KAI+Y+ --+ Assess+the+moral+argument+and+political+actions

Home List of Themes Model - Articles of Confederation

**Theme:** Expansion **Topic:** Opposition to slavery **Free Response Question**: Assess the moral argument and political actions of those opposed to the spread of slavery in the context of the following Introductory Paragraph **Setting: **  In the 1850s and 1860s, the national discussion was dominated by controversy over slavery. **Basis for Analysis**: While the abolitionists viewed slavery as intolerable evil, other anti-slavery politicians tried to compromise with the Southerners in order to keep the nation united. **Partitions ** : The anti-slavery activists tried to solve the problem through "moral persuasion", through laws to contain the spread of slavery, or even through the idea of popular sovereignty to avoid any direct conflict with the Southerners. **Thesis: **   Ultimately, the issue of slavery could not be resolved through moral argument, political actions, or even the idea of popular sovereignty because while the abolitionists faced backlash trying to solve the problem of slavery socially,the anti-slavery politicians, out of consideration for the nation's future, could not contain the spread of slavery politically. . <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">
 * Missouri Compromise
 * Mexican War
 * Compromise of 1850
 * Kansas Nebraska Act
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">3-4 pieces of evidence
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">Define the most significant events, controversies, agreements
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 16px;">Specific details, concisely stated

<span style="background-color: #e1ff00; color: #ff4700; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 17px; text-align: left;">**Partition 1:** Frustration with the abolitionists Moral Persuasion Rather than trying to use political influences to solve the issue, the abolitionists tries to argue that the institution of slavery is morally unacceptable. - __//Uncle Tom's Cabin//, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe__: The book depicted the fate of runaway slaves in heart-wrenching language. It is an example that shows the significance of "moral-persuasion" through appealing to emotion. -__William Lloyd Garrison__, the founder of American Anti-Slavery Society, refused to run candidate for presidential election because he regarded US Constitution as a slave-supporting one.

Backlash because of racism: Despite the abolitionists' effort to argue that slavery is moral wrong, racism still persisted and caused a backlash on their effort. -__"Dread Scott Case"(1857)__: Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney claimed that slaves had "no rights which a white man was bound to respect." It shows that racism was still a important factor that caused a backlash on the abolitionists' effort.

<span style="background-color: #808000; color: #e1ff00; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">**Partition 2:** Political compromises over the issue of slavery The unity of the nation Although many anti-slavery politicians were unwilling to see slavery spreading into other regions, they had to compromise politically in order to prevent the nation from falling apart. - __Missouri Compromise__: Missouri entered as slave state while Maine entered as free state. In addition, the 36' 30 North latitude was ruled to be the dividing line between slave state and free state. It shows that even the anti-slavery politicians were trying to find a balance of power between the slave states and the free states, fearing that the issue of slavery would tear the nation apart. -__The Mexican War__: The Treaty of Guadalupe- Hidalgo gave California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado to US. With new expansion, the balance between slave state and free state caused new conflict in Congress, which resulted in the Compromise of 1850. -__Compromise of 1850__: Webster claimed "I speak not as a Massachusetts man but as an American" to urge support for the Compromise of 1850 to save the nation. This compromise intentionally leave out the issue of slavery in the territories of New Mexico and Utah, giving both sided an acceptable outcome.

**<span style="color: #00ff00; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 15px;"> Partition 3: ** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Popular Sovereignty In an attempt to please both sides, Stephen Douglass proposed the idea of Popular Sovereignty to let the people decide on the issue of slavery. - __The Kansas-Nebraska Act__: The Bill stated "All question pertaining to slavery in the Territories... are to be left to the people residing therein". Contrary to the abolitionists' beliefs, Stephen Douglass believed that the issue should be decided by the people in the region. However, this also leads to conflict in the region. - __Bleeding Kansas__: Abolitionist John Brown led a small group to murder five Pro-slavery farmers. Both sides engaged in acts of violence, which resulted in 200 deaths in the next few years.

<span style="background-color: #800080; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 23px; text-align: left;">General Information: The Southerners saw slavery as their source of living while more and more Northerners viewed slavery as morally unacceptable. Most people just wanted to find a balance of power to prevent the nation from collapsing.