How Trade Between Canada and the US Strengthens Both Economies

The Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise military offensive against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in the morning of December 7, 1941. The strike was intended as a preventive measure to keep the American Navy from interfering with military operations planned by Japan in Southeast Asia against the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States.100 The surprise attack stunned the American public, prompting the United States to forsake its isolationist doctrine and enter the Second World War. The lack of an official warning from the Empire of Japan prompted President Franklin D. Roosevelt to declare "December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy".101 His speech unified the country and strengthened America's identity. Regardless of the disparities between the various states of the Union, in times of crisis, the nation came first and foremost. Roosevelt's speech inspired unity and determination to defend the nation against betrayal.102 This remark held true until September 11th, 2001, when the United States was again attacked on its own soil. Sixty years after the unexpected assault on Pearl Harbor, the United States was again targeted in four coordinated suicide attacks in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania.

The terrorist organization Al-Qaeda carried out military-scale strikes

Four passenger jets were hijacked and used as weapons, with two crashing into the World Trade Center in New York and one into the Pentagon in Washington. The final plane crashed as the passengers sought to reclaim control before it reached its target. The attacks claimed over 3,000 lives, the highest number of deaths caused by a foreign action in the United States.103 The assaults had an immediate impact on the American people. The aspect of American identity that quickly united the country following the attack on Pearl Harbor was immediately rekindled in the aftermath of September 11th. 104 volunteers traveled from all across the country to help with the search for remains at the four attack sites, and blood donations were made across the country. America's citizenry were once again putting aside their differences to support the country. This was the first foreign attack on American soil in nearly 60 years, and like Pearl Harbor, it caught the American public completely off guard. These perceived unjustified and unwarranted attacks brought the American people together in a way that had not occurred since the American Revolution. It underlined their identity's roots, which are founded on the "right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Conclusion The United States' military history spans more than two centuries

This section of this study has looked at the conflicts that have had a significant impact on the formation and maintenance of the American identity. The wars mentioned included the American Revolutionary War, the American Civil War, and the attacks on Pearl Harbor and September 11, 2001. In each of these occasions, Americans went to battle to defend their freedoms. Although only a portion of America's conflict history is known, it is clear that American values, and thus their identity, are based on concepts established early in their existence, which center on the concepts that "all men are created equal" and entitled to the "right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."106 These aspects of the American identity, and what they symbolize, are important reasons why individuals from all over the world want to immigrate to the United States. Since its founding in 1776, the United States has relied on immigration to increase its population and strengthen its economy.107 Large-scale immigration into a country can introduce a wide range of cultural diversity and ideas, which can either strengthen or weaken a nation's identity.

The final section of this chapter will discuss numerous variables that are intertwined in the formation of the American identity

The goal is to look at three aspects in the history of the United States: American citizenship, immigration, and education, in order to understand how the country tries to help immigrants connect with and create an American identity. American Citizenship To immigrate to the United States, you do not need to become a citizen of the country. Other ways to live in America include obtaining an immigration Green Card, which allows a non-American citizen to live and work in the United States.108 There are two basic ways to get American citizenship. The first is known as birthright citizenship. This applies to an individual who is believed to be a citizen since he or she was born in the United States. The second way is naturalization, which is the process by which an immigrant applies and is accepted for citizenship. These two routes of obtaining citizenship are stated in the Fourteenth Amendment, which states: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to its jurisdiction, are citizens of the United States and the State in which they reside."