United States Events At This Time

For a time, industrialization thrived and stayed in England, moving slowly across Europe. Although very important, what else was occurring in the world during this period? What events took place in the young United States?

Two historical events of this time period in America include the War of 1812 and the forceful relocation of the Native Americans from Georgia to Oklahoma, also known as the Trail of Tears.
The War of 1812 was a significant conflict between Britain and the United States over Britain's power over the seas, presence along the territory near the Great Lakes and their support of the Native Americans. A major catalyst for war and disagreement arose from the British insistence of taking British and American sailors from America's merchant shops. America was displeased, to say the least. The US tried to change these actions by passing the Embargo Act of 1807 under President Thomas Jefferson. This act banned American ships from foreign trade, but was unsuccessful in accomplishing their economic and political goals to resolve the conflict and maintain peace. In November of 1811, there were two prominent parties within the US Congress. One pro war, called the Warhawks, one against, the Federalist Party. Some of the Warhawks included John C. Calhoun, Henry Clay and Felix Grundy. The Warhawks won out, for on June 18, 1812, President James Madison signed and had Congress pass a declaration of war. Thus, the War of 1812 began. It lasted from June of 1812 to the spring of 1815.

The incident with the Chesapeake and the Embargo Act of 1807 can be connected across time to modern day pirating. Somalia and the waters off of it reek with pirates. In 2008 alone, 100 vessels were attacked, 40 of them were on Somalia waters. These two conflicts, one of the past, and one of the present are alike in many ways. Previous to the War of 1812, Britain dominated the seas, taking American merchant ships, their British sailors and often times their American sailors too. Pirates today, in the very same way attack ships, take what they want and get away. Both scenarios act as threats to the economy and international trade, and are greedy acts of pillaging for complete personal profit.

Another significant event in the US during the Industrial Revolution is the Trail of Tears.

By the time of 1828, the native Cherokees had long called the region we like to call Georgia their home. They were not nomadic peoples, but rather a civilization much like cities of the time. They took on much of European culture. They had their own system of government, build roads, schools and churches, and many of them held occupations such as farming and ranching. Culturally, they were very much like the rest of the US. Nevertheless, in 1830, Congress passed an Indian Removal Act. Many Americans, including Davvy Crockett, Daniel Webster and Henry Clay were very much against the act. Naturally, the Cherokees did not want to lose their homes, and took the case all the way to the US Supreme Court. In 1832, the court ruled in favor of the Cherokees. Sadly, the conflict was not resolved here. The ruling stated that the Cherokee Nation was in fact sovereign and that in order to remove them from the land, a treaty was necessary. By 1835, President Jackson made such a treaty and the nightmare began. The people were mercilessly herded like animals across a thousand miles of land to Oklahoma. Human losses were enormous. There was minimal food and the conditions were terrible. The path they walked has become known as the Trail of Tears.

This same harsh relocation of people, based greatly on racism and fear is mirrored by the US government's creation of Japanese internment camps during WWII. On February 19, 1942, President Roosevelt signed what was known as the Executive Order 9066. This order called for all people in the US with Japanese heritage to be placed within an internment camp for the remainder of the war. Like the Trail of Tears, the conditions were terrible. Families were split up, innocent people oppressed and punished for no acts of their own.