The Impact of Early European Colonization on America

This week we are examining early American colonial founding and growth in what will become the US. How did early European colonization set precedents that we still see in contemporary US culture today? Make sure to cite specific example from your text (with parenthetical citations) and/or lecture. Also, make sure to read through your classmates’ posts so that your ideas are original and do not duplicate something that has already been posted.

reply Ying Yen Kuo?The early colonization of America by Europeans paved the way for persistent cultural characteristics in modern US society. The concept of pluralism was developed by the various European groups that came, as evidenced by the religious tolerance in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam (1). The colonists’ need for economic independence cultivated the individualism and capitalism that underpin modern American capitalism. Private property ownership and incentives for pursuing personal gain were first established in Jamestown, Virginia (2). The English pursuit of representative government also resulted in the growth of democratic ideas that influence the contemporary US political system. An early example of self-government is the Mayflower Compact from 1620 (3). These examples highlight the diversity of cultures, economic enterprise, and democratic principles that are present in modern American culture.