When did the first sense of being American emerge?
The first sense of being American emerged in the mid-18th century. Residents of the Thirteen Colonies identified with Britain until this time when they began to feel a distinct national identity.
Short answers, pulled from the story.
The first sense of being American emerged in the mid-18th century. Residents of the Thirteen Colonies identified with Britain until this time when they began to feel a distinct national identity.
The Continental Congress lasted from 1774 to 1789. This body united the Thirteen Colonies and issued the Declaration of Independence in early 1776 before fighting broke out in 1775.
Theodore Roosevelt was one of the highest-profile advocates for American nationalism in the early 20th century. He insisted that citizens had to be 100% American rather than hyphenated Americans who juggled multiple loyalties.
The ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment settled the fundamental question of national identity such as criteria for becoming a citizen of the United States. Everyone born in the territorial boundaries of the United States or those areas subject to its jurisdiction became an American citizen regardless of ethnicity or social status.
Sociologists Bart Bonikowski and Paul DiMaggio reported research findings supporting existence of at least four kinds of American nationalists in their 2016 paper. These groups ranged from smallest to largest including disengaged creedal or civic nationalists ardent nationalists and restrictive nationalists.