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Abstract: America is such an influential and powerful country -- politically, it holds the most right to speak; economically, it ranks first and has the dominant currency; socially, it is well-known for its liberty and democracy -- making people amaze at how this country, with less than 200 years of history, has grown so successful. Among various historical events and documents, The Declaration of Independence has laid the fundamental and decisive tone for the unique American spirit-- Americanism.
Keywords: freedom, legislation, transcendentalism
ⅠFreedom: American’s core value
Freedom is manifested at the very beginning of The Declaration of Independence: “...that all men are created equal,..., that they are among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. This desire towards freedom stems from the original immigrants who escaped from Great Britain to this new continent in search of democracy, liberty and religious freedom, who, when living in the U.K., had been persecuted and enslaved severely. Therefore, as soon as setting their step on this unexploited land, they were determined to establish a free country, where no rigid and rigorous laws would force them to pay heavy taxes; where they would feel free to trade with other countries; where there were no such dominant people as a King.
ⅡLegislation: American’s physical independence
In such a free country as America, though, legislation is never considered as contrasts to liberty. Citizens enjoy much more freedom, as well as facing much stricter laws, which gives no preference or priority to any one. They were quite aware that only when the nation is equipped with strict law will its citizens be endowed with freedom and that legislation can provide conditions for an individual to decide how he or she should deal with the power and resource he or she has. Therefore, legislation has become an essential prerequisite for individual freedom. Americans’ respect towards law was presented in The Declaration of Independence: “He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good”, etc., which, as was mentioned by an American lawyer, showed “ the legitimacy of Americans’ freedom.
Ⅲ Trancendentalism: American’s spiritual independence
Trancendentalism is renowned as the Spiritual Declaration of Independence, advocated by Emerson, who was strongly against Calvinism ( the followers of which believe that God is capable of everything and that human beings can do nothing but abide by God’s will). Transcendentalism has arisen American people’s sense of spiritual and cultural independence. It was regarded as another renaissance, which freed Americans from the manacle of Calvinism, of the all-powerful God. As an essential mental guidance during the vital period, when, at the very beginning of the establishment of this country, people valued too much on materials, living an empty and meaningless life. Transcendentalism enriched the then American people’s state of mind, as was shown in the American literature at that time, and made people alert and rational enough to know where they were and where shall they head.
References:
[1] Li Yanni, 2005, Understanding American Liberty, Law and Autonomy from the Declaration of Independence, Journal of Yibin University, No.9;
[2] ZHANG Zhigang, 2004, Trancendentalism: The Declaration of American Spiritual Independence, JOURNAL OF DALIAN NATIONALITIES UNIVERSITY, Vol.6, No.2;
作者：吕晓宇（Lyu Xiaoyu), 1992/07/29, 女，汉族，河南省新乡市
南京师范大学外国语学院 经贸英语专业 本科三年级（11级）
Keywords: freedom, legislation, transcendentalism
ⅠFreedom: American’s core value
Freedom is manifested at the very beginning of The Declaration of Independence: “...that all men are created equal,..., that they are among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. This desire towards freedom stems from the original immigrants who escaped from Great Britain to this new continent in search of democracy, liberty and religious freedom, who, when living in the U.K., had been persecuted and enslaved severely. Therefore, as soon as setting their step on this unexploited land, they were determined to establish a free country, where no rigid and rigorous laws would force them to pay heavy taxes; where they would feel free to trade with other countries; where there were no such dominant people as a King.
ⅡLegislation: American’s physical independence
In such a free country as America, though, legislation is never considered as contrasts to liberty. Citizens enjoy much more freedom, as well as facing much stricter laws, which gives no preference or priority to any one. They were quite aware that only when the nation is equipped with strict law will its citizens be endowed with freedom and that legislation can provide conditions for an individual to decide how he or she should deal with the power and resource he or she has. Therefore, legislation has become an essential prerequisite for individual freedom. Americans’ respect towards law was presented in The Declaration of Independence: “He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good”, etc., which, as was mentioned by an American lawyer, showed “ the legitimacy of Americans’ freedom.
Ⅲ Trancendentalism: American’s spiritual independence
Trancendentalism is renowned as the Spiritual Declaration of Independence, advocated by Emerson, who was strongly against Calvinism ( the followers of which believe that God is capable of everything and that human beings can do nothing but abide by God’s will). Transcendentalism has arisen American people’s sense of spiritual and cultural independence. It was regarded as another renaissance, which freed Americans from the manacle of Calvinism, of the all-powerful God. As an essential mental guidance during the vital period, when, at the very beginning of the establishment of this country, people valued too much on materials, living an empty and meaningless life. Transcendentalism enriched the then American people’s state of mind, as was shown in the American literature at that time, and made people alert and rational enough to know where they were and where shall they head.
References:
[1] Li Yanni, 2005, Understanding American Liberty, Law and Autonomy from the Declaration of Independence, Journal of Yibin University, No.9;
[2] ZHANG Zhigang, 2004, Trancendentalism: The Declaration of American Spiritual Independence, JOURNAL OF DALIAN NATIONALITIES UNIVERSITY, Vol.6, No.2;
作者：吕晓宇（Lyu Xiaoyu), 1992/07/29, 女，汉族，河南省新乡市
南京师范大学外国语学院 经贸英语专业 本科三年级（11级）