LAD # 16

The Emancipation Proclamation:
On January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation. This was a document that now allowed all slaves to be freed. Not only slaves in the free states but also slaves residing in slave states. The entire nation no longer could coexist with the extreme repression of people found in slavery. Also as a direct result, this document made the slave owners accountable. If anyone, from this point on conducted the practice of slavery then they would be considered treasonous to the nation. In this address, Lincoln made a bold assertion that forever changed the nation. From this point on our nation could no longer be characterized by supreme oppression of people, that was entirely outdated and unnecessary to begin with. Obviously as an immediate result, the southern states would rear extreme opposition, claiming their entire economic system relied on this process to survive.

LAD #15

Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address:
When Lincoln addressed the nation for a second time, he recognized his audience was a changed audience. He was addressing a torn nation. Upon his first address was the impending feeling of war. Lincoln summarized this as neither partying wanting the war, but one willing to accept it so that the union will not dissolve and one willing to accept it so that they may get their wishes. Following this lamentation, Lincoln addresses the main issue of the war- in his eyes- slavery. Since one eighth of the nation was colored slaves, this portion of the population was bound to have an influence on our nation. While issues have not been fully resolved, they are currently in the process and as such they will continue to move forward. Overall it appears that Lincoln's main goal is to try and fix the torn nation, holding together the remaining uniting threads. Lincoln recognizes that after this war, it will take time to return to the unified state it was once upon a time.

LAD #15

The Dred- Scott case was important to American history because it embodied the major issue of this time. Southern slave holding states had no problem with the morality of holding slaves because of their larger use for their economic system. While north held larger opposition on a moral level, said to be convient morality. When the case of Dred Scott was tried, it portrayed national oppinion of the situation. Robert Taney was the chief justice, and his court called the Taney court, held responsibility for this case. The case involved a slave moving from a slave state to a free state, if he is then allowed to be freed. In the end the decision was made that slaves were considered less than property, so this case could not even be tried, considering property could not go to court.

LAD #14

The Emancipation Proclaimation is one of the US's most influential documents of history. It depicts a time of complete desperation and a war that would change the attitudes of the United States. In this document, Lincoln freed all slaves in the Union. However none of the slaves that were in the surrounding borders of in states that had already left were freed. While this document was attacked, it made the war an internal conflict. Forever ending the idea of outside influence in the civil war.

LAD #13

When Abraham Lincoln assumed office, he recognized the main issue of divide was regarding slavery. Whether it be slavery in the new territories or the return of slaves. A majority of his Inaugural Address covered this. Most of his platforms in the inaugural address were used as concilatory tools for Southerners. In retrospect, we can see that Lincoln had a deep care for the preservation of the union. This was reflected in his inaugural address. He claimed to strongly support the Fugitive Slave Law. He repeated that his platform held no position about slavery, he had no reason to interfer with it and was in support of the keeping the slave states as slave states. However he constantly went back to the fact that the Union was the most important idea, not slavery. He claimed the the Constitution was drafted in order to enable a great government, but it was just a contract itself. And as a contract, it can not be meddled with, before receiving the approval of all the party members of the United States.

LAD #12

John C. Calhoun depicts the union's disunion in one word- slavery. Through this speech, Calhoun was able to break down our country to its core. In the beginning of this speech, he illustrated that although he may not agree with everyone in the union, his overall goal is that the union remains one. Basically he started off the speech saying that he did not want the union to dissolve. However, he does not blame the slavery problems on the South were slavery has the greatest extents of effects, instead he looks to the North and the West for a source of confliction. Through claiming these were actaully the main sources of problems, he himself is illustrating the immense sectionalism that is taking place at this time. After this he begins to illustrate one of his most important concerns. This is that the south is actually losing power. He fears that since migration to the West is so strong, the South no longer is holding the place that it once held within the union. Calhoun overall decides that the best way to raise affluence for the south would be to increase states rights and then increase slavery in the western territories. Throughout this entire speech he was advocating for southern rights.

LAD #11

This is a summary of Polk's message to the House of Representatives and to the Senate. He begins by dictating his issues that are causing alarm. While he has tried to maintain peaceful relations, it is proving quite difficult. Most of the issues with Mexico revolved around territorial disputes. With our borders touching, there would clearly be some issues. Nations so close in proximity are bound to run into conflict in the future. After many failed attempts at diplomacy, Polk decided that a confrontation was inevitable. And in truth this affair was hurting the United States, whether through commerce or expansion wise. Therefore with no other choice in site, drastic measures may be necessary.

LAD#10

This document is set up to resemble the Declaration of Independence. It first restated the beginning of this document, to appeal to their audience. It claims that our nation has a responsibility to hold women as equals to men. Next they list off their grievances which overlooked all of the injustices they faced. These ranged from property discriminations to not being able to hold authority in churches. Overall it advocated for equal rights, more specifically sufrage. Another big idea was the concept of a thorough education for women- including college level degree. Following these grievances they list off the reasons why and how they should be resolved. Each grievance comes with a clean cut solution- providing little room for inquiry. The women of the Seneca Falls Convention held their beliefs highly that they should be equals with men in ever oppurtunity that is presented. Through logic and clear motives, they were able to depict these injustices within the Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions.