Seventeenth Century America
...avery wasn’t completely abolished was because of fear. The Founding Fathers didn’t want to sacrifice a freed life for their political standings. Virginian James Madison in one sentenced explained exactly what was going on, “‘Great as the evil [of slavery] is, a dismemberment of the union would be worse.” Their decision not to abolish slavery was not based on the morally right reasons. To Congress the ending of slavery would simply weaken the nation. Personally, things would have been different if I were a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. With my influences, I would have made a huge impact on freeing the Africans that were born in America. By 1774, generations of African decent were born and living in America. It would have only been fair to acknowledge that if you were born in America, you were indeed an American! Finally by 1807, even though strong resistance was coming from South Carolina and Georgia, Congress made a compromise that slave importation would stop and it did. And all states except Georgia forbade slave trade. 2.) In which party, Federalist or Republican, would you have been most comfortable? Why? (Chapter 10) Federalist believed in protecting their own interest, lives, they believed that the government should encourage private enterprise. They were also pro-British and Conservatives. Most of them were “pro-Revolutionary” minded and thought success would come from being close to British financial policies. On the contrary, Anti-Federalists’ main concerns were the middle and lower class people. They were for a weak government, which would leave each state to govern itself. Even though Anti-Federalists were for the people, they were not for not all people. Denying the right for ignorant people to be able to vote and things like that. Anti-Federalist is a Liberal party and pro-French. If I were living in this era I would have a split opinion, as I do now, between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans. I view each in comparison to Federalists being today’s Republicans and Anti-Federalists being today’s Democrats. I agree with supporting the middle and lower class people, because that is where I stand and on the same hand I disagree with being too liberal. 3.) Write your definition of isolationism. Then use the definition to argue that the Monroe Doctrine was or was not an isolationist document. (Chapter 12) Isolationism is defined as being independent from other countries when it comes to economical and political views. It means to abstain from all influence of other countries. In late 1823 the Monroe Doctrine was born. In President James Moore’s regular address to Congress he set some shocking standards. This document was for the purpose of limiting the expansion of Europe in the Western Hemisphere. He wanted to put a halt to foreign intervention. “The Monroe Doctrine might more accurately have been called the Self-Defense Doctrine.” (Kennedy et al. pg. 160) President main concern was the security of his country. Although it was not an official law, or agreement it proved to be a very important start of nationalism. The Monroe Doctrine was not a direct form of isolationist because in fact in 1818 the United States made a Treaty with Britain and in the document it made no mention of separating those ties. If it were a true isolationist document it would have solely been dependant on itself in every matter. 4.) The economic revolution started to boom in the United States after the War of 1812. What were some of the most important inventions that helped support the growing market economy of the early 1800s?? Be Specific. (Chapter 14) As the Americans moved westward new inventions allowed United States to move upwards economically. It began in 1750 when smart British inventors made a series of machines to make textiles, but it took the US nearly a century to adopt this new factory system. Samuel Slater had become the “Father of the Factory System” (Kennedy, et al. pg. 188) in the US. In 1791 Slater, a carpenter, and a blacksmith had put together the first efficient American machinery for spinning cotton. This was not as remarkable as the invention that Eli Whitney was responsible for making. Within 10 days in 1793 he built a machine that separated the seed from the cotton fiber; which was ...