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The Roots of America Today

For over two hundred years, this home we call the United States has stood as a locality of

success, shelter, and pride. By means of these benefits and offerings, millions of people see this

country as the land of opportunity and freedom. Yet, it is not possible to acknowledge the

fortunate positions we take part in without recognizing the previous precedents taken to get to

this point. It is through the thoughtful minded decisions of an affluent few, the sacrifices of

prideful many, and the contributions of people as a whole that have helped develop a small

thirteen colony civilization into the most powerful and influential country in history. The

intricate and extensive development course of the United States cannot possibly be described in a

single essay, yet three very important events should be noted that took part in America¶s history.

During the history of the country, the creation of the Constitution, the Gold Rush, and western

expansion all heavily shifted the course of development for the United States.

The exact date of America¶s founding is still being debated to this day, yet one can easily

argue the United States was founded following the signing of the Constitution. Although the

Declaration was seen as freeing the colonies from foreign control, it was the Constitution that set

the framework for government and provided a base that could be built on. Through the direct

and indirect work and participation of people such as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, the

Constitution was ratified in 1789. Yet, before ratification was possible, the anti-federalists

required a Bill of Rights that would justify individual rights for all people, which led to the

Constitution¶s first 10 Amendments. In the Constitution, The Great Compromise established an

upper (Senate) and lower house (House of Representatives) to suit the requirements of large and

small states. In the lower house, representation was determined by population, while in the
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upper House all state representation was presented as equal. The Constitution also helped create

Federalism, ³an evolving relationship between U.S. state governments and the federal

government of the United States,´ which is still followed today. To this day, the Constitution is

recognized as one of the most influential and important pieces in our country¶s history.

In addition, Western Expansion helped increase American influence by expanding the

country¶s borders from 13 colonies to the shores of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The need to

expand soon became a prevalent necessity for all Americans. In the Louisiana Purchase,

Napoleon had offered to sell America the land stretching from the Mississippi River to the

Rocky Mountains. Jefferson settled the deal by paying $15 million for the area which

consequently doubled the size of the United States. Later, settlers in the beginning of the 19th

century, settlers began pushing up the Northwest Territory with the initiative of manifest destiny,

³the belief that the United States was supposed to expand to the Pacific Ocean and into the

Mexican and Indian territory.´ In the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, for the price of $15 million,

the Rio Grande River would mark the boundary between Texas and Mexico while California and

New Mexico would be granted to America. These expansions in the western territories helped

create the boundaries of America as we know it today.

Lastly, the Gold Rush was a very significant event in the course of American history,

which although brought about some horrible conditions, also provided great developmental

achievements. Following James Marshall¶s encounter with gold at Sutter¶s Mill, California in

1848, word quickly spread about the rare element¶s presence. The rate of migration into the

California, and more specifically San Francisco, really sparked the beginning of racial diversity

in America, as people from South America, Europe, and Asia traveled to the state. Such
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demand and travel helped transform and develop America¶s economy. Communication became

more efficient and as a result, the newspaper and book industries boomed in manufacturing.

Production exceeded those of previous competitors, leaving San Francisco as a center of

production and development for years.

In conclusion, America¶s history and development course is a long, but very linear one.

Major events helped shape the country¶s path to progress such as the ratification of the

Constitution, western expansion, and the Gold Rush. It is through these significant events in our

nation¶s records that what we consider the most influential country in the world as our home. By

the decisions and choices of many, we have come to this point in history and will only continue

to progress as our forefathers once had.

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Bibliography

Danzer, Gerald, Geroge Alva, Larry Krieger, Louis Wilson, and Nancy Woloch. The Americans:
Reconstruction to the 21st century. Sacramento, California: Hougton Mifflin, 2006. 112-
139. Print.