Essay on From Slavery to Presidential Power - 1276 Words

When people look at a person’s appearance, no two people will ever look alike. When people look at a person’s character, no two people will ever look alike. Color, being the only thing that was similar, caused people of white race to see themselves as superior to those of African-American race. Slavery, which first arrived in Virginia in 1619, was followed by a number of events; many laws and amendments were passed, like the Fugitive Slave Law. Slavery resulted in Civil War, later gaining rights for African-Americans. Becoming â€Å"Separate but Equal†, schools were still split by color. Over the years, segregation has become amalgamated, making the United States 44th president, Barack Obama, the first African-American president. In the royal†¦show more content†¦citizens and U.S. marshals to assist in the capture of escapees†(Unknown 2011). Those who refused were â€Å"subject[ed] to a heavy fine and imprisonment†(Unknown 2011). Because it was assumed all Africans-American were slaves, this law threatened both free and enslaved blacks. President Abraham Lincoln, being against slavery, was elected in 1860. He gained this position with no Southern State votes. Seven of the Southern states separated from the United States forming the Confederate States of America. Later, four more states followed their footsteps. Not being the single cause, slavery resulted in the Civil War. During the Civil War â€Å"more than 600,000 men [died] and hundreds of thousands of others wounded†¦consist[ing] of more than 50 major battles [and] 5,000 minor battles†(Scott 2008). After five years of fighting this sanguinary war, slavery was finally abolished. On the first of January in 1863, while the Civil War was still taking place, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. This document was a step forward to freeing the slaves in the South, leading most slaves to depart and venture North, others staying to work for money. This document did not legally free any slave. Therefore, more steps had to be taken in order to fully abolish slavery. Placed in the Constitution, the Thirteenth Amendment officially completely abolished slavery in 1865. Although, having this amendment in place, â€Å"the newly freed slaves labored under conditions similar toShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of The 1860 Presidential Election1442 Words   |  6 PagesAssess the influence of the 1860 presidential election as a cause of the American Civil War The 1860 presidential election of Abraham Lincoln greatly contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln, born in Kentucky on February 12, 1809, served as the sixteenth president of the United States. He was the very first Republican to serve as president, eventually leading the Union to victory during the civil war. Lincoln opposed the idea of the expansion of slavery but acknowledged that he wouldRead MoreHow Compromises Failed to Prevent the Civil War1726 Words   |  7 PagesAs tensions between the North and the South rose on the issues of slavery and states’ rights, numerous compromises were proposed to ease the conflict. Such compromises included the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, and the Crittenden Compromise. These compromises had intentions of defining where slavery was permitted and clarifying states’ rights. They were only temporary fixes to a more pressing issue. Between the Missouri Compromise and the Crittenden Compromise, a s eries of events changedRead MoreSouthern Secession1218 Words   |  5 Pagesof 1860 and 1861 â€Å"If slavery must not expand in your mind, it’s settled, we as a state secede from the governing of the Union and join a greater power, the Confederacy. We will no longer be hampered in your hatred towards our way of living. †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Then be on your way, I shall not dabble in your cruel pro-slavery reasoning. Just bear the knowledge in mind, we are stronger as a whole.† The Missouri Compromise kept inevitable split of the Nation at bay when it prohibited slavery north of the parallel 36ï‚ °30’Read MoreCivil War Reconstruction: Success or Failure? Essay1262 Words   |  6 Pagesconstant arguing, compromises and cynical ideas about slavery pushed this so called United Nation into an atrocious collision between the Northern abolitionists and the Southern proslavery farmers and plantation owners. The nation suffered enormous losses economically and went into a downward spiral. The reconstruction period began with many leaders stepping up to try a nd fix this crippled country, but it didnt turn out like everyone hoped. Slavery was still the largest issue and the reconstructionRead MorePresident Andrew Jackson1541 Words   |  6 Pagesand scrutinized, Jackson’s presidency had an indisputable effect upon the power of the president as an individual. Jackson’s profound influence upon the office of presidency was exemplified within his fiscal, social, and political interventions in American politics during the mid nineteenth century. President Andrew Jackson changed the office of presidency through his continuous actions, which served to diminish the power of the federal government thus increasing both his political and economicRead MoreThe Kansas- Nebraska Act Essay1085 Words   |  5 Pagesopposition from Northern politicians who believed that the Missouri Compromise of 1820 was a sacred pact made by previous lawmakers during the union’s long history of compromises. For Southern politicians the Kansas- Nebraska Act would help the extension of slavery which most of the Northerners were against. Ignoring the wishes of the Northerners and pushing the Democratic agenda which wanted not only the continuation of slavery in the Southern states, but for the expansion of slavery to WesternRead MoreThe Causes And Effects Of The Civil War1564 Words   |  7 Pagesthe institution of slavery, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, and the military leadership of President Lincoln to resolve the uncompromising political position o f the South/Confederacy. Lincoln’s â€Å"House Divided† speech will be an important primary source that defines the underlying resistance to the expansion of the slave states into new territories taken by the U.S. government in the 1850s. More so, the uncompromising and an increasingly militaristic aggression of the South in seceding from the Union definesRead MoreThe Real Lincoln Essay1247 Words   |  5 PagesAbraham Lincoln’s presidential career was full of questionable actions. Thomas DiLorenzo author of, The Real Lincoln discusses Lincoln’s actions regarding racism, his refusal to emancipate the slaves, his continual tendency to act independently of Congress, and his radical reconstruction after the Civil War. DiLorenzo attacks each of these topics in his book and proves that Lincoln had his own agenda, and was not the picture perfect president everybody thought that he was. The overall theme ofRead MoreThe Battle Of The American Civil War891 Words   |  4 Pagessecede from the Union. Within six months, ten other states would follow. These eleven states would form the Confederacy. Southern secession was the first step leading to the American Civil War. This war was the bloodiest war in American history, killing roughly 600,000 American soldiers. The Civil War would have never happened if it wasn’t for the secession of the Southern states. Because of Lincoln’s election, States’ rights, economic issues, and slavery, eleven Confederate states seceded from theRead MoreThe Fiery Trial By Eric Foner1135 Words   |  5 Pagesoutlawed slavery in the U.S. Eric Foner, the American historian examined the path of Lincoln that eventually led him to a historical achievement. The Fiery Trial by Eric Foner shows that Lincoln unlimited capacity for growth allowed him to adapt to the changing political environment as the issue of slavery progressed in the 19th century. The book is a biography of Lincoln that takes a look at how Lincoln’s upbringing and early political environment had shaped his opinions regarding slavery. By putting