American Foreign Affairs

American Foreign Affairs

Thesis statement

The Civil War remains one of the most important events in American history because it defined the American ideals of human dignity, liberty, justice, and equality.

Introduction

Between the years 1783-1850, America developed into a new nation as we expanded into new lands, began to develop an industrial economy; and built a transportation network. Between the years of 1850 and 1865, the United States engaged itself in a struggle that turned the North against the South, neighbor against neighbor, and brother against brother. 

Discussion

In 1783, Thomas Jefferson expressed in a letter to George Rogers Clark, brother of Captain Clark, his dream of an expedition to explore the Louisiana Territory for the benefit of the nation. The reason was because they had just purchased Louisiana Territory from France, and Jefferson wanted to know what resources would be available there (Hall 2000 12-33). In a letter addressed to Captain Lewis in June, 1803, Jefferson wrote that he wanted to know what vegetation was growing there, what types of animals inhabited the area, and most importantly, at that time, what mineral deposits could be found.

In addition to affecting the reasons behind the expedition, the Louisiana Purchase also affected the goals of the expedition. One of the main goals of the expedition, as ordered by President Thomas Jefferson, was to find a water route that would stretch all the way to the Pacific Ocean for the "sole purpose of commerce." The purpose of this potential route was to increase the efficiency of the shipment of fur. Of course, there is no such passage, and Lewis and Clark figured that out when they had to leave the rivers that they were following and cross the mountains that would lead them into the Bitterroot Valley in present-day Montana (Horowitz 2000 964-1097).

Various issue like Hamilton's Financial Plan, Whiskey Rebellion, Jeffersonian Republicanism, Hamiltonian Federalism, Impressment, Spain/Mississippi, Election of 1796, Pinckney Treaty, Jay Treaty, XYZ Affair & relations with France, Alien & Sedition Acts, Virginia/ Kentucky resolutions, Election of 1800, Judiciary Act of 1800, Jefferson's Presidency, 12th Amendment, Louisiana Purchase, Lewis & Clark expedition, Burr Conspiracy, American Neutrality, Essex Decision, James Madison as President, Tecumseh, War Hawks, War of 1812, Francis Scott Key, Hartford Convention, Treaty of Ghent, Transportation 1790-1860, Immigration 1790-1860, Horace Mann, Cotton, Steamboats, Canals, Telegraph, Factories, Attitudes towards immigrants, Know-Nothings, Free Blacks, Utopianism, Second Great Awakening, Temperance, Transcendentalism, Literary figures, Missouri Controversy, Monroe Doctrine, Election of J.Q. Adams, Andrew Jackson, ...