Download Nik Ajifu Mr. Silva Pd. 7 History 12/08/11 Prompt 1 Describe how

Nik Ajifu
Mr. Silva
Pd. 7 History
12/08/11
Prompt 1
Describe how historical events and ideas have influenced the American political
system.
How did the American Revolution shape the American political system? The
American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in
which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the Britsh
Empire, combining to become the United States of America. They first rejected the
authority of the Parliament of Great Britain to govern them from overseas without
representation, and then expelled all royal officials. By 1774 each colony had
established a Provincial Congress, or an equivalent governmental institution, to govern
itself, but still within the empire. The British responded by sending combat troops to reimpose direct rule. Through representatives sent in 1775 to the Second Continental
Congress , the states joined together at first to defend their respective self governance
manage the armed conflict against the British known as the American Revolutionary
War (1775–83, also American War of Independence). Ultimately, the states collectively
determined that the British monarchy, by acts of tyranny, could no longer legitimately
claim their allegiance. They then severed ties with the British Empire in July 1776, when
the Congress issued the United States Declaration of Independence, rejecting the
monarchy on behalf of the new sovereign nation separate and external to the British
Empire. The war ended with effective American victory in October 1781, followed by
formal British abandonment of any claims to the United States with the Treaty of Paris in
1783.
The American Revolution was the result of a series of social, political, and
intellectual transformations in early American society and government, collectively
referred to as the American Enlightenment. Americans rejected the oligarchies common
in aristocratic Europe at the time, championing instead the development of
republicanism based on the Enlightenment understanding of liberalism. Among the
significant results of the revolution was the creation of a democratically-elected
representative government responsible to the will of the people. However, sharp political
debates erupted over the appropriate level of democracy desirable in the new
government, with a number of Founders fearing mob rule.
Many fundamental issues of national governance were settled with the ratification
of the United States Constitution in 1788, which replaced the relatively weaker first
attempt at a national government adopted in 1781, the Articles of Confederation and
Perpetual Union. In contrast to the loose confederation, the Constitution established a
strong federated government. The United States Bill of Rights (1791), comprising the
first 10 constitutional amendments, quickly followed. It guaranteed many "natural rights"
that were influential in justifying the revolution, and attempted to balance a strong
national government with relatively broad personal liberties. The American shift to liberal
republicanism, and the gradually increasing democracy, caused an upheaval of
traditional social hierarchy and gave birth to the ethic that has formed a core of political
values in the United States.
How did the Civil war reshape the American government? The American Civil
War (1861–1865) was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to
the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave
states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate
States of America; the other 25 states supported the federal government. After four
years of warfare, mostly within the Southern states, the Confederacy surrendered and
slavery was outlawed everywhere in the nation. Issues that led to war were partially
resolved in the Reconstruction Era that followed, though others remained unresolved.
In the presidential election of 1860, the Republican Party, led by Abraham
Lincoln, had campaigned against expanding slavery beyond the states in which it
already existed. The Republicans strongly advocated nationalism, and in their 1860
platform they denounced threats of disunion as avowals of treason. After a Republican
victory, but before the new administration took office on March 4, 1861, seven cotton
states declared their secession and joined to form the Confederate States of America.
Both the outgoing administration of President James Buchanan and the incoming
administration rejected the legality of secession, considering it rebellion. The other eight
slave states rejected calls for secession at this point. No country in the world recognized
the Confederacy.
The American Civil War was one of the earliest true industrial wars. Railroads,
the telegraph, steamships, and mass-produced weapons were employed extensively.
The practices of total war, developed by Sherman in Georgia, and of trench warfare
around Petersburg foreshadowed World War 1 in Europe. It remains the deadliest war
in American history, resulting in the deaths of 620,000 soldiers and an undetermined
number of civilian casualties. Historian John Huddlestion estimates the death toll at ten
percent of all Northern males 20–45 years old, and 30 percent of all Southern white
males aged 18–40. Victory for the North meant the end of the Confederacy and of
slavery in the United States, and strengthened the role of the federal government. The
social, political, economic and racial issues of the war decisively shaped the
reconstruction era that lasted to 1877.
How did the Great Depression Increase the role of the government in the
economy? The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the
decade preceding World War 2. The timing of the Great Depression varied across
nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or
early 1940s. It was the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the 20th
century.
In the 21st century, the Great Depression is commonly used as an example of
how far the world's economy can decline. The depression originated in the U.S., starting
with the fall in stock prices that began around September 4, 1929 and became
worldwide news with the stock market crash of October 29, 1929, also known as Black
Tuesday. From there, it quickly spread to almost every country in the world.
The Great Depression had devastating effects in virtually every country, rich and
poor. Personal income, tax revenue, profits and prices dropped, while international
trade plunged by more than 50%. Unemployment in the U.S. rose to 25%, and in some
countries rose as high as 33%.
Cities all around the world were hit hard, especially those dependent on heavy
industry. Construction was virtually halted in many countries. Farming and rural areas
suffered as crop prices fell by approximately 60%. Facing plummeting demand with few
alternate sources of jobs, areas dependent on primary sector industries such as cash
cropping, mining and logging suffered the most. However, some economies started to
recover by the mid-1930s. In many countries, the negative effects of the Great
Depression lasted until the start of World War II.
How did WW2 increase American presence in world issues? The effects of World
War II had far-reaching implications for most of the world. Many millions of lives had
been lost as a result of the war. Germany was divided into four quadrants, which were
controlled by the Allied Powers; the United States, United Kingdom, France, and the
Soviet Union; and itself was one of the survivors. The war can be identified to varying
degrees as the catalyst for many continental, national and local phenomena, such as
the redrawing of European borders, the birth of the United Kingdom's welfare state, the
communist revolution in China and Eastern Europe, the creation of Isreal, and the
division of Germany and Korea and later of Vietnam. In addition, many organizations
have roots in the Second World War; for example, the United Nations, the World Bank,
the World Trade Organization, and the International Monetary Fund. Technologies, such
as nuclear fission, the electronic computer and the jet engine, also appeared during this
period.
As you read, the United States government has gone a lot of things in its past
that have’t been the best decision for the USA. However, through these actions, the
United States government has gotten stronger and smarter. Hopefully they can keep on
building and get even stronger.