[MarcusBrutus]

The US did it by virtue of it being a lot more homogeneous when it was first created. Last time I checked they didn't need any translators when they were debating the constitution, nor is the US constitution printed in 17 official translations like all EU documents and treaties are. Also, most people actually came to these shores having nothing but bad memories (if not outright contempt) for the countries they left behind and they were eager to embrace a new identity. The new land had a dominant cultural identity and they quickly aligned to it. Finally, the experience of the revolutionary war and a few more major wars down the road helped with "bonding" - to use a cute phrase. None of above conditions hold for Europe. The French are not eager to shun their national character and start speaking German and the last time they went to war they fought against the Germans and the Italians, not alongside them.

Additionally, crossing the Atlantic served as a filter to select only those people that were truly desirous of becoming Americans. Disgruntled EU voters have the nasty habit of lingering around.

[alphonsegaston]

That's a quite humorously inaccurate depiction of early American unity. Under the Articles of Confederation, the burgeoning country almost collapsed because individual states pursued independent agendas that undermined the efficacy of the whole. The British would have loved for this to continue so they could sweep in and rest back control. Thankfully, the states later organized around the more centralized, federal authority outlined in what we today call our constitution.

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Articles_of_Confe...