Ethnic Groups in the United States, Essay Example

American history has had a great impact on modern civilization with all the different parties involved in the building of the American society.

The Native Americans or American Indians are the indigenous people of the United States. With the expansion of the U.S, many of the Indians were expelled from their lands. The most prevalent religion is known as the Native American Church, a church that incorporates their native spiritual practices and few elements form Christianity. They are an agrarian nation and believe in living off the lands without unsettling the balance of life.

The Native Americans are more at home with the abolition of reservations and are free to live their lives like any other American. Family and culture is an important part of their heritage. They are lead by a group of elders who ensure rule and order is maintained in the community. They are the representatives of the Indians when negotiating with the American government on issues affecting them.

Spaniards are a people that believe in unity and family is very important to them. They practice mostly the Roman Catholic faith (73% of the population) and is the only officially taught religion in schools. Music and culture is part of their daily life. Traditionally, there is an agrarian and pastoral nation. Industries have developed and Spain is currently a member of the European Economic Community contributing its fair share to the global economy.

Agriculture has been highly revolutionized and the countryside is mostly self-sufficient. Spanish Americans practiced a system known as encomienda, a system of getting cheap and adequate labor. Fortunately, this practice was abolished by a Spanish king and the Dominican order. The Spanish crown used gold and silver from the American mines to pay for army forces in Italy and the Netherlands, to run the emperor’s forces in Germany and meet growing demand in Spain. The effect of this type of trade had a negative effect: inflation that mostly affected the poorer section of the population.

In political terms, Spain is a hereditary monarch and has a parliament known as the Cortes Generales. A council of Ministers of Spain consisted in the executive branch is ruled over by a Prime Minister that is appointed by the monarch that is confirmed by the Congress of Deputies.

England is the native home for The English who speak the English language. The English population is descended from different peoples including earlier Britons, Germanic tribes specifically the Anglo-Saxons, Danes and Normans. English customs have been aligned with different British customs and identity. They form the third largest European group after the German Americans and Irish Americans in the U.S. England was known to be a large investor in America in developing its mining, cattle ranching and railroads. Free trade was an aspect of commerce that both theorists from Britain and America agreed on. It is still the basis for trade in the modern business world.

The Mayflower compact was signed in colonial U.S (1960) agreeing to a temporary government for the Plymouth colony. It enabled the creation of the first American settlement based on a social contract. Later and present governments use the compact to develop its constitution. Family is viewed as important and extended families are not as valued. Marriage was arranged and there was no marrying from any class but from a class that was similar to one’s own.

The African-Middle passage was named like that because it was a middle leg of a three-part voyage that began in and ended in Europe. The first part of the voyage included a cargo carrying cloth, brandy, gunpowder and firearms. Once the cargo landed it was exchanged for Africans and they were loaded up to be sold to Americans. The Americans exchanged tobacco, sugar or other available products for the African slaves. The last leg of the voyage brought the ships back to Europe. The slaves suffered inhumane conditions and were not even allowed to commit suicide. If a slave attempted to, they would be tortured by the human captors since there were considered to be precious cargo.

History is important and without it, a nation would not have any basis on which to build its future upon. Modern civilizations study the past to be able to get useful insights into the future regardless of whether it is positive or negative.