Assignment 21: Liberty Challenged In Nineteenth Centu 484549

Assignment 21liberty Challenged In Nineteenth Century America Thesi

Assignment 2.1: Liberty Challenged in Nineteenth Century America Thesis and Outline America became a free independent nation. With the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the former mother country, England, recognized that its children, the colonies, were now on their own. A constitutional republic was birthed, thus the challenges began. Slavery, the “Peculiar Institution,†was a monumental issue facing the country. Would it die or would it survive and possibly take a nation divided with it? This sectionalism followed Americans up into the Civil War. Dissect this crisis by addressing parts I and II below. For the next part of this assignment you will create an outline of the main points you want to address in this paper. This will serve as the basis for your Assignment 2.2 Final Draft. Part 1: 1. Write a thesis statement that is one to two (1-2) sentences long in which you: a. State your thesis on the significance of this slavery issue, as exemplified in your research. Justify your response. For the first part of this assignment you will create a thesis statement. A thesis statement is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your main idea to the reader. The body of the essay organizes the material you gather and present in support of your main idea. Keep in mind that a thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. Part 2: For the next part of this assignment you will create an outline of the main points you want to address in this paper. This will serve as the basis for your Assignment 2.2 Final Draft. 2. Write a one to two (1-2) page outline in which you: a. Describe two (2) outcomes of the 3/5ths Compromise, Missouri Compromise of 1820, Compromise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the Dred Scott Decision. Note: Be sure to provide two (2) outcomes for each legislation. b. Suggest three (3) reasons why slavery was and is incompatible with our political and economic system. c. List three to five (3-5) driving forces that led to the Civil War.

Paper For Above instruction

The nineteenth century in America was a period marked by profound conflicts over the sovereignty, morality, and economic implications of slavery, which ultimately posed an existential threat to the Union. The institution of slavery, often referred to as the "Peculiar Institution," was deeply intertwined with the political fabric and sectional identities of the United States, leading to a series of legislative compromises and court decisions aimed at maintaining national cohesion. The significance of the slavery issue during this period can be encapsulated in its capacity to divide the nation along sectional lines, threaten its political stability, and challenge its foundational principles of liberty and equality. This essay argues that the unresolved tensions surrounding slavery significantly contributed to the onset of the Civil War, demonstrating that the institution was incompatible with core American ideals and its evolving political and economic systems.

Thesis Statement:

The slavery debate was central to the political and social upheavals of 19th-century America, revealing fundamental conflicts between sectional interests and the nation's ideals of liberty, which ultimately led to the Civil War.

Outcomes of Key Legislation and Court Decisions

1. The Three-Fifths Compromise:

The Three-Fifths Compromise of 1787 was a pivotal agreement that counted enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person for purposes of congressional representation and taxation.

- Outcome 1: It increased the political power of slaveholding states by giving them greater representation in Congress, thereby enabling them to influence national legislation favoring slavery.

- Outcome 2: It entrenched the dehumanization of enslaved people, legally institutionalizing the notion that enslaved Africans were partial persons, which perpetuated racism and inequality.

2. Missouri Compromise of 1820:

The Missouri Compromise aimed to maintain the balance between slave and free states.

- Outcome 1: It temporarily eased sectional tensions by admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining congressional equilibrium.

- Outcome 2: It established the 36°30' line as a boundary for future slavery expansion, which later fueled sectional conflicts as new territories debated slavery’s extension.

3. Compromise of 1850:

This package of laws was designed to quell sectional strife over territorial expansion and slavery.

- Outcome 1: It allowed California to enter as a free state, tipping the balance towards free states temporarily.

- Outcome 2: The Fugitive Slave Act strengthened the enforcement of slavery in the North, provoking widespread resistance and heightening sectional animosities.

4. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854):

This act introduced "popular sovereignty" to decide slavery within territories.

- Outcome 1: It effectively repealed the Missouri Compromise line, escalating violence in Kansas ("Bleeding Kansas") and increasing tensions.

- Outcome 2: It intensified sectional divisions by making the fate of slavery in new territories a matter of local vote, thus increasing instability.

5. Dred Scott Decision (1857):

The Supreme Court ruled that African Americans could not be American citizens and that Congress lacked authority to prohibit slavery.

- Outcome 1: It invalidated the Missouri Compromise, allowing slavery to potentially spread into northern territories, inflaming abolitionist opposition.

- Outcome 2: It further polarized the nation, as it was viewed as endorsing the extension of slavery, leading to increased sectional hostility.

Reasons Why Slavery Was Incompatible with American Political and Economic Systems

1. Contradiction to Democratic Principles: Slavery denied the very principles of liberty and equality that underpinned American democracy, fostering a moral conflict that undermined the ideological foundations of the nation.

2. Economic Instability: Reliance on slave labor created economic disparities, discouraged industrial development in the South, and made the economy vulnerable to abolitionist and sectional challenges.

3. Political Divisions: The existence of slavery fostered polarization, undermining national unity and escalating tensions that crippled effective governance.

Driving Forces Leading to the Civil War

1. Sectional Economic Interests: Divergent economies—industrial North versus agrarian South—created conflicting priorities and mutual distrust.

2. Expansion of Slavery: The debate over whether new territories would expand slavery fueled tensions between abolitionists and pro-slavery advocates.

3. States’ Rights and Sovereignty: Ideological conflicts over states’ rights versus federal authority, notably over the right to abolish or preserve slavery.

4. Moral and Religious Movements: Abolitionist movements and Christian reform efforts challenged slavery’s morality, intensifying societal divisions.

5. Political Failures and Sectionalism: The inability of political parties to reconcile sectional differences resulted in fragmentation and ultimately secession.

Conclusion:

The series of legislative compromises and court rulings in the 19th century reveal the profound conflicts inherent in American society regarding slavery. These conflicts not only exposed the fragile nature of national unity but also underscored the incompatibility of slavery with American ideals and institutions, culminating in the devastating Civil War. Understanding these outcomes and driving forces provides crucial insight into how the nation was ultimately driven to the brink of disunion, and how these historical tensions continue to inform contemporary debates about race, justice, and national identity.

References

• Foner, Eric. (2010). The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery. W.W. Norton & Company.
• McPherson, James M. (1988). Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Oxford University Press.
• Finkelman, Paul. (2012). Slavery and the Founders. Routledge.
• Randall, James G. (2006). American Constitution, Federalism, and the Assertion of Judicial Power. Harvard University Press.
• Berger, Rogan. (2020). The Legal History of Slavery: The Dred Scott Decision and Beyond. Cambridge University Press.
• Wilentz, Sean. (2005). The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln. W.W. Norton & Company.
• McCarthy, Justin. (2011). Race, Religion, and the Politics of the Civil War. Cambridge University Press.
• Fehrenbach, T.R. (1995). Lone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans. University of Texas Press.
• Holzer, Harold. (2004). Lincoln and the Power of the Press: The War for Public Opinion. Fordham University Press.
• Oates, Stephen B. (2004). To Purge This Land with Blood: A Biography of John Brown. Basic Books.