The settlement of America had its origins in the unsettlement of Europe. America came into existence when the European was already so distant from the ancient ideas and ways of his birthplace that the whole span of the Atlantic did not widen the gulf.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Mumford argues that American settlement began because Europeans were already estranged from their old world ideas before arriving.
- In plain terms
- America started when Europeans had already left Europe's old ways behind.
- What can you take from it?
- American identity began with European estrangement from the Old World.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Was America truly settled by exiles?
- How does distance shape identity?
Another view
The idea of total European estrangement is debatable.
More from Lewis Mumford
The vast material displacements the machine has made in our physical environment are perhaps in the long run less important than its spiritual contributions to…
Permalink to quote #2 Every generation revolts against its fathers and makes friends with its grandfathers.
Permalink to quote #3 If we are to create balanced human beings, capable of entering into world-wide co-operation with all other men of good will - and that is the supreme task of o…
Permalink to quote #4
Related quotes
It's a complex fate, being an American, and one of the responsibilities it entails is fighting against a superstitious valuation of Europe.
Henry JamesHenry James quote #4 The immense popularity of American movies abroad demonstrates that Europe is the unfinished negative of which America is the proof.
Mary McCarthyMary McCarthy quote #3 The ideal American type is perfectly expressed by the Protestant, individualist, anti-conformist, and this is the type that is in the process of disappearing. …
Orson WellesOrson Welles quote #5