Project Gutenberg 2013-01-17 Public domain in the USA. 237 Van Dyke, Henry 1852 1933 Dyke, Henry Van Dyke, Henry Jackson Van Dyke, Henry I. Van The Spirit of America Produced by Greg Bergquist and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) "The Spirit of America" by Henry Van Dyke is a collection of lectures written in the early 20th century. Initially delivered at the University of Paris, these lectures aim to define and illuminate the essence of American identity, spirit, and democratic ideals, particularly focusing on the historical and cultural values that shape the United States. The book serves as an exploration of the unique characteristics that distinguish the American character and the societal principles that underpin its democracy. The opening of the book introduces Van Dyke as a thoughtful observer seeking to clarify the essential qualities of the American people's spirit. He discusses the deep-rooted connections between Americans and their historical lineage, arguing that the true essence of America lies not solely in its material achievements or diverse population but in the ideals of liberty, self-reliance, and fair play that have been passed down through generations. This foundational perspective sets the stage for a reflective investigation into how these principles have influenced American institutions, society, and literature throughout its history. (This is an automatically generated summary.) file:///public/vhost/g/gutenberg/html/files/41862/41862-h/images/frontcover.jpg Reading ease score: 57.3 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en United States -- Civilization National characteristics, American E151 Text Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches Category: History - American 425278 2025-08-17T04:58:09.956824 text/html 411411 2024-10-23T13:37:16 text/html 416441 2025-08-17T04:58:15.099873 application/epub+zip 418944 2025-08-17T04:58:10.805927 application/epub+zip 238938 2025-08-17T04:58:10.371858 application/epub+zip 538411 2025-08-17T04:58:18.600823 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 501045 2025-08-17T04:58:14.604858 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 321305 2022-09-19T07:11:11.163206 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 389392 2025-08-17T04:58:09.408852 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 369538 2024-10-23T13:37:16 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 16673 2025-08-17T04:58:18.732789 application/rdf+xml 14122 2025-08-17T04:58:10.455826 image/jpeg 2207 2025-08-17T04:58:10.414845 image/jpeg 403694 2025-08-17T04:58:09.994874 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia