Compare And Contrast Essay On America's Second Revolution

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America’s Second Revolution Between the years 1860 to 1877 there were both extreme constitutional and social developments within America. This time period has been considered America’s second revolution. The definition of a revolution, "a forcible overthrow of a government or social order, in favor of a new system”. The South, using agriculture and slavery as their base of economics, fought hard against the North and their ideals of complete industrialization. In 1860 when eleven Southern states succeeded from the Union, leaded to a Civil War, the Confederate party, and revolution. This was a time of absolutely no compromise. However previously to 1860, America made several drastic attempts of negotiation in order to avoid conflict. Examples …show more content…

Throughout the majority of nineteenth century was a time of great economic growth. The South was the largest cotton supplier in the world, relying heavily on slave labor. Similar to the South’s boost in economy, the North was also flourishing. The North continued to make great advances due to the modernization of becoming completely industrialized. Although America had major economic advances as a whole, a race for power ensued. It became a battle of Slave states vs Free states. In order to have progress within the government of an equal amount of both slave and free states, compromise was inviable. The Compromise of 1860 and the Missouri Compromise are examples of this. As the country began to move west, Missouri wanted to become apart of America, they applied for state ship. However, the then territory identified as a slave state. Instead of denying persimmon to enter the country, the Union requested that Maine would be instated as a free state. This became known as the Missouri Compromise. A temporary solution, one that allowed both parties to remain …show more content…

The thirteenth amendment added in 1865, states that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude is legal or constitutional. This amendment was added two years after the Emancipation Proclamation by Lincoln, freeing the slaves. The fourteenth amendment, allowed any person regardless of their race, who was born on U.S. soil, the option to become a U.S. citizen. It also gave equal rights and protection to anyone and everyone. This amendment was integrated within the constitution in 1868. This was revolutionary because previous cases with a slave named Dred Scott was overturned. However, struggle and hardship were far from over. Even after slaves had been freed and became citizens, were still being denied the right to vote. The fifteenth amendment states that, “a person can not be denied the right to vote on account of race”. Added in 1870, this allowed for Blacks to have a chance for their voices to be heard. These pieces of legislation are truly revolutionary and as Senator Lot Morrill expresses in Document F, “I admit that this species of legislation is absolutely revolutionary. But are not in the midst of a revolution? [...] Are we not in the midst of a civil and political revolution which changed the fundamental principles of our government in some respects”? However

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