America has Never Been One Country — 8 Reasons it Will Never be United

America has never been one country. From its founding, where thirteen original colonies emerged with disparate religious, economic, and political motives, division is embedded in the nation’s DNA. The Civil War was the first significant, brutal clash demonstrating how fundamentally different the North and South were.

Northerners, Southerners, Mid-Westerners, and Californians are all strikingly different in their perspectives and lifestyles. Throw in religion, like pouring gasoline on an already smoldering fire of differences.

Regrettably, “United States of America” has become an oxymoron.

Americans now look at their fellow citizens from a perspective of distrust as the starting point.

Nowadays, the only thing uniting Americans is the NFL or perhaps a national tragedy. Political polarization isn’t helping either; it’s unsettling that the ideological chasm between Republicans and Democrats has been widening for years, far before Trump’s presidency. In fact, Trump and the GOP are arguably more symptoms than causes of this gaping divide.

Let’s remember the role of social media, too. Algorithms amplify pre-existing biases, making compromise nearly impossible. Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms serve as echo chambers, creating virtual walls as divisive as any physical border.

Economic inequality is another destabilizing factor. The widening gap between the haves and the have-nots fuels resentment and contributes to an even more fractured society. Consider the following factors:

1. Historical Division: America was founded on the basis of divisions. The thirteen original colonies had different religious, economic, and political motives for their founding. Moreover, the founding fathers were often at odds over key ideological tenets, showcased by the disagreements between Federalists and Anti-Federalists.
2. Political Polarization: A growing body of evidence suggests America is becoming more polarized along ideological lines than ever before. This isn’t just a Trump-era phenomenon; Pew Research indicates that the ideological divide between Republicans and Democrats has been widening for decades.
3. Social Media’s Role: The impact of social media on polarization is staggering. Algorithms and “echo chambers” further isolate individuals into homogenous groups, making compromise increasingly difficult. Facebook, X (Twitter), and other platforms have been a mirror and a magnifying glass for existing societal rifts.
4. Economic Inequality: Economic disparity fuels the division as much as ideology does. The gap between the richest and the poorest is widening, not shrinking, creating a sense of disillusionment and detachment, making unity even more elusive.
5. Racial Prejudice: Racial divisions have been a massive fault line in American society since its inception. The legacies of slavery, Jim Crow, and ongoing systemic racism continue to divide communities. While this isn’t unique to America, the way it has been institutionalized in various systems is distinct and has contributed to disunity.
6. Native American Exploitation: The colonization of America led to the systemic displacement and marginalization of Native Americans. This darker part of American history is often glossed over but is a crucial element of how “unity” was originally built on the premise of exclusion and oppression.
7. Anti-Federal Sentiment: From the Whiskey Rebellion to the Sagebrush Rebellion, there’s a storied history of groups resisting federal authority in the U.S. This tradition of anti-federalism has evolved into more modern forms, like the extremist ideologies we see gaining traction today. Senator Jim Jordan’s tactics are a contemporary manifestation of this lineage. He’s not a lone wolf; he represents a more extensive trend of government distrust and extreme polarization.
8. Global Context: America is far from alone in experiencing the division phenomenon but is a clear frontrunner in the race toward internal division. In fact in my country, Australia, the equivalent of GOP looks at every issue through a lens of, “how can we use this to enhance disunity and increase distrust of Government.” So, Australia is on the same path to national disunity, we’re just a few decades behind America.

Given all these reasons, and as an observer who has traveled to America at least fifty times and lived there for two years, it may be time for Americans to seriously consider the formation of regional alliances among states. It might be a controversial proposition, but it seems like a pragmatic solution to the nation’s ongoing disunity.

As much as it pains me to say America was never united, given my fondness for the country and its people, I doubt it will ever be united.

About the author: Greg Twemlow, Co-Founder of Future Skills Studio, father of three, and perhaps one day a grandfather.

Greg Twemlow: Sharing what I’ve learned from 35 years as a citizen of the world, parent, corporate executive, entrepreneur, and, since 2018, CEO of Future Skills Studio, focused on experiential learning programs.