A Report of A Not So ‘‘New World’’

The Collision of Cultures

United States of America culture is primarily western, but it is influenced by Polynesian, Latin American cultures, Native American, Asian, and African. The formation of this culture began its formation around 10,000 years ago during the migration of Paleo-Indians from Asia, Europe and Oceania in to what is called continental United States. Resulting from large-scale migration from many countries to the United States, it have made it a racially and ethnic diverse country. According to Fischer’s theory, United States was composed of four distinct regional cultures from British Isles, emigrating from Ireland and British regions to the British American colonies 17^th and 18^th centuries. The United States had no official at the federal level leading to making English the official language from 2 states and it is considered to de facto national language. 

During late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, artists in America primarily painted portraits and landscapes in realistic style. During 19^th century, there was no public education in America and only wealthy children who were educated. In the same era, the mentally ill used to receive ill treatment and used to be located in criminal prisons. American established itself economically and politically between 1800 and 1860 and started to develop its culture. Throughout the colonial period, its culture was as a result of British culture of artists, playwrights and English poets.

The European Vision of America was an art exhibition sponsored jointly by Cleveland Museum of Art, Gallery of Art, Washington DC, the Natl and the des Musees Nationaux France reunion in US celebration, bicentennial in 1976. Wai Kam Ho, a Chinese art curator first proposed it in 1973 at the Cleveland Museum of Art, an exhibition tracing the way Americans were viewed by Europeans nations from  Columbus’s landing time to the 19th century. Hugh Honor an English art historian was invited by the Chinese art curator, to write the exhibition catalog that featured 350 objects spanning 400 years, including drawings, prints, books, sculptures, paintings, maps, porcelains, silverwork, furniture and tapestries from twelve countries. In December 1975 the exhibition opened for 10weeks Natl, prior to 13 weeks that encompassed the 4th of July bicentennial celebrations, followed by a final show in Paris at Grand Palais.

Religion European wars were a series of religious based waged in Europe between ca. 1524 to 1648, following Protestant Reformation onset in North, Central and Western Europe. The wars were interconnected to the religious changes during that period and rivalry and conflict that it produced. The Holy Roman Empire which is in present Germany and its neighbors was the single area most devastated by the religion wars. Luther’s followers engendered the first large-scale violence wishing an extension the church wholesale reform to that a related wholesale reform of the society. In 1617 Germany was a complete divided nation and Mathias the King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor was almost dying and Ferdinand his cousin who was to be the heir a staunch catholic was rejected leading to war for thirty years. This led to devastation in the entire region that was scavenged by foraging armies with episodes of widespread diseases and famine and bankrupting involved powers.

The Spanish empire was the first and largest global empire in the world. During its time, it was the foremost global power, running by the name the empire on which the sun never sets and in western hemisphere, it left a huge cultural, architectural and urban legacy. In the ‘‘Golden Age of Spain’’, Charles was elected to the emperor of Holy Roman Empire and carried on his grandfather’s political goals. They included, defending Europe against Islam, spreading Christianity to the unconverted souls, undermining France powers and accessing America resources and Asia products. During Francis defeat in 1544 that led to annulment of the protestant alliance, Charles took the opportunity and brought war that was led by Saxon elector Maurice.

American history began in a cultural and biological collision of Africans, Native Americans and Europeans with Europeans dictating the terms while Africans and Native Americans it started as a disaster. The Native Americans severely suffered isolation from the rest of the world as the lacked war weapons. The most disastrous consequence was diseases from Africans and Europeans who were already immune leading to suffering to the natives. The new lands were used by Europeans as plantation agriculture and sources for precious metals. The operations required labor and the forced the indigenous to work for them which later failed due to deaths from diseases and they turned to importation of slaves from Africa. During the colonial period of Caribbean and South and North America, more Africans than Europeans came to the country with slave trade increasing Europeans and some Africans wealth. The slave trade led to disruption of African political systems, robbed African societies their young men and led slave raiding to full scale war. The success of European story was paid by the cost of millions death of Native American and million enslaved Africans. 

English exploration of America- the Permanent English settlement began in Massachusetts in 1620 and Chesapeake Bay area in 1607 and had opposite histories in their first century. Virginia was a disorderly society of young men and misguided business venture while Massachusetts settlers the Puritans, lived in whole families and congregation following the old testament laws. Virginia was later transformed in to a slave-based tobacco, where white families owned land, slaves were disciplined, and where stable and wealth planter-slaveholder class provided revolutionary leadership and early national America. On the other hand, the New England evolved to an increased populated and secularized society based on inherited land and family farms.

England Colonies

Religious Conflict and War- throughout its history, America has characteristically been a state of two things, a country of unmatched religious diversity and a country of immigrants. The nation has been said to be founded by religion conflict with colonies settled by escapers of religious persecution in Europe. American Revolution was influenced by religion with revolutionist believing it was God’s will for the Americans to start war against British. The England church was striving on establishment of one uniform religion due to the divided colonials in America with each colony dominated by their own Christian brand. 

After the revolutionary war, infighting between the Christians dominations arose with a standing out conflict between Protestants and Catholics that was directed at Irish Catholics immigrants. The country was permeated by strong protestants values and catholic immigrants were viewed as undemocratic which led to anti-Catholic violence between the 1830s and 1840s in northeast. As war broke in northeast, another religious group was chased from the same area, the Mormon. 

The thirteen colonies were classified into British colonies of North America east coast, which in 1776 declared independence and formed the United States. These colonies were, Massachusetts Bay, Maryland, South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, Georgia, Connecticut, and Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The colonies had similar constitutional, legal and political systems, which were dominated by English Protestants speakers. They also had a high degree of active local elections and self-government and they increasingly resisted more control from London. They began collaborating with each other in 1750s instead of directly dealing with British with the activities cultivating a sense of shared American identity calling for their protection, for example, “no taxation without representation” principle. 

The restoration of colonies was given by King Charles II of England in North America in 17^th century as a reward for his followers in Stuart Restoration marking the English American colonization after hiatus 30years. A vast territory named Carolina was granted by Charles 2 to his supporters during his exile years. Within the empire, eight proprietors who were London-based gained semifeudal rights to the land and government powers. In order to rule settlers, they promised those free lands and religious freedom. English overseas possessions between 1639 and 1651 got involved in three kingdoms war, fought in between Scotland, Ireland and England. Twenty colonies in America were inhabited.

Slavery was one common legal institution among all the thirteen colonies with the majority of founding fathers owning slaves including the Father of the Constitution, the commander of the Continental Army and author of the Declaration of Independence. During colonial era, slavery was dynamic evolving situation radically varying across space and time. 

Colonial Ways of Life

In American colonies, an agriculture developed with a number of Africans enslaved in South for plantation labor. Commerce took hold of the north and they were given England policies, immigrations and high birth rates expanded American society population. The southern colonies led to development of labor intensive agricultural economies which were heavily relying on enslaved labor. Tobacco was the main cash crop grown in Maryland and Virginia, while indigo and rice was the main cash crops in South Carolina. In these colonies, many immigrants had hoped to become rich, but just a few who succeeded as the plantation nature created different social classes.

New England soil was rocky and thin and many settlers depended on sea for their food. Although the fishing industries made little wealth in England, it provided living for many settlers who engaged in foreign trade and ship making. The numerous saw mills, small farms and other industries helped England in making a very diverse economy. The farmers in New England also raised livestock using oxen to pull wagons and plows and horses as a means of transport. Its geography guaranteed it to be a main land of fishing industry. Whaling was also a major role in England economy for people living province town and Nantucket Island.

In 1700s, American matured in to a diverse and rich society. During this period, the married women status improved and regardless of the legal limitations, many of the colonial women started working outside their homes, like, managing plantations, running shops and taverns, published newspapers and ran print shops. Improved sanitation and housing led to reduction of diseases, but the still suffered from, cholera, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, malignant fever and others. There was raid growth in America due to high birth rates and immigrations. African also arrived to the colonies as they maintained their specific traditions and languages even after white planters buying slaves from different region to avoid formation of rebellion movements. 

During the 1700 era, American was influenced by two great cultural movements from Europe; the enlightenment and the great awakening. The thinkers of enlightenment believed that natural laws applied to social, economic and political relationships and that if people employed reason they could figure out the natural laws. According to John Locke on of its influential writers, was an argument that was contrary of the church teaching that people were born without sins but with blank slates in their minds that was shaped by education and society. The ideas that the society and be improved and that people have rights became the core belief of American society.  On the other hand, great awakening was religiously stressing on God dependence and it gained wide appeal from enslaved people, workers and farmers. Throughout the colonies, the ministers would spread pietism message through revivals with the help of Jonathan Edwards who aimed in restoring New England spiritual intensity.

From the Colonies to States

The coming of British settlers to American colonies was not to create democratic system but aristocracy of land owning through creation of broad electorate, a pattern of frequent and free elections by putting premium on voter participation. There were no political parties and the to-be legislators formed ad-hoc coalitions of their friends, neighbors and families. Before independent, the thirteen colonies were art of the British America. Those in East Florida and British West Indies, Quebec province remained loyal to the crown during the revolution of America although there was existence sympathy with Patriot from several of them. However, British dominance naval power and geographical isolation precluded all effective participation. 

In 1685, the New England Dominion was created by the decree of King James 2 consolidating New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine, Connecticut, West Jersey, East Jersey, New York Province and Plymouth colony. Before 1774, the colonies were dependent of each other with unsuccessful efforts of Benjamin Franklin to form colonial union through the Albany Congress in 1754. These thirteen original colonials had well established self-governments and elections that were based on the rights of all Englishmen which they intended to protect them from imperial interface.

Resulting from the 1783 Paris treaty, the newly formed nation controlled the whole of North America, along the Atlantic Ocean towards the Mississippi river between Florida and Canada. These original 13 colonies became the first 13 states of America. As soon as the declaration of independence, the American up began the setting of a new government system with each state having its own constitution. In 1787, every states delegate except Rhode Island met in Philadelphia to revise the confederation articles. Before the constitution was made law, ratification was required from nine states. The new constitution faced a lot of opposition due to the fact of less specified individual rights. In its response the Bill of Rights with ten amendments was added in it which later became the law in 15^th December 1791.

The Americans were separated on ways of dealing with their financial needs which plagued the new government. The hamillitons made proposals of increasing taxes and tariffs in order to use the money to pay debts with the national bank taking control of finances. Another conflict was foreign affair problem where President Washington insisted on America staying neutral. Conflict also arose during establishment of political parties with dispute in 1790 leading to formation of two political parties Republican and Democratic Party. The XYZ affair greatly affected American internal political and policies and through a nationwide outcry against the attack, they were granted freedom.

References

Hatt, P. (2011). A Not So New World.