The 'Melting Pot'

The climate and landscapes of America are as diverse as the 300 million people that live here, and the choices to which region to live this often determined by the cultures and traditions of its people. Most citizens chose to live in (or around) one of America’s largest cities, where you will be exposed to the unlimited diversity of races, cultures, art and architecture. Other people may prefer to live in much smaller cities or towns, where one culture may be more traditional and consistent. There are many American’s who prefer to live in a more rural or private area, like in remote mountains, isolated forests or vast desserts. Yet wherever a person lives within the United States of America, there will be a blending of heritages, the mixing of traditions and the merging lifestyles. The immense combinations of people and cultures have been brought here from all around the world. Since the beginning of the Spanish settlements in the West, to the earliest European colony in the East, America has had a great mix of multicultural peoples living together. For instance the millions of ‘Native Americans’(living amongst their native cultures for thousands of years) were the first peoples/tribes encountered by European inhabitors when reaching this continent (which later became the United States of America). This excessive gathering of diverse peoples: in a new land, holding on to their own customs and cultures, has created the America we know today. This combination of multi-cultural people, are who formed together and later gained their independence through war and became a strong and powerful nation. The history of America’s ‘mixed inhabitants’ is complex yet fascinating. America has been called ‘The Melting Pot’ of the world, ...

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...le of Spanish Colonial architecture built in Santa Fe around 1610 is the historical Palace of the Governors which too has the authentic Spanish adobe style and is the nation’s oldest continuously occupied public building. It has housed 60 governors of New Mexico and became a place of refuge for Spanish colonialist during the Pablo Indian revolt of 1680. The long covered side walk serves as a market place which faces the plaza. There are several rooms re-created with furniture and artifacts from its original time period. Robert Hughes uses clear yet detailed information when describing Santa Fe’s troublesome history. His descriptions are expressive and confessing. Robert Hughes views the history of American Art as only an outsider would. He defies our biased notions of America’s past while challenging use to see historical art and architecture in a renewed approach.