The emancipation proclamation was essentially a declaration that freed the slaves. It was delivered by Abraham Lincoln in January of 1863, and stated that all slaves were now freed and that the government would do everything in its power to maintain the freedom of ex-slaves. While this was the main focus of the proclamation, Lincoln also touched upon issues considering the state of the union and how the newly freed slaves should conduct themselves. His views on these centered around his aversion to violence. Regarding the states in rebellion he stated that they would no longer be considered in rebellion and against the union should they peacefully send representatives to congress in the midterm elections. On the topic of how freed slaves should conduct themselves, Lincoln also felt that they should strive to avoid violence. He stated that they should remain non-violent until it was needed for self defense, and that they should try to rise above any threats. This proclamation greatly ch...
Posts
Lincoln's second inaugural address speaks mainly on the topic of the ongoing civil war. He begins by reflecting upon its beginnings, when the nation was divided, on many topics, but specifically on the issue to fight or not to fight. He remembers a time when politicians tried to speak their plight in the halls of Washington, rather than on the battlefield, while others incited populations into war. Then he moves on to speak about why he feels we went to war. This was chiefly slavery, seeing as 1/8 of our population was slaves in the south. He saw that the nation could not overcome its differences regarding the expansion of slavery, and so it crumbled into war. He felt that this was god's punishment for the horrible institution they allowed. He felt that the war would be prolonged until all the blood taken by the lash had been repaid by the sword. He ended his speech with a feeling of hopefulness and unease. Lincoln's first inaugural address:
In the Scott vs. Sandford case the Supreme Court essentially ruled, "once property, always property". More specifically it ruled that an African American, free or slave, in America was not a citizen and therefore could not pursue legal matters in an American court of law. Following the ruling that Dread Scott was still considered property, this led to another connotation. The court ruled that, because the 5th amendment protected property rights, that congress did not have the power to ban slavery. As a result, Scott's plea for freedom was not heard due to his race, and slavery was re-affirmed at a federal level. This greatly increased the growing sectionalism between the south and north, even though the Missouri compromise had been repealed. These rulings were eventually overturned with the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. Jim Crow also lead to many racially demeaning laws being passed later on:
Sojourner Truth's speech "Ain't I A Woman" was a call to action for women around the United States to strive for equality in all aspects of life, stating "It is now up to us to turn this world right side up". She attacked the difference between African american and white women saying, "even though I'm a woman, nobody has ever treated me like a white woman". She mentioned that nobody had ever helped her into a carriage or over a mud pile, and that the same was true for every other African American woman. She also attacked the argument that men were entitled to greater rights than women because god was a man, by saying that women must've helped create god then. She calls on all women, but specifically African american women, to fight for equal rights in all aspects of their lives. Sojourner Truth: Malala fights for equality for middle eastern women in education:
To Fredrick Douglass, the fourth of July was a mockery of the suffering of millions of African Americans, and it was very hypocritical for the white Americans to rejoice in their freedom when it was given to those who earned it. He felt that Black people had no reason at all to partake in the festivities of the Fourth because they had no independence to celebrate. He saw the pain and suffering, and the abuse of African Americans across the nation and saw no way that they were independent of the white men. He stated he would not celebrate the fourth, and would take the fifth as a day of mourning. He mourned for the years of slavery and continued segregation and abuse. He uses July fifth as a way to bring up the change he wants to see in the nation. He saw that both blacks and whites worshiped the same god, yet did not have religious equality. He saw that many African Americans around the country were still enslaved. This speech is a plea to use July Fifth as a day to stop these injustic...
Lincoln begins by saying that 87 years ago, this country was founded on the principles of democracy, and that foundation needs to remain. He then speaks on current events, specifically the civil war that he felt would test whether our country can stand or not. He felt that the world will not remember what was said in Gettysburg, but it will remember what happened there, in the monumental continuation of democracy as a precedent for history. At that point the living had to take up the work of those who died in this battle, so the devoted will not have died in vain and democracy could live on. He felt our country would have a new birth of freedom for the government of the people, by the people and for the people and that it would not perish from the earth after this great perseverance. Lincoln saw the battle of Gettysburg as a turning point crucial to the survival of democracy, and he was overjoyed at its apparent survival. Continuation of Democracy: Origin of Democracy (Pericl...
Lincoln begins by making a joke that his speech will be short, alluding to Harrison’s death due to the cold he caught after his long inaugural address. He then goes on to mention sectionalism because the south felt their personal securities, rights, economy, and peace were endangered. Lincoln emphasizes that this divide in the nation is unprecedented and says that he doesn’t plan to interfere slavery in the states where it exists. He even says that he will maintain the rights of states stated in the constitution. Since the issue of slavery was a major topic at the time, Lincoln specifically mentions that he will uphold the clause in the constitution which states "No person held to service or labor in one State, under the laws thereof, escaping into another, shall in consequence of any law or regulation therein be discharged from such service or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labor may be due." While not all states may like thi...
In this speech Calhoun spoke on the growing separation between the North and South from a very southern perspective. His theme throughout the speech is that the North needs to do justice to the South because the south did not have the power to fix its situation. Many immigrants from Europe were settling in the North, giving it control over the house. Expansion was greater in the North, giving them more power in the senate. The Northern economy was better because of tariffs on imports forcing the rest of the country to buy their products, and slowing southern agricultural exports. This gave the North a significant advantage over the south in government, and southern values weren't being upheld. Specifically, the southerners were unhappy with growing abolitionist movements. Slavery was essential to their agricultural economy, as well as a southern staple. The south felt it was being forced to choose between abolition and secession due to its little governmental power. John C Calhou...
The US had a strong desire to establish peace with Mexico. In October of 1845, Mr. John Slidell was sent to Mexico to settle the Texas border and negotiate peace. However, the revolutionaries who overthrew the Mexican government in December of 1845 refused to speak with Mr. Slidell. Texas at this point was under the protection of the US and part of its revenue system. In the spring of 1846, the troops at Del Norte were instructed to act peacefully until war was declared or an act of hostility was committed. The belligerence of the Mexican troops lead to a small battle near the Rio del Norte. The grievances of the US citizens were ignored and no attempt was made by the Mexicans to solve them. Commerce with Mexico was all but destroyed, and as Texas was an independent republic that had chosen to annex itself into the US, and Mexico had invaded the US, meaning that the two nations were now at war with each other. Despite Polk's attempts at diplomacy he ends the message by stating that...
1. The opening to this document states the democratic principles listed in the declaration of independence with one key alteration. It mentions life, liberty, the consent of the governed, however it states all men and women are created equal, not just men. 2. 1. Lack of suffrage for women 2. lack of representation in government 3. submission to their husbands 4. lack of education 5. not having rights of foreigners 3. The author ends this declaration by saying that women will continue to fight for their rights, through petitions and protest, and that lawmakers should grant them. 4. 1. Fredrick Douglass 2. James Mott 3. Jacob Chamberlain 4. Azaliah Schooly 5.Elisha Foote Notable Non-Signer: Sarah Polk (First Lady at the time) 5. Signers of declaration of Independence: