Ike: The American Internationalist

Abstract

The diverse but United States of America were born out of a shared motivation to forge a new society and create a new national identity. The founding of this new country was underpinned by the freedoms earned in an arduous, but successful revolution. As this creation of a new identity evolved into a great historical experiment in republicanism, the North American continent became the historical canvas upon which a new national self-portrait was rendered. Grounded in the basic tenets of individual freedom and liberty, Dwight David Eisenhower’s historical role and legacy on that continent came to epitomize American identity at the middle of the 20th century. This was true not only for his fellow countrymen, but also for much of the world, as “Ike” became America’s premier internationalist.