U.S 19th Century History Paper

Through out the 19th century history course I took this semester, I have learned about the two different view points about history. They have the Traditional view and the Revisionist view, both of these view of 19th century history are completely different and bring about very interesting debates when every talked about. I will talk about the Revisionist school of history and why I like them better then the tyrannical Traditional views. I also like the Revisionist view of history because, they don’t sugar cote anything but tell it like it is.

Unlike the lying, deceiving, radical Traditional view. I would like to give a few examples of why I support the Revisionist view, “Mazur thesis the power of myth and how people think about the American dream”. “The completion of the transcontental railroad helps trigger the 19th century economic boom”. ” The two versions, two visions and the meaning of America”. “The great man theory”, were the great men great? These are some of the topics that mad me chose the revisionist school of thought.

When I am done writing this essay u would feel the same way I do.The first piece of evidence that I would like to use is, “America has been and evil empire which has oppressed its neighbors as wells as those designated as foreigners, according to the class notes. This has been the truth for many years; let’s take a look in to slavery. Slavery has been introduced in United States in the early 19century.

Using the African American people as slaves and selling them as real estate. Its funny how the WASP, escaped oppression from Europe and come to land later knows as America to oppress many other race’s of people.Secondly the 1st anti- immigration law is passed directed, against Chinese immigrants according to class notes. This was law passed against the Chinese people who contributed 25% of the labor supply in the construction of the transcontinental railroad the highest % of any ethnic group.

Wow talk about lets have the foreigners do all the dirty work for us and when their finish lets just get rid of them. That is a good example of how traditional historians would do things. It’s was a good idea to have the foreigners helping us to build the TCRR, this would show there loyalty to the U. S.I would hope in return that they would be able to receive their citizenship. But that was defiantly not the case; some Americans thought they were going to take over the work force.

Thirdly, any success that the America has had, has been because of the blood, sweat, tears and the protest’s of generations of nameless, faceless oppressed masses according to the class notes. This is just the begin of the end for the, Irish immigrants, Germans and the African Americans. In the north Eli Whitney’s invention of the cotton gin, leads to exploitation of immigrant labors in textile factories.This would mean that job conditions were not good at all and factory workers. Most of the workers would often times loose there limbs due to work related accidents, and very low pay.

It did not matter because if one immigrant work could not work or die they would easily be replaced. This also increased slavery in the south, slaver was used in the cotton fields. The more slaver you had the more money you would generate, the only thing that was different with immigrants and slaves is. Immigrants were free people, even thought slaves were property they had better living conditions and health care then the free immigrant population.The Africans Americans would live longer and be more valuable then the free immigrants. Now lets talk about the “constitution of the U.

S. a document of hypocrisy and exclusion which created a quasi- democracy, legitimized discrimination against women, the enslaved, Native Americans and the non-land owning masses”, according to the class notes. Lets start off by talking about the Native Americans, who have been killed by the thousands in the westward expansion. The buffalo a cherished animal to the Native Americans was also killed in the thousands.Talk about hypocrisy and exclusion for example Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia (1831) according to class notes.

The Cherokee nation would be removes from their land wrongfully and deprived of rights within the boundaries. It did not matter if you were a white man; once you were not a land owning white you still would be considered a no body. I want to talk about the Colescott’s painting of Washington crossing the Delaware, its supports the revisionist view of America. In the real painting of Washington crossing the Delaware it had Americas so called heroes in the boat; in Colescott’s rendering of the painting it had the real Hero’s of America.It has all the black people who mad major contribution during the 19th century. It had Carver at the foreground and all the slaves around, these were the real hero’s who mad a difference in America.

Another picture that I want to talk about is the painting among the Sierra Nevada’s by Bierstadt, it indicated a godly portrayal of the west. In the picture it shows a land free of people and modernization, but that’s where the common misconception occurs. The western land is occupied by the Native Americans, this land would latter be invaded and modernized.This was the traditionalist would try to get people to move to the west, they would have painters paint false portrayals of the west to get people to want to move to those places. In conclusion I have given you several different pieces of evidence that shows why I chose the revisionists point of view.

I also supported the evidence with hard core fact that show why I dislike the traditional school of history. Through out the 19th century the traditional school has always stated progress has been made. Progress is being made but it’s because of the oppression of others. This is why I do not like the unjust ways of traditional historians.