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22 - The United States in world history since the 1750s

from Part IV - World regions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 May 2015

J. R. McNeill
Affiliation:
Georgetown University, Washington DC
Kenneth Pomeranz
Affiliation:
University of Chicago
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Summary

Connections to global history were deeply embedded from early times in American experience. The United States became the chief beneficiary of that continental struggle and itself became a variety of empire. World history is a broader and more ecumenical concept than 'globalisation', a term that has been criticised for its emphasis on contemporary history, and on unilinear and unidirectional change. The genesis of the US republic is best seen within this context: the contest of the various European empires for control over North America, the Caribbean and the Atlantic economy. The United States was born in an anti-colonial revolt that helped to spark a series of revolutions in the Atlantic world of 1776-1825. The United States was principally a maritime nation at the onset of this period and its foreign trade was vital to economic development. Diseases afflicting African-American slaves were also less prevalent than in the tropical colonies of the Caribbean.
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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2015

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References

Further reading

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