The Birth of Government Control

After America became an independent nation and was no longer forced to adhere to the laws of Britain, they faced the very difficult challenge of creating a new government. With all the political turmoil that the world was facing in the early 1800's it quickly became apparent that in order to survive America needed to establish itself as a strong world leader. This process took several years to complete, but in the post independence period the main themes were government expansion and strengthening.

The War of 1812 marked a pivotal point in the expansion of America. Andrew Jackson took it upon himself to become a major contributer in this war and fought heavily for the acquisition of Florida, which at the time was occupied heavily by the Native Americans. Meanwhile, the lands of Southern Canada and other Indian Territories were being taken over by American militia and many battles were fought. With the Native Americans at a severe disadvantage in these battles, they sought out the help of Britain, much to the displeasure of America. As the war continued it became not just a war of property ownership but one of racial battles and boundaries. 

To strengthen the government the United States needed to ensure safety against enemy powers and also give the federal government, specifically the President, more power over the people. These two were accomplished through the Alien and Sedition Acts. The Alien Act gave the President the power to deport aliens. In the event of a war, the Alien Act made it legal for the President to deport anyone who was visiting America that resided in the countries that were in war with America. In the Sedition Act it declared it a criminal offense for anyone to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious  writing" against the government. This made it so that no one could speak out against the government in an unpatriotic way, securing American unity. 

Not only were the people of the federal government striving to create a stronger government, but American citizens as well. A well known movement of this time was Universal Male Suffrage. Voting rights were not fair and only wealthier, male property owners were allowed to vote. Before they could even think about extending the right to vote to women and minorities, they needed to make sure that ALL males in the United States were allowed the voting right.

All in all, these tactics did create a stronger more unified government. Although the land in Canada was never acquired, Westward expansion greatly contributed to the quickly growing United States. It is important not to overlook the oppressed in these situations however. Unfortunately the Native Americans faced extreme declines in their population as a result of these expansions. The Trail of Tears and other memorials are important to recognize and look back on all those who wrongly suffered to create the country we live in today.