"[O]ur fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation,
conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that 'all
men are created equal.' Now we are engaged in a great civil war,
testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so
dedicated, can long endure." – Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg
Address Americans have been fundamentally different from other
peoples due to our devotion to individual liberty and equal
treatment under the law. Our nation's unique character began
with the early English settlers, who courageously left their
homes, friends and way of life to hazard a perilous ocean voyage
to a harsh and largely unknown wilderness. They made this
sacrifice because they saw little opportunity for a better life
in their native land, where government persecuted many of its
subjects for their religious practices and favored the
politically powerful with a life of privilege. The settlers were
confident in themselves and came to American shores to be on
their own, away from government