Essays and Research Papers on U.S. History (1800s)

A 5 page book review that examines Ellis' text Union at Risk, which addresses the constitutional controversies that marked the presidency of Andrew Jackson. The writer argues that Ellis takes an intellectual and constitutional approach to his examination of the 1832 nullification crisis, and attempts to analyze the actions of Jackson and his administration from ...

A 7 page paper which discusses the impact on changing locations for those who traveled from the East to the West during the Gold Rush days. The paper addresses what changed in their lives, and what remained the same. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page paper which considers the technological advancements which were made during the war, which have contributed to modern America. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

5 pages in length. Baseball during the American Civil War represented everything that the war did not: It was a way in which soldiers and ranking commanders could return being just men as much as it was critical time spent regaining one's mental and emotional balance amidst overwhelming conflict. Albert Doubleday – a ...

This 5 page paper provides an overview of Dred Scott and shows how it has impacted American life. Its influence on the Civil War is emphasized. A recent case is noted as it relates to the 1857 decision. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

6 pages in length. The postwar impact upon Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo and Haiti – the first independent nation in the Caribbean – proved to change the manner by which these acquired territories would address their collective futures. American occupation had served to strengthen the United States political power, as well as underestimate ...

A 10 page research paper that investigates tenement life in New York City slums at the end of the nineteenth century, focusing on the photography of Jacob Riis, which exposed the deplorable conditions of that time. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page paper. Approximately 2.5 million civilian volunteers joined the Union army and even after conscription was initiated, the overwhelming majority of Union soldiers were volunteers. Why did so many volunteer to fight in the Civil War? That is the question that is addressed in this essay. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

5 pages in length. The growth of industrialism after the War of 1812 served to improve relations between the North and West, yet the South did not share in the same industrial growth as a result in the rise of sectionalism. The changing face of the United States throughout the industrial and post-industrial ...

A 5-page paper on the second two-party political system in America, the Democrats versus the Whigs. Notes important differences from the first system, the Democratic-Republicans versus the Federalists, and how the modern two-party political system was formed in America. Lists 1 source.

A 5 page paper that discusses the theory of states' rights, an argument that began as soon as the Constitution of the United States was drafted. The theory is explained as well as the basis for it. The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798 and 1799 are used as examples of the theory as is ...

6 pages. During the war, Reconstruction began in the state of Tennessee under strict military rule, following in many ways the same course as Maryland. Tennessee's Reconstruction began in the slaveholding areas of the state where Confederate sentiments were strong. Throughout these rehearsals, emancipated African-Americans prevailed with a lack of concern for their fate; although they were freed, they were ...

(5 pp) "Dirty laundry" is a collection of those less than reputable things, which mother always told us not to air in public. Government "dirty laundry" is often much more difficult to hide, and usually seems to "smell" much more when it does appear. As a country, we must have needed ...

A 5 page paper which discusses the book "Andersonville Journey" by Edward F. Roberts. The paper provides a summary of the book and then presents an analysis and personal response to the book. No additional sources cited.

This 6 page paper supports the thesis that the Civil War was really about slavery. This is done through a mock interview with Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln as well as with information to support the premise. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 6 page discussion of the immigrant experience presented in this fictional novel based in a steel mill town in Pittsburgh at the turn of the century. Examines the importance of capitalism to the American dream. Explains the reflection of one of the primary characters in the novel that “bosses and bossin” were ...

A 10 page paper which considers the book’s thesis, a review of the contents, what the author accomplished, its strengths and weaknesses, and to whom this book would appeal. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

(5 pp) "What was real and fundamental was the idealism and the nobility of the two contending forces: the Yankees struggling to save the Union, dying to make men free; the Confederates fighting for great Constitutional principles, defending their homes form invasion." Thus begins Kenneth Stammp's book The Era of Reconstruction 1865-1877, ...

This 9 page report discusses the “founding fathers” of the United States of the 18th and early 19th centuries. The paper is written under the understanding that the earliest leaders of the country were bold enough to stand up for freedom and independence. Such leaders saw that domination and taxation by England was antithetical to their very existence and ...

New Orleans, as the largest port in the South, was especially crucial for both defense and offensive strategies. The capture of the city by Union Captain David G. Farragut in April, 1962, was considered a considerable strategic victory for the North. This 10 page paper explores the Blockade of New Orleans and the subsequent capture by Northern forces. ...

A paper which looks at the Spanish American war of 1895 – 1898, and the consequences which resulted for Spain, the USA, and the smaller countries struggling for independence from Spanish colonial rule, in terms of the way in which the conflict can still be seen to affect these nations today.

A 6 page research paper that examines this question and offers arguments on both sides. Ultimately, the writer comes to the conclusion that while the war was largely unnecessary, it served a psychological purpose for the young country. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

(9 pp) When we think of the Civil War, we tend to simply divide the country into the North and the South. However, when Lincoln was inaugurated in March of 1861, seven states made up the 'Lower South:' South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas--had seceded from the Union. But ...

A 5 page paper which examines how the Civil War more closely resembles a modern war than a Napoleonic war, as some historians have classified it. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

This 5 page paper focuses on works by Wilfred P. Schoenberg that examines the assimilation of Catholics in the Pacific Northwest during the nineteenth century. The subject of assimilation, identity and regionalism as it concerns Catholics living in the United States is discussed in general and historic terms. Bibliography lists 5 sources.