Essay: A range of history questions and answers

Homework #1 Questions (25 points)
Chapter 1: Describe the Columbian Exchange.  What is meant by the term and what were some of the more important effects exchange had on the Old World and the New World?
The Columbian Exchange was when Europeans travelled across the Atlantic ocean and brought various goods, diseases, animals, and etc. with them to new lands. This exchange of goods occurred between Europe, Africa, and the Americas in which things from the Old World were brought to the New World. Some of the most important/influential things that were exchanged include sugar, tobacco, domesticated animals, smallpox, wheat, corn, and slaves. The Columbian Exchange affected the New World by bringing sugar which led to the enslavement of Africans for labor on sugar plantations, domesticated animals proved to be useful for farming as well as providing new sources of food, and diseases were brought over that greatly decreased the native populations and, in some areas, completely decimated entire groups of people since the natives did not have any acquired immunity. The Old World was affected by the exchange by being introduced to the cash crop tobacco, which would have economic effects as well as mass consumption, while they were also given cacao which was then used to make chocolate. Overall, the Columbian Exchange had large impacts, good and bad, on both the Old and New World by introducing products, crops, animals, disease, culture, and new populations to different sides of the world.
Chapter 2: Describe the beginnings of the Atlantic Slave Trade. What factors led to its development?  What impact did it have on the English colonies on the North American mainland and the Caribbean?   
The Atlantic Slave Trade was a transportation of enslaved Africans by Europeans to the Americas (primarily). In the Americas, the European colonies that had been established were starting to develop and become more prosperous as time went on. This then led to a demand for labor in the cotton, sugar, and tobacco fields in which slaves were then used for their labor. The combination of the shortage of labor, past racial attitudes, and legal, religious, and military factors were the main reasons that the Atlantic Slave Trade became prominent. Th result of this slave trade led to the increasing demand for slaves in America as well as a growing dependence on slaves for labor which would later lead to the Civil war, increasing racial tensions, and the establishment of slavery as a foundation of the American economy. Slaves were also brought to the British colonies in the Caribbean which has now resulted in a large population of African descendants as well as a mixing of cultures. While America saw extreme effects and dependence on slavery, the Caribbean did not rely quite as heavily on slaves although they did still experience slave-driven revolutions.
Chapter 3:  Describe some of the beliefs of the Puritans (English Calvinists) that set them apart from other Christians such as Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Quakers.
The Puritans are a group of Christians who wanted to ‘purify’ the English Anglican church and reform it to fit their beliefs. They believed that they had a covenant with God to live according to His word, convert people from their sinful lives, and remake the Anglican church. The most basic beliefs of Puritans are unconditional election, total depravity, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance. Puritans were devoutly Christian and were required to attend church although, in order to be a full member of the church, they had to have been converted and show that they were a part of the predestined elect. Separation of church and state was not a belief shared by Puritans, their towns were purely run by church members. Puritans believed that the Anglican church was too similar to the Catholic church which is why it needed to be reformed. The Quakers differed from Puritans because they had a more optimistic outlook on religion and life as well as being more accepting of other religions and promoting equality.
Chapter 4: What did England gain from its victory in the French and Indian War/Seven Years’ War and how did the aftermath of that conflict contribute to the tensions leading to the outbreak of the American Revolution?
At the cessation of the French and Indian war, the Treaty of Paris was created to establish peace between the French and British. This treaty required that France give up much of its North American land to Britain, such as Canada and all of their land that was to the east of the Mississippi river, as well as giving Louisiana to Spain, and therefore gave up any source of power that they had laid claim to in North America. Great Britain greatly benefited from this as one of their biggest colonial rivals had been removed from most of the continent and they were able to expand their reach and power by a significant amount. In spite of this victory for England, the American colonists began to become uneasy with British rule and their discontentment continued to grow in the aftermath of this war. Americans no longer felt as though they needed England to lord over them and desired independence and a lack of overseas rulership. Since the French were no longer a threat to the Americans on their soil, the colonists sought to obtain full independence and not be ruled by a monarchy that they would not see the benefits of (i.e. taxation without representation).
Chapter 5: Describe the role of the Sons of Liberty, Patrick Henry, and James Otis in whipping up colonial opposition to the Stamp Act and other British colonial policies.
The Sons of Liberty were a secret political organization whose purpose was to take down the British leadership in America. They were instrumental in the Boston Tea Party and protested the Stamp Act and other taxes that the British government was imposing on the American colonists; they coined the term ‘no taxation without representation’. Patrick Henry was an American who would go on to be a Founding Father and a governor but, predating that time, Henry was a vocal Anti-Federalist who was excellent in stirring up a crowd due to the strength of his rhetoric. He is famously known for his speeches, such as his “Give me liberty, or give me death” speech, and, regarding the Stamp Act, Henry composed a speech in which he proposed suggested resolutions that strongly motivated Americans to oppose British taxation. James Otis was also involved in American politics during this time period and he is commonly known for his saying, “Taxation without representation is tyranny.” Otis was also against the British taxations and he motivated and represented by collecting and writing down the colonists’ collective objections and sending them to the British government. Collectively, the Sons of Liberty, Patrick Henry, and James Otis all encouraged colonial opposition to the British government by taking action (Boston Tea Party), using rhetoric (Henry’s speeches), and sending direct messages (Otis’ letter).
Chapter 6: Describe some of the strengths and weaknesses each side possessed during the American Revolution.  What factors ultimately allowed the colonies to emerge victorious?
The American Revolution was a huge turning point in both American and British history that would ultimately lead to American independence and freedom from British tyrannical leadership. Some of the British strengths include the fact that they are a much older, more established country so they have more well-experienced soldiers, more money, a very powerful and well-trained army and navy, and overall more skill. On the other hand, they were not in home territory, were on a completely different continent so they could not consult higher authorities, request enforcements, or have supplies easily sent to them, and, since they had so many obvious advantages, they were over confident in their abilities and did not have as much desire to win the war as the Americans because they were not fighting for something as important. The Americans had their strengths in morale, their strong motivation to obtain independence (something to fight for), good leadership, fighting in home territory, and their use of unconventional warfare tactics. They also had many weaknesses such as being inexperienced, having too little of everything (money, soldiers, and supplies), being a very new force with no previously-established allies, internal conflicts, and a previous dependence on their enemy. In the end, the American colonists won this war because of their newfound alliance with France which provided military and financial aid, the distance of Britain from the battlefield and their unfamiliarity with the land, the mounting British debt, and the strong and determined will of the colonists to obtain their independence.
Chapter 7: What were some of the major problems for the young republic during the Articles of Confederation period? How did the minimal powers given to the national government under the Articles limit the ability of Americans to solve these problems?
After the colonists gained their independence from the British empire, the new country created their own constitution, the Articles of Confederation, which set the precedent for states having most of the power and laid the foundation for a weak central government. Due to the lack of central governmental power, the US economy was not able to flourish and regulation of commerce was proved to be difficult to maintain by the states. Tax laws had also gotten a bad reputation from the British leadership, so Americans now were strongly opposed to any sort of taxation by the central government which, again, did not help the young economy. The economic issues, such as war debts, underfunding of the central government, and worthless currency, and military crisis were all major issues that plagued the new republic and the lack of power in the central government only made these problems worse. The central government could not impose taxes to raise money for itself so the government was perpetually underfunded, this, in turn, led to the government not being able to repay debts acquired from the war, and the inability to regulate commerce meant that Americans weren’t protected from their foreign competitors. Shays’s rebellion displayed the consequences of the national government lacking the power to create an army or navy because the Massachusetts farmers led a revolt in which the government was helpless against and could only be put down by a private militia. Collectively, the Articles of Confederation weakened the national government to a point to which the economy was failing and they were unable to protect the country.
Chapter 8: Describe some of the major domestic and foreign policy differences between the Federalist and Republican parties.    
The Federalist party was led by Alexander Hamilton and was composed primarily of upper class, educated citizens such as bankers, wealthy plantation owners and farmers, and merchants. The Federalists preferred a strong central government and a loose interpretation of the constitution with elite leadership and desired a business economy that focused on commerce, finance, tariffs, and manufacturing. The Federalist’s foreign policy encouraged a relationship with Britain and supported commercial trade with them while they were skeptical of the French government and did not want to aid in the French revolution. The Republican party was led by Thomas Jefferson and was composed mostly of middle and lower class citizens such as poor farmers, artisans, and shopkeepers who were uneducated and illiterate. Republicans favored states’ rights with the common man being a vital part of the government as well as lowering qualifications required for voting and they desired an agrarian economy that benefited the small farmers and also supported the common man. The Republican foreign policy favored the French and supported the French revolution while they did not trust the British and were wary of the Federalists support of them.