Liberty Challenged In Nineteenth Century America Thesis

Liberty Challenged in Nineteenth Century America Thesis and Outline Due Week 7 and

Develop a thesis statement and an outline for an essay on the significance of the slavery issue in 19th-century America, focusing on key legislative compromises, their outcomes, and the social, political, and economic forces leading to the Civil War. The assignment includes writing a one to two-page outline detailing two outcomes for each of the specified legislations, three reasons why slavery was incompatible with American systems, and 3-5 driving forces toward the Civil War, supported by at least three academic references.

Paper For Above instruction

The 19th century was a tumultuous period in American history, characterized by profound conflicts over slavery and the extent of federal and state authority. As the young nation evolved from independence to a divided society on the brink of civil war, key legislative compromises and deep-seated social tensions played pivotal roles in shaping its trajectory. Central to this period was the issue of slavery, which exposed the fundamental conflicts between regional economies, political ideologies, and moral values. Analyzing legislative acts such as the 3/5ths Compromise, the Missouri Compromise of 1820, the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the Dred Scott Decision reveals how these policies attempted to address, yet ultimately exacerbated, sectional tensions.

The 3/5ths Compromise, enacted in 1787, was designed to balance power between slave and free states by counting a slave as three-fifths of a person for congressional representation. Two notable outcomes of this compromise include the immediate increase in political power for Southern states, which relied heavily on slave labor, and its long-term contribution to sectional conflict, as it institutionalized the dehumanization of enslaved Africans. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 was another critical measure, aiming to preserve the balance of power in Congress between North and South. It resulted in two primary outcomes: the admission of Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining sectional equilibrium, and the establishment of the 36°30′ line, which delineated future free and slave territories, thus temporarily averting conflict but sowing seeds for future disputes.

The Compromise of 1850 further exemplifies attempts to quell sectional tensions. Its outcomes include the enactment of the Fugitive Slave Act, which increased federal enforcement to capture runaway slaves, and the admission of California as a free state, tipping political balance. These measures, however, intensified sectional divisions by inflaming abolitionist sentiments and making the issue of slavery more contentious. The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which repealed the Missouri Compromise's restrictions, led to increased violence in Kansas—a period known as "Bleeding Kansas"—and solidified the doctrine of popular sovereignty, allowing territories to decide the slavery issue themselves. This policy outcome further polarized the nation and contributed to the regional split.

The Dred Scott Decision of 1857 marked a judicial affirmation of pro-slavery interests, declaring that African Americans could not be citizens and that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in the territories. Outcomes include the reinforcement of slavery's legality across the expanding territories and heightened tensions leading to the Civil War, as it invalidated political compromises and fueled abolitionist opposition.

Slavery was incompatible with American political and economic systems for several reasons. First, it fundamentally violated the principles of liberty and equality espoused in the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. Second, slavery was at odds with the emerging industrial economy of the North, which required wage labor rather thanslave plantations. Third, moral and religious opposition to slavery grew increasingly vocal, challenging the legitimacy of the institution. Together, these reasons created a fundamental ideological conflict that could not be reconciled within the existing political framework.

Driving forces leading to the Civil War were complex and multifaceted. They include economic differences, with the industrial North opposing the agrarian South's reliance on slavery; political conflicts over states' rights and federal authority; cultural and social divisions that grew over the moral opposition to slavery; territorial disputes, exemplified by the expansion of slavery into new territories; and militant abolitionist movements that intensified sectional animosities. These forces combined to produce an environment where conflict became inevitable, ultimately culminating in the Civil War.

In conclusion, the legislative compromises and judicial decisions of the 19th century reflected and deepened the sectional conflicts over slavery. The outcomes of these policies underscored the incompatibility of slavery with American principles and institutions, leading to a series of tensions that erupted in civil war. Understanding these historical developments is essential to comprehending the profound social and political transformations that shaped modern America.

References

• Baker, T. (2012). Slavery and the American Civil War. University Press of Kansas.
• McPherson, J. M. (1988). Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. Oxford University Press.
• Foner, E. (2010). The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Gienapp, W. E. (2012). The Civil War and the American West. Oxford University Press.
• Stampp, K. M. (1956). The Peculiar Institution: Slavery in the Ante-Bellum South. Vintage Books.
• Wilentz, S. (2005). The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Fehrenbach, T. R. (2001). The Great Rehearsal: The Civil War Experience. Macmillan.
• Schlesinger, A. M. Jr. (2011). The Age of Jackson. Beacon Press.
• Hickman, K. (2018). Slavery's End: The Abolition of Slavery in America. Routledge.
• McPherson, J. (2003). Why Lincoln Died. Random House.