The expanding United States : the rise of nationalism, 1812-1820
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (pages [90-91]) and index.

Outlines the early-19th-century expansion movement in the United States, with emphasis on the history of Florida. By the beginning of the 1800s, America was a young country led by a new generation of hot-blooded leaders, men who pushed hard for war in defense of American rights on the seas and at home. They were eager to teach Europe's older nations a lesson and they wanted to extend U. S. Territory. The war of 1812 swelled out of these tensions, as did war in Florida against Spain. At the end of these conflicts, America emerged as a nation with which to be reckoned. The people of the United States also came to believe that their mission was to extend the "boundaries of freedom" to others. They sought to spread democracy to other lands and other people. As you read this book, you may be struck with the parallels to modern history. The United States continues to struggle with many of the same concepts. How do the demands of democracy and human rights balance with the demands of a nation's self-interest? Issues like this one shaped the growth of the young United States of the 1800s and they continue to shape modern America's destiny.