A Brief History of America

A Brief History of America provides an overview of the modern history of the United States of America through the lens of the two-party political system. It explores the good, the bad, the right, and the wrong of one of the modern world's greatest superpowers.

In the aftermath of the 2020 election, the world bore witness to the noxious political atmosphere in the United States and the deep divisions between its citizens. To those living in the present day, it would seem like American society is hurtling down a path of increasing incivility and polarization.

However, the cracks in the political and social lives of Americans have existed for generations, bursting open at different times throughout the nation’s history.

From the earliest disagreements between Founding Fathers to the Caning of Senator Charles Sumner just before the Civil War, the political climate in the United States has never been pleasant. There have always been two Americas: the one that claims to defend freedom abroad and the one perpetuating inequality and bondage at home.

Working from the aftermath of the French & Indian War up to the divisive climate of the present day, a pattern of progress and ensuing backlash comes into focus. Founded on the initial contradiction of a slave-holding society claiming that “All men are created equal”, the United States has continually struggled to fulfill that promise, but unquenchable American optimism and the hope for a brighter future persists with each generation struggling forward.