Historical Systems of Power, Governance, and Authority, Essay Example

Duran and Duran (1995) point out that the initial reaction to the European colonization of North America was tolerant leading up until the point that it posed a threat to their existence. This tolerance can be seen in how Native Americans engaged in open trade with colonists, taught them to grow grain, corn and other necessary produce. They also taught them how to survive through the cold winters.  The authors note that there were an estimated 140 and 160 different indigenous tribes in America (Duran and Duran, 1995). The authors point out that Native Americans had established territories across all regions of North America; they had medicine and agricultural systems that were significantly more advanced than standard textbooks reveal (Duran and Duran, 1995). When the European citizens who would ultimately become the colonial settlers of North America fled to the region to escape religious persecution in Europe, they didn’t face resistance from the majority of the indigenous population. There were however some tribes that were violent despite, the stereotype that all Native Americans were peaceful (Duran and Duran, 1995).

The actual colonization era from Europe to the different parts of the world actually started in 1492. It could be understood that through time, this point of colonization has made a definite change on the creation of the foundation of different countries as they reach their current status as thriving states in the American regions. For instance, the settlement of the European administrators in the territories of Jamestown, Virginia is one aspect of operation that drew the line on how the European administrators are to work on the process by which the governance they imply would affect the overall living systems of the people living in the area.

The first entrant of the English administration in the state was somewhat disturbing especially towards the original culture that existed in the area. While there was not much violence to note in the record, it could not be denied that the primary culture that was noted to have been existing in Virginia slowly lost its form and control of the people through time especially when religion and the constructive form of new essence of commerce was introduced into the state (Starkey, 1998). Among the most reflective essence of change that happened was the distinct construct of the government administration that existed among the communities in Virginia. From a traditional form of one-leader culture (Starkey, 1998), the introduction of the English system of governance distinctively made it possible for new social constructs exist hence allowing for a new setup of political hierarchy that the state later on recognized to be the foundation of their local system of governance.

To focus on Virginia alone, it could be noted that the settlement of the European administrators in the area caused for the changes that happened especially on the social constructs of the state. The primary changes happened with regards the actual population of the people who resided in the state (Parry, 1982). Gaining wealth was the primary purpose of the European Settlers in Virginia; believing that there was a huge gold reserve in the area, the European business developers established the Common Stock Companies which included the Virginia Company; an organization believed to develop distinct constraints by which gold is searched for and developed in the said state. The changing of such attitude only came real when John Smith, an unconventional English leader, was able to convince the people that they are focusing on wrong matters (Sarson, et al, 2010). From this point, developing resources such as Tobacco best provided Virginia with the capacity to embrace a more developed economic system; a system that Virginia strongly depends on at present.

The rise of colonialism in North America derived from religious persecution in Europe. The indigenous people were tolerant colonization until it posed a direct threat to their existence. Among the primary colonies that presented massive changes along the process of being under the European rule is that of Western Hampshire. While it was under the control of the European governments, the landscape of the state changed radically. The European government did well to make some changes for the sake of improving the crop production and other land-dependent integrities that the area holds important to its social and economic growth in later years. With such changes, the population makeup also changes as the Columbian Exchange occurred (when Europeans decided to leave for America-including New Hampshire as a target destination) (Sarson, et al, 2010). The exchange of animals, culture, plants and other elements that came from Europe to America rather became the established foundation of a new born society. While there were relatively positive influences coming from the European government towards the reestablishment of the American society, it could not be denied that revolutions are still bound to happen.

The goal of the American Revolution was a violent revolution that intended to overthrow the British government’s power over the colonies. A revolution was required due to the unfair laws and taxes that were imposed on the colonists. There were a set of events that transpired between 1619 and 1783, which compose the entire historical process of the American Revolution from start to finish (Griffin, 2010). These entail the French and Indian War where French Fought the British in 1624, American colonists first starting to oppose being taxed without fair representation in British parliament, due to the Proclamation of 1763, the Sugar Act, The Stamp Act, the Townsend Act. All of these taxation Acts which the colonists opposed led to the infamous Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party (Griffin, 2010). This ultimately led to the colonists rebelling, the goal of which was for the colonists to achieve an independent government. The North American colonists won the American Revolution through adopting a method guerilla warfare adapted from Native American tribes (Griffin, 2010). While British soldiers outnumbered Americans on the field, they still functioned with a line by line strategy that was vulnerable to American militia attacking freely from different angles in a random unpredictable pattern. This tactic of guerilla warfare was made more effective by American soldiers using their familiarity with their surrounding by launching surprise attacks guarded by the protection of the woods (Griffin, 2010). Nevertheless, it could not be denied that with all the commotions that occurred in relation to the emergence of a new sense of existence; one that is dependent on the conditions of change that the country has embraced in consideration with the era of colonization that has occurred through time. Most likely, it could be analyzed that with such contention of situations, Several American regions like New Hampshire has adapted a definite sense of insistence on how it has incurred several cultural and natural points of being an English colony. The landscape and the economic system that exists today in New Hampshire as well as the cultural marks left by the European population in the country has created a definite source of intensified condition of development that is continuously being recognized in the region today

In contrast, the Orange Revolution was a nonviolent event that occurred in 2004 in the Ukraine as an immediate reaction to a clear case of government corruption and election fraud over who would be President (Wilson, 2006). The author notes that the difference in voter results didn’t make sense mathematically, indicating a clear case of voter fraud. The goal of this event was to achieve fair voting rights. Individuals that participated in the American Revolution organized a militia to participate in warfare, while those who participated in the Orange Revolution staged protests and sit-in

Reference

Griffin, E. (2010). Short history of the British industrial revolution. Palgrave.

Wilson, A. (2006). Ukraine’s orange revolution. Yale University Press.

Duran, E., & Duran, B. (1995). Native American postcolonial psychology. SUNY Press.

Parry, J. H. (1982). The Age of Reconnaissance: Discovery, Exploration, and Settlement, 1450-1650 .

Sarson, Steven, and Jack P. Greene, eds.(2010).  The American Colonies and the British Empire, 1607-1783. primary sources

Starkey, Armstrong (1998). European-Native American Warfare, 1675-1815. University of Oklahoma Press.