Political Development In America During The 19th Century

Decent Essays
During the early 19th century, the political development in America began to expand into problematic territories. Along with the deadlock in the 1800 presidential election, America met imposing forces overseas. British ships began to impress American sailors, harming commerce and eventually leading towards war. As a result, the War of 1812 led to many historical events such as the burning of the White House, as well as the writing of the Star Spangled Banner. Aside from such events, America was able to gain the respect of foreign countries for holding its own against the British naval forces.

Even with their new-found respect, political leaders were still wary of foreign activity and the effects that may occur if left unchecked.

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    The War of 1812 was a military conflict, lasting for two-and-a-half years, fought by the United States of America against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Many factors influenced the Americans to go to war, but the two most influential are the embargo policies of Jefferson and Madison and British impressment of American seamen. The issue of British ships taking American sailors angered the Americans. To address this issue of impressment, Jefferson and Madison enacted embargo policies. The embargo acts negatively impacted American and British trade, further fueling the desire to go to war with the British.…

    • 340 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The Election of 1800 brought progressive changes to the political system of the United States. It was the first time in the history of the country in which a two party election took place. The Federalists, who wanted a strong central government, selected John Adams as their presidential candidate. In the opposing side, the Democratic-Republicans, who supported strong state government and ordinance by the people, selected Thomas Jefferson to represent them. I addition to the emergence of a two party system, the election pointed out the flaws of #######.…

    • 170 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Progressivism was a movement that started around the late 1800s. It was a social, political and economic reform that responded to the problems that arise from urbanization, immigration and industrialization and some of the goals was to promote moral improvement and protect social welfare. Leaders who took part in the movement felt that the dishonesty and corruption going on threatened the reforms and changes that were needed. To solve the problems faced by mainly the lower class, Jane Addams’ “Twenty Years at Hull House” and Lincoln Steffens’ “Tweed Days in St. Louis” wrote two articles that tried to bring about poverty and change what little rights the working class had. Progressivism began when people wanted to change the brutal system to one that was more…

    • 876 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In the late 1800s many large cities seemed to use political machines. Elected officials would cooperate with private businesses to get things done. At the top of these systems were political bosses, who may not have held office, they often knew who to talk to to get things done. The easiest way to get things done was through corruption. While driven by self-interest and the hunger for power, there was some positive influence to these political machines.…

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The British burned American seaports and ravaged the half constructed capital of Washington. Our national anthem was created based on one of the shelling attacks. An over whelming British force was threatening New Orleans as they were patrolling the Mississippi that was a lifeline to Americans. So May of 1814 our hero Andrew Jackson will emerge.…

    • 1032 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The War of 1812 Sir there have been reports of the British attacking our us ships and sailors! The British have gone at this way to long. They keep taking our cargo and imprisoning our sailors. The actions the British were taking were getting out of hand and made America mad. In retaliation America attacked British ships which lead up to the war of 1812.…

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    A socialist critic would say that this capitalistic interaction was by its nature unsound: a system driven by the one overriding motive of corporate profit and therefore unstable, unpredictable, and blind to human needs. The result of all that: depression for many of its people, and periodic crises for almost everybody. Capitalism was an early nineteenth century a sick and undependable system. Only showing some steps of “social/self-reform when threatened.…

    • 70 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The years after the Civil War, proved to be crucial to our history. The Westward Expansion was a major and historical change. There were four keys contributions that lead to the movement of the westward expansion. Those four are: population growth, transportation improvements, money and the slave state/free state. This was the time frame that railroads took boom.…

    • 441 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    War Of 1812 Essay Outline

    • 825 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The War of 1812 was started when the Indian problems merged in with the Britain. Between 1809-1812, President James Madison had been on fence about who was going to be America’s primary enemy, Britain or France, as both countries were attacking U.S. ships. In 1809, Madison’s Non-Intercourse Act was reneged, the act had declined any trade with only France and Britain and their colonies, in doing so it opened up some other trade routes that would help alleviate the economic distress of America’s working people. By 1811 though, the country had been divided and on the verge of all out war.…

    • 825 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Alyssa Khoury Mr. Brennan APUSH 1/1/16 Sectionalism in the 1800s In the early 1800s, sectionalism between the North and the South was based on slavery. While the North completely disagreed with the idea of slavery, the South was all for the idea of slavery. As more time has passed, slavery became a greater issue. Throughout the United States of America, life for the slaves had slightly changed.…

    • 1041 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Burning of Washington D.C which occurred during the war of 1812, on April, 24, 1814. Where a British force led by MJR.General Robert Ross, won the easily fought Battle of Bladensburg. After so marching upon Washington D.C and occupying it and set fire to many public and government buildings, such as the white house for example. Great Britain already engulfed in a full fledged war with France and Napoleon Bonaparte, adopted the defensive strategy against the United States of America upon the declaration of war by the U.S in 1812. Reinforcements were held back, and was left to muster local militias and native allies until after the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte.…

    • 533 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    What is American Democracy? Well American democracy mainly has one meaning, but could cover multiple topics or subjects. This course has specifically discussed American Democracy, some of the forms would be equal citizenship, the influence of the govt, and public policy making. There are also different era’s we’ve discussed throughout this semester for example reconstruction, American gilded age, and the Spanish American war. Briefly, I would like to provide examples of American democracy through each of these era’s.…

    • 955 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sectionalism In 1820-1850

    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In the years between 1820 and 1850, the controversy of sectionalism and slavery was very much alive. The South wanted to use slaves as a way to keep their fragile economy stable, but the moral contradictions of owning other people was too much for many in the North. And with the growing popularity of expanding the country westward, a new issue was created regarding how new territories would decide their slavery status. Westward expansion impacted the development of sectionalism from 1820-1850 in the United States politically due to Manifest Destiny, a harmful ideology that drove white Americans into the West in the first place, the Missouri Compromise, an amendment prohibiting the use slaves above the Louisiana Territory line, and the Wilmot Proviso, which further tried to prohibit slavery in the territories acquired from Mexico.…

    • 833 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During the 19th century, America was faced with the problem of poverty. Two of the groups experiencing poverty were immigrants and African Americans. When immigrants came over to America, most were unequipped with the skills necessary to adapt and become “American,” resulting in them living in their ethnic communities in the poorer areas and being unable to get out of poverty. On the other hand, African Americans faced poverty because of the effects of slavery and racial discrimination. Reformers and self-advocates attempted to help these two communities.…

    • 1678 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Years later even after separation from the British crown, Americans still sensed England’s presence in the country. The War of 1812 came to be due to the firm grasp Britain strived to keep on America as well as the unjust actions made against America preceding the war. Even with a Declaration of Independence and a written Constitution, the Americans could not fell free until after this war. As an independent nation, Americans demanded to be treated as exactly that, which required for Britain to discontinue striving for land and control completely. This included lifting its barriers on French trading ports, stop seizing American ships and ending discussion with the Native Americans who were ordered to attack.…

    • 1138 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays