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Chapter 8 Essay

Republicanism was the national identity that emerged between the years 1790 and 1820.

This national philosophy emerged as a means through the mericans wanted to establish a

republic that was !ree !rom colonialist "alues #$arcus et al.% 200&'. The principles o! this identity

were the !ull respect !or the "alues o! liberty and human rights. (n addition% the people were

recogni)ed as the whole so"ereign and were gi"en independence !rom any !orm o! aristocracy.

The three decades presented a period when industriali)ation was on course in *ritain% and

its e!!ects were reaching merica. The urge to economically de"elop resulted to a "igorous

 process o! industrial e+pansion in the ,-. hile the /orthern merchants were in"ol"ed in

!inancing the baning sector% state go"ernments used charters% and any other economic pri"ileges

to impro"e on the in!rastructural system and to assist businesses #$arcus et al.% 200&'. The

-outhern planters were engaged in constant trade with the /orthern merchants% with cotton as the

maor product !rom the -outh. The manu!acturing sector in the East e+panded as the people

relied on wool and leather to e+pand shoe% te+tiles and tinware industries #3enretta et al.% 2012'.

*y the year 1820% the young merican republic was on the "erge o! achie"ing economic

independence and an industriali)ed society !ounded on a capitalist ideology.

4uring the industriali)ation period in the 18 th and 19th century% the church in Europe had

 become part o! the state. s a result% maority o! those who !a"ored church independence in

Europe mo"ed to merica as immigrants. ith the republican "alues that ga"e indi"iduals more

independence% the church in merica e+perienced rapid e+pansion #3enretta et al.% 2012'. The

second awaening that began in 1790 led to the growth o! an e+tensi"e protestant re"i"al

mo"ement. Through this re"i"al% the *aptist and $ethodist clergy changed the spiritual

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landscape in the -outh and the -outhwest% attracting e"en those who had ne"er belonged to a

church. These two grew to become the nation5s largest religious denominations. (n addition% the

Episcopalian% Congregationalist and the 6uaer churches e+perienced e+tensi"e growth in terms

o! membership #3enretta et al.% 2012'.

*y the year 1820% being an merican meant being o! the republican "alues% a religious

indi"idual within the protestant belie"es and an enterprising citi)en in a capitalist maret system.

This description still holds in the current merican society. merica remains the greatest

campaigner o! the democratic go"ernance% as a system in which the republican ideologies o! 

ensuring liberty% !reedom and rights !or the go"erned are obser"ed. (n addition% the ,- is the

global leader o! the capitalist economic system. This position was emphasi)ed during the cold

war when the capitalist and the communist ideologies were in competition. The triumph o! 

capitalism o"er communism led to the maority o! world countries adopting the ideology. n

religion% the merican society remains% largely% within the protestant churches with the

$ethodists and *aptist churches still being largest denominations. 4espite the growth o! other 

churches and religions through globali)ation% the religious aspect o! the society remains deeply

rooted in Christian "alues.

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Re!erences

3enretta% . .% Ewards% R.% -el!% . R. #2012'. America: A Concise History 5th edition: volume

1. *ed!ord *ed!ord:-t. $artin;s.

$arcus% R. 4.% *urner% 4.% $arcus% . #200&'. America Firsthand: Readings from settlement to

 Reconstruction 9th edition: Volume 1. *ed!ord *ed!ord:-t. $artin;s.