Ap Us History Dbq Analysis
analytical Essay
947 words
In the fifteenth and sixteenth century, reasons for colonization of the newly discovered American land ranged from religious to economic, resulting in a number of unique imperial settlements along its eastern coast. After years of salutary neglect followed by strict enforcement of unpopular taxes, vehement settlers from each individual state united against Great Britain to form an independent government, as outlined and regulated by the United States Constitution. From the beginning of the nation’s history, interpretations of the constitution, influenced by bias stimulated by people’s situations, have divided the people of the United States. As sectional specialization developed and different ways of life based on region emerged, the constitution …show more content…
In this essay, the author
- Explains the reasons for colonization of the newly discovered american land ranged from religious to economic, resulting in a number of unique imperial settlements along its eastern coast.
- Analyzes how the dissimilar views of the "peculiar institution" of slavery between the north and south contributed significantly to the friction within the nation that led to unrest.
- Compares how an anonymous georgian used the constitution's recognition of slavery to defend the law’s protection of property.
- Analyzes how the georgian author of "plain words for the north" argued that it was the state’s right to practice slavery and ensure protection of property. jefferson davis viewed the constitution as an agreement between unique states.
- Analyzes how different interpretations of the constitution had instigated disagreements within the union in the past, such as the rivalry between the federalists and democratic-republicans.
With Millard Fillmore’s signing of the Compromise of 1850, California entered the union as a free state and the rest of the Mexican Cession would be able to come in with popular sovereignty. Emphasizing the power of the people, popular sovereignty meant the territory would be open to slavery based on what the majority of citizens wanted. Depicting a clear divide between Slave and Free states based on region, a map of the status of slavery in the United States in 1850 exemplifies one of the core sectional differences that led to the Civil War (Doc 1). Amplified by Enlightenment ideals, the Second Great Awakening inspired many abolitionists to discuss the immorality of slavery and the Fugitive Slave Law, a part of the Compromise of 1850 that gave slave owners the right to recapture runaway slaves. Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson held the belief in the citizens’ right and responsibility to disobey unjust laws set by a government, using a comparison of the cessation of the international slave trade to call for the end of the immoral Fugitive Slave Law. Emerson’s support for Civil Disobedience of the unjust laws involving slavery demonstrated the different feelings about slavery that split the country (Doc 3). In the North, where many runaway slaves now …show more content…
Representing the classic Southern position of the relationship between states in the union, the Georgian author of “Plain Words for the North” argued that it was the state’s right to practice slavery and ensure protection of property. Recognizing that states were independent before entering the Union, the author argues that the government and the constitution needed to protect the interests of all citizens. By addressing the disrupted balance between Slave and Free states in the Union, the author was concerned that the guarantees of the constitution, which should be protected by the federal government, would not be honored (Doc 2). A man who would go on to become the President of the Confederacy after its secession, Jefferson Davis viewed the constitution as an agreement between unique states, rather than cohesive one nation. With the Nullification Theory, the states had the right to invalidate a federal law that did not reflect their interests (Doc 6). Shortly after Abraham Lincoln’s election, secession began to actually occur in the South. Unlike the Southern view that the states could become independent of the nation, Lincoln stated that secession was not constitutional. As stated by the tenth amendment of the constitution, the federal government retained reserved powers, and
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- Tecumseh: Great Leader of the Great Plains Indiansanalytical essayThroughout the comparatively recent history of the United States, there have been many obstacles that the relatively young nation has had to overcome. Even before the nation had obtained its independence from Britain, there were conflicts with the Natives of the new land. Then wars were fought for other countries benefit, on their own soil. Then, of course, there was the Revolutionary War, fought in the late 1770’s, in which British colonists rose up against their British fathers in order to gain economic, religious and political freedom. After the acquirement of their independence as a nation, there were still many conflicts that the fledgling country had to worry about. The continent of North America was still controlled by other European superpowers, not to mention the multitudes of Native Indians that populated the lands west of the Appalachians. In order to combat other world powers as well as increase their own wealth, trade, and influence, the Americans adopted an attitude of ‘Manifest Destiny’, in which westward expansion was priority and their right. This however, led to more troubles and conflicts with the Natives of the land. The Indians west of the Appalachian m...
In this essay, the author
- Describes tecumseh's early life, birth and influences, american events, religious support, campaigning throughout the frontier, treaty of fort wayne, battle of tippecanoe, weakening of the confederation, war of 18121.
- Explains that the american frontier-men found a major obstacle in the shawnee leader, tecumseh, as he wielded more power than any other north american indian before him.
- Explains that tecumseh was the son of puckeshinwau, a chief of the kispapocoke clan, and methoataske, who belonged to the creek tribe.
- Explains that tecumseh had a mixed upbringing in his formative years, and his encounters with the americans were often negative.
- Analyzes how tecumseh hated turning away from the indian traditions and wanted the natives to return to their previous way of existence, one of living off the land and not at the mercy of traders.
- Explains that tecumseh formulated a plan to counter the threat the americans posed, which he spent most of his life trying to fulfill.
- Explains that tecumseh was aided in spreading his idea by his brother, tenskwatawa the prophet, who through trances, dreams and hallucinations developed a native religion which rapidly gained support throughout the tribes.
- Describes how the brothers built prophet's town on the shores of the tippecanoe creek in present-day indiana, where they lived by the old traditions peacefully.
- Narrates how governor harrison called indian chiefs to fort wayne, where he obtained their signatures on a treaty, ceding three million acres of land in indiana, some of which belonged to tribes not present.
- Narrates how tecumseh took three hundred warriors with him to meet harrison at vincennes. he presented the indian cause with such eloquence that the interpreter had a hard tome following him.
- Explains that tecumseh was set on war and hoped for british support against the americans. he crossed into canada to obtain support from the british. harrison wanted an excuse to attack village while they lacked their powerful leader.
- Describes how tecumseh was flung into war before he could construct a strong indian union.
- Analyzes how tecumseh was furious when he returned from his travels in the spring of 1812. the majority of the inhabitants of prophet's town were gone, and the growth of his confederation had been delayed.
- Explains that the battle of tippecanoe diminished much of the power that tecumseh and his brother once held, but there was still a chance for his plan to succeed: the coming war between britain and the united states.
- Explains that the united states declared war against britain, sending agents to the frontiers to enlist indians, but the british saw them as a definite force multiplier.
- Narrates how tecumseh decided to side with the british and took command of the indians. he argued passionately against joining the americans.
- Narrates how he visited the southern tribes and told them that the americans would make them give up their traditions so they had to fight back. the british forces soon arrived at pensacola gave guns and ammo to the tribe.
- Analyzes how the war was evenly matched between the natives, the british, and the americans until september 10th, 1813, when commodore perry of the american navy gained control of lake erie.
- Opines that tecumseh was the greatest indian leader of his era. he succeeded in stopping the american westward movement into indian territory by creating a united indian front and later assisting the british in the war of 1812.
- Cites bearcroft, bw, blodget, brian, coit, margaret, and debo, angie. the last fighting indians of the american west.
2705 wordsRead More - "A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved - I do not expect the house to fall - but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other," said by Abraham Lincoln. In 1860 President Abraham Lincoln swore to keep slavery out of the territories, as a result the states in the south seceded and founded a new nation, the Confederate States of America. The government and most of the northern states refused to recognize the validity of their secession. They feared that the United States was going to drift apart and not be unified. They wanted to preserve the union at any cost. The civil war began
In this essay, the author
- Opines that the confederate states of america will cease to be divided.
- Explains that the emancipation proclamation was ratified in january 1863 by president abraham lincoln. it was meant to free slaves in the states that were rebelling.
- Explains that abraham lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation to free the slaves. he rejected slavery, and believed that the system would corrupt the nation.
- Explains that abraham lincoln's emancipation proclamation was to unify the united states again. lincoln knew it was a bad idea to take sides in the slavery issue.
- Analyzes how lincoln's emancipation proclamation broke the economic foundation of the confederacy by freeing slaves in rebelling states.
1247 wordsRead More - To what extent was the election of Abraham Lincoln the primary cause of the secession of South Carolina?analytical essayBefore Abraham Lincoln became president, the South Carolina General Assembly was discussing a way to avoid being governed under the United States Legislature. The Declaration of Secession came into effect in South Carolina on December 24, 1860; ten months after Lincoln became president in November. A letter written by the General Assembly in 1859 in South Carolina reads as follows. “As the sense of this General Assembly that the election of a black Republican to the Presidency of the United States will be triumph and practical application of the principles subversive of the confederation of the United States and incompatible with the peace and safety of the southern states.” The General Assembly is saying that if Lincoln is to become president, the south will be put in danger economically. The south was aware that Lincoln was going to abolish slavery and South Carolina wanted to go ahead and secede to escape the freeing of their slaves and the destruction of their economy. Lin...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how lincoln's election was the primary cause of the secession of south carolina.
- Explains that the south carolina general assembly was discussing a way to avoid being governed under the united states legislature.
- Explains that south carolina seceded due to sectionalism in the united states. the north and south disagreed on many subjects and there was great tension between the two regions.
- Evaluates the resolutions to the general assembly in response to president lincoln's election.
- Explains that the resolution was drafted by the south carolina general assembly in 1860. the source is valuable because it illustrates the views of the majority.
- Cites memminger, c. g., “declarations of causes of seceding states civil war south carolina.” american civil war.
- Explains that the declaration of secession of south carolina was written by c.g. memminger and was adopted by thomas bennett.
- Analyzes how south carolina's secession from the union began with the election of 1860, when lincoln was pro-abolition and the southern states were in strong disagreement.
- Opines that lincoln's views on slavery are the main reasons why the southern states including south carolina decided to secede from the union.
- Explains that lincoln's election in 1860 had a great impact on the secession of south carolina from the union.
- Describes the causes of the civil war.
- Analyzes linder's essay on the thirteenth amendment: the abolition of slavery.
- Explains mcpherson, james, and memminger, c. g., "declarations of causes of seceding states civil war south carolina."
- Explains south carolina general assembly's resolutions to withdraw from the union if lincoln is elected president, invite other southern states to do the same, and prepare militarily and financially for such events.
- Explains resolutions to the general assembly, in response to president lincoln's election, to hold a convention of the people, for various committees, and to communicate with other states.
1605 wordsRead More - The Nullification Crisisanalytical essayNullification is a precursor to secession in the United States as it is also for civil wars. However, in contrast, the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions did not suggest that states should secede from the union. Under the direct vigilance and radical views of Calhoun, he suggested that states should and could secede from the union if they deem a law was unconstitutional. Calhoun’s reputation as a “Cast Iron” proved fittingly as compromises were reached for the proposed Tariffs. The southern states contribution to the financial welfare of the union as a result of slavery was undoubtedly substantial, but as history unfolded, it was not a just means to financial stability. His views of constitutional propriety was for the “privileges of minority” rather than for the “rights of the minority.” [2]
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the nullification crisis was a result of the tariff of 1828 and the kentucky and virginia resolutions.
- Analyzes the difference between the kentucky and virginia resolutions and the nullification crisis brought on by the tariff of 1828.
- Analyzes how the fear and passion of john c. calhoun's activism for nullification and thomas jefferson’s promoter of virginia and kentucky resolutions bring the similarities of the political actions.
- Argues that the virginia and kentucky resolutions did not suggest that states should secede from the union. calhoun's reputation as a "cast iron" proved fitting as compromises were reached for the proposed tariffs.
822 wordsRead More - Confederate Constitution Persuasive Essayanalytical essay“Our new government,” Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens said on March 21st, 1861, “is founded…upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery—subordination to the superior race—is his natural and normal condition.” Only ten days before, Stephens had witnessed the adoption of the Confederate Constitution, and his speech focused on the differences between this novel document and its American forebear. As Stephens declared, the Confederate Constitution reflected the sentiments of the new nation insofar as slavery was concerned. Refined and finalized over only twelve days in late February and early March of 1861 at a convention in Montgomery, Alabama, the Confederate Constitution enshrined slavery as the heart of the Confederate States. Various battles between the moderate delegates and pro-slavery zealots marked the document’s creation,
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the confederate constitution reflected the sentiments of the new nation insofar as slavery was concerned.
- Analyzes how the confederacy was similar to its american counterpart, but the differences between the documents are striking.
- Explains the clearest change associated with the confederate constitution was the elimination of euphemisms and compromises on the subject of slavery in the constitution of 1787.
- Analyzes how the confederate constitution ensured that slavery could never be limited within the confederacy. robert rhett, a prominent fire-eater and editor of the staunchly secessionist charleston mercury, proposed that no "state" would remain in the union.
774 wordsRead More - South Carolina Dbq Analysisopinionated essayAnd concurrent with the establishment of these principles, was the fact that each Colony became and was recognized by the mother Country a FREE, SOVEREIGN AND INDEPENDENT STATE.” (Document A, Excerpt 1). Another reason that South Carolina Stated for seceding from the United States is “I do but quote from one of those speeches when I declare that ‘I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.’” (Document C). Abraham Lincoln states that “Those who nominated and elected me did so with full knowledge that I had made this, and many similar declarations, and had never recanted them” (Document C). In his inaugural address he stated that the people that voted for him knew what he was going to do, therefore, South Carolina should have established this conflict before seceding from the United States. After the North invaded the South, the South stated “hostile to the South, and destructive of its beliefs and safety.”(Document A). As Jefferson Davis stated in his inaugural address “we denounce the lawless invasion by armed force of the soil of any State or Territory, no matter what pretext, as among
In this essay, the author
- Opines that south carolina's stated reasons for seceding from the united states in december of 1860 were self-government and the north was not being favorable towards the south.
- Explains south carolina's reasons for seceding from the united states are the right of a state to govern itself, and the rights of the people to abolish government when it becomes destructive of its ends.
- Explains that south carolina's stated reasons for seceding from the united states were not the entire explanation because the south was a large slave-owning region.
- Opines that south carolina's secession was not just because they failed to state that the continuation of slavery was a reason for their separation from the united states. the confederate states of america declaration of the immediate causes
593 wordsRead More - Civil War: Similarities Between The Union And The Confederacyanalytical essay“We are met on a great battlefield of that war” (Lincoln, 1863). On April 12, 1861, the people of the United States were split into two sides. The north fought to preserve the Union and the South wanted to ensure the independence of the Confederacy. As a result the country was forced into a civil war and many lives were taken in the violent struggle. Both the North and the South reacted differently to the losses; for example The North wanted a “rebirth of a nation” and in order to achieve this, the Union needed to update the existing rules set by the founding fathers. On the other hand, the South decided to leave the Union and convince other states to secede with them in order to “give birth” to a new nation and remove the old forms of government. Even though both the Union and the Confederacy wanted to change America’s form of government, neither of the sides had similar ideas and both contrasted with each other immensely.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the united states was split into two sides on april 12, 1861. the north fought to preserve the union and the south wanted to ensure the independence of the confederacy.
- Explains that lincoln's gettysburg address persuaded citizens to remain connected despite the civil war to preserve our standing as a nation.
- Analyzes how the south used the constitution as a form of justification to their succession.
- Explains that the south and the north differed in their ideas of an ideal country. the south wanted complete control over the slaves and had no intention of revising the rules.
453 wordsRead More - 1825-1850 Dbq Analysisexplanatory essaySlavery, society, and religion were key factors for democratic ideals in the time of the reform movements. Slavery was still common in the time of 1825-1850. Society was ruined due to drunks and not having a established prison. Religion wanted to make people better and make sinners good. Therefore it all lead to democratic ideals and to make more of a perfect society.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that slavery, society, and religion were key factors for democratic ideals in the time of the reform movements.
- Explains that slavery was still a problem throughout the time period. america in this time had no enforcement or strict laws.
- Explains that america was motivated to make their society better because of everything going on at the time. the chart of the drunks shows the progression of a drunk and to what they become.
- Explains that the reform movement went along with the second great awakening. charles g. finney stated that once the churches changed for better so will the people.
- Explains that the reform movements were for the better of america and made america what it is today. all the democratic ideas made back in the 1800s are still alive and used.
436 wordsRead More - Struggle Is Realanalytical essayWhen America was first identified as its own in 1776, it came with struggles in the social, political, and economic areas. This was to be expected since we were new to the whole being free from Britain after the many years of the King’s rule. Some of the problems was the common understanding of rights of the people, the voice that the government has to each individual colony, and the fines that are charged to people.
In this essay, the author
- Explains america's struggles in social, political, and economic areas were expected since it was new to being free from britain after the many years of the king’s rule.
- Explains that the virginia declaration of rights states that all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, but questions began to rise about the freedom of slaves and the rights women had.
- Analyzes how politics in the late 1780s was nothing short of sexist. only men wrote the constitution that our country still runs on. abigail adams was a big part of this aspect of america.
- Explains that the triangular trade was disrupted by the war in the 1780s, and the colonies lost the main flow of money due to this crisis.
428 wordsRead More - Abraham Lincoln: A Moral Unifier?analytical essayAbraham Lincoln is a mythical figure in American culture and history because he is the President who saved the Union and abolished slavery. American admiration for him is so great that Americans have carved him into mountains and immortalized him in a Greek temple. In the Lincoln Memorial, one can find the inscriptions of the “Gettysburg Address” and “Second Inaugural Address”. To some, these speeches signify America’s rebirth as a unified political and moral country. Interestingly, these two speeches overshadow the fact that Lincoln’s words were once divisive. In “House Divided”, Lincoln expands the North-South divisions by taking issue with “Popular Sovereignty”, an 1854 policy allowing residents of territories to decide whether to legalize slavery. According to Lincoln, “Popular Sovereignty” was only creating more divisions when the Union needed to reunify under a banner of either slavery or abolition. Furthermore, Lincoln argues that there was a conspiracy to propagate slavery throughout the Union. Lincoln illustrates how several Democrats such as Stephen Douglas, President Franklin Pierce, Chief Justice Roger Taney, and President James Buchanan have enacted policies that were individually unimposing, but collectively spread slavery throughout the Union. Lincoln believed that slavery would become lawful throughout the Union if “the present political dynasty”, a proslavery construct, was not “met and overthrown” by Republicans (Lincoln 405). While I do not think that Lincoln is calling for an armed overthrow, I believe that his speech embodies the Northern distrust of the South. In fact, Lincoln is so polemical that as soon as he is elected the South secedes. However, Lincoln pivots to become a consistent politic...
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how lincoln is a mythical figure in american culture and history because he is the president who saved the union and abolished slavery.
- Analyzes how lincoln represents himself as a political unifier by remaining general when discussing northerners and southerners.
- Analyzes how lincoln's careful diction becomes more potent by his careful use of pronouns.
- Analyzes how lincoln represents himself as a moral unifier by explaining the role of morality and god in the war.
- Analyzes how lincoln draws his morality from the bible and the declaration of independence. he uses god to explain death in "gettysburg" and "second inaugural".
- Analyzes how lincoln draws from the bible when he says, "...judge not, that we be not judged". lincoln uses the excerpt to explain the culpability of both sides in the bloodshed.
- Explains that the almighty has his own purposes. "woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes."
- Opines that lincoln knew that slavery was incompatible with the union. he wanted americans to recognize a god who is antislavery and whose punishing for slavery’s progression is just.
1833 wordsRead More