American History Essays

Essay 1: The Greatest American of All Time

Who was the greatest American of all time?

Naming one individual as the greatest American of all time is highly subjective, and I will mostly base this qualification on my values. As such, I believe that the greatest American of all time was Abraham Lincoln, the 16th American president. This opinion is based on the fact that Abraham Lincoln believed that every human being, regardless of race, is equal and, as a result, should be treated so. This is evident because, on January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared all enslaved individuals were to be given back their freedom (Douglass, 2016). Even though this declaration did not lead to the immediate freeing of all the enslaved people, it changed the aim of the Civil War, making the complete abolition of slavery the chief goal. This declaration was the beginning of the creation of a fair America where everyone is treated equally. Suppose this declaration never happened; the alternate reality would probably be where white supremacy still reigns, and every other race is subjected to all kinds of atrocities because they are deemed as “not humans.”

Essay 2: Homer-Sized Essay

“The first 50 years of the nineteenth century represent American presidents at their best, but unfortunately also at their worst.” I want you to write a two-part essay about this quote. In the first part, I’d like you to cite examples of presidents from 1800 to 1848 at their best in the military, diplomatic, and sociopolitical realms. In the second part, cite example of presidents from that era at their worst in those three regards. The only condition is that you can’t use William Henry Harrison, for reasons which will soon become apparent in the Notes!

In 1800, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, Thomas Jefferson was elected as the third president of America. Notably, this was still a new government as the first president had been elected in 1790. The following fifty years and the various presidents who would come would be marked by various achievements, especially in regard to areas of military, diplomatic, and sociopolitical. Looking at the first military achievement, in 1803, three years into his presidency, Thomas Jefferson acquired the territory of Louisiana from the French, popularly known as the Louisiana Purchase (Shi, 2022). The territory comprised 530,000,000 acres of land, which provided vast areas of land for both economic expansion and settlement. Secondly, this purchase was also strategic because it forced the French out of North America, leaving it to Americans only. A second military achievement that Jefferson achieved was ending the first Barbary War. After refusing to pay tributes to pirates of the Mediterranean Sea, Tripoli’s ruler declared war on America, and they started attacking American ships. In response, Jefferson provided constant and strong support to the naval squadron, and they were eventually able to overpower the pirates. In 1812, under the presidency of James Madison, America fought Great Britain and won battles like the Battle of New Orleans, a win that established the nation as resilient and sovereign.

In regards to diplomatic achievements, in 1823, President James Monroe, during his reign, established what is known as the Monroe Doctrine, a foreign policy position that basically stated that the nation was not to be colonized, that it would not interfere with European affairs, and that any further attempt of colonization by Europe would be an act of war (Shi, 2022). Further, still under his administration, America acquired Florida from Spain, defining the western territory of the country. For sociopolitical achievements, Thomas Jefferson’s democratic-republic ideals were responsible for the failure of federalists who believed that power should be centralized or given to a single central government as opposed to being delegated to states.
On the other hand, this period also experienced failures in the same areas mentioned above. In 1812, before winning the war against Great Britain, Madison’s presidency was met with harsh criticism as the British forces seemed to be succeeding in their attacks, such as in burning Washington D.C. Subsequently, his administration was regarded unprepared as the nation’s military was seen to be weak. Secondly, in 1807, the president experienced a diplomatic failure after he implemented the Embargo Act (Shi, 2022). This act was a response to the interference by the British and French with America’s ships. However, this act closed American ports; thus, no exports were made, and imports were only from Britain, leading to economic devastation. Another diplomatic failure was in 1845 under the presidency of John Tyler, who pursued the annexation of Texas, a slave state, through executive action as opposed to congressional approval.

Moreover, the sociopolitical failures that America experienced during this era included Andrew Jackson’s policy, also called the Indian Removal Act, in 1830 (Shi, 2022). According to this act, Native Americans were forcefully relocated from their homes in the Southeastern region of America to the regions west of the Mississippi River, now popularly known as the Trail of Tears, because of the inhumanity involved in the process. Secondly, Jackson also opposed the Second Bank, which led to its destruction and eventual economic instability. His approach toward economic policies resulted in negative impacts, such as the Panic of 1837.
In sum, the presidential administrations during the first fifty years of the nineteenth century had their best and worst, with substantial accomplishments in military, diplomatic, and sociopolitical realms, together with notable failures and mistakes that had extensive impacts on the country’s progress.

Essay 3: Bart-Sized Essay

Of all the treaties that the United States negotiated between 1800 and 1848, which was the best for the nation? Why?

The United States negotiated several treaties between 1800 and 1850. Among these treaties, the most beneficial to the country was the Louisiana Purchase Treaty that took place in 1803, as mentioned before. This treaty is considered the most beneficial compared to the others for several reasons. First, by purchasing this territory, America was able to expand its territories with a whopping 530,000,000 acres of land spreading out to the west of the Mississippi River, nearly doubling the size of the country (Shi, 2022). Secondly, with this much land in possession, Americans were provided with vast fertile lands that they could start cultivating and engage in agricultural activities, all of which would help build the economy of the country. In addition, the land had access to the Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans, which were crucial for the transportation of goods and people.
Thirdly, as mentioned before, purchasing Louisiana meant that the French had no territory to occupy in America and, as such, had to move out of the country, an act that gave America a secured western frontier. With this move, America has successfully averted potential attacks that could have occurred through this territory in its conflict with Europe and Britain, which would go on for years. In addition, with this purchase, America would start making more treaties in effort to acquire more land and expand its territories. An example of this is the Adams-Onís Treaty of 1819, which ceded Florida to the United States (Shi, 2022).

Further, the land had a significant impact on the economy because it also had an extensive amount of natural resources, including iron, gold, silver, coal, and timber. These immense resources enabled the country to become a continental power, and the nation’s ideas of freedom and democracy carry much weight globally. Notably, this would not be possible, supposing the purchase was not made. In conclusion, the Louisiana Purchase Treaty of 1803 was the most significant treaty negotiated by the United States between 1800 and 1848 because of its profound and long-term impacts on the country’s territorial, economic, and strategic development. It transformed America into a continental power, fortified vital economic and strategic interests, and laid the groundwork for future expansion and growth.

References

Douglass, F. (2016). Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American slave, written by himself (J. R. McKivigan, P. P. Hinks, & H. L. Kaufman, Eds.; Critical Edition). Yale University Press.

Shi, D. E. (2022). America: A narrative history (Brief Twelfth Edition). W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

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