American Revolution

In the late 1700s, America found itself in a position of great importance. King George had steadily increased his power over the colonists, who found this encroachment an outrageous act. King George had once given the once fairly autonomous colonists the ability to govern themselves and make their own wealth. However, at the end of the French and Indian War, King George’s coffers were virtually empty. He found a perfect source of wealth, or so he thought, in the colonies. Utilizing the power of his Parliament, King George began levying a great deal of taxes on the colonists. The Stamp Act, Tax Act, and the Sugar Act are just a few of the laws that King George enlisted Parliament to enact. However, the colonists did not immediately seek their freedom, even though many disagreed with the often exorbitant taxes. No, as more and more taxes were levied, the colonists became increasingly unsatisfied with their plight. The British Army took a greater presence in the colonies, and the Boston Massacre resulted when angry colonists fought with British soldiers. The Boston Tea Party was likely the deciding factor in the country’s desire for freedom. However, these events in and of themselves did not push the colonists to fight. No, great speakers such as Thomas Paine helped to bring about the revolution that was bound to happen. Consider the arguments he used to persuade the colonists that the coming revolution was the only solution to the issues the fledgling colonies was experiencing. 

First, Paine pointed out the fact that King George’s form of rule was quite tyrannical. He also made a point to say that America did not need Great Britain in order to function. Many individuals worried that the thirteen colonies would not be successful as an independent country. Paine specifically pointed out that King George had become increasingly controlling where the colonies where concerned. For many years, even though the law stated that ships importing tea were to be taxed, the Crown, in essence, turned its head. This kept costs low for colonists. When George realized that he needed to find a new source of income, he looked no further than the colonies. King George began to send governors to the major settlements because he knew these appointees would do his bidding. Furthermore, he sent the British military to help these governor appointees in applying the rule of the law. Each of these instances proved just how tyrannical King George was becoming. Many colonists were afraid of a life without the backing of Great Britain, particularly financial support. It is this argument, among others that Charles Inglis presents in his argument against independence. Inglis posited the idea that the American colonies had been treated fairly well by Britain, and that the colonies had enjoyed a great deal of peace under England’s rule. Certainly, Paine recognized this argument, but he also reassured Common Sense readers by reminding them that they had carried on financial success without much assistance from the British government. Inglis also intimated that the thirteen colonies might not be able to defend themselves should another country attempt to attack them. Paine reminded his readers that the colonists had had to assist Great Britain in a number of its endeavors. Paine’s words eventually stirred the colonists to realize that there must be a revolution for freedom. 

Assignment #2

Notables such as Alexander Hamilton were the inaugural members of the Federalist Party, one of the first political parties of the United States government. The Federalist Party primarily believed in a strong centralized government. The government was a strong entity; the government was given the responsibility of taking care of the needs of the people. Federalists often believed that the Constitution was a document meant for interpretation; it was not meant to be taken literally. Furthermore, the government, according to the Federalist way of thinking, was meant to be an entity which could bestow upon itself additional powers not delegated to it by the Constitution should the need arise. 

Economically, the Federalist Party believed that the centralized government should commandeer a national bank. These national banks would provide businessmen with loans in order to create more industry. The Federalists wanted to see America, at that time a largely agricultural economy, become like more industrialized nations such as France. The Federalist Party also supported the idea of tariffs, and, ironically, the party wanted to establish a strong economic relationship with Great Britain. 

The beliefs of the Federalist Party regarding diplomacy are largely evident in their wishes to re-establish a positive relationship with Great Britain. John Adams was the only Federalist Party president, and during his tenure, he made strides in negotiating relationships with both France and England. Much of the way America handles foreign policy today is modeled in the way the Federalist Party worked with Britain. Top priority was to benefit one another financially by establishing fair trade. 

As a Federalist, the Alien and Sedition Act was a necessary law. While we encourage newcomers to our fledgling country, we must be assured that no newcomers would side with another country, particularly France, should our young nation find ourselves at war with them. The Federalists give the President the ability to deport any alien that might be tempted to turn against the American government should war break out. This was a means of preserving the new republic.

Assignment #3

The removal of the Cherokee from their homeland was a time of great sorrow for the nation. The Cherokee saw their fellow man beaten and broken, killed for not agreeing to leave the land they had grown up on, the land that their parents and grandparents had lived on for centuries. After the Indian Removal Act of 1830, thousands of Cherokees were rounded up and forced to march to reservation lands thousands of miles away.

During the treacherous journey, at least 1,000 Cherokee died, and overall, one-fifth of the tribe died as a result of the forced move. When the military came to force the Cherokee to leave their land, the natives were given only minutes to gather a lifetime of belongings. Those who could were made to walk the lengthy journey; elderly people were forced onto cargo boxes on trains. Children were separated from their parents for the journey. 

Andrew Jackson, like many others in the American government before him, saw the Indian land as an opportunity for profit. Jackson understood there was gold to be found on native lands, and in order for white settlers to be able to mine the gold and make a profit, the Indians had to be removed. The Indians attempted to fight for their land, so the federal government utilized the military to forcefully remove the Cherokee from their land. Jackson promoted the idea of property rights. Ironically, the Indian Removal Act was only meant to provide for voluntary relocation of the Native Americans. When Jackson saw that gold could be procured on what was considered Cherokee territory, he began to forcefully move the Indians in what is known as the Trail of Tears. 

Assignment #4

When considering the causes of the Civil War, most individuals identify slavery as the root cause of the conflict. Others attempt to say that states’ rights were the chief cause of the Civil War. However, the issue regarding states’ rights was the ability of each state to determine whether or not it wanted to be a free state or a slave state. The Northern states were becoming more and more industrialized; they did not depend on the large groups of slaves to work massive plantations in order to make a profit from the South’s chief cash crop – cotton. The South felt that Northern states had no right to tell Southern states how they should continue economically. 

Most of the individuals participating in the Abolitionist Movement were Northerners. Events such as John Brown’s raid and Nat Turner’s rebellion further stirred the discontent between those who wanted to see the slaves emancipated and those who wished to maintain their lives with slaves doing the exhaustive labor on plantations. Southerners felt distinctly that their way of life was being threatened. Southern states would eventually secede from the Union. Northern states fought to preserve the Union, and Southerners fought for their independence. At the beginning of the Civil War, there were approximately 4 million slaves in the South. The Dred Scott decision was also a factor that brought about the war; Scott had applied for citizenship as an effort to end his time as a slave. The courts denied him citizenship, and, furthermore, personhood. Another notable happening was the publication of Harriet Beecher Stowe’s book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. President Lincoln is noted as attributing the start of the war to her book. 

The war itself did not have an impact on slavery as far as the ending of the practice. As the Union rampaged through the South, many slaves were freed by Union soldiers. Some chose to stay on the plantation land because they had never known any other life away from the plantation. Others joined the Northern forces (the Union) and fought for an end to slavery. The end of slavery was officially brought about by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. Lincoln had hesitated on signing the proclamation. This was not so much because he did not want to see the slaves freed; he did. Lincoln’s primary objective during the Civil War was holding the country together. 

Slavery, in my opinion, was the ultimate cause of the war, even though some argue even today that the war was fought for state’s rights. When it comes to the actual causes of the war, Southerners might cite states’ rights as the primary cause, but, the Southern states did not want the Northern states to have the ability to legislate slavery away. Abolitionists wanted to admit new territories to the Union as free states. Those wishing to continue the practice of slavery wanted an equal number of states admitted as free and an equal number admitted as slave states. Southerners knew that if free states outnumbered slave states, then their representatives in the national Congress could eventually vote out slavery altogether. Again, this threatened their way of life, and Southerners had grown quite comfortable with their ability to live as an agricultural economy. Southerners argued that each state should be able to decide – without the interference of the national government – whether or not to be a slave state or a free state. This is the definition of states’ rights according to those who believe the Civil War was anything but fought regarding slavery.