Nullification was a controversial constitutional theory started by John C. Calhoun. He came up with the idea because he believed the tariff of 1816 was responsible for fall of South Carolinas economy. When in fact it was the exhausted farm land in the state which had caused the downfall. With his future political dreams resting on how he met this challenge in his home state he developed the theory of nullification. The theory stated that a state can suspend, within its boundaries, a federal law that was thought to be unconstitutional.
That is why Lincoln continued to say that his goal was not to abolish slavery, it was to keep the union together. Lincoln soon learned that neither would come fast or easy. The conflict between the north and the south grew quickly for a number of reasons. For Lincoln and the rest of the north, the main reason for fighting the war was to preserve, and keep together the union. However many thought they were fighting to end slavery.
John C. Calhoun was a senator for South Carolina, He wrote a speech about how slavery is just positively good. One important thing to know is that Calhoun was the leading defender of slavery. In his speech, Calhoun believes that Congress has no right to make laws about slavery. He then went on to say that the South has a better democracy than the North because it is the most stable. Calhoun believes that the South has given blacks a “favor.”
The Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865, was one of the most tumultuous and deadly conflicts of our country. It transformed the face of the U.S.A. and brought many changes to society. Many people influenced the events of these years, but Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, and Frederick Douglass were the leaders with the greatest impact. Frederick Douglass, a former slave, was a prominent abolitionist and orator who advocated for African American rights, making him the third most influential figure. Even before the Civil War started, he gave great speeches against slavery.
All this is saying to me is that he knows that he is doing something wrong and he is trying to make it last as long as he can because he knows that the anti-slavery group will eventually get enough support to end slavery. Calhoun even says that he believes that if the abolition movement reached congress then it would gain popularity among "the ignorant, the weak, the young, and the thoughtless" (Calhoun) and it would not be good for the South. No where in Douglass's speech do you see him try to run away from the opposition. In fact, you see him talk about some of there biggest arguments (like how slaves are better off in the U.S and that slave masters are kind), where as Calhoun is afraid to defend his believes in congress. It feels like Calhoun is just trying to push the inevitable discussion of slavery back because he knows that he and all slave owners are guilty of a horrible
Abraham Lincoln was our 16th president, and was our president during the Civil War, but how did he help during the war? How did he help slaves? It starts in 1861, when he is elected president. Abraham Lincoln believed that slavery was absurd. He believed that all men are created equal, so he decided to do something about it.
Instead of interfering with existing slave states, Lincoln aimed to stop the spread of slavery to new states. His public goal was emancipation over time instead of immediate liberation. In a letter written to a slave-owning friend of his, Lincoln plainly stated, “I do oppose the extension of slavery because my judgment and feeling so prompt me, and I am under no obligations to the contrary.” In the same letter, he contended that, “I am not aware that any one is bidding you yield that right (to own slaves); very certainly I am
During his inaugural address, he makes a point to state that “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so. ”(Lincoln) Lincoln did his best to attempt to appeal to both sides but even still “To some Northerners, his remarks seemed to be too conciliatory, but to many people in the South, they sounded like a declaration of war.” (NMAH)Sometime after the inauguration Thomas Nast’ made depictions of how different the reactions were between the north and the south.
As slavery slowly started to cease in the North, it became much more widespread in the South. For the slaveholders living in the South, the election of Abraham Lincoln came as a disappointment because he was against slavery. Southerners saw slavery as a necessity for the manufacturing of goods such as cotton, corn, other crops. The North, on the other hand, believed that slavery was immoral and went against the Constitution. The debates over this topic would soon be a major factor in the upcoming Civil War.
He disliked how the south was creating new slave states, and how it was slowly making slavery permanent in America, this led him to become the head of the Republicans to fight for what he believed in. Another boulder was how stubborn the South was to end slavery. It is true that they needed it because of all the farm land and labor that was needed to be done, it would just be easier to do the chores by utilizing slaves, but Lincoln believed that, that was unethical to use people to their advantage. To overcome this, Lincoln made the Emancipation and the Gettysburg Address (consisting of 4 major parts; to help the government, “all men created equal” (Oates 138), outlaw old leaders in rebel Dixie, and lastly obeying the Emancipation Proclamation) these were a mandatory part of Reconstruction. There is also the dispute between Douglas and Lincoln that Lincoln “desired intermarriage and racial mongrelization” (Oates 71), stated by Douglas.
Throughout class we have talked about Calhoun and his support in slavery due to his place in politics so a speech such as this one isn’t uncommon. Relate: Unlike Jefferson or Garrison, Calhoun was for slavery by all means. This speech shows his support politically on slavery that is much different then the other authors. What seems to be different from other supporters of slavery is he has political motive its not as much he wants to keep his slaves rather than his job he has in office. Garrison and Jefferson on the other hand had that feeling discussed at the beginning of the paper that is slavery is
Lincoln didn 't want to make slavery illegal where it already existed because he knew it would lead to heightened tensions. He did, however, want to declare slavery illegal in the western US territories to stop the growth of slavery. Lincoln thought slavery could eventually be abolished, but not until the early 1900s, as he wanted a slow and peaceful transition. The South seceded because they were afraid of what Lincoln would do as president, and even seceded before he took
The North was against slavery because they did not enjoy the fact that you can buy a human just like you and make them property. That is why the North did not
He wanted to assure the southern states that if they would remain in the Union he would do nothing to abolish slavery in the states where it was already allowed. He did however, maintain that no state should be able to withdrawal from the Union and that the arsenals, forts, and other federal property that happen to stand in these southern states were still the Union’s property. I suppose you could say he used a bit of reverse psychology. I believe he knew that the Confederate States would become aggressive and want to fight for their beliefs and I believe he knew that the Union States would be successful if there was to be a war.
He wanted to restore and strengthen the nation with the emancipated slaves and their old owners. This was his first public speaking about being anti-slavery, and his concerns about having an anti-African society. This speech was meant to persuade instead of inspire the listeners. He focused on the Reconstruction of the United States. Most of his speech was comprised of ways to prompt Congress to let Louisiana back into the Union.
