Jessica Matthews
Revisiting Five American Principles
Countries, like people, recognize their mortality as they age, and once humbled, work to reinforce their key beliefs. Declarations of America's demise are well underway, from Fareed Zakaria's "The Post American World" to Slate's series "The End of America." But a celebration of uniquely American principles distilled from the shared events of America's history, is just beginning to emerge.
The American principle of rebellion as seen in the Revolutionary War, the Whiskey Rebellion, the Civil War, the battle against tyranny in the world wars, the South's resistance to civil rights, and expressed in Rock and Roll, is now the music that is being documented and institutionalized - even taught to children in summer camps. In this presentation, I will examine the source and modern nostalgia for five America principles: faith and optimism, rebellion, speed and scale, pragmatism, and struggle.
About Jessica Matthews:
Jessica Matthews has worked as a technology strategy consultant and currently spends her time writing and performing as a musician.
