American History From 1450 to 1820 - Term Paper Example

US history is very rich and fraught with different events that have shaped its identity in the present world. There have been many wars, assassinations, elections, and revolutions in the history of America that are important to study to gain a greater insight into the identity of the Americans. This paper will delve into details about the important events in American history that took place between the years 1450 and 1820.

            The most significant of the fifteenth century was the ‘Columbian exchange’ that happened in the year 1492. The term ‘Columbian exchange’ was coined by a historian named Alfred Crosby (Brogan, 2001). The Columbian exchange refers to the movement of people, their belongings, plants, animals, and diseases from Europe to America after Columbus’s discovery of America. Such a drastic change in environment and ecology adversely affected the Native Americans making Columbus's exchange one of the reasons for the prosperity of Europeans while a reason for the downfall of the Native Americans (Brogan, 2001).

Another important happening during this period is the French and Indian War which was fought during the late 1750s. The war was very much significant as it would determine the future and stability of North America. The French and Indians had an upper hand in terms of organization and strategy and this is the reason for their domination during the initial years of the war. Seeing their colonial allies getting defeated, the British soon jumped into the battle and the tides turned in favor of the Americans. Even though the British eventually won the struggle for freedom, the struggle never really ended because the Native Americans wanted freedom also from their colonial masters (Brogan, 2001). The tension between the British and the Americans increases which ultimately erupted into an open conflict referred to as the American Revolution.

            The most important event during this time period, as regarded by historians as perhaps the American Revolution. The American Revolution which started in the year 1763 shattered the foundations on which the Old America was established and provided the idea of a United States of America. The American Revolution was a fight against the monarchy and aristocracy and the public openly stood against the English rulers. Even though initially the revolution was a struggle to overthrow the colonial system, it grew into something much more fundamental and important to the American community as a whole. The American Revolution provided the foundation of a unified America in which all the states fought for a unified cause (Bailyn, 1992). The values instilled in the participants are still there and are looked up to as an inspiration as America could not have achieved its current stature without this Revolution.

            For a long time, the British had exercised their superiority and domination over the Americans, intercepting their ships and searching them. In 1812, the Americans waged war on the British. It was through this war that the Americans got their national anthem even though the war did not end decisively. A treaty was formed soon after the battle, the terms of which made it look more like a cease-fire (Brogan, 2001). The war was not only important because the national anthem was composed during it but also because two future presidents of the country began their political careers during this war.           

                        The start of the eighteenth century marked many important developments in the economic sector of the country. The most important of these is the market revolution. The market revolution is the name given to the series of steps taken by the steps to develop transportation within their respective cities which ultimately provided easier and greater access to markets. This proved to be very beneficial for the economy which boomed during this period (Brogan, 2001).

The beginning of the eighteenth century also witnessed some ‘revolutionary’ changes in the political system of America. Jefferson became president in 1801, bringing the Democratic-Republican Party into power. The change however was not just that of a party but also of ideas, political vision, and future aims. According to Thomas Jefferson, the Federalist Party represented a notion that could have been harmful to the future of America if it had prevailed in the elections. He believed that the Federalist Party had harmful motives of restoring the antidemocratic values in the American Political system and that is why he called his election as a president ‘revolutionary’ (Ferling, 2004).

            Even though centuries have passed since the above-mentioned events took place, their importance in the current American system could not be ignored. All of these events have contributed greatly to the formation of the United States of America as it stands today.