The American System

Your paper should have an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement as the last sentence in the paragraph, several well-organized supporting paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph that sums of the main points of your paper and demonstrates to your reader that the thesis has been supported with evidence. Does your paper still support the topic you chose in the beginning of class ?
Be sure that the thesis statement of the introduction you drafted in the beginning of class is still strong enough to support your topic
(This was the original outline that you wrote)
The American System
The American System was an economic policy proposed by Henry Clay in 1824 to improve and stabilize the economy by introducing a protective tariff to allow the country to raise money from these taxes (Baxter, 2014). The reason for selecting this topic is that it had a strong nationalist appeal. Developing home markets would protect the country from uncertain foreign events. Economic independence could also ensure that America was protected from insufficient goods caused by distant conflicts (Ha, 2015).
Clay's plan was influenced by the war of 1812 that spiked nationalism and inspired some members of Congress to seek ways of uniting the nation economically (Van Atta, 2011). These members intended to force the US to become independent instead of depending on Great Britain. In 1824, Clay proposed the American system to solve the puzzle. Sections of America would produce specific goods and sell them to other regions (Baxter, 2014). Clay called for the federal government to implement protective tariffs and international improvements (Grodzins, 1966). He also suggested that the national bank should help develop the country's economy.
Clay's principal argument was that protecting the country's manufacturers from foreign competition would spur America's industries to grow through ever-increasing internal markets (Ha, 2015). The plan had three main components: transportation, revenue, and federal bank. Transportation consisted of developing infrastructure like roads, bridges, and canals to promote trade and increase market accessibility (Van Atta, 2011). Revenue would be raised by introducing tariffs and selling public land. Tariffs would protect American commodities from imports (Baxter, 2014). The funds collected from land sales and tariffs would be deposited at the federal bank.
The American system is of interest to the larger study of history because it explains how America's economy came to stabilize. It is worth noting that this plan is one of the most effective government programs in American history that aimed to balance the nation's economy (Baxter, 2014). The American system paved the way for the US to improve itself economically. The plan also helped the US enhance wealth and power, thus marking the country's economic stability (Magness, 2015). Simply put, this topic tells how the American system shaped the country's economy. History depicts that advanced America's infrastructure improved trade and economic stability witnessed in today's economy.
Part 2
The American system was a plan proposed by Henry Clay in 1824 (Van Atta, 2011). Before 1812, America relied on Great Britain for economic survival. The war of 1812 triggered nationalism and the need to unite the country economically (Ha, 2015). Clay proposed an economic plan in 1824, aimed to make American an independent economy by introducing tariffs, internal improvements, and a national bank that would help develop the economy (Baxter, 2014). The system shaped the American economy because it led to the advancement of infrastructure and economic stability through the increase in the country's wealth, power, and population.
Outline
Introduction
Thesis: The American system shaped the American economy because it led to improved infrastructure and economic stability through the increase in the country's wealth, power, and population.
Historical background
The American system was created in 1824 following the war of 1812 that spiked nationalism and called for economic unity in the US (Baxter, 2014).
Effects
The system increased the nation's wealth, power, and population (Ha, 2015). This increase in wealth, power, and population promoted trade and economic stability in the US.
Conclusion
The American system shaped the American economy by promoting trade and economic stability. It became the most logical expression of economic nationalism realized in the first half of the nineteenth century.
References
Baxter, M. G. (2014). Henry Clay and the American system. Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky.
Grodzins, M. (1966). The American system: A new view of government in the United States. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers.
Ha, S. (2015). The Rise and Fall of the American System: Nationalism and the Development of the American Economy, 1790-1837. London: Routledge.
Magness, P. W. (2015). The American system and the political economy of black colonization. Journal of the History of Economic Thought, 37 (2), 187-202.
Van Atta, J. R. (2011). Western lands and the political economy of Henry Clay's American system, 1819-1832. Journal of the Early Republic, 21 (4), 633-665.