American Struggles In The 19th Century

From the start of man fighting for freedom or his beliefs, the question has consistently been whether a person can wage a battle using words rather than actions. The notion of civil disobedience would seem to be an inept weapon against political inequity; history, however, has persistently proven it to be the most dynamic weapon of the individual. By refusing to pay his taxes and subsequently being imprisoned, Henry David Thoreau demonstrated this very defiance. Thoreau’s Resistance to Civil Government conveys the effectiveness of the individual conscience, renounces hypocrisy, and cultivates a sense of urgency where inaction creates a moral conflict. This path of responsibility paved by Thoreau gave our leaders of today the means they

In Henry David Thoreau’s Civil Disobedience, he is writing to the American people. He is trying to spark a desire for change, for people to oppose their government without actions. He uses this work to criticize the American institution of slavery as well as the Mexican-American War. Thoreau is attempting to convey the importance of listening to one’s conscience over the laws, believing that it is more important to do what they feel is right rather than listen to the laws given by the majority. Thoreau feels that people should protest against their government, but not using violent actions. He is trying to persuade the people to voice their opinions and break the chain of majority rule. Thoreau is writing during the time of the war between the United States and Mexico, which took place between 1846 and 1848. He writes to oppose the government’s actions and policies during this time period. He refused to pay a tax that would support the war and was imprisoned for a day. Thoreau uses ethos, logos, and pathos to persuade his audience to agree with his view of the American government and to voice their oppositions.

“The United States emerged from a virulent, intense, and inhumane civil war and evolved into a new nation during this period. This transition was the culmination of political, economic, social, and cultural movements which transformed the nation. E Pluribus Unum - out of many United States, one nation; the United States was forged in the cauldron of these revolutions."     -Arnold Toynbee, A Study of History

Thoreau's Civil Disobedience talks about politics, government and the issues concerning these areas today. "Government is best which governs least." This motto means that the government should not have complete power over the people. The people's opinion is what matters the most. Individualism is stressed throughout his writing. To stand up for what you believe in and not bend backwards for the government is necessary. He speaks of Slavery and the war in Mexico and how is must be put to a stop. The people are responsible for this happening. Many people opposed these things yet did nothing to change it. Allowing yourself to be a part of injustice makes you a part of the negativity. Paying taxes to a corrupt government makes you

In the late 19th century, a desire for expansion and control swept through Europe. Today, we know this as the age of imperialism. Influential powers like Britain and France competed to gain more land and to spread their influence throughout the world. The purpose of imperialism was to gain political power by means of land and wealth. The more power an empire held, the more influence it had on worldly matters. With this power came racial tensions, and a strong sense of nationalism. Britain was the leading power in the race for imperialism, leading many of its citizens to believe that they were above those not of English origin. Growing powers meant new opportunities for the citizens of the growing imperialistic empire. Anna Leonowens, a British

Since the creation of the United States Constitution, the many leaders of our nation took different roles in trying to attain perfectionism for their country. From the federalist views of John Adams to the democratic views of Jefferson, America was experiencing the endeavor that was being a young nation in the midst of the 19th century. The emergence of John Quincy Adams in 1820 started an “Era of Good Feelings” with exceptional political advancements and economic achievements. While Jackson’s democratic views were not always what were expected, during his presidency, the country grew national and world attraction. Through periods of boom and bust, political and economic changes in America undeniably helped reshape society between the years 1820 and 1848 with the emergence of new and innovative advancements.

Political factionalism in the United States in the midst of the nineteenth century was empowered by the advancement of an unprecedented American culture and the move from an agrarian economy to the business economy. This is substantial for a few reasons. Thomas Jefferson was the President when this example began to happen. According to Brennan, President Thomas Jefferson's goal was to pivot the example of enthusiastically supporting the amassing piece of America. He truly expected to reinforce America as a republic besides as an agrarian society.

According to the article “Rights for woman”, in the 1800 women were treated as subsequent class citizens, and they did not have many rights at all. They were not able to vote and were not encouraged to get an education, or even get a job that they enjoyed (Rights for Women, Par. 1). Women were expected to clean, cook, and find a husband. According to Juliet Levy, Marriage is an agreement that over all comes with substantial financial upbringing. (Levy, 427) As previously stated woman were worth less than men during that time, so the men were basically able to treat them however they wanted. Men were able to send their wives to insane asylums if they did not follow the rules or live up to the expectations of women of that time. According to an article on woman

* Document 2 indicates life of an English indentured servant could be difficult. In this letter to his parents, Richard Frethorne recounts the trials of the living in the 17th century Virginia and pleads to return to England.

Can there be two different economies in one single country? Looking at America during the 1800’s, one can prove that can be a diverse economy – depending on one’s region. There is a vast difference between the modern, industrial economy of the North, and the rural, antebellum setting in the South. The North embraced modernization in its economy, while the South tried to delay it eternally.

Thoreau begins Civil Disobedience with the quote "That government is best which governs least," and he says he'd want a government that wouldn't interfere with people's lives. It survives because the people have chosen it to lose their free will, but it is easy to abuse. He says that The Mexican War is an instance of a few people using the government for their own gain. Thoreau says that government as an organization prevents the success of the job that it was created for. The reason it was first created for was to securing individual freedom and independence.

There are many people that had influence the start of the United State of America in the 19th century. There where a lot of people that has had a lot of influence for the country. Looking back at the eighteenth century the one group that had a lot of influence was the president. The one that comes to mind was the sixteenth president Abraham Lincoln. He is known for his work that influenced peoples view on slavery.

Imperialism has been a long standing ideology that is able to withstand the tests of time due to the applicability of the concept. The general definition of Imperialism, as provided by Merriam-Webster, is the practice in which a country furthers its power by the means of control and domination in other regions of the world. This took on a new form as the nineteenth-century approached, as Traditions & Encounters a Global Perspective on the Past elaborated, it mainly pertained to European powers at this time and their control over colonial land and the world of influence. 19th century imperialists had three main foci, these being economic, political, and cultural motifs, these foci dominated the reasons for imperialism in the nineteenth-century and determined how nations would interact with the world and others; these foci would often find conflicts with each other and overlap causing disruption in the goals of the nations involved.

This was the role expected by women that at the same time were treated as property, married women were usually referred to as, “Mrs.”, followed by her husband’s name. They were traded, sold, and often due to their gender aborted, they were viewed as inferior burdens whose only duties were to work, make strong preferably male babies and suitable mates and be happy and never complain. It was not uncommon for an older bachelor of the late 1800’s to buy a man’s daughter for marriage, and at the time the prime marriage and child bearing years for a woman were from the start of their menstrual cycle to her late thirties. Seeing how most young men could not afford a dowry, most marriages of the time were between older men and significantly younger women. This also being the practice so that a man who is fertile until his closing years could have many heirs due to more years for birthing until a woman’s menopause and also so the woman could take care of the husband in his late years and be young enough to work and take care of her children. Also, it was not uncommon to sell a woman in a business deal to be a mistress, maid, adoptive daughter, laborer, anything viewed as beneficial to the deal. This is entirely different from today, the idea of a woman, though a diamond in the rough is way more progressive than it was in the late 1800’s, women are no longer treated like property, have greater value and

Women of the 1800’s were very limited in what they could do in life - especially the women of the upper and middle classes. They were expected to do nothing more than marry and to marry well. If they could not do this, the life that they faced was very grim. It would be a life of spinsterhood and being cared for by other family members, or working as a governess for some upper class family.