I AM AMERICAN
I AM AMERICAN
I came from the northern ice
And warm ocean foam
From the wooded mountains to the grassy plains
Deer and bison shared my home.
The Great Spirit called me by many names
Cherokee, Mohawk, Seminole and Cree
Blackfoot, Apache, Navajo and more
The land was good and I was free
I was the first American.
Painting by Herb Kane
Painting by Daniel Eskridge
Deer Hunting by Alfred Miller
I came on long ships from the north
I was Viking, strong and brave
I ventured west to end my quest
In a land of ten thousand lakes.
Leif Eriksson Discovers America by Hans Dahl (1849-1937)
I sailed from Portugal and Spain
To conquer and lead conversion
But my path would falter in the face
Of gold and its perversion.
Landing of Columbus (12 October 1492), painting by John Vanderlyn -Public Domain
I came on tall ships to Jamestown, Plymouth and New York
Pilgrims-English, Dutch and German
Religious Liberty was the goal
That proved difficult to determine.
I am American.
The Embarkation of the Pilgrims (1857) by American painter Robert Walter Weir
I would risk it all for Freedom
And throw off the Oppressor’s yoke
I am a Founder and a Patriot
A wise leader of brave and gentle folk.
Declaration of Independence John Trumbull (1756–1843) Public Domain
I traversed the Mississippi
From New Orleans to St. Loo
I joined the fight for Freedom
A cause I knew was true.
I am American.
Corps of Discovery meet Chinooks on the Lower Columbia October 1805 by Charles Marion Russel Public Domain
The Battle of New Orleans by Edward Percy Moran: 1910 Library of Congress
I came on a slave ship from Africa
My hands and feet in chains
But I will help build this land
And brother’s blood will cleanse its stains.
The Africans of the slave bark "Wildfire"- April 30, 1860 —Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
Battle of Franklin, by Kurz and Allison (1891) Public Domain
I left the Emerald Isle
In search of a better life
A home for all my kin and
Of course, my gentle wife.
An Irish Peasant Family Discovering the Blight of their Store by Daniel MacDonald, c. 1847 Public Domain
I reached the Isle of Ellis
I was Italian, Pole and Greek
The lines were long but I was tough
And English learned to speak.
An illustration of immigrants on the steerage deck of an ocean steamer passing the Statue of Liberty from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, July 2, 1887. National Park Service, Statue of Liberty NM
I dug railroad tunnels through California and Utah
I was Japanese and Chinese
I would serve my country in many ways
And heroically fight to meet its needs.
https://www.history101.com/chinese-railroad-workers-finally-getting-recognition/
I will explore the mountains and the west
I will build the roads and bridges
I will climb to heights to build the tallest Monuments for the ages.
Photographer unknown. Part of Corbis’ Bettmann Archive.
Mt. Rushmore Photograph by Martin Capages Jr. © 2016 American Freedom Publications LLC
I will fight for Freedom in the World
And stifle the dictator’s rule
I will advance the cause of We the People
With Rights above the State, so cruel.
I will follow the guidance of the Creator
The true source of all my rights
I will honor my Flag and my country
And protect them with all my might.
I am American.
We came from all the lands on earth
In search of the gift of Freedom
We found it in our hearts and homes
And will surrender it to no one.
We are One Nation Under God
In Unity our Liberty depends
We know our Rights are from above
We are Americans.
BY MARTIN CAPAGES JR.-- July 19, 2020