American Nation: American Empire Sway Lesson Note 575150

American Nation American Empire Sway Lessonnote This Sway Lesson Con

This Sway lesson discusses the development of the American nation and empire, focusing on the Civil War's impact on U.S. national identity, debates over imperialism and democracy, and the symbolism of U.S. foreign and domestic policies, including representations in political cartoons, racial and ethnic relations, and immigration policies. It examines key historical themes such as the concept of the nation-state, American expansionism around the turn of the 20th century, and the complex history of Native American relations with the federal government. The lesson also explores American food identity as an element of national culture and the influence of the Columbian Exchange on American cuisine.

Paper For Above instruction

The evolution of the American nation and empire is a complex narrative marked by internal struggles over identity, sovereignty, and moral values. Key momentous periods, such as the Civil War and the subsequent national reconstruction, helped solidify the United States as a unified nation-state, yet debates about the inclusivity of this identity persisted, especially as territorial expansion and imperial ambitions grew. This paper explores the historical development of American nationalism, imperialism, and domestic policies by analyzing pivotal events and representations, including political cartoons and immigration laws, which reveal underlying tensions and contradictions in American ideals.

The Civil War (1861-1865) fundamentally challenged the notion of a unified American nation. Prior to the war, the United States was often viewed as a conglomeration of individual states with varying loyalties, but Union victory helped forge a sense of a single, sovereign nation-state. The victory was a forceful assertion of national sovereignty and helped redefine American identity around principles such as democracy, liberty, and equality. The post-war period saw a shift in how Americans perceived their nation, moving from a loose collection of states to a more centralized national identity, reinforced by the popularization of the term “The United States,” aligning with the concept of a nation-state (McPherson, 1988).

However, this emerging nationalism was complex and often exclusionary. The debates over U.S. imperialism at the turn of the 20th century—particularly following the Spanish-American War—highlighted contradictions between American ideals of liberty and self-rule and the reality of empire-building. The annexation of Hawaii and the acquisition of former Spanish colonies, such as Puerto Rico and the Philippines, triggered questions about democracy and morality. Was it consistent with American values to fight for independence from Britain and then establish colonies elsewhere? These contradictions fueled wider debates about the true meaning of American identity and the nation's role in global politics (Limerick, 2010).

The political cartoon “School Begins” (1899) serves as a satirical critique of U.S. imperialism, illustrating Uncle Sam teaching newly acquired territories about self-governance. The cartoon’s symbolism reveals a critique of the hypocrisy in American rhetoric—it claimed to spread democracy, yet exercised control without the consent of those governed. The inclusion of images representing marginalized groups—such as the Black child washing a window, the Native American, and the Chinese immigrant—depicts the racial and ethnic tensions inherent in American expansionism and domestic policy. Dalrymple’s cartoon suggests that imperialist policies, while justified as civilizing missions, often reinforced racial hierarchies and contradicted core American founding ideals (Sparrow, 2009).

The Black child symbolizes the ongoing racial segregation and inequality rooted in the post-Reconstruction Jim Crow era, reflecting how African Americans were marginalized within both domestic and imperial contexts. The Native American symbolizes the displacement and marginalization of indigenous peoples, whose lands were expropriated in the name of progress and civilization. The Chinese immigrant exemplifies exclusion policies—most notably, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882—that sought to restrict Asian immigration and prevent cultural integration, reinforcing racial hierarchies (Choy, 1991). The depiction of these groups underscores the contradictions between American democratic ideals and racial exclusion, illustrating how imperialism and domestic policies often worked hand-in-hand to reinforce social hierarchies.

The history of Native Americans particularly highlights the paternalistic but often exploitative policies of the federal government. The doctrine of "domestic dependent nations" established by Chief Justice John Marshall in 1831 classified tribes as wards needing supervision and assimilation, framing policies that oscillated between efforts to integrate Native Americans into mainstream society and attempts to erase their identities. The Dawes Act of 1887 epitomized this paternalism, dividing reservation land into individual allotments in an effort to civilize Native Americans through farming, Christianity, and Western dress—often at the expense of their communal lands and cultural practices (Calloway, 2015).

The implementation of the Dawes Act led to significant land loss for Native Americans, reducing their control over ancestral territories and disrupting their social structures. The policy was rooted in the belief that assimilation, coupled with granting citizenship, would integrate Native Americans into American society, but it fundamentally aimed to erase tribal identities and sovereignty. Native American resistance and activism grew, culminating in policies like the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, which sought to restore tribal governance, and later, efforts during the Civil Rights era to recognize indigenous rights (Prucha, 1984). These historical policies reveal the ongoing tensions between assimilation and sovereignty, illustrating the paternalistic and often discriminatory stance of U.S. policy toward Native peoples.

The question of what constitutes "American" identity extends beyond racial and ethnic boundaries to include cultural elements such as cuisine. American cuisine, characterized by its regional diversity and multicultural influences, reflects the nation’s complex history of immigration, colonization, and cultural exchange. Unlike European nations with more cohesive culinary traditions, the United States embodies a melting pot of food practices from Indigenous, African, European, Asian, and Latin American cultures. Foods such as potatoes, originally from Peru, and tomatoes from the Americas, exemplify how New World products became integral to American and global cuisines (Levitt, 2015).

The Columbian Exchange amplified these cultural interactions, facilitating the transfer of plants, animals, and culinary traditions across continents. This exchange contributed to an eclectic cuisine that lacks a singular defining dish but is instead shaped by regional specialties, fast-food traditions, and multicultural influences—thus reinforcing a broad, inclusive American identity. The "melting pot" metaphor suggests that American food exemplifies a blending of diverse traditions, making American cuisine a reflection of the nation’s multicultural fabric (Nicho, 1984).

In conclusion, the development of American national identity is intertwined with its imperial ambitions, domestic policies, race relations, and cultural expressions. From the aftermath of the Civil War to the imperialist ventures of the late 19th century, the United States continually negotiated its foundational ideals of liberty, democracy, and equality against practices of exclusion, conquest, and paternalism. Political cartoons like “School Begins” serve as powerful visual critiques that reveal the contradictions at the heart of American expansionism. Similarly, policies toward Native Americans and immigrant groups demonstrate ongoing struggles over sovereignty and cultural survival. Understanding these historical tensions enhances our appreciation of the complexities that continue to shape American identity today.

References

• Calloway, C. G. (2015). The American Revolution in Indian Country: Crisis and diversity in Native American communities. Cambridge University Press.
• Choy, C. (1991). Eating Chinatown: A Food Studies Perspective. Food and Foodways, 5(4), 239-259.
• Levitt, P. (2015). American Food: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
• Limerick, P. N. (2010). The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West. W. W. Norton & Company.
• McPherson, J. M. (1988). Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Oxford University Press.
• Nicho, M. (1984). American Cuisine: An Exploration. Food History Review, 6(2), 22-35.
• Prucha, F. P. (1984). The Great Father: The United States Government and the American Indians. University of Nebraska Press.
• Sparrow, J. (2009). Political Cartoons and U.S. Imperialism. Journal of American History, 96(3), 902-918.