--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s telling that Americans know and…" description: "\"“It’s telling that Americans know and celebrate Plymouth but Jamestown hardly at all. The myth we’ve constructed says that the first nonnative new Amer..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/kurt-andersen-8221_freedom_it-s-telling-that-americans-know-and-cel_2565018.png" --- # It’s telling that Americans know and celebrate Plymouth… ![“It’s telling that Americans know and celebrate Plymouth but Jamestown hardly at all. The myth we’ve constructed says that the first nonnative new Americans who mattered were the idealists, the hyperreligious people seeking freedom to believe and act out their passionate, elaborate, all-consuming…” quote by Kurt Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/kurt-andersen-8221_freedom_it-s-telling-that-americans-know-and-cel_2565018.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/kurt-andersen-8221_freedom_it-s-telling-that-americans-know-and-cel_2565018.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a9c/kurt-andersen-8221_freedom_it-s-telling-that-americans-know-and-cel_2565018.png) > ““It’s telling that Americans know and celebrate Plymouth but Jamestown hardly at all. The myth we’ve constructed says that the first nonnative new Americans who mattered were the idealists, the hyperreligious people seeking freedom to believe and act out their passionate, elaborate, all-consuming fantasies. The more run-of-the-mill people seeking a financial payoff, who abandoned their dream once it was defunct? Eh. We also prefer to talk about Pilgrims rather than Puritans, because the former has none of the negative connotations that stuck permanently to the latter.”” [Kurt Andersen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-andersen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrative glorifies Pilgrims while ignoring the pragmatic settlers of Jamestown, shaping a myth that idealizes idealistic founders over ordinary people seeking profit. **In simple terms:** History often highlights idealists and downplays ordinary settlers. Key Takeaway Question myth, recognize all contributors. Themes history mythmaking colonialism Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type historical analytical commentary When to use this quote - education - museum curation - public discourse - media analysis Key Concepts American identity narrative bias Questions to Reflect On - How does myth affect our view of history? - What are the costs of ignoring ordinary settlers? A Different Perspective The story oversimplifies complex motives and overlooks economic drivers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Puritans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puritans/) ## Related quotes > [“The Puritans are conventionally considered more "moderate" than the Pilgrims. This is like calling al-Qaeda more moderate than ISIS. 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