Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA )




Tennessee Valley Authority was established under the New Deal economic policies during the first tenure of Roosevelt. It was federally owned corporation. It was aimed at providing electricity through hydro power plants. Apart from that, it was aimed at controlling floods, navigation and producing fertilizer. The Tennessee Valley economy was in a miserable condition. Therefore, the TVA was aimed at improving the economy of that region. It covered Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky and some parts of Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia. It aimed at involving the community people in spreading the knowledge of use of new seeds and fertilizer. The people was involved in its administration and locally recruited. It was owned by the Federal government but the people of region had major say in its administration. It provided electricity at a cheaper rate as compared to privately owned electrical power generation companies which dominated the electricity generation in America. It encouraged industry around its region and thus the economy of Tennessee and regions around it improved.

On the whole, it is considered to be one of the successful activity of New Deal economic policies. Secondly, it represented the shift in the mindset of the American government towards the social and economic policies. Earlier American themselves did not like that American Federal government should interfere. Similar, America did not desire that in hard times people should look towards government to improve their economic condition. However, in TVA the Federal government took the responsibility of improving the economy of the region.

In success of TVA became a role model for the future economic development in which Federal government backed the financing. However, the success of TVA was not repeated. It is still in existence in America.



Subject to Editing

New Frontier




The term New Frontier was coined by John F Kennedy. He used this term in a message at the time of his nomination to the presidential candidature by the Democratic party.

He spoke, “We stand at the edge of a New Frontier—the frontier of unfulfilled hopes and dreams, a frontier of unknown opportunities and beliefs in peril. Beyond that frontier are uncharted areas of science and space, unsolved problems of peace and war, unconquered problems of ignorance and prejudice, unanswered questions of poverty and surplus.”

He spoke to encourage his countrymen. At that time there was sense of anxiety due to increase in competition during the Cold War.

When Kennedy became the President he adopted number of measures to face the Cold War situation. In the field of economy, by the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the President was given power to negotiate on tariff issues with the European Market. With the Fair Labour Standard Act 1961, the daily wages of the workers in retail sector was increased. Under Omnibus Housing Bill 1961, economy was revitalized by providing affordable housing and increased housing construction. Under Manpower Development and Training Act of 1962, the training was financed for the unemployed who had been displaced by introduction of new technologies. In order to given equal status to the Women in education and work places Kennedy signed Equal Pay Act in 1963. IN the field of Defense, Kennedy allowed development of troops in counterinsurgency, tackle spread of communist forces, increase nuclear arms development etc. He tackled Cuban Missile crisis, Laos, Vietnam and Bay of Pigs invasion though such measures faced lot of criticism.

In the above manner, the spirit of New Frontier message was translated into such actions which faced new field of crisis, new frontiers of science and space, the frontiers of peace and war, the frontiers of poverty and surplus and reinstated the confidence of the American nation.



Sunday, November 15, 2009

Marshall Plan-European Recovery Programme (ERP)



Marshall Plan
European Recovery Programme (ERP)

In his speech on June 5, 1947, the Secretary of State of America, George Marshall told the audience of Harvard University that in Europe “United States should assist in the return of normal economic health in the world.”
He further said that the policy of America was “against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos. Any government that is willing to assist in recovery will find full co-operation on the part of the U.S.A. ”

He then assured that it would be the policy of the American government to assist the European countries in recovery of their economy in manner that a political and social conditions could develop in which the free institutions would exist. He told that they would not cooperate with such governments and parties (reference to communist parties and countries) which did not allow the development of free institutions (for him, the development of democracies.) He further told that the European governments would have to develop a consensus about the role and part they would play in recovery of their economies and the political institutions they would work through. He insisted that the economic designs would not be planned by the American government but the European governments would themselves decide upon the model to be adopted. In other words, he suggested that they would have to develop a critical view the communist form of economic model. He said, “The initiative must come from Europe.”

The government of United States of America then participated in the recovery of the economies of the European governments for next four years and that cooperation or the contribution in form of financial and technical support was called European Recovery Programme.

The American government evaluated that if the European governments did not improve in European economies, then they could not continue to buy from America for long. It would not be in benefit of American economy. Then, with shattered economies they could fall in the camp of Communist USSR. Therefore, for the benefit of the American economy and to stop the spread of Communism in the world, America came up with European Recovery Programme.


Resources:



  • Text of the Speech of Secretary of State by George C. Marshall delivered on June 5, 1947 at Harvard University accessed on November 15, 2009 through the links on NARA.


  • http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=11068733&postID=7750181028081856792




    Hindi Version
    अमेरिका के जोर्ज मार्शल ने जून ५, १९४७, हारवर्ड विश्वविद्याला में अपने भाषण में कहा कि विश्व की आर्थिक स्थिथि को सुधारने के लिए अमेरिका सहयोग करने के लिए तैयार है. उसने कहा कि अमेरिका भुखमरी, गरीबी, हताशा एंव आराजकता का अन्त चाहता है.  इस लिए कोई भी सरकार जो अपनी आर्थिक स्थिथि को सुधारना चाहे अमेरिका उसे सहजोग देगा.



    अनुवाद अभी जारी है


    Friday, November 13, 2009

    Truman Doctrine


    President Harry S. Truman of America gave the outline of a Doctrine in his speech to the Joint Session of Congress on March 12, 1947, which is partly reproduced as below. It is called the Truman Doctrine.

    "I believe that it must be the policy of the United States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures. (Containment of Communism)


    I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way. (promote Democracy)

    I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes." (Financial Help)

    From above, it can be said that Truman Doctrine was a policy of containment, promotion of democratic government and institution in world and financial help to those countries who faced the possibility of coming under communist ideology.

    It was a first set of measures in a series of measures adopted by the United States of America in Post World War II period to contain the spread of communaism which is also known as the containment policy of the United States of America.

    The America adopted this policy when Greece approached America for financial assisstance to rebulit her economy which had suffered during the World War II. Earlier Britain had given assistance. But Britian withdrew gradually. Simultaneously, Greece faced the rise of communist violence in the country. Similar situation was emerging in Turkey.

    Under the Truman Doctrine America gave financial assistance of 400 million dollars to Greece as well training to technicians and professionals from Greeces upto 1948.

    It was part of two sided policy containment adopted at the beigning Cold War. The second side was direct financial support to the European countries under Marshall Plan. Truman Doctrine was considered as a tougher side of the policy.








    Note: The note is yet to be finalized.



    Wednesday, November 11, 2009

    Ku Klux Klan

    As per Stanley H. Horn, in his book, The Invisible Empire: The story of Ku Klux Klan, the group called Ku Klux Klan was organized by the members of Confederate army in Pulaski in Tennessee after the American Civil War had ended. As per the present US government classification, they are termed as  a hate group. The organization adopted the aim of protecting the rights and interests of White population in South States during the post Civil War period. They adopted the means of violence, murder and intimidation of African Americans and White Republicans (Carpetbaggers). Their aim was regain the control for White people over the South states. They wore long white robes, covered their heads with conical hats and hid their faces under masks. The Federal government passed Force Acts in 1870 and 1871 to prosecute the members of Ku Klux Klan for committing murders and other crimes of violence. They were suppressed. However, they again resurfaced and managed to help the white democrats to regain the political control over the South states.

    In 1920s, a fresh organization with the same name and similar dress code resurfaced. They aimed at promoting the interests of White population. After Great Depression and then in post World War II period, their influence decreased. However, they are believed to be still popular among a section of white population in United States of America.

    Emancipation Proclamation


    Emancipation Proclamation refers to two executive orders which Abraham Lincoln issued as the Commander in Chief Army and Navy of United States of America and President of America.

    The first executive order was issued on September 22, 1862. It was issued after the victory of Union Army in the Battle of Antietam on September 7, 1862. It declared that on January 1, 1863, slaves in areas then "in rebellion against the United States shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free."

    The main significance was that it declared that slaves on the territories which at that time was fighting as Confederate of States, would be free. It did not refer to the slaves on the territories which were directly under the control of Union Army.

    Secondly, after the 1862 proclamation, the Union Army started employing Africans in their army. It helped them to strengthen their war efforts.

    The second executive order was issued on January 1, 1863. It proclaimed that in the states which were actually at that time rebellion against the United States of America, “all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free.”

    At the end of Civil War, by thirteenth Amendment all the people held as slaves were declared free.

    Sunday, November 08, 2009

    Abolitionism (American History)

    What is the Abolitionism?

    The Abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and emancipate the slaves in America. Similar movement had taken place in western Europe. According the exponents of this movement, the Enlightened thinkers, the practice of slavery was violation of the rights of man.(The Bill of Rights) Similarly, some of the denominations of Christianity called it un-christian practice.


    The leading exponent of Abolitionism in America were John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, Aron Burr, Henry Clay etc. There were radicals like John Brown who was executed for his anti-slavery activities which crossed the permissible limits. There were writers and journalist like William Lloyd Garrison who was the publisher of The Liberator. Similarly there were African American popular abolitionist Frederick Douglass and Robert Purvius. The popular Abolitionism movement society was American Anti Slavery society.


    The main solutions suggested by the abolitionist was immediate emancipation and full civil rights to the African American within America. Second suggestion was to send them to Africa and establish separate colony for them in Africa itself. The Liberia was such a place where many of them were send. However that experiment did not succeed. Finally, by Emancipation Proclamation of Abraham Lincoln and Thirteen Amendment to the American Constitution in 1865, the slavery was abolished in America.


    The struggle for the equal Civil Rights for the African American continued for a longer period. It developed into American Civil Rights Movement which is also called Second Reconstruction in the twentieth century. During this period Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. became the major leader of African American Civil Rights. The major association was National Association for the Advancement of Colored People or NAACP.

    On January 20, 2009, Barack Obama became the 44th President of United States of America and the first African American to hold the highest office in USA.


    Who is an abolitionist?
    Ans:According to John McPherson, as he wrote in his book in The Struggle of Equality, an abolitionist is “one one who before the Civil War in the United States of America had agitated for the immediate, unconditional, and total abolition of slavery in the United States”. The unconditional emancipation as an aim was oriented to achieve equality of civil rights for the black free slaves. (Read the notes on John M. McPherson)










    Notes:




    James M McPherson's two books, The Struggle for Equality: Abolitionists and the Negro in the Civil War and Reconstruction (1964) and The Negro's Civil War: How American Negroes Felt and Acted During the War for the Union (1965) are still considered an authority on the African American struggle in nineteenth century. Another substantiating book is The Slave Community by John Blassingame.

    Thursday, November 05, 2009

    The USA: Last Years Papers Question Bank 2009

    UNIT-I

    1.Civil War: Growth of sectionalism, secession and war; diplomacy of the war; result of the Civil War.
    • 1. Discuss foreign policy of the Union and Confederacy during the Civil War. Sept 2001
    • 2. What do you know about-the reconstruction of the South? What was its impact? Sept 2008
    • 3. Why did the American Civil War take place when it is assumed that both Union and Confederacy were responding to similar problems in similar ways? Explain. April 2007
    • 4. Critically examine the results of the Civil· War Sept 2007
    • 5. Discuss various interpretations of the Civil War in. the light of the statement that "the Confederacy lost the battles of the war but won the battles of the history books. " April 2006
    • 6. Evaluate Critically the results of American Civil War. April 2000.
    • 7. Evaluate Lincoln Administration's policies towards Slavery and Negores from 1861 to the 13th Amendment. To what extent is it justified to say Lincoln was the 'Great Emancipator'? Sept 2000.
    • 8. What was the impact of the Civil War on economies of north and South? Discuss. Sept 2000

    2. Reconstruction of the South : Problems of Reconstruction; . Presidential Reconstruction;
    Congressional Reconstruction.
    • 1. Critically evaluate competing approaches to Reconstruction and its impact on the south. Sept 2001
    • 2. Discuss the. nature and impact of the Congressional Reconstruction of the South. Sept 2007
    • 3. Examine underlying approaches to Presidential and Congressional plans for Reconstruction. April 2006
    • 4. Was Congressional Reconstruction a blessing in disguise? Analyze. Sept 2006
    • 5. Discuss the working of the Congressional Reconstruction of South America. April 2000.
    • 6. Critically evaluate competing approaches to Reconstruction. Sept 2000

    3.Advanced Industrialization and Urbanizations : Communication and Technology; Big Business, 1875-1900; Growth of Cities.
    • 1. What were the results of the advanced industrialization and urbanization in the late nineteenth century U.S.A. ?Sept 2008
    • 2. Discuss nature and organisation of the big business as it evolved between 1875-1900. April 2007
    • 3. Trace the rise of big business in U.S.A. Between 1875-1900. Sept 2006
    • 4. Examine the rise of New Industries and Big Business in America. April 2000.
    • 5. In what ways did the New Nationalism and New Freedom Programmes attempt to deal with the problem of concentrated power in American business and industry? Discuss. Sept 2000.

    UNIT-II
    4. Emergence as a World Power: War with Spain; causes and results; decision for economic
    imperialism.
    • 1. Discuss salient features of the rise of American Imperialism in 1890's. Sept 2001
    • 2. Discuss the origin and growth of the strategy of American imperialism in the light of conflicting conceptions about US role in world affairs. April 2007
    • 3. Account for the growth of US Imperialism in 1890's .Sept 2006
    • 4. Why is Spanish-American War called a "splendid little war"? Discuss. Sept 2006
    • 5. What role did Spanish-American War play in America's expansionist policy? April 2000.
    • 6. Account for the growth of American Imperialism in 1890. Sept 2000.

    5.Overseas Expansion: The Carribean and the Pacific, 1896-1915.
    • 1. Account for the reasons for American expansion in the Caribbean and Pacific between 1896-1915. Sept 2007
    • 2. Discuss the salient features of the American foreign policy in Caribbean and Pacific between 1896-1915. April 2006

    6.World Involvement: Unneutral neutrality; The U.S.A. at World War-I; The Treaty and the League.
    • 1. Examine the role played by U.S.A. in the First war. Sept 2008
    • 2. Account for the reasons for the US entry in to the First World War and describe its impact on the US Foreign Policy. April 2007
    • 3. . Discuss the imperialistic policy of U.S.A. before the outbreak of the First World War. Sept 2008
    • 4. Evaluate the role of U.S.A. in the First World War. Sept 2007
    • 5. Account for the reasons for the US entry into the First World War. April 2006
    • 6. Discuss the circumstances that led the United States entry into World War I. April 2000.
    • 7. Critically evaluate Wilson's moral diplomacy in war and peace. Sept 2001
    • 8. Evaluate the American foreign policy under Woodrow Wilson. Sept 2000.

    UNIT-III

    7.Populist and Progressive Movements: Leaders and achievements, 1890-1917 .
    • 1. Account for the growth of populist movement and its demoralization after the election of 1896. Sept 2001
    • 2. Discuss nature and growth of progressivism under New Nationalism and New Freedom. Sept 2001
    • 3. Analyse the achievements of the progressive movements in U.S.A. between 1890 and 1917. Sept 2008.
    • 4. Compare the nature of populist and progressive movements and explain reasons for their successes and failures. April 2007
    • 5. Critically evaluate the nature and impact of Progressive Movement. Sept 2006
    • 6. “No Southern movement ever gave rise to a more colourful press than did Populism.” Discuss Populist movement in light of above statement. April 2000.
    • 7. Discuss the rise and growth of Progressive Movement. Sept 2000

    8.The Onset of Great Depression: Causes and impact; the Hoover Program.
    • 1. Describe causes of the Great Depression and its impact on American polity, economy and society. Sept 2001
    • 2. Write a critical note on the causes and results of the great depression. Sept 2008.
    • 3. Discuss the causes responsible for the onst of Great Depression. How did President Hoover tackle this problem? Sept 2007.
    • 4. Analyse causes and consequences of the Great Depression on the United States. April 2006
    • 5. Critically examine Hoover Administration and crisis of American Capitalism. April 2000.

    9.The New Deal: New Deal Legislation; foreign policy during the New Deal Period.
    • 1. The New Deal neither cured the Depression or rescued the nation from suffering but communicated human concern and promoted "People's Capitalism". Explain. Sept 2001
    • 2. Evaluate Roosevelt's New Deal Policies and its impact On American economy and society. April 2007
    • 3. Examine the Good Neighbourhood Policy of Roosevelt during the New Deal Period. Sept 2007
    • 4. Evaluate impact of Roosevelt's New Deal policies on American economy and society. April 2006
    • 5. What was the difference in Hoover and Roosevelt's respond to the crisis created by the Great Depression ? Discuss. Sept 2006
    • 6. How did New Deal contribute towards the expansion of Progressive ideology? April 2000.

    UNIT-IV

    10.The Second World War: Issue of neutrality; the U.S.A. at war, planning a new World Order.
    • 1. Account for reasons for American entrance in the Second World War. Sept 2001
    • 2. Discuss the nature of U. S. foreign policy after the Second World War. April 2006
    • 3. Account for the reasons for the US participation in World War II. Sept 2006
    • 4. What was the impact of World War II on American people? April 2000.
    • 5. Give reasons for American participation in the Second World War. Sept 2000.

    11.A Balance of Terror: Cold War: Origins; diplomacy of Cold War; containment of Communism; Detente.

    • 1. Discuss origin and development of American Cold War policies explaining containment in theory and practice. Sept 2001
    • 2. What was the diplomacy of Cold War? How did it contain communism? Sept 2008
    • 3. Discuss origins and development of American Cold-War Policy. April 2007
    • 4. Define Cold War. Discuss the impact of Cold War on the world. Sept 2007
    • 5. Discuss origin and development of the American Cold War policies. Sept 2006
    • 6. Trace the origin and development of American Cold War policies and explain 'containment' in theory and practice. Sept 2000

    12.Social Movements: Movements for Social Justice: The Feminist Movement; Temperance; Suffrage; Civil Rights.

    • 1. What do you know about the movements for social justice in U. S.A. ? Sept 2008
    • 2. Trace the growth of the feminist movement in the USA. April 2007
    • 3. Trace the growth of Civil Rights, in America during your period of study. Sept 2007
    • 4. Trace the origin and development of the' American Civil Rights Movement. April 2006
    • 5. Discuss the social trends in America from the period of Depression to Prosperity. April 2000.
    • 6. Describe the growth of Civil Rights Movement since the Second World War with a focus on the leadership of Martin Luther King. Sept 2000

    Short Notes:
    1.Abolitionism
    Sept 2001, The Abolitionist Movement Sept 2007

    2.Emancipation Proclamation
    Sept 2001 Sept 2008 April 2007

    3.Ku Klux Klan
    Sept 2001, April 2001Sept 2008 April 2007 Sept 2007 Sept 2000

    4.Truman Doctrine
    Sept 2001 April 2001 April 2007 April 2000

    5. Marshall Plan
    Sept 2001 April 2007

    6.New Frontier
    Sept 2001 April 2000

    7. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
    Sept 2001 April 2007 Sept 2007

    8. Watergate Affair
    Sept 2001,  April 2001

    9.Fourteen Points
    April 2001

    10. Baghdad Pact
    April 2001

    11. Watergate Affair
    April 2001

    12. NATO
    April 2001 Sept 2008 Sept 2007

    13. New Nationalism
    April 2001 Sept 2007

    14.Square Deal.
    April 2001 April 2007 Sept 2000

    15.Define American Imperialism
    Sept 2008

    16.Woodrow Wilson
    Sept 2008

    17.Rail Roads
    Sept 2008

    18.New Deal Legislation
    Sept 2008

    19.Temperance Movement
    Sept 2008 Sept 2007

    20.Vietnam War
    Sept 2008

    21.SEATO
    Sept 2008

    22.Progressivism
    Sept 2008 Sept 2007 April 2000.

    23.Dollar Diplomacy
    Sept 2008 April 2000 Sept 2000

    24. Great Depression
    Sept 2008

    25. Feminist Movement
    Sept 2008

    26. Cold War
    Sept 2008 April 2000

    27.Carpetbaggers
    April 2007 Sept 2007 April 2000 Sept 2000

    28.First Reconstruct Act of 1867
    April 2007

    29.1876 Presidential election.
    April 2007

    30.The Muckrakers
    April 2007

    31.New Freedom
    April 2007

    32.The Bull Moose Party
    April 2007

    33.The Bay of Pigs
    April 2007

    34.Eisenhower Doctrine
    April 2007 April 2000 Sept 2000

    35.Watergate Affair
    April 2007 Sept 2007

    36.Impeachment of President Johnson
    Sept 2007

    37.John D. Rockefeller
    Sept 2007

    38.Open Door Policy
    Sept 2007

    39. Big Stick Diplomacy
    Sept 2007

    40.NAACP ( National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People)
    Sept 2007

    41.SEATO
    Sept 2007 Sept 2000

    42.CENTO
    April 2000

    43.The Great Depression
    Sept 2000

    44.New Frontier (Kennedy)
    Sept 2000



    Instructions, Note and Disclaimer

    1. The above bank does not contain the questions from the papers of April 2009 and April 2008.

    2. The bank has been developed from the compilations available in the market. Therefore, it is presented in good faith only.

    3. Read the question bank along with question bank given earlier.

    4. It is meant for the M. A. I students, annual pattern of Punjab University Chandigarh.

    5. The bold headings are those which are the topics as suggested in the syllabus 2008 of Punjab University Chandigarh

    6. The bank will be further expanded in due time.

    Wednesday, August 12, 2009

    Define Caste

    Define Caste
    The Sociologists define a caste as follows:
    A caste is a hereditary, endogamous, usually localized group, having a traditional association with an occupation and a particular position in the local hierarchy of castes. The relations between castes are governed, among other things, by the concepts of pollution and purity, and generally, maximum commensality occurs within the caste.

    On spatial level, a caste is usually segmented into several sub-castes and each sub-caste is endogamous. This segmentation is probably the result of a long historical process in which groups continually fissioned off. As a result of this long process of development there has come into existence several cognate groups usually found scattered over a limited geographical region, each of which retains a sense of identity as well as its linkage with other similar groups. Hence, a perception that a caste has its limited social boundaries is limited view meant for a particular time and place only. It, under historic impact, keeps changing the social boundaries and even the spatial spread through the process of historic fission.

    Source:
    Srinivas M. N., Caste in Modern India and other essays, 1962, Media Promoters and Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Bombay, pp 2,3. Chapter 1, Introduction.


    Tuesday, August 11, 2009

    Define Sanskritization

    "The caste system is far from a rigid system in which the position of each component caste is fixed for all time. Movement has always been possible, and especially so in the middle regions of the hierarchy. A low caste was able, in a generation or two, to rise to a higher position in the hierarchy by adopting vegetarianism and teetotalism, and by Sanskritizing its ritual and pantheon. In short, it took over, as far as possible, the customs, rites, and beliefs of the Brahmins, and the adoption of the Brahminic way of life by a low caste seems to have been frequent, though theoretically forbidden. This process has been called -'Sanskritization'.”



    Source:
    Srinivas M. N., Caste in Modern India and other essays, 1962,Media Promoters and Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Bombay, pp 42. Chapter 2, A Note on Sanskritization and Westernization. Quoted by M. N. Srinivas from 'Religions and Society among the Coorgs of South India, Oxford, 1952, p.32.



    Sunday, July 19, 2009

    Define Antebelleum America




    The word Antebellum is a Latin word. The meaning of the word is before war. The prefix 'ante' stands for before and 'bellum' is Latin word for war. Thus it means - before the war. Here the war refers to the Civil War of America. Therefore, the Antebellum America means before the American Civil War 1860. In the History and Historiography of the United States of America, the phrase Antebellum America is used in lieu of pre-Civil War period. When the American historians use this phrase, invariably their stress is on the rise of sectionalism in America before the Civil War with its social, economic, cultural, religious, political and constitutional dimensions. Among some American scholars, it is generally treated as cherished memories of old South states which vanished with the Civil War. Among the English literature scholars of America, the Antebellum America symbolized a classic age of culture and American civilization. The critics of that period counter it with the criticism of slavery as practiced in American South States before the Civil War. Hence, on one hand, it is studied as a cherished glorious period of American developments and on other hand, criticism of it emphasizes it as a phase of pre-colonial hangover among revolutionary and republican Americans. In short, in its theme, it is story of moral conflicts carried from colonial period and American response to it.

    The American historians allocate different time spans for the Antebellum America. Generally, they discuss the happenings since Mexican American War and the Kansas Nebraska Act of 1854 ending with Civil War as the period of Antebellum America. With a different set of sources and ideologies, the dimension of the time span changes for other set of historians and they generally study the period extending from 1812 to 1860 as the period of Antebellum America. Somehow, the period succeeding Civil War, which is generally termed as the Reconstruction period, refers to the end of the phase of American way of life which is studied under Antebellum America phrase. Therein, one can find the significance of the term Antebellum America in American history. No doubt a sense of Romanticism has been be attached to Antebellum America which is perhaps best represented by the novel of Margret Mitchell “Gone with the Wind (1936) and the movie based on that novel that was released in 1939.

    Similarly, many historians prefer to study the period from 1784 or with some qualification of the selection of the sources, from 1789 to 1865 as one single whole chapter in the history of America. They do not use the word pre-Civil War. For them, the Revolution of America was the success of Americanism based on liberty and freedom, the freedom for labour and wealth. They prefer to call it Antebellum America wherein they suggest that it was one of the phase of cultural heritage of America.




    Course: History, M. A. I, History, Punjab University Chandigarh. Paper III, The USA
    Category: Short Notes
    Author: Asst Professor Sumir Sharma, Department of Post Graduate History, Arya College, Ludhiana