The Concept Of Soveriegnity I Essay, Research Paper

The concept of Soveriegnity in the Making of the American People

sov Per Peign Pty

n. pl. sov Per Peign Pties

1. Supremacy of authority or rule as exercised by a sovereign or sovereign state.

2. Royal rank, authority, or power.

3. Complete independence and self-government.

4. A territory existing as an independent state.

Submitted to:

Jamil Rasheed

History & Culture of North America

Submitted by:

Umair Bin Zubair

2001-02-0132

K We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness K

The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen United States of America in Congress, July 4, 1776.

The making of a nation is strongly related to the development and stregthening of different factors which include trade,culture and interests, among other factors. Before discussing the factor we have to understand the background and the underlying reason which lead to the building of nations and the strive for soveriegnty.

The purpose of this research paper is to understand, identify and interrelate the factors governing the concept of sovereignty in the formation of the American Nation. I ll start by defining what the concept of soveriegnty means in the true sense of the word and then reflect upon the developing the concept in the early North America. I ll discuss economic factors governing the nation-building in North America including early trade (on the river routes) and the mechanized trade routes of the railroads, the generation of surplus through agriculture, land resources and other industrial units. Then I will concentrate on the strengthening of the idea of soveriegnity throught the immigration of people of diverse cultures, professional background, classes and ideologies. The effect of British emperialism and French colonialism will also be discussed as a major element in the development of sovereignty in North America.

Lastly I will conclude by explaining the evolution of the concept of being soveriegn through the need to preserve common interests, ideas and markets. The provision of independence and power, due the above discussed factors, to the individuals of the American society, lead to the creation of the American nation and then a nation-state which serves and protect the United States of America.

h Definition

Sovereignty.

Sovereignty is the independence and the power as exercised by an individual or a state. It is the power of an individual or a state to make decision regarding their future in social, economin, political and every other aspect of life. A soveriegn individual is free to mould his life according to his ideologies and faith regardless of the morals and ethical bindings of the society. Soveriegnty is the property which defines a nation by highlighting interest zones for that particular nation. The interest zones may be cultural (in the case of Quebec) or economical (in the case of United States of America).

h Background

The age of the new discovery was the age of British Imperialism, with the Crown controlling almost half or more of the known world. The British were expanding overseas and establishing imperialism in India, Africa, the Ottoman Empire and Persia, China, and North and South America. One of the main reason behind the colonial expansion was the maintaining the property income and privilege at home of the British ruling elite in a time of social upheaval and revolution. In the wake of Christopher Columbus in 1492, however, the Spanish influence was devastating. The Spaniards settled in Hispaniola and the neighboring islands. Not immune to the diseases imported by the Spaniards, the Arawak and Carib populations declined sharply, the Arawak disappearing from the islands. The Aztecs and the Mayas of Mexico and Guatemala were also conquered, and their numbers also declined. On the islands, black Africans were brought to replace Indian workers. In Mexico and Central America the populations were increased by the descendants of intermarriages between Spanish and Indians. Along the St. Lawrence the French also intermarried with the Indian inhabitants. The English, Dutch, and Swedes profoundly reduced the Indian population in the Northeast.

So the immigration and the movement of people to the New Land was from all over Europe, with the concentration of population from countries which dominated the Sea Trade (which include Britain, Spain, Italy and Germany). The background of immigrants and explorers of different nationalities and ethnicities