What, then, is the American, this new man?  Hector St. John de Crevecoeur  (1735-1813)

 "wee must be knitt together in this worke as one man, wee must entertaine each other in brotherly Affeccion, wee must be willing to abridge our selves of our superfluities, for the supply of others necessities, wee must uphold a familiar Commerce together in all meekenes, gentlenes, patience and liberallity, wee must delight in eache other, make others Condicions our owne rejoyce together, mourne together, labour, and suffer together, allwayes haveing before our eyes our Commission and Community in the worke, our Community as members of the same body, soe shall wee keepe the unitie of the spirit in the bond of peace, the Lord will be our God and delight to dwell among us, as his owne people and will commaund a blessing upon us in all our wayes, soe that wee shall see much more of his wisdome power goodnes and truthe then formerly wee have beene acquainted with, wee shall finde that the God of Israell is among us, when tenn of us shall be able to resist a thousand of our enemies, when hee shall make us a prayse and glory, that men shall say of succeeding plantacions: the lord make it like that of New England: for wee must Consider that wee shall be as a Citty upon a Hill, the eies of all people are uppon us"  --John Winthrop's sermon " A Modell of Christian Charity "

( c. 1630 ). http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/winthrop.htm

The average American is for the underdog, but only on the condition that he has a chance to win.--Bill Vaughn in "The Kansas City Star" l970

 Much of our American progress has been the product of the individual who had an idea; pursued it; fashioned it; tenaciously clung to it against all odds; and then produced it, sold it, and profited from it.-- Hubert Humphrey in Address, 29 Jun 1966, to United States Junior Chamber of Commerce, Detroit, Michigan.

 I hate American simplicity. I glory in the piling up of complications of every sort. If I could pronounce the name James in any different or more elaborate way I should be in favour of doing it.--Henry James In "Letters of Henry James," vol. 4, Introduction, 1984.

 I'm not a separatist. The imagination is integrative. That's how you make the new -- by putting something else with what you've got. And I'm unashamedly an American integrationist. --Ralph Ellison  c. 1960.

Grushinsky in Beautician and the Beast, The (1997) said

Grushinsky: Oh, you Americans and your positive thinking. There are some situations that a big toothed person cannot get you out of.

Vasili Borodin in Hunt for Red October, The (1990) said

I will live in Montana. And I will marry a round American woman and raise rabbits, and she will cook them for me. And I will have a pickup truck... maybe even a "recreational vehicle."

Fozzie in Muppet Movie, The (1979) said

Patriotism swells in the heart of the American Bear.

Marion in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) said

You can't do this to me, I'm am AMERICAN!

Suzanne Renaud in Rope of Sand (1949) said

The German is brittle. The Frenchman cries l'amour! The American is hoping for the cavalry to come.

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