Migration to the Western Hemisphere
The first people to migrate to the Western Hemisphere were nomadic hunter-gatherers from northeast Asia. Although many mysteries regarding the history of the first people to enter the Western Hemisphere remain, there are a number of historically accepted truths about how these people first migrated to the Americas. At least fifteen thousand years ago, the Earth was still in the midst of the last ice age; and the Bering Strait was actually a small land-bridge that linked Siberia to Alaska. It is widely believed that the first migrants to the Americas crossed over this land-bridge to arrive in the Western Hemisphere. When the last ice age ended, huge volumes of ice melted, and the sea’s water level rose significantly. This had the effect of submerging the Bering Strait land-bridge with sea water. Because the land-bridge was covered with water, it was visually obscured and was not abundantly apparent. I find it fascinating that this land-bridge was discovered at all. The fact that it was is testament to the ingenuity and determination of the investigators of such issues. Another inhibitor to the discovery of information pertaining to the earliest migrations to the Western Hemisphere is the fact that many of the artifacts and sites that could potentially reveal answers to such questions have been looted or destroyed throughout the centuries. Unfortunately, looting and destruction of such sites is common throughout the world and does much to limit our knowledge regarding the first migrations of people to the Western Hemisphere. This is unfortunate as this kind of information (besides being fascinating in its own right) serves to enlighten us as humans and as observers of history.
With the end of the ice age, many of the inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere found themselves in a much more hospitable environment than the one in which they had previously lived—and distinctive new cultures began to develop. Because many of the remains of the earliest cultures have been looted, pillaged, or destroyed in some way, it has been difficult for historians to place an exact date on some of the more specific aspects of early human migration to the ancient Americas. However, it is widely accepted that culture began to develop in the Americas around ten thousand years ago. Various distinctive cultures continued to thrive and develop throughout the Western Hemisphere until roughly two thousand five hundred years ago. In the ancient Americas, a person’s daily life was largely dictated by the type of environment in which they lived. The various cultures of the ancient Americas had lifestyles that were distinctive from the other people and cultures that existed throughout the different parts of the Western Hemisphere. Because the way in which people gathered food, grew crops, and hunted varied greatly from region to region, so too did their style of life—and as such, the distinctions between the cultures gave rise to more variety and distinction regarding the way in which people lived. These distinctions helped to give rise to the nearly innumerable aspects of culture and ways of life that developed throughout the Western Hemisphere.
In many parts of the Americas, naturally occurring food was scarcely found; and the occupants of these regions were forced to adapt to the slim provisions that their environment was able to provide. Because food was typically in short supply, the ancient cultures of the Great Basin region were forced to seasonally migrate to areas where food was more plentiful during different parts of the year. The cultures of the Arctic and Subarctic were not able to implement agriculture as the environment they lived in would not support it—and as such they grew highly adapted to their environments. Like the cultures of the Great Basin, the Arctic and Subarctic cultures also seasonally migrated so that they could make the most out of the few natural resources that they had available to them. About ten thousand years ago, Mesoamerican cultures began to develop domesticated breeds of squash, beans, tomatoes, and corn. These developments in agriculture would prove to be instrumental to the rise of societies in the Western Hemisphere as they provided many cultures a better and more reliable source of nutrition. This reliable nutrition allowed these societies and cultures to prosper and develop more rapidly than was previously possible when they were forced to live a more hunter-gatherer existence. Agriculture provided the early cultures of the Western Hemisphere with many benefits and advantages they did not previously have.
The Mesoamerican agricultural techniques would prove to be revolutionary. The knowledge that they pioneered would spread throughout much of the Western Hemisphere and impact the lives of innumerable people that lived in the ancient Americas. The people within the cultures that developed in the southwest part of America applied these Mesoamerican agricultural techniques with great success. The lives of the people of this region tended to revolve primarily around agriculture. They developed highly complex irrigation systems that allowed them more effectively maintain their food crops. Around two thousand years ago, cultures in the eastern part of the Americas began cultivating gourds, pumpkins, and maize. However, because food was more abundant in this region than in many of the other parts of the Western Hemisphere, the people of the area were able to gather nuts, fish, and hunt to fill most of their nutritional needs. As such, agriculture did not tend to be as culturally significant to the people that were indigenous to the eastern part of the Americas. Like the eastern woodland cultures, the cultures of the Pacific Northwest also had an abundant amount of natural nutrition available to them. Therefore, in this area, agriculture was also less important than in other parts of the Western Hemisphere. Life in the Western Hemisphere was vastly different before the native peoples made contact with the first Europeans to arrive in the Americas. Before the arrival of Europeans, the cultures, social, and economic systems of the Western Hemisphere were largely dominated by tradition. The continuity of cultural beliefs, ways of life, social hierarchy, and social status was largely promoted by the fact that the cultures and ways of life these people practiced were extremely adapted to the environments in which they lived. Because the cultures of the Western Hemisphere had grown so well-adapted to their environments, there was little reason to change.
The Election of Eighteen-Sixty
As the election of eighteen-sixty was one of the single most monumental and influential elections in United States history, it is important to understand the candidates, issues, implications, and ramifications that it entails. Because the election of eighteen-sixty took place in a time when open hostility between the north and the south was no longer possible to avoid, the election was certain to be contentious—and in my opinion, its importance cannot be understated. The election serves as an excellent indicator of the enormous social, political, and economic changes that the United States was experiencing during this momentous period in its history. To understand this pivotal election, one must first understand the time period’s political and social climates. Due to the fact that there were two major competing ideologies regarding the institution of American slavery, throughout this period of American history there was an enormous amount of tension and hostility between the northern part of the country and the southern part. The United States was engulfed in a period of enormous growth, expansion, and economic development; and the two halves of the country employed vastly different economic and labor systems. During this time period, issues that had never before been adequately addressed were finally bubbling to the surface of American society—and slavery was at the forefront of everyone’s mind.
Because the economy of the southern part of the United States was centralized and built almost entirely around agricultural production (with particular emphasis on cotton), its economy grew in such a way that the promotion of slavery for economic means was practically unavoidable. As the crops were grown in the south were incredibly labor intensive, a cheap source of labor was intensely desirable and provided an economic incentive for the practice of slavery. Conversely, the economy of the northern part of the country had begun to become centralized around the process of industrialization and the efficiency and new forms of industry that new technologies could provide. As these vastly different economic models essentially pitted technology against slavery in economic competition, northerners could not help but see slavery as a competing economic model—and as such desired that it be prohibited. The tension that these competing ideologies produced ultimately divided the country in a number of important ways.
In eighteen-fifty-nine, an abolitionist by the name of John Brown came up with a radical plan to stage an attack on a federal arsenal and seize control of thousands of federal guns—which he intended to distribute to southern slaves so that they might overthrow their oppressors. Brown was unsuccessful in his efforts and was tried, convicted, and ultimately hung for treason—and as such became a villain in the south and a martyr in the north. Brown’s actions contributed to the already growing sense of paranoia that was present in the south—which increasingly came to see the north as hostile aggressors. They saw Brown’s actions as a manifestation of northern ambition—and saw these actions as a personal and direct threat to their families and way of life. As such, the paranoia that was already present further spread throughout the south. The country was at a tipping point—both socially and politically.
As the south had historically favored the Democratic Party, the party lines were drawn quite neatly along the division of the northern and southern parts of the country. The southern Democrats nominated a man named John C. Breckinridge. However, they became dissatisfied, and eventually left the process. This left the northern candidates to nominate a candidate of their own—Steven A. Douglas. Because there were two separate candidates that were put forward by the Democrats (Breckinridge in the south and Douglas in the north), a major split in the Democratic Party was created. The Republicans saw this split in the Democratic Party for the advantage that it was and believed that it would be possible for them to carry the entirety of the north. However, they needed a nominee that was not seen as possessing radical political ideologies or ambitions. As Abraham Lincoln was largely viewed as a moderate, he gained the nomination of the Republican Party. At the time, Lincoln was not viewed as a radical—in fact, his campaign revolved around the idea of the preservation of the Union. The Democratic Party split proved to be advantageous to the Republicans because when the votes were tabulated, Abraham Lincoln received forty percent of the popular vote and just enough Electoral College votes to be officially declared the president of the United States. The southern states were not pleased that Lincoln had won the election. At the news, South Carolina passed an ordinance of secession—thereby declaring itself in the Union no longer. Before Lincoln’s inauguration, the rest of the Deep South quickly followed South Carolina’s example and seceded as well.
After a series of events in which the severity of the situation continually escalated, on the twelfth of April in the year eighteen-sixty-one the confederates fired upon Fort Sumter in South Carolina—and the United States found itself in a state of civil war. Although the election of eighteen-sixty was not the direct cause of the war itself-or of the issues that provoked it-it did have an enormous impact on the social and political climates that existed in this period of American History. In a time when the country was at a central turning point in its history, the election of eighteen-sixty served as a point of divisiveness for competing ideologies. The election of eighteen-sixty ushered in a pivotal change in American society and its importance is still abundantly apparent. The election greatly contributed to the political landscape that still exists today. Many of the idiosyncrasies of modern politics can be traced to this period of America history. Its effects have helped to shape our present society into the form in which it currently exists and the lessons it teaches serve to enlighten our nation’s actions both in the present and in the future.
Reflection
In the time that I have spent with this course throughout the semester, I have learned an astonishing number of things about the history of our country. I found the course structure to be of great interest. We learned about America from its first origins—when humans first entered the continent. This part of its history is often looked over; and I found its inclusion to be both informative and refreshing. Learning of the native people and cultures was interesting and essential to a proper understanding of the events that would ultimately follow. By taking this course, I gained a greater understanding of the history of this country—and an appreciation for the complexity of the situations themselves. Having an understanding of the complexity of this country’s history has allowed me to gain greater insights into the actions and people that have shaped this country into the way it currently is. By understanding the history, we-as citizens of this country-can gain a greater understanding of its present and future.
Understanding the ramifications of past events allows us greater perspective and insight into the present. By understanding how the present came to be the way that it is, we can be better prepared for what the future will bring. Understanding the history of this country allows us to understand the context under which these momentous and historical actions have taken place—and as such allow a greater appreciation of the actions themselves. This knowledge allows us to be more informed and more active members of society. It is only through the understanding of the way in which the world came to be the way that it currently is that we are able to move forward into the future in a productive and informed manner.
This class has allowed me gain a great number of insights into the origins of the United States of America. There were many areas of our country’s history that my knowledge of remained spotty before taking this class. Many of the gaps of my knowledge have been filled; and a great amount of personal ignorance has been alleviated. As my knowledge of the history of this country has grown substantially, so too has my ability to properly interpret and understand the present state of this country’s affairs. What surprised me about the course was how much I learned about the international affairs and politics of the time period. I feel that my knowledge of not only the history of the United States has grown—but also the history of many parts of the world. This class has helped to broaden my perspective and understanding of the world around me—and as such, I feel that I am much better prepared for what the future may bring.
clayboitnott 