people seem to forget the French persons who fought alongside Americans to help America become a country.
Paw-Paw French, that is dialect that many people don't even know exists. There is also "Muskrat French" spoken by a few people in southeastern Michigan.
I think the French contributions aren't spoken of very much. It's either forgotten or mocked
I always found it extremely interesting that Louisiana kept their (version of) Napoleonic code.
The old guys were smart enough to know that while it's always tempting to redo things to new and better template, in lawmaking continuity is king. (OK, badly chosen turn of phrase.) People may like revolutions and injustice being ended, but you can't undo everything, like the French attempted.
Interesting thing is, Louisiana didn't adopt it until one year after its statehood.
The Spanish have had an influence on America. Consider places like Florida, Texas, New Mexico, California, Louisiana, Colorado, etc. San Luis is the oldest city in Colorado (founded in 1851). Descendants of Spaniards founded San Luis. It is part of the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado.
Santa Fe, New Mexico and St. Augustine, Florida are among the oldest cities in America. They were founded by the Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries. Florida was first settled by the Spanish. Its name is Spanish for "flowery", coming from "Pascua Florida", or "flowery Easter".
New Mexico was settled by and ruled by the Spanish for a long time, before becoming part of the USA. Its Spanish influences can be felt throughout the state, but in particular, northern New Mexico. Places like Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Espanola, they were established by Spanish settlers.
The first Asian settlement in America wasn't in California or Hawaii, but Louisiana. And this is a product of Spanish rule. The French weren't the only ones to rule Louisiana. Louisiana was once under Spanish rule too. Several Filipino deserters escaped from a Spanish galleon and established St. Malo, a fishing village. The Spanish also sent several Canary Islanders (known as Islenos in Louisiana) to southern Louisiana to plant sugar cane and populate the region.
California and Texas are home to several cities that were founded by the Spanish. San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, which are California cities that started out as Spanish missions. Texas is home to San Antonio, one of the largest cities in the USA. It was founded by the Spanish, and was planned according to Law Of The Indies.
The Spanish settlement of Texas has impacts that live on today. A large Roman Catholic population. Alot of places with Spanish names. Texas being a major state of raising livestock goes back to the days of Spanish rule. Words like rodeo, buckaroo, mustang, bronco, they come from Spanish words.
1) Great Britain/England - the base culture that defines the U.S.
2) German
3) Dutch
4) French
…
… 5) Spain
You are correct in your first choice but there are parts of the U.S. that reflect more of one of your other choices than another. I know some strongly influenced “German” counties but can’t identify a state that obviously leans that way. Perhaps Pennsylvania would? Louisiana exhibits a strong French influence. New York’s Hudson Valley has a Dutch influence. There are several states that lean toward Spanish influence and have done so for generations - centuries. I don’t need to name them as I’m sure you are well aware of the Spanish influence. The English influence surpasses all others, so in that regard, we agree.
You are correct in your first choice but there are parts of the U.S. that reflect more of one of your other choices than another. I know some strongly influenced “German” counties but can’t identify a state that obviously leans that way. Perhaps Pennsylvania would? Louisiana exhibits a strong French influence. New York’s Hudson Valley has a Dutch influence. There are several states that lean toward Spanish influence and have done so for generations - centuries. I don’t need to name them as I’m sure you are well aware of the Spanish influence. The English influence surpasses all others, so in that regard, we agree.
Agreed.
Yes, there are influences from European countries, most notably the German structure of US public education curriculum, and even from Asia (minimal). Chinese restaurants are probably the biggest example, and even they have "Americanized" food ingredients and recipes.
Spanish place-names scattered throughout the SW reflect former colonial influence, not current US cultural influence. After the Mexican War and Texas Independence Spanish names were simply left in place.
Spain and Spanish culture had nothing to do with the ideas that went into the formation of the US.
English political thought and tradition were the overwhelming guiding principles.
Spain was considered an enemy at that time and it's Catholic/Inquisition traditions were never going to have much influence in the Anglosphere in any case.
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