American Exceptionalism and Foreign Policy Rhetoric 4219-SG046
The course analyzes the U.S. notion of exceptionalism, which has been an inherent sentiment since the beginning of the American nation. The realization of a unique creation experience and its further development and exceptional values on which the nation was built upon—including the beliefs that Americans are a “chosen nation” and a “city upon a Hill” have not only been the foundation that provided the frame for American identity, but also an important aspect that has influenced U.S political decisions within the American continent as well as beyond it.
We will specifically look at American foreign policy rhetoric, which has been an important carrier of the nation’s feelings, sentiments and beliefs. We will analyze the speeches of U.S presidents and members of Congress to see how they justified their political decisions as well study classical texts on political rhetoric to better understand the function of language and communication.
The 19th century manifest destiny mood and 20th century belief in the American “mission” in the world have influenced the language of politics worldwide. Having understood the historical background, students will then also be able to analyze the contemporary language of the beginning of the 21st century as it pertains to the most important events in contemporary U.S. history, including the World Trade Center attacks, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Upon completion of the course students will understand the notion of American exceptionalism in theory and practice. They will be able to understand the historical roots of the feeling of uniqueness, the language that supported it and how it underlined U.S. politics as home and its foreign policy. Having understood the historical background, students shall then also be able to analyze the contemporary language of the beginning of the 21st century as it pertains to the most important events in contemporary U.S. history, including the World Trade Center attacks, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
We will analyze the above in the following four thematic blocks:
A. American Exceptionalism in the 18th century: state formation and making of the nation
- values, beliefs, historical opportunity and the feeling of uniqueness
B. Manifest Destiny and Frontier in the 19th century America
- John O’Sullivan and his “Manifest Destiny” ideology; “Frontier” thesis by F.J.Turmer; role of West and westward expansion in American development
C. The faces of American exceptionalism - its religious, economic, political and racial dimensions
- “chosen nation” and its duty; progress of the civilization; Anglo-Saxon race superiority; American democratic values – “democracy must finally reign”
D. Exceptionalism and U.S. Foreign Policy:
- 19th century acquisitions and political rhetoric/interpretations; 20th century Wilson’s „Duty to the mankind”, U.S. foreign policy in the 21 century
Type of course
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course students will understand the notion of American exceptionalism in theory and practice. They will be able to understand the historical roots of the feeling of uniqueness, the language that supported it and how it underlined U.S. politics as home and its foreign policy. Having understood the historical background, students shall then also be able to analyze the contemporary language of the beginning of the 21st century as it pertains to the most important events in contemporary U.S. history, including the World Trade Center attacks, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Assessment criteria
Accreditation (zaliczenie):
- in-class written test (50%);
- in-class presentation on a subject-related topic (20%)
- term-paper (20%)
- participation in class discussion (10%)
Bibliography
Adams, Brooks, The Law of Civilization and Decay, An Essay on History, Swan Sonnenschein and Co. Lim. London 1895.
Anti-Imperialist Reader. A Documentary History of Anti-Imperialism in the United States, vol. I Philip S. Foner and Richard C. Winchester (eds.), Holmes & Meier Publishers, Inc., New York, London 1984.
Bartkiewicz-Godlewska, Justyna, Amerykańskie Przeznaczenie. Rola Frontier i Manifest Destiny w polityce zagranicznej USA 1898-1921, Wydawnictwo Neriton, Warszawa 2019.
Current, Richard N. and John A. Garraty (eds.), Words That Made American History, vol. I, Little Brown and Company, Boston & Toronto 1965.
Graebner, Norman A., Manifest Destiny, Bobbs-Merrill Company, Indianapolis and New York 1968.
Heidler, David S., Jeanne T. Heidler, Manifest Destiny, Greenwood Press, Westport, CT. 2003.
Hietala, Thomas R., Manifest Design. American Exceptionalism and Empire, Cornell University Press, Ithaca and London 2003.
Hofstadter, Richard and Beatrice K. Hofstadter, Great Issues in American History. From Reconstruction to the Present Day, 1864-1981, Vintage Books, A Division of Random House, New York 1982.
LaFeber, Walter, The American Age. United States at Home and Abroad since 1750, WW Norton & Company, New York, London, 1989.
Lipset, Seymour Martin, American Exceptionalism. A Double-Edged Sword, W.W. Norton & Company, New York 1997.
Mahan, Alfred T. and Charles Beresford, „Possibilities of an Anglo-Saxon Reunion”, w: The North American Review (październik 1893 r.).
Merk, Frederick, Manifest Destiny and Mission in American History, Alfred A. Knopf, New York 1970.
Parafianowicz, Halina, „Exceptionalism of America: Some Reflections”, w: Białostockie Teki Historyczne, vol. 9 (2011), s. 213-224.
The Penguin Book of Twentieth – Century Speeches, Brian McArtur (ed.), Penguin Books, London 1999.
Scott, James Brown, President Wilson’s Foreign Policy. Messages, Addresses, Papers, Oxford University Press, New York, 1918.
Stephanson, Anders, Manifest Destiny, American Expansion and the Empire of Right, Hill and Wang, New York 2000.
Strong, Josiah, Our Country. Its Possible Future and Its Present Crisis, The Baker & Taylor Co. New York 1893.
Turner, Frederick Jackson, Frontier in American History, RE. Krieger Pub. Co., Huntington, NY 1975.
Williams, William Appleman, The Shaping of American Diplomacy: Reading and Documents in American Foreign Relations 1750-1955, Rand McNally, Chicago 1964.
Zakaria, Fareed, From Wealth to Power. The Unusual Origins of American World Role, Princeton University Press, Princeton New Jersey 1999.
Zimmermann, Warren, First Great Triumph,. How Five Americans Made Their Country a World Power, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York 2002.