American Spirit Volume I

Between 1492-1776, although many people moved to the “New World”, North America lost population due to the amount of Indians dying from war and diseases and the inability of colonists to replace them. John Murrin states, “losers far outnumbered winners” in “ a tragedy of such huge proportions that no one’s imagination can easily encompass it all.” This thought of a decreasing population broadens one’s perspective of history from that of an excluded American tale full of positivity to that of a more unbiased, all-encompassing analysis. The Indians and slaves have recently been noted as a more crucial part of history than previously accredited with.

At this time in U.S. history, the United States was beginning to emerge as a global power and the effects of expansion would only aid in supporting the economy, boosting international trade and contributing to the vision of American exceptionalism. While the idea of conquering new territories and countries seemed to be an appealing temptation to most, it cannot go unsaid that the doctrines of manifest destiny and imperialism were extremely contested and controversial to many other citizens, especially those who suffered from the battles, wars, and hardships as a direct result of westward expansion and imperialism. Through a comprehensive analysis, the intricate relationship between frontier and empire during the nineteenth and twentieth century will be delineated while focusing on both the benefits and damages brought about by efforts to expand domestically and

Beginning in the late fifteenth century, explorers, conquerors, missionaries, merchants, and adventurers sought to claim new lands to colonize. It was only a matter of time before imperial rivals butted heads over land possession and trade routes.” There are countless reasons that the Native Americans and European Colonists did not have a decent relationship. One of the reasons for conflict between Colonist and Indians was owed to the Colonists insatiable gluttony for power and for land. Some of the reasons not only included physical exploitation but also an ethical maltreatment of the Native Americans. European Colonists not only brought many distinct diseases that would serve as a future aid in the genocide of several Native American tribes, but also an outlook in which they swore they were superior to their Native foreigners. This feeling of superiority eventually led to an eruption of violence and lots of different civil wars. Due to the Colonists and the Native Americans’ irreconcilable differences, countless casualties were ached by both parties leading to continuous wars and the displacement of several Indian tribes. The Native Americans weren’t only shot down by the Europeans but by the Spanish as well. The Spanish Empire was one of the largest empires in history. It reached the peak of its military, political and economic power under the Spanish Habsburg, through most of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Since the very first contact, the Native Americans have been treated as subordinates, being mistreated, shamed, embarrassed, and oppressed by white settlers. After the Revolutionary War in the late 1700’s, matters only got worse for the Native Americans. Population was skyrocketing due to a great deal of immigration of white settlers in the early to mid 1800’s, and there wasn’t enough space for everyone. With this came expansion, and to reach the goals they had set out for it, the Native Americans had to go. A prime example of this is shown in Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States,” where in chapter seven he talks about the forced removal of Native Americans from their lands, carelessness and failure by the American government to protect, and multiple slaughters carried out by the American military on the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Creek, Choctaw, Sac and Fox, and the Seminole tribes. Closely related is “Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee,” written by Dee Brown, his writings from chapter thirteen focus on the Nez Perces tribe that resided in Oregon, and their attempt at a journey in Canada, and other western Indian tribes’ affairs. To go along with Zinn and Brown, is Alan Brinkley’s “American History,” which posed an unbiased view of what modern day textbooks are informing students across the nation about what happened to the Native Americans. An article titled “The North American Indian Holocaust,” written by

Prior to the 1800s, US expansion had been accepted by the government in the thirteen colonies. Despite the government's favor for territorial expansion, the controversy was spread throughout the 13 colonies on the idea of expansion. An American who influenced expansion in America, John O’ Sullivan, conjectured that territorial expansion was destined and it was god’s given right to expand America coast to coast, or in this case into westward territories. This thought was defined as Manifest Destiny and aided the fuel of western settlement, Native American Removal and war with Mexico. Many Americans did, however, oppose expansion and war causing, but their inputs didn’t change the idea of expansion. During the period of 1800-1855, America’s idea to expand territory succeeded in events such as the Louisiana Purchase (1803) and the Indian Removal Act. These events certainly satisfied proponents of expansion and influenced America's westward expansion. Despite these achievements, opponents of expansions opposed because of events like the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American war. America’s shape today is indeed based on these beliefs of expanding America.

In West of the Revolution, Saunt explores eight notable moments of interaction, and often first contact, between “old world” colonial powers and indigenous peoples in North America that were occurring simultaneously with the English colonists’ declarations of independence and armed revolt. By providing the reader with a broader perspective of what was happening throughout America in 1776, Saunt illustrates that our collective understanding of what constituted America at that time tends to be remarkably limited and that colonial struggles were multi-faceted, depicted here in a series of snapshots of our land’s history that challenge, complicate, and clarify our conception of what America was. What emerges from this mosaic is a pattern of European national, economic, and religious interests, arrogant and ignorant in equal measure, infiltrating into native lands with consequent uneasy alliances and outright hostilities

Taylor, Q. Jr. (n.d.). US History Timeline: 1700 - 1800. Retrieved March 26, 2017, from

During late 18th century America, there was much debate regarding the topic of the where the American colonies should stand: with Britain, or separate from them. The British crown, along with parliament, continuously imposed taxes upon the colonies and with each tax imposed the colonists grew increasingly angrier. Some might say that the British government behaved as a tyrant towards their American subjects. Opposing, there still was the debate that the British were justified for the taxes they imposed and their “tyrant’ behavior since they had supported the colonies in the French-Indian War and for many other reasons. While the British did have a good argument regarding their justification of their taxes and behavior the colonies were the

The United States of America was created by people who were not afraid to stand up for what they believed in. Together they fought, died, and built a new nation of freedom for all. However, the American Revolution would not have gained such widespread support without one man who believed in the freedom of speech. Thomas Paine risked his life to fight the British's censorship of the colonists and encouraged the people to fight back against the King's opposition. Paine fought for his ideals by illegally printing his book Common Sense, giving the people morale through The American Crisis, and becoming involved in the French Revolution through Rights of Man.

The United States acquired vast territories between the time of the Revolution and the Civil War, paying a price economically, socially, and politically. This unit examines the forces that drove such rapid expansion, the settlers moving into these regions, and the impact on the Native Americans already there.

History, an event in America’s pastime that still takes effect 100, 200, or even 300 years later, that now shaped the world as we know it, The United States Of America. Throughout the 1800’s of territorial expansion, both the United States government and individuals within the United States found themselves engaged in many different conflicts about many different topics. I will introduce you to the Lewis and Clark expedition and The Alamo. Throughout those two expeditions I will explain the two sides involved in the conflict, who were the two sides in the conflict about, what each side wanted, how was the conflict resolved, and how did this conflict shape America afterward.

Between the years of 1845 and 1848 America was on a mission to expand farther west. This was mission was not something that was completed over night, but instead too many years to reach the goal. There were multiple disagreements and even some wars erected from this operation. In this paper I am going to discuss the how the Oregon Territory was one of the best claims we have owned and how the California and Texas Territory was one of the worst claims we have owned.

By the late 1600’s to the beginning of the 1700’s, the colonization of the America’s by the English had been reaping great rewards. The English controlled much of the eastern seaboard, and were highly interested into further

America’s strive to move westward was a thought since the very beginning and expansion helped portray the country’s true potential. This was clearly seen throughout the entire first half of the 19th century. Starting in the year 1803, the United States government purchased the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon I of France, under the lead of President Thomas Jefferson. With the purchase, the country doubled in size and only increased the movement of people into the interior of the continent. By 1820, settlers had moved well beyond the Mississippi River, and as years passed it was evident that the west was increasing much more rapidly than the rest of the nation. In the 1840s, the United States had made many significant purchases and additions to the country’s land. One of these was the annexation of Texas. In the 1820s the U.S. attempted to purchase Texas from Mexico twice but both offers were refused. It wasn’t until after violence between Americans and Mexicans in Texas began that the American settlers proclaimed their independence from Mexico and eventually led

The later half of the 1800’s brought some of most cataclysmic times in America’s history. The eastern half of America was in a great war that sparked the beginning of a rebellious overtaking of the entire country. The American Civil War was a major past time that has always underlined the late 1800’s with much death and ultimately the defeat of the South by the North. During this time, the western part of America was still inhabited by many native Indian tribes that had lived in peace for many of years. After the civil war, expansion westward became the principal goal in the eyes of the “white man”. The expansion caused a new civil war within America, this time involving the East battling the West.