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Bill Smith
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Where We Come From
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The history of the United States of America is what makes us who we are today as a nation. In just over two hundred years, our country has become one of the strongest nations of all times. Knowing our past is the best way to look into our future, as we learn from the mistakes we’ve made and prosper from our achievements.
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Spanish explorers followed by Columbus settled in locations from South America throughout the Caribbean into southern America exporting goods and exploiting them in Europe, helping it become one of the largest empires since the Roman Empire. However, just like America’s future of breaking free from British rule, almost all the Spanish colonies fought for and won their independence.
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Young America consisted of thirteen established colonies that were brought together by Benjamin Franklin under the motto “Join or Die” with hopes of unionizing the colonies and breaking free from British rule, which led to the Revolutionary war. Two years into the war, George Washington called a secret meeting with representatives appointed by each colony to create the greatest document in our nation’s history, the Declaration of Independence.
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As the United States of America broke free from British rule, the beginning of the industrialization in America began. Slaves were brought into work on plantations that produced cotton and tobacco, two of the leading cash crops of the south. They were brought in the early 1600’s from Africa. Post revolutionary war movements in the north gave rise to debate on slavery leading to the civil war between the Union and the Confederates. The north defeated the south leading to the abolishment of slavery.
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Although African Americans were freed from slavery, many whites still treated blacks unfairly. They were not given the same rights as the white people and were segregated. It wasn’t until various leaders of the black community such as Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Rosa Parks stood up and became a voice for African American