Short Answer Responses
When Europeans interacted with Native Americans in the New World, there were benefits as well as draw backs and consequences. An example of a benefit was that the trading era boomed. Mercantilism, an economic system aimed to increase a government's or society's wealth by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by establishing a good trading system, played a huge role in the American Colonies and in Britain. The common saying "all good things must come to an end," made itself present in the Colonies. The Columbian Exchange is the exchange of animals, plants, and diseases between the two hemispheres. Disease bombarded the Native Americans, the animals, the water, the food supplies, and even the European travelers who had brought over the goods to the new land. Death was breathing on almost everyone's necks and over half of the population, both European and Native, was wiped out.
There was also jealousy and resentment between the Europeans and the Natives. The Europeans were coming to the new land in hopes of finding gold. They found tobacco. Ironically, the Europeans who held themselves superior to the Natives were struggling to survive, create a decent government, and to create a food source. The Europeans wanted to be just as successful and more than the Native Americans. Some European colonies got along with the Natives and they ended becoming one large colony. They traded ideas, food, and government tactics as well as weapons to combine their different societies into one. Other European settlers used threats and violence to enslave the Native Americans on their own land. The European settlers used the Native Americans as a cheap labor source, although the Native Americans fought back. Blood was shed by both societies through Native American rebellion and the ignorant needs of the Europeans.
There was also jealousy and resentment between the Europeans and the Natives. The Europeans were coming to the new land in hopes of finding gold. They found tobacco. Ironically, the Europeans who held themselves superior to the Natives were struggling to survive, create a decent government, and to create a food source. The Europeans wanted to be just as successful and more than the Native Americans. Some European colonies got along with the Natives and they ended becoming one large colony. They traded ideas, food, and government tactics as well as weapons to combine their different societies into one. Other European settlers used threats and violence to enslave the Native Americans on their own land. The European settlers used the Native Americans as a cheap labor source, although the Native Americans fought back. Blood was shed by both societies through Native American rebellion and the ignorant needs of the Europeans.
Before the Revolutionary War, there were mainly three types of opinions that the citizens of the Colonies were put in. The opinions of the Patriots, the Loyalists, and Neutralists drove the Thirteen Colonies into war. The Patriots supported American independence from Britain. Britain was oppressive, greedy, ignorant, and sneaky. Mercantilism was still playing a huge part of Britain's trading system. King George III wanted to make sure that the colonies weren't exporting more than they were importing. This would make the colonies wealthy and King George III would not stand for that! To prevent this from happening, the British government imposed many laws and taxes. Due to bad timing, the British imposed those acts and laws mostly after Salutary Neglect. This time period was when Britain had to focus on their own country due to their massive debts they had accumulated after the French-Indian War. During that time of neglect, the Colonies created and tested out different forms of government, eventually using the Republic ("one person is elected by the people for the people"). When Britain regained its power with the Colonies they threw in the Stamp Act, imposing taxes for legal documents; they didn't give adequate governmental representation in Parliament; they taxed Colonists on tea. The Patriots did not appreciate what Britain was doing to their rights and to their country; they boycotted, they rebelled, they used violence, they used paper and pen. The Patriots are known for their hardworking, strong-opinioned personalities and fighting for what they believed in.
Loyalists were the exact opposite of the Patriots. The Loyalists believed that the Thirteen Colonies should stick with the British government. Although all three opinions had an emotional and moral appeal, the Loyalists took pride in being associated with the British Empire. Britain was the wealthiest empire in the world. Their trading system brought in mounds upon mounds of income (though they could not pay off their debts from the French-Indian War without imposing taxes on the Colonies is quite a mystery) and the country had an aura around them that radiated pride. The British Empire was also technologically advanced: they had the largest, strongest Navy and Army in the world. The Loyalists believed that the Thirteen Colonies would have a better chance of surviving as a whole because of the protection that Britain gave them. Loyalists also believed that if the Colonies divided, the Patriots wouldn't have a chance against the British Army and Navy due to their lack of practice, skill, and numbers of men.
Neutralists were the confused, on the fence kind of citizens in the Thirteen Colonies. Most of them were torn between loyalty to the Mother Land and fighting for their own rights. If and when the Neutralists chose sides, it was often an even break. Many people were comforted knowing that Britain, the strongest empire in the world, was looking after their colonies. Others believed it was only right to continue the tradition of honoring the King and the Queen. Some Neutralists however, came to realize that Britain was encroaching on their private lives and their personal rights. They saw that the acts and laws for taxes was ridiculous and the treatment of the Colonial citizens was wrong. The Neutralists eventually took either the Loyalists' or Patriots' side once the war began.
Loyalists were the exact opposite of the Patriots. The Loyalists believed that the Thirteen Colonies should stick with the British government. Although all three opinions had an emotional and moral appeal, the Loyalists took pride in being associated with the British Empire. Britain was the wealthiest empire in the world. Their trading system brought in mounds upon mounds of income (though they could not pay off their debts from the French-Indian War without imposing taxes on the Colonies is quite a mystery) and the country had an aura around them that radiated pride. The British Empire was also technologically advanced: they had the largest, strongest Navy and Army in the world. The Loyalists believed that the Thirteen Colonies would have a better chance of surviving as a whole because of the protection that Britain gave them. Loyalists also believed that if the Colonies divided, the Patriots wouldn't have a chance against the British Army and Navy due to their lack of practice, skill, and numbers of men.
Neutralists were the confused, on the fence kind of citizens in the Thirteen Colonies. Most of them were torn between loyalty to the Mother Land and fighting for their own rights. If and when the Neutralists chose sides, it was often an even break. Many people were comforted knowing that Britain, the strongest empire in the world, was looking after their colonies. Others believed it was only right to continue the tradition of honoring the King and the Queen. Some Neutralists however, came to realize that Britain was encroaching on their private lives and their personal rights. They saw that the acts and laws for taxes was ridiculous and the treatment of the Colonial citizens was wrong. The Neutralists eventually took either the Loyalists' or Patriots' side once the war began.
The long term causes of the Civil War fall into mainly three categories: social, economic, and political. The social and moral aspect of the long term causes of the Civil War stem from the opinions of society. In the Northern states, there was a popular party called the Free-Soil party. This political party opposed the spread of slavery into new territory. The party was not an abolitionist group; they wanted to let the South do whatever the South wanted to do to continue creating their good agricultural economy. Many people in the North, however, were abolitionists. Fueling their drive to end slavery was a book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, "Uncle Tom's Cabin." This book created a clear of image of the families that were hurt and abused by slavery. The emotional appeal caught the public's eye and pulled on their heartstrings. Stowe's lack of experience with slavery did create tensions in the South. The book and the abolitionist party flourished in the North while the South was boiling with hostility and resentment.
Economically, there was a huge competition for jobs. The immigrants migrating over from various countries needed work. Many were put into hard labor and sometimes slavery. Due to the growing sectionalism, there were two types of economies. The Northern states' was very industrial while the Southern states' was based mainly off of agriculture using cheap labor. The two economies thrived off of each other, which created issues when the Civil War started.
Politically, the increasing sectionalism continued. There were the extremist abolitionists, the abolitionists, the Free-Soil party, the pro-slavery party, and the extremist pro-slavery party. An issue that was presented and thought over was the Fugitive Slave Law. The Fugitive Slave Law was created by Congress in 1850 (branching off of the Compromise of 1850). It forced all fugitive slaves back to their plantations. The Personal Liberty Laws were passed in the Northern states as a reaction to the Fugitive Slave Law. The Personal Liberty Laws protected the escaped slaves that had fled into Northern territory. This increased the tension between the Northern and Southern states. The Kansas-Nebraska Act, also dubbed with "Bleeding Kansas", was created to split the Kansas territory into two parts: north and south. The Northern part of the territory was given to the Union, meaning it did not hold slaves. The Southern half was given the choice by popular sovereignty, letting the local public vote on a subject, to decide if the citizens wanted it to be a slave state or a free state. Settlers from both halves of the split nation flooded the southern territory. Many lives were taken due to ignorance and an extreme opinion. The Dred Scott Decision heightened tensions between the North and the South when Dred Scott, a slave, traveled to Illinois and Minnesota with his master. Scott claimed to be a free slave now that he had traveled to the Union and that he was officially a citizen of the United States. A local court ruled that Dred Scott was a legal citizen but a Supreme Court ruled otherwise. The fact that a black slave got the attention and made the fuss that he did for what he believed in created tensions not only between the abolitionists and the pro-slavery people, but it created trust issues and paranoia between the slaves and the slave owners.
Economically, there was a huge competition for jobs. The immigrants migrating over from various countries needed work. Many were put into hard labor and sometimes slavery. Due to the growing sectionalism, there were two types of economies. The Northern states' was very industrial while the Southern states' was based mainly off of agriculture using cheap labor. The two economies thrived off of each other, which created issues when the Civil War started.
Politically, the increasing sectionalism continued. There were the extremist abolitionists, the abolitionists, the Free-Soil party, the pro-slavery party, and the extremist pro-slavery party. An issue that was presented and thought over was the Fugitive Slave Law. The Fugitive Slave Law was created by Congress in 1850 (branching off of the Compromise of 1850). It forced all fugitive slaves back to their plantations. The Personal Liberty Laws were passed in the Northern states as a reaction to the Fugitive Slave Law. The Personal Liberty Laws protected the escaped slaves that had fled into Northern territory. This increased the tension between the Northern and Southern states. The Kansas-Nebraska Act, also dubbed with "Bleeding Kansas", was created to split the Kansas territory into two parts: north and south. The Northern part of the territory was given to the Union, meaning it did not hold slaves. The Southern half was given the choice by popular sovereignty, letting the local public vote on a subject, to decide if the citizens wanted it to be a slave state or a free state. Settlers from both halves of the split nation flooded the southern territory. Many lives were taken due to ignorance and an extreme opinion. The Dred Scott Decision heightened tensions between the North and the South when Dred Scott, a slave, traveled to Illinois and Minnesota with his master. Scott claimed to be a free slave now that he had traveled to the Union and that he was officially a citizen of the United States. A local court ruled that Dred Scott was a legal citizen but a Supreme Court ruled otherwise. The fact that a black slave got the attention and made the fuss that he did for what he believed in created tensions not only between the abolitionists and the pro-slavery people, but it created trust issues and paranoia between the slaves and the slave owners.