Part Four- America: A Place for One Another and Othering
Part Four- America: A Place for One Another and Othering 20 th Century – The Era of Reform A review of the articles presented in this series reveals certain pervasive convictions in America. We learned that during the era of exploration, Europeans applied the doctrine of discovery to rationalize the subjugation of indigenous people. We discovered the colonial rationales behind mercantilism, the economic imperatives that entitled the procurement of another culture’s resources. The notion of ordained authority justified both of these exploitations by asserting that God gave permission for them. We see these belief system surface again as we close out our discussion of 20 th century America and our relationship to othering. Still a fledgling nation in the 1800’s, America was ill equipped to handle the consequences of rapid industrialization, yet the circumstances in our country at the close of the 19 th century, seemed almost predictable. Philosophically, we accepted...
