From Jamestown to a Global Power: The US History Journey

Introduction

The United States of America has come a long way to become an industrialized country and a dominating military force in the 21st century, which have all been shaped by its past and the actions of the leaders. The United States history can be traced back to Jamestown in Florida, which became the first model and thriving English colony in the North American continent. Therefore, many historians believe that the United States history begins in a small remote outpost in Florida with a successful outpost in a violent region where the Europeans initially faced significant opposition from the native people. This essay will establish critical historical scores for the United States from 1607 to the modern 21st century industrialized and world superpower.

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The Beginning (Jamestown)

Jamestown, despite not being the first Europeans settlement in the North American continent, it is considered the first successful permanent European settlement in the United States (Kupperman, 2007). Jamestown became the first colony when on May 14, 1607, an English company called the Virginia Company which was made by roughly one hundred members founded the first North American permanent English settlement in the banks of James River (Price, 2005). Initially, it was harsh for the early settlers due to the famine, conflict with the natives, and diseases which almost destroyed the idea of the settlement in the initial two years of its creation. The arrival of a new group of people in 1610 who came with supplies kept the colony alive in a hostile location (Kupperman, 2007). Despite many initial business ideas by the Virginia Company, it was not until tobacco was introduced that the colony posted its first successful export. However, the most notable contribution to the survival of the outpost was the marriage between an Englishman and a local tribe leader's daughter (Price, 2005). The marriage between John Rolfe and Pocahontas in 1614, who was the daughter of native tribe chief Powhatan brought about a temporary end to the conflict with the indigenous people (Kupperman, 2007). In 1619, the colony established its first general assembly whose members were democratically elected by the Virginia company male landowners. This general assembly became a model for the future colonial settlements in the North American continent. Besides, the arrival of African slaves in the English colony provided the much-needed labor in tobacco plantations (Price, 2005). By the 1680s the race-based slave system in Jamestown was already in place and a first in the new settlements which led to further expansion of tobacco farming and interest from English and other early European settlers.

The Colonies and Colonial America

The history of the 13 colonies covers a period between 1607 and 1753 after the successful first settlement in James Fort. Following the settlement, the settlers developed political and social practices that significantly influenced further development of settlements and colonization of North America (Sage, 2010). From the 1600s the English king contributed to the development and creation of colonies in the United States by granting charters to private companies. By mid-1700 the earlier settlements which were under companies were converted into colonies with each colony having a governor and a legislative body, but the British government control retained full control of the colonies (Sage, 2010). The initial thirteen colonies occupied the area between Maine in the North of the United States to Georgia in the south. Virginia and Maryland were the earliest British colonies in North America with Virginia beginning as a settlement in Jamestown in 1607. Maryland, on the other hand, was founded by Calverts who were a wealthy English family with Roman Catholic beliefs and due to the persecution of Catholics back home they found a new place in Maryland where Catholics could fully express their religion leading to the creation of the settlement in 1634 (Sage, 2010).

On the other hand, New England colonies were founded by Puritans who were English protestant merchants who also like the Calverts were facing persecution in Britain by the church of England which at the time was the only recognized official church in England. The separatists from the Church of England settled in New England starting in 1620 with the Plymouth colony being their creation along the Cape Cod Bay which became the second successful settlement after the Jamestown settlement in Virginia (Sage, 2010). Between 1628 and 1630 the Massachusetts colony was established in what is now Boston and Salem and later merged with Plymouth to become the Massachusetts colony in 1691. The middle colonies in the United States came to being through Dutch settlements which led to the foundation of the New Netherland which included the today's New York and Northern Jersey in 1660 (Sage, 2010). Swedes founded Delaware and the Southern New Jersey in 16338, and the Dutch later claimed territory in 1655. Then, English took over New Netherland and New Sweden in 1664. Pennsylvania was created by Penn who was a Quaker after receiving a Charter in England, and due to their persecution in different countries, Penn urged Quakers to seek refuge in Pennsylvania which led to the development of the colony (Sage, 2010). The southernmost colonies between Virginia and Florida which was called Carolina were chartered by eight proprietors after the Virginians had started initial settlements which led to the attraction of more settlements of English, French Protestants and people from other colonies. By 1712 the area was divided into North Carolina and South Carolina. However, South Carolina had a small number of settlers until 1733, and later Georgia was founded in South Carolina by James Oglethorpe (Sage, 2010).

The American colonies experienced significant economic success, and there was substantial religious and political freedom, which attracted more people, and due to immigration and natural birth, the colonial population thrived by 1753 (Sage, 2010). Although most of the settlers were from Britain, there was a significant number of settlers from other parts of Western Europe. The slave trade also significantly contributed to the growth of the colonies, and by 1750s the blacks population was estimated to be 20% of the colonies people. The settlers who went to America were mainly seeking religious freedom with the new life offer in the new world. Besides, some of the settlers had no choice because they were captured Black Africans in intertribal warfare who were sold to European traders whereas others came from English jails which were overcrowded and Irishmen captured in battle (Sage, 2010). Tobacco, rice, and Indigo were the initial crops in the agricultural economies of the colonies. The colonists exported the surplus to Britain, which was undergoing an industrial revolution and highly depended on raw materials from the colonies. Over time the colonists disregarded the British rules and led to the emergence of American laws, and as a result, a conflict ensued with British. By 1750, Great Britain had 31 colonies in North America and Asia, and as they became prosperous and more populated, they became difficult to control (Sage, 2010).

The American Revolution, Jeffersonian and Jacksonian Democracy and the Expansion (1763 to 1865)

The American Revolution was a critical time in the history of the United States when the 13 Colonies revolted against the Colonial rule between 1765 and 1783 (Frymer, 2011). The American patriots, on the one hand, fought against the British with assistance from France, which led to their independence from Great Britain and the establishment of the United States. The war began with the tension between the 13 colonies residents and the colonial government, which represented the British crown. The colonial militiamen and the British troops crashed in Lexington and Concord in 1775, which led to the beginning of the armed conflict (Frymer, 2011). The entry of France in 1778 led to the expansion of the revolution into an international conflict, and by 1781 with the surrender of the British in Yorktown, the United State gained their independence. After independence in 1801 to 1829, Jeffersonian democracy took shape which was made by democratic republicans, which led to social and economic changes in the early 19th century United States (Frymer, 2011). The Jeffersonian democracy was less radical than the later Jacksonian democracy. Later, the ascendancy of Andrew Jackson in 1828 after independence led to the development of Jacksonian democracy, which aimed at reforming the federal institutions (Frymer, 2011). However, it was marked by white supremacy a period of slavery and the subjugation of the Native Americans. The movement for democracy was dedicated to radical and egalitarian policies that only benefited the white men. The Jacksonian democracy diminished in the 1850s, leaving behind egalitarian aspiration and class struggle.

Civil War and Industrialization

From 1861 the United States fell into a crisis when the Northern and the Southern states drift apart both socially, economically, and politically. The North was industrial and commercial oriented whereas the southern remained agricultural, as a result, the northern states wanted to limit slavery whereas the Southern states wanted to expand slavery for agricultural purpose (Corbett, Janssen, Lund, Pfannestiel, Vickery, & Roberts, 2017). The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 election saw the secession of the southern states from the federal Union in 1861 which was deemed unconstitutional by the Northern unionists, and as a result, a bloody civil war ensued which lasted four years. This followed a period of reconstruction in the Southern States which had been devastated by the war, which mainly took place in the south. After the civil war, the United States emerged as an industrial giant and dominated the world of technology and military development. In the 20th century, the country underwent significant democratic development and business expansion with progressive politics taking center stage. The 1920s in the United States were referred to as the progressive era where American economic growth continued, and political stability reined positioning the United States as a global power (Corbett et al., 2017).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the United States has developed from a commercial settlement in Jamestown to an industrialized country and a global leader it is in the 21st century. The country was made by the population of immigrants from Western Europe the majority being from England seeking freedom of religion and a new place to start over. Besides, war captives, prisoners, and African American slaves significantly contributed to the viability of the United States during the colonial era. Over the years, unity and political reforms contributed to the emergence of the United States as a global industrial power in the 19th century.

References

Corbett, P. S., Janssen, V., Lund, J. M., Pfannestiel, T. J., Vickery, P. S., & Roberts, O. (2017). U.S. history. OpenStax, Rice University. Retrieved from http://www.centralstateopenlearning.org/reviews/History%20Template_US%20History%20OpenStax_Alison%20Perlman.pdf

Frymer, P., (2011). Building an American Empire: Territorial Expansion in the Antebellum Era. UC Irvine L. Rev., 1, 913. Retrieved from https://www.law.uci.edu/lawreview/Vol1No3Articles/frymer.pdf

Kupperman, K. O., (2007). The Jamestown project. Cambridge, Mass. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2007.

Price, D. A., (2005). Love and hate in Jamestown: John Smith, Pocahontas, and the heart of a new nation. New York: Vintage Books.

Sage, H. J., (2010). U.S. History I: United States History 1607-1865Text for History 121. Retrieved from http://elibrary.bsu.az/books_400/N_377.pdf