Harding ran on an “America First” platform in 1920. They both ran on an “America First” platform.
“America First” was the campaign slogan not only of Wilson in 1916, but also of his Republican opponent.
That was what he was trying to say in 1915. Not to take sides, but to be there to promote justice and to help rebuild after the conflict. He said he thought America would be first, not in the selfish spirit, but first to be in Europe to help whichever side won. Wilson was treading a very fine line, where there were genuine and legitimate conflicting interests. That isn’t the same as isolationism, but the phrase got taken up by isolationists. I found the earliest use of the phrase as a Republican slogan in the 1880s, but it didn’t enter the national discussion until 1915, when Woodrow Wilson used it in a speech arguing for neutrality in World War I. But you trace its origin even further back. It follows the stories of two phrases-the "American dream" and "America First"-that once embodied opposing visions for America.Īs a presidential candidate, Donald Trump used the slogan “America First,” which many people traced to Charles Lindbergh in the 1940s. In "Behold, America," Sarah Churchwell offers a surprising account of twentieth-century Americans' fierce battle for the nation's soul. She spoke with about the unfamiliar origins of two familiar phrases. Through extensive research, Churchwell traces the evolution of the phrases to show how the history has morphed the meaning of the “American Dream” and how different figures and groups appropriated “America First.”Ī Chicago native now living in the United Kingdom, Churchwell is a professor of American literature and public understanding of the humanities at the University of London. Introduced more than a century ago, the concepts of “American Dream” and “America First” quickly became intertwined with race, capitalism, democracy, and with each other. Pacing back and forth, lost our head in these clouds It's not the cause of puffing that loud, it's more like joining the crowd Crowded craniums cracking under pressure, pressing buttons Backwards, back tracking, track it back to where we lost all our stuffing And filled it back up with the things that help us get by on a daily Subconsciously thinking we're gods and no better than Ye It's crazy, but still we compare our sins to one another and reason I used to dream about living and now I dream about leaving I used to kick it with the clique but then it wasn't clicking Funny how things can change when you start to hear it and listen Dear Mr.Stop any American on the street and they’ll have a definition of the “American Dream” for you, and they’ll probably have a strong opinion about the slogan “America First,” too.īut how did Americans develop their understanding of these slogans? What did they mean when coined and how do the meanings today reflect those histories? That’s the subject of Sarah Churchwell’s upcoming book, Behold, America, out October 9.
Of course the easy way out looks fun and free Knockin' doors down, and showin' how to grind like Bun and C But bunting won't win you the game, ridiculous claims Like maybe if I sip a little then I won't have to think about all The drama and drown out the pain, get ready for change Aspirations had us happy, thinking that's how I'll do it I'm tired of losing people to the pleasure of sipping fluids Blew it out of proportion and now it's feeling hopeless Thought about some people when I wrote this, put down the potion I used to dream, I used to dream But see things changed, man, I used to dream x2 Grew up way too quick, quickly sprint to the end of this life Never extinguish this light, ever so bright on this night This fight isn't over, come on over red rover, I'm calling Marco Ralph Lauren might make you more of a poser Stop acting like these brands can make you look better Better make a choice, too concerned with how we look Don’t exercise our voice, voices in our head Telling us that we could never make it Find out we're holding ourselves back Too busy being complacence