Over time, change is an inevitable aspect of society. Specifically, America witnessed drastic societal revitalization from the 1790s to 1840s regarding politics, economics, and social and geographical alteration. These changes were influenced by various factors that have since inculcated the American civilization. For example, the Missouri crisis influenced America’s politics in the 1840s. Moreover, another important element is the American System that revolutionized the economic sector. On the same note, the purchase of Louisiana from France in 1803 significantly affected the geography of America. Overall, transformation is a fundamental facet of a society that enables them to grow as they make mistakes and capitalize on them in various dimensions; hence, without change, stunted development in people can be witnessed.
The Missouri conflict shifted the politics and culture of America to a sectional one. Since the Constitution’s adoption in 1789, Virginia has been the state with the most governmental impact. For instance, of the first five presidents, four were from Virginia. In this sense, political leaders from the north were cautious of what they saw as an outsized dominance of Virginia and other southern states in national politics1.
Thus, sentiments started to build, with the Missouri Crisis being the most significant manifestation of this trend. Once white immigrants in Missouri, a newly created colony due to the Louisiana Acquisition, the equilibrium of political authority between northern and southern states was the subject of public discussion. Consequently, New York Representative James Tallmadge submitted an addendum to Missouri’s proposal for independence. They opposed slavery for moral grounds and sought to preserve a power balance between the sections. As a result, from 1820 onwards, the crisis completely fractured the Democratic-Republican Party along sectionalism, indicating impending danger.
Congress grappled with the fundamental question of the right duty of the federal government to encourage economic progress. In this regard, in early 1800, Henry Clay modeled the American System to harmonize the equilibrium of dire state economic resources due to the 1812 war2. This American System comprised three common sharing components: a border tax to safeguard and encourage the American manufacturing sector, a banking system to promote commercial transactions, and public funding for roads, canals, and other internal improvements to evolve lucrative agricultural markets.
Between 1816 and 1828, Congress approved initiatives to promote and endorse each of the primary factors of the American System. Following the 1829 election of President Andrew Jackson’s government, which emphasized a centralized constitutional function and sectional independence. It prompted the American System to become the focal point of anti-Jackson objection, which merged into the Whig party with the governance of Henry Clay3. As a result, at the end of the 1830s, the Federal Reserve built a powerful monetary system to facilitate interstate commerce and stabilize the Bank of America. Henceforth, the commercial entity would serve as a depository for revenue received by the federal government from tariffs and land sales.
The acquisition of Louisiana from France significantly influenced the geography of America. The country’s changing configuration demanded new ways of understanding the United States. In 1793, American geography consisted of three fundamental regions: the north, the center, and the south4. The increasing geographical diversity of American society was complicated. During the colonial era, four primary zones with diverse lifestyles had evolved along the eastern shore. They were, beginning in the north, New England, the Chesapeake, and the Lower South. The country’s new form indicated far more than physical growth alone. Profound economic and theological transformations also marked this age. A Modern capitalist society vastly increased wealth and created the groundwork for the Industrial Revolution, which thrived from the 1840s.
In summary, change is vital in any society, enhancing its economic, social, and political might. For example, between the 1790s and 1840s, America witnessed dramatic transformations that fueled its development. For example, the Missouri crisis shaped the political movement of America as it created the republic and democratic sectionalism. Moreover, the American system hastened economic development via trading, and finally, the geographical development was affected by the acquisition of Louisiana State.
Bibliography
All Chapters. 2013. “9. Democracy in America | the AMERICAN YAWP.” Americanyawp. Web.
“Social Change and National Development.” 2022. Web.
“The American System | Emerging America.” 2022. Web.
“U.S. Senate: Classic Senate Speeches.” 2019. Web.
Footnotes
- All Chapters. 2013. “9. Democracy in America | the AMERICAN YAWP.” Americanyawp. Web.
- “The American System | Emerging America.” 2022. Web.
- U.S. Senate: Classic Senate Speeches.” 2019. Web.
- Social Change and National Development.” 2022. Web.