Patriotism is love of country. This love and what one is willing to do to exercise it have caused some to debate the value of the trait. As the world becomes more influenced by the impact of globalization and the demand for tolerance the debate brings to question the motivation of the patriot and how this motivation impacts a country's ability to successfully operate in a global society. The question I will address is how this impacts American patriotism and is it changing? I will discuss the challenges faced by the American patriot and show how the motivation behind their patriotism has basically remained the same. I will follow with a discussion on the differing views of patriotism which challenge the patriot, discuss the guiding principles that have enabled the American patriot to endure through some of the nation's most challenging times, discuss how patriotism is exercised, contemporary challenges, and conclude with the way ahead and the implications.