America was a great, unknown and unexplored land that was fascinating to the people of Europe and the rest of the world. People came to create a better life than they had the chance to create in their own country. There were no government incentives to settle in this unknown world except wilderness land to settle with their own energy and ingenuity to create a home and means of making a living. Most raised food for themselves and perhaps to sell or trade– anything that would provide the means to survive. Through their hard work and fortitude, these settlers prospered. They had to rely on family and neighbors to help each other build and maintain the peace without help from government assistance or handouts.
These settlers were on their own and knew it from day one. As settlers moved further west, individual settlements grew into viable communities that needed small businesses to furnish the homesteads with goods and services. These necessary services needed to be created by people. This required people with these special skills or those willing to learn them through their initiative and hard work.
These sectors grew in the east by developing trade and moved west. The immigrants who flooded into the US were no longer just settlers but people who wanted a part of the American dream. This time, it was not just to establish homesteads out west but to find work anywhere, especially in the developing cities, to survive until they could establish themselves.
These later arrivals left poorer European countrysides, flooding our harbors to begin at the bottom of the economy and to begin to climb up the economic ladder. Each new immigrant came not expecting to be given anything, but instead to grab the brass ring to success through their best work ethic and perseverance. The great nation of America was not built by bureaucrats or powerful politicians. The incentive came from immigrants wanting to move up through their own efforts and the freedom to do so.
The nation of the United States grew to greatness because it provided all citizens the opportunity to earn their own advancement by each individual working to the best of their ability. Most started in labor- intensive jobs and often moved up into various employment until they found a job that satisfied them.
This upward mobility was not done easily. These people often settled in high-crime areas in large cities or desolate rural areas. Strong connected families and helpful neighbors were their support. They had to face economic downturns, wars, rationed food, and other challenges. The major factor that most settlers had was strong values based on the Bible. These biblical values kept settlers and later immigrants in a positive and helpful mode. American settlers had minimal governmental dictates. They had the freedom to decide where and when to move to another place.
The roots of the American way were established by the experiences of these settlers. They worked for what they achieved. The most important thing they had was the freedom to do what they desired to survive.
Government intervention through free incentives may seduce people to make choices to fulfill government plans. However, only when people truly want something strongly do they have the motivation to stick to their dreams and get it done.
America’s greatness comes from our freedom as individuals to follow our own desires, use our energy and time to establish a life that fulfills our needs and vision. When citizens are given dreams of the future, they will choose one and then another until they climb the economic ladder reaching the height that satisfies them, not when government tells them they have to stop.
America’s greatness was accomplished by government not impeding the inalienable rights of the people or the freedom to be all they wanted to be.
Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers and blogs, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio is an author of weekly newspaper articles, INVASION WITHIN and the latest book entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING In a PC World. You can see many of Dr. Maglio’s articles at www.drmaglioblogspot.com.
