THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICATHE UNITED STATES OF AMERICAHistory of America
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Colonial Period: On April 10, 1606, King James I of England issued a charter for each of the Virginia Companies, London and Plymouth. These were privately funded ventures, intended to claim land for England, conduct trade, and return a profit. In 1620, Plymouth in present-day Massachusetts was settled by Pilgrims from the Mayflower, beginning the history of permanent European settlement in New England.
In 1616, English explorer John Smith named the region "New England". The name was officially sanctioned on November 3, 1620, when the charter of the Virginia Company of Plymouth was replaced by a royal charter for the Plymouth Council for New England, a joint-stock company established to colonize and govern the region.
As the first colonists arrived in Plymouth, they wrote and signed the Mayflower Compact, their first governing document. The Massachusetts Bay Colony, which would come to dominate the area, was established by royal charter in 1629with its major town and port of Boston established in 1630. Massachusetts Puritans began to settle in Connecticut as early as 1633. Roger Williams, banished from Massachusetts for heresy, led a group south, and founded Providence, in the area that later became the state of Rhode Island, in 1636.At this time, Vermont was yet unsettled, and the territories of New Hampshire and Maine were claimed and governed by Massachusetts. Its roots began in the New England States, as this was where the original ships arrived. The European's reason for coming is a disputed or maybe complex depending on who and what you read. The Spanish ship's destination was actually India due to trade and not religious freedom as were the British traveler's purpose. Due to various conditions, the Spanish decided to take the Atlantic and by accident landed on the shores of North America. The chosen date of the first arrival was 1492 by Christopher Columbus of Spain.
Depending on what source you read, Europeans chose to come to this new land due to religious oppression and an opportunity for a better life. European's as well as the Spaniard's first encounter with a new people group was with the indigenous occupants of this continent, the American Indian. They were referred to as Indians as the Spanish thought they were the Indian of India. They are now referred to as Native Americans. Native Americans are found in Alaska, Canada, and now what is called the United States. Tribes have regained their respect and are various numerous.
The British were not pleased that the Colonists were determined to establish their own country which led to the first major military conflict. It is also very obvious that the American Indian, while helpful to their visitors, were cautious after various negative encounters. History views the establishment of America as taking it militarily from the indigenous people which led to wars and eventually abuse of Native Americans. The "Trail of Tears" was a result of capturing the remaining tribes and forcing them to move to less attractive parts of the continent. On this awful trail many Native Americans died due to disease and brutality.
The first major civil war begins as America attempts to establish its freedom. The immediate causes of the War of 1812 were a series of economic sanctions taken by the British and French against the US as part of the Napoleonic Wars and American outrage at the British practice of impressment, especially after the Chesapeake incident of 1807. In response to the 1806 British Orders in Council, which crippled American trade, the US (under Jefferson) first tried various retaliatory embargoes. These embargoes hurt the US far more than they did Britain, angering American citizens and providing support to War Hawks in Congress like Henry Clay. In 1812, with President Madison in office, Congress declared war against the British.
It is important to discuss the transportation of slaves from Africa. Yes. Sir John Hawkins had the dubious distinction of becoming the first slave-ship captain to bring Africans to the Americas. Hawkins was a religious gentleman who insisted that his crew "serve God daily" and "love another".
His ship, ironically called "the good ship Jesus," left the shores of his native England for Africa in October 1562. He arrived at Sierra Leone, and in a short time he had three hundred blacks in his possession. Hawkins claimed to have acquired them "partly by sword and partly by other means." The Good Ship Jesus and the Beginning of the British Slave Trade
The Good Ship Jesus
What has come to be referred to as "The Good Ship Jesus" was in fact the "Jesus of Lubeck," a 700-ton ship purchased by King Henry VIII from the Hanseatic League, a merchant alliance between the cities of Hamburg and Lubeck in Germany. Twenty years after its purchase, the ship, in disrepair, was lent to Sir John Hawkins by Queen Elizabeth.
Hawkins, a cousin of Sir Francis Drake, was granted permission from Queen Elizabeth for his first voyage in 1562. He was allowed to carry Africans to the Americas "with their own free consent" and he agreed to this condition. Hawkins had a reputation for being a religious man who required his crew to "serve God daily" and to love one another. Sir Francis Drake accompanied Hawkins on this voyage and subsequent others. Drake, was himself, devoutly religious. Services were held on board twice a day.
Off the coast of Africa, near Sierra Leone, Hawkins captured 300-500 slaves, mostly by plundering Portuguese ships, but also through violence and subterfuge promising Africans free land and riches in the new world. He sold most of the slaves in what is now known as the Dominican Republic. He returned home with a profit and ships laden with ivory, hides, and sugar. Thus began the British slave trade.
On his return to England, Queen Elizabeth assailed Hawkins charging that his endeavor was detestable and would call down vengeance from heaven upon the undertakers. When Elizabeth became fully aware, however, of the profits to be made she joined in partnership with Hawkins and provided him with the "Jesus of Lubeck," a.k.a., "The Good Ship Jesus."
A later slaving expedition in 1567, consisting of five ships and the "Jesus of Lubeck," met with resistance from the Spaniards at St Juan d'Ulloa in Mexico. Since the slave trade was illegal, Spanish colonists usually required a charade of force from British ships, after which they would buy slaves at a discount. This time, however, the Spanish attacked the British ships and the "Jesus of Lubeck," cumbersome and difficult to maneuver, was sunk and the crew slaughtered. Hawkins escaped with Drake on a smaller ship.
Hawkins, his piratic ambitions were dashed, returned to England and remained there in the service of the Queen. He gained distinction for his pivotal role in defeating the Spanish Armada and was knighted in 1588.
The above account of the taking and use of slaves has brought shame on the United States and relations to this day are difficult. The United States has passed several laws to attempt to improve those relationships but memories of those times of slavery have not been forgotten nor forgiven by many even though the people living in the current generation has nothing to do with slavery. However, there are those Americans who still have prejudicial attitudes to this day.
It is important to mention that the Chinese built America's early railroads while discussing the growth of ethnic groups in America. As Americans moved its way to the west and the invention of steam powered locomotion grew, it became a high priority to begin the construction of the railroad. Nowhere to be seen were the thirteen thousand railroad men from China who had dug the tunnels, built the roadbeds, and laid the track for half of the transcontinental line—that of the Central Pacific Railroad-crossing the most precipitous mountains and torturous deserts of the West. These Chinese workingmen had become faceless. They had disappeared. When history looks back at all ethnic groups that made their way to America, it sees the production of something that built America.
The United States has a rich heritage that prides itself on having an open door for those who wish to enter due to oppression and to make a contribution to its existence. Its people are populated by many ethnic groups who have chosen to settle in various parts of its lands. The original ethnic groups such as the Italians, Irish, British, and other Europeans in the New England states to the Mexicans from the south and Canadians from the north, it has been populated with a very diverse group of people. War torn lands such as Israel, Germany, France, Poland, during the first world wars to the Southeast Asians during the Korean and Vietnamese conflicts also add to its richness. Due to Communism we have had some the aforementioned groups to populate its lands. The Statue of Liberty located in the New York harbor, gifted by a Frenchman, states: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me: I lift my lamp beside the golden door." Emma Lazarus
Education in America
America's early educational system was attractive and many ethnic groups came to visit, observe, and even become members of its unique methods of instruction. It must be pointed out that Judeo-Christian principles were at the foundation of these institutions and based on those principles such as honesty, hard work, and integrity they produced successful students and professionals. Accomplishments such as Charles R. Drew, a black surgeon, pioneered techniques for preserving blood plasma that saved countless lives during World War II and many more are examples of contributions made to America.
Protestantism and the American capitalism
The Spirit of Capitalism when overshadowed by Protestantism was addressed by the German sociologist, Max Weber. To come up with a formulation, Weber presents a long excerpt from the writings of Benjamin Franklin. He says that Franklin's attitudes illustrate capitalism's ethos. Franklin writes that time is money, that credit is money, and that money can beget money. He encourages people to pay all of their debts on time, because it encourages the confidence of others. He also encourages people to present themselves as industrious and trustworthy at all times. Weber says that this "philosophy of avarice" sees increasing capital as an end in itself. It is an ethic, and the individual is seen as having a duty to prosper. This is the spirit of modern capitalism. While capitalism existed in places like China and India, and in the Middle Ages, it did not have this spirit.
All of Franklin's moral beliefs relate to their usefulness in promoting profit. They are virtues for this reason, and Franklin does not object to substitutes for these virtues that accomplish the same ends. However, this is not simply egocentrism. The capitalist ethic does not embrace a hedonistic life-style. Earning more and more money is seen completely as an end in itself, and is not simply the means for purchasing other goods. This seemingly irrational attitude towards money is a leading principle of capitalism, and it expresses a type of feeling closely associated with certain religious ideas. Earning money reflects virtue and proficiency in a calling. This idea of one's duty in a calling is the basis of the capitalist ethic. It's an obligation that the individual should and does feel toward his professional activity. Now, this does not mean that this idea has only appeared under capitalistic conditions, or that this ethic must continue in order for capitalism to continue. Capitalism is a vast system that forces the individual to play by its rules, in a kind of economic survival of the fittest.
From a Protestant's point of view, this may not be entirely accurate. Attributes such as doing an honest day's work, living up to the contract you signed to complete your job, and having an appropriate view of the worker's earnings. Capitalism is not being influenced by Protestantism nor is it in the formula to any degree. They are viewed as two separate entities with the exception of honesty and hard work. Again, this is vastly debated by institutions.
American Culture
The society or culture of the United States is a Western culture, and has been developing since long before the United States became a country with its own unique social and cultural characteristics such as dialect, music, arts, social habits, cuisine, folklore, etc. Today the United States of America is an ethnically and racially diverse country as result of large-scale immigration from many different countries throughout its history.
Its chief early influences came from English and Irish settlers of colonial America. British culture, due to colonial ties with Britain that spread the English language, legal system and other cultural inheritances, had a formative influence. Other important influences came from other parts of Europe.
The United States has often been thought of as a melting pot, but recent developments tend towards cultural diversity, pluralism and the image of a salad bowl rather than a melting pot. Due to the extent of American culture there are many integrated but unique social subcultures within the United States. The cultural affiliations an individual in the United States may have commonly depend on social class, political orientation and a multitude of demographic characteristics such as religious background, occupation and ethnic group membership. The strongest influences on American culture came from northern European cultures, most prominently from Britain, Ireland, and Germany.
Approximately 337 languages have been spoken or signed by ethnic groups in America, of which 176 are indigenous to the area. Fifty-two languages formerly spoken in the country's territory are now extinct. Countless lives were saved due to the Native American Code Talkers during World War II. The last Native American soldier died on Apr 08, 2014 · Edmond Harjo.
The United States has a racially and ethnically diverse population. The census officially recognizes six ethnic and racial categories: White American, Native American and Alaska Native, Asian American, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and people of two or more races; a race called "Some other race" is also used in the census and other surveys, but is not official. The United States Census Bureau also classifies Americans as "Hispanic or Latino" and "Not Hispanic or Latino", which identifies Hispanic and Latino Americans as a racially diverse ethnicity that composes the largest minority group in the nation.
White Americans are the racial majority, with a 77.7% share of the U.S. population. Hispanic and Latino Americans amount to 17.1% of the population, making up the largest minority. African Americans are the largest racial minority, amounting to 13.2% of the population. The White, non-Hispanic or Latino population make up 62.6% of the nation's total.
White Americans are the majority in every region, but contribute the highest proportion of the population in the Midwestern United States, at 85% per the Population Estimates Program (PEP),or 83% per the American Community Survey (ACS).Non-Hispanic Whites make up 79% of the Midwest's population, the highest ratio of any region. However, 35% of White Americans (whether all White Americans or non-Hispanic/Latino only) live in the South, the most of any region.
55% of the African American population live in the South. A plurality or majority of the other official groups reside in the West. This region is home to 42% of Hispanic and Latino Americans, 46% of Asian Americans, 48% of American Indians and Alaska Natives, 68% of Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders, 37% of the "two or more races" population (Multiracial Americans), and 46% of those designated "some other race".
An economic superpower
Historically, the United States has been viewed as a superpower based on manufacturing and military. However, there has been a withdrawal of its past force in the world. The United States has not been viewed as an aggressor but a country that has come to the side of nations jeopardized by aggressors. That opinion is a debated subject and always will be in the United States. Since the bombing of Japan, the U.S. has feared the nuclear solution to winning a war. Examples coming to the aid of other nations are WWI, WWII, Korea, South Vietnam, and Panama. We were hesitant about involving ourselves in any wars until In recent years its involvement in the Middle East is a controversial subject but still viewed as on the defense due to the attack of September 11, 2001. As a result of the current leadership, there has been an obvious downsizing of the military.
Regarding the economic picture, several years ago the United States chose to use other nations to produce our products. Americans have used unions to demand higher wages and benefits which has been a problem for large industries. This in addition to the closing of factories and warehouses which has put many Americans out of a job has driven employment down. As a result of these products being produced at a cheaper rate, countries such as Mexico and China have benefited and China is gradually being the most economically superior in the world due to manufacturing and assembling of products. These countries pay their citizens much lower per-hour salaries. Additionally, laws passed that jeopardized the survival of the small businesses have forced them to close and give way to large corporate chains. Citizens are required to work less hours and do without healthcare. There have been few wage increases especially for the labor workers.
While minorities were treated badly from the beginning, the United States has made inroads demanding fair treatment, better housing opportunities, employment, and overall nondiscriminatory education and medical treatment. While little is being done to rid our cities of government housing, housing communities are becoming more diverse for those who wish to live in multiracial environments. Capitalism and one's ability to obtain adequate housing are at odds with each other. Unemployment is at an all-time high and the level of the average American citizen's level of education has drastically declined. As the home becomes dysfunctional so the offspring makes poor choices. This sad dilemma has been obvious for quite some time and worsening. If one completes an in-depth study of the decline of responsible leadership in America, one will arrive at a negative result. Success rises and falls on leadership.
The movie industry, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, gambling, and sexually oriented institutions have proven to be the downfall of America's society. The movie industry is being used to teach the community how they are to think and what they are to accept as principles to live by. It has replaced the religious community for many Americans. The movie industry began as a picture of an appropriate example of a balanced home. While the United States has laws (Federal Communication Commission) that is to control language in all media, these laws are not being followed. There has been an obvious decline in Conservative American's vocal objection against pornography and inappropriate movies since the seventies.
As America's students were allowed to view this and especially pornography, there has been an increase in classroom crime and sexual abuse. Laws protect students in the classroom giving institutions little leverage to hold students accountable for grades and proper behavior. These students then graduate and fill jobs in the marketplace. The marketplace then becomes less dependable and constantly in court with clients and customers who were confronted with illegal practices when purchasing products and receiving services. America is still being populated by people from other countries. Most come with the desire for a better life for their family. Most work hard and are satisfied with their pay while a vast percentage of Americans refuse the labor jobs paying low wages. America has truly taken on an entirely different position than it did post WWII. Then they referred to it "as the good life." The United States is very young, and it seems it did not learn from its past nor from the history of the countries it chose to defend and protect.
Mohamed El Moussaoui is a Master student at Cadi Ayyad University-Marrakesh
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