Settlement of the West over the Whole Period Essay Example for Free

Settlement of the West over the Whole Period Essay In considering the process of the settlement of the West over the whole period, how far can the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 be seen as the key turning point? The war of 1812 was followed by a period of exploration of the West which had been greatly expanded by the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The process of expansion was huge and resulted in the original 13 states being 45 states by 1906. As well as the Louisiana Purchase, the Mexican-American War and the Californian Gold Rush of 1848, the Homestead Act of 1862 and the Exodus movement from 1879 were all key turning points which helped the process of Westward Expansion. The key criteria for judging a turning point is if the event created opportunities to go west, if it opened up land to settle in and if it had a psychological impact on the nation. The Louisiana Purchase was a very significant event as it increased the size of the United States by double overnight for only $15 million. This was a key turning point in expansion as it opened up a huge amount of land for more settlers (an extra 828,000 square miles). Alongside this it created opportunities for people to travel west as it gave access to the Mississippi river which was important for travel and commerce. This purchase was also significant in the fact that it created a more secure environment for settlers as it eliminated the French from imperial competition, Jefferson believed the French were restricting US commerce and that they tried to control surrounding territory. Therefore this event affected the process of change as it allowed America to spread its resources and encouraged people to move west, such as the Indians which were encouraged to settle there. The most important reason for this event being a turning point was that it opened up a large amount of land to settle in, a lot of the further events which take place would not have happened if it wasn’t for this territory being the United States’ and so provided many reasons for expansion to continue. Another key event which took place was the Mexican American War of 1848 which begun because Texas was a gateway to the pacific and was a great agricultural prospect. This was a key turning point as it had a big psychological impact on the people of America as many believed in the Manifest destiny, in that America had a right to expand, and so supported the annexation of Texas which increased their spirits on westward settlement. Polk deliberately provoked a war as he knew they could easily be overcome. The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848 which ceded California, Texas and New Mexico. Another reason for this being a turning point is that it gave access to the pacific meaning that farming was capable so created further opportunities to go west and again meant that transportation was made easier for commerce. The key reason this was a turning point was manifest destiny which was completed after this event. America had managed to secure land coast-to-coast which was a huge psychological moral boost for America who now knew they had a lot of power with a lot of land. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo led to California being ceded to Americ a. In 1848 there was the Californian Gold rush which primarily lasted until the early 1850’s with millions of families travelling from around the world to California and surrounding areas in search for fortune. In 1850, California (now a new state) had nearly 40% foreign born inhabitants, showing that this event increased the diversity of people settling West, but also inspired many to go as they believed a new life could be made from the Gold being found. Furthermore it dramatically increased the speed of people moving out west, by 1853 the population was approximately 250,000 whereas in 1848 the Californian territory had less than 1000 inhabitants. The Gold caused a great economic boom which created infrastructures leading to many people settling here and encouraged more to move west. The Californian Gold Rush’s most important reason that it is a turning point in westward expansion is that it created opportunities. It allowed people to make a lot of money from the Gold, but also from new businesses which were now being created due to a new market of people, and because of this and the great boom, many people started to settle here at a very fast rate. In 1862 the Homestead Act was put into place, this allowed farmers to acquire 160 acres of land if they lived there for 5 years, or for 6 months with an additional payment of $1.25 per acre. This was significant as it allowed small scale settlement to develop. In some ways this could be seen as a turning point as it gave farmers a chance to be economically dependent, which gave them opportunities to expand or to do other thing with their money. It also inspired many people to go west and take up these lands which could be seen from figures that show that 400,000 families set up there taking 285 million acres of land. On the other hand, there were points which showed that this wasn’t as significant as it seemed. Most significantly, there was a 43% failure rate for those trying to get land in Nebraska under the Homestead Act showing that it wasn’t as easy to settle west as the act tried to make it. Furthermore, land was put into the hands of men who had no sufficient foresight so even though this land was meant for farming, many people who didn’t know what to do with it took it up and eventually a lot of the land went to waste. This act of 1862 could be seen as a turning point mainly because of how it inspired many people to go west due to the huge amount of land it opened up allowing people to profit from it from farming. To conclude, the Louisiana Purchase which nearly doubled America overnight for just $15million was the key turning point in Westward expansion. This is because the other events which occurred which are all significant in their own right would not have occurred if they did not have the land. The conflict between Mexico and America would not have occurred as Polk would not have been inclined to want Texas as they would not have been near it. Therefore the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo would not have taken place which ceded California. Even though the Gold Rush would have still occurred in 1848, the sudden increase in prosperity due to the economic boom would not have helped America and therefore would not have been made an American state. Lastly, even though the Homestead Act of 1862 was not very successful, it still inspired many families to travel west, increased settlement there and helped westward expansion. However even this would not have happened if it wasn’t for the land being there in the first place due to the Louisiana Purchase.

Jack Londons To Build a Fire Essay -- London Jack Build Fire Essays

Jack London's To Build a Fire Nature is always pushing man to his limits. When man heeds the warning signs that nature has to offer and those warnings of other men, he is most likely to conquer nature. When he ignores these warnings, nature is sure to defeat man. To build a fire is a prime example of this scenario. In the short story, â€Å"To Build a Fire† by Jack London, an inexperienced traveler in the Yukon travels alone with his dog, even though it is ill advised to do so. The man is strong and smart but nature humbled him during his quest to reach his friends. The man’s inexperience with traveling in the cold subzero temperatures doomed him from the beginning, but his strong focus under extreme pressure and his keen sense of observation are what allows him to survive as long as he did. The ignorance of the old-timer’s words of wisdom slowly haunts him and catches up with him in the end. The man’s disregard for nature’s power is his demise during his journey. Although the man’s inexperience is his demise, he has very keen observing skills and strong focusing abilities. London writes, â€Å"he was keenly observant, and he noticed the changes in the creek, the curves and bends and timber-jams, and always he sharply noted where he placed his feet.† (London, 527) These skills allow him to make his way through the Yukon. He lacks imagination of what could happen to him in the tundra of the Yukon. â€Å"The trouble with him was that he was without imagination,† (London, 525) Lo...

Character Analysis of Aibileen Clark from the Help Essay

Discrimination is a disease. â€Å"Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them† (Martian Luther King Jr.). The Help is a novel based on how a dozen coloured people express their thoughts on how it really feels to work as a black maid in the white homes of Jackson. The main theme of The Help is race. The coloured people are thought to be dirty, and filled with diseases. Aibileen is strong, brave and is known for her prayer powers. Despite all of that Aibileen is a character that is full of love for young children. Aibileen is thought to have some sort of connection with god that all the other black people of the community lacked. Aibileen is known for her prayers; furthermore anyone who gets on her prayer list is exceedingly lucky. It is as if Aibileen is sitting right in the ears of god and all the other people are in a waiting list for their prayers to be answered. Aibileen was asked by various people if she can pray for them since ‘Rumour is you got some kind a power prayer, gets better results than just the variety’ (Page 27). A time where Aibileen’s prayer was accepted was Eudora Green’s incident. â€Å"Eudora Green, when she broke her hip, went on your list, up walking in a week†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Page 27). Or even when Minny pointed out Lolly Jackson’s incident. †Lolly Jackson—heck, Lolly go on your list and two days later she pop up from her wheelchair like she touched Jesus†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Page 28). It is as if Aibileen does black magic to so me extent. It is impossible to deny that Aibileen is extremely strong and brave. Aibileen had the nerve to step up and be a role model for all the other maids by spilling out everything on how it feels to be a coloured person working for a white person. Notwithstanding what would happen to her if she were to get caught. After all the years of being treated unequally Aibileen finally changed. Aibileen says â€Å"A bitter seed was planted inside a me. And I just didn’t feel so accepting anymore† (Page 183). Aibileen took the risk of her house being burned down, losing her job and never getting a job ever gain and even  getting shot in front of her house. Aibileen is also strong and brave considering the fact that when her son Treelore died in an accident at work. Aibileen said â€Å"It took three months for I even look out the window, see if the worlds there†¦.Five months after the funeral, I lifted myself up out a bed† (Page 3). This is when Aibileen faced the real li fe and didn’t take every word that was said about her and her friends. Due to the fact that Treelore was also writing a book on how it feels to be a coloured man living and working in Mississippi. Aibileen took his steps and accepted to write the book. In the end what really mattered was that Aibileen and her community were proud of what she has done. More than anything else Aibileen possesses a heart filled with love for young children. Aibileen has a ponderous amount of love for her son Treelore and she has special love for Mae Mobley, daughter of Ms. Leefot. Aibileen has an extremely wonderful relationship with Mae Mobley to the extent that she named Mae Mobley her â€Å"special baby†. Aibileen teaches Mae Mobley many things, but one thing she really stresses is racial equality and civil rights. Aibileen tells baby that they have same features. They both have a nose, mouth, eyes, face, hands and everything else. But, the only difference is that Mae Mobley is white and Aibileen is black. Aibileen tells Mae Mobley many things about racial equality in order for her to have some different ways of thinking about race when she is being told different stuff at school. Aibileen also does not want Mae Mobley to become like her mother by making a separate washroom for her later maid, thinking that coloured people are dirty and carry many diseases. Mae Mobley takes Aibileen as her mother because since day one Aibileen took care of her and also due to the fact that her mother ignores her in many occasions and treats her in an extremely way by beating her for going to the coloured washroom. Aibileen even told Mae Mobley a secret story on discrimination every week. Aibileen was shocked one day by the way Mae Mobley was acting when she came back from school. Aibileen asked â€Å"What is wrong, baby? What happen?’ Mae Mobley cried I colored myself black’. Miss Taylor said to draw what we like about ourselves best.’ She said black means I got a dirty, bad face.†(Page 480,481). Aibileen felt a hard fist in her chest thinking that everything that she taught baby girl was about to go to waste on the account of her teacher. In conclusion, Aibileen Clark portrays the life of a maid living in Jackson, Mississippi.  Aibileen had a washroom built for her because she was thought to have many diseases. All the qualities that Aibileen possessed show what type of character she is. Simply, Aibileen is an extremely loving, devoted and strong character. Aibileen went through many struggles in her life. But at the end all that really mattered was that she was proud of herself. Despite being fired and her dearest person to her (Mae Mobley) was taken away from her. Bibliography Stockett, Kathryn. The Help. New York: Penguin Group Inc., 2009

Civil Rights Activist Fannie Lou Hamer Quotes

Fannie Lou Hamer, called the spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, led the way with organizing ability, music, and stories, helping to win the right to vote for African Americans in the South. See: Fannie Lou Hamer Biography Selected Fannie Lou Hamer Quotations †¢ Im sick and tired of being sick and tired. †¢ To support whatever is right, and to bring in justice where weve had so much injustice. †¢ Nobodys free until everybodys free. †¢ We serve God by serving our fellow man; kids are suffering from malnutrition. People are going to the fields hungry. If you are a Christian, we are tired of being mistreated. †¢ Whether you have a Ph.D., or no D, were in this bag together. And whether youre from Morehouse or Nohouse, were still in this bag together. Not to fight to try to liberate ourselves from the men -- this is another trick to get us fighting among ourselves -- but to work together with the black man, then we will have a better chance to just act as human beings, and to be treated as human beings in our sick society. †¢ There is one thing you have got to learn about our movement. Three people are better than no people. †¢ One night I went to the church. They had a mass meeting. And I went to the church, and they talked about how it was our right, that we could register and vote. They were talking about we could vote out people that we didnt want in office, we thought that wasnt right, that we could vote them out. That sounded interesting enough to me that I wanted to try it. I had never heard, until 1962, that black people could register and vote. †¢ When they asked for those to raise their hands whod go down to the courthouse the next day, I raised mine. Had it high up as I could get it. I guess if Id had any sense Idve been a little scared, but what was the point of being scared? The only thing they could do to me was kill me and it seemed like theyd been trying to do that a little bit at a time ever since I could remember. †¢ The landowner said I would have to go back to withdraw or I would have to leave and so I told him I didnt go down there to register for him, I was down there to register for myself. †¢ I am determined to get every Negro in the state of Mississippi registered. †¢ They just kept beating me and telling me, You nigger bitch, were gonna make you wish you were dead. ... Every day of my life I pay with the misery of that beating. †¢ on northern racism, speaking in New York: The manll shoot you in the face in Mississippi, and you turn around hell shoot you in the back here. †¢ in nationally-televised testimony to the Credentials Committee of the Democratic National Convention, 1964: If the Freedom Democratic Party is not seated now, I question America. Is this America? The land of the free and the home of the brave? Where we have to sleep with our telephones off the hook, because our lives be threatened daily. †¢ When the Democratic National Committee offered a compromise in 1964 to seat 2 delegates of the 60 sent by the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party: We didnt come for no two seats when all of us is tired. †¢ to Senator Hubert H. Humphrey, who brought a compromise offer to the MFDP delegates: Do you mean to tell me that your position is more important than four hundred thousand black peoples lives? ... Now if you lose this job of Vice-President because you do what is right, because you help the MFDP, everything will be all right. God will take care of you. But if you take it this way, why, you will never be able to do any good for civil rights, for poor people, for peace, or any of those things you talk about. Senator Humphrey, Im going to pray to Jesus for you. †¢ Question to her mother when she was a child: Why werent we white? †¢ We are sick and tired of our people having to go to Vietnam and other places to fight for something we dont have here. Quotes About Fannie Lou Hamer: †¢ Hamer biographer Kay Mills: If Fannie Lou Hamer had had the same opportunities that Martin Luther King had, then we would have had a female Martin Luther King. †¢ June Johnson: Im amazed at how she put fear in the hearts of powerful people like Lyndon B. Johnson. †¢ Constance Slaughter-Harvey: Fannie Lou Hamer made me realize that we’re nothing unless we can hold this system accountable and the way we hold this system accountable is to vote and to take an active note to determine who our leaders are. More About Fannie Lou Hamer Fannie Lou Hamer BiographyWomen and the Civil Rights Movement About These Quotes Quote collection assembled by Jone Johnson Lewis. Each quotation page in this collection and the entire collection  © Jone Johnson Lewis. This is an informal collection assembled over many years. I regret that I am not be able to provide the original source if it is not listed with the quote.