Category: American History

Question How did plantation crops and the slavery system change between 1800 and 1860? Why did these changes occur? History of America between 1800 and 1860 The plantation crops and the slavery system underwent remarkable changes between 1800 and 1860. In the early 1800, the cotton industry experienced rapid expansion in the South. This was mainly driven by the invention of cotton gin, a machine that could easily process fine fibers from cotton seeds (Henretta and Brody, 2010). With the invention of the machine, the area under cotton cultivation increased drastically. This resulted to the ripple effect of increased demand for labor, which was dependent on slaves. It is worth noting that the development of the Southern states’ economies was hinged on cotton production and exportation (Henretta and Brody, 2010). With the high demand for slavery, the southern states were overzealous to acquire more slaves from the neighboring states such as the western territories, with the hope that the trade would not die. In...

Question Who was to blame for Britain's failure to win a quick victory over the American rebels: General Howe, General Burgoyne, or the ministers in London? Explain your answer. American History General Howe held the greatest responsibility for Britain’s failure to win a quick victory over the American rebels. During the Battle of Bunker Hill (1776), Howe’s army sustained a great number of casualties leading to a change of tactics in the forthcoming wars (Schecter, 2002). Howe had greatly underestimated the rebellion, which resulted to a great loss with over 1000 of his soldiers dead. Following the loss, Howe took a more conservative approach in the remaining battles, often opting out of strong enemy lines. This significantly hindered his ability to eliminate the rebels who had ample time to plan and orchestrate attacks (Schecter, 2002). In 1776, Howe made great success in advancing his aims of taking New York when he emerged the winner at the Battle of Long Island. This pushed the American...