A Brief History of Humanity: From Ancient Times to the 21st Century

Chapter 34 The Expansion and Unification of the United States
Although many early Americans were pioneers, self-confident and fearless, and although the American Revolution was actually fought for and succeeded in democratic principles, America was not very democratic at first.Men like Washington, Hamilton, John Adams, who did much of the early nation-building, were afraid of too much democracy. The federal constitution drafted in 1787 was to prevent the monarchy and curb the will of the people.

The U.S. Senate is elected by each state's legislature, not by each state's voters, and in most states only wealthier men are elected.So, roughly half of all white men are able to elect members of the House of Representatives.Until 1801, the first few presidents, and most of the leading men who governed the United States, were elected not so much by democratic election as by noble birth.

[-]. Towards democracy

As time went on, the spirit of democracy became more and more visible.The third President Jefferson believed that the true sense of nobility can only be nobles with both character and talent, not nobles with wealth or family background.He agreed to expand the scope of suffrage to allow more men to vote.He felt that slavery was a sin.One of his most intriguing ideas is that the constitution should be revised every 19 years so that each generation has the right to choose the form of government it wants.

Jefferson's Democratic Politics Jefferson was elected president in 1801. Those who supported him felt that this was a great success of American democratic politics.He was president for eight years, but built a force in politics that lasted for years.Until 8, most of the presidents after him were Democrats, and as far as many things were concerned, all were democratic in principle.

Under Jefferson in 1803, the United States purchased the vast Louisiana territory from France, extending its territory far beyond the Mississippi River.This region created a wonderful home for exploration and settlement for the fearless people of the new nation.

Jackson's Democratic Politics Andrew Jackson, who served as president from 1829 to 1837, appears in some respects to have been more democratic than Jefferson.From 1801 to 1829, there were two major changes in the United States that were beneficial to democratic politics: (1) The towns in the east were developing into large cities with large industries and factories, and the workers in the cities advocated the right to vote and some were (2) Several new states were established in the western regions, beyond the Allegheny Mountains and in the Mississippi River Valley, and the people of the new states with pioneers and self-motivation advocated a relatively large share in government. a right.They are, of course, leaning towards democracy, and have a considerable hatred for the nobles of the Old State.

Jackson came from the frontier, so what he brought with him was democracy with a border tinge.It didn't take long for the older states to change their constitutions to allow more men to vote and hold public office.At the same time, many things were done to ensure the education of the common people and grant them every kind of rights they could wish.

[-]. Toward nationalism

Nationalism and democracy are not opposites, they often exist together.What is really opposed to nationalism is localism, that is, the localism of a certain city, a certain county, a certain state, or a vast area including several states in the country.American nationalism once encountered obstacles from various regionalisms, but in the end it gradually strengthened itself.

The "Critical Period" The five or six years following the Revolution are known in American history as the "Critical Period" because nationalism seemed to be in grave danger.Localisms of varying degrees were then very strong, and the union of states formed during the revolutionary struggle was soon to be broken up, but the forces of nationalism prevailed, and a more perfect federation was formed.

Another critical moment Nationalism faced another critical moment in 1832 when South Carolina was preparing to repeal a law passed by Congress.Two years ago, Daniel Webster of Massachusetts and Robert Hayne of South Carolina argued the issue in the United States Senate.Webster represented the view shared by most people in the North, who believed that the national government had the highest power; while Hayne represented the view widely popular in the South, arguing that a state can make its own decisions on a controversial issue without having to consider National Government Advice.In other words, Webster represented nationalism, while Hayne represented regionalism or state sovereignty.But nationalism faced a serious test in 1832 when South Carolina attempted to put Hayne's ideas into practice.When President Jackson, a Democrat from the frontier, was in office, he immediately stated that he would not allow South Carolina to do so, and again nationalism won.

American nationalism was most critically tested during the Civil War of 1861-1865.At that time, due to issues such as slavery and protective tariffs, the North and the South quarreled with each other, and many states planned to withdraw from the Federation. After several years of fierce fighting, the separatist activities were finally curbed, and the United States returned to a complete country.Nationalism has since been stronger than before.At this time, it was the period when Germany and Italy realized national unification.

The growth of democracy was at this time when slavery was abolished.What had been thought of as mere property slaves before the Civil War was now a real human being.They became citizens, and some had the right to vote and some political rights.Changes in the federal constitution brought these things to fruition, and it was also backed by the central government, so nationalism gained a good reputation as a champion of democracy.

Territorial Expansion The territory of the United States is increasing a lot every moment.As mentioned above the Louisiana territory was purchased in 1803. Florida was acquired in 1819.The greatest increase was achieved between 1840 and 1850.During these 10 years, the territory settled by immigrants expanded northwestward to the Pacific Ocean; the territory of the South increased due to the recognition of Texas as a state; and the territory of the West and Southwest expanded to Pacific Ocean.

The acquisition of Texas, New Mexico, California, and surrounding areas (during 1840–1850), initially curtailed nationalism, and quarrels over these territories fueled the Civil War.But later this large piece of beautiful, rich and vast land across the plains and mountains to the Golden Gate Strait became the source of pride for most Americans and aroused their national patriotism.All the more so when the railroads connected East and West, and the telegraph and post brought each region closer together.

Immigrants Immigrants have brought a variety of ethnic compositions to the United States.There were Germans and Austrians who went to the United States after the failure of the European revolution in 1848; Irish who fled because they were oppressed in their own country; Scandinavians who settled in several new states in the Northwest; Emigration from Austria-Hungary and Russia also continued to increase.All of these peoples and the rest have contributed to the rapid development of the United States.One of the most remarkable facts about these immigrants is that many of them soon became patriotic Americans.

Integration into the State We have seen that the Federal Constitution itself laid a solid foundation for nationalism from the outset. "Forming a better union" is not empty talk.Daniel Webster's arguments, especially some of the early decisions of the Supreme Court under John Marshall, all showed the national power of the Constitution.Democrat Andrew Jackson and Republican Abraham Lincoln, both insisting on federal supremacy and an indivisible union, had considerable influence. The central government won the war in 1865, a decisive victory for nationalism.

The expansion of territory and the development of settlements allowed for the creation of many new states, but these states were soon connected together by railroads and wires.Roads, railroads, telegraphs, and fast postal delivery created an empathetic system that the nation could feel and respond to as a whole. "America," "The Star-Spangled Banner," and other American songs inspired a national feeling.And the war with Spain in 1898 made the United States forget, at least temporarily, some of the remaining regional differences.

Another thing that cannot be ignored is that nationalism is dominant. For many years, the national government of the United States has been mainly controlled by the Republican Party with nationalism as its basic principle.After preserving the union of the entire country during the crisis of the Civil War, the party continued to promote nationalism against regionalism.Since 1861, most presidents have been Republicans, and most of the government is in their hands.

[-]. Towards large-scale industry
Manufacturing, trade, and commerce did not unify the United States, but they played a considerable role in its expansion.New England and the North were active in manufacturing from the very beginning of Slater's first textile mill in Pawtucket.Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin in the South in 1793 did not immediately lead to a huge expansion of industrial enterprise in the South, but in the following years the South, like the North (and East and West), was everywhere. All full of industrial spinning wheels.A very powerful factor for the rapid development of American industry was the patent law enacted by the national government.Patent laws encouraged the invention of machines.

Land and Labor Two other important factors in American industry are the abundance and variety of natural resources (land) throughout the country and the innumerable ready-employable laborers.

There are many reasons why American industry (manufacturing and trade) first developed in the North.For example, there are more capital and suitable labor in the north.There was also a reason that the towns developed in the North were better suited for large-scale industry than the plantations that were widespread in the South.Also, the largest number of black slaves in the South was considered unfit to work in factories.In addition, planters in the South found it most beneficial to produce crops such as cotton, tobacco, corn, and wheat, so much so that they were not interested in building factories.But both the North and the South have a lot of water resources available.

Extending to the emancipation of black slaves after the Civil War in the South, most of the plantations in the South were destroyed.This incident, together with several other incidents, provided favorable conditions for industrial manufacturing.In the half century since, and especially since 1900, most of the southern states have been transformed by the founding of factories and the growth of cities.Many textile mills sprang up in the south, which was to be expected given the abundance of raw cotton in the south.

Large-scale industry During the Civil War and World War I, American industry developed at an astonishing rate.During this half century, the United States became the leading industrial country in the world, producing more coal, iron, steel, and copper than any other country; it challenged Britain's leadership in the cotton textile industry and won a success; laying the longer railway than all the railways in Europe.

A clear tendency in American industry is to favor large corporations and "trusts" (combinations of many corporations) for large-scale production.Such powerfully organized trusts exist in oil, steel, sugar, railroads, and many other industries.At the same time, workers formed a national trade union.

Tariff Protection One of the US government's attempts to foster large-scale industry was the establishment of a tariff protection system.In the beginning, duties on imported goods were moderate in amount, and their main purpose was to increase revenue for the government.Later, tariffs were raised to protect "infant industries" against competition from foreign goods.While the policy was generally opposed by Democrats, Republicans supported it, and held power for most of the period from 1861 to 1913.Finally, the United States implemented high tariff policies, such as the famous McKinley Tariff Act in 1890.Perhaps the American example was a factor in France, Germany, and other European countries adopting protective tariff policies.

[-]. Toward imperialism

Nationalism and Democracy As mentioned earlier, nationalism and democracy can normally go hand in hand.In the United States, unity and loyalty to the country are accompanied or closely followed by the implementation of some democratic policies.The abolition of slavery was brought about by military success, but even the vanquished later agreed.Progress toward democracy has been accompanied by increased nationalism.The U.S. Constitution was amended in 1913 to allow voters in each state to elect their own senators; another amendment was made in 1920 to allow women to vote.

Democratic rights to propose initiatives, referee rights, recall rights, and direct primary elections have all become popular in many parts of the United States.The right to create formally recognizes that citizens have the right to make proposals, and grants the people the first right to speak in making laws by means of petitions or other measures; the right of referendum usually uses voting to give the people the final decision in making laws; the right to recall It is the people who use elections to remove an unpopular official; direct primaries are voting within a political party to select the party's candidates.All of these initiatives are clearly democratic; all of them are aimed at increasing and more effective participation of ordinary citizens in government.

Expansion and Imperialism If American nationalism and progress in democracy accompanied or followed it, it also seems true that expansion, especially trade and territorial expansion, led to the development of imperialism.As long as the territories of the United States are interconnected, inhabited mainly by Americans, and several states can be quickly formed and admitted into the national union, the process of unification will be simple, and the promotion of democratic politics will be easy.It is a different matter, however, if foreign territories are acquired, and the peoples who live in those distant lands are not considered fit to enjoy all political rights.As long as these distant territories are considered mere dependencies, with no chance of becoming a state, and whose people are classified as subjects rather than citizens, America is on the road to imperialism.

Faraway Territories In 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from Russia. In 1898 the United States fought a short and decisive war with Spain over the Cuban dispute; but part of the struggle was on the other side of the globe.Therefore, because of this war, the United States was brought more directly and completely into world affairs.As a direct result of this war, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippine Islands were all assigned to the United States.In the same year, due to the pleas of some American expatriates, the Hawaiian Islands were also annexed to the United States.

Since then, the United States has also acquired several islands in the Samoa archipelago, the Panama Canal Zone, and the Virgin Islands (Danish West Indies).

"Police Powers" The fight with Spain in 1898 resulted in the liberation of Cuba from Spanish rule, but the United States gained a naval base on the Cuban coast and the right to land troops if necessary to maintain order.Shortly thereafter, in 1903, President Roosevelt secured the Panama Canal Zone for the United States and openly asserted that the United States had the right to exercise "police powers" in disobedient Latin American republics.In fact, the United States has indeed sent armed forces countless times to Cuba, Nicaragua, Haiti, and some small republics in the Caribbean to maintain order, or to Mexico to pursue rebel leaders.

The United States also took fiscal control from these republics.Although these countries have not been annexed by the United States, they are still attached to the United States and seem to be protected by the United States.

When it comes to reining in disobedient or incompetent states, the United States does what European powers do in other parts of the globe.Just as England and France expanded their own empires, the United States acquired a so-called empire on a smaller scale.An empire is not only its own nation-state, but also includes some dependent territories and dependent countries.

(End of this chapter)