Between 1789 To 1975 Essay, Research Paper
Sixteen Most Significant Events in US History between 1789 to 1975
After a review of United States’ history from 1789 to 1975, I have
identified what I believe are the sixteen most significant events of that
time period. The attached sheet identifies the events and places them in
brackets by time period. The following discussion provides my reasoning
for selecting each of the events and my opinion as to their relative
importance in contrast to each other. Finally, I have concluded that of
the sixteen events, the Civil War had the most significant impact on the
history of the time period in which it occurred and remains the most
significant event in American history.
The discussion begins with bracket I covering the period from 1789-1850,
and pairs the number one seed in the bracket “Mexican-American War” against
the fourth seed “Louisiana Purchase”. The second seed in the bracket
“Marbury v Madison” is paired against the third seed “Monroe Doctrine”.
The purchase of Louisiana from France in 1803 was the most popular and
momentous event of the Jefferson presidency. It had several significant
economic and political implications on this period in history. From an
economic perspective it doubled the size of the United States at a price of
only fifteen million dollars. It allowed settlement beyond the Mississippi
River in a territory that was rich in minerals and natural resources. It
eliminated the United States’ long struggle for control of the Mississippi
River and its outlet to the sea, and as Jefferson stated, it freed America
from European influence at its borders. In addition to these economic
implications, the purchase also had historic political implications. The
acquisition took place at a time when the government was still exploring
the powers that the Constitution had granted it. Jefferson, himself,
carefully deliberated whether the Constitution granted him the right to
acquire territory for the purpose of expandi the Union. He reflected on
the possible need for an amendment to the Constitution to justify the
action. Finally, under intense pressure, he allowed the purchase and set
an important precedent. His action established the power of the president
to expand the borders of the United States under the existing powers of the
Constitution.
Despite the economic and political implications of the Louisiana
Purchase, the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) had more significant
historical implications on this time period. While disagreements between
the two countries had been accumulating for two decades, the war was
primarily the result of American feelings of “manifest destiny” to expand
their borders. The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the war,
granted the United States the regions of California, Nevada and Utah, and
parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. However, the
significant result of the war on United States’ history would be the
controversy over whether the territories acquired should be slave or free.
The country, at this time, was divided between proslave sentiment in the
South and antislave sentiment in the North. Various attempts at compromise
to settle the controversy, such as “The Compromise of 1850″ and the “Kansas
Nebraska Act” failed. Finally, when the issue could not be resol
peacefully, the country was drawn into a civil war. It is evident that the
outcome of the Mexican-American War became one of the most influential,
indirect causes of the Civil War.
Both the Louisiana Purchase and the Mexican-American War expanded
United States borders and had beneficial economic impacts. However, the
implications of expansion brought about by the Mexican-American War were
more significant. While the Louisiana Purchase helped define the
constitutional powers of the president, the Mexican-American War further
exacerbated the slave issue which ultimately resulted in civil war.
The Monroe Doctrine was the most important assertion to date of United
States’ foreign policy in history. The doctrine was delivered by President
James Monroe as part of his annual message to Congress in 1823. This
statement of position would dictate the policy of the United States in
international affairs for years to come. The doctrine was in reaction to
continual interference of European nations in the affairs of Latin America.
It provided a framework for how the United States would deal with foreign
intervention in the western hemisphere. It stated that Europe was to remain
out of the affairs of countries in the western hemisphere and any attempt
to intervene would be viewed as a threat to the United States. In return,
the United States agreed to stay out of European affairs.
Marbury v Madison is arguably one of the most important decisions by
the Supreme Court in United States’ history. The case, which was presided
over in 1803 by Chief Justice John Marshall, concerned President Adams’s
appointment of William Marbury as Justice of the Peace in the District of
Columbia. Adams’s term ended before Marbury took office, and James Madison,
the new Secretary of State, attempted to withhold the appointment. Marbury
petitioned the Supreme Court under Section 13 of the Judiciary Act of 1789
to force Madison to grant the appointment. The court refused to rule on
the appointment since Section 13 gave the Supreme Court powers not provided
by the Constitution. As a result, the court declared Section 13
unconstitutional. The decision defined the role of the Supreme Court in
the government and where the court fit into the system of checks and
balances. The case established power of judicial review of Congressional
legislation and represented the first judicial sertion of its right to
declare an act of Congress unconstitutional. While the Constitution did
not speak directly to this level of judicial authority, the case created a
precedent which is still followed today.
When comparing the immediate impact Marbury v Madison and the Monroe
Doctrine had on this period in history, Marbury v Madison is victorious.
The Marbury v Madison decision had immediate implications. It clearly
established the position and power of the court in government. It required
Congress to consider potential constitutional implications of all future
legislation. On the other hand, the Monroe Doctrine’s implications would
not be realized until beyond the 1850’s when policies such as Secretary of
State Seward’s denunciation of French intervention in Mexico and the
Roosevelt Corollary would be based on the doctrine. At the time the
doctrine was put forth, the United States lacked the military strength to
enforce the doctrine. Despite European recognition of the intent of the
doctrine, it is doubtful they were intimidated by it until the United
States could assert itself as a military power.
The finalists in bracket I are the Mexican-American War and Marbury v
Madison. In a comparison of the two, the war emerges as the event that had
the most impact on this time period in history. Despite the importance of
Marbury v Madison as a landmark decision establishing the role of the
Supreme Court to rule on constitutional issues, its impact on the country
during this time period was less dramatic than that of the Mexican-American
War. Although it caused Congress to be aware that future legislation would
be reviewed by court, it would be several years before the court would be
required to rule again on the constitutionality of a Congressional Act. Not
until the late 1800’s, when the Supreme Court ruled on certain civil
rights’ issues, would the full implications of the Marbury decision become
evident. Conversely, the Mexican-American War had a direct impact on many
people. First, the acquisition of new territory in the west allowed
settlers to expand beyond the Mississip opening a vast frontier which was
rich with natural resources. Second, and most important, the war brought
the lingering debate over slavery to the forefront. The slavery question
would soon become the issue of the decade, directly impacting the entire
country. The acquisition of new territory stirred abolitionists in the
North who viewed it as an opportunity to weaken the stronghold slavery had
on the country. Southerners realized that the territory must be admitted as
slave if they were going to maintain their “peculiar institution” and a
balance of power. As a result, the war became a much more significant
event to the vast majority of Americans than the implications of Marbury v
Madison. It would drive sectionalism to the breaking point and turn
Americans against each other.
The discussion continues with bracket II which covers the time period
from 1850-1900 and pairs the number one seed in the bracket “Civil War”
against the fourth seed “Sherman Antitrust Act.” The second seed in the
bracket “Plessy v Furgeson” is paired against the third seed “Passage of
the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments”.
The Sherman Antitrust Act passed in 1890 outlawed any contract,
combination, or conspiracy in restraint of trade. It also forbid any
attempt to create a monopoly. The law was aimed at combating trusts which
were being formed in the late 1800’s such as U.S. Steel and Standard Oil.
It was believed that the formation of these trusts was eliminating
competition and leaving the consumer at the mercy of the large corporations
which controlled the prices of their commodities. While the act was the
first significant piece of legislation aimed at regulating the economy and
placing controls over big business, its wording was vague, enforcement was
not very vigorous, and lawyers for the corporations found loopholes in the
law and various ways of avoiding its provisions. However, by the end of
the century, the law had been strengthened and it would become an effective
tool in “trust busting”, returning competition to the marketplace and
gaining advantage for the worker and the consumer.
The Civil War fought between the Northern states of the Union and the
Southern states of the Confederacy from 1861-1865 turned out to be the most
bitter fight in the nation’s history. The war divided Americans, took more
lives than any other war, and was the ugliest event in American history.
Slavery was the critical issue behind the war, but the economic rivalry
between the industrial North and the agricultural South contributed
significantly to the conflict. The results of the war in which the North
prevailed were many. About one million men were killed or wounded,
destroying almost an entire generation. The Union was saved and slavery
was eliminated. The South was practically destroyed by battles which
ravaged farmlands, homes, and entire cities. The impact of the war was so
vast that an entire Reconstruction period in American history was devoted
to the political and economic rebuilding of the South. Finally, the scars
of hatred between the North and South would have a ting effect. Southerners
grew bitter in defeat, while Northerners continued their hostility toward
the South.
In a comparison of these two events, the Civil War clearly had a
greater influence on the time period. This conclusion is based not only on
the catastrophic and long term implications of the war, but on the failure
of the Sherman Antitrust Act to have any significant impact on the
formation of trusts during this period. The act brought no anti-monopoly
millennium. The legislation itself left too many unanswered questions,
including what in fact constituted a monopoly and how the government was to
proceed in breaking up monopolies. In addition, the Cleveland and McKinley
administrations in the 1890’s showed little interest in enforcing the
legislation. The attack against big business had failed and the opponents
of monopolies would have to wait until next century to renew the effort.
Conversely, the war had the immediate impact of preserving the Union and
dealing a death blow to slavery. In addition, the aftermath of the war
would continue to be felt throughout the remainder the century. The
postwar period marked a change from a primarily agrarian society to a
mechanized society with rapidly expanding technology. The impetus for the
change came primarily from the necessity to meet wartime demand for arms
and supplies, which led to new technology. This technology in the postwar
period would change society dramatically. In addition, the postwar period
would usher in the Reconstruction Era, which became one of the most complex
and controversial periods in American history. During this period, the
country would have to deal with issues which included whether punishment
should be imposed on Southern whites who supported the Confederacy, how to
guarantee the freedom of emancipated slaves, and under what conditions
should Southern states be readmitted to the Union. These and other issues
led to changes which were little short of revolutionary.
The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the
Constitution were monumental steps in gaining civil rights for all
Americans. The amendments, which were passed between 1865 and 1870, were
intended to guarantee social equality for all races. The Thirteenth
Amendment ended slavery in the United States. The Fourteenth Amendment
defined American citizenship as “all persons born or naturalized in the
United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof”. It prohibited any
law which would deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without
due process of law. The Fifteenth Amendment forbade states to deny the
right to vote on account of race. Although these amendments were momentous
events in guaranteeing civil rights, their effect during this time period
in history would be short lived. Blacks would only enjoy equality for a
few years until a series of Supreme Court decisions interpreting the
amendments would weaken them to the point that the civil rights of bla were
again denied. It would not be until the 1950’s that blacks would achieve
the rights and freedoms guaranteed by these amendments. Despite this, the
passage of these amendments was a major step toward recognition of racial
equality in America in this time period and beyond.
Plessy v Furgeson was the most influential in a series of Supreme Court
decisions which led to the rapid spread of segregation laws in the South.
After the Civil War and the passage of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and
Fifteenth Amendments, blacks were granted equal rights. However, Supreme
Court decisions interpreting the amendments began to limit the extension of
these rights to blacks. In Plessy, which was decided in 1896, the court
supported the constitutionality of a Louisiana law requiring separate but
equal facilities for blacks in railroad cars. The decision helped
strengthen racial segregation in American until the next century. Many
states would rely on the “separate but equal” rule to segregate public
schools, the use of transportation and recreation, and sleeping and eating
facilities.
The comparison of these two events is an interesting one. The passage
of the three amendments guaranteed civil rights for blacks, while Plessy v
Furgeson was the most influential decision in all but nullifying the
impact of the amendments until the 1950’s. As a result, it is evident that
the Plessy v Furgeson decision had a greater impact on the civil rights of
Americans during this time period that did passage of the amendments. While
the amendments guaranteed blacks their most basic civil rights, the court
decisions on the heels of these amendments effectively retracted those
rights and resulted in much greater social implications for blacks at the
time. While eventually the guarantees of the amendments to provide
equality and freedom to all Americans would come to fruition, in this time
period, they continued to be denied to blacks.
The finalists in bracket II are the Civil War and Plessy v Furgeson.
Comparing the impact of the two events, the Civil War emerges victorious.
While the Plessy decision adversely impacted the rights that blacks had
been guaranteed under the Constitution, its effects were restricted
primarily to black Americans. The Constitutional rights of the white
majority were not affected by the decision and their way of life was not
impacted. On the other hand, the implications of the Civil War and the