This chapter is titled Emergence, Triumph, Erosion. Just from the title of the section you see a life cycle of a nation and it’s struggles. There is the emersion of a new nation, that can only happen when a group collectively decides it is going to be a nation. The triumph, or the ruling success of a nation in its global, economic, and cultural influence over the world. Then lastly the erosion of its power and glory in the world view. Some nations have long life cycles where they are in the triumph phase for generations, where as there are some nations that will only be influential for a few years when the political climate is right. These nations are as Huntington says constantly being constructed and deconstructed, upgraded and downgraded.
Huntington points out that there were five historical movements that pushed America into the creation of their national identity, away from just being a territory and now a society. First in the 1730s when the Great Awakening hit, there was anew sense of ‘trans-colonial’ ideas and themes. Then there was the almost eighty years of wars between America and the Indians with their French allies. Thirdly there was the Seven Years war with Britain due to taxation laws. Fourthly, the colonies grew communication between them and focused less of outside battles and more on creating stronger ties with each other. Then lastly there was a great abundance of land for these new colonists to farm and develop, creating less of a competition for resources between the colonies. All of these things previously listed are what drove the colonist closer together and created their strong national identity.
America grew in triumph by their economic developments, reconciliation, and their rituals/symbols. These things brought the new nation together and brought a new sense of patriotism to the people. Rituals brought people together and made strangers friends because they had something in common, and the American people grew closer to each other making a stronger national identity of who they are. As the melting pot of the world the Americas were previously not to nationalistic and found that they were all so different, but as a people under one nation they found that they all wanted a better world and they were willing to make one, so they found a way to succeed.
Even though there was a triumph and it still feels like today we are in the phase, Huntington points out our fading nationalism. He says in the 1960s our nationalism began to fade from one that dominated other countries to one that was not enthusiastic. This was because all of the implications that were made to rise America were not fading in the background. Immigration was decreasing due to our political involvement and a gap deepened between the social and economic classes in America.