The United States prides itself on being a superpower, economic giant, a hub for immigrants, and a democratic nation that acknowledges human rights for all. There are several historical developments that collectively led to the formation of such a great country. Particularly, the progress of the United States can be analyzed through the lens of key markets, geography, and gender politics. The geological location influenced America’s colonization, civil war, and reconstruction, in which women played a key role.
The importance of geography cannot be overemphasized as it set the country for colonization by the British government and contributed to the Civil War. Likewise, analyzing the market forces and trade provides key insights into the success of the US. Noteworthy, gender is at the core of every progress of the liberation and equality that women have as a result of a fight. The current paper relies on secondary sources from key authors of American history, including Hoffman et al. and Lepore. The main primary source utilized is a traditional oral story by Mohawk. Studying the historical development of the US is relevant in understanding the origin of present challenges and learning from past mistakes to resolve present issues of liberty.
Native America and European Arrival
The Native Americans inhabited North America long before the coming of Columbus. The indigenous people have preserved narratives that explain how they came to being. For instance, the Iroquois creation story tells how the Great Ruler summoned pregnant Ata-en-sic to fall from the sky (Mohawk). The turtle agreed to bear the weight, and after birth, the people continued to multiply (Mohawk). Relatedly, during the sixteenth and the seventeenth century, the Europeans were sailing through the sea and making discoveries, of which America was one of the desired lands. The Europeans established their colonial ventures like sugarcane farming which was facilitated by about 12 to 20 million African Slaves from 1450 to 1900 (Lepore 125). The indigenous people did not view the coming of the Europeans favorably, but they did not have the resources to fight against their invasion.
Colonial Conflicts Between European Nations
The establishment of the colonial regime was not an impossible task for the Europeans, who were already fond of expanding through conquest. However, between 1675 and 1715, violence broke out, leading to the formation of New England Colonies (Taylor 140). At the same time, there were ongoing European Wars between the British, French, Spanish, and Dutch due to imperial tension. British had adopted a mercantilist policy that tied each colony to the mother nation. The Great Awakening, enlightenment, and religious revivalism characterized the time, which made the British colonizers distrust institutions. The British wanted to further expand their territory by eliminating Spain and France from the New World. They developed the navigation Act, which specified that colonists were restricted to ship only within the British empire. As the European superpowers continued to fight, war broke out in the United States.
The Frontier
The term frontier ideally means the advancing borders for the areas and newly conquered provinces occupied by the European settlers. Frontiers helped to mark the geographical territories not only within the inhabitants of the now United States lands but also among the European colonialist. Noteworthy, there was no map for the United States before the European invasion, and the territorial marks kept changing due to wars and conquest. For instance, following the defeat of France by Indians, the 1763 Indian Treaty was established, and the map of North America was radically changed (Hoffman et al. 102). The conflicts and wars were in the East/West and north-south axes. Changes in the geographical Maps were made each time there was a conquest.
Territorial Expansion of US after Louisiana Purchase and War of 1812
Following the independence of the United States that came after the revolutionary war, land became the most important resource for the Americans. The implication was tremendous expansion, especially in the west. The Louisiana Purchase is one of the most remarkable experiences as it details the desire to expand amidst constitutional restrictions. Particularly, Thomas Jefferson and some political philosophers in the congress believed that it was vital to have Louisiana territory, which was initially claimed by Spain and later ceded by France during the Napoleonic Wars. However, the constitution did not give Jefferson the power to buy the land. They decided to use James Munroe and Robert Livingstone to sign the Louisiana Purchase Treaty after paying Napoleon $ 15 million for the entire territory. The United States gained agricultural land and security against the Mexicans following the deal.
The Emergence of Manifest Destiny
The expansionist movement gained momentum and became known as the manifest destiny. The Americans believed that the westward expansion was inevitable, divinely foreordained, and just. For instance, they acquired vast territories in the Southwest and led to the Mexican- American War. The result was an occupation of the United States by the Latin America and Mexicans. The United States was known to push boundaries even during the colonial era. During the Manifest destiny, political leaders such as Thomas Hart Benton believed that the solution to the increasing population of foreign nationalities was the Americanization of Mexicans and Indians. Some politicians were afraid that the expansion threatened the national cohesion in regions such as Texas, Oregon, and California. However, the aggressive politicians continued with their plan of acquiring more land. This led to the Mexican-American War, where the United States strategically attacked Mexico, seeking to conquer it. The conflict ended after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Mexico kept the land in the South of Rio Grande while the United States was entitled to Texas.
Conflict over the Spread of Slaves into Territories
The racial conflict between the whites and the Hispanics emerged following the treaty. However, there was more contention against the enslaved Black people who had remained in the country after the independence from British colonialists. A democrat, David Wilmot was the first to present the issue of slavery to the senate. Notably, at the time, the west was perceived by both the Northerners and the Southerners as the place where they could enhance their quality of life for social mobility and raising ideal families. The Missouri compromise had led to the abolition of the slave trade, but the Africans still worked as slaves on the farm. They were owned by Americans who purchased them from the colonialists. However, after the Civil War broke out and the black people were given their freedom, the main challenge was the land they could occupy. The people were still segregating against former slaves and did not want any association with them.
Sectional Conflicts for Civil War and Reconstruction
Sectional conflicts refer to the tension between the southerners and the northerners in regards to the issue of abolishing slavery. President Zachary Taylor proposed a motion for admitting California with the hope of allowing the people of the west freedom to choose whether to become a free or slave state. Surprising to many southerners, California wanted to join the union as a free state. The North and the South remained divided due to the issue of slavery even after the congressional compromise.
Works Cited
Cobbs, Elizabeth. “Chapter 8: The Transport, Market, and Communication revolution of the Early Nineteenth Century.” Major Problems in American History, Cengage Learning, 2016, pp. 231-262.
Cobbs, Elizabeth, et al. Major Problems in American History. Cengage Learning, 2016.
Hoffman, Elizabeth C., et al. “Chapter 5: The Making of the Constitution.” Major Problems in American History, Cengage Learning, 2016.
Jacobs, Seth. Rogue Diplomats: The Proud Tradition of Disobedience in American Foreign Policy. Cambridge UP, 2020.
Lepore, Jill. “Chapter six: Africans in America.” These Truths: A History of the United States, W. W. Norton, 2019, pp. 125-145.
Mohawk, John. Iroquois Creation Story. 2005.
Taylor, Alan. Colonial America: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford UP, 2013.