Happy Birthday America and all the ships at sea. Being in the history field and stuff, I know people take this country for granted. No, I am not talking about right now. I mean back in the old days. For the longest time, people did NOT celebrate being American. *gasp*
No patriot really took hold around 1820s to 1830s. Up to then, most people thought as themselves as loyal to a State than Country.
Even Washington saw myself as "a Virginian first and an American second". Or was that Robert E Lee. Can't remember.
Also, people didn't know if this "United States" or "Constitution" thing would pan out. Most major countries people knew of had been around for thousands of years, what chance did a dinky self-made country have. Before the Constitution there was the Articles of Confederation, and that failed horribly. So, for about 50 years, there was no such thing as patriotism.
Anyways, just thing about that while you eat your German "hot dogs", and shoot off some Chinese fireworks made in Honduras.