Virginia and Massachusetts Colonies
The life and experiences associated with the Virginia and Massachusetts colonies played a key role in the formation of an “American” identity between 1607 and 1756 in several ways, which were essential towards the formation of the United States. The Virginia colony was considered as a corporate colony, which was governed by a royal charter (Lecture 1, n.d.). On the other hand, Massachusetts, which at that period was referred to as Massachusetts Bay Colony, was established a model ‘godly community’ after the application for a royal charter by John Winthrop (Lecture 2, n.d.). What is similar between these two colonies, which were managed by Virginia Company and Massachusetts Bay Company, is that they were both granted the charter that would allow them to trade and colonize in New England. Specifically, the companies were expected to trade between Charles and Merrimack rivers.
The intention of the crown, during that period, was to merely seek to create a commercial company with what can be considered as stockholders. However, the authority given the two colonies helped in creating a new identity that reflected on the ideals of freedom for the American people. The freedom in the two colonies led to the formation of Virginia House of Burgesses, which was established in 1619, and a theocratic government, in Massachusetts. From this perspective, it is clear that the colonies were formed under a different type of charter by were able to develop towards having representative democratic governments. That helped in shaping the future of all other colonies that would later form the United States, as it gave them a sense of hope towards ensuring that they would form a government that would represent the will and expectations of the people.
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Between 1756 and 1787, there was a growing resistance to the British Empire leading up to the American Revolution as a way of ensuring that the American colonies would be in a front through which to establish free governance (Lecture 3, n.d.). The growing resistance towards the British Empire was attributed to the adoption of the policy of Salutary Neglect, which saw thirteen of the colonies, in the current United States, given the authority to self-govern. The expectation from the empire was that this would help towards ensuring that the colonies would flourish with Britain being able to reap the underlying benefits. Additionally, the resistance can also be attributed to a decision by the British Empire to impose a series of new taxes on the colonies in 1763 as a way of seeking to ensure that it would be able to generate revenue.
After the taxes had been passed, the colonies resisted leading up to protests and riots for which the British Empire responded by sending a large number of troops that were expected to help in the enforcement of the new law. However, it can be noted that the presence of the troops in the colonies did not have any value, as this led to an escalation of the conflicts and riots. Basically, what is clear is that the 13 colonies that had been given the authority to self-govern were well advanced in their capacities towards ensuring that they would resist against the British Empire, as they had legitimate governments (Lecture 4, n.d.). The ultimate outcome of the resistance was the official declaration, by the 13 colonies, with regard to their independence from the British Empire.
Geographic, Economic, and Political Expansion from 1787 to 1840
From a geographic perspective, the expansion of the United States was somewhat significant attributed to the purchases that the government was engaged in, as well as, the treaties that is was able to sign during that period. An example can be seen from the Louisiana purchase in 1803, which saw a removal of the French presence in the western border of the United States as part of its expansion (Lecture 6, n.d.). The country also engaged in treaties including the Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, which sought to expand the country’s territory towards Florida. The United States expanded at a significant rate with the political leaders focusing on the idea of having to establish a union of the colonies that were under the British Empire.
From an economic perspective, the period between 1787 and 1840 is considered as being significant, as it paved the way for the industrialization period through which the country was able to experience a significant growth capacity (Lecture 6, n.d.). The two main factors that helped in the economic expansion that was experienced during this period were territorial expansion and technological innovation. That paved the way for the formation of industries such as the ship building industry, which accounted for approximately 20% of the employment in the United States. The development of these industries played a critical role towards ensuring that the country would attract immigrants, who were allowed to work in the new industries that were being developed in the country.
From a political perspective, what is evident is that the period was key towards defining the political future of the country. However, it is important to take note of the fact that the country was facing a raft of domestic issues in the 1830s reflected on the banks, tariffs, and internal improvements (Lecture 5, n.d.). The key implication that this had on the political structure of the country is that it helped in paving the way for political engagements between the colonies as a way of ensuring that political representation would be maximized. The political structure in the United States changed significantly during this period taking into account that this was a period when the country was expected to create a government to help build on its expectations in self-governance.
Conflict over Slavery, Sectional Tensions, and Secession From 1819 to 1861
The conflict over slavery was driven by the fact that some of the northern states did not believe in the idea of having to establish laws that would support slavery, which was against the expectations of the southern states. Most of the northerners believed in the fact that the adoption of laws that would support slavery did not incline towards the expectations of the union. However, the southerners believed in the fact that engagement in slave trade was highly profitable; thus, meaning that they would view it as a good economic activity that the states would engage. The conflict on matters associated with slavery had a significant impact on the unity of the union taking into account that it created sectional tensions that would lead up to secession (Lecture 7, n.d.).
The election of President Abraham Lincoln, who held anti-slavery views, was one of the key factors that heightened the tensions between the states considering that the southerners viewed this as a move by the northerners in seeking to ensure that anti-slavery policies would be adopted. The views by President Lincoln led to a series of continuous debates over the issue of slavery in Congress in the 1850s (Lecture 8, n.d.). However, it is important to take note of the fact that the United States government had taken up several key steps in a bid to easing on the tension between the states. Some of the key measures taken by the government include the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and the Compromise of 1850. However, the enactment of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1954 saw the conflict escalate further considering that Kansas had voted against becoming a slave state.
References
Lecture 1. (n.d.). The Virginia Colony .
Lecture 2. (n.d.). The Massachusetts Colony .
Lecture 3. (n.d.). American Revolution .
Lecture 4. (n.d.). American Revolution .
Lecture 5. (n.d.). Governing the Nation .
Lecture 6. (n.d.). Growth and Expansion .
Lecture 7. (n.d.). Sectional Tension .
Lecture 8. (n.d.). The Civil War.
