quiz 2
What roles did family and kinship networks play in the lives of enslaved people?
Communities developed upon a shared sense of suffering, common work, and even family ties. Slaves communicated in the slave markets of the urban South, and worked together to help their families, ease their loads, or simply frustrate their owners. Simple actions of resistance, such as breaking a hoe, running a wagon off the road, causing a delay in production due to injury, running away, or even pregnancy, provided a language shared by nearly all slaves in the agricultural workforce, a sense of unity that remained unsaid, but was acted out daily.
Split in Kansas continued 1858
Illinois: Stephen Douglas (Democrat) and Abraham Lincoln (Republican) run for U.S. Senate•Debates •Democrats: •Don't want federal government control in tariffs, internal improvements. Do want federal government to enforce Fugitive Slave Law and "property rights" of slaveholders •Republicans:•Human rights more important than property rights.•Lincoln: Owning slaves is not a Constitutional right
1824 election
Shifts in Republican party philosophies •Candidates: - William H. Crawford•states' rights - John Quincy Adams•Secretary of State - Henry Clay•Speaker of the House•protective tariff - Andrew Jackson•Won popular vote and electoral college •Corrupt bargain
1830 politcal parties
democrats -projackson whigs- antijackson
John quincy adams
elected 1824 -limited by jacksonians in congress -tariff controversy 1828 -new england wool factories
cotton gin
eli whitney 1793
abolitionist movement
emerged 1830s -influenced by evangelical protestantism -arguments: slavery is morally wrong, contradicts american liberty, should end immediately and become equal citizens
temperance movement
example of moral reform movement for prohibitions of alcohol/abstention from alcohol -idea of self-control
political changes 1820s
expanded voting populations 1820s - western states -universal white male suffrage -1826: 16 black voters nyc -1819: blacks can't vote
industrialization in the south
factory work not widely available -increased reliance on slavery -plantation system
whigs
government should intervene to promote morality -laws against alcohol -public schools teach morality -presidents : harrison 1841, tyler 1841-1845
lowell mill workers
mostly women 15-30 yrs -97% unmarried -from ma and nh farming families -most had property owning fathers -worked avg 3-5 years
evolution of abolitionism
new emphasis after mexican american war: changing the law instead of rejection the constitution -fred douglass
1828 election
rematch of jqa (national republicans and aj (democratic republicans) -"hunters of Kentucky" campaign song 1829: jackson inauguration
How did the Mexican War affect debates about slavery?
set the stage for the Great Compromise of 1850, which was negotiated at the war's end and attempted to resolve the slavery debate. The fifteen years following the war were filled with disputes concerning slavery, especially as it pertained to new territory gained from the war that was soon entering the union. The Mexican-American War marked a turning point in the debate over slavery in the United States because it reopened the slavery debate in Congress due to the disputed motives of the war, the failure of the Wilmot Proviso, and the size of the territory included in the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
compromise of 1850
stephen douglas (illinois) -adapted ominous bill into separate bills: cali admitted as free state, fugitive slave law, congress set border between tx and nm, nm and utah will apply for statehood under popular sovereignty, slave trade ended in dc
1849 controversy
whig pres zach taylor - lets california skip territorial stage - cali applied to be free state -congresional controversy senators proposal -ominous bill -rejected by senate
political debate over slavery in the west
wilmot proviso -1846 proposal -wilmot - pennsylvania democrat congressman -slavery should be illegal in territory from mexico -proviso defeated
kansas- nebraska
•1853: House of Reps said Missouri Compromise should apply •1854: Stephen Douglas proposed popular sovereignty vote within separate Kansas and Nebraska states•=Kansas-Nebraska Act •1855: elections•Influx of antislavery settlers•Voting fraud from proslavery Missouri residents •1856: Two opposing governments in Kansas•Topeka and Lecompton•Violence
effects of compromise of 1850
•Politicians try to avoid further debate •Abolitionist activists oppose Fugitive Slave Law -Federal agents earn commissions for returning slaves -Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe, 1852
What was the Kansas-Nebraska Bill?
-The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed by the U.S. Congress on May 30, 1854. It allowed people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery within their borders. The Act served to repeal the Missouri Compromise of 1820 which prohibited slavery north of latitude 36°30´ -infuriated many in the North who considered the Missouri Compromise to be a long-standing binding agreement. In the pro-slavery South it was strongly supported.
What roles did women play in the abolitionist movement?
-They wrote imaginative literature on slavery -women played an important role in organizing the sugar boycotts of the 1790s, after the bill for the abolition of the Slave Trade was defeated in Parliament in 1791. Over 300,000 people joined a boycott of sugar which had been grown on plantations that used the labour of enslaved people -By the 1840s, black and white women served as antislavery lecturers, editors, fundraisers and organizers. Slaveholders fumed at women's activism
lowell workers culture
-assignment to pairs -moral peer pressure -rule breaking -debating clubs, missionary societies -lectures from university professors
How did the development of the cotton industry change the South?
-became prosperous and a global market of trade for cotton -expansion, industry, enterprise
What was the Texas Revolution? What role did the debate over slavery play in the Texas Revolution and the annexation of Texas by the U.S.?
-began with the battle of Gonzales in October 1835 and ended with the battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836 -war of texas independence -Slavery was against Mexican law, but Americans brought slaves to Texas -
What did the characters in the story "Brer Rabbit Outsmarts Brer Fox" symbolize?
-brer fox- slave owner -tries to establish dominance over beer rabbits life -brer rabbit- slave, still able to outsmart beer fox, scrappier and more determined
democrats
morality should be private issue -states should have more control than national gov
In what ways was the Missouri Compromise a turning point? In what ways did the Missouri Compromise suggest a possibility for consensus?
- it exposed to the public just how divisive the slavery issue had grown. The debate filled newspapers, speeches, and Congressional records. Antislavery and pro-slavery positions from that point forward repeatedly returned to points made during the Missouri debates. - the uneasy consensus forged by the Missouri Debate managed to bring a measure of calm.
lowell working conditions
-200 machines 100 women -piece rates paid for work completed -80 cents a day -room and board cost $1 a week
yeoman households
-75% of southern whites did not own slaves or live on plantations -often hired slave labor -produced good for trade in local community economies -largely uneducated left few written records
Why did reformers support temperance in the early 1800s? What strategies did reformers use to advocate temperance?
-It was spearheaded by conservative Calvinist clergy -Temperance advocates ranged from pious churchwomen to militant feminists, from freethinkers to fundamentalists, from the high and mighty to the lowly and degraded -Many of these movements were motivated by a renewed interest in religion called the Second Great Awakening. The ministers of the Second Great Awakening preached in an energetic and emotional manner that appealed to the heart as well as the mind -Many reformers believed in abstinence and it was through their early association with temperance societies that they met other reformers and began to seek ways to improve other aspects of society.
slavery controversy and political parties
-New "Republican Party," 1850s•Opposed slavery •Opposed extension of slavery into Western territories•Nativist arguments •Anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic -"Know Nothings" party •Extreme nativism: immigration must stop -Democratic party •Supported by working class, immigrants •Argument: abolishing slavery will hurt the working class •Split into Northern and Southern divisions
What were the implications of the Supreme Court decision in the Dred Scott v. Sandfordcase?
-The Dred Scott decision was the culmination of the case of Dred Scott v. Sanford, one of the most controversial events preceding the Civil War. In March 1857, the Supreme Court issued its decision in that case, which had been brought before the court by Dred Scott, a slave who had lived with his owner in a free state before returning to the slave state of Missouri. Scott argued that time spent in a free state entitled him to emancipation. But the court decided that no black, free or slave, could claim U.S. citizenship, and therefore blacks were unable to petition the court for their freedom. The Dred Scott decision outraged abolitionists and heightened North-South tensions
What messages do the lithographs by N. Currier, "Tree of Temperance" and "Tree of Intemperance," (1849) send about temperance and intemperance? What details in the images do you notice?
-contrasts the "fruits" of abstaining (temperance) from alcohol to those of indulging in strong drink (intemperance). It leaves little to the imagination. Intemperance is symbolized by a diseased tree, surrounded by drunks outside of a pawn shop and a woman and her children being thrown out of their home. The lush foliage of temperance, on the other hand, is surrounded by prosperous church-going farm families.
andrew jackson presidency 1829-1837
-cut bureaucracy -used patronage - appointed friends in office -opposed nullification -invalidate any federal law which that state has deemed unconstitutional -restricted federal power in economy -vetoed federal funds for kentucky road 1830 and opposed second national bank paper currency -used federal power to remove natives- trail of tears
What were the causes and effects of the Second Great Awakening? When did it occur?
-early 19th century causes: Revivalist preachers traveled sharing the message of spiritual and moral renewal to as many as possible. ppl flocked to religious revivals and camp meetings, where intense physical and emotional enthusiasm accompanied evangelical conversion -emerged in response to powerful intellectual and social currents -The market revolution, western expansion, and European immigration all challenged traditional bonds of authority, and evangelicalism promised equal measures of excitement and order effects: inspired social reform -altered the character of American religion - embraced a more optimistic view of the human condition -greater public roles for white women and much higher African-American participation in Christianity than ever before
shifts in worker population
-fewer women from farming families -growing number of irish immigrants -protests and women culture declined immigrants were 60% of lowell mill workers
Why did Henry Bibb write Doc. #7? What details in the document reveal Bibb's reasons for writing the document?
-he was a freed slave who escaped -he is writing to his former master -he is regarded as a man now like his master -he doesn't hold any hard feelings and forgives his old master -the slave owner beat henry bibb's wife and child and that is why he ran away
What do these documents reveal about the role of religion in enslaved people's lives?
-religion humbles the slaves and forgives the slaveowners -allowed them to live peacefully while living in a disrupt environment -safe haven -their hope that they cling to -song compares themselves to moses and the Israelites. god brings them out of Egypt so god will bring slaves out of slavery -allows them to believe that there is a life better than the one they're living now on earth
What ideas does David Walker communicate in the "Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World," written in 1829? What specific details in the document reflect Walker's ideas and strategies?
-slaves are the most degraded, wretched, abject beings of this world -he prays that no one else like him ever lives again, he hopes no group would ever be oppressed again -compares himself and other slaves to the Israelites oppressed in Egypt -the white people that treat them so poorly are christian americans who are supposed to treat them well but they do not -he is arising concern within his readers -he encourages other to speak out about the issue -he criticizes the hypocrisy within the declaration of independence that all men are created equal but they don't treat the slaves as equals slave owners are allowed to beat slaves but it is not considered a crime -the colonist sufferings under britian were nothing compared to the slaves under americans
What strategies did abolitionist activists use?
-unite groups of like-minded individuals to fight as a body -groups like the American Anti-Slavery Society used lecturing and moral persuasion to attempt to change the hearts and minds of individuals. Many later activists found moral persuasion tactics insufficient and turned their attention to political lobbying -Underground Railroad, a network of assistance and safe houses for runaway slaves. The Underground Railroad stretched from the Southern states to Canada, and until 1865 provided shelter, safety, and guidance for thousands of runaway slaves. -used the press to spread the abolitionist message. -other abolitionists felt that violence was the only way to end slavery. These militants resorted to extreme and deadly tactics, and incited violent insurrections. These acts of terror aroused fear in slaveholders, but also led to the execution of perpetrators.
In what ways were U.S. reform movements of the first half of the 1800s connected with Europe?
-visited and corresponded with one another. Exchanging ideas and building networks proved crucial to shared causes like abolition and women's rights. -Improvements in transportation -the reduction of publication costs created by new printing technologies in the 1830s allowed reformers to reach new audiences across the world -Missionary organizations from the colonial era had created many of these transatlantic links -American Quakers began to question slavery as early as the late-17th century, and worked with British reformers in the successful campaign that ended the slave trade -Transatlantic cooperation galvanized efforts to reform individuals' and societies' relationships to alcohol, labor, religion, education, commerce, and land ownership.
second great awakening
1801 -revival meetings -anyone can attain salvation
lowell mills
1826 Massachusetts
lowell workers activism
1843-1848 -1845 petitions to ma state legislature -signed 10 hour workday petitions -lowell female labor reform association -women faced criticism for public, political speech
What was "manifest destiny"?
1845 First, many Americans believed that the strength of American values and institutions justified moral claims to hemispheric leadership. Second, the lands on the North American continent west of the Mississippi River (and later into the Caribbean) were destined for American-led political and agricultural improvement. Third, God and the Constitution ordained an irrepressible destiny to accomplish redemption and democratization throughout the world. All three of these claims pushed many Americans, whether they uttered the words 'manifest destiny' or not, to actively seek the expansion the democracy.
presidency of james buchanan
1857-1861 •Democratic platform-Protecting Union-"non-interference by Congress with slavery" •1857: Dred Scott v. Sandford decision-Controversy •Chief Justice Taney•African Americans always "inferior" in America•African Americans don't have rights•Taney's argument violates Northern precedent here•African Americans are property•Constitution protects slaveholders' property rights•So Missouri Compromise is unconstitutional
What were the effects of the Gold Rush?
In 1848, gold was discovered in California. Within two years, some quarter of a million gold seekers had arrived from almost every country in the world, stimulating California's economy and forming multicultural communities that still exist today. The last great gold rush took place in the Klondike in 1897. The 100 thousand Americans who traveled there regenerated the economy of the Pacific Northwest and secured the financial future of Portland and Seattle. But the harsh conditions in Alaska killed hundreds of prospectors and the diseases they brought decimated the native people. Once again, the discovery of gold was a mixed blessing, bringing wealth to North America but taking a terrible toll in human life.
What was the Seneca Falls convention?
Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton formulated the idea for a national women's suffrage convention, which they held at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848
What messages does the "Membership Certificate to [Vermont] Conference Missionary Society"(1848) send? How could you connect this document with information from earlier American Yawp assignments or from lecture?
The Second Great Awakening moved American evangelicals to proselytize (convert) at home and abroad. The image on this lifetime membership certificate to a missionary society shows how the new member's money will be used. The guiding hand of Providence and an angel bearing a book (presumably a Bible) hover at the top of the image. In the background, a mosque topples over. An African family kneels and reaches towards the heavens on the left side, while a minister preaches to Native Americans gathered before him on the right. -yawp talks about second great awakening and conversion
What approaches did the U.S. government use in dealing with Native American peoples in the 1810s through 1830s?
The harassment and dispossession of American Indians - whether driven by official U.S. government policy or the actions of individual Americans and their communities - depended on the belief in manifest destiny. Of course, a fair bit of racism was part of the equation as well. The political and legal processes of expansion always hinged on the belief that white Americans could best use new lands and opportunities. Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830, thereby granting the president authority to begin treaty negotiations that would give American Indians land in the West in exchange for their lands east of the Mississippi -Policies to "civilize" Indians coexisted along with forced removal and served an important "Americanizing" vision of expansion that brought an ever-increasing population under the American flag and sought to balance aggression with the uplift of paternal care -Congress rejected McKenney's plan but instead passed the Civilization Fund Act in 1819. This act offered a $10,000 annual annuity to be allocated towards societies that funded missionaries to establish schools among Indian tribes.
What was the "Cotton Belt"?
a region of the US South where cotton is the historic main crop, especially in parts of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi.
reform movements
after 1830, charity efforts became reform efforts -peace, temperance, abolition, morality
slavery and the west
annexation of texas 1845 mexican american war 1846 free soil party 1848
positions on slavery late 1840s
antislavery - supporters of wilmot proviso proslavery - argument that congress can't interfere with southerners rights - john c calhoun
lowell living conditions
boarding houses -regulations -required church attendance
benevolent associations
charity groups responding to social problems -efforts to help poor -fundraising -asylums
effects of lowell activism
ma legislature denied petitions for 10 hour workday limit 1845 -mill corp allowed extra 20 min a day for meals, 11 hour workday, restrictions on workers culture, mill boarding houses decreased, speed up/stretch out system continues
What was the "cult of domesticity" or the "cult of true womanhood"?
the dominant understanding of gender claimed that women were the guardians of virtue and the spiritual heads of the home. Women were expected to be pious, pure, submissive, and domestic, and to pass these virtues on to their children -they felt contributed to the moral decline of society. -The cult of domesticity, also known as the cult of true womanhood (by people who like it), is a view about women in the 1800s. They believed that women should stay at home and should not do any work outside of the home. There were four things they believed that women should be: More religious than men Pure in heart, mind, and body, purity Submit to their husbands Stay at home These were very popular in the 1800s and in the 1950s. Now most women reject this view.
Who was Nat Turner?
the leader of the great slave rebellion -claimed to have been visited by "spirits" during his twenties, and considered himself something of a prophet. He claimed to have had visions, in which he was called upon to do the work of God, leading some contemporaries (as well as historians) to question his sanity -led the most deadly slave rebellion in the antebellum South -morning of August 22, 1831 in Southampton County, Virginia, Nat Turner and six collaborators attempted to free the region's enslaved population