Who first coined the term American exceptionalism?

French political scientist and historian Alexis de Tocqueville was the first writer to describe the country as “exceptional” following his travels there in 1831. The earliest documented use of the specific term “American exceptionalism” is by American communists in intra-communist disputes in the late 1920s.

What does exceptionalism mean in politics?

Exceptionalism is the perception or belief that a species, country, society, institution, movement, individual, or time period is “exceptional” (i.e., unusual or extraordinary).

What is American exceptionalism in literature?

American exceptionalism has been taken to mean that America is either “distinctive” (meaning merely different), or “unique” (meaning anomalous), or “exemplary” (meaning a model for other nations to follow), or “exempt” from the laws of historical progress (meaning that it is an “exception” to the laws and rules …

What is meant by the term exceptionalism?

Definition of exceptionalism : the condition of being different from the norm also : a theory expounding the exceptionalism especially of a nation or region.

How does the idea of American exceptionalism relate to the concept of Manifest Destiny?

Manifest destiny is defined as “the concept of American exceptionalism, that is, the belief that America occupies a special place among the countries of the world.” The Puritans came to America in 1630 believing t hat their survival in the new world would be a sign of God’s approval.

What is the root word of exceptionalism?

exceptional Add to list Share. Exceptional begins with the Latin prefix ex- ‘out,’ because something exceptional stands out in some way. In certain cases, exceptional can mean under-performing. Children with special educational needs are sometimes referred to in this way, as exceptional or special.

What’s the opposite of exceptionalism?

Opposite of uncommon so as to form an exception. common. normal. typical. usual.

What was the relationship between westward expansion and American exceptionalism?

Americans believed they were destined by God to remake the world. This ideal of American exceptionalism has fueled American expansion westward through the ideology of manifest destiny. A majority of Americans consider the ideology to represent expansion and the building of an empire.

Was the Manifest Destiny positive or negative?

With Manifest Destiny, most Americans got some chances to move, explore, and discover new places other than their usual community, and this was very beneficial in so many ways. The exploration is great for personal gain, socially, spiritually, and emotionally and economic improvement.

Where did the term American exceptionalism come from?

In 1929, Communist leader Jay Lovestone informed Stalin in Moscow that the American proletariat wasn’t interested in revolution. Stalin responded by demanding that he end this “heresy of American exceptionalism.” And just like that, this expression was born.

Is exceptionalism a disease?

“Exceptionalism was a disease, a chronic disease,” wrote communist S. Milgrom of Chicago in 1930. “The storm of the economic crisis in the United States blew down the house of cards of American exceptionalism,” the American Communist Party declared at its convention in April 1930.

Is America an exceptional nation?

“During his travels in 1831, French writer Alexis de Tocqueville observed that America was an exceptional nation with a special role to play in human history,” he intones. “American exceptionalism has been at the center of our nation’s experience for nearly 400 years.”