Essay on Political Debate of Slavery - 1209 Words

During the Antebellum period, the issue of slavery affected many religious and political debates. This was seen in the Lincoln Douglass debates, legislation, and the evolution of political parties. The political debates that fueled the slavery controversy were derived from legislation. The first legislation passed was the three-fifths compromise. Naturally, southern states wanted slaves to be counted as a whole person because the slave population in the south was larger. The northern states opposed this. The three-fifths compromise stated that three out of five slaves would be counted into population counts to determine the amount of representation in Congress. Other constitutional laws included the section that said the slave trade†¦show more content†¦Jackson was the president during the war. In the election of 1844, Henry Clay (who was a Whig candidate) lost to President Harrison. Several Democratic presidents followed; such as, President John Tyler and James K. Polk. The solution to the population problems that the west was finding was solved by Henry Clay. The Compromise of 1850 admitted California as a free state. New Mexico and Utah had a doctrine established o f popular sovereignty. Popular sovereignty allowed the states to choose whether or not to accept slaves or not. The boundary was settled in Texas. The slave trade in Washington D.C. was abolished. A stricter Fugitive Slave Law was placed. President Taylor died and Millard Fillmore (a Whig) came to power. Clearer political parties were drawn. A clear Northern Whig, Southern Whig, Northern Democrat, and Southern democratic line would be seen. Clay died in 1852. This hurt the Whig party in the election of 1852. By this election, the Whig party had separated into the Cotton Whigs and Conscience Whig. The Cotton Whigs leaned toward southern opinion and the Conscience Whigs leaned towards abolitionist opinion. Their main disagreement involved expansion and whether states should be a slave state or not. The Whig’s candidate was Scott and the democratic candidate was Pierce. The Democrats won. Stephen Douglas desired to pass the Kansas- Nebraska Act. This actShow MoreRelatedFeder al Government of the United States and Territorial Expansion1101 Words   |  5 Pagesheld by Puritans influence the political, economic, and social development of the New England colonies from 1630 through the 1660s? (Form B) 1. The issue of territorial expansion sparked considerable debate in the period 1800–1855. Analyze this debate and evaluate the influence of both supporters and opponents of territorial expansion in shaping federal government policy. 2009 DBQ: (Form A) From 1775 to 1830, many African Americans gained freedom from slavery, yet during the same period theRead More Debates Essay685 Words   |  3 Pages Before engaging in the debates with Senator Stephen A. Douglas, Lincoln was relatively unknown in the political world and was just beginning his career in politics. Abraham Lincoln’s reputation was just starting to grow, and his life was about to make a drastic change. The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 were a turning point in Abraham Lincoln’s political career. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; After being nominated to the Illinois legislature, Lincoln gave his famous â€Å"House Divided† speech whichRead MoreFounding Brothers The Revolutionary Generation Chapter Summary1467 Words   |  6 PagesSlavery and the slave trade is rarely addressed as more than the Emancipation Proclamation or the shining moments of Abraham Lincoln in classroom textbooks these days. However, the debate over slavery vastly predates the Civil War and was found to be a consistent topic of deliberation amongst the leaders of our nation when drafting the Constitution. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, Chapter 3: The Silence, highlights the monumental political and economical debate over the tight-lippedRead MorePolitical Causes of the Civil War1130 Words   |  5 Pages10/25/13 Pd. 1B â€Å"The Civil War in the Unites States was caused by Political Disagreements.† To what extent do you agree with this statement? In modern day politics, it seems that legal agreements cannot be made on any new policies or beliefs. Similarly in the 1800s pre- Civil War era the political situation was constantly changing around the belief of slavery and, in theory, was a leading cause of the Civil War itself. The political issues that formed tension between the North and the South wereRead MoreAnalyze the Ways in Which Controversy over the Extension of Slavery Into Western Territories Contributed to the Coming of the Civil War. Confine Your Answer to the Period 1845-1861.691 Words   |  3 Pagesstates. As a result of the Mexican War, the U.S. men vast new land holdings in the West, fueling a debate between the North and South over the extensions of slavery into the West. This sectional strife over slavery’s extension was a major factor in the eventual commencement of the Civil War. Through accentuating divisions between the North and South over the control of Western lands, the debate over slavery’s extension clearly influenced the Civil War’s coming. After the U.S. secured vast newRead MoreThe Lincoln-Douglas Debates and Their Profound Effect on Political Affairs683 Words   |  3 PagesThe late 1850s were a time of bitter debate throughout the United States. The issues of slavery, states rights, and the use of tariffs were threatening to divide the nation and there was talk of secession by the Southern states. This dissension was not just between the individual states but spread as well to individual politicians throughout all the states. Probably one of the most widely recognized examples of this dissension were the debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in theirRead MoreWilmot Proviso1205 Words   |  5 PagesMexican War. The whole debate or controversy over this expansion was David Wilmot’s (and his squad of backers: Hamlin, Brinkerhoff, and King) trying to implement the Wilmot Proviso into the funding for the Mexican territories we acquired. The proviso actually fueled the debate over slavery into th e newly acquired territories by trying to make the territories slave free acquisitions. The Wilmot Proviso was a simply desire to make newly acquired territories free from slavery. As pointed out in theRead MoreLincoln and Douglas Debates1171 Words   |  5 Pagesand Douglas Debates The Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858 were a series of seven debates between Abraham Lincoln, the republican candidate, and the incumbent Senator Stephen Douglas, a Democratic Party candidate, for a seat in the United States Senate. During the time period of the debates, Senators were elected by state legislators; therefore Lincoln and Douglas were competing for their respective parties to win control of the Illinois Legislature. The main issue for the debates was overwhelminglyRead MoreLincoln-Douglas Debate Essay examples1458 Words   |  6 PagesDouglas Debates are by far one of the truest examples of this happening. The seven debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas that took place in 1858 had extreme importance in Illinois that created effects that decided the presidential election of 1860. The Lincoln Douglas debates were a series of several debates that took place all over the state of Illinois. In these debates, two men argued in order to express their beliefs and standpoints on certain issues, primarily slavery, in an attemptRead MoreEarly Us Hist Essay1006 Words   |  5 PagesIs early United States history a story of progress? Progress in westward expansion (for white Americans) not good for native Americans. The early United States history is a story of progress and conflict in terms of political, territorial, and social advancement. Political: Alien and Sedition Acts- During the Adams administration, congress passed the Alien and Sedation acts to suppress public criticism of the government and limit the freedom of foreigners in the US. Outcry against these acts