On the first day of his second term in office, President Trump signed twenty executive orders (more than any other US president on his first day in office). Of these orders, the one that has arguably gotten the most media attention is the executive order to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. This particular order has become a running joke on the internet over the past week, but there are several reasons that this might stick. Lack of International RegulationFirst of all, there is no international body that has the authority to name international waters. Since no nation has jurisdiction over anything beyond its own territorial waters (and the fine print of Trump's executive order renames only the portion of the Gulf that borders US territory), there is no international body or agency that is going to be able to counteract this move. There is no expectation for Mexico (or any other country) to use the terminology. This is not the first time that two countries have referred to a shared body of water by different names. The body of water that most of the world refers to as the Persian Gulf is called the Arabian Gulf in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states who claim the majority of its coastline. The President's Authority
Cooperation of Republican GovernorsThe US Constitution created a federal system of government, in which state governments hold some of their powers independently from the federal government. As such, state authorities are not bound by any federal directive. For example, if President Trump were to rename the Pacific Ocean, he would likely encounter some pushback from the Democratic governors of California, Oregon, and Washington. However, this will not be the case with the Gulf formerly known as Mexico since all five Gulf states have Republican governors who will be more than willing to play along with the directive.
Pan-American ImplicationsAlthough US citizens are fond of referring to themselves as "Americans" and their home country as "America," that is not to say that other inhabitants of the American continents are not Americans, as well. Neither a Canadian nor Colombian is any less of an American than someone who is from the United States. While it is unlikely that President Trump meant to rename the Gulf as a gesture of Pan-American unity, a name like the Gulf of America can suggest that the Gulf is a geographical feature that unifies the people of the American continents. As I noted in a brief essay I wrote about the retreat from imperialism and the Good Neighbor policy, American presidents in the 1920s and 1930s made efforts to build Pan-American unity. During the Cold War, the cooperation between the United States and neighboring governments in Latin America was crucial for limiting the influence of communism in the Americas. It's Not That DeepPerhaps the best thing that the Gulf of America has going for it (in terms of the name having staying power) is that it's frankly not that deep. While many have responded to the executive order with memes and jokes, few (if any) have responded with anger or indignation. This is not an issue that conjures up a great deal of serious opposition. When the president of Mexico was asked for her opinion on the matter, she responded with her own joke about how beautiful it might be if she ordered the entire North American continent to be renamed Mexican America. She added that she expects to have a good working relationship with President Trump (just as her predecessor had gotten along with him during his first term in spite of hardline rhetoric about the border). If anyone were to be indignant about this, it would be Mexico's head of state; but at the end of the day, no one cares. And that just might be the best thing that the Gulf of America has going for it.
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During the so-called Gilded Age (the period of US history between Reconstruction and the Progressive Era), Americans witnessed the rise of big business. Industrial entrepreneurs, such as Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller, nearly monopolized the steel and oil industries by growing their businesses to a scale beyond what would have been thought possible just a few decades earlier.
Andrew Carnegie's Vertical Integration
John D. Rockefeller's Horizontal Integration
Comparing Vertical and Horizontal IntegrationContemporary Examples of Vertical and Horizontal Integration
This educational content correlates with Topic 6.6 (The Rise of Industrial Capitalism) in the AP® US History Course and Exam Description. AP® is a trademark registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this website.
Lecture on Vertical and Horizontal Integration
I am glad to share a sample chapter from my upcoming book, US Constitution 101, that will soon be published by Adams Media, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. Click here to read a sample chapter that addresses the protection of freedom of religion in the First Amendment.
Excerpted from US CONSTITUTION 101 by TOM RICHEY with PETER PACCONE. Copyright © 2024 by SIMON & SCHUSTER, LLC. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.
Read more about Eugene V. Debs, the iconic American labor leader:I have been working on sample responses for the 2024 AP US History exam. Currently, I have produced a complete set of sample responses for the three LEQ prompts in Set 1. I will continue to update this post as I complete more sample responses. Sample LEQ Responses (2024 AP US History Exam - Set 1)Advanced Placement® and AP® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this product.
I have been working on sample responses for the 2024 AP European History exam. Currently, I have produced a complete set of sample responses for the three LEQ prompts in Set 1. I will continue to update this post as I complete more sample responses. Sample SAQ Responses (2024 AP European History Exam - Set 1)Click here to view sample responses to the SAQs from the 2024 AP European History exam {Set 1]. Sample LEQ Responses (2024 AP European History Exam - Set 1)Advanced Placement® and AP® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this product.
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Tom RicheyI teach high school history and government in South Carolina. Archives
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