The apocalyptic influence has had its effect in the world for many centuries, dating back to America's first discovery in the 1500's. For most of its known existence, America has been based upon religious beliefs and practices. Interestingly enough, apocalypticism--or at least its ideals--has played its role in American culture for just as long, if not longer. I recently came across an exceptional scholarly source that discusses the impact that apocalypticism has on American culture from a religious standpoint. This source is an online article titled "Apocalypticism in American Culture," written by Randall Balmer, and discusses the apocalyptic mindset of Christians during the early years after discovering the New World of America.


"Americans have long evinced a fascination with the end of time and the role that they would play in such an apocalypse. Even Christopher Columbus invested the discovery of the New World with millennial significance. More often, apocalyptic ideas have issued in the expectation that human history might screech to a halt at any moment and dissolve into some kind of apocalyptic judgment."


This quote from the article discusses the apparent presence of apocalyptic thoughts flowing through the minds of these newcomers. Balmer also incorporates religion with apocalypticism by explaining how the existence of the human race can end at any moment if placed into a calling of judgment by a greater religious power. Using this for my research paper will provide sufficient evidence to my current claim of apocalypticism's effects on American society. This will strongly help support my stance being that the idea of apocalypse has flowed in America since its discovery and has continued to grow since then.


Balmer, Randall. "Apocalypticism in American Culture." Divining America, TeacherServe. National Humanities Center. 18 April 2015. Web.