Essay: Provide A 1-3 Page Response (written) To The Followin

Essay: Provide a 1-3 page response (written) to the following question

There are a total of ten (10) possible points for this section. We began our class talking about “America the exception.” In other words, America was an exception to the great civilizations of the past (ancient China, Rome, Egypt, etc.) in that American society was not ruled by a monarch or religious official but by the people. The years between the establishment of the Constitution and the Civil War posed a significant challenge to the concept of the “people’s rule” in America. Construct an argumentative essay that discusses the challenges that the expansion of the federal government, the Industrial Revolution, and, most importantly, chattel slavery posed to American freedom and democracy.

Why were these issues so challenging and what did America do to “restore” power to the people? It may be helpful to consider the following issues: · The Northwest Ordinance · Internal Slave Trade · Industrialization/Lowell, Massachusetts · Urbanization · The Missouri Compromise · Texas annexation · The Compromise of 1850 · The Kansas-Nebraska Act · The Dred Scott Decision · Gettysburg Address · Black Codes · 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments

You are expected to treat this question with the same consideration you would any other essay. It should have a thesis. It should be properly organized. It should be written in complete sentences.

Paper For Above instruction

The founding of the United States was rooted in the revolutionary idea that government derives its legitimacy from the consent of the governed, emphasizing the sovereignty of the people. Yet, in the period between the ratification of the Constitution and the Civil War, this ideal faced profound challenges that threatened the core principles of American democracy and freedom. The expansion of the federal government, rapid industrialization, and the egregious institution of chattel slavery significantly strained the notion of a government truly accountable to the people. These issues not only tested the resilience of American democracy but also prompted efforts to “restore” power to the people through various political compromises, legal reforms, and ideological shifts.

One of the earliest challenges to American democratic ideals was the expansion of federal authority, exemplified by measures such as the Northwest Ordinance, which established the process for territories to become states and emphasized civil liberties and self-governance. However, as the nation grew, so too did conflicts over states’ rights and federal power, especially concerning slavery and economic policies. The Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850 were pivotal in attempting to balance the interests of free and slave states, revealing the political tension surrounding the expansion of slavery and territorial sovereignty. These compromises aimed to preserve the union and reaffirm the idea that the people—or their elected representatives—could govern through consensus, though they often deferred difficult moral questions.

The advent of the Industrial Revolution, centered in places like Lowell, Massachusetts, and driven by technological innovations, dramatically transformed American society. Industrialization fostered urbanization, creating economic opportunities and expanding the workforce, but it also raised concerns about workers’ rights and social inequality. The rise of factories and low wages prompted labor movements to advocate for better conditions and recognition of the “people’s” economic interests. Meanwhile, urbanization and the internal slave trade, especially in the Deep South, intensified the contradiction between American ideals of liberty and the reality of racial slavery. The Dred Scott decision epitomized this conflict, ruling that African Americans could not be citizens and thereby denying the fundamental rights that democracy promised.

Slavery, particularly chattel slavery, was perhaps the greatest obstacle to American democracy. It epitomized the paradox of a nation committed to liberty yet practicing human bondage. The abolitionist movement sought to address this contradiction directly, culminating in the passage of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery, and the subsequent 14th and 15th Amendments, which aimed to secure civil rights and voting rights for all citizens. These amendments represented efforts to restore sovereignty to “the people,” particularly previously disenfranchised groups, and to realize the democratic ideals articulated by leaders like Abraham Lincoln. Yet, the implementation of Black Codes and other discriminatory practices post-Reconstruction revealed that economic and racial inequalities persisted, undermining genuine democratic participation.

The Civil War and its aftermath, including the Gettysburg Address, redefined the meaning of American democracy, emphasizing the need for national unity and the proposition that all men are created equal. The war’s outcome led to a reassertion of federal authority, yet the struggle over racial equality and economic opportunity persisted. The ongoing resistance to Reconstruction, the rise of Jim Crow laws, and internal migration patterns demonstrated that the path to truly including all Americans in the democratic process was fraught with challenges and setbacks.

In conclusion, the period between the founding of the Constitution and the Civil War was marked by profound struggles to uphold and expand American ideals of freedom and democracy. The expansion of federal power, industrialization, and slavery all posed significant challenges by exposing deep divisions and inequalities. However, through legislative compromises, constitutional amendments, and ideological shifts, America sought to “restore” and redefine power to the people. These efforts laid the groundwork for ongoing struggles to realize the nation’s founding promise of equality and self-governance for all citizens.

References

• Bailyn, B. (1992). The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. Harvard University Press.
• Foner, E. (2010). The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery. W. W. Norton & Company.
• McPherson, J. M. (1988). Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Oxford University Press.
• Wood, G. S. (1992). The Radicalism of the American Revolution. Vintage Books.
• Eric Foner. (2015). Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877. Harper & Row.
• Hofstadter, R. (1955). The Age of Reform: From Bryan to F.D.R. Vintage Books.
• Holt, M. (1992). The Political Crisis of the 1850s. Routledge.
• Norton, M. B. (1996). A People and a Nation: A History of the United States. Houghton Mifflin.
• Schlesinger, A. M. (2011). The Age of Jackson. Mariner Books.
• Friedman, L. M. (2005). A History of the American People. Little, Brown and Company.