American History from 1607 to 1865 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

American History from 1607 to 1865 - Essay Example Together they slowly built a country together. Some of the principal industries at time were tobacco and shipbuilding. As the colonies grew more powerful, they chafed at the heavy hand that ruled them from London. A little known fact is that the American colonists who fought the British during the Revolutionary War were not always dramatically opposed against the British who ruled over them. Some admired the British. During the Revolutionary War, which was led by George Washington, there were opportunities to come to terms, although most of these opportunities occurred at the beginning of the war. Before the time when New York fell to the British, it might have been possible for the British and the American sides agree on a peace that would have kept the Americans under British Rule. However, after this seminal battle, the two opponents were too entrenched in their respective positions to reach an agreement. Both sides were too polarized and seen too much hardship. Throughout the con flict, the British failed to conceive that the colonists only wanted respect and more autonomy. By denying this reasonable request, the British forced the Americans to take drastic action against them. It didn’t have to be this way. ... Writing to a friend, John Adams once said: There must be a positive Passion for the public good, the public Interest, Honour, Power, and Glory, established in the Minds of the People, or there can be no Republican Government, nor any real Liberty. And this public Passion must be Superior to all private Passions. Men must be ready, they must pride themselves, and be happy to sacrifice their private Pleasures, Passions, and Interests, nay their private Friendships and dearest connections, when they Stand in Competition with the Rights of society. (Rahe, 23) The years that followed the founding were amazing. The country grew in population, power, and wealth. The size of the country grew and more states joined. Most people would find it hard to argue that the changes between 1790 and 1860 were not some of the most impressive in the history of the United States. One of the key elements of the growth that occurred as this time was rapid industrialization. Novel technologies like the cotton gin and the steam engine permitted work to be completed in any even faster fashion than before. All across the land, factories began to sprout up like mushrooms. The country began to shift away from a resource based economy that included farming and agriculture, and began to be characterized by a much more diverse economy that was sending goods all over the world. Throughout it all Americans debated what system of government they should have. They often looked back to the words of Thomas Jefferson: Two political Sects have arisen within the U. S. the one believing that the executive is the branch of our government which the most needs support; the other that like the analogous branch in the English Government, it is already too strong for the republican parts of the