Sarah's APUSH Blog

The United States declares that they are no longer open to new European Colonizers in the Americas. Colonies that already exist may remain the way that they stood, but no other new colonies could be formed. Any act made by a European nation against the United States or to form a new colony would be seen by the U.S. as an act of War. The United States would remain out of European affairs as well. At the beginning of World War 2 the United States used a similar policy on foreign affairs, which was basically if the U.S. could avoid conflict with Europe then that was the goal.  

Thomas Jefferson used his address to attempt to unite the people by avoiding the dispute between the two factions. Jefferson says that the people should not let factions divide them. Jefferson also encouraged people to openly speak out towards the government as it is a right given to them in the Constitution. Jefferson spoke in his address about his policy of isolationism for the U.S.'s foreign policy. Finally, Jefferson acknowledged he would make mistakes, but to forgive him as he is aware of his imperfections. The inaugural address touches on points that George Washington had warned his successors about, such as factions and a foreign policy of neutrality which is a form of isolationism. 

Although some historians say that Christopher Columbus was a man to be celebrated and to name a day in U.S. history about, in fact he was more accurately a villain. On one expedition Columbus found no gold, but knew he needed to bring something of value back to Spain he decided to kidnap the Arawak's people to be sold back in Spain. Another example of Columbus being a villain was that he and other Spaniards were responsible for the genocide of nearly half of the Arawak's population on the island of Haiti in only two years. On the island of Cuba the Indians were completely controlled by the Spaniards, and were forced to do anything and everything that the Spaniards commanded and those that did not comply were knifed. American slavery included the forced labor of African Americans who were treated unfairly and even forced to work until they died, similar to the Spaniards treatment of the Indians who were punished using a knife.