American History between 1820-1920 - Research Paper Example

? American History, 1820-1920: Introduction: Life was normal back in the early nineteenth century. By ‘normal’ we mean that life had not altered muchbetween the years 1000 AD and 1800AD. The streets were calm, industries and motors were rather rare and agriculture was the prime source of sustenance. The ubiquitous presence of brands and multinationals was unimaginable and America was still discovering itself as a country. The United States was new and working towards making itself a global powerhouse. In this paper we travel through each decade starting from 1820 to 1920. The paper shall analyze aspects related to art and culture, business and economy, books and literature and immigration and migration (Barney). 1820-1830: This decade holds immense significance because it marked the start of a new era in politics. It was the decade of growth as a country and progress in politics. The decade saw the formation of the democratic and the national republican parties. Furthermore, it was also famous for being the time when the first woman was nominated for the presidency. There was progress in fields of art, literature, and the economy during this period as well. Economic and Business Activities: The federal land law was passed in 1820, which led to expansion into new territories as settlers could now purchase 80 acres of land for $1.25/acre. Enormous advancements in trade routes including rail lines and river routes helped the expansion of trade and commerce between new territories and established communities. The decade also saw the growth of gateway cities such as Cincinnati, New Orleans, and Chicago providing urban markets that tied the new territories to the Atlantic states. Art and Architecture: The 1820s saw the starting of the revival of the American Greek style and federal style of art. The statue of George Washington was sculptured by an Italian named Antonio Canova. The widespread demand for portraiture helped sustain American art. The wealthy valued portraits and spent sums of money on them. Some of the beneficiaries of this spending spree included Gilbert Stuart and Thomas Sully (Barney). Books and Literature: Irving and Cooper were the most revered literary individuals of the decade. The readers grew in pride during the decade, which was a major reason why Cooper’s literature became popular. A good illustration of the love affair for that form of literature is the novel American Hero which sets America as an individual country, culturally different from England. The romantic treatment of Indians was another famous and loved literary theme of the decade (Jones). Immigration and Migration: The province of Tejas in Mexico saw the formation of the first Anglo American settlement in the aftermath of the panic of 1819. The federal government began the practice of collecting statistics of immigration by 1820 and estimates suggest that 151,000 new residents entered the United States during this decade. The majority of these residents hailed from the British Isles followed by individuals from Germany. The surge in foreign born residents had an impact on American politics. The democrats, who were considered to be friendly towards immigrants, gained an upper hand with the same (Jones). 1830-1840: This decade saw the passing of laws that granted married women the right to own property. Books of immense prominence and legacy were printed, included Book of Mormon and Nature. Texas gained independence from Mexico and several other events occurred that made this decade one of immense importance in America’s History (Rozek). Arts and Architecture: The Hudson River artists continued to grow. These artists included Thomas Cole, George Innes and Thomas Doughty. The fancy chairs also emerged as 8200 American makers created fancy chairs in Robert Adam, Sheraton, Directoire and Empire styles. The decade also saw the inception of the idea of the Grace Church by James Renwick (Athearn). Economy and Business: The steamboats were introduced during the decade as goods travelling to the west of St. Louis were transported through various trading posts. The decade saw the Era of free banking as a result of the veto of the recharter of the Second Bank of the United States by the president. The specie circular stipulated that land be bought with gold or silver only. The decision reduced speculation of land with questionable bank notes; however, it also led to the destabilization of the western economy. This included the wildcat banking activities, land speculation and the falling prices of cotton. All of these aspects led to an overheated economy that eventually crumbled and led to the panic of 1937. The senate also passed the Indian removal act that sought to force Indians to relocate to the Indian territory in the state of Oklahoma. The decade also saw the organization of the first national labor federation in the form of the New York General trades union (Athearn). Books and Literature: The decade saw the coming to life of the Mike Fink Tall Tales. Newspapers flourished during the period and literary journals including the Princeton review and Southern Literary Messenger were established. Ralph Waldo Emerson published Nature whereas Joseph Smith published The Book of Morman. Several other artists contributed significantly during this decade including Oliver Wendell Holmes, William Cullen Bryant, and James Fenimore Cooper. Migration and Immigration: The expatriation of the Choctaw Indians into the Indian territory made more land available to the federal government in Mississippi. The Ohio and Erie Canal opened and the national road reached as far as Vandalia. The number of immigrants rose by 400% as around 599,000 people strode into the states during this decade. The prospect of cheap and fertile land was a major attraction for immigrants. Germans, Brits, and the Irish continued to dominate the list of immigrants. 1840-1850: The decade was a case of more of the same. Indians continued to move into their territories as immigrants continued to pour in. The coveted wagon train moved from Kansas to California for the first time. Horseracing gained prominence as a spectator sport. Several other events of significance occurred as well. Arts and Architecture: The panorama form of painting gained popularity. The late meeting style of house was discovered through the building of the Plymouth Church of the pilgrims. The grace church was constructed, which is considered to be an important part of the Gothic cultural revival. Business and Economy: The congress enacted the Independent treasury system that was initiated by Levi Woodbury in 1840. This created a fiscal system that lasted under the Federal Reserve Act of 1931. The first credit rating agency of the country was established, with the help of Lewis Tappan, in 1842. The national bank bill prompted the resignation of the entire cabinet except Daniel Webster. The expansion of the nation into states such as New Mexico and Texas saw the establishment of new buildings and industries. New Orleans became one of the largest ports of the nation whereas Texas became a state in 1845 and the leading exporter of cotton and cattle. The ten hour workday was adopted by several states during this decade as well. Migration and Immigration: Gold was the major attraction that saw thousands of residents rush to California. The decade saw the greatest proportion of immigrants in terms of the percentage of population. A staggering 1.4 million immigrants came to America. This was largely spurred by easing in regulations of emigration by nations such as Sweden and Germany. 1850-1860: Slavery was an issue of immense significance during this decade. Other developments in arts, immigration, economy and society also shaped American history. American art gained reputation in Europe during this decade. Greek architecture and sculptures were the dominant aspect of art. The use of lithographs gained prominence. The economy continued its expansion westward. New territory was added to the United States. Agriculture and new industries boomed. The price of land was reduced as a result of the graduation act of 1954. New roads and railways led to better transportation, leading to a surge in economic activity. By 1850, textiles developed into the largest industries in the country. The town of Parkersburg, on the Ohio River, became the mean center of population during this period. Around 2.6 million immigrants flew into the states during this decade, mostly of European origin, however many Chinese also sought their way in. 1860-1870: The decade is notorious for being the decade of the American civil war. Around 3.9 million blacks were enslaved while only around 448,000 were free. The decade also saw progress in terms of gender equality and rights as the first women college president was elected in the form of Vassar College president. The decade saw rising inflation and rising taxes. Landscape painting gained prominence during the decade. The phenomenon of American realism began during this time with paintings depicting the atrocities of the civil war and industrial scenes. Telegraphs and railroads started to transform the economy of America. The northern and southern economies showed sectional differences as wartime spending created a booming northern economy whereas wartime losses, disintegration of labor supply due to the removal of slavery and failure of confederate currencies doomed the economy of the south (Smith). 1870-1880: The emergence and domination of big businesses moved America into the second industrial revolution. The concept of philanthropy grew in prominence as the wealthy sought to help out the needy. The decade was also marred by the great fire of Chicago that led to unprecedented losses. The emergence of the first public telephones helped make great strides in the fields of communication. The standard oil company was founded by John D Rockefeller. The oil company was the first of many such organizations that play a huge part in our lives today. The passing of the US General Amnesty act pardoned ex confederates and inculcated a spirit of forgiveness. Americans also saw the establishment of the first zoo in their country. Tennis was introduced to the locals. The total number of immigrants rose to 1.41 million during this decade. 1880-1890: 87,000 miles of railway had been established by the end of the decade. Canned fruits and vegetables were introduced to the American people. Women liberation grew as participation in sports increased manifold. The importance of oil was recognized during this time as the industrial revolution helped everyone understand how important it was. A mammoth 5.24 million immigrants came into the United States during this decade. 1890-1900: The decade saw the emergence of the Gilded Age. Child labor was rampant as 23000 children were employed in 13 southern states. The fastest train was reported to travel at 78 miles an hour. The international copyright act was passed by congress and unprecedented developments in science and technology happened during this decade. 1900-1910: The decade saw events such as policemen arresting women for smoking in public, emergence of cars for the first time. At that time, the figure of 10 miles of paved roads was mammoth. The decade was marred by the San Francisco Earthquake which took away 700 lives. 1910-1920: This was the first time that the United States was considered to be a world leader. Escalation of immigration and poverty continued whereas labor and monopoly battles also dominated times. The First World War also happened during this decade. This was the decade that America came of age. Works Cited Athearn, Robert G. American Heritage Illustrated History of US. 1988. Barney, William L. A Companion to the 19th Century America. 2006. Jones, Mary Ellen. Daily Life on the Nineteenth Century Frontier. 1998. Rozek, Barbara J. Come to Texas: Attracting Immigrants. 2003. Smith, Mark Micheal. Listening to Nineteenth Century America. 2001. Read More