"America for Americans!": The Typical American, Thanksgiving Sermon

"America for Americans!" by John Philip Newman is a Thanksgiving sermon delivered at Metropolitan M. E. Church in Washington, D.C., during the late 19th century. This work serves as both a historical account and a political discourse, reflecting on America's identity and values in relation to immigration and nationalism. The likely topic of the book revolves around the ideal of American exceptionalism and the criteria that define a 'true' American citizen. In this sermon, Newman articulates his vision of an ideal American citizen, whom he terms the "Typical American." He outlines seven fundamental attributes that he believes constitute true American identity, emphasizing moral rights, individual responsibility, the separation of church and state, and the significance of Christianity as the foundational religion in the U.S. Throughout the discourse, he reflects on the contributions of immigrants while expressing concern about the character and motivations of new arrivals, advocating for tighter immigration controls and an affirmation of American values as a means to preserve the nation's integrity. Newman's impassioned call for a distinctive American identity underlines the tensions of his time regarding assimilation, nationalism, and the future of the United States in a rapidly changing world.