American Culture

Those Europeans who settled America predestined their heirs to establish a new culture that included more opportunity for land ownership and freedom. Their struggles would define this culture. Only the tough need apply. Europe was controlled by the monarchy and becoming colonists offered more opportunity and freedom.

In the 1500s, Spain and Portugal laid claim to land in South America to claim it for their monarchies. Their colonies became sovereign countries.

In the 1600s, Holland and England laid claim to land occupied by American Indians on the East Coast. Their purpose was to harvest timber and other goods for shipment back to Europe. The French set up trading posts in Canada and along the Mississippi for French fur trappers. They had no interest in “owning the land” and got along better with the Indians. The Dutch were just in it for the trade. The English were there to own the land and extract raw materials for export.

The cast of characters in this adventure included merchants and shippers who wanted to expand their business in exporting goods to Europe, but they needed people. The people who were interested in coming to America included church communities of insular, fundamentalist protestant sects who were harassed by larger denominations.

America needed lumberjacks, farmers, ranchers, hunters, fishermen, tradesmen, wagon drivers, barge pilots, harbor dock workers, sailors, surveyors, miners, blacksmiths, leather workers and livestock ranchers.

The economic unit of the society was the family. Parents taught children how to behave and how to work from an early age. Children helped take care of younger siblings and were taught how to do chores. Children were homeschooled and taught to read the Bible and they learned by example.

The culture they established was Christian and European forged in struggle, hard work and persistence. These hardships created the motivation to prosper and become self-reliant. The American Culture is all about Work, loving what we do and Working to Succeed.

My maternal grandfather, Leo Couch was born in 1886, raised, homeschooled and worked on the family farm near St. Louis Mo. At age 11 he took a job in a factory to earn money to hire a science tutor. He entered Medical College at age 16, graduated at age 19 in 1905 and was appointed Professor of Internal Medicine. He completed his surgical residency in 1907 and practiced medicine until his death in 1962. He worked every Saturday in his charity practice in the rural county where he grew up and was reimbursed with produce from their farms. His life is a case study of how our ancestors lived.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader