Table of Contents
Introduction
While Woodard’s ideas regarding the eleven, often conflicting, regional cultures may be difficult to authenticate, they hold substantial veracity and reality, which not only reveal about past events but will significantly influence future accounts. According to Woodard, North America is organized by eleven distinct nations, each with a unique historical origin (2). The alignment has shaped many past events and will continue to shape actions in future. Some of the American Nations described by Woodard include El Norte, Deep South, Tidewater, Greater Appalachia, Yankeedom, Far West, and Woodard. The postulation reveals how individual region endures and uphold its distinctive identities and standards today and in the past (Woodard, 294).
We can do it today.
According to Woodard, each of the regions had a founding culture, cherished values, ideals, dialects, practices, which in many instances contradicted one another (2). Fundamentally, the repercussion, according to Woodard, is visible in the contemporary composition of the United States county-by-county elections, Congress and most significantly the past presidential election (Economic Development Curmudgeon, n.p). This analysis seeks to trace the Yankeedom region through its founding, the American Revolution, and through the American Civil War. Moreover, the research will endeavor to find out the future implications of such realignment as well as my opinion concerning Woodard’s argument.
Discussion
According to Cooper, Yankeedom was founded by English Puritans in the early 1600s spread westward across the upstate including Michigan, New York, Minnesota, and Wisconsin (109). Yankeedom, ruled by the pluralism of cultures and ideals, resided in the Northeastern states as well as the industrial Midwest. Similarly, according to Woodard (5), the Yankeedom was founded on the coasts of Massachusetts Bay by the Calvinists and was destined to be new Zion.
Yankeedom played a great role in the American Revolution in that many of the families, especially those residing in Michigan, can trace their families’ activities back to the revolution. In fact, many important revolutionary war battles arose in Massachusetts. According to Woodard, Massachusetts is a renown Yankee state (15). A good example is the Battle of Bunker Hill, notable protests, riots and other historical actions that took place during the war of the revolution. According to Richards, Massachusetts was the most patriotic and passionate of all the colonies in the region (13). The courage, conjoined spirit, as well as the zeal for the liberty of the soldiers in the region, made a permanent impression in the region and the entire country.
Yankees in Boston, also regarded as the cradle of the American Revolution, held riots, unrests, and protests and initiated first battles against the British (18). While strict regulation was introduced in the region as a response to the riots, the tension escalated to the point of real war and sieges that climaxed and ended in 1776. Correspondingly, according to Richards (14), the Battle of Lexington in 1775, marked the first official battle between British and the revolutionaries. The British were decisively defeated in this war. Other battles in the region include the battle of Battle of Concord that confined the British forces to Boston. Besides, in the year 1777, 68,720 soldiers registered in the continental army, in which about 12,591 originated from Massachusetts (15).
The region, since its inception, emphasized perfecting secular society by social engineering, self-denial for the good of every individual. The Yankees are so inspired by others in that they take the effort to uplift, re-engineer, by practicing revolutionary acts of assimilating foreigners and inferior people (Woodard 287). The region was renowned for high intellectual achievement through prized education and community empowerment. Moreover, the region embraces extensive citizen participation in government and politics with the government seen as the shield against the intrigues of corporations, grasping aristocrats as well as other tyrannies (5). They incline towards the government regulation and are comfortable with the established regulations.
Besides, Yankees value common good, are moralizing, idealist, social reform, community-minded, have lower rates of violent deaths than any other regions (Langman and George 79) Yankee had countless towns and fought a Revolutionary War, an aspect that shows that they are the true insurgency of the land. Equality and self-governance, population expansions, economically sophisticated, dominating religion and political affairs, through embracing democratic ideals (Cooper 97). The Yankeedom, anti-interventionist is opposed to the foreign policy that favors imperialism. Following their long-held belief of respect to rights of others, they are always on the collision course with Tidewater and Deep South. They fight foreign policies that tend to civilize the world and thus dominate committees of foreign affairs on Capitol Hill (Woodard 294).
The region is opposed to foreign invasion. For instance, they strongly opposed President Nixon’s successful proposal to invade Cambodia and Vietnam war. They were able, in support of their congressional representative to campaign for the withdrawal of forces in Cambodia and Vietnam wars (292). According to Woodard, the Yankee administrators hold that love for liberty never look at the skin color (286). Yankeedom, liaise with New Netherlands to stand against principles of despotic, cruel supremacist and aristocratic Deep South to fight for pluralism and liberty.
During the Civil War (1861-1865), the region fought in support of the Union forces to fight against the Confederates. Many soldiers joined the Union forces to fight for liberty and the to uphold the unity of the country. According to Marten, Yankeedom soldiers were well disciplined, respectful and committed to the war course (130). In the union occupied territory of Richmond in 1865, the soldiers dealt well with locals and fought bravely in that the locals were convinced that they would indeed prevail against the south. These discrepancies are likely to continue to influence the formation of future alignment and federations. Correspondingly, Yankeedom, devoted moral crusaders, prohibitionist and assimilationist, were the sturdiest and the most enthusiastic supporter of the abolition of slavery (Marten134). They reportedly prepared adequately to attack the Confederacy when the later first attacked the government forces in Fort Sumter. The region fought for the union in that, the veterans, their children, and windows were able to receive substantial pension payments after the end of the war (Woodard 296).
According to Woodard, the Yankeedom can build the perfect society, based on well-founded religious ideals and are always willing to educate their families and archive high intellectual capability (5). Fundamentally, the region is the home to great companies like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Silicon Valley, Twitter and Apple (Woodard, 11). The intellectual and technological capability means that the region will lead to many other inventions in future and possibly control financial and other significant stakes in the government. They are and will likely to be the cornerstone of integration and the keeper of long-held American values of cherishing diverse culture.
Regarding voting, Woodard argues that they always vote in unison and always fight for federal control with the Deep South other authoritarian states since the nation inception (Woodard 5). Regarding foreign policy, Yankeedom is anti-interventionist and opposed to the foreign policy that favors imperialism. Following their long-held belief of respect to rights of others, they are always and will be on a collision course with Tidewater and Deep South. Accordingly, Woodard holds that they are likely to dominate international committee in capitol hill seeking to deter other rival regions from influencing and interference with foreign nations liberty (294).
I find Woodard’s ideas convincing because they are backed up by facts, especially regarding issues of intellectual acuity, long-held values, and actions regarding various wars in the past. For instance, the fact that there are numerous groundbreaking technological giants from these region means that the region value education and intellectualism (Woodard, 14). Besides, the issue of voting and making decisions regarding foreign countries is resounding. However, the revolutionary admiration and tribute bestowed upon this region, including the fact that there are limited violent crimes, the high degree of accommodation to other people among other values may not hold unanimously. The reason is that, though the region has demonstrated a great deal of value for liberty and nationhood among other unique values, there are deviations to this course, within the same region. Correspondingly, while giant technology companies may have invested in the area, it does not mean that the brains were leading to such high level of knowledge hail solely from this region. Similarly, although the region has been credited for neutrality on foreign policy, there are some leaders and individuals, from this region, that have held or may hold radical views regarding foreign policy. Moreover, the irrespective of the underlying reservations regarding Woodard’s postulation, it remains viable and substantially feasible.
Conclusion
According to Woodard, North America is organized into eleven distinct nations, each with a unique historical origin, shaped many past events and will continue to shape actions in future. This study has traced one of the regions, the Yankeedom, regarding its origin, activities during the American revolution, civil war as well as other parameters. Yankeedom originated in the early 1600s and spread westward across the upstate including Michigan, New York, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. They region inhabitants encourage coexistence, value religion and pluralism of ideas. Moreover, they value education and have been in the forefront in advancing technology to its highest levels. The region not only initiated but enthusiastically participated in the war of American Revolution, American Civil War and have influenced policies of many other successful wars in the American history including Vietnam War. The region politician supported by their constituents are adamant supporters of neutrality in foreign policy and grand values that promote national unity and integration. Following their long-held belief of respect to rights of others, they are always on the collision course with Tidewater and Deep South. Their voting pattern is uniform and directed toward competing for federal control with the Deep South and other authoritarian states since the nation’s inception. Woodard’s argument, though controversial in some ways, is mostly convincing, and highly acceptable.
- Cooper, Richard. Poverty and the Myths of Health Care Reform, 2016.
- Economic Development Curmudgeon. American Nations. Journal of Applied Research in Economic Development, vol. 9, 12 May, http://journal.c2er.org/2012/05/american-nations/ Accessed on 14, 11, 2017.
- Langman, Lauren, and George N. Lundskow. God, Guns, Gold and Glory: American Character and Its Discontents., 2016.
- Marten, James A. Children and Youth During the Civil War Era. New York: New York University Press, 2012. Print.
- Richards, Leonard L. Shays’s Rebellion: The American Revolution’s Final Battle, 2014.
- Woodard, Colin. American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America., 2012.