Louisiana Purchase As An Event With A Crucial Role

Several events in this great nation have played a crucial role in shaping and restructuring the idea of what the United States has become in the world of today. The structural forces of laws, riots, elections, birth to new ideas, economic depressions, and wars, have paved the road for the future of tomorrow and of what is to come. Starting from 1796 to about 1857, there was a series of drastic changes. People were beginning to be open to changing the ways of how the country was to be run as well as speaking out and defending themselves from the cruelty of others in order to create a more unified nation.

Divulging into the acts or laws that were placed back then, learning about elections and who were the candidates, and just in its own way taking a leap into the past is very intriguing in terms of learning more about one’s history. Structural forces are the events that influence the way in which determines how humans live. The structural force that specifically took place was the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798 (M). The Alien Act dictated that anyone who was from a foreign place and was deemed as a threat would soon be deported, and the Sedition Act was placed in order to prosecute anyone indicating hoaxes and false rumors about the government (M). These laws were not brought on simply by hysteria of war, but reflected the nature of liberty being limited (AY). Human Agency are the measures that humans execute in order to protest or support the events in which control everyone’s lives. Human agency took place in late 1796 when the United States held an election to elect their new leader as president who was none other than George Washington’s vice president, John Adams (M). Choices are up to everyone and sometimes they can impact a group of people, but in this case an entirety of a nation from laws to elections (PS). These events sparked a new path of democracy and rules in order to create a more structured and united country.

The act of buying vast territories and adding it to an ever-growing country as well as the wars that took place are very enticing to learn about, such as the Louisiana Purchase and the War of 1812. The structural force that occurred was the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 by Thomas Jefferson (M). Louisiana was bought from France which doubled the size in land of the American country, and in American history was the most extensive estate deal (M). In 1812, the Americans showcased human agency towards Great Britain for “impressing’ or forcing Americans into the service of Navy by starting the War of 1812 (M). The War of 1812 stemmed from American entanglement in two very distinct international issues such as maintaining the position as a neutral trading nation, and having old roots concerning the Revolutionary and colonial-era (AY). People were afraid of change, and the results that would come of it (PS). For example, some people were afraid of what the territory of Louisiana held, such as treacherous paths, exotic animals, and what other mysteries they were destined to encounter. Americans were scared of war because they did not know what was to become of them and their families, and they were scared for the unfortunate Americans that were forced to join Navy. The movement in adding territory and in banding together to fight for one’s country was a sign of a nation merging as a whole.

Americans have dealt with obstacles and setbacks that have impacted people as well as has made them into a stronger society such as economic depressions and protests for women’s rights. The structural force that was identified was that during 1819, 1837, and 1857 economic depressions took place (M). These economic depressions drastically ruined the country’s economy in 1819 due to land, in 1837 due to slaves and land, and in 1857 due to bonds of the railroad (M). American women showcased human agency in 1821 in American textile mills (M). The modern American factory was born and ten thousand workers labored in the process of textile manufacturing (AY). Farm girls became workers for the American textile mills but worked constantly from daybreak until nightfall in very harsh conditions and horrible working hours (M). The girls then went on strike to protest the injustice of being forced to slave away in poor circumstances (M). The world has greatly evolved over time in terms of better working conditions and rights for women as well as preventing economic depressions (PS). The process in protesting and rioting for better working environments as well as suffering through economic depressions has united the country in terms of standing up for their women as well as suffering through financial turmoil as one entire nation.

Throughout history, many people come in contact with harsh times and difficult situations such as the Nullification Crisis and an economic depression. The structural force that occurred was the Nullification Crisis that took place (M). In 1832 to 1833, during Andrew Jackson’s presidency, the Nullification Crisis occurred which was a political crisis that involved a confrontation between the federal government and the state known as South Carolina (M). Jackson’s decisive action seemed to have forced South Carolina to back down, but it opened everyone’s eyes concerning two concepts that were never discussed before (AY). This gave birth to the ideas of secession and states’ rights (M). The human agency was the economic depression that occurred due to the Panic of 1837 (M). The economic depression transpired due to the Bank War and the failure of crops (M). A man of the name of Martin Van Buren was the person who resisted the fate that his country was headed towards so he created the Divorce Bill (M). The Divorce Bill forced the government to break away from banking and to place the money in an independent treasury which gave the sense of hope for the economy of the United States to rise again and thrive (M). This illuminates that in today’s world that even back then people stood up for what they believed in no matter what if it concerned a political crisis or an economic depression (PS). People will stand together as a whole, undivided, in order to receive the rights that they deserve as well as to pull through hard times even when all hope seems lost.

In history and in the choices one makes have overtime impacted the country’s as well as the individual’s way of life such as the Indian Removal Act and the Temperance Movement. The structural force that occurred was the Indian Removal Act which later lead to the Trail of Tears (M). In 1830, Andrew Jackson created the movement for the Indian Removal Act even when the Native Americans were becoming “civilized” such as creating their own written language and Constitution similar to that of the United States (M). This impacted the way of life for the Cherokee as well as had them being ripped away from a place they called home especially when the Trail of Tears occurred due to Jackson’s orders (M). The human agency that took place was the Temperance Movement (M). During the early 1800s due to too many Americans drinking, loved ones of those who drank or who were concerned were starting to think about the harmful effects of alcohol and wished to place a restriction on its usage (M). This caused the Temperance Movement to begin and to spread, and people were trying to save these people from themselves, their sorrows, and the bottle of liquor they would drown themselves in (M). Among all of the social reform movements, the temperance crusade was the most successful (AY). People do things that they believe is right even if others may not think or believe so at the time (PS). All Americans stood brave and tall, together and united, to either support the Temperance Movement as well as the Indian Removal Act or to contradict the act and movement but nonetheless unified.

Due to numerous encounters and circumstances throughout time and history people have endured so much, yet at the end of the day they stand together to run the country as it should be as well as to speak out injustices placed on its citizens. From as early as 1796 to 1857, the people of the United States have faced laws to riots, elections to wars, but no matter what happens everyone supports and stands up for one another and their endeavors. The choices concerning the welfare of one’s country impacts everyone which is why one must tread carefully when unexpected circumstances appear such as economic depressions and birth of new ideas such as secession and states’ rights. People throughout history have dealt with numerous of obstacles but no one is ever alone in the matter of fighting for a better future, a better tomorrow, and a better life for oneself. People will do what is necessary to be heard, and to be taken into consideration for the benefit of everyone. Today’s world is by far a better world than it was back then, because now people are more persistent in the government listening to what their citizens have to say. People are more vocal about their causes, and have overtime learned to do what is right for their country and to end up saving it in the process.