It is possible to distinguish several periods in the history of the United States characterized by marked manifestations of unity and division. This country’s history includes various determinative historical events such as revolutions, wars, and crises. A significant number of historical processes in the United States are related to internal problems of the country. For instance, the Civil War era is characterized by considerable fragmentation among Americans, while the results of the war had a positive impact on unity. The Great Depression period was characterized by severe domestic issues directly affecting the population. In addition, the post-World War II period was characterized by a high level of unity among the people, with some tendencies toward extreme disunity. Therefore, these three periods in U.S. history are distinguished by several factors that led to considerable division within the country. At the same time, there were fundamental changes during these periods, which gradually increased internal unity, thus contributing to the standard of living and equality in the United States.
The Civil War era is a historical period in the United States characterized by an exceptionally high level of internal division. The reasons for the separation are mainly related to fundamental differences in the development of the country’s regions. Primarily, it concerns the economic aspect because the Southern states differed in some factors during this historical period. For example, the Southern states’ economy was based on enslaved labor and cotton production and sale (Anderson 92). Using such an economic model also resulted in several social and cultural differences. Thus, some Southern regions resolved to secede from the state due to fundamental differences in a range of areas (Hedtke 13). This decision resulted in a civil war in which America was directly divided. At the same time, this period is vital for U.S. history in improving domestic unity because the divisions in American society began to be actively addressed. In the context of Theodore Roosevelt’s quote about the U.S., this era was crucial in resolving the country’s internal problems of inequality and division. However, it resulted in many deaths and did not immediately solve all the issues that caused the war.
The Great Depression era was one of the most challenging periods of U.S. history in the 20th century. This period is characterized by high levels of unemployment, which led to significant social problems within the country. Due to a sharp increase in poverty, American society received several adverse effects, including increased crime. In the context of fragmentation, this historical period has exacerbated the differences between employed and unemployed people. Economic problems have also affected social equality, as seen in the fact that African Americans have been hit hardest by unemployment (Pierce 77). Thus, the Great Depression had a severe negative impact on the equality of society in various aspects. However, this historical period showed several economic and social problems in the country that contributed to overcoming these problems and significantly increasing equality. After overcoming the issues of the Great Depression, American society significantly improved the level of economic and social equality (Kamensky et al. 663). In general, this era revealed the presence of unity and equality issues based on the economic aspect. Nevertheless, the resolution of this period’s challenges allowed the U.S. to enhance domestic unity significantly.
The post-World War II period in U.S. history is characterized by rising living standards and eliminating of many economic issues. The rapid development of the economy during the war was an essential factor in reducing unemployment. Moreover, political circumstances were an important factor in the increase in unity. The victory in World War II and the emergence of a new potential enemy in the Soviet Union were additional factors in the consolidation of society (Kamensky et al. 702). Nevertheless, the post-war period retained elements of segregated promise, which defined a significant ethnic division of the population (Ortiz 154). In this case, the seriousness of this issue is in connection with the practical absence of other challenges related to the division of society. In the context of Theodore Roosevelt’s quote, the postwar period demonstrated the impossibility of establishing a high standard of living for the entire population without overcoming all significant problems. Nevertheless, this historical period allowed the United States to focus on the problem of internal inequality, thus solving the severe problem of internal division among Americans.
The history of the United States is characterized by a series of distinct periods of development in different aspects after overcoming specific problems. These periods have had several problems, including economic and social issues, which have led to significant changes within the country. In extreme unity or separation, these periods and their results are characterized by adherence to both characteristics. In this aspect, the U.S. has differed in various historical periods regarding the determinants of population unity. For example, during the Civil War, there was a direct division of the country, while during the Great Depression, there was a more social division. Moreover, in the post-World War II period, the United States had a high population unity while maintaining racial segregation, creating societal divisions. In general, these three historical periods experienced problems with internal divisions but, at the same time, demonstrated indications of unity.
Works Cited
Anderson, Paul C. A Short History of the American Civil War. I.B. Tauris, 2019.
Hedtke, James R. American Civil War: facts and fictions. ABC-CLIO, 2018.
Kamensky, Jan, et al. A People and a Nation: A History of the United States. Cengage, 2018.
Ortiz, Paul. An African American and Latinx history of the United States. Beacon Press, 2018.
Pierce, Simon. The Great Depression. Cavendish Square Publishing. 2020.