The Struggle to Be UniqueDo you consider yourself just a unique and special individual? From the beginning of American history there have been struggles over individualism. The American Revolution, the American Civil War, and the separation from family life are all examples of individualism in American history. Individualism is an American paradigm designed by the modern social structure that is an altered idea of ​​the founding by immigrants. In today's society the struggle for individualism is more personal and represents how American values ​​have changed since the beginning of American history. Individualism in today's society is the “belief that each person is unique, special, and a 'fundamental unit of nature'”. The concept of individualism places “emphasis on individual initiative” in which people act independently of others and use self-motivation to thrive. Individualists “value privacy” over community, the individual thrives to get ahead in life (US Values). Today's idea of ​​individualism comes from the progressive idea that separating from one's home country to move to a new country would make one's life better. Economic and religious reasons triggered the push for colonization in the New World. Decades after Columbus discovered America in 1492, people finally began moving to the New World. In 1585 Sir Walter Raleigh founded the colony of Roanoke, the first colony in the New World which, as recorded by history, “disappeared without a trace” (American Colonies). During the colonization of America, individualism was the main driver for starting new colonies. After the discovery of the “New World,” new colonies were founded for many different religious purposes. Plymouth Colony was founded in 1620 as a way to achieve “[r]eligious freedom by… means of paper… place for financial stability.” As the economy has started to improve, more and more people are able to leave their parents' home and create their own lives as individuals. Since the beginning of time, people have sought to become individuals and distinguish themselves as unique beings. During the founding of the colonies, individuals focused on preserving their religious beliefs. As slavery became more prevalent, the Civil War era fought to give blacks back their identity. In the 1800s and 1900s, individual initiative went from giving an identity to a group of people to individuals fighting for their own personal beliefs. In today's society, individualism has been dampened by the collapse of the economy, forcing people to live with their parents for longer periods of time. As the economy continues to grow again, individualism is making strides in a positive direction.