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North and south states in the us during the civil war

During the early 1800s, there was major instability within political parties that created a divide between the United States. This created up roaring tension throughout the country that could not be easily avoided. A division of political views and societal elements created an unclear picture for many Americans about the judgement of where the country was headed towards. Throughout the underlying tension of the sectional divide between the country, it helped further the strife between the North and the South yet carrying on one fundamental theme of the concept of slavery which can be seen in primary documents. During the 1850’s the focus wasn’t solely on sectional dissension as a whole but the divide of free states to slave holding states. Slavery was a controversial and divisive institution from its establishment in colonial America. For this very reason, abolishing slavery further implemented the divide between the Southerners and the Northerners. The focus was not so much highlighted on the slaves itself but in a deeper concept, towards the nature of the white southerners and their society which intensified sectional dissention even further.

In 1820, Congress passed the Missouri Compromise, which created Missouri as a slave state and on the other hand created the territory of Maine as a free state, in order to obtain the balance of power between the South and the North. When the Kansas- Nebraska Act was passed, the Missouri Compromise was repealed which created the controversial issue of slavery being decided by the people of the territory rather than determining whether the state initially was a free state or slave holding state This idea became known as popular sovereignty towards the public.  Immediately after the bill was passed violence erupted between the South and the North within settlers that were pro-slavery and anti-slavery settlers, in an event that foreshadowed the battles of the Civil War. The issue created a debate over the terms of “ constitutional equality” and the basis of discrimination between property.

The south always occupied an economy highly based on agriculture that they argued could not strive to its fullest potential without their uses of slavery. They did not plan on ending slavery anytime soon as they saw its long-lasting effect political wise and societal wise. They were against establishing an industrial based economy whereas the Northerners were the opposite of this concept and inherited industrialization as a means of progression. The basis of the principle that the bill was established on was the idea of “ self-government, which authorizes the people to regulate their own domestic concerns, as recognized in the Compromise measure of 1850.”[1]With this effort, this strengthens the industry in enabling slavery to become a continuous institution within the nation. Instead of the constant struggles between the two parties, Congress made it clear to Americans how the decision is now in their hands; moreover, trying to dodge a hard decision to be settled by themselves. These attitudes and opinions that white southerners adhered to about power and equality emphasizes the reason why sectional dissention took place in America as the reoccurring issue about slavery was not being solved. Senator Robert Toombs of Georgia argued, “ each state has the same right as every other State- no more, no less [so] the exercise of this prohibition violates this equality, and violates justice.”[2]Moreover, he argues in the favor of slavery and compares it with equality as support for his argument which contradicts what he initially stated. The southerners don’t realize while making these claims is that slavery is not based on equality and never was when first established. Moreover, slavery strips away these equality morals and promotes degradation and inequality. These claims were repeatedly being emphasized by many southerners intensifying the problem even further. By arguing continuously about slavery as an institution, southerners started recognizing that by abolishing slavery means that “ it [will] loosen the bonds of union, seeks to establish injustice, disturbs domestic tranquility, weakens the common defense, and endangers the general welfare.”[3]As slavery became so highly significant and relied upon in the South that it was sought to be stripping away basic equal rights therefore comparing it to property.

Another common influence that was repeatedly being emphasized that intensified during sectional dissention was the idea of being separate rather than a whole country. For example, neither the north or the south were ready to give up on their so-called rights that they had and sought any change in their region as “ insulting discrimination.”[4]Repeated arguments were being made by southerners that “ the government has been ready to protect other people’s property on the high seas and in the Territories; while it has been ready to make a war at home”[5]and their common phrase was that “ I demand to be treated as an equal.”[6]Contradictory to this is that they don’t treat their slaves as equal yet they are demanding equality from the government as they are oppressed by this harsh reality. In the Northerners case they argue that despite all the efforts being made into keeping the balance of power between the two very distinct regions the “ two systems are at once perceived to be incongruous [and] [can] … never [be] permanently existed together in one country, and they never will”[7]and are patiently waiting for one to prevail. Each side wants something else and neither is satisfied therefore growing the tension even more.

In conclusion, sectional dissention was heavily judged by the institution of slavery and its territories. As slavery became to be perceived as an everyday common practice the argument for slavery strengthened and southerners did not back down which caused an erupt tension across the country.

Bibliography

  • Brown, Albert G. “ Senator Albert G. Brown of Mississippi Denounces the Federal Government for Failing to Protect the South, December 1859” in Major Problems in the Civil War and Reconstruction: Documents and Essays, edited by Michael Perman and Amy Murrell Taylor, 70-72. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011
  • Douglas, Stephan A. “ Senator Stephan Douglas of Illinois Explains the Objectives of His Bill, February 1854,” in Major Problems in the Civil War and Reconstruction: Documents and Essays, edited by Michael Perman and Amy Murrell Taylor, 68-69. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011
  • Perman, Michael, and Amy Murrell, Taylor. Major Problems in the Civil War and Reconstruction: Documents and Essays, edited by Michael Perman and Amy Murrell Taylor, 68-69. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011
  • Toombs Robert “ Senator Rober Toombs of Georgia Insists on Congress’s Responsibility to Protect Slavery in the Territories, January 1856,” in Major Problems in the Civil War and Reconstruction: Documents and Essays, edited by Michael Perman and Amy Murrell Taylor, 69-70. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011
  • Whites, LeeAnn. “ The Civil War as a Crisis in Gender.” In Major Problems in the Civil War and Reconstruction: Documents and Essays , edited by Michael Perman and Amy Murrell Taylor, 14-23. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011.

[1]Douglas, Stephan A. “ Senator Stephan Douglas of Illinois Explains the Objectives of His Bill, February 1854,” in Major Problems in the Civil War and Reconstruction: Documents and Essays, ed . Perman, Michael, and Amy Murrell, Taylor,(Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011), 68

[2]Toombs Robert “ Senator Rober Toombs of Georgia Insists on Congress’s Responsibility to Protect Slavery in the Territories, January 1856,” in Major Problems in the Civil War and Reconstruction: Documents and Essays, ed . Perman, Michael, and Amy Murrell, Taylor,(Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011), 69

[3]Toombs, ” Senator Rober Toombs of Georgia Insists on Congress’s Responsibility to Protect Slavery in the Territories, January 1856”, 70

[4]Brown, “ Senator Albert G. Brown of Mississippi Denounces the Federal Government for Failing to Protect the South, December 1859”, 72

[5]Brown, “ Senator Albert G. Brown of Mississippi Denounces the Federal Government for Failing to Protect the South, December 1859”, 72

[6]Brown, Albert G. “ Senator Albert G. Brown of Mississippi Denounces the Federal Government for Failing to Protect the South, December 1859” in Major Problems in the Civil War and Reconstruction: Documents and Essays, ed . Perman, Michael, and Amy Murrell, Taylor,(Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011), 73

[7]Seward, William H. “ Senator William H. Seward of New York Warns of an Irresponsible Conflict, October 1858” in Major Problems in the Civil War and Reconstruction: Documents and Essays, ed . Perman, Michael, and Amy Murrell, Taylor,(Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011), 71

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