Early History of America – Liberty on Tour via MAGA Republicans

Once upon a time, long before the United States existed, the land was home to a diverse array of Native American tribes. These early inhabitants were skilled hunters. As time passed, the Native Americans spread across the vast expanse of North and South America, creating rich and vibrant cultures.

But everything changed when a daring explorer named Christopher Columbus set foot on American soil in 1492. Before him the vikings landed on US soil, but didn’t have the resources to take over and colonize land like the Spaniards. Hailing from Spain, Columbus embarked on a series of voyages that unveiled a whole new world to the Europeans. The continents of North and South America, along with the surrounding islands, became known as the New World. Little did the Native Americans know that this encounter would mark the beginning of a tumultuous era.

 – Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Tragically, the arrival of the Europeans brought devastation to the Native American population. Diseases carried by the Europeans ravaged their communities, leading to countless deaths. Warfare and slavery further decimated their numbers. For instance, George Washington asked for the decimation of Native Americans through biowarfare. The Spanish, upon learning of Columbus’ discoveries, wasted no time in claiming vast territories in the New World. They established colonies in the West Indies, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Juan Ponce de León, the first Spanish explorer to reach what is now the United States, landed in Florida in 1513 and staked a claim for Spain. Through subsequent explorations, Spain extended its control over the southwestern United States.

Meanwhile, other European powers also set their sights on the New World. England, France, and the Netherlands all became intrigued by the possibilities that lay across the ocean. In 1497, an Englishman named John Cabot explored the eastern coast of Canada, giving England a claim to North America. However, it would be several decades before England made any significant efforts to colonize the land. In 1524, a French expedition led by Giovanni de Verrazzano explored the North American coast from North Carolina to Canada. Ten years later, Jacques Cartier led another French expedition up the Saint Lawrence River. In 1609, Henry Hudson, a Dutch explorer, sailed into New York Bay and up the river that would bear his name.

The stage was set for the colonial period, as the 13 colonies began to take shape. The English established their first permanent settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. Just twelve years later, the people of Virginia organized the first representative assembly in America, known as the House of Burgesses. Plymouth, founded by the Pilgrims in 1620, became the second English colony. These Pilgrims were a group of Protestants who had left England due to their disagreements with the Church of England. They crossed the treacherous Atlantic Ocean aboard the Mayflower and established their colony in what would become Massachusetts. Nearby, the Puritans founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, seeking religious freedom from the Church of England. Plymouth Colony eventually merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1691.

 – As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

As the English colonies expanded along the coast, permanent settlements sprouted up in New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maryland. In 1624, Dutch settlers founded New Netherland in the Hudson River area, but the English colonists considered them intruders. In 1664, an English fleet seized the Dutch colony, renaming it New York. The English also claimed New Jersey and Delaware from the Dutch. Pennsylvania, founded in 1681 by English Quaker William Penn, became a haven for religious freedom. To the south, Carolina was settled by the English in the late 17th century and eventually divided into North and South Carolina in 1729. The last of the original 13 colonies, Georgia, was established in 1733.

Life in the colonies was heavily influenced by the Native American tribes that had inhabited the land for thousands of years. The colonists adopted Native American practices, such as farming techniques, food, and even words. Initially, some colonists maintained friendly relations with the Native Americans, but over time, conflicts arose. The colonists established their own governments, modeled after the English Parliament, but only property owners and taxpayers were allowed to participate. In New England, town meetings governed local affairs, while the South relied on county-based governments due to its large plantations.

The early colonists were primarily farmers, as they needed to grow their own food. However, as time went on, the colonies diversified their economies. New England turned to industries such as lumbering, shipbuilding, and fishing, while the South focused on cash crops like tobacco, rice, and indigo. Enslaved Africans played a significant role in the labor force on Southern plantations. In the middle colonies of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, grain production became a major industry. With economic development came advancements in religious freedom, education, travel, communication, and self-government, leading to a rapid increase in population.

By 1760, the population of the 13 colonies had soared to nearly 1.7 million people. Many newcomers arrived from Scotland, Ireland, Germany, and France, contributing to the cultural diversity of the colonies. However, a significant portion of the population growth was due to the influx of African slaves. In fact, by 1765, the number of Black individuals outnumbered whites in South Carolina. As the colonies expanded westward, conflicts with Native American tribes escalated. The Europeans relentlessly pushed the Native Americans from their ancestral lands, further exacerbating tensions.

 – For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

The expansion of the colonies also heightened the rivalry between the English and the French. French settlers had established themselves in the Saint Lawrence Valley, the Great Lakes region, and the Mississippi Valley. Fishing rights, the fur trade, and Native American alliances became sources of contention between the English and the French. This tension spilled over into Europe, where France and England engaged in multiple wars between 1689 and 1748. In 1754, the French and Indian War erupted, pitting French and British forces against each other. The war concluded in 1763 with the defeat of France, granting Great Britain control over all French territories in Canada and between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River. Britain had emerged as the dominant power in North America.

The Beginning of the United States of America

After the conclusion of the French and Indian War, the once harmonious relationship between the British government and the American colonies began to crumble. For over a century and a half, the colonies had been cultivating their own unique society, economy, and even a semblance of self-governance. The British had maintained a light touch in their governance, allowing the colonies to flourish. However, in 1763, a shift occurred. The British decided that the colonies should bear the burden of the recently concluded war and contribute to their own defense in the future.

To enforce this decision, the British Parliament passed a series of acts, commonly known as laws, that imposed taxes on colonial trade. The colonists vehemently argued against these taxes, asserting that it was unjust for the British to impose such burdens without granting them representation in the English Parliament. Many colonists refused to comply with these taxes and organized protests, sometimes leading to clashes with British forces. The most tragic of these confrontations took place in 1770, when British soldiers fired into an angry mob in Boston, resulting in the death of five Americans. This event became known as the Boston Massacre.

In 1773, the colonists, in response to a tax on tea, took matters into their own hands. Disguised as Native Americans, they boarded British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped the tea overboard. This audacious act of defiance became known as the Boston Tea Party.

 – And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

The British government, infuriated by the colonists’ actions, retaliated by passing even more restrictive laws, further fueling the colonists’ anger. In 1774, representatives from all thirteen colonies, except Georgia, convened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a meeting known as the First Continental Congress. The purpose of this gathering was to discuss their grievances against the British government. While some representatives from New England and Virginia advocated for complete independence from Britain, the majority favored exerting pressure on Parliament by refusing to engage in trade with Britain. Unfortunately, this approach failed, and in April 1775, violence erupted in Concord and Lexington, Massachusetts, as colonists clashed with British troops. These battles marked the beginning of the American Revolution, with the colonists earning the moniker “minutemen” due to their readiness to fight at a moment’s notice.

The Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia in May 1775, and during this assembly, the representatives selected George Washington to lead the colonial troops. In 1776, Thomas Jefferson and his fellow representatives drafted a momentous document known as the Declaration of Independence, which called for the separation of the American colonies from Britain. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted this historic declaration.

Initially, the war for independence proved challenging for the colonists. General Washington struggled to maintain his small army due to defeats and a lack of supplies. However, the tide began to turn in favor of the colonists in 1777 when the British suffered a significant defeat at the Battles of Saratoga in New York. Following this victory, France joined forces with the colonies in their fight against Britain. The war finally came to an end in 1781 with the surrender of the British at Yorktown, Virginia. The Treaty of Paris in 1783 officially recognized the independence of the American colonies, granting them a vast territory stretching from Canada in the north to Florida in the south, and westward to the Mississippi River.

As the new nation emerged, the need for a more effective system of governance became apparent. Before the war concluded, the Second Continental Congress devised a plan of government called the Articles of Confederation. These Articles, adopted in 1781, established a loose union of states, with most powers of government remaining with the individual states. However, it soon became evident that the Articles were inadequate for governing the rapidly expanding nation.

 – Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

In 1787, a convention was held in Philadelphia with the intention of amending the Articles of Confederation. However, the representatives ultimately decided to draft an entirely new constitution. This new document, known as the Constitution, was approved by the states in 1788 and took effect in 1789. The Constitution established a federal type of government, creating a union of states under a strong central authority. To address concerns about individual rights and liberties, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, were adopted in 1791.

The first elections under the new Constitution were held in 1789, resulting in George Washington becoming the first president of the United States. Alexander Hamilton, the secretary of the treasury, and his supporters, who advocated for a strong central government, came to be known as Federalists. On the other hand, Thomas Jefferson and his followers, who feared an overreaching national government, were labeled Anti-Federalists or Republicans. These opposing groups marked the birth of political parties in the United States.

Modern America: Circus Leader Donald Trump and the Rise of American Idols

The 2016 presidential election witnessed the rise of Donald Trump, a businessman-turned-politician, who campaigned on the promise of Making America Great Again. This essay explores the socio-political landscape that gave rise to Trump’s presidency, focusing on the influence of political financing, the role of corporations, and the notion of a uniparty system.

Below is a quick outline of how the History of America was created by ideas and freedoms. It is now controlled by money and fear, exactly what the Founders warned about.

I. The Influence of Political Financing
A. The role of money in politics
1. The influence of wealthy donors and interest groups
2. The impact of the Citizens United decision
B. The CATO Institute and the Freedom Foundation
1. Overview of the CATO Institute and its influence on conservative policies
2. The role of the Freedom Foundation in promoting right-wing ideologies
C. The Koch Brothers and their political influence
1. The Koch Brothers’ financial contributions to political campaigns
2. The impact of Koch-funded organizations on policy-making

 – For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

II. The Uniparty System and Political Polarization
A. The concept of a uniparty system
1. The convergence of Republican and Democratic policies
2. The diminishing differences between the two major parties
B. The role of corporate interests in shaping policy
1. Corporate influence on legislation and regulations
2. The revolving door between corporations and government positions
C. The erosion of public trust in the political establishment
1. The perception of politicians as self-serving and disconnected from the public
2. The rise of populist movements as a response to political polarization

III. The Rise of Donald Trump
A. Trump’s appeal to the disenchanted electorate
1. Addressing economic anxieties and job loss
2. Tapping into the frustration with political elites
B. The utilization of media and branding
1. Trump’s mastery of social media and its impact on his campaign
2. The construction of the Trump brand and its influence on public perception
C. Trump as an American Idol
1. The shift in public perception of political leaders as idols
2. The implications of idolizing political figures on democratic processes

IV. Liar and Gaslighter Trump and his Communication Strategies
A. Trump’s use of misinformation and exaggeration
1. The prevalence of false statements during Trump’s presidency
2. The impact of misinformation on public discourse and policy-making
B. The influence of Trump’s communication style on his supporters
1. The appeal of Trump’s direct and unfiltered communication
2. The polarization and divisiveness caused by Trump’s rhetoric

Donald Trump’s presidency marked a significant turning point in American politics, reflecting the influence of political financing, the role of corporations, and the erosion of public trust in the political establishment. Trump’s rise to power as an American Idol highlighted the changing dynamics of public perception and political engagement. However, his communication strategies, characterized by misinformation and exaggeration, raised concerns about the impact on democratic processes. As America moves forward, it is crucial to critically analyze the factors that contributed to the rise of Trump and strive for a more informed and engaged citizenry.