History Final
How the abolitionists both reaffirmed and challenged common misunderstandings of freedom in Jacksonian America, why the abolitionists rejected the idea of "wage slavery", what they thought was needs to be done to rid the nation of slavery, their philosophy on liberty, how it should be prioritized, and the concept they invented
Abolitionism both reaffirmed and challenged common understanding of freedom in Jacksonian America. Under the period of Jackson's presidency, democracy expanded for white men. They were reaffirming some of those principles in term of democracy expansion but also challenging such as property rights. The abolitionist movement helped reinforced the notion that personal freedom derived not from the ownership of property, but from ownership of ones own self and the ability to enjoy the fruits of ones labor. Abolitionists rejected the idea of wage slavery and argues that compared to the slave, the wage worker embodied freedom. If you were a worker, you could quit your job but slaves could not do that. Even the poorest of people could accumulate property which was something a slave could not do. Slave families were affected by the threat of sale and were not able to majority of the time to have a stable family. They also argued that slavery was so entrenched in American life that it's destruction was going to require fundamental changes in the North and the South. They demanded the inherit natural and absolute right to personal liberty regardless of race and that natural right should take precedence over any other freedoms, such as the right to accumulate and maintain property or the right of self government. A persons personal freedom took precedence over all of those other freedoms in American. Natural freedom for all man kind. Freedom was a universal natural right in an age when freedom and citizenship had become more associated with whiteness. This freedom should belong to everyone in America regardless of race. The idea that people could become a single people undifferentiated by race had its origins from the abolitionists and not the founding fathers. They also argued that birthplace, not race should determine who is an American and this was later enshrined by the 14th amendment. Abolitionists were the first to argue that human rights were more important than national sovereignty. They urged the enforcement of international laws against slave trade and slavery. Douglas believed that the constitution offered no protections to slavery and invented the concept of equality before the law regardless of race and they consciously presented abolition as the culmination of the revolutions values of liberty and equality.
About moral suasion and why it was the primary method for some of the abolitionists
Abolitionists adopted moral suasion. The were pacifists and rejected violence. They believed coercion had to be eliminated from human institutions. They tried to convince slave holders to end their sinful ways and shame northerners into actions to help them do something about slavery. The abolitionists were the first to try to transform society by changing mass opinion through education and agitation instead of using political parties.
The ways the meanings of American freedom changed in this period
Americans begin to identify freedom with the a sense of restraint on self directed individuals who sought economic development. Opportunities for personal growth presented to Americans were taken advantage of. People had the actual opportunity to pursue happiness
About the failure of the presidential reconstruction
Andrew Johnson declared no former confederate leader or plantation keener could attend constitutional conventions, excluded th from reconstruction process. Almost a year later, almost 7000 were pardoned and became part of process and began to held public offices.
About the two largest groups of immigrants that came to the United States between 1840 and 1860 and the factors that drew them to America
As the republic developed, people were being drawn to America because of economics and the Market Revolution that was expanding the American economy. That economic growth fueled a demand for labor and this was partially filled by immigrants. Immigration increased between 1840 and 1860 when millions of people came to the United States, mostly from Ireland and Germany. Because of the industrial Revolution occurring in Europe, it was easy for the two group to cross the ocean. Thanks to the development of transportation and the reduction of cost, people could travel across Europe and eventually board a ship to America. Most of them went to the North where jobs were plentiful and slaves were few where there would be no competition. Some of them did travel South but they only went to major cities. Immigrants were very obvious in the north because they had different traditions which stood out. Another factor that drew them to America was the freedom of religion they could have that they did not back home. The largest number of immigrants at this time fled catastrophe. An example of this would be the Irish men and woman who escaped the great famine and millions were starved to death. Irish were femur largest and Germans were the second largest. Germans tended to be more craftsmen and formed close communities.
How this struggle was resolved in the province of Texas
At the battle of San Jacinto, president Santa Ana almost brought this Texas resistance to an end. He felt very confident he was going to end this rebellion that he did not station sentries. The tejanos and Anglo Americans took advantage of this and counter attacked and won an unlikely victory. The rebels made Santa Ana sign a document that recognizes Texas as independent from Mexico. Mexican congress however thought document was meaningless and repudiated it as being signed under duress. The Mexican congress refused to recognize Texas as independent and as a result Texas lingered as a political anomaly. Tejanos still saw Texas as it's own independent country. Anglo Americans however thought Texas should be annexed by the United States as soon as possible so that it could protect it from the threat of Mexican reconquest. Many president refused to act on Texas until John Tyler submitted a treaty to annex Texas but the senate rejected it. In 1845, Texas finally entered the United States as the 28th state and the 15th slave state.
How the Market Revolution change Americans' sense of time
Farm life was still governed by seasonal rythms. That being said, the clock really changed the way Americans lived for those who were in the city. For Americans, it was new having to these types of restrictions where you were expected to be at work a certain hour and "clock out" a certain hour as well. Artisans we're paid by the product so time was not a major factor. The industrial worker were paid an hourly wage and were expected by employers to be super productive and hard working. Railroads worked on fixed schedules to they relied heavily on time.
What was the basis of the Dread Scott Supreme Court decision
During 1830 Dred Scott who was a Missouri slave had accompanied his owner to both Illinois where slavery was prohibited by the Northwest Ordinance and state law and Wisconsin, where slavery was barred by the Missouri compromise. After returning to Missouri, Dred Scott sued for his freedom, arguing that residents on free soil had freedom. The court declared that only white people could be citizens of the United States since the founders believed according to Roger Taney that "the blacks had no rights which the white man was bound to respect" Blacks having different a different ancestry and heritage of free, according to Taney, could never join the nations political family. The majority of the court ruled that Scott remained a slave and that Illinois state law had now affect on him once he returned to Missouri. In regards to Wisconsin, congress had no authority to no constitutional power to bar slavery from a territory. This effectively made the Missouri compromise null and void. As with any law that interferes with southerners right to bring slave property into the territories, the decision effectively made unconstitutional the Republican platform for restricting slavery and the policy of popular sovereignty. If congress could not prohibit slavery in a territory, how could a territorial legislature created by congress do so. In the aftermath of this decision, you have there is disgust with the Supreme Court. President Buchanon declared that slavery from then on would be legal and constitutional in all of the western territories. In 1858, Buchanon tried to admit Kansas as a slave state under their pro slavery constitution. It was never ratified by the popular vote. Steven Douglas outraged by this violation of popular sovereignty blocked the attempt along with Republicans. Kansas remained a territory.
The invention that helped give rise to the Cotton Kingdom
Eli Whitney's invention of the cotton gin, which separated the seeds for the cotton, massively improved cotton production and it became more profitable.
Explain free labor ideology
Free people working for wages.
The Revolution of 1800 and the precedent it set for the future of the American political system
Federalists said Jefferson was an irresponsible pro-french radical and arch apostle of irreligion and free thought. Both parties changed laws in states to favor their candidates and were early rumors of federalists staging a military coup. Three fifths rule boosted votes in southern states and Bc of this Jefferson won a narrow victory in electoral college over Adams. Jefferson tied with Aaron Burr however for presidency and Federalists tried to block Jefferson's election but Alexander Hamilton convinced key federalists to allow his election. He thought Jefferson would be a better person to lead the country as a president than Aaron Burr. Jefferson called this the Revolution of 1800 which set in a motion a precedent of the bloodless transfer of power between parties. That's means one party can be in charge of the presidency and then hand over peacefully the rings of power to the winner of the next election which could be a member of the opposite party.
About the major innovations in transportation and communication that made the Market Revolution and the rise of the west possible
First advance in overland construction were toll roads or turnpikes which were built by private companies and governments. Water transportation sped up and lowered the cost of commerce. The first steamboat product went into operation in the Hudson River, this helped transport things up abasing the current of the River and even helped with transport across the Great Lakes and even the Atlantic Ocean. In 1825, the Erie Canal in upstate New York was was completed and helped foster trade with farmers in the west and manufacturers in the east. Railroads built opened up vast new areas in the interior and stimulated coal mining as well as iron manufacturing. At the same time the invention of the Telegraph allowed for instantaneous communication. It served business and Newport's to help speed the flow of information and bring uniformity to prices. Transportation overall fostered the growth of the west as a region and more people felt more comfortable moving west. Farmers were confident they would be able to sell their products back east because of the transportation that existed. There were over 4 million people that crossed the Appalachian Mountains and moved west.
In what ways did Andrew Jackson embody the contradictions of Democratic nationalism
He believed strongly in democracy but excluded Native American and African Americans. He rose and became a rich man and slave owner is Tennessee. He disliked banks, paper money and some of the results of the market Revolution. The most contradictory part of his politics was that he was a strong nationalist who believed that the states, not the federal government should govern. Jackson greatly opposed federal intervention in the economy or interference in private life. Jackson introduced the spoils system in which a new administration replaced previously appointed officials with its own party's appointees.
Why was Jefferson forced to reconsider his strict interpretation of the Constitution
He wanted to purchase the Louisiana Territory from the French but was unable to do so because of his strict interpretation of the Constitution. He then settled for a more looser interpretation.
The precedent Marbury v. Madison established
In Marbury v Madison, the Marhsall court established the right for the Supreme Court to determine whether an act of Congress violates the constitution. This established the precedent for judicial review which is the courts greatest power. This ability to examine laws and compare them to the constitution allows the Supreme Court to declare a law or part of it null and void if there is a discrepancy. The Supreme Court today has the power to interpret the constitution and say what the law is because of this case.
About what the struggle over the balance of power between the state and central governments in mexico that sparked rebellions against the central Mexican government
In mexico, you had the same concern of balance of powers between the provincial and central government that the US once had with John Quincy Adams. The central Mexican sought to exercise more control over the pronounces, especially those over the vulnerable frontier with the United States. The Mexican government started to increase customs duties and appointed governors directed from Mexico City instead of letting provinces select them. That combined caused outage all over mexico and many revolts occurred which led to a war of independence from that government.
The political philosophy of the Whig Party of the 1830s and '40s
In the 1830's, Clay and Adams coalition would become what is known as the Whig Party of the 1830s which was the support of the American System.
Explain the compromise of 1850
Issues over whether or not newly acquired territories would be reserved for free or if it would be admired as a slave state. In the compromise of 1850 the residents of these territories could decide wether they would be slave or free. California was admitted as a free state and a fight began.
Why the "War Between the States" or the "of the Rebellion" was called the first modern war
It was called the first modern war because it was the first time mass armies fought with weapons that were made in the factories. This was made possible because of the industrial Revolution. The scale of casualties that was a result of this was unprecedented in American History. This was a conflict between societies, the distinction between military and civilian targets were diminished.
How the Louisiana Purchase challenged Thomas Jefferson's strict interpretation of the Constitution
Jefferson wondered where in the constitution it said he was allowed to buy this territory. He believes in a strict interpretation of the constitution but is unable to find anything. He then reconsiders his ideology and accepts a looser interpretation of the constitution and used treaty making powers within it to sign a treaty that would allow him to purchase the Louisiana from the French for 15 million dollars
The political philosophy and platform of the Democratic Party of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. What alliance did it hope to revive?
John Quincy Adams is elected president by the House of Representatives. Henry Clay who promoted Adams is appointed Secretary of State and this appointment led to charges that corrupt bargain between Adams and clay secured the presidency for Adams. This laid the basis for the emergence of an opposition party of the Democratic Party. It was opposed to whatever Clay and Adams planned on doing. The Democratic Party would be behind Andrew Jackson's candidacy four years later. This opposition coalition with Andrew Jackson was formed in support of individual liberty, state rights, and limited government. The campaign was organized by Martin Van Buren which started immediately after Adams took office. Because of the "corrupt bargain" they know wanted to defeat Adams in the next election. Martin Van Buren believed political parties would suppress sectionalism by bringing together supporters and candidates from all across the nation including the sectional divide. He had hoped to resurrect the Jeffersonian alliance between southern planters and northern farmers as well as urban workers. With this, he had created a vibrant Democratic Party that embodied that alliance
John Quincy Adams nationalist philosophy
John Quincy Adams would promote the "American System" which is when the federal government invests in infrastructure in the economy. John Quincy Adams was strongly nationalist. He supported the American system of government sponsored economic development. He wanted to increase American power and commerce in the Western Hemisphere. He thought that the United States should eventually Canada, Cuba, and part of mexico. Adams had a much larger view of federal power than many Americans at the time. He thought that the federal government should direct and sponsor internal improvements such as roads and canals, pass laws to promote agriculture, manufacturing and the arts. Adams argued that liberty is power which was not a popular opinion back then.
About the two very different versions of abolitionism
Militant abolitionist
About the more militant abolition movement of the 1830-1860's, its core beliefs, and the publication that helped this new abolitionist movement take root
Militant abolitionists rose up in opposition to colonization and its supporters. They drew on the religious idea that slavery was a sin. This was largely a religious movement and it's activists were very strong Christians. This violated their faith and believed slavery was violating the values of the Declaration of Independence. They had a commitment to men are created equal. They rejected gradual emancipation and demanded immediate emancipation of slavery. They criticized slave holders and affirmed that blacks once freed should become equal citizens of the republic. They demanded that race should not prevent the equal enjoyment of civil and political rights in the United States. While they couldn't purge racism completely, the opposed racism in all its forms. David walked invoked the Bible and Declaration of Independence and warned Americans that god would punish them if they would not end slavery. He asked African Americans to take pride in African civilizations achievements while claiming their own rights as Americans. His pamphlets alarmed many in the north and with the appearance of the liberated newspaper, and William garrison was its publisher. This magazine helped take abolitionism and make it a mass movement. He was unbending in his commitment to abolition. He suggested the north should end its participation in the constitution and dissolve the union in order to end the north's complicity with slavery. Many did adopt his criticisms for abolitionism and called for the immediate abolition of slavery. Abolitionists took advantage of new print technology by printing and distributing enormous amount of newspapers, pamphlets, and posters. Between the formation of the American Antislavery Society, about 100 thousand northerners joined local abolitionist groups.
The transcendentalists philosophy and their concept of freedom
New groups of intellectuals in New England called the transcendentalists which are members of the transcendentalists club reflected their mood in their writings and activities. Together they insisted that individual judgement should take precedence over social traditions and institutions. That's means your own judgement about your own life should take precedence over what anything. They were telling people to not look to Europe to determine what it is that they should do. They should create their own path and make a uniquely American Experience. An individual has the right to think about what they feel like doing rather than thinking about their family or part tradition. Ralph Emerson defined freedom as an open ended process of self realization in which individuals could remake themselves in their own lives. Similarly, Henry Thoreau told individuals to rely only on themselves
What is free soil ideology
People of the free soil ideology thought slavery should not expand into the west and interfere with the opportunities of white men. The free soilers were not concerned about the right of African Americans but rather their own opportunities. Slavery was thought to be the institution of aristocratic men and a danger to the great mass of people Bc it threatens the general and equal distribute of our land into convenient family farms. They are trying to live the Jeffersonian dream of small family farms in the west and they believe that slavery will interfere with that. The free soilers organized the free soil party that depicted slavery as a threat to republicanism and the Jeffersonian ideal of a freeholder society. The call for free soil was the first antislavery proposal to attract broad support.
What was the Missouri compromise? How did the Missouri compromise demonstrate sectional divisions over slavery's western expansion
Politics was organized around competing sectional interests and slavery was the main issue that threatened to disrupt national unity. When Missouri applied for statehood in 1819, it was proposed that congress force the new state constitution to ban the further importation of slaves and free slaves children when they reached the age of 25. It was basically suggesting that Missouri was going to be a free state. The Republican Party split along sectional lines on the Missouri question. Northern republicans supported the restrictions on slavery and southerners opposed them so in 1820, a compromise was reached that allowed Missouri to adopt a constitution without the anti slavery restrictions and allowed Maine which already prohibited slavery to become a free state. This was done to maintain the sectional balance between free and slave states in congress.
The military advantages each side enjoyed
Railroads moved troops and supplies. Iron clad ships flourished. The Telegraph, observation balloons, and even hand grenades, submarines were used for the first time in the civil war. The Revolution in arms manufacture replaces the musket with a rifle, which was deadly at 600 or more yards because of its barrel. This changed the nature of combat itself making heavy fortifications and trenches great defensive advantages to the confederates. The union had more factories, more railroad tracks, a higher value of goods being produced, more textiles, more firearms. The south had the advantage of propaganda used to mobilize public opinion. South had a defensive strategy while the north had a superiority in manpower and technology. To win the war, the north had the mmmmmm to defeat the south's armies
What combination of issues and events fueled the creation of the Republican Party in the 1850s
Slavery was one of the main reasons. Whigs in the north that were truly against slavery had a lot to do with this idea. They wanted to keep slavery out of the territories. Land distribution throughout the western United States was also a factor that played a role in the creation of the Republican Party. In doing this many new tariffs were produced. Slavery severely disrupted the political system and it led to the immediate cause of the Republican Party creation. The party also reflected the basic economic and social changes in American society, namely the Market Revolutions completion. The Republican Party embraced those massive changes. By 1856 the Republican party was a coalition, it was a big, broad, wide based coalition. The Republican Party took the free soil ideology and incorporated it into its own ideology. They said that the struggle over the west was a struggle between two antagonistic labor systems and believed that slavery if dominating the west would prevent northern free labor from immigrating and would finish the economic opportunities for northerners. They argued that slavery had to be prohibited from the new territories and that the government could end its complicity with slavery. Many abolitionists became Republicans later. At this point they only wanted to stop slavery's expansion. They did not however want to attack slavery where it already existed. There were further events that helped fuel the growth of the Republican Party.
The Indian Removal Act of the 1830, and the factors that led to its passage, Jeffersonian notion it repudiated, and the Cherokee response
Southern planters want to get in the cotton business and in order to expand their landholdings to grow cotton, they need to removal of Indian Tribes off of the land. Jackson secured the passage of the Indian removal act which allowed for the removal of tens of thousands of native America from their native land. The Indian Removal act nullified the earlier treaties made and allowed tribes to be moved. Jefferson believed that Native American could be assimilated into American society. The Indian Removal acts repudiates that Jefferson notion. The Cherokee in Georgia were threatened with expulsion by the Georgia government. It was thought that these Indian nations had a separate political identity to be delays with by the federal government and not the states. In the first decision The Supreme Court decided that Indians did not in the land but rather only had the right of occupancy. In the second decision The court also defined Indians as wards of the federal government who did not have full rights as citizens and were not independent nations sovereign from state governments. The final decision went back to square one and said they independent nations to be dealt with by federal government that jackson refused to enforce.
About American colonization society's platform, the reasons they believed it was the best solution, and the country it helped establish in Africa
The American colonization society promoted the gradual abolition of slavery and the settlement of Africans in Africa. This created the nation of Liberia in the west coast of Africa. They believed that this was an impractical solution to slavery and it was also a convenient place to be if you were a politician. Many prominent political leaders such as Henry Clay and Andrew Jackson supported the colonization society. American believed that racism was such a big part of society that it would be safer for blacks once they were free to leave the nation. Colonization rested on the premise that American was fundamentally a white society.
Why the Mexican government wanted to attract settlers to Texas
The Comanche would raid Mexican villages and invade them which became a problem. They wanted their borders to remain secure so they attempted to come up with a solution. They attempted to strengthen Texas and increase the population. They began to welcome immigrants as well as Americans into Texas. In exchange for land grants from the Mexican government, the new immigrants had to use Spanish in all business transactions and they had to become Catholics. They also had to be an honorable person (be of steady habits). The Mexican government was establishing a program in which Americans could come to mexico and reinvent themselves as Mexicans.
The way the Cotton Kingdom expanded slavery, and how it changed the "Jeffersonian vision" of the west
The Cotton Kingdom revolutionized American Slavery. Jefferson at first thought thought that cotton was going to die out but it didn't. A massive internal trade of slaves immersed and a million slaves were forcibly sold and moved west in this internal slave trade. Jefferson imagined the west would secure the future of the American Republic because it would be populated by independent small farmers. Because of the Cotton Kingdom, slave plantations producing cotton became the basis of the empire of liberty.
Ralph Waldo Emerson predicts that if the US were to seize its neighbors territory, "it will be as the man swallows the arsenic, which brings him down in turn. Mexico will poison us" what should be the basis of this poisoning.
The addition of the new territory acquired from mexico. It was not certain wether or not those new territories would be free or slave holding states and so it was left to popular sovereignty. This would later be one of the cause of the American civil war.
How women's opportunities were enhanced by the war
The civil war created economic opportunities for woman. Woman picked up jobs in factories. Manufacturing jobs, male processing back then such as nursing. They remained in the nursing position even after the war. They also found jobs as clerks in expanding federal government. They maintained a presence in these government jobs and retail stores. Everything that woman became involved in brought woman into the public sphere
Compare and contrast the Democrats and the whigs
The market Revolution shaped many party positions. The democrats tended to be alarmed by the growing gap between the social classes. They warned that non producers or bankers, merchants, were using their connecting with the government to enhance their wealth to the disadvantage of producer. Democrats also wanted the government to avoid interfering in the economy and avoid giving special favors to economic interests. Without government interference in the marketplace, ordinary Americans would compete in a self regulating market and those who work the hardest would succeed. Now you had the whigs who supported the American system. They believed that the protective tariff, internal improvements and a national bank could develop the economy and spread prosperity for all classes. They were strongest in the northeast, the most modernized region of the country. Many bankers and businessmen supported their program as well as farmers that were near rivers, canals, and other waterways. The majority of southern planters voted Whig because they had connections in the government. To Democrats liberty was a private entitlement, best protected by small government like the states and threatened by a powerful national state. Under Jackson, the national governments power decreased and it became week federal power ensured private freedom and states rights. Democrats reduced spending, lowered tariffs, got rid of the national bank, and refused federal aid for internal improvements Democrats also thought individual morality was a private concern and opposed any attempt to impose a uniform moral vision on society. The whigs on the other hand believed that power and liberty reinforced each other. They thought an energetic federal gov enhanced freedom and that liberty required a prosperous and moral America. Government would create the conditions for economic development, producing property for all classes and regions. Like the federalist the whigs saw society as a heir hu of social classes but unlike them the whig party believed status was snot fixed and individuals through hard work could rise through society. They believed the government should intervene in individuals lives and act as free moral agents. They supported schools, temperance laws, and sabbath laws unlike the Democrats.
The major differences between the North and the South in terms of demographics, economy, and resources
The north had a population of 22 million while the south only had a population of 9 million, 3.5 of those were slaves. The union or north had far more manufacturing, it had factories in the northeast, far more railroad tracks and the financial resources. To end this rebellion the Union had to invade and conquer a huge area and defeat spirited confederate soldiers who were defending their homes and families. It could win by exhausting the enemy.
The major principles of the fourteenth amendment
The principle of citizenship for all persons born in the United States. It empowered the federal government to to protect it's citizens. It banned the states firm abridging the privileged and immunities of citizens or denying them the equal protection of the law
About the impact of the second great awakening
The second great awakening gave birth to popular religious revivals that swept across the nation which added a religious dimension to the celebration of self-improvement, self-reliance, and self-determination. These were revivals that were first organized by religious leaders. People were promised to be saved from hell if their sinful habits were erased. People had the free will to live in sin or reach heaven by doing good works. The second great awakening democratized Christianity, it made it a mass enterprise. As a result religious devotions and attendance boomed smaller evangelical sects. The Baptist's grew rapidly and Christianity slowly became central to American culture as time passed
The use of propaganda during the civil war and how was the civil war revolutionary in term of the dissemination of information
The south engaged in modern media with newspapers, telegraphs, photographs, for the first time capturing the reality of war and communicating it to the public. Now people home are able to see the gruesome realities of war
About the dispute that sparked the US-Mexican war
There was a dispute between the American and Mexican government as to what was and what was not part of Texas. The American government set up canons and artillery across settlements that bordered that state of Texas which gave them an advantage over the Mexicans. The Mexican government then discharged cavalry to try and dislodge American forces from the settlement. 11 US soldiers were killed and the rest were wounded. As soon as the president James Polk heard about the event, he rushed out a declaration that mexico had passed the boundary of the United States and has invaded their territory, and SHES American blood on American soil. At first it was not clear whether or not they had invaded since the borders of Texas were so vague. War then ensued and battles were fought.