Well hey there and welcome back to Heimler’s History. We’ve been going through Unit 3 of the AP U.S. History curriculum, and in this video we’re going to talk about how the early republic began developing a distinct American identity. So if you’re ready to get them brain cows milked, let’s get to it. So the main idea we’re going to be getting at in this video is basically this: how can we explain the changes in American culture from 1754-1800? And I got some ideas on the answer. So first, let’s talk about the ladies. It probably won’t surprise you to know that women had a diminished role in early American society compared to today. They didn’t have voting rights, their roles were more limited, etc. But during this period many leaders were convinced that wives and mothers were especially crucial to the establishment of a strong America, and this led to the development of an idea known as the Republican Motherhood. Now this idea came from an essay written by Benjamin Rush in 1787 called Essay on Female Education, and essentially it posited that mothers were in the best position to influence political ideas by raising virtuous sons educated in the principles of liberty. And if mothers were going to that, then they needed to be educated themselves. Now I know that’s a far cry from what we would consider women’s rights, but in general, many women saw this as a sacred duty to be performed. Now this push for women’s education actually did work to expand schooling for girls. In 1789, for example, Massachusetts instituted elementary education for all children, and along with that academies for girls multiplied too. Some women, like Judith Sargent Murray, pushed for an even more expanded role for women arguing that women should be able to attain the necessities of life apart from the help and patronage of a man. Now that kind of independence wouldn’t come to fruition for a long time, but the roots of women’s rights are here in the very beginning. Now if you’re listening closely, you can probably discern that I’m really only talking about the expansion of roles and education for white women. This idea of expanded education certainly didn’t extend to black women, the bulk of whom were either enslaved or could only find work as household servants. Also American Indian women’s influence diminished during this period as well. You may recall that in many Indian groups descent was reckoned matrilineally, or through the mother, and that women typically had more influence among their people than the average white women did among hers. But with the increasing wars and conflicts among the Indians and westward migrating settlers, men’s roles as warriors and diplomats expanded, which had the effect of decreasing the roles and influence of the Indian women. Okay, so that was women in the early republic. Also during this time ideas about our national identity as Americans increasingly found expression in works of art and literature and architecture. And during the colonial days, these things were mostly influenced by European styles. For example, artists devoted attention to painting pictures with historical themes, with Enlightenment influence. For example, a significant painter during this time was Charles Willson Peale whose most famous work was a portrait of George Washington. Samuel Jennings broke norms by including women and black folks into his paintings of American culture while still emphasizing the importance of rationality and education. John Trumbull is also an exceedingly important painter during this time. He devoted much of his work to depicting important historical events, but did so in a romanticized way. For example, here’s Trumbull’s depiction of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Notice his use of light and how it adds drama to the scene. Notice how the hall is packed and everyone stands or sits in reverent silence as Jefferson hands over the document. But the truth is, that’s not how the Declaration was signed. There was hardly a time when everyone was in the room together, and probably everyone was sweaty and stank from being cooped up indoors in July. It was a hurried and harried thing, not really a reverent one. But in depicting it this way, Trumbull provokes a sense of nationalistic fervor in his audience and helps them understand that this is one of their defining moments as a people. With respect to architecture, its style was likewise borrowed from Europe and it was mostly formal brick and stone, reflecting the classical revival style. You can see this especially reflected in Thomas Jefferson’s famous home, Monticello. And you can see that style in the columns and the dome up top. Literature also played a part in shaping the early American identity. Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack was read widely in colonial and post-colonial times. In fact it was so popular that only the Bible outsold it. This annual handbook was filled with aphorisms like, “a penny saved is a penny earned” which delighted early Americans. They eagerly adopted many of these aphorisms and it helped shape American identity as those who were industrious and hard working. And let’s also talk briefly about religion. Thomas Jefferson was responsible for giving us the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, which said an awful lot about how Americans viewed themselves religiously. This statute defined the separation between church and state, which in general, was a very American thing to believe. It argued that people could not be compelled to support church ministry with tax dollars, or even compelled to go to church at all, nor could the government violate the conscience of an individual worshipper. Okay, that's what you need to know about Unit 3 Topic 11 of the AP US History curriculum. If you need help getting an A in your class and a five on your exam in May, videos for you, then subscribe and that lets me know you want me to keep going. Heimler out.