Vintage American Ways

Sharing The Six Basic American Values Of Our Forefathers, With America's Future

Understanding American Culture

We believe there is more that unites us as Americans—our deep, fundamental, core cultural values—than what divides us.
Beginning A Dialogue While Writing American Handbook: What Your Grandparents Want You To Know

Main Content

Our Mission:

Spreading Understanding Of American Cultural Values

Reminding Americans that our basic American values, which unite us all, are far greater than anything that divides us.

Leading this mission:

Maryanne Datesman taught English as a Second Language (ESL), primarily at the university level, which led to her writing the textbook, American Ways: An Introduction to American Culture.

Learn More About American Ways:
An Introduction to American Culture,
4th Edition

Sharing America’s six basic cultural values with future generations.

Remember these are cultural values, not moral values.

Learn More About The Six Basic American Values

1. Individual Freedom

2. Self-Reliance

3. Equality of Opportunity

4. Competition

5. The American Dream

6. Hard Work

America’s six basic cultural values are rooted in the beliefs and visions of our Founding Fathers and reinforced by historical experience, these cultural values are what distinguish our country from all others. They are what make us “Americans.”

Our discussion of the six basic American values pulls from two sources:

4th Edition

Our conversation tends to draw from the 4th edition of Maryanne’s textbook.

Primary Source Materials

Our discussion also looks at The Youth’s Companion for examples of how American values were presented and discussed over 100 years ago.

Youth's Companion cover from 1914, Panama Canal.
Youth’s Companion cover from 1914, Panama Canal.

The Youth’s Companion

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