The history of the United States is one of colonialism, settler colonialism, and the abstract idea of difference and perceived inferiority of savage, less civilized peoples. Since the discovery of the North American continent and the eventual founding of the United States of America, whiteness and white supremacy has shaped America to its present-day form. The idea of race, which has furthered the concept of difference, has been used as a tool to categorize and marginalize peoples of different color, culture, and creed in the hopes of creating a structure where the white man reigns supreme. Race is not biologically real, it is simply a social and political construct that those in power use to assert dominance; just as Paul Spickard in his Race …show more content…
As mentioned before, colonialism is the act of acquiring foreign lands to grow economic and political power through the subjugation and exploitation of the indigenous people and the natural resources of their land. Colonialism goes hand in hand when discussing the history of mankind. Whether it be the ancient pre-colonial African empires of the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans or the age of discovery empires of the Spanish, British, and French; colonialism can be described as the history of domination. One of the starkest differences between colonialism and settler colonialism is the fact that colonialism seeks to subjugate and exploit the indigenous peoples while settler colonialism only seeks mainly to destroy and replace the indigenous population through genocide and other violent means. A great example of this glaring difference of philosophy can be illustrated by looking at the contrasting ways in which the United States expanded westward into Native American land in the 18th as well as 19th centuries and the strategies used in colonizing Hawaii in the early 20th century. It is widely agreed that the expansion westward was fostered by the idea of manifest destiny and the “Monroe Doctrine, signaling the intention of annexing or …show more content…
Race and the idea of difference plays a massive role in how settler colonialism works. During the expansion westward, race was used as a tool to separate the white civilized peoples and the underserving uncivilized Native Americans as well as to create a moral, social, and political justification for the extermination of the Native American people. When comparing settler colonialism to colonialism, a few of the most obvious distinctions between the two are the facts that settler colonizers “come to stay” and settler colonization inherently seeks its own demise. While ordinary colonizers come as governors, armies, or merchants, settler colonizers seek to permanently take up residence in and assert complete political control over foreign lands. The only way to gain this kind of sovereignty in indigenous lands is to exterminate the native population, to which the United States did just that. The justification for this robbery and genocide described by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz focused on the desired racial and “cultural change and conflict between cultures” (Dunbar-Ortiz 5). Unlike regular colonization which attempts to constantly assert control or dominance over and
In the 1800s, Americans had the want to expand because of Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny is the belief that God wants the U.S. to expand from coast to coast. However, with acquiring this land, many issues presented as well. One issue was Nebraska and Kansas coming into the Union. In Document 5 President James Buchanan describes the Nebraska-Kansas Act in his Inaugural Address.
With the Monroe Doctrine in place “by the mid-1800’s the doctrine along with Manifest Destiny helped in US expansion westward” (Milestones: 1801-1829: Monroe Doctrine 1823). This action advanced the US territory further west and pushed for economic growth of the nation, both ideals promoted by Monroe and
Robert Morgan was saying that, “...westward expansion or Manifest Destiny, [is] ‘the greatest folk movement of modern times…”(2). For an example in The Way to Rainy Mountain Momaday stated that “There came a day like destiny: in every direction, as far as the eye could see…” For this reason, westward expansion greatly influenced the citizens because of exploring with it will open a person’s mind to new things. Morgan
History Final Essay Americans were convinced it was their man-made destiny to expand and conquer the land towards the Pacific Ocean. People believed that the westward land was rightly theirs because it was given to them by God though the idea of the Manifest Destiny. As time passed, the American population grew quickly, therefore the immediate need for more resources and land arose. However, America was not the only country to prosper in numbers; European nations also grew and needed new places to colonize to satisfy their growing population as well. With that being the case, the Monroe Doctrine was established as concrete warning towards European powers to not attempt any more colonization.
Beginning in the early 1400s, Europeans, ranging from French to Spanish to English, began flocking to North America for a variety of reasons, both holistic as well as selfish. While some methods of colonization were healthier than others, all had their advantages and disadvantages to the overall gain of the colonizer. Some argue that colonizers sought mainly religious advantages; however, all colonization in the New World, even religious, was rooted in socioeconomic greed. Men who were unable to climb the social hierarchy in Europe sought new opportunity in America, and other colonists sought economic gain through gold and cash crops; therefore, the colonization of North America was not a religious endeavor, but instead it was a socioeconomic
The colonists lived in a sense of fear that was defined by the idea that the Natives would attack and harm their families or commit crimes like rape. Hostility began to grow from these concerns resulting in attacking the Natives to keep them at bay and act as warning signals to stay away from their communities. However, the Natives actions were more defined by curiosity more so then provoking violence. But, in retaliation, the Natives would strike back as, not only did these settlers take their land but the acts of violence looked to be provocative. This ended in a realization that these Natives would either have to fight for the land they once had or lose it to the colonists that were already beginning to divide the land accordingly to the laws they had placed upon them.
The Great Land Rush and the making of the Modern world, 1690-1900, written by John C. Weaver, discusses the distribution of land, its changing process, and the introduction of property rights in a market economy throughout various parts of the world – North America, South Africa New Zealand, and Australia among others. This essay will discuss the definition of property right, how it was implemented by the settlers onto new territories and the development there after. Through the analysis of Weavers dissertations, the essay will also draw similarities and difference of the way various colonial government treated indigenous people and other settlers; along with how settlers treated aboriginals and one another. The book takes into consideration how the Neo-Europeans gained and distributed land that they discovered.5 The process of how a land comes into ownership and the legislation around it is called property rights.5 Property rights where developed after it was realized that Neo-Europeans where excessively violent with natives over their land.5 Europeans would discover new lands and would use their native beliefs, and legislation as a tactic to gain control of the niche.5 this would harm the native people of that land as these practices of land taking where violent between settlers and natives.5 The settlers used property rights within their own people but had aggressive beliefs with the natives that resulted in gruesome wars between the two parties for the land.
Chloe Barone Mrs. Switzer AP U.S History 19 November 2014 Throughout the late 1800’s and early 1900’s America was busy establishing itself. Proving ourselves to be a dominant world power, we had possessed an undoubtedly strong navy and a piling list of countries we had taken under our wing. Although finally established America had started out small. During the 1840’s Americans had broke through social precedents as God’s chosen people to carry out Manifest Destiny, later shown by settling the Western Frontier.
Ever since the Pilgrims and Europeans first landed in America, westward expansion has been a goal of the common people. All groups of people have wanted to move westward to spread religions, establish new colonies, and claim better and more valuable resources. This began primarily in 1845 when president James K. Polk proposed to Congress that we begin expanding westward and coined the term “Manifest Destiny.” After Polk’s proposal, people began to feel the urge to move westward and settle the land for the betterment of the United States. However, it was the actions of the U.S. military against the Native Americans in their western homelands and the establishment of the Homestead Act in 1862 that sparked the massive internal migration movements in the United States.
1945 dated the end of world war 2 and marked the beginning of a long lasting war between the u.s.a and the Soviet Union. America was the leader of the free market capitalist world. But even as powerful of a nation like the united states they still feared the communist, totalitarian Soviet Union from expanding there beliefs into most of europe,africa and asia. The long cause of the massive war was clear the united sates didn't wanted communist to spread like wild-fire through the rest of the world.western democrats had always opposed the idea of a communist country And were not willing to sit aside while their was a cold war going on.
“Once we became an independent people it was as much a law of nature that this [control of all of North America] should become our pretension as that the Mississippi should flow to the sea” –John Quincy Adams (Henretta, p. 384). In the 1840s, Americans had a belief that God destined for them to expand their territory all the way westward to the Pacific Ocean. This idea was called Manifest Destiny. In the nineteenth century, Americans were recognized for coming together and building up one another for one cause: westward expansion.
The historical phenomenon of colonization is one of the stretches around the globe and across the time. Colonization or imperialism is the process of settling among and chartering control over homegrown people of an area. Colonization was first led by Spain and Portugal, in search of riches and trade routes mainly. Then it was followed by England, French and many others who left for different reasons. British brought the geographic and political units formerly under their supervision, including dominions, colonies, and dependencies.
The Westward Expansion consisted of almost 7 million Americans migrating west, hoping to get land and be wealthy. It is often called Manifest Destiny, because many people believed settlers was intended to expand the west. Because so many people thought this way it was also thought the U.S was physically separated from Europe. This migration of people included people from Spain, France, Mexico, and other countries. The Western Expansion had a part in the foreign policies in the expansion towards the pacific and the way the U.S treated their relationship with other
In 1845, a journalist named John O’Sullivan gave the spirit of expansion a name, calling it Manifest Destiny. He said, “Our manifest destiny is to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.” (History Westward Expansion). It graved many Americans attention and brought more settlers to move west. Migration to the west caused a lot of controversy and one of the most important battles was the Mexican war.
The main difference that we see between both racial ethnic groups is that white Americans believed that they could strip Native Americans from their culture and civilize them while “nurture could not improve the nature of blacks” (67). Although some Native Americans did try to live under the laws of white Americans, they were eventually betrayed and forced to leave the