Starting in 1815, American society began to change drastically. This was due to two very important events happening: the revolution of industry and the Second Great Awakening. Technology advanced greatly with the invention of the telegraph, the sewing machine, and the assembly line. Agriculture also prospered with the mechanical thresher, a tractor with a steam engine, and the reaper, used to harvest wheat. The Second Great Awakening spread religious zeal and Evangelical ideas throughout America. The Evangelicals promoted education for everyone and applying God’s plan to human institutions. The changes being caused by these two monumental events inspired a number of reform movements, including a campaign for women’s’ rights. Between 1815 and 1860, women evolved from subservient homemakers in the cult of domesticity to leaders and workers. They began to hold actual jobs in factories, had more power in their households due to education, and became more important in society when they took part in the religious revival and in protesting for other reform movements at the time.
When colonists first settled in America, the job of a woman was difficult but not considered to be very important. She was to bear children, cook, clean, and usually undertake other tasks such as sewing, spinning, or occasionally raising animals. Very little changed before the Revolution. After, however, a woman’s job shifted with the new concept of republican motherhood. She was still expected to care for the house, but was now given an actual “important” responsibility. She was in charge of the household and of raising the children to be good Americans. This job, while significant, still confined women to their homes and did not allow them to earn money, forcing them to continue to depend on their husbands for everything, making it impossible for them to be independent. After the start of the Reform Movement, however, this changed, too. Women began to find jobs in factories and mills with other women, such as the Lowell Mill, which was written about in a letter from one of its workers (doc. B). They had to work very long hours and earned little pay compared to that of male workers. Many women also found the work to be “tedious,” but others, such as the writer of the letter, saw the positive side. This work was far from perfect, but it was a step toward positive change for women.
[Note: I didn't remember if you wanted us to include the extra credit about the thresher and the reaper in the essay or just in a post at the end, so I'm doing both. The mechanical thresher was a tractor with a steam engine and the reaper was a tool used to harvest wheat.]
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Essay #5: Nationalism
George Orwell described the purpose of a nationalist as “to secure more power and more prestige, not for himself but for the nation or other unit in which he has chosen to sink his own individuality." Americans sought land expansion before they had even gained their independence, attempting to move west before the British government issued the Proclamation of 1763. After the Revolution, this impulse was acted upon by Thomas Jefferson with the Louisiana Purchase. After the war of 1812, this impulse grew even stronger as Nationalism increased. The people of America began to see themselves as one nation and as “God’s chosen people.” Politicians, religious leaders, and educators all argued that America was great and its ideas needed to be spread. This belief, favored by most Americans, was called “Manifest Destiny” and was the basis for many political decisions made in America for many years. Nationalism played a substantially large role in America’s foreign policy in the early nineteenth century through Manifest Destiny, which gave incentive for the creation of the Monroe Doctrine, harmed Indian-American relations and led to the Trail of Tears, and sparked a conflict that ended in war with Mexico. The Monroe Doctrine was created to keep Britain from influencing an area that America hoped to dominate, the Trail of Tears was a result of the Americans wanting Native Americans to move so that Americans could have more territory, and the Mexican-American War started because America seized Mexican territory.
After the Napoleonic Wars, victorious monarch banded together to smother rebellion and stop democracy. There were rumors that Russia, Austria, Prussia, and France would attack the rebellious colonies of Spanish America. This worried many Americans, who thought that the concept of republicanism was in danger, as well as the physical security of their country, Britain was also upset because trade with the Spanish American revolutionaries greatly helped their economy. Britain asked America to join with them in a declaration warning Europeans to stay away from Latin America and renouncing interest in acquiring territory there. Secretary John Quincy Adams, a nationalist, was wary of an agreement because he believed that Britain was seeking to gain control of the Western hemisphere itself. As a nationalist, he wanted America to be able to expand and recognized that the agreement would help Britain to gain power, which would make expansion much more difficult for the United States. Therefore, he convinced Monroe to turn down the offer and issue the Monroe Doctrine, which essentially warned Europeans to stay out of North America. This statement is a clear example of nationalism and Manifest Destiny. The US government wished to expand its territory in North America but saw the threat of European nations asserting dominance first. Naturally, the Americans chose to protect their own interests and power by doing what they could to keep the Europeans away.
The desire for westward expansion continued in the 1820s, showing a continued belief in Manifest Destiny. President Andrew Jackson favored the nationalist idea of expanding American power by expanding territory. Unfortunately, the western part of the continent was occupied by Native Americans. The tribes were officially recognized as separate nations and it had been agreed in the 1790s that land could only be acquired from them through treaties. However, the Americans continually violated these treaties and redrew the lines defining territory multiple times to allow white Americans to move farther west. Other Americans took Manifest Destiny’s justification that America’s superior ideas needed to be spread to heart. They began an attempt at “civilizing” Native Americans by teaching them Christianity as well as American language and lifestyle. Many resisted, but some accepted the white teachings and began to change their lifestyles. Georgia brought multiple issues dealing with Native Americans to the Supreme Court, where John Marshall ruled in their favor. President Jackson, however, refused to enforce the rulings because he wanted Native American land to be open to white Americans. He instead created the Indian Removal Act, which would move all Native Americans east of the Mississippi westward. Many resisted and were killed, but Jackson stilled believed it to be right because it fulfilled the nationalistic need for American land.
In 1845, America’s relationship with Mexico was already fragile when President James K. Polk decided to formerly annex Texas. This alone was a huge territorial expansion, but it did not satisfy Polk. He also wanted to acquire the California-New Mexico region. Unfortunately, his attempt at purchasing the land failed, so he resorted to more aggressive measures. He sent troops into the desired region near the Rio Grande and the Nueces River. When the situation became hostile, America declared war on Mexico supposedly because Mexicans had crossed into America and attacked its citizens. This claim was never verified and was most likely Polk’s excuse so that he could wage war and seize the territory he wanted. America eventually gained one million acres of Mexican land in the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, which ended the war. Even then, however, Polk was not satisfied. He believed that America could have received even more land from Mexico. Polk obviously saw gaining land as very important, as is shown by the great extents he went to to obtain it. He strongly believed in the nationalist concept of Manifest Destiny and its idea that America had the inevitable right to land because of its superiority.
Nationalism played a profound role in the shaping of American foreign policy in the early nineteenth century because it made Americans desire expansion through Manifest Destiny. The Monroe Doctrine was created to keep foreign influence out of North America so that the United States would be free to expand without competition. Native Americans were forcibly moved west so that white Americans could gain land. They were also forcibly taught American lifestyles because Americans believed that they were superior. Finally, America waged war with Mexico over fifty acres of land because Polk saw expansion as important enough to be worth the risk. In all, most important decisions concerning foreign policy in the United States in the early nineteenth century were made because of the nationalistic belief that America was superior and needed to expand.
After the Napoleonic Wars, victorious monarch banded together to smother rebellion and stop democracy. There were rumors that Russia, Austria, Prussia, and France would attack the rebellious colonies of Spanish America. This worried many Americans, who thought that the concept of republicanism was in danger, as well as the physical security of their country, Britain was also upset because trade with the Spanish American revolutionaries greatly helped their economy. Britain asked America to join with them in a declaration warning Europeans to stay away from Latin America and renouncing interest in acquiring territory there. Secretary John Quincy Adams, a nationalist, was wary of an agreement because he believed that Britain was seeking to gain control of the Western hemisphere itself. As a nationalist, he wanted America to be able to expand and recognized that the agreement would help Britain to gain power, which would make expansion much more difficult for the United States. Therefore, he convinced Monroe to turn down the offer and issue the Monroe Doctrine, which essentially warned Europeans to stay out of North America. This statement is a clear example of nationalism and Manifest Destiny. The US government wished to expand its territory in North America but saw the threat of European nations asserting dominance first. Naturally, the Americans chose to protect their own interests and power by doing what they could to keep the Europeans away.
The desire for westward expansion continued in the 1820s, showing a continued belief in Manifest Destiny. President Andrew Jackson favored the nationalist idea of expanding American power by expanding territory. Unfortunately, the western part of the continent was occupied by Native Americans. The tribes were officially recognized as separate nations and it had been agreed in the 1790s that land could only be acquired from them through treaties. However, the Americans continually violated these treaties and redrew the lines defining territory multiple times to allow white Americans to move farther west. Other Americans took Manifest Destiny’s justification that America’s superior ideas needed to be spread to heart. They began an attempt at “civilizing” Native Americans by teaching them Christianity as well as American language and lifestyle. Many resisted, but some accepted the white teachings and began to change their lifestyles. Georgia brought multiple issues dealing with Native Americans to the Supreme Court, where John Marshall ruled in their favor. President Jackson, however, refused to enforce the rulings because he wanted Native American land to be open to white Americans. He instead created the Indian Removal Act, which would move all Native Americans east of the Mississippi westward. Many resisted and were killed, but Jackson stilled believed it to be right because it fulfilled the nationalistic need for American land.
In 1845, America’s relationship with Mexico was already fragile when President James K. Polk decided to formerly annex Texas. This alone was a huge territorial expansion, but it did not satisfy Polk. He also wanted to acquire the California-New Mexico region. Unfortunately, his attempt at purchasing the land failed, so he resorted to more aggressive measures. He sent troops into the desired region near the Rio Grande and the Nueces River. When the situation became hostile, America declared war on Mexico supposedly because Mexicans had crossed into America and attacked its citizens. This claim was never verified and was most likely Polk’s excuse so that he could wage war and seize the territory he wanted. America eventually gained one million acres of Mexican land in the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, which ended the war. Even then, however, Polk was not satisfied. He believed that America could have received even more land from Mexico. Polk obviously saw gaining land as very important, as is shown by the great extents he went to to obtain it. He strongly believed in the nationalist concept of Manifest Destiny and its idea that America had the inevitable right to land because of its superiority.
Nationalism played a profound role in the shaping of American foreign policy in the early nineteenth century because it made Americans desire expansion through Manifest Destiny. The Monroe Doctrine was created to keep foreign influence out of North America so that the United States would be free to expand without competition. Native Americans were forcibly moved west so that white Americans could gain land. They were also forcibly taught American lifestyles because Americans believed that they were superior. Finally, America waged war with Mexico over fifty acres of land because Polk saw expansion as important enough to be worth the risk. In all, most important decisions concerning foreign policy in the United States in the early nineteenth century were made because of the nationalistic belief that America was superior and needed to expand.
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