Running head: Diversity and Inclusion in the U.S.

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The Concepts oI Diversity and Inclusion in
U.S. Society, Culture and Global Society
Frederic Lynes
Excelsior College













Diversity and Inclusion in the U.S. 2

bstract
2erica as we know it today was born out oI several needs: the need to escape religious
persecution, the need to expand e2pires and the need to increase one`s lot in liIe. When the Iirst
Europeans arrived in the New World, they discovered that they were not the Iirst at all. Tens oI
thousands oI years ago, people leIt sia and crossed the land bridge, which connected Russia to
laska, so2eti2e during the Ice ge. With ti2e, these people split into 2any diIIerent tribes and
settled throughout North and South 2erica. These Native 2ericans were the Iaces the
Europeans saw, when they landed on the shores oI 2erica. Not all tribes were Iriendly; so2e
saw these newco2ers as a threat and waged war, but there was one weapon that would prove
2ore deadly than any other, disease. s the ravages oI s2allpox, typhoid, 2easles and other
2aladies wiped out the 'Indians, as Christopher Colu2bus 2istakenly called the2, 2ore and
2ore Europeans ca2e to 2erica. Colonies Iro2 each 2ajor e2pire grew; the British do2inated
the Mid-tlantic and Northern part oI 2erica, the Spanish controlled Florida, the Southwest
and the Western coast; the French controlled the Midwest. Other countries established their own
colonies, but they would be absorbed through war or purchase. It was the British colonies that
would prove to be 2ost prosperous, thanks to the natural resources and slaves Iro2 Irica, both
oI which were abundant, but what Britain could not Ioresee was that these colonists would revolt
and declare independence. Out oI war, the United States was born. Three 2ajor cultures would
struggle to live with each other: the White 2erican settlers, the 2erican Indians and the
Irican slaves. The White 2ericans would prove to be the do2inant culture, but it was the
Irican slaves who contributed to its success and growth. UnIortunately, the losing culture
would be the Native 2ericans. They lost their lands, little by little, pushed onto reservations.
Entire tribes would disappear Iorever. Others would arrive and contribute to 2erica`s success.
Diversity and Inclusion in the U.S. 3

pproxi2ately 11,000 years ago, the Iirst settlers ca2e to North 2erica. These people
probably ca2e Iro2 sia and crossed over a land bridge on the Bering Strait, during the Ice ge
(Brinkley, 2010). These no2ads spread throughout what would eventually beco2e the United
States, splitting into around 2,500 diIIerent tribes (Indian Tribes oI the United States, 2011).
So2e tribes were no2adic hunter-gatherers; others were static hunter-Iar2ers. Each tribe was
separate and had a distinct culture and language. Most tribes lived in relative peace, believing
that nature was sacred and should be shared (Group, 2010).
In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon sailed northwest Iro2 Puerto Rico. He landed at
present-day St. ugustine and na2ed the new land 'Pascua de Florida, which translates to
'Feast oI Flowers, because they had Iirst sighted the land on Pal2 Sunday (Juan Ponce de Leon,
2005). Spain was interested in padding its coIIers with gold and silver, which the New World
had in abundance. For the next 300 years, the Spaniards would 2ine well over ten ti2es the
a2ount oI gold and silver in 2erica than all the rest oI the world`s 2ines co2bined (Brinkley,
2010). Spain was also interested in converting the natives, who lived in the 2ericas, to
Catholicis2. The inIluence oI the Catholic Church spread throughout the southern part oI North
2erica, as well as Central and South 2erica (Brinkley, 2010).
The Indians did not always convert willingly. They did not like that the Spaniards were raping
their lands and their wo2en. Many tribes waged war, in an atte2pt to drive the2 away. The
advanced weapons technology oI the Spaniards was no 2atch Ior the Indians, and 2any tribes
2et their Iate at the end oI the Spanish guns. There was one thing, however, that would ravage
the Indians Iar 2ore than any 2an-2ade weapon could, disease. Because the Indians were
separated by two oceans, disease was a relatively unknown concept in North 2erica. s a
result, the Indians had no i22unity. When the Spaniards arrived, they brought s2allpox,
Diversity and Inclusion in the U.S. 4

typhoid, 2easles and cholera, a2ong other diseases (Brinkley, 2010). These diseases wiped out
entire tribes. Spain`s do2ination oI the New World was just a result oI exposure to inIection.
The Spaniards saw the Indians as savages, who weren`t civilized and needed to be eradicated.
Disease allowed Spain to co2plete their exter2ination and subjugation oI 2any tribes (Ober,
2011).
lthough John Cabot sailed to the northeastern coast oI 2erica in 1497, England would not
colonize the New World until 1607, when the Iirst per2anent settle2ent was established at
Ja2estown, in Virginia (Brinkley, 2010). England`s 2otivation Ior establishing colonies in
2erica was not unlike Spain`s, however they were also driven by 2ercantilis2, which was the
idea that a nation should export 2ore than it i2ported and accu2ulate bullion to 2ake up the
diIIerence (Highways, 2011). Ja2estown struggled, due to the Iact that the settlers had to cope
with diseases that they had never encountered beIore, such as 2alaria. They were also subject to
Irequent attacks by Indians. By 1608, when additional settlers and supplies arrived Iro2
England, there were only 38 oI the original 104 colonists leIt in the settle2ent (Brinkley, 2010).
In 1609, King Ja2es I granted a charter to the Virginia Co2pany, which oIIered stock to Iar2ers
who were willing to co2e to 2erica. It wasn`t until 1612 when John RolIe began planting
tobacco; England soon Iound its cash crop, and seven years later the House oI Burgesses was
created to represent and legislate the various co22unities in Virginia (Brinkley, 2010).
s 2ore settlers arrived Iro2 England to Iind their Iortunes in tobacco, the need Ior 2ore labor
increased as well. t Iirst, white workers were recruited to work in the colonies. They were oIten
people who could not aIIord to pay Ior their own passage to 2erica. These indentured servants
were contracted to work Ior plantation owners Ior a Iixed ter2, usually Iour to seven years
(Ha22ond, 1656). In 1619, 20 Iricans aboard a Dutch privateer vessel, the White Lion, were
Diversity and Inclusion in the U.S. 3

brought to Ja2estown and sold, in exchange Ior goods. lthough a census taken Iive 2onths
earlier in Virginia listed 32 Iricans, these 20 Iricans are considered to be the Iirst slaves in the
New World (ShiIIlett, 1998). The Irican slave trade would prove to be just as lucrative as
tobacco, to the detri2ent oI an entire culture.
The next hundred years would see 2erica grow by leaps and bounds. lthough the new
colonies prospered, they were being subjugated by the Crown, 2ainly in the Ior2 oI oppressive
tariIIs and laws, which restricted who the colonies could trade with. The colonists` resent2ent
grew, leading to rebellion and eventually to revolution. In July oI 1776, the colonies declared
their independence Iro2 England, but it would be another 5 years beIore the Revolutionary War
turned in the colonies` Iavor, when General Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown on
October 17
th
, 1781 (Brinkley, 2010). Two years later, the United States oI 2erica would
oIIicially be Iree oI England`s bonds.
The United States began to grow and so did its need to expand. Plantation owners sought to
acquire 2ore property to grow their crops, which included cotton as the new cash crop to rival
tobacco. In 1803 President JeIIerson purchased the territory oI Louisiana Iro2 French E2peror
Napoleon Ior approxi2ately 15 2illion dollars. JeIIerson`s deal doubled the size oI the United
States and provided plantation owners with the land they desperately wanted (Brinkley, 2010).
Over the next 25 years, and another war with England, the United States would prove to the
world that it was a powerIul nation. More people looking Ior a better liIe i22igrated and
contributed to the Great Melting Pot.
One oI these people was the Chinese. Their i22igration is generally classiIied into three periods.
They began arriving in 1849, with the CaliIornia Gold Rush. They had a proIound eIIect on
2erica. They supplied labor Ior Iactories, worked in wool 2ills, and cigar, shoe, and gar2ent
Diversity and Inclusion in the U.S. 6

industries. In CaliIornia, they provided one quarter oI the work Iorce. t the end oI the Civil
War, the Chinese beca2e substitute labor Ior the Ireed slaves in the South. They were also
instru2ental in helping to build the Nation`s railroads. The Central PaciIic Railroad e2ployed
approxi2ately 15,000 Chinese laborers to build the Transcontinental Railroad. s the West
grew, it no longer depended on the East Ior products; it now produced its own products, with the
help oI the Chinese. In 1882, the Chinese population oI the United States was about 110,000,
however the Chinese Exclusion ct put an end to the Iirst period oI Chinese i22igration in the
United States (Tong, 2011). Had it not been Ior the contributions oI the Chinese, 2erica would
not have grown as quickly as it did.
nother group directly responsible Ior the United States` growth was the Irish. By the 1840`s,
al2ost halI oI the i22igrants in the United States were Irish. The Irish Potato Fa2ine oI 1845
was directly responsible Ior so 2any Irish i22igrants, who were seeking to i2prove their lives,
both econo2ically and socially. Since Ireland belonged to Britain, Catholics were looked down
upon, and the religious Ireedo2s that the United States oIIered appealed to 2any Irish. Most oI
the Irish i22igrants lived on the east coast. They were oIten willing to do jobs that 'Nativists,
people who were descendants oI the original nglo-Saxon colonists, were unwilling to do. They
worked in textile and steel Iactories, and they were oIten used as labor to break strikes. Nativist
resent2ent grew against the Irish, resulting in the burning oI two Catholic churches in
Philadelphia, in 1844. By 1859, 55 oI the residents oI New York City were Irish. During the
Civil War, the Irish Brigade distinguished itselI at such battles as Fredericksburg, Sharpsburg,
and Gettysburg. Their strong religious belieIs, culture and love oI their new country uniIied
the2. Iter the Civil War, the Irish Iound their way west, working alongside the Chinese, during
the construction oI the Transcontinental Railroad (Kenney, 2008).
Diversity and Inclusion in the U.S. 7

Conclusion
2erica began as a nation oI people who originated in sia. s 2erica grew, the Indian
culture would be replaced by the 2erican culture, which would eventually beco2e, by 1870, a
hodgepodge oI i22igrants looking to i2prove their lives. People Iro2 all walks oI liIe would
contribute to the growth oI the United States, so2e 2ore than others. The Iricans brought to
2erica and enslaved without a doubt helped 2erica to establish itselI econo2ically by
providing Iree labor in the plantation Iields oI the South. The Irish and the Chinese also
contributed greatly to 2erica`s social, de2ographic and econo2ic expansion by replacing the
Irican slave as a cheap labor source and ensuring the United States` continued prosperity.












Diversity and Inclusion in the U.S. 8

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