The shifting definition of what it means to be 'American'

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Is American identity an ancestral lineage or a modern invention? While many people today self-identify as having 'American' ancestry, the term has undergone radical transformations—from describing indigenous peoples in the 1500s to being framed by early presidents as a brand-new race forged on the frontier.

The evolution of the term 'American' reflects shifting colonial and national priorities. In the late 1500s, it primarily referred to the indigenous peoples discovered in the Western Hemisphere. By the 1600s, the definition expanded to include European colonists. Today, while many identify as American by citizenship or allegiance, a specific subset of the population—predominantly visibly white individuals—self-identifies with 'American' ancestry rather than specific European origins like English or Scottish. This is often attributed to significant generational distance from their original lineages. Demographers have noted that British ancestries are frequently undercounted in recent census surveys. This trend is particularly visible among those who no longer feel a connection to their specific European roots.

The concept of an 'American race' was a deliberate 19th and early 20th-century construct. President Theodore Roosevelt famously asserted that the conquest of Indian lands was necessary to create a new, distinct type of human on the frontier. Scholars like Eric Kaufmann suggest this nativism is tied to the idea that a unique national ethnic group took shape even before the massive waves of immigration in the mid-19th century. Roosevelt's views were part of a broader cultural movement during the early 1900s. These beliefs emphasized that settlement was essential for national greatness.

Tracing these roots through official records presents a complex challenge for historians. The National Archives holds records primarily concerning British North America—the colonial territories of the United States and Canada prior to independence. Because internal administrative records like births, marriages, and deaths remained local after independence, researchers often find that specific individual details are missing from central government archives unless they involve exceptional cases like land disputes. The National Archives provides specialized guides to help navigate these historical documents. They also maintain records regarding colonial military actions and treaties with indigenous communities.

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