Category: American History

During the 1940s and 1950s, there was little practical progress made in civil rights, NAACP had been concentrating on, ironically, lawful ways to fix what was wrong with the justice system, they had been focusing on court cases and representation. There had been some advances, e.g the Brown case which . . . Read more

Centuries before our time, the Greeks considered the question of how to speak so as to sway the hearer’s mind with the power of words. The first to examine the ways in which we relate to one another through language, the Greeks wrote detailed treatises laying bare the sinews of . . . Read more

The idea of imperialism during the 19th century was mostly associated with European powers. The United States was not viewed, especially by itself, as an imperialist power. In fact, the US attacked imperialist views by way of the press. However, the US had criticized Europe and expressed their anti-imperialism views . . . Read more

Andrew Johnson, the seventeenth president of the United States, was the first president to be impeached. The issues that led up to this monumental event in 1868 were for the most part, based on the issue of Reconstruction. Reconstruction aimed to create equality for Blacks in voting, politics, and with . . . Read more

“It is not the style of clothes one wears, neither the kind of automobile one drives nor the amount of money one has in the bank, that counts. These mean nothing. It is simply service that measures success.” – George Washington Carver. George Washington Carver paved the way for agriculturists . . . Read more

Woodrow Wilson was born in Virginia in 1856. Wilson was the last U.S. president to have viewed the civil war. He was 4 years old when Abraham Lincoln was elected president. His father served the Confederacy as a chaplain. Wilson was an eyewitness to the hardship and damage of war . . . Read more

November 20, 1969 We have made it to the island and managed to escape the White Man’s Coast Guard. Their ships tried to stop us from landing on Alcatraz. This time the White Man will not take away our land. My family and many more will join us. We are . . . Read more

The Cuban Missile Crisis is widely considered as the closest the world has come to nuclear war. Former US Secretary of State Dean Rusk, called it “the most dangerous crisis the world has ever seen, the only time when the nuclear superpowers came ‘eyeball to eyeball’.” Over the years many . . . Read more

Do you know how it feels when your stomach rumbles? Well, imagine that you are in the army and eating “fire cake” (a tasteless mixture of flour and water) day after day. You have had very little bread or meat to eat, your shoes are worn through, your clothes were . . . Read more

Virginia and Massachusetts Bay were two colonies that developed into very different societies by 1600, although both were established by English colonists, due to differences in government, economy, and religion. The Virginia and Massachusetts Bay colonies greatly differed in governmental structure. Puritans who were fleeing from harassment in England established . . . Read more

Introduction The Cuban Missile Crisis originated because of a number of different issues, stemming from the ongoing struggle between The United States of America and The Soviet Union and between Capitalism and Communism. There were various events and circumstances which caused this standoff. Firstly, the decision to place missiles on . . . Read more

Although Britain’s North American colonies had enjoyed considerable prosperity during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, beginning with the Stamp Act in 1765 the British government began to put pressures on them, largely in the form of taxes and new trade restrictions, that drew increasingly resistance. (Out of Many, . . . Read more

MacArthur was a famous general. He served in the United States Army for almost fifty years he receives high honours. He won many victories. He was a controversial man because of his personality. He was an actor as well as a soldier. General Douglas MacArthur was born in Little Rock, . . . Read more

Example 1 At a time when the black community was being afforded a free status, but not one of equality, many leaders arose to appeal to the white governing body for social equality. The transition from the nineteenth century to the twentieth century gave birth to two of 
these leaders, . . . Read more

The national bank was observed by Jackson to jeopardize economic stability and served as a monopoly on the country’s currency. Jackson explained his decision by vetoing of the bank renewal bill declaring that some of the powers and privileges possessed by the national bank are unauthorized by the Constitution. Jackson . . . Read more

This paper discusses some of the issues surrounding the grant process with regard to Native Americans. It also discusses Native American issues with regard to politics and legislation. U.S. Government Grants to Native Americans Introduction The history of the U.S. government’s involvement with the indigenous people of the nation is . . . Read more

This paper explores the reasons why the colonists revolted; what was radical about the Revolution and what was conservative. (2.5 pages; 1 source; MLA citation style) Introduction The American Colonists fought a war to found the United States. Rebelling against the crown, taking up arms and in many cases dying . . . Read more

This brief paper discusses the ways in which the Constitution supports the Revolution and the ways it negates it; it also discusses slavery in connection with it. (2.5 pages; 1 source; MLA citation style) Introduction The constitution was written as a means to unite a loose confederation of states into . . . Read more

This paper compares the lives of poor northern women with the lives of southern slaves. (3+ pages; 2 sources; MLA citation style) Introduction Life in the United States has always been marked by class distinctions. What we are witnessing today—a vast amount of money going to the wealthiest Americans at . . . Read more

Take-Home Examination: Section A Through a series of conferences, preliminary debates and caucuses each of the presidential parties select chosen candidates to race in the candidacy for the President of the United States. Coined as the ‘Primary election’ in political circles across the country, this is the process through which . . . Read more

During the period 1929 to 1990, the lives of the black people changed a lot, and overall by 1990, their lives had greatly improved. In 1920, 10% of the US population was black and most of them lived in the southern states. As a result of the [i:5623715336]Jim Crow[/i:5623715336] segregation . . . Read more

There are many reasons to study United States History. A few are so that we do not commit the same mistakes as our ancestors, to know our heritage, learn about our freedoms, and to learn to become a citizen in our nation. We need history so that we will not . . . Read more

The year was 1838; more than six hundred wagons loaded with Cherokee Indians were hauled into the west in the cold October rain. They were forced to leave their homes and everything they held dear and were accustomed to their entire lives. The removal of Native Americans from their lands . . . Read more

In 1941, A. Phillip Randolph’s March on Washington movement forced the nation to take notice of African Americans. Following the march, Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order that mandated the end of racial discrimination in defense industries. The agency in charge of enforcing the executive order, the Fair Employment . . . Read more

So how did African-Americans get looked down on? Well, it was in 1619 when Africans were brought to America as slaves for the white settlement. While slavery was eradicated after the Civil war the racism and segregation side of it still occurred. During the 20th century, the fight for equality . . . Read more

For the American people, John F. Kennedy was the bright future. He was a young man that they were as holding the torch for this country. When he was elected, he brought youth and a relaxing calm to the White House for the first time in our nation’s history. Not . . . Read more

Every ten years America is questioned, recorded, and given a basic overview of how well the country is flourishing financially and economically. The Census Bureau goes through strenuous hours of work and study to provide statistics and comparisons informing citizens of our progress and downfalls of the past century. In . . . Read more

A quarter of a millennium ago, the founding fathers of the United States of America created a new republic of democracy. This revolutionary form of government aimed at putting power into the hands of the common citizen and also to deter tyranny as much as possible. These noblemen set forth . . . Read more

Example 1 The Nineteen Sixties was a decade that changed America forever. The people reformed the decade not so much by the government. The Sixties contained more spiritualism, people were against the Vietnam war, protests, civil rights, and new beliefs on every aspect of living. The topics that arose during . . . Read more

At the base of the South African and American systems of racial discrimination is an understanding and internalization of the structural implications of capitalism and its accompanying spirit. Applying Karl Marx’s and Adam Smith’s definition of capitalism in conjunction with Max Weber’s understanding of the “spirit of capitalism”, it is . . . Read more

The American Supreme Court is a well-rounded look at the creation and nature of the Supreme Court. The author, Robert G. McCloskey, starts off with a look at how people felt about the Court when it was created, giving the reader a feel for the time. It continues on to . . . Read more

Two essays in the book Taking Sides (Book titles must be underlined or italicized) are presented in the debate over as to whether or not the American Revolution produced a Christian nation. Nathan Hatch believes that the Revolution and Christianity went hand in hand, while Jon Butler suggests that the . . . Read more

The abolitionist movement in the United States sought to eradicate slavery using a wide range of tactics and organizations. The antislavery movement mobilized many African Americans and some whites who sought to end the institution of slavery. Although both black and white abolitionists often worked together, the relationship between them . . . Read more

The Algonquin was a northern tribe that settled in Canada sometime around the 1400s and now have settled in Quebec and nearby Ontario. The Algonquian’s history was not exactly a pleasant one they suffered many hardships and obstacles to overcome. Samuel de Champlain established the first permanent French settlement on . . . Read more

“Only aim to do your duty, and mankind will give you credit where you fail.” Those are the words of Thomas Jefferson; one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and among the first Americans to have to defend the newly won liberties of Americans from intrusion against a . . . Read more

Back in the 1960’s African-Americans were inferior to the white people. White people had the control over black people. People started taking actions against it. The black people now wanted equal rights since they were born here and had the citizenship, and all rights to stay in the United States. . . . Read more

Texas City, home of one of the largest petrochemical complexes in the United States, almost disappeared from existence on the morning of April 16, 1947. The losses from this disaster were unprecedented, from the number of those killed or wounded to the billions of dollars in damage. There has not . . . Read more

America as we know it includes a vast network of representative governments. During the colonial period of early America, Virginia was the first to introduce a representative assembly. This first glimpse of democracy influenced the shape of America today. It eventually caused the colonies to drift away from monarchial England, . . . Read more

November 22, 1963 was a day no American will ever forget. Most people remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. At precisely 12:30 P.M. [Central Standard Time], the 35th president of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was shot and killed in . . . Read more

In the years leading to the U.S. Civil War, the controversy over slavery became not only a social issue but also a political and legal one as well. Opponents and proponents of slavery each looked to the American constitution, as well as the prevailing culture of the time, for direction . . . Read more

The Ku Klux Klan was a very powerful and organized secret society that began in the years directly following the Civil War and is a society whose influence is still felt today. Although the reasons for the rise of the Klan vary from source to source, there is one common . . . Read more

In 1689, John Locke published, what proved to be, a valuable document for the American Revolution as well as life in present-day America, known as the Second Treatise of Government. In his document, he creates a model of his ideal civil government, which is created by the people to ensure . . . Read more

The Decade of the 1950s in American History The 1950s were an important decade full of historic events and changes in technology. Important historic and cultural events such as the approval of the hydrogen bomb and transcontinental television in 1950, the signing of the Immigration and Naturalization Act in 1952, . . . Read more

Although many arrests have been made, organized crime and the Mafia are still very active. Organized crime and its families, particularly the Italian mafia, have increased their illegal activities significantly over the past few decades. The Mafia and organized crime go hand and hand, one cannot be spoken without the . . . Read more

The definition of a true American. It can’t be found in any text, the possibilities are too vast. There are those who consider the place of birth and citizenship, those who feel that residency is the only factor, and there are some that will not make a judgment unless an . . . Read more

The constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights was supposed to be enough to guarantee equal rights for all people, however, after the emancipation of slaves, the government needed to ensure the equality of the freed people so created the Civil Rights Act of 1866. Since then . . . Read more

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois were both civil rights activists, yet one man’s solution to the problems faced by African Americans in late-nineteenth-century America was better than the other’s. That man was Booker T. Washington. Booker T. Washington was born into slavery whereas W.E.B. Du Bois was born . . . Read more

A nations’ success is based upon a variety of factors including geography. The Atlantic Ocean, Rocky Mountains, Mississippi River, the Great Lakes, and diverse climates have influenced Colonial Development. They have helped colonies thrive by providing natural resources, extensive waterways for trade and exploration, and fertile land for prosperous agriculture. . . . Read more

Philadelphia, PA. 1787, the Founding Fathers set before them a foundation for a new nation. This nation was to be formed in the interest of its people: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable . . . Read more

The Seminoles who lived in East Florida caused problems for the Americans living there. They would raid and pillage the American settlements. Andrew Jackson went to war with the Seminoles and forced them east to Pensacola. From 1835 to 1842 the federal government fought the Second Seminole War. The Seminole . . . Read more

The western frontier was a newly acquired asset with unlimited potential for the United States. Rich with mineral resources, fertile land, and overall open space, the frontier was to be prosperous indefinitely, but it was first necessary to determine which action would be initiated. Agriculture was the only true necessity . . . Read more

The Federalist Papers and Federalism The Federalist Papers were mostly the product of two young men: Alexander Hamilton of New York, age 32, and James Madison of Virginia, age 36. Both men sometimes wrote four papers in a single week. An older scholar, John Jay, later named as first chief . . . Read more

John Smith and William Bradford’s treatment towards the natives were obviously very different. This essay will discuss a couple of these differences in detail. John Smith’s treatment towards the natives is extremely bad. In fact, he gets captured and almost killed by them. William Bradford on the other hand treats . . . Read more

During the 1800s, the United States underwent a transformation and change unlike any the country had ever seen in our history either before or since. It is my intention to describe some of the key issues that made this transformation possible and also to address some of the problems that . . . Read more

The United States of America has remained a successful and industrious nation ruled by the principles of federalism for the past 200 years. The Framers of the Constitution proposed the federal system in an attempt to guarantee democracy and liberty throughout a sparsely populated nation. By granting enumerated powers to . . . Read more

King, Martin Luther, Jr. (1929-1968), American clergyman and Nobel Prize winner, one of the principal leaders of the American civil rights movement and a prominent advocate of nonviolent protest. King’s challenges to segregation and racial discrimination in the 1950s and 1960s helped convince many white Americans to support the cause . . . Read more

The Great Depression was the worst economic slump ever in U.S. history and one which spread to virtually all of the industrialized world. The depression began in late 1929 and lasted for about a decade. Many factors played a role in bringing about the depression; however, the main cause for . . . Read more