Liberty Challenged In Nineteenth Century America

Liberty Challenge in 19th Century America

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Liberty Challenge in 19th Century America

Introduction

Most horrifying and disastrous crimes are the one that is against humanity. Slavery falls into not only the category but on the topmost horrible thing which humanity has to suffer. In our American history, we have committed this crime of denying people of their most basic human right. Comprehension of this is very sad but it is a truth that our modern America foundation was laid on the bones of slaves under key and lock, as they were the pinnacle of progress. When America got its independence, it gets the culture of slaves keeping from the same colonist mindset and used it to get its achievement on this basis by using slaves for agricultural development. Some events led to the Civil War that resulted in slavery abolishment are discussed in paragraphs to follow.

3/5th Compromise:

The Three-Fifth Compromise took place in 1787 in the house of representatives. According to the compromise, all the slaves were counted as three-fifths of the white man in order for states representation in the House of Representative. Its motive was to give southern states more representation by this amount but not equal so that it does not mean that slaves are counted as that of free men.

Outcomes

Southern states had not proportionate effect as compared to the northern state in selecting president, speaker oh house, and also no influence on Supreme Court.

It also resulted in the USA having an equal number of slave and free states

Missouri Compromise

It was legislation passed by the United States 16th Congress on 3rd March 1820 to admit Maine as USA Free State and alongside Missouri a slave state thus maintaining balance set by three fifth compromise(Etcheson, 2005).

Outcomes

Short term outcome of the Missouri compromise was that they become states

In the long term the country is divided into South and North section, which later resulted in battles later fought over slavery and also led to the Civil War.

1850 Compromise

1850 compromise consists of five bills that are separate from one another by Congress of USA in 1850 September that is presented in order to resolve the conflict between free and slave states on territorial acquisition status after the war of America and Mexico.

Outcomes

Strengthen of fugitive state law and new free state California for North

In Washington DC, trading of slaves is banned but slavery was not prohibited.

Kansas Nebraska Act

This act was passed by Congress of the USA on 30th May 1854. It gives the right of decision to territorial people of Kansas and Nebraska whether to allow or not slavery within its territory.

Outcomes

The clause of law concerning sovereignty leads to Kansas flooded with pro and anti-slavery elements with voting up or down the slavery, results in the number of armed conflicts that we know now as "Bleeding Kansas"

This controversy surrounding the act was the main cause of the Civil War.

Dred Scott Decision

The decision of Dred Scott is a legal case that was heard and given a decision by the Supreme Court of USA on 6th March 1857 who ruled 7 to 2 that Dred Scott a slave who became resident of Free State was not given a free citizen entitlement and declared Missouri compromise as unconstitutional.

Outcomes

Missouri Compromise is abolished due to this case

It led to the civil war because the limit of spread Missouri compromise put to slavery and balance of power is negated by this act

Incompatibility of Slavery

Slaves are not allowed the right of education which led to no industrial development(Ransom, 1989).

Our present economic system is based on a capitalistic economy which leads to self-autonomy that is opposite to that of slave labor based economy on communism.

As our present stress on autonomy and free will negates the idea of slavery.

Civil War

Slavery is the main driving force that led to the Civil War. The south uses slave labors for field working while north believes slavery was an evil(Rose, 1994). The clash between the ideology of south and north eventually results in the Civil War.

States' rights are another cause behind the Civil War. It was felt by the southern states that their rights were taken from them by the federal government.

The power shift between southern and northern states due to westward expansion was also the cause because it makes fear in southern states that their power would be lost due to expansion.

References

Etcheson, N. (2005). The Origins of the Civil War. History Compass, 3(1).

Ransom, R. L. (1989). Conflict and compromise: the political economy of slavery, emancipation and the American Civil War. Cambridge University Press.

Rose, A. C. (1994). Victorian America and the Civil War. Cambridge University Press.