The 1850s was one of the most decisive decades in American History; because of its politics, social roles, and court cases, all of which led to the American Civil War. America in the 1850s was centered around the ideology of Manifest Destiny, prompting the desire to have the United States reign over territory from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. This ideal caused political chaos in Washington, as the divide between proslavery and antislavery politicians grew with the admission of more states into the Union. The underlying problem was whether the new states would be in favor of slavery or against, as this decision would directly affect the number of antislavery or proslavery representatives into congress, thereby prolonging the legality …show more content…
The compromise, “adopted by Congress had several parts: California was admitted as a free state… Texas was fixed along its current [border]... areas ceded by Texas became the recognized territories of New Mexico and Utah, and in neither case was slavery mentioned” (Citation Here). In this compromise it left it to the states themselves to decide whether to allow slavery or not through the principle of popular sovereignty. The Compromise of 1850 also declared “the slave trade, but not slavery itself, was abolished in the District of Columbia; and finally, Congress passed a new and stronger Fugitive Slave act, taking the matter of returning runaway slaves out of the control of states and making it a federal responsibility”(Citation Here). The reasoning behind the abolishment of the slave trade in Washington D.C was to show the world that the United States was moving towards an abolitionist government, when in reality it narrowly affected the brutal lives most African Americans were living in. The details of Fugitive Slave act in this compromise made the lives of African Americans even more difficult than before; as proslavery advocates …show more content…
As Uncle Tom was whipped to his eventual death he remains a, “steadfastly christian attitude toward his own suffering, and Stowe imbues Tom’s death with echoes of Christ’s”(Citation Here). As a consequence of this book’s publication, many people were swayed towards the abolitionist cause. Although this book was widely popular in the North, it faced, “animosity toward it in the South”(Citation Here). Indeed, the South looked at it with disgust. However the, “role of Uncle Tom’s Cabin as a cause of the American Civil War is rooted in a statement-- typically rendered as “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war!”-- that is spuriously attributed to President Abraham Lincoln”(Citation Here). With over three hundred thousand copies sold, it likely did play a factor, however minute, in the start of the Civil War. That said, it most of all gave light to pure evil throughout the United
During the 19th century, America had an expanding idea of Manifest Destiny, where they would claim land all the way to the east coast. While the government and the citizens were focused on exploring new land, they were able to acquire much of the new land, introducing new people and ideas. Many of these people and ideas were vastly different than the original in the thirteen colonies, which frustrated many people. When these different people and beliefs collided, many disputes and disagreements were born, which intensified the results of sectionalism, unfortunately leading up the Civil War, having a huge impact on the country.
When Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe, he said, “So, this is the little lady who made this big war”(“History.com Staff”2). After Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin, there was a rumor that this book led to the Civil War. Uncle Tom’s Cabin turned a lot of people in the North against slavery. The people in the North wanted slavery to end which caused them to fight the South. The most important topic of Uncle Tom’s Cabin is that slavery was worse in the South than in the North. Slavery was worse in the South than in the North because of the hard labor, the freedom policy, and the treatment of the slaves.
Originally thought of as a benefit to slaveholders, the act ended up hurting the Southern cause for slavery. The act not only allowed escaped slaves to be hunted in the North, but also required federal marshals to assist slave catchers. In spite of the fact that each section received and experienced many benefits, I think that the north seemed to gain the most from the Compromise of 1850. The equilibrium of the Senate was at the present time with the free states, in spite of the fact that California often voted with the south in regards to many issues in the 1850s. The major success for the purpose of the south was the Fugitive Slave Law. In the final analysis, the north refused to impose it. “Massachusetts even called for its nullification, stealing an argument from John C. Calhoun. Northerners claimed the law was unfair. The flagrant violation of the Fugitive Slave Law sets the scene for the tempest that emerged later in the decade.” Yet at this point in time, Americans anticipated that the fragile peace would succeed. In conclusion, the North got more advantages because California was admitted as a free state, minimizing the Southern on voting power in Congress. This is the reason why Northerns perceived that they should make a pro-Southern signal by accepting the new Fugitive Slave Act. It horribly rebounded them, evoking and arousing sympathy for oppressed
During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries the United States saw many problems come and go. Some problems were more important than others, however all led to further division of American politics. The most divisive issue in American politics during this time frame was the idea of Manifest Destiny, or territorial expansion.
The civil war, a devastating conflict amongst the American North and South in the mid to late 1800s, was caused by growing tension between the opposing sides for many reasons but also because of territorial expansion of America. In determining the impact of territorial expansion in the mid 1800’s on the sectionalism that led to the civil war, one would first have to look at the tactics for territorial expansion in America. Americans began to entertain the idea of heading west in the early 1800’s, which then brought forth the acts and events of the United States spreading its boundaries from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Historical events involving the expansion of America such as Manifest Destiny, the War with Mexico, and popular sovereignty in the west, all contributed to the growing tension between the North and the South, ultimately starting the Civil War.
Harriet Beecher Stowe publishes “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” in 1852. This anti-slavery book was the most popular book of the 19th century, and the 2nd most sold book in the century, following only the Bible. It was said that this novel “led to the civil war”, or “the straw that broke the camel’s back”. After one year, 300,000 copies were sold in the U.S., and over 1 million were sold in Britain.
One item in the Compromise of 1850 was the provision for a stronger Fugitive Slave Law. This new law made it a federal crime to not return a runaway slave to the south. The law also established that any suspected runaway slave was to be tried by a single judge, not by a jury. Also, these judges were compensated by a system that provided them with more money for deciding that the slave was guilty than innocent. This law obviously encouraged people not to harbor runaway slaves, and when they were caught, it provided the judge an incentive to have them returned to the south.
The Civil War is such an iconic turning point in American History. The Antebellum Period played a large role leading towards the division of North and South and contributed to making the Civil War almost
"The 1850's was a time of attempted compromise when compromise was no longer possible." This quote best describes this time period, because Americans were trying to compromise their views to prevent a large conflict, but there were many events which made a compromise impossible. The Fugitive Slave Act was part of the Compromise Act of 1850. This act required that authorities in the North had to assist southern slave catchers to retrieve and return slaves to their owners. Southerners favored this act because they saw no slavery in the territories to the west, by the passing of the Fugitive Slave Act it would help preserve slavery in the south.
While the North consisted of Free States with slavery illegalized, the South heavily depended on slave labor. This caused numerous disagreements between the two sections of the country on whether slavery should be allowed to expand or not. With the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the debate on whether the new states entering the Union should be allowed to come in as slave states. During that time the United States consisted of eleven free states and eleven slave states, which allowed equal representation of both sections in the government. The Compromise of 1820, also known as the Missouri Compromise, was created due to the tension that arose when Missouri applied for admission to the Union.
The most powerful tool an American citizen have is their power to vote. The ability to vote allows a citizen to be heard and allows them to make a change in the government. By, casting your vote you are electing a person to stand up for you and your values and speak on your behalf. This ability to vote came from the 15th amendment which states “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” The amendment was designed to protect the rights of the newly freed slaves after, the Civil War. Unfortunately, this amendment failed in different ways that lead to the oppression of minorities in America for almost 100
Having slavery be a significant part of many American lives, the Missouri Compromise was another sign that slavery was still a want in new states. The change of slavery states and free states still wasn’t where it needed to be in order to be accepted by today’s standards, but there were already people rallying to get it removed. Many people were involved in the Missouri Compromise as well as affected by it, but, thankfully, none of it is still in place today.
This decade, surrounded by great periods in US history such as the Gold Rush and the Civil War, was in direct correlation with everything around it, being greatly influenced by the Gold Rush and directly influencing the Civil War as well as making ripples throughout history. Understanding influential periods before the crisis of the crisis of the 1850’s, the substance of the discussion, and the ominous effects of the 1850’s crisis, it is difficult to deny the importance of that decade in American
“It was their challenge to the system of slavery, their actions in defying slaveholders by fleeing to the North and Canada, that prompted fugitive slave laws in the first place.” Congress passed the Compromise of 1850 act in order to ease the tension between northern and southern states. The act promises to grant the Fugitive Slave Act, to the pro-slavery state, while accepting California to the Union as a free state and “the abolition of the slave trade in the nation’s capital.” The Fugitive Slave Act “denied fugitive slaves a right to a jury trial and required northern citizens to assist in their recovery” which angered the anti-slavery group in the North. However, this act did not ease tension between the states, but further damage the relationships between them. This act prompted southern states to leave the Union on 1852. The expansion into the western territories played a large part in the conflict because the conflict first arose when deciding whether or not these new territories should become free states or slavery
Between the years of 1830 and 1860, the United States of America faced sectional tension numerous times. Three main divisive concerns led to this sectional tension including the issues of states’ rights, the economy, and slavery.