America Is Relatively Young

Column #375 August 19, 2022

Michael Šust’s Vertical Fellowship mission trip to the Czech Republic in July 2022 had many pluses. Foremost it was an opportunity to proclaim the gospel in one of the world’s most atheistic countries. It was also a chance to meet others from foreign lands that have common interests. And, it was educational to visit a country that’s far older than our own. That in itself was an eyeopener.^{1 2 3}

Europe’s human history goes back well before the Stone Age. Some say it’s millions of years. Comparatively, humans in the Americas are thought to only date back about 120,000 years. In terms of Europe’s recorded history, the first well-known literate civilization was the Minoans during the Bronze Age. It originated on the island of Crete and flourished from approximately the 27th century BC to the 15th century BC.^{4 5 6 7 8}

In the Americas the first recorded history is quite sketchy. Some say there’s evidence of explorers in the Americas hundreds of years before Columbus. But generally speaking, the records kept by Columbus and later Spanish explorers commencing in 1492 did a very good job of documenting what occurred. Comparatively then, we can say there’s 530 years of recorded history in the Americas and over 4,700 years of recorded history for Europe.^{9 10 11 12}

Our trip to Prague, Czech Republic, illustrated how young the United States is as a country. Walking across the Charles Bridge really brought that comparison home. The bridge’s construction commenced in 1357 and was finished in 1402. It’s a massive stone structure that’s 1,693 feet long and nearly 33 feet wide with three protective bridge towers. It replaced the old Judith Bridge built from 1158 to 1172 that had been badly damaged by a flood in 1342. The Charles Bridge was originally called Stone Bridge or Prague Bridge, but its present name has been used since 1870.¹³

When talking dates, keep in mind that Christopher Columbus’ first voyage departed mainland Spain on August 3, 1492. That was 135 years after the beginning of the construction of the Charles Bridge and 90 years after it was completed. At that time the Aztecs of Central America were the most advanced society in the New World. They flourished in central Mexico between 1300 and 1521. Their empire reached its maximal extent in 1519, just prior to the arrival of a small group of Spanish conquistadors led by Hernán Cortés.¹⁴

Cortés allied with city-states opposed to the Mexica and eventually founded Mexico City on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the ancient capital of the Aztec empire. The Spanish then proceeded with the process of conquest and incorporation of Mesoamerican peoples into the Spanish Empire.

When the Spaniards landed in the Americas they had come from a very advanced society compared to what they found. There was nothing to stop them from following the European custom of conquest. For centuries the map of Europe had ebbed and flowed as various nations rose and fell versus their neighbors. So the same struggle for territory, wealth, and people continued in the Americas as England, France, Portugal, and Spain “settled” the new world. It wasn’t long before the Europeans were even fighting one another in their desire for dominance.

Then came the Revolutionary War where fighting began on April 19, 1775. That was followed by the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 which established the United States of America. That occurred 284 years after Columbus made his first voyage. The United States is now 246 years old. If we look back at recorded history, from the 27th century BC to today, that’s 4,722 years. In that time, many countries and civilizations rose and fell as world powers. None of them successfully held onto their maximum holdings. Compared to many super powers, the United States has had maybe an average run at it.

The cycle, of the rise and fall of great civilizations, has been described over and over again by sociologists and anthropologists. Scottish philosopher Alexander Tyler of the University of Edinburg noted eight stages of the cycle. In Ted Flynn's book “The Great Transformation” he titled the eight phases which provide an interesting perspective.¹⁵

1.   From Bondage to Spiritual Growth
2.   From Spiritual Growth to Great Courage
3.   From Courage to Liberty
4.   From Liberty to Abundance
5.   From Abundance to Complacency
6.   From Complacency to Apathy
7.   From Apathy to Dependence
8.   From Dependence Back to Bondage

In spite of the United States being a relatively young country, that doesn’t mean it’s immune to the cyclical nature of nations. I believe Americans are in phase seven which means it’s definitely on the downhill slide. Basically it’s financially bankrupt. The levels of corruption in the government are unprecedented. The moral fiber of the country is in severe decline. The concepts of socialism have become well entrenched in government, higher education, the media, and Big Business. Too many Americans believe their government owes them equality in all aspects of life and they have “rights” to housing, food, medical care, education, transportation, entertainment, and more.

If the recent societal shocks of irrational wokeness don’t quickly snap Americans back to at least phase three, it won’t be good news for future generations of Americans. Getting the country back on track to greatness will require great courage and sacrifice. It’s the willingness to sacrifice that will make the difference. If not, the next phase is bondage. It’s been spelled out in the Bible for a couple thousand years.

For sure we live in interesting times.

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

Don't miss these links for additional reading:

1. Most Atheist Countries 2022 from World Population Review

2. Let Us Break Bread Together - Michael Sust, bass-baritone, Bonifantes Men's Choir Concert in Pardubice, Czech Republic

3. We Go Vertical by Pastor Michael Šust

4. First Human Ancestor Came from Europe Not Africa, 7.2 Million-year-old Fossils Indicate by Hannah Osborne from Newsweek

5. First Humans Arrived in North America 116,000 Years Earlier than Thought: Evidence from Cerutti Mastodon Site by News Staff from SCI News

6. How the European Map Has Changed Over 2,400 Years

7. History of Europe from Wikipedia

8. Who Reached America First? Hint: NOT Columbus! by Alicia McDermott from Ancient Origins

9. The First New World Voyage of Christopher Columbus (1492) from ThoughtCo

10. The Second Voyage of Christopher Columbus from ThoughtCo

11. The Third Voyage of Christopher Columbus from ThoughtCo