LAD/Blog #18: Dred Scott Decision

[ Dred Scott ]

The Dred Scott v. Sanford Supreme Court Case of 1857 was among the most controversial Supreme Court cases, declaring an act of Congress unconstitutional for the second time and rewriting the definition of a slave. The Court ruled that those born into slavery became slaves and thus were unable to ever become citizens and were unable to sue in court; thus, even though Scott had fled to the free state of Illinois, he had to be returned to his owner. The Court also ruled that Congress had no right to prohibit slavery in federal territories, also stating that Congress could not deprive the citizens of the territory of "life, liberty, or property without due process of law," according to the Fifth Amendment, referring to slaves as "property." This case established slaves as property, favoring slavery and strengthening and upholding the institution.

LAD/Blog #17: Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman?"

 
In Akron, Ohio, at the Woman's Convention of 1851, Sojourner Truth declared the white man's definition of a woman. Truth said that all women, to white men, fall into the helpless, demure, elevated category that warranted being helped across ditches, lifted over puddles, given the best place, valued for their supposed fragility. Truth asserted that she has never enjoyed such a privilege, despite being a woman. Instead, she has ploughed fields and labored, planting and farming. Though she was a mother, she was not treated as a woman. Truth also spoke of education, wondering why women, already put at a disadvantage by society, must be limited in that area, as well. She also stated that men used the excuse that Christ was not female to limit women in the Bible-- however, she argued, Christ came to be by God and a woman; mad had nothing to do with Him. Women, Truth said, had to take a stand and stand up for their rights, together.

LAD/Blog #16: Douglass' 5th of July

Does the Declaration of Independence hold any meaning to a man in forced labor? Frederick Douglass asked this on the 5th of July, just after the Independence Day celebration that year. He stirred the listeners, asking hard-hitting questions about independence and hypocrisy within America. If the United States so encouraged and supported and struggled for independence, did that not mean that it supported the struggle of slaves seeking their independence? No. The nation did not recognize that particular struggle for independence. Douglass said that the Fourth of July was a celebration of white supremacy, a celebration of white rights and white ways, a celebration of the independence granted to whites and whites only. The nation turned its back on slaves, showing neither sympathy nor empathy but distance and frigidity between the races. Douglass believed that blacks were capable of living equally to and in equality with whites, and wondered why the similar races had to be so boldly divided when no division was truly apparent. The Fourth of July, to a slave, was a despicable celebration, representing injustice and his own submission to servitude. It was a sham, a day not of liberty, but of deception.

LAD/Blog #15: Gettysburg Address

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was barely longer than two hundred words, but may be one of the most well-known speeches in American history. Lincoln began by speaking of how America was a nation founded by men who sought freedom and equality, and those ideals were being tested at that time, by the Civil War. Lincoln made an attempt to dedicate the battleground to the men who lost their lives, in classical Greek funerary tradition, but found such a prospect to be a challenge; he believed that what would be said at Gettysburg would be forgotten, but the battle and its impact would live on. The men who died at Gettysburg, Lincoln asserted, fought for America; their deeds were immortal, and Lincoln could not let their deaths be in vain. The government, Lincoln said, had to live on, for it was a representation of the American people. The country had to prevail. Lincoln's handful of words about the Battle of Gettysburg, which followed speech by Edward Everett that spanned hours, made one of the largest impacts on American history and rhetoric, forever remembered as a mournful yet hopeful declaration of the perseverance of the Union.

LAD/Blog #14: Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

 
Lincoln's First Inaugural Address immediately began with the issue at hand, that of the South's threat of secession. Lincoln claimed to be unbiased, saying that he did not desire radical change for the nation, but to settle the sectional conflict diplomatically. He realized that the conflict was largely over slavery, stating that the laws behind the institution would not be changed dramatically, an attempt to pacify the South. Lincoln went on to speak of the difficulties that were ahead such as the impending threat of secession and the disunity in the nation, saying that the President would need to maintain union in the country, for without union, there would be no country to govern. Lincoln said that he would remain loyal to the Constitution, and that he believed that no rights guaranteed to the people by it have been denied. He realized that there were hardships ahead, but intended to face them with confidence and preserve the union at all costs.

LAD/Blog #13: Calhoun's Speech

[ John C. Calhoun ]

John C. Calhoun's speech, issued on March 4, 1850, anticipated the civil war. He stated that slavery would causes disunion within the nation, describing his unsuccessful efforts to unite the feuding parties and settle the dispute and expressing the belief that politicians from all over the nation provoked the conflict. Sectionalism has been contributed to much by the dominance of the North in government; the North was predominant in all branches of government and their ideals had taken priority over those of the South, angering the South, which felt under-represented in government and as though their opinions about slavery were not able to be voiced because of that. Another issue between the North and South brought up by Calhoun was the acquisition of new territory by the treaty with Mexico; the South felt that the North was trying to exclude them from not only that territory, but revenue and disbursements, as well, because the North had received more funds than the South, leading to a battle between the South's agricultural-based economy and the North's manufacturing-based economy. But by far the most apparent issue was that of abolition. The South feared that the North's influence in government would allow slavery to be abolished, yet again overriding the South and meaning, to the South, that the so-called Union, that prided itself on equality between states, was a sham. Calhoun asserted that there was only so much overriding of the South that the North could do before civil war would be upon the country

LAD/Blog #12: Polk's War Message

 [ President Polk ] 

Polk's War Message, issued on May 11, 1846, was against Mexico, stating that Mexico and its government had wronged and injured the American people and their property. Though Polk did not want to become aggressive toward Mexico, he felt as though Mexican hostilities had gone unaddressed for far too long and that war was inevitable. Examples of this hostile treatment include the harsh treatment of an American envoy to Mexico, Mexican invasion of American territory, and the shedding of American blood, for which Mexico was responsible. Though the United States still tried to maintain positive relations with Mexico, trade had dwindled and hostilities had commenced, and although both the United States and Mexico sought fair and diplomatic relations, the United States had to prepare itself for war. Polk hoped that the disputes with Mexico would be settled quickly and cleanly, but war was looming and could not be ignored.

LAD/Blog #11: Seneca Falls Convention

The Seneca Falls Convention led to the creation of the Declaration of Sentiments, a document that mirrored the Declaration of Independence. Where the Declaration of Independence, written in 1776, established America as an independent nation, the Declaration of Sentiments, written in 1848, sought to similarly establish women as independent and equal beings to men. Women believed, correctly, that they were being slighted, not granted the same rights as men which should have been granted to them by the Declaration of Independence. Their grievances included: the fact that they had to adhere to laws that they had had no say in creating, they had to adhere to the laws and demands laid by their husbands, even rights given to low-class men were not granted to women, legislation could oppress women with no representation, a married woman could not act politically, women could not have their own land or wages, women had a subordinate position within the church and the state, and the government had prevented women from becoming educated equally to men. Women fought to reverse these circumstances, considering themselves equal to men and asserting that the American government was run by and for the people-- thus, women, as people, should have a say in their government and how it governs them.

LAD/Blog #10: Monroe Doctrine

[ President James Monroe ]

The Doctrine begins by stating the United States' rights to negotiate with Russia and the States' intentions of peaceful relations with Russia. The Doctrine also states the United States' interest in having more interaction with the countries of Spain and Portugal, however, it also makes clear that the United States has no intention to become engaged in European wars or conflicts. Unless American peace and safety are threatened by foreign nations, the country would refuse to go to war. What was considered to be a threatening act was European colonization and interference with North or South America. The stressed point of the Doctrine is that the United States wished to maintain its neutrality, especially regarding European affairs, which it has been cautioned against, and maintain peaceful relations with foreign nations, but was not able to ignore further European attempts at colonization of the Americas.