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Success In The United States

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Success in the United States Centennial
Former president Barack Obama once said, “If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress” (Brainy). When Thomas Jefferson first signed the Declaration of Independence, the United States was far from united; however, the first 100 years of the United States’ existence changed everything. The United States was able to overcome immense challenges as a new nation and come together to become one of the most succesfull powers the world has ever seen. As a country, the people were not just able to sustain themselves, but with a series technological advancements, the country transformed into an economic powerhouse. The increase in productive efficiency
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For the first third of the 19th century the United States was largely agrarian. In 1790 the total population was 3,929,214 and 90% of the labor force worked in agriculture. This percentage would decline to around 58% by 1860 (Historical). What caused this drastic shift in economic activities? One possible explanation is the advancements that made industry more profitable. The Transportation Revolution was a dramatic change in the transportation networks that were established in the United States. New methods of transportation made the shipping of goods across the country a possibility. For example, the first turnpike was created in Pennsylvania in 1790. Since it was profitable, new roads were built around the country. By the 1830s, all major US cities were connected by a system of roads making overland transportation possible. Another advancement in overland transportation was the canal system. Dewitt Clinton, the governor of New York, had the first canal, an artificial waterway, built to connect the ports of New York to the Great Lakes. The canals were faster than carts pulled by draft animals and cut transportation costs by 95%. (Kennedy). The problem with water transportation was that it was only efficient going down stream. Robert Fulton’s steamboat solved this issue. The steamboat was fast and could travel…show more content…
From the start, America was unique in that it experimented with democratic ideals to form one of the first republics since the ancient Greeks and Romans. A republic is unique because the power resides in elected individuals representing the citizens (republic). This idea of power to the people was evident early on in state constitutions. State constitutions tended to emphasize fundamental freedoms like that of religion, speech, and the press.The Constitution of Massachusetts established a state government that was nearly identical to the one adopted in the United States Constitution which replaced the Articles of Confederation. Being the first modern republic came with its challenged, but it is now widely regarded as a hallmark of American culture. The first one hundred years were essential in that they defined a republican culture. This development caused nations ruled by monarchs, like dominant foreign powers Britain and France, to reevaluate accepted social hierarchies and consider the role of equality in their society. The French Revolution was inspired by Americans like Jefferson and Locke. In fact, the French National Constituent Assembly, which replaced the absolute monarchy, passed the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen” which was inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s “Declaration of Independence”. The republican
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