Blog #21: Emancipation Proclamation

The purpose of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was to declare freedom for the enslaved people in America. He begins his Proclamation by claiming that all people previously held as slaves are now free, and the government (including military and naval authority) cannot prevent those people from being free any longer. Lincoln then goes on to list all of the rebelling states, and establishes the fact that all enslaved people within these states are henceforward free. He explains that states that continue slavery are considered in rebellion with the United States, while states that have representation in Congress are not considered in rebellion. Lincoln says that the newly freed people have a responsibility to work hard for their wages, and they must not engage in violence unless it is for self-defense. He then explains that the people who are in good condition will be received into the armed forces to help the country if need be, and expresses that this opportunity of freedom and service is an act of kindness.

The Declaration of Independence can be compared to Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation because both declared freedom for a certain group of people. The Declaration declared the independence of the United States from Great Britain, and the Emancipation Proclamation called for the independence of slaves from their masters.

Blog #20: Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address

Since many necessary words were already spoken during Lincoln’s presidency, Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address is not as long as his first. He explains that both the North and the South tried to avoid war, but when war did come, it was the South who provoked it. Nonetheless, nobody suspected the large extent of blood and horror that the war brought on. Nobody suspected that the issue of preserving the Union would be settled before the issue of slavery would be. Lincoln then goes on to quote the Bible, saying, “woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.” By saying this, he is basically confirming his belief that the war was brought on by the South and that they were unjust in their position. Lincoln finishes by saying that without anger toward anyone, but rather with love from God, Americans should strive to regain peace within the nation.

President Harry Truman gave a speech concerning the surrender of Germany that is similar in some ways to Lincoln’s 2nd Inaugural Address. Similar to Lincoln’s Address, Truman mentions God and says that He helped the nation obtain its victory over Germany. Finally, Truman hopes for peace, just as Lincoln desired for the nation at the close of the Civil War.

Blog #19: The Dred Scott Decision

Dred Scott was a slave who was property of Dr. John Emerson. When Emerson died, his wife Irene Sanford hired out the Scotts to work for other families. Desiring freedom, on April 6, 1846, the Scotts filed a lawsuit against Irene Emerson. Scott had been in free states before, so he hoped to become free based on the policy Missouri had previously followed of "once free, always free." 

Although Scott was finally declared free in 1850, the verdict was reversed in 1852 by the Supreme Court because the system of "once free, always free" was invalidated.

Emerson's estate was soon given over to John F.A. Sanford, and Scott's lawyers swiftly filed a suit against him in the U.S. Federal Court, which found Sanford in favor. 

When this reached the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Robert Brooke Taney avoided every aspect of antislavery constitutional thought and ruled Scott not free. He argued that whatever status Scott may have had while in a free state or territory, once he returned to Missouri his status was based solely on local law, and therefore he was no longer free. 

This case relates to the Missouri Compromise because it declared the Compromise unconstitutional, declaring that slaves could never be U.S. citizens and would therefore never be free. As a result, the Missouri Compromise fell and the idea of "once free, always free" disappeared once and for all. 

Taney was firmly against Dred Scott's ability to sue in the first place. He argued that African Americans could not sue the Federal Court because they were not citizens of the U.S.

Chief Justice Robert Brooke Taney

Dred Scott

Plessy v. Ferguson can be compared to the Dred Scott Decision because both cases resulted in a bias ruling by the Supreme Court. In the Dred Scott Decision, the Court ruled Scott not free because of their bias, and the Plessy v. Ferguson case upheld segregation laws based on their bias. In addition, the case replaced the gains from post-Civil War reconstruction with Jim Crow laws.

Blog #18: Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman" Speech

In Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman" speech, she conveys the message that women are not weak as many people perceived them to be during this time period. She says that many men think women cannot do things for themselves, but she (a slave) was always forced to do things for herself. Sojourner states that she has done hard work and has been through hard times (planted, gathered into barns, saw many of her children sold off into slavery with no people to console her). She explains that while some men view women as weak and think they need to help them with everything, she has never been treated with care. Her response to this is, "ain't I a woman?" Her overall message is that while many women are fighting to prove they are strong, people like herself have already proved that women can be strong. Yet, for Sojourner, she never got help or care from anyone in the first place. In a way, it's as if she is saying, "why are we so focused on women's rights when the issue of slavery is so large?”

The Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments can be compared to Sojouner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman" speech because both Truth and the Declaration expressed the idea that women are both independent and strong, contrary to what some men thought at this time.

Blog #17: Frederick Douglass' "5th of July" Speech

Frederick Douglass' "5th of July" speech is significant, because the fact that it was said on the day after Independence Day represents two important ideas. One is that behind the celebration of liberty is the true hypocrisy of America, and the second is that after such hypocrisy, there is hope for a better future and independence for slaves. Douglass begins his speech by establishing that he has much respect for America's founding fathers, yet he goes on to say that he is not included in that independence because while America has provided many citizens with prosperity and freedom, it has only provided him with blood and death. He explains that to make him celebrate the Fourth of July is almost mockery, and he questions whether the people mean to mock him by making him speak on this day. He compares this to the Hebrews remembering Zion and saying, "How can we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?" In other words, Douglass cannot celebrate the land in which he has been tortured. Rather, he explains that he views this day as a reminder of true liberty, and in the name of crushed slaves, the Constitution, and the Bible, Douglass states that he will not stand for the horrors going on within the country. 

Douglass goes on to explain that every man knows in his heart that slavery is wrong. In fact, if slaves can be punished with crimes, it only proves that they are moral, responsible, and intellectual beings. Douglass explains that he will not argue any more in depth to convince America that slavery is wrong, because it was America who came up with the principle of "all men are created equal," and therefore to explain this would be an insult to the country. Rather than argument, action must be taken. The Fourth of July is only a seemingly joyous cover for the horrible consequences of slavery on many African Americans. 

Nonetheless, Douglass explains that while these crimes are bloodier than any other nation at this time, he has hope for the future and respects the genius ideas that are stated in the Declaration of Independence. He ends his speech with the aspirations of William Lloyd Garrison, which express hope and overcoming the institution of slavery.

Frederick Douglass

Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was written to challenge the institution of slavery that tortured and killed so many people in America. This is similar to the purpose of Frederick Douglass' speech, which expressed the reason he could not celebrate Independence Day with the rest of the county- because the horrors of slavery still raged within America.

Blog #16: Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

During the Civil War, Lincoln presented his Gettysburg Address on a battlefield where many brave people had died. He begins by saying that the founding fathers had brought together America with the proposition that all men are created equal. Lincoln explains that while the world may not remember what is said on the battlefield, people will never forget the sacrifice that soldiers made for the prosperity of America. Lincoln urges the people that they must continue fighting for the cause that their fellow citizens died for. He concludes with encouragement, saying that under God America shall have a new birth of freedom, and "government of the people, by the people, and for the people" (democracy) shall not perish. Instead, the great country of America will go on!

Lincoln gives his Gettysburg Address

In Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, he encouraged Americans to keep fighting, claiming that the Union would come together and the country would prosper. Similarly, in Winston Churchill's famous speech regarding Dunkirk, he mentioned recent allied military losses and encouraged Americans to "never surrender." He claimed that we would "fight on the beaches" and do whatever possible to defend the United States.

Blog #15: Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

Lincoln begins his First Inaugural Address by stating that he has no intent of interfering with the institution of slavery. In other words, he will not tell the States exactly what they can and cannot do regarding the issue of slavery. Instead, he wants people to consider a few points for themselves. The first point is that the Constitution says that someone who escapes from slavery to another state is not truly free unless their master (or whoever they work for) allows them to be. Lincoln explains that although the Constitution is important, the Union was established first and therefore comes first. In fact, one of the declared points for establishing the Constitution was "to form a more perfect Union." Lincoln also makes it clear that he will not use any type of defensive force against the South unless they threaten the government. He explains that the resolution to the slavery issue is ultimately up to the people, but that they cannot let it split the country. He stresses the importance of taking time with any decisions, and points out that God has not let the country down and will guide all decisions. He concludes by emphasizing that despite differences within the country, the American people are not each other's enemies. They are friends, and the Union must not fall.

Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

Jefferson's First Inaugural Address can be compared to Lincoln's First Inaugural Address, because both Presidents gave their advice on handling separation within the United States. While Lincoln's Address touched on the issues of slavery (North vs. South), Jefferson's Address talked about issues between the Republicans and Federalists.

Blog #14: Calhoun's Speech on the Compromise of 1850

In John C. Calhoun’s speech on the Compromise of 1850, he voices his opinion on how the Union must be saved. He explains that the controversy over slavery will only end in disunion if action is not taken to prevent it from doing so. He says that what endangers the Union is the discontent in Southern states, which started with the slave question and has increased ever since. 

He goes on to explain that there is an unbalanced government because the North has dominance while the South remains unable to protect itself against oppression. A large part of the North’s power is due to the vast amount of land they gained, allowing for the addition of new states. In contrast, the South does not have nearly as much land and does not have any territories in progress. When the North tried to gain Mexico and excluded the South from this deal, it only furthered tensions. In fact, if the South had been included in the Ordinance of 1787 and the Missouri Compromise, immigration may have been divided and the North and South may have had equal populations. Also, if the South had retained equal rights in the territories of the North, it may have had an equal number of states, balancing the government. 

Knowing this, Calhoun asks the question of how agitation will be stopped within the U.S. He explains that disunion is a work of time, and that the slavery question had already destroyed some of the most important elements of the government, and has weakened the rest. Calhoun says that the Union can only be saved if the North adopts measures that satisfy the South, making them feel honored and safe within the Union. To do this, the North must give the South equal rights to new territory and include an amendment in the Constitution prohibiting slavery. 

In short, through this speech Calhoun voices his opinion that the preservation of the Union rests on the North. He wraps up by saying that whatever happens is not his responsibility because he explained how the Union could be preserved, and the North can choose to either take responsibility or disregard his opinion.

Calhoun's speech on the Compromise of 1850

When Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, he did so hoping that by freeing slaves in rebellious states, those states would become economically weak and have no choice but to remain part of the Union. This can be compared to Calhoun's speech, because he stated how the Union could be saved, and Lincoln was also hoping that he could somehow save the Union by signing this Proclamation.

Blog #13: Polk's War Message

Polk’s War Message was sent to Congress to explain why his quest for peace with Mexico failed. He explains that he asked General Herrera if he could send an American envoy to negotiate peace, and the General agreed. Polk soon sent John Slidell to discuss the Texas border. However, the Mexican government refused to listen to his propositions and sent him back to the United States. When Polk continued to defend Texas (because it was clearly the United States’s), Mexico threatened the U.S. Polk then explains that Mexico had shed American blood on American soil, and that Mexico had refused to follow treaties. Polk says that he truly believes both the United States and Mexico can benefit from commerce with each other, but that is no longer an option because Mexican-American boundary issues over Texas have turned into a war, which was completely the doing of Mexico. He concludes by stating that it is America’s duty to defend the honor, rights, and interests of the U.S.

James K. Polk

  

The XYZ Affair can be compared to the struggles Polk faced, because in both instances two countries would not agree. Just like how Mexico was disputing with the U.S. over Texas territory, the XYZ Affair was when France tried bribing the U.S. and would not just flat-out agree to the commercial agreement America wanted (disagreement in both examples).

Blog #12: Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments

The Declaration of Sentiments states that all men and women are created equal and are given by their Creator certain inalienable rights. Among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Governments secure these rights by permission from the people, but whenever a government becomes destructive, the people have the right to refuse the government and request a new one. Women have experienced this, and they have the right to demand equality because they are entitled to it. Throughout history men have had a role higher than woman. This role includes control over property rights, representation, jobs, and even divorce details. Women were even denied education, barely recognized, and were not allowed to have truly meaningful roles. However, the Declaration of Sentiments insists that because women were so often treated unequally, they have all the rights and privileges that belong to them as citizens of the United States. Relying upon the “final triumph of the Right and the True, 68 women and 32 men signed this document. 

1) Democratic principles: Equality, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, freedom of speech (voice in government)

2) 5 grievances: 

-men have taken all property rights and wages from women 

-men have deprived women of representation in government 

-men get to choose the causes of divorce as well as who gets the children after the divorce 

-men deny women the resources they need for obtaining for obtaining a thorough education (women not allowed in colleges) 

-men do not allow women to become wealthy or well-known because they save those positions for themselves

3) As a result of women feeling oppressed and deprived of their rights, the declaration insists that women have immediate access to all the rights and privileges that a citizen of the United States should have.

4) 5 notable names:

-Frederick Douglass

-Harriet Cady Eaton

-Elizabeth Cady Stanton

-Lucretia Mott

-James Mott

One woman who did not sign the Declaration of Sentiments was Sojourner Truth. This is surprising because she was a women's right activist.

Statues of attendees at the Women's Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls, NY

The Declaration of Sentiments granted women inalienable rights that every American citizen should have. This can be compared to the 19th Amendment, because it gave women the right to vote, which was something that women never before had, but as U.S. citizens had the right to obtain.

Political Cartoon #3

Chloe Smith

Mr. DeCarlo

APUSH- 2nd period

5 November 2018

King Andrew the First: Political Cartoon #3

This political cartoon was created around 1833 and depicts Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States. Jackson is dressed as a king in this cartoon because at the time, he was beginning to be seen as a monarch-like ruler. He did not consent other parties before making decisions, and instead made decisions solely on what he wanted. Americans did not like this because they believed in democracy. Therefore, this cartoon negatively portrays Jackson as many Americans saw him at the time- as a president acting far too much like a king. He is stepping on the Constitution and a document labeled “Internal Improvements U.S. Bank” in the cartoon because of his failure to follow both of these documents. In his hand he holds a rolled up paper labeled “veto” because in July 1832, Jackson vetoed Congress’s bill to recharter the Bank of the United States. This faced much controversy from the American people. Many believed he was purposely trying to be a dictator.

The cartoonist is trying to convey that Jackson is not fit to be leader of a democratic country. Instead, he is acting too much like a monarch and disregards documents that America values. Rather than acknowledging the voice of the common man, Jackson wants to do everything himself without consent from others. The cartoonist wants Americans to recognize this as a large problem, and realize that Jackson does not represent the values the U.S. upholds as valuable and essential to success.

The impact of this cartoon is that people began to recognize (if they had not already) the failure of Jackson to lead the country according to American democratic values. It reassured people that Jackson was not who Americans wanted to call “President.” It also confirmed that Jackson was acting too much like a king and that the people wanted a president who would value the voice of the common man.