...Dr. John Emerson took his slave, Dred Scott, from Missouri to Illinois and Minnesota where they resided from 1834 to 1838. Illinois and Minnesota are located in the territory north of 36° 30' and identified as free states under the Missouri Compromise. Scott returned to Missouri in 1838 and years later, Dr. Emerson died. Scott brought suit against Emerson’s widow in the Missouri courts, claiming his residency in free territory changed his status to free. The lower court decided in favor of Scott, but in 1852, the Missouri Supreme Court reversed the decision. Scott’s ownership was transferred to John Sanford, the brother of Mrs. Emerson’s new husband. The family filed a suit on Scott’s behalf against Sanford in the U.S. Circuit Court in Missouri, where Scott appealed to the Supreme Court on a writ of error. The ruling in the U.S. Circuit Court in Missouri was in favor of Sanford. Scott brought suit to the Supreme Court to decide on his status of citizenship and the rights he could receive from the Constitution. Issue Is a slave who was taken into free territory able to become a United States citizen and receive rights from the Constitution? Rule...
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...great idea of expanding the nation. The Missouri Compromise had divided the slave states and the free states once and for all. Sectionalism, placing the interests of one region ahead of the welfare of the nation as a whole, offers two great examples in which the country was split. The National Bank, which was proposed by Alexander Hamilton, brought up a lot of controversy in the south, as well as in the west. Not only did the National Bank disgruntle the southerners, but the Tariff of 1816, proposed by James Madison, did as well. Sectionalism challenged nationalism, but the latter remained strong among the American people. On December 2, 1823, President Monroe addressed a message to congress. In his message, James Monroe was informing the powers of the Old World that the American continents were no longer open to European colonization. He also stated that the outside powers shall not try to overthrow the newly independent republics in the Western Hemisphere. Any effort to extend European political influence into the New World would be considered by the United States "as dangerous to our peace and safety." At the same time, the United States would not involve itself in European affairs or interfere with existing colonies in the Western Hemisphere. These principles became known as the Monroe Doctrine. In 1819, settlers in Missouri requested admission to the Union. Its settlers came largely from the South, and it was expected that Missouri would be a slave...
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...In November of 1818, Missouri petitioned Congress for statehood and ignited a controversy over slavery and a balance of power in the Senate that would span two sessions of Congress and threaten the dissolution of the Union and a civil war. Prior to the Missouri question, the Union had eleven free states and eleven slave states, each with two Senators. The Missouri Territory, carved out of land acquired in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, covered an expanse of land just north of the Ohio River and just west of the Mississippi (these rivers joined in the southeastern corner of the territory). According to the terms of the Ordinance of 1787, which prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territory, the Missouri Territory was designated a free territory, but many of the settlers had brought their slaves with them when they settled the area and were determined to enter the Union as a slave state. With the growing abolitionist sentiment in the North and the South pressing to legalize slavery, permitting Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state would tilt the power of the Senate in favor of the South and make the realization of legalizing slavery more attainable. Since 1809, the issue of slavery had been relatively quiet, but Missouri’s request to enter the Union as a slave state just at the nation was beginning to expand westward, thrust the question of slavery back into the spotlight of national politics. A set of compromises, known as the Missouri Compromise of 1820, allowed Congress...
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...leaders devised constitutional argument to fit their political desires. South Carolina argued the constitution had created" a government of states not a government of individuals.". This led to the Calhoun "doctrine of nullification," when declared that any state had the constitutional right to nullify a national law. The supreme court's infamous Dred Scott decision (1857), written by Chief Justice Roger Taney a statis rights advocate, told the conflict. Dred Scott, a slave that had lived in the North for four years, applied for his freedom when his master had died, citing a federal law the Missouri Compromise of 1820 that made slavery, illegal in a free state or territory. The Supreme Court ruled against Scott, claiming that people of Africian descent were barred from citizenship and thereby could not sue for their freedom in federal courts. The court also invalidated the Missouri Comprimise. The court ruled that slaves were property, not people, and as such could be taken into any state or territory. Accordingly slavery in any part of the United States was justified according to Congreee. Taney Court's decision provoked outrage in the North and led to a sectional split in the nation's majority party, the Democratic....
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...Primary source study of A Hhouse Divided Our 16th President Abraham Lincoln’s speech later titled “A Hhouse Ddivided” was delivered in front of 1,000 rRepublican delegates after who had voting nominated Abraham Lincoln in as their candidate to the U.S sSenate . An issue causing a rift throughout the nation, slavery was had been disputed since the inception of America. Lincoln not only understood the problems created by slavery at his present time, he also for lack of a better term prophesized the oncoming storm that would ensued from both the disagreements between the opponents and proponents of slavery: . “We are now far into the fifth year, since a policy was initiated, with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting an end to slavery agitation. Under the operation of that policy, that agitation has not only, not ceased, but has constantly augmented. In my opinion, it will not cease, until a crisis shall have been reached, and passed. A house divided against its self cannot stand." Abraham Lincoln clearly understood the schism that was taking place across the country, though it was considered politically irresponsible by his peers and fellow party members , Lincoln’s resolve to end this bitter dispute would carry America through its darkest days. Abraham Lincoln's "House Divided" speech had a specific purpose for it. He was directing it mainly at the congressmen and the President, and it's purpose was to show them how America was hurting itself by fighting...
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...cultural and economic responses of two of the following groups to the Indians of North America before l750/ British, French, Spanish Compare the ways in which religion shaped the development of colonial society in 2 of the following regions prior to l740/ New England, Chesapeake, Middle Atlantic How did economic, geographic and social factors encourage the growth of slavery as an important part of the economy of southern colonies between l607 and l775? Compare the ways in which 2 of the following reflected tensions in colonial society/ bacon’s rebellion, pueblo revolt, salem witchcraft trials, stono rebellion To what extent had the colonists developed a sense of their identity and unity as Americans by the eve of the Revolution? Dbq Analyze the impact of the American Revolution on both slavery and the status of women in the period from l775-l800 Evaluate the extent to which the Articles of Confederation were effective in solving the problems that confronted the new nations Analyze the contributions of 2 of the following in helping establish a stable government after the adoption of the constitution/ John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington Although the power of the national government increased during the early republic, this development often faced serious opposition. Compare the motives and effectiveness of those opposed to the growing power of the national government in 2 of the following/ whiskey rebellion, Virginia and Kentucky resolutions, Hartford...
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...customs, political institutions, and ideas about society and government. Among the changes were the separation of church and state in some places, the abolition of slavery in the North, written political constitutions, and a shift in political power from the eastern seaboard toward the frontier. The first weak government, the Articles of Confederation, was unable to exercise real authority, although it did successfully deal with the western lands issue. The Confederation’s weakness in handling foreign policy, commerce and the Shays Rebellion spurred the movement to alter the Articles. Instead of revising the Articles, the well-off delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a charter for a whole new government. In a series of compromises, the convention produced a plan that provided for a vigorous central government, a strong executive, the protection for property, while still upholding republican principles and states’ rights. The Federalists met strong opposition from Anti-Federalists, especially in Virginia and New York, but through effective organization and argument, they succeeded in getting the Constitution ratified. By establishing the new national government, the Federalists checked the Revolutionary values of the popular republican government. Terms/names/topics:...
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...DBQ: Nationalism & Sectionalism By John A. Braithwaite DIRECTIONS: The following DBQ is based upon the accompanying documents and your knowledge of the time period involved. This question tests your ability to work with historical documents. Your answer should be derived mainly from the documents, however, you may refer to historical facts, materials, and developments NOT mentioned in the documents. You should assess the reliability of the documents as historical sources where relevant to your answer. Check your school and community libraries for materials and also, surf the internet to help you find relevant outside information. QUESTION FOR ANALYSIS: In the period from 1815 to 1858, two giant forces—nationalism and sectionalism--ostensibly in opposition to each other—prevailed simultaneously in the first half of 19th century America. Describe these two forces and discuss the geographic, political, constitutional, economic, and diplomatic contrasts of both forces. PROMPT: Formulate a thesis statement Use documents as well as your own outside knowledge of the period. Deal evenly with all aspects of the questions Be sure to cover the time period given • Assess the validity of the documents • Draw effective and specific conclusions whenever possible TEXTBOOK RECOMMENDATIONS Gillon & Matson The American Experiment Boydston & McGerr Making A Nation Murrin, et.al Liberty, Equality, Power Norton...
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...Veer Shah AP United States History DBQ Essay #3: “American period between 1860-1880” The historic period prior to the 1860s was the most underlying era in American society as it led to the bloodiest war in the American history, the Civil war. Prior to the Civil war, the American politics were sectionally divided between the Northern Republicans and the Southern Democrats. The political culture was almost saturated as both sections had realized that the numerous compromises would only provoke questions and dissimilarities between them, with the largely interfered question of slavery and suffrage. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 had been implemented as a nationwide direction towards admitting states with reference the 36° 30´ latitude line, either as a free-state (above line) or as a slave state (below the line). Despite of the temporary success of the compromise of 1820, it was repealed by the Stephen A. Douglas in 1854 in his Kansas-Nebraska Act. Likewise, the Compromise of 1850, created by the Great Compromiser, Henry Clay, was an effort to preserve the Union by settling the issue of slavery in the newly acquired territories from the Mexican-American War. Although it assured a temporary peaceful settlement between the sections, it failed to give birth to the Civil war and the rise in sectionalism. Although all these compromises had served their desired intents, politically as well as socially, in turn, they only played a catalyst role in increasing the tensions...
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