Kris Maulden's Question - May 4/5
This week, we'll be discussing the coming of the Civil War; before coming to class, read pp. 365-371, 397-403, 444-446, and 484-487 in the back of Clotel, and look over chapters 11 and 14 in the textbook. Don't forget that papers on Clotel are due this week as well, and I'll expect you to say a few words about your paper (so be ready). The questions are fairly simple this week, but here they are:
1. How do the documents from the 1850s exhibit more radical positions than those from the 1830s? (Hint: look at the way they justified their beliefs and talked about their opposition)
2. I want everyone to have an answer for this question in mind whether or not all of you post a response on the blog. In your opinion, when did the Civil War become inevitable, and why? Be sure to choose a point beyond which you believe that North and South could no longer come together and to explain why using reason and historical evidence.
1. How do the documents from the 1850s exhibit more radical positions than those from the 1830s? (Hint: look at the way they justified their beliefs and talked about their opposition)
2. I want everyone to have an answer for this question in mind whether or not all of you post a response on the blog. In your opinion, when did the Civil War become inevitable, and why? Be sure to choose a point beyond which you believe that North and South could no longer come together and to explain why using reason and historical evidence.
posted by Anonymous at 1:04 PM
6 Comments:
I believe the Civil War became inevitable when the Revolutionary War was over and slaves were still in bondage. This proved that all men are not created equal, and even if the South still had slaves during the period of the “contagion of liberty”, than they would never be freed.
Ryan Pulkrabek says:
Nat Turner's slave revolt in the 1830s undoubtedly created a hostile and untrusting environment amongst the slaveholders. The slaveholders felt they had to rule with a stronger hand, and put their inferiors in their place to prevent them from rising above them. From the strengthening of the discipline after the revolt, propaganda began to flow into the mainstream, until what I consider to be the point where Civil War was inevitable occurred. This point is the reaction to the publication of Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin. After reading the book, I wanted to go back in time and beat every slaveholder over the head, so obviously, the people of the time felt empathetic toward slaves. This book and other sources of propaganda caused the Colored National Convention where blacks pushed and declared their position on earth. At the same time, George Fitzhugh represents the opposing argument for the Southern slaveholders stating that a market society is the cause of all ills, and that it is healthier to be a slave than a citizen of a market society. Clearly, two sides are at a direct opposition, and the divide is clearly between the North and the South. War was inevitable because of the reaction to Uncle Tom's Cabin and other propaganda.
Ryan Pulkrabek says:
In the 1830s, arguments for slavery generally stated that it in no ways was morally wrong. In fact, in Jesus' time, there was slavery, and there had always been slavery. However, Jesus, the Son of God, never made a claim that slavery is wrong. In fact, the bible never makes an anti-slavery statement, but rather empowers people to serve. Garrison, and others, felt quite the contrary. Both Garrison and Jefferson pray that God has pardon on them, and that their nation and the poor slaves have pardon on them for the institution of slavery.
In the 1850s, the justification for slavery swayed away from morality to an attack on Northern market society. George Fitzhugh feels the northern citizen is worse off than the southern slave because while the slave is always guaranteed soil, and the harvest and care from a master in which it entails, the northern citizen must always be fighting for money and power. If the northern citizen is to lose in the business world, he may end up broke and even homeless. Then Fitzhugh continues to argue that it is nature that compels the slaveholder to treat the slaveholder as family, and to do only justice to the slave. After all, if he were to hurt his slave, he would also hurt himself. The Colored National Convention is another radical move made in the 1850s in that the blacks pushed for political power and called for blacks to begin working for their money, and encouraged others to hire them. This is a large step away from slavery. In essence, the argument left the realm of Christian approval and entered the realm of human experience.
Brandon Grefrath says:
The war was inevitable when they finally decided there was no compromise between the North and South on slavery policies. It was more profitable in the South and they wanted to extend it. It was not as profitable in the North and they wanted to get rid of it. Lincoln said he would make no attempts to interfere with existing slavery and would respect the law to return fugitive slaves.
Kenny Reagan Says:
The civil war became inevitable when William Lloyd Garrison wrote an article in the anti-slavery newspaper, The Libertarian, commented on the Nat Turner Rebellion, which was a rebellion by some slaves in the South. The North believes that it is no coincidence that the rebellions occurred the same year that the newspaper was published. The South became angry at this because the North was interfering in their lifestyle. This was the start of several conflicts that would eventually lead to a civil war. After The Libertarian was published, Garrison started the American Anti-Slavery Society, a society that supported women’s rights and the rights of slaves. Despite the fact that some plantation owners in the South argued that slavery was actually good for the slaves because it gave them a place to live, family, and food, Northerners still felt the need to intervene. The inevitability of the Civil War was especially clear when Fredrick Douglass presided over an African American convention in 1853, and then realized something needed to be done. He then created a panel that discussed the rights that blacks should have, including; emancipation, education, equal employment, and equal voting. This was a major step towards the freedom of slaves. This movement was obviously noticed by the South, and after all the conflicts between the two sides built up, at this point it was clear that a Civil War was to be had.
There were many reasons why the civil war became unstoppable. Although slavery had some input and the revolts did not help either, the main reasons for this conflict had to do with social problems between the north and the south. There were problems inboth the north and the south political and social behaviors. Southern men would doul or even fight a bloody fist fight to solve pproblems. A fight even broke out in congress between two men one from the north one from the south.
Rich Rodemyer
Post a Comment
<< Home