John Gunn HST 367 September 35, 2012 The North and South: Too Far Apart to Avoid War Although the Civil War was not originally fought to save or destroy the institution of slavery, the deep seeded tension between the slave and free states created over this topic of slavery made such a war inevitable. There were many factors that contributed to tensions which started the American Civil War however the most important of those factors was the institution of slavery. The American Civil War was inevitable due to the schisms ingrained within the nation that were created through fundamental differences in ideas and policies mostly concerning slavery and its expansion, People in the North and the South felt very differently about the topic
In its first year of publication, it managed to sell 300,000 copies to Northerners and Southerners alike. It greatly appealed to Northern abolitionist sentiments while simultaneously angering Southerners, who felt insulted by the general characterizations of them made in Stowe’s book. In the North, abolitionists regarded Uncle Tom’s Cabin as further rationale for anti-slavery activism. The book instilled into Northerners a stereotypical view of Southern plantation owners as cruel, demoralizing, and greedy whip-wielding masters. Simon Legree, the novel’s antagonist slave driver, became the archetypal Southern figure for whom Northerners felt much contempt.
He was particularly not very fond of Thomas Jefferson, who he thought to be a racist. In his “Appeal in Four Articles” we can detect the tone and seriousness in his voice right away. This is obviously not a topic he takes lightly. He blasts the institution of slavery right away when he says, “But we, (coloured people) and our children are brutes!! and of course are and ought to be slaves to the American people and their children forever“ ( Walker 792).
By this time, slavery is a very hotly debated issue in America, even eventually leading to the Civil War. Thoreau obviously takes the position against slavery and tries to use his writing to try and convince the citizens of America to stand up against slavery and the laws that protect it. Thoreau often writes of the injustice that the government displays towards its people. For example, Thoreau writes, “Why does it not encourage its citizens to be on the alert to point out its faults, and do better than it would have them?” (184). Thoreau’s purpose is to convince the citizens of America to not follow the majority, but do what is felt to be morally right.
Although revered for his efforts and courage in the North, the South typically viewed John Brown as lawless murderer and condemned him. At this point, many abolitionists felt the need to abandon their means of peacefulness in their demands to end slavery. Southerners were shocked and scared regarding the matter since he had means of organizing a slave rebellion, even though he was a white man. The raid had caused a great amount of fear for slave revolts and abolition in the South, thus pushing further the issue of
Magee. Brooks had become so angry over the antislavery speech, that he decided to take action. He had almost killed Sumner. Brooks was hailed as a hero in the South but was considered a villain in the North. The fact that violence ensued even in Congress was another indicator that compromise at this point was becoming less and less
Daniel McCormack History 1100-04 William G. Lewis 16 April 2012 Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass The life of a slave was excruciatingly difficult; they dealt with cruel, numerous whippings; they were separated from loved ones; they had to endeavor hours of harsh work for such little pay; and above all, slaves were denied freedom. These barriers causing slaves to suffer were caused by the mindlessness of white slave owners. However not all whites made slaves lives miserable, some whites helped blacks even if they weren’t abolitionists. Frederick Douglass’ Narrative is an excellent source of exemplifying the genuinely austere relations between whites and blacks and even abolitionists and slave owners.
One of the most debated topics in American history is on what the motivation was for the soldiers and people of both sides to go to war. In a conflict fought mainly by volunteers, the reasons are many and different reasons exist for those on different sides and over time their reasons may have changed. Another question is whether or not soldiers were motivated by the same reasons/ideals by their political leaders, to which I say in the most part yes, although there are some exceptions. However in general the main reasons why the soldiers and leaders on both sides went to war came down to the cultural/structural differences between the South and the North, the issue of slavery, for “their nation”, to fight for their homes and to fight for their
He witnessed a lot of racism growing up; seeing his house burned down and his father being killed. He had it rough growing up, and he was angry with all that had happened because of the racism in America, and he just wanted blacks to be able to defend themselves. But with how America was back then, whites would have been living in fear, because newspapers would be printed out saying “Blacks strike again” on the headline. King did not want blacks to retaliate because it just would have added to the fire. With everything that King stood for and how he was able to back them with such powerful speeches; it’s easy to say that King’s philosophy made more sense than Malcolm X’s
The south had them erupting because of the segregation that was still an accepted practice in that area. Other parts of the nation had them because of the Viet Nam conflict and all that it represented by way of government lies and the loss of innocent lives. Innocence was destroyed during this era, as the younger generation pulled back the curtain of the Wizard and saw that it was only a man dressed as the American government. Once the untruths became evident, the grass root movement to change the nation took hold and social protest became a way of life for the American people." (J. Baldwin) "The 1950s and the 1960s had very distinct and indelible influences on present day America.