American society has been impacted by many factors throughout the years, including land, technology, presidential power, and human rights. Presidential power was expanded by the presidency of Andrew Jackson. The rapid expansion of technology began during the industrial revolution. The expansion of human rights started with the treatment of Native Americans. All of these factors drastically changed America into the society that it is today. But land, in particular, has had the most massive effect on numerous aspects of modern America, such as the discovery of valuable resources and goods, and the inducement of other massive expansions.
One aspect of American society that has been influenced by the expansion of land is the discovery of
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numerous resources and goods. According to National Geographic, “North America benefits greatly from its fertile soils, plentiful freshwater, oil and mineral deposits, and forests. With a strong domestic and export economy focused on this abundant array of natural resources, North America has become one of the most developed regions in the world.” (National Geographic). With the resources found during the expansion of land, Americans have had more opportunities to make money, and to this day the sale of resources, including coal, iron, gold, etc., that are found within America greatly contribute to the nation’s economy. Because of the widespread forests in the west, the logging business flourished, contributing to the economy. The Lewis and Clark expedition, an expedition that crossed western America, led to the discovery of numerous forms of wildlife out west. A few examples of discoveries made are pronghorn antelopes, bighorn sheep, black-tailed deer (or mule deer), mountain beavers, white weasels, mountain goats, coyotes and various species of rabbits, squirrels, foxes, and wolves (National Park Service). The discovery of these animals led to an abundance of trade, and also provided more sources of food. “The huge variety of natural resources contributes a substantial share of the revenue of the US federal government. The ready availability and abundance of natural resources also provide the nation with a comparative advantage in the global financial markets.” (Economy Watch). Compared to many other nations, America has easy access to a wide variety of goods, which is one of the reasons for its affluence. Another aspect of American society that has been influenced by the expansion of land is its inducement of other massive, influential expansions.
An example of this would be the impact that land had on the industrial revolution. The resources found during the expansion of land were used in the process of the industrialization and modernization of America, and without it, the United States would not be the same place it is today. Resources that were commonly found in America such as metals and wood were used in machines and architectural projects. Along with resources, technology was being built because of the challenges people faced when traveling westward. Inventions such as the steel plow and windmills were essential for farmers living out west, and to this day are used by farmers across America. Barbed wire, another important invention during westward expansion, was a substitute for regular wood fencing since the Great Plains had a lack of forests, and was used to protect their farmland and prevent their cattle from escaping. (US History). The expansion of land also influenced the methods of transportation used in America. “In 1800, the only practical way to travel and trade across long distances was along the nation’s natural waterways. As a result, settlement clung to the nation’s coasts and rivers. A few roads connected major cities, but travel on them was difficult and time consuming.” (AM History). But later on, as the US began expanding westward, steamboats and …show more content…
trains began to become more commonly used, and because of America’s growing size, these methods of transportation were crucial to have when transporting goods. As America expanded westward, more families spread out and settled down in empty areas and formed communities, which was the expansion of residential areas. If America had not expanded westward, towns would be overcrowded, and without the resources found in the West, overpopulation would have became an issue. A few examples of current populous towns that were formed during the westward expansion are Santa Fe, Oklahoma City, and San Francisco, which is now considered a major U.S. city. (HistoryNet). Therefore, westward expansion has influenced numerous other massive expansions, and in doing so has had a great impact on America. Many believe that the expansion of presidential power has had the greatest impact on modern American society due to the large amount of power to control citizens, laws, and the economy that is granted to the president.
Though Andrew Jackson did, in fact, expand the amount of power a president has, presidential power still has a limit as to the influence it has on America. The president still has many restrictions as to the power and impact they have, and therefore does not influence the country as much as other expansions, including land expansion. Even though the President does have a lot of power over the country, he/she is not the only one in charge. If he/she had a political idea, despite how good they may believe this idea is, it may not always be approved by Congress. Furthermore, if a president dislikes a bill and vetoes it, their veto can be easily overruled (History). Although land has its limitations as well, the impact that land expansion has had is consistently growing, and therefore the influence of the expansion of land is by far more powerful than the expansion of presidential power. “One hundred years later, railroads sped along thousands of miles of track. Large ships moved passengers and freight across the oceans and smaller boats plied the nation’s rivers, lakes, and canals. Bicycles, carriages, and wagons rolled over thousands of miles of roads. Seventy-five million people lived coast to coast, many in towns and cities that had sprouted up along the new
routes.” (AM History). This quote displays the effect that land expansion had on transportation in America, even one hundred years later, when the nation was not expanding its land much more. Along with transportation, resources are being found and harvested in western America to this day. Currently, California produces over 2 million barrels of oil daily, the third highest amount in the nation (Daily News). So although the expansion of land had slowed down, the effects that it has had on the country have not. In conclusion, westward expansion has impacted America the most compared to other major expansions. In fact, without westward expansion, many other major expansions would have never happened, or at least not to the extent that they did. The expansion of land provides the U.S. with resources, which is a leading factor in the U.S. economy. The industrialization and modernization of America would not have been the same, and America would likely not be as developed and well off as it is. One way that America could improve itself by the expansion of land is by claiming certain areas of land in Antarctica, in order to discover new resources that could boost the American economy even more. It is highly possible that Antarctica contains resources such as silver, copper, gold, nickel and many other valuable minerals. Safely mining and collecting minerals in certain parts of Antarctica should be permitted, and by doing so, it could have a positive impact on the American economy.
During the early nineteenth century, the United States began to expand rapidly. Industry and factories began to become the dominant economic powerhouse in the United States, quickly overrunning the traditional farmer industry. During this time period resources, state legislatures, and judges began to bend towards those that were seen as expanding the economy rather than the bystanders. Law began to favor dynamic property that was seen as expanding the economy and doing good for the people of the country, rather than static or not expanding property. The priorities of the country began to change and can be seen through trial outcomes and the actions of the state legislatures.
The effect on people from this era though continues way past these times. The Jacksonian Democracy's policy was the right to vote, for men with white skin slowly over time. This policy was passed to represent what Andrew believed in which was that a typical white man should be more involved in the process of democrats, something that was substantially in conflict with the Founding Fathers' beliefs, who put a complicated voting process in place precisely to get away from giving too much capability to the ordinary man. By spreading out suffrage, Andrew filled the nation with more of a democratic teachings and character. Another big influence the democracy had was the westward regional growth. With James Polk as President, In 1845, the United States conquered Texas, In 1846, signed an agreement with the British to divide the region of Oregon, and battled with Mexico (Also 1846) to have ownership over the Southwest and California. The regional growth of this gave the nation a lot of resources such as gold found in California, in addition to substantial territory for people to live on, but it had a bad impact on American Indians, because many of them were forced to move somewhere
Both constitutional and social developments greatly changed the United States to a revolutionary proportion between 1860 and 1877. The new amendments and the fight for civil rights altered the previous way of life and forever changed American society. Inequality, fear, and corruption sent the United States into turmoil that would transform the country and lead to a revolution of change.
New inventions in communication such as the telephone invented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 and soon after radio communication made long distance communication quicker and easier than using a telegraph http://www.skwirk.com/p-c_s-14_u-424_t-1100_c-4258/the-second-industrial-revolution/nsw/history/the-industrial-revolution/the-impact-of-the-industrial-revolution. Transportation was influenced by the invention of electric traction and the electric motor which were used in streetcars and subway systems. Manufacturing was also influenced by electricity; it allowed production to rely on artificially generated power rather than the force of human strength or steam power which greatly increased work productivity http://teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/24470.
Geographically the United States is a vary diverse landscape that effected America's ability to industrialize. The geographic features of a country will control the need for it to industrialize, less land means less opportunity to farm. This geographic fact will also control the rate of development; less land means a need for faster industrialization. It is this diversity and abundance of land that controlled the economic and social development of America's Industrial Revolution.
How did America change throughout Andrew Jackson’s presidency? Jackson, America’s seventh president, changed many things; because of him, America is run as it is today. Nevertheless, it is safe to say that all presidents make a difference in their term at some point, adequate or not. The real question is, do these differences form an effective or ineffective president? His presidency was well intentioned, and Jackson’s principles would have been successful if executed properly. Thus, throughout his presidency, Andrew Jackson was an ineffective president due to his ambition, judgement, and character.
American expansion shaped the Jacksonian period in a number of ways which included the advancement of technology, by way of slavery, and most importantly through the Indian Removal Act. Although, very diverse, these three aspects are similar in that they all made their mark during the Jacksonian period. Technology and new developments had connected this vast expansion of land being acquired. Slavery had helped acquire these lands because of the labor needed for production. And most importantly, the Indian Removal Act had made a clear statement that American’s were taking over what was rightfully theirs. American expansion would not have been possible if not for these three ideas which greatly affected the Jacksonian period.
The years after the civil war left one half of America, the north, satisfied and the other half, the south, mostly dissatisfied. Therefore the last third of the nineteenth century, 1865-1900, was a time period in which America was mending, repairing, improving, reshaping, and reconstructing its society, economy, culture, and policies. Basically it was changing everything it stood for. This continual change can be seen in the following events that took place during this time. These events are both causes and effects of why America is what it is today. These are some examples: the reconstruction of the south, the great movement towards the west, the agricultural revolution, the rise of industrialism, the completion of the transcontinental railroad, and America's growth to gaining world power. All of these are reasons and events that characterize America as being an ever-changing nation.
The rapid development of manufacturing and improved farming had great impact on American
Many people see history as a set of facts, or as a collection of stories. The reality, however, is that history is a fluid timeline. Each act of an individual or a group has an effect on others. Each moment in history is a building block that, good or bad, contributes to the stability of the next. This can be seen clearly in American history, as there have been several developments since the 1800’s that have played major roles on the growth of the nation.
The United States presidency has changed significantly since Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s presidency in the 1930-1940’s. The presidency has evolved throughout history to become more and more powerful as time has gone on. In the early history of the highest leadership role in the United States, the president acted more like a clerk that approved congressional bills, unless they were seen as extreme. For instance, a president might have a bill brought to his desk that was completely unconstitutional, so he would veto the bill in that case, but in most cases the president would sign the bill into law if it wasn’t seen as extreme. President Andrew Jackson was one of the first presidents to stray from this traditional ideal in American government.
There were a number of social and economic changes occurring in the Union in the 1800s that produced the ideal environment for Andrew Jackson’s rise to power. The new market economy was “producing a more stratified, unequal society, at the same time the nation’s politics were becoming more democratic.” (Davidson p.207) The Panic of 1819 led to America’s first major depression. (Davidson p.201)
Many causes fueling America's need to expand and acquire new lands existed. One of the reasons was Americans were experiencing "a large birthrate increase due to immigration. And because agriculture provided the primary economic structure, large f...
...iling industry and the expansion of the west. The railroads helped these industries expand their territories which not only brought wealth to the large companies but, it also helped create jobs for many people. The railroad industry became an important gateway for immigrants because it introduced them to different opportunities of work and living. The railroad industry also helped to pour money into America’s economy. The railroad industry helped raise economic standards and change the way from an economy based on agriculture to an agriculture base on machinery. The railroads united America as a whole. It was the driving force of the industrial revolution that brought America together as a unity. The industrial revolution wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for the railroad industry that changed not only the people but, the country as a whole for the next fifty years.
For example, the invention of paper money changed the world because according to the craig benjamin article “Trade Goods, and ideas , Travel the silk road between Asia and Europe” It stated that illness and diseases had left the silk road unused for almost 500 years because of the millions that died in China and Rome. It goes on to stay that during the song Dynasty “New technology encouraged more trade. The invention of paper money allowed traders to do business on a large scale”. This also made trading, buying, and selling easier. Also, the creation of the compass had an impact on the world, because the compass made it safer and simpler for sailing to places. The ted ed video by shannon harris castelo the silk road connecting the ancient world through trade. States that “The silk road success led to its own demise as new maritime technologies, like the magnetic compass, found their way to europe, making long land routes obsolete. It goes on to explain that this also caused the beginning of the age of exploration. Paper money and compass being passed along the silk road proves that technology and innovations had the greatest effect on the world.