What made Native American peoples vulnerable to conquest by European adventurers?
Most adventurers worldwide were in need of a faster trade route, which was their major concern. Most of them headed west across the Atlantic. As they were traveling by sea, they realized that he Native American people offered a great opportunity that they could explore. The natives could easily be overcome because the European explorers found them vulnerable (White, 2015). There were aspects that dominantly made the Native American vulnerable to their enemies: scarce knowledge, disease and slave trade.
The Native Americans were very naïve and without knowledge. They had an idea of purifying gold but were not skilled on making weapons out of the metals. They were miners yet they could not see beyond the mined metal. Because of lack of knowledge, they could not explore and be creative on their discoveries. They even did not realize that they were many and they had the potential of having a unifying force against the explorers (White, 2015). In effect, the Native Americans fought with each other, making themselves susceptible to the subjugation of the Europeans.
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Diseases was another major reason that made the Native Americans to be defeated. They had not invented or acquired vaccines that could grant them immunity to the European diseases. Diseases such as smallpox, influenza, and plague eradicated many of the people. They could not defend themselves against these diseases, which made them weak and not apt to respond to any fight. The third and possibly the major important reason for the conquest of the Europeans over the Native Americans was slave trade (White, 2015). The Europeans did not just kidnap a majority of them to be their slaves, but also many of the families of the Native Americans were getting hungry. Consequently, they remained with the option of selling their family members to get food and supplies from the Europeans. In conclusion, deficient knowledge, diseases and slave trade made the Native Americans susceptible to attacks and defeat. Therefore, the Europeans took advantage and overcame them.
Why was the Constitution a controversial document even as it was being written?
The Constitution was documented more than two centuries ago and it has been utilized as the foundation of the United States’ government. Before the constitution was instituted to become the most long-lasting political agreement in the global history, there were so many controversies raised against it (Moyn, 2014). Its constitutors were split over several major issues that amounted to lengthy debates when it was being written. From the moment of its making, the contents of the constitution have received different criticisms between the advocates.
The advocates recognized that the constitution was a notion of the republican perception, giving a new dimension to elected government. Contrariwise, the critics had a strong conviction that the republicans allied themselves in tiny political groups, the states. The distinction of powers that existed between the central and state governments sparkled a great controversy as the constitutional documentation was being done and it is still an issue today (Moyn, 2014). The delegates writing the constitution experienced problems over state representation.
The delegates acting for bigger states supported a population-centered representation whereas the delegates representing smaller states advocated for the same number of representatives for each state, which would fairly lead to the Electoral College. In spite of the agreement, not all the parties were fulfilled that the constitution was the best, causing controversy. The aspect of a two party system was another thing that led to controversy as the American constitution was being written (Moyn, 2014). The delegates could not agree on a two party system or the state. Slavery was another contentious issue, and the debate was not on its abolition but instead on which state the slaves could be counted in while computing the state’s population and the total property tax to be imputed on the owners. The government determined not to interrupt slave trade for not less than two decade, but the decision attracted resistance from the southern.
Why did women's issues suddenly become so prominent in American culture?
Women issues became so prominent in American culture speedily in the mid-1800. It was at this period, those women’s rights movements took over to defend women and spearhead finding solution to their issues (Harris, 2016). The women’s right movement became a significant platform because of an enormous religious movement, abolitionism and distinct spheres.
The religious aspect of women’s rights was critical in the American history. As the number of Presbyterian and other Christian evangelists increasing in the society, they advocated that all (both men and women) were created equal. Even though, men were granted the headship of their families, they were not to be considered superior to a level that they treated women lightly. Through the women’s rights movement, they were motivated to stand, and be recognized above the preconceived norm. Women had to mobilize themselves and refuse to be treated as less human. Another ground that led the women issues to capture the attention of many in American culture is abolitionism. Women such as Maria W. Stewart strived to stop slavery, which also motivated equal rights for women (Harris, 2016). Slavery became dominant, as most women had been released to go engage as slaves to the colonies to meet the needs of the rest of the family members. Women movements had to eliminate this practice and ascertain their value as not slaves.
Lastly, the women’s issues were brought into the limelight because of the perspective of separate spheres. Several men construed very strongly that a man was a complete separate entity from a woman. A separate sphere was the mentality that men had rule in public, occupy political arena, and have great jobs whereas the women were to be left to take care of the home and family (Harris, 2016). The revolt against this separate sphere made women issues to get attention. In conclusion, women’s issues got into the public interest because of the religious movements, abolitionism and distinct spheres. Without the rise of these facets, the rights and issues of women would have been suppressed.
How did plantation crops and the slavery system change between 1800 and 1860? Why did these changes occur?
In the period between 1800 and 1860, the whole economy of the United Stated experienced a change, particularly in the South. Early colonizers selected coastal regions, where soil was wetter and long-staple cotton could easily grow. This type of cotton was highly embraced in Europe’s market because of its quality. Its demand quickly overtook supply. Consequently, farmers changed from other less profitable crops to plant cotton, several new farmers travelled to Southern side because of the economic chance it offered, and farmers also progressively had to select less desirable plateau where soil was not wetter (Henry & David, 2010). The long-staple cotton could not do well there and its quality was compromised. The slavery system shifted as the European nations were in agreement with the South and most of the slaves could be taken from the North. Cotton had made the South to flourish and be more powerful.
The South became dependent on one crop, which in a large way was managed by merchants and the affluent coastal landowners. Many of the cotton farmers relied on cotton that they voluntarily became slaves when the Civil War started, to secure their occupation and smaller farms. South America, India and other nations started to compete with the South, as a result the weakened the market of the South. This was a cruel economic model, and the point that the short-staple cotton needed more slaves instigated the situation of the South. Without warning, they were prompting a civil war with the people at the North (Henry & David, 2010). They had lost the trading influence they had relied on causing them to push their plateau cotton farmers to fight. The battle was intense leading to the division of the South into the coastal tycoons of Savannah and Atlanta and inland farmers.
The crops planted on farms and the slavery method shifted substantially between 1800 and 1860. This happed for some reasons. In the early 1800s, farm possessors planted diverse crops including tobacco, wheat, marijuana, and vegetables in the Upper South (Henry & David, 2010). On the other hand, the Deep Southerners planted cotton, sugar and rice. Cotton could attract many profits. Unfortunately, there was little land where the high quality long stable cotton could be planted. The advantage of the cotton was that machines could flexibly divide the seeds from the cotton. The seeds in the short staple cotton could only be separated by hand. This prompted the need of the slaves to work on such plantations.
The development of the cotton gin caused a positive shift in the south. The cotton gin could easily allow seeds separation from short staple cotton. As there was much land at the inland north, landowners could now plant much cotton (Henry & David, 2010). This caused them to make much profit. Consequently, slavery became significant. It is because of the cotton gin that slavery spread. Since the demand of cotton had grown globally, the plantation owners had to recruit as many slaves as possible. By 1860, cotton became the major export of the South. Hence, the development of the cotton gin and increased demand for cotton altered the types of crops grown in the south and heightened the recruitment of more slaves.
References
White, R. (2015). It's your misfortune and none of my own: A new history of the American West . University of Oklahoma Press.
Moyn, S. (2014). The secret history of constitutional dignity. Yale Hum. Rts. & Dev. LJ , 17 , 39.
Harris, S. (2016). The Cultural Work of the Late Nineteenth-Century Hostess: Annie Adams Fields and Mary Gladstone Drew . Springer.
Henry, J. & David, B. (2010). America: A Concise History, Volume I: To 1877. 4th Edition. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 349-353.
