2003 Dbq Analysis

There is a saying ‘Rome was not built in a day’; this expresses the idea that great things take time to evolve and grow properly. America is much like Rome in the sense that over time and thanks to the foreign influences America received, it was able to blossom and still continues to grow. Without the intervention of France and England in America’s land and politics during 1795 to 1810, America would not have been able to thrive on the harsh global scale. Specifically, the political, social and economic events of the XYZ Affair, Alien and Sedition Acts, Louisiana Purchase and the despised Embargo of 1807 became turning points which would decide if America was strong enough to survive as a country. Firstly, the XYZ Affair was a political and

The Jeffersonians supported the French and the Federalists supported the English. The British -loving Federalists wishing to seek control of their country passed the Alien and Sedition Acts. John Adams, a Federalist president had taken advantage of his position by using these against the Jeffersonians who supported the French.. The Alien Act meant to deport, arrest, and imprison any foreigner or immigrant. This had hurt the Jeffersonians because the majority of Jeffersonian supporters were of the poorer classes who came to America in search of a better life for themselves. Federalists carefully chose their words with this law, because every single colonist could technically be considered an immigrant leaving only the Native Americans to be the only true inhabitants. The Sedition Act was soon instituted and would jail any said person who impedes government policies. This Act was specifically targeted at newspapers, but was easily recognized as a violation of the first amendment which allows for the freedom of speech and press. These two laws segregated the Federalists of America and the Democratic-Republicans. In other words, the country was distinctly divided between pro-French or pro-English. America was a bargaining chip used between the French and the English. Basically, if the country was mostly French, then they would be the ‘winners’. The Americans believe this to be an issue within it’s own country, but it was more than that. This historical was a silent power struggle between France and England and is considered to be affected by outside foreign affairs, but in a more salutary neglect or hands off type of way. By supporting one countries viewpoints and policies over another, was affiliated with your political views, represented economic status and was sometimes associated with one’s character, although, few ever took it