Effects of Colonialism in US

The ambition to rule and exert influence over the majority of the systems in which they are directly involved has always existed among the most powerful nations in the globe. The United States has maintained its hegemony over the world political system for many years. Due to the United States' distinctive form of government, they have been able to mold and incorporate world politics to suit their needs. Civic organizations, advanced economic activity, and both various social compositions have changed as a result. Due to colonialism's roots in the former, its adverse repercussions can be directly correlated with those of hegemony. This paper will have explored the significant colonization effects brought about by United States Hegemony in the periods between 1820 and 1870.

Geopolitical Environments

Geopolitical environment refers to the study of how geography, demography, culture, and economics affect the political relations of a given nation. While considering the socio-economic situation, a countries political situation is studied to establish its links with affected nations. Hegemony was therefore used by big political powers such as the British, French and Americans to acquire political and economic control over the countries in the south-east the British and the French were the most dominant forces in the South East in the eighteenth century. It was until 1795 when most Eastern Indians lacked support from their former benefactors, giving the Americans an upper hand in controlling their political and economic events (Champagne 89). Through its exceptional quality of governance, the US was able to administer both its domestic and cross-border policies to accommodate foreign structures. In 1814, US assimilated the Chickasaw and Choctaw to adopt limited political centralization. The Creek, on the other hand, had a much more differentiated and organized political structure and social solidarity. Divisions among the Creek were eventually brought about by differences in ideas about political differentiation and centralization. An ethnic war, The Red Stick War, broke out in 1812 between those accepting and rejecting American innovations in political and economic fields in the Creek Society. With the help of the Americans, the Creek was defeated, and later they accepted the abolishment of limited centralization of political authority and blood revenge (Champagne 88).

The end of the war in 1814 saw the new American Government worked to consolidate political domination over the eastern side of the modern day United States (Watson, 1992). Despite the British withdrawal from the northeast, they maintained ties in the form of gifts to the natives. The British still controlled the Fur trade with their superior goods and prices. The period between 1795 and 1817 saw a significant decline in Fur trade with the four major Southern nations profoundly affected. It was formed this time that Hegemony was at its epitome as the US controlled much of the activities in the in the Southern Nations. The Americans showed interest to buy land in Spanish Colony, only as opposed by the four major Southeast nations. Lack of support from foreign powers to protect their political autonomy and territory led to their loss to the Americans. Through the treaties, the southeast nations had to accept and acknowledge American supremacy in the region. The Americans believed that they should also bring economic and social changes to the southeastern countries contrary to what the British did. The British gave the Indians social freedom on condition that they provided labor. The Americans, on the other hand, called for respect of the treaties signed (Champagne 90).

In 1810 and 1828, the Cherokee nation adopted a constitutional government. The rest of 1800 witnessed the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Seminole, and Creek abolish their Indian boundaries and adoption of constitutional government under the U.S. mandate and policy.

Impact of Markets

The fur trade was one of the main economic activity among the Southeast nations until the middle of the 1960s amid reports of scarcity of deer and other animals. By the 1800s Fur trade was on the decline with traders having to travel long distances to hunt for the skin to settle their debts. The drop of Fur was as a result of Americans setting up farms and scaring away game. Members of the four Southeast nations, therefore, had to settle for alternative methods of survival with the Cherokee community being the quickest to shift to animal husbandry and subsistence farming (Champagne 90). The Creek, unlike the other nations, continued to show resistance, therefore, becoming the slowest in adopting the newer agricultural methods. With the annual decline of fur, Cherokee males resulted to cattle and horse raising. In the early 1800s communities paid more attention to agriculture by expanding corn farming. Corn provided for a good alternative for food with its surplus released to the market for trade. On the other hand, women were mostly involved in cotton farming and woven materials though cotton was not mainly used for trade. (Champagne 91).

The native Indians were however faced with the challenges accompanied by maintaining and improving their cultural heritage and political autonomy. Expansion of their political and economic abilities while retaining their natural approaches would best fit the Capitalist form of governance. Native communities used Gaming enterprise to amass increased capitals. Wealth acquired is used to reconstruct tribal and provide social amenities to members of the community (Max Webber). The early years of 1800 to 1840s did not turn any natives into Capitalists since most were involved in barter trade. In the nineteenth century under special conditions, there arose a class of plantation owners among the four principal southeast nations. The owners perfectly fit the qualities of capitalists since they used slaves of black origin for labor, acquired land and managed the production of cotton, corn cows, and other farm produce for sale to international markets. The southern Indian businessmen were mixed blood origins of English, Irish and Scottish descent. Change in economic activities subsequently promoted the economic growth of southeast nations. Communities were able to diversify their operations and incorporate modern methods of trade. Innovations also played an essential role in the rise of Capitalists market which to date is dominative.

Cultural Exchange

Assimilation of the native Indians changed the political structure of communities in the south-west. Religious leaders were often involved in political decision making. This is prohibited by the standard American political and economic setup. An inclination for political control over economic development and a revolution toward noteworthy Capitalists venture is established in the Native cultural partiality for interrelated institutional relations. Locals are choosing a type of aggregate private business as opposed to singular Capitalism. Natives are keen to enhance economic advancement but also consider not to ruin their cultural composition and their internal cultural interactions (Champagne 96).

After the ratification of the constitution, lawmakers in the U.S. actively started civilization plans of Native Americans. Missionaries were the first group of Americans to promote civilization, Christianity and related social, political forms of organizations. Protestant ministers popularized adoption of evangelical religious culture and socio-political structures. The remaining natives of the New England region also adopted protestant teachings and came up with a standard gathering hall led by native ministries (Champagne 107). Despite the assimilation and popularity of Christianity in the Southeastern region, there existed a group who still resisted the American culture and chose to retain their cultures. Nonetheless, the emergence of Pueblo Villages began to design and construct attractive religious centers like the' Pueblo Bonito' which retained distinct cultural, religious and political qualities. The ‘Mogollan-Pueblo’ community retained rather adopted and used new architectural designs and food products to cater for growing populations and develop distinctive structure like ‘Kivas.' Kivas were used as places for prayers and ceremonies (Champagne 121). The American culture did not entirely introduce new forms of cultural, political and religion setups as some were already in place from the ancient communities in the Southeast. Initially, they grew crops and had complex religious structures for their prayers (Weatherford 1988).

Customized groups of businessmen emerged from all the four nations with the formation of economic classes based on income and wealth. The families showed interest in Christianity and business empowerment and education. The assimilated natives were also very familiar with the American system of governance and their cultures. The U.S. government sent agents to these regions to propose change and assist residents on matters government and modernized business and agricultural methods. The communities of the four states eventually adopted constitutional regulations despite controversies surrounding the foreign forms.

Criticism of multidimensional model

Eisenstadt and Curelaru argue that the Marxist theory assumes a closed rather than an opened system approach of political and economical because it tends to expect an invariant connection between production methods and political power and different parts of the societal superstructure. An internal open framework approach would permit standards, qualities, societies, and legislative frameworks to have variable relations with the method of creation or the financial association of general public.

Chinchilla approaches an inclusive remotely open framework contention. While she proposes that the general determinant for change is economic, she takes into consideration the likelihood that political and ideological structures may roll out autonomous commitments to improvement, and precapitalistic social and aggregate establishments may continue and progress toward becoming related with the new entrepreneur developments presented by the interpenetration of worldwide capital.



Works Cited

Duane Champagne, Field Notes: Interviews and Observations (unpublished data source,

Department of Sociology, University of California, Los Angeles, 1982.

Chinchilla, “Interpreting Social Change in Guatemala: Modernization, Dependency, and

Articulation of Mode of Production,” in Theories of Development, ed. Ronald Chilcote and Dale Johnson (Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1983), p. 163.

Eisenstadt, N. and Curelaru, M. The Form of Sociology: Paradigms and Crises (New York: Wiley,

1976), p. 95.

Weber, M. General Economic History (New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction, 1981), p. 369. Norma