100 Years Americas Triumphant Arrival Essays - Slavery,

Everett Ziegenfuss Mr. Venezia AP US History February 1, 2016 100 Years: Americas Triumphant Arrival 1876. One-hundred years ago, America broke from the Britains grasp, and havent looked back. The United States began as a country run by white, property holding males, and within 100 years, voting rights were extended to freedmen. The economy barely held afloat by miniscule industry and simple farming to an international economic force. Thirteen measly colonies cowering in fear behind the rolling Appalachian Mountains to a vast nation spanning sea to shining sea. In 100 years as a country, Americas monumental advances politically, socially, and technologically validate the country being lionized for its accomplishments. Political advances set America apart from other international powerhouses of the time. From British colony to democratic dominator, America skyrocketed to heights no other country could have ever conceived. It all started with George Washington presidency and the American Constitution. Coming off the American Revolution and thrust into the presidential office lent itself to arguably the most influential eight years in the history of the US Washington, who promised the people to not pursue excess power as the president as well as avoid being charged with concealed ambition, opted against serving more than two terms (gilderlehrman). This set the precedent for all future presidencies (except Franklin D. Roosevelt). The American people were wary of a monarchical system, which constituted rule until death, because of how incompetent the colonial stint transpired. Based on the concept of democracy, an idea last executed by the Romans 1000 years prior, the Constitution was a risky, but succ essful endeavor. Because of the Constitution, there is a system of checks-and-balances which ensures no branch of government obtains more jurisdiction than another. To also distance themselves from the infamous monarchical system, the Constitution enacted the creation of the Electoral College. The Electoral College was established in the Constitution as a compromise between election of the President by a vote in Congress andby a popular vote of qualified citizens (archives.gov). Unlike the monarchical system where the next monarch was decided by lineage, thus giving the general population no say on who would rule, the Electoral College gave the general population, initially white, property holding males, legitimate stake in who would run the country. In such a minute amount of time, America set the bar for democracy and exceeded expectations. The United States advancements politically did slow after its intensity of the late 18th century, but were not halted. This was shown by a belief held during the 1840s and 50s in which the expansion of the US throughout North America was both justified and inevitable, also known as Manifest Destiny. James K. Polk was a supporter of expansionism and thusly, during the 1844 Election was elected president. Two of Polks major goals were to acquire California from Mexico and settle the Oregon dispute with Britain. To settle the Oregon dispute, the Treaty of 1818 was extended along the 49th parallel. In his California venture, Polk did not aspire to fight Mexico, but Polk had to draw his hand. The Mexican-American War resulted in the Mexican Cession where the US obtained a chunk of western territory, including California. The Manifest Destiny, and westward expansion as a whole, epitomized the American ideology of personal freedom by allowing a massive movement westward in search of cheap l and and California gold. By moving west, the overpopulated northeast thinned out which led to so they could remove themselves from poverty (apecsec). By 1876, Americas centennial, the westward expansion due to the Manifest Destiny increased space for crops, allowed for the Transcontinental Railroad, reduced northeastern overcrowding leading to increased immigration, and an overall greater economy. Throughout the first 100 years of American country-hood, there was a multitude of social advances, especially with slaves, women, and the insane. In the South, agriculture and slavery were the predominant contributors to its economy. Without the ability to have a large force of unpaid bodies to tend to the fields, the southern economys pre-Civil War success would have never subsisted. Although they effectively ran the southern economy, slave treatment was horrid. The northern abolitionists fought against the southern plantation owners over the slavery. These extremely opposing positions on slavery were arguably the dominant cause