There are some painful truths and realities regarding the formation of our country. As a history major, you will learn of many disturbing periods that lent to the development of the country. One of the more harrowing episodes of the United States is the forced transplant of free Africans to the shores of America. In a U.S. History course, you learn about significant pieces of legislation that impacted the slave issue in America.
As the climate started to heat up against slavery, pro-slavery states yielded all the power they could muster to enact laws and compromises to keep slavery and slave states an American way of life. The debate became so fierce, it was the catalyst that divided the nation and ushered in the Civil War. Considered as an unethical and inhumane practice today, owning slaves was pretty common for wealthy families back then.
Before the Civil War, there were several acts and compromises that tried to keep slavery legal. One of the first laws that had an impact on pro-slavery was the Missouri Compromise. At one point, there were an equal amount of free states as there were slave states. The admittance of Missouri as a slave state would upset the balance of the Senate. The "compromise" allowed Missouri to stand as a slave state, while adding Maine as a free state. This kept the Senate in balance.
The Compromise of 1850 was an attempt to pacify both the North and South sides in regards to their support for or against slavery. The compromise consisted of four parts specific to the slavery issue: it allowed California to enter the Union as a free state, slave status of New Mexico and Utah would be voted on by popular vote, slave trade ended in Washington, DC, and the implementation of the Fugitive Slave Law.
The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 required all citizens to help catch runaway slaves, and those who refused to comply could be fined and receive a six-month jail sentence. Additional incentives included paying judges a small fee for every runaway that returned to the South. Greed prompted some judges to send African-Americans south whether they were fugitives or not.
By the mid 1800s, the issue of slavery in the territories surfaced again. The Nebraska Territory was a long stretch of region scheduled to be added to the Union as a free territory. To quail dissent from the Southerners, it was proposed that the territory be divided into two territories, Kansas and Nebraska; slavery status would be determined by each territory. This bill was known as the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
The Kansas-Nebraska Act added fuel to a brewing fire between slave advocates and abolitionists. Both the North and the South fought for control of the state of Kansas, as the slave issue depended upon popular sovereignty. Northerners moved to the state in hopes of having a majority vote to make it a free state; however, the popular vote resulted in pro-slavery. Northerners refused to accept the verdict, and the state was soon in chaos and violence became the norm. The Kansas-Nebraska Act eventually led to John Brown's Raid.
In order to fully understand the history of the United States, one must know about the disgraceful episodes of the country as well as the inspiring ones. Slavery is a dark blemish on our country and the effects are still felt today. But from this period, we do get a first glimpse at the country on the verge of living up to the historical document that attests that all Americans are created equally. Students who are interested in pursuing this field can get a history degree online by taking online college courses. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Still |
No comments:
Post a Comment