Us History Analysis Essay Example
Us History Analysis Essay Example

Us History Analysis Essay Example

Available Only on StudyHippo
  • Pages: 5 (1225 words)
  • Published: December 12, 2016
  • Type: Research Paper
View Entire Sample
Text preview

Is it justifiable for people to openly violate laws that they disapprove of and consider immoral, such as the Fugitive Slave Act? Throughout U.S. history, what has been the fate of such laws? Should the majority always have the final say? Personally, I believe that if a law is so immoral that it causes harm, one has an obligation to disobey it. The Fugitive Slave Act, for example, mandated that the federal government assist owners in recapturing runaway slaves, denying these individuals any legal recourse to fight against being returned to slavery. As a result, numerous conflicts arose between Northern abolitionists and Southern slave owners in the 1850s. [Continued]

The start of the next decade saw the rendering of the Fugitive Slave Law meaningless due to the U.S. Civil War. When the U.S. Civil War

...

began in 1861, the states in the North ignored the Fugitive Slave Law, claiming that they were bound by a higher law. They argued that since they were at war with the South, fugitive slaves were considered contraband of that war and therefore did not need to be returned. All slaves gained their freedom after the war through the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The war with Mexico created a conflict over slavery as many northerners believed that southerners desired to acquire Mexican territory to extend slavery. Sectionalism and slavery had long divided the United States, but the situation worsened before the Civil War. The southern states not only practiced slavery but also attempted to expand it into the newly acquired territories with the implementation of a stricter Fugitive Slave Act. This Act compelled northerner

View entire sample
Join StudyHippo to see entire essay

to accept and safeguard slavery, making it illegal to hide or assist any escaped slave in free territories.

The South's refusal to give up slavery and the North's determination to fight against it resulted in a stalemate. As a result, many southern slaves were recaptured and northern abolitionists had to pause their efforts. The opposing interests of both sides were too strong for them to find a resolution, ultimately leading to an inevitable war over slavery. Additionally, the changing social conditions for women in the early 1800's, along with the concept of equality, played a role in sparking the women's rights movement.

For instance, the increased education and involvement of women in reform movements led to their engagement in politics, prompting them to question why they were not permitted to vote. In 1848, the first public demand for woman suffrage was made. Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, two activists, organized a women's rights convention in Seneca Falls, N.Y., Stanton's place of residence. During the convention, both men and women approved a Declaration of Sentiments advocating for equal rights for women in areas such as education, property ownership, voting, and other relevant matters.

The text below has beenand unified, keeping the and their contents:

The declaration, modeled after the Declaration of Independence, declares that all men and women are created equal. Suffrage quickly became the main objective of the women's rights movement, as its leaders believed that gaining the right to vote would enable them to secure other rights. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858 consisted of seven debates between Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln and incumbent Stephen A.

Douglas and Lincoln, both

vying for an Illinois Senate seat, were engaged in a fierce campaign. The outcome would determine which party would gain control of the Illinois legislature, as back then, U.S. Senators were elected by state legislatures. Slavery was the central topic of discussion throughout all seven debates. The debates received extensive newspaper coverage, with reporters from influential Chicago papers present to transcribe the debates in their entirety. These transcripts were subsequently published nationwide, albeit with some partisan modifications.

Newspapers supporting Douglas edited his speeches to remove errors made by stenographers and correct grammar, while leaving Lincoln's speeches in their rough transcribed form. Similarly, Republican papers edited Lincoln's speeches but left the reported Douglas texts. The Panic of 1837, which triggered the most severe depression experienced by the United States at that time, was primarily caused by a surge in land speculation driven by readily available and inexpensive credit.

The Panic of 1837 resulted in increased unemployment, business failures, and widespread bankruptcy across the country. It caused a total closure of 343 out of 850 banks and partial failure in an additional 62 banks. President Andrew Jackson's economic policies, which involved mistrust of the National Bank and refusal to renew its charter in 1829, are often held responsible for creating the conditions leading to the panic. Jackson also relocated federal funds from the National Bank to state and private banks.

The controversial annexation of Texas arose from the fact that many people living in the area that became Texas were either Mexican or loyal to the Spanish crown. The main source of controversy was the event that triggered the U.S.-Mexican War: a battle in disputed

lands. While the United States claimed possession of all lands down to the Rio Grande River, Mexico believed their borders extended much further north to the Nueces River, which is around 150 miles north of the Rio Grande.

President James K. Polk dispatched General (and later President) Zachary Taylor and the army to the Rio Grande in order to establish a fort. The Mexicans, upon witnessing the construction of the fort on what they believed was their territory, retaliated by sending 2,000 troops to attack a U.S. scout force comprising only 70 American soldiers. Upon learning of this assault, Polk implored Congress to declare war on Mexico for encroaching upon American land. Congress consented, and by May of 1846, hostilities had commenced between the two nations.

The controversy surrounding the Texas Annexation stemmed from its approval by Congress through a simple majority vote instead of a treaty. Despite the absence of a treaty between the United States and Texas for the annexation, Congress passed a joint resolution to annex Texas. In October 1845, the annexation of Texas to the United States was officially approved through a popular vote in Texas. It is interesting to question why individuals who witnessed slavery in the south would present such contrasting accounts. Additionally, considering what would have happened to slavery if it had been left untouched leads to speculation about its future.

Eyewitnesses are notoriously unreliable. This is a sentiment shared by police officers all over the world. The act of slavery was not a minor crime that only a select few witnessed; it was a widespread institution with varying degrees of severity in different

locations. Additionally, there were individuals who believed in their own superiority as white people and consequently felt entitled to keep black people enslaved. Though this argument is now considered baseless, it held weight in pre-Civil War America.

If slavery had been left untouched, people would continuously strive to gain their freedom. Additionally, more and more white individuals would recognize the injustice of slavery, potentially leading to a civil war. The Haitian Revolution evoked various responses in the United States, particularly among Southern Slaveholders who feared that the revolt on the island of Hispaniola might spread to their own slave plantations in the Southern United States. These slaveholders believed that the Africans they enslaved would be influenced and inspired by the Haitian Revolution. Meanwhile, American merchants engaged in significant trade with the plantations located on Hispaniola.

Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New