American Independence as a Source of Disunion

AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE AS A SOURCE OF DISUNION
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The pre-independence period in America was characterized by higher levels of social, political and economic unity. The prevailing state of unity could be attributed to the fact that the entire populace was faced with the obligation of fighting a common enemy. For instance, over 2,500 Americans died in the period between 1777 and 1778 as a result of exposures and diseases. In this case, both the American slaves and masters, people of the lower social class and those of the middle and higher social classes were united by the common objective of fighting against the British colonial rule. Both American men and women drawn from all cultural backgrounds struggled together in the years of war. However, the post-independence period saw the emergence of social, political and economic factions in the United States. The creation of the country’s constitution in the period between 1776 and 1776 is considered as one of the greatest consequences of independence and a source of disunity . Further, the immediate post-independence period led to the advancement of the ideologies of “popular sovereignty”. The American Revolution imposed multiple limitations on the imperial rights accorded to women despite the significant roles they played in the struggle for independence. Similarly, the post-independence period was characterized by the emergence of newer challenges such as the Shay’s Rebellion, the signing of the Bill of Rights and heightened slavery. The current study argues that despite the fact that the road to disunion in the United States started with American independence, there is no way it could be avoided through the pursuit of a different policy at any time between 1776 and 1861.[Locke, Joseph L., and Ben Wright, eds. The American Yawp: A Massively Collaborative Open US History Textbook. Stanford University Press, 2019.] [Ibid]
Slavery as a Source of Disunion
Prior to the post-independence period, slavery was widely considered as a natural part of life by the elite members of the American society. For instance, key American figures such as George Washington and members of the higher social class in the south and north heavily relied on slaves based on the effective roles they played in offering cheap labor in farms, ports, and heavy industries. However, the post-independence period saw the emergence of a new set of individuals who rose to fight against slavery in the constitution making process. Further, the enslaved workers that were considered as significant players in the American Revolution were influential in creating ideal foundations that led to sectional crises. As a consequence, the United States was split into two factions; a section that embraced pro-slavery ideologies and the sect that was in total support of antislavery. Such splits imposed a radicalization effect that was inevitable. For instance, the economic booms experienced in the cotton industry called for the expansion of plantation slavery....