Three Trends in the History of the United States

The United States of America is presently a byproduct of its past as a nation. The cultural, social, economic, and political life of its early twenty-first-century civilization has been shaped by a number of trends that have their roots in earlier eras. The majority of these trends can be dated to its inception, though some have accelerated or evolved since the 1930s. Some of them have a consistent pattern over time, while others move in the same general direction but rise and decline at various intervals. People sometimes confuse patterns with events, so it’s important to understand the distinction between the two. A trend refers to a long-term pattern that develops over time, while an event refers a particular occurrence at a given time. This paper identifies three of these trends and describes their development and effects from their early period to the present-day. These trends include the following: The increased role of the United States as a global police force, the struggle of African-Americans for equal rights since the 1930s, and the building up of atomic weapons since the Manhattan project.

The role of the United States as a worldwide police force

The United States world is considered to be a global police force because it enforces some universal standard with the threat of force or reality if that does not work). It has been able to achieve that at an international scale because it has a powerful military. Its role as a global police force was laid out openly by President Truman during his inaugural speech in 1949. The United States has always endeavored to support worldwide governance efforts, protect nations that love freedom against aggression, sustain global economic recovery, and support the economic development of developing nations (Foner). It also shares technical and scientific advances with less developed countries to help them catch up with its standards (Perito).

The United States has been involved in several military conflicts, which have affected the world for many years. Its leaders have always put forward that it will never be deterred from claiming its global leadership role and that it will never be distracted from what has to be done. They have had firm conviction that they are heir to a freedom legacy and the nation is always ready to do what is needed to protect that legacy for every generation (Foner). It has intervened during various conflicts to promote global safety, for example, it sent troops to Kuwait during the Persian Gulf War in 1990 to stop the progression of the Iraqi invasion and protect the citizens of Kuwait. That intervention was known as Operation Desert Storm. It also invaded Vietnam in 1973 to stop Communism from spreading into Vietnam since it was a highly dreaded ideology (Perito).

It invaded Afghanistan and Iraq to fight terror and spread democracy. It sent troops to various countries such as Libya and Syria to remove despotic rulers and free the citizens from oppression. It also invaded Yemen, Pakistan, and Oman to bring down terror organizations who have threatened the global safety. It has also initiated various military operations to keep countries such as Russia and Ukraine in check since it perceives them as a threat to global stability (Perito).

The struggle of African-Americans for equality since the 1930s

Since the 1930s, the African-Americans struggled to end racial discrimination and attain equality and democracy for all. However, progress towards equality remained slow for many years, more so between the 1950s and 1970s. This slow rate resulted in frustration among the African-Americans thus prompting them to form grassroots movements like the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). They believed that the non-confrontational approaches, which the majority of African-American leaders used to drive change were not sufficient, for instance, demonstrations, marches, lawsuits for rights in law courts, or demanding tougher civil rights laws. Groups such as the Black Panthers and individuals like Malcolm X preferred more confrontational approaches such as the use of violence to force the whites to yield to their demands such as using direct action campaigns. These activists demanded Black Pride and Black Power, not integration into the white community and their position was attractive to many African Americans, particularly after the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr in 1968 (Lumen).

The struggles led to the enactment of different legislations intended to promote equality. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy reached out to the Congress to enact new civil rights laws to promote equality among all Americans. In 1964, President Johnson B. Lyndon ratified the Civil Rights Act, which banned the unequal application of qualifications to vote by race and government discrimination. It prohibited segregation as well as other kinds of discrimination by various enterprises that served the public, including restaurants, theaters, and hotels. It also outlawed apartheid based on national origin, sex, race, religion, or ethnicity in the workplace and schools (Foner). In 1965, the legislature passed the Voting Rights Act to promote democracy by allowing the African-Americans to take part in elections. President Truman also made an executive decision to desegregate the military of the United States and give the African-Americans an equal opportunity to serve in the defense forces.

While the African-American community has achieved a lot concerning ending racial discrimination, the struggle for equality has continued for several years. Many African-American organizations in the history of the U.S. have demanded appreciation as equal citizens (Foner). Their struggles for equality and freedom have been notable, arguably the most violent, longest, and greatest efforts and provided the moral and legal foundation for reforms (Lumen). The current concerns of the African-American community revolve around poverty caused by the legacies of slavery. Even though the mood of the public seems to have changed toward concern about economic inequality, policy amendments to improve the economic status of the African-American community have not followed (Lumen).

The building up of atomic weapons since the Manhattan project

Before World War II (1939-1945), the United States was concerned about the race for the development of the atomic bomb and nuclear threat various countries posed. For example, Germany had capable engineers and scientists, high-grade uranium compounds, a heavy-water plant, and the most sophisticated chemical engineering industry globally. In 1939, Albert Einstein sent a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt explaining the potential danger of nuclear development (Foner). He stated that uranium had the capacity to undergo nuclear fission and produce enormous energy as well as a sustained nuclear reaction. That could aid the construction of highly powerful and destructive atomic bombs that could be delivered by air and ship (Womack).

Fearing that Japan or Germany could build such an atomic weapon, President Roosevelt, on 12th May 1942, authorized the establishment of a project to create this nuclear weapon under the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Indeed, this program was the biggest secret project the government of the United States has ever undertaken (Foner). Its initial name was “Development of Substitute Materials” though there were concerns that the name suggested the real purpose of the project. Therefore, it was named ”The Manhattan Project.” It included more than thirty research and development sites though it was chiefly undertaken in Los Alamos in New Mexico, Oak Ridge in Tennessee, and Hanford in Washington (Good).

This project led to the production of three different atomic bombs. The first atomic bomb was a test model and was referred to as ”Gadget.” The United States never conducted further tests because of expensive and slow rates of production for explosive material. The second bomb, ”Little Boy,” was detonated over Hiroshima, and the third bomb, known as ”Fat Man” was denoted over Nagasaki. It enabled the United States to get to the bottom of the atom’s mysteries though it also led to the development of the most destructive weapon humankind has ever known. This project became a precursor in nuclear development and control and marked the commencement of a period of scientific discovery and nuclear weapons. The United States has produced over 70,000 nuclear warheads since 1945, and this figure is beyond the other nuclear weapon states combined. Studies indicate that it kept an arsenal of 5,113 nuclear warheads as well as facilities for their design and construction in 2010. By 2012, the number of nuclear warheads had increased to 7,700 (Good).

Conclusion

Indeed, the United States is a product of its past given that several trends with origins in previous periods shaped its cultural, social, economic, and political position. Potential threats to peace and stability in various parts of the world have made it intervene in various conflicts across the globe in an attempt to protect the civilian population. That has made it assume the role of a global police force. Its political and social position has also been shaped by the struggles of the African-American community for equality and freedom, which have led to several policy changes. The Manhattan Project also enabled it to unravel the mysteries of nuclear energy and commence a period of scientific discovery and nuclear weapons

Works Cited

Foner, Eric. An American History: Give me Liberty! New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2016.

Good, Chris. ”How Many Nuclear Weapons Does the US Have? Don’t Ask a Congressman.“ 21 June 2013. ABC News. .

Lumen. ”The African American Struggle for Equality.“ 4 January 2017. Lumen Learning. .

Perito, Robert M. U.S. Police in Peace and Stability Operations. Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace, 2007.

Womack, Seth M. Atomic Army: the roles of the U.S. Army in America’s nuclear endeavors. Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School, 2014.