Continuing our lesson about slavery, my class started to discuss a handful of debates and events that took place pertaining to slavery. With these events, we analyzed them and then decided whether or not the important events were pro-slavery or anti-slavery. By doing this, we were able to discuss the essential question and then answer it using supporting evidence. The essential question for this lesson was, "How do we know the debate over slavery was the "elephant in the room" for American Politics in the early 19th century." In other words, how do we know that slavery was the real issue for American politics? People have always fought over slavery and rights, however, during this time period people chose not to simply only discuss the slavery at hand. By choosing to fight, it only made the debate over slavery worse. The debate over slavery was the underlying issue in all of these events; the elephant in the room. We learned the background information of each event as well as its significance to the essential question . In class, we created a timeline (shown below) which shows all events and whether they favor antislavery or pro slavery. Also, unlike most of our lessons during the year, we used the textbooks to answer some of our questions, along with resources from Edline. My groups timeline is shown below and is a good visual indicator of the debate of slavery.
As slavery was the "elephant in room" during the 19th century, it is evident that the debates that took place regarding slavery were sometimes extremely violent. Differing views and failure to approach the issue at hand, caused a number of events known as Bleeding Kansas. These events occurred in 1856, and were a result of the Kansas Nebraska act. After people on both sides of the slavery debate moved to Kansas, fights broke out and blood was shed. Debates on slavery caused rift between free soilers ( anti-slavery) and pro slavery settlers. Bleeding Kansas includes many events such as the burning in Lawrence, Kansas and the Pottawatomie Creek massacre. In Lawrence Kansas, a proslavery mob burnt down numerous buildings in this largely abolitionist town on May 21st, 1856. The Pottawatomie Creek massacre involved John Brown and his men who murdered five men in front of their families. The fact that this group of unruly events is known as "Bleeding Kansas" speaks volumes. Like mentioned above, people from both sides of the debate failed to realize the "elephant in the room", but inside physically fight and make problems worse.
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| A famous Image showing the Caning of Charles Sumner |
Charles Sumner, a leading republican and one of the most powerful antislavery voices in congress, was a large part of one of the events which took place in 19th century political events/debates. The caning of Charles Sumner, another violent act, occurred because of failure to realize the important issue. Charles Sumner delivered speeches, one being "The Crime Against Kansas". Included in his speech, he made insults against Senator Andrew Butler. As he said, "Not content with this poor menace, which we have been twice told was "measured," the Senator, in the unrestrained chivalry of his nature, has undertaken to apply opprobrious words to those who differ from him on this floor. He calls them "sectional and fanatical"; and resistance to the Usurpation of Kansas he denounces as "an uncalculating fanaticism." To be sure, these charges lack all grace of originality and all sentiment of truth; but the adventurous Senator does not hesitate." Clearly from this one remark, it is evident that Sumner did not like Butler, and therefore talked badly of him. Andrew Butler, senator of South Carolina, was angered by Sumner's words. Because of this, Butlers nephew Preston brooks, chose to beat Sumner with his cane. He was angry that Sumner had insulted Butler. This event shows how even the most civilized men used violence. If people were just to simply sit down and deal with the present issue at hand, and not their own opinions, then there may have been possibility for compromise.
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| Abraham Lincoln and Stephan Douglas...The two men of the 7 debates |
The Lincoln Douglas Debates , one of the most important events that was studied during this lesson, occurred in 1858. This was a series of seven debates which took place during the Illinois State Election. Through these debates, it was evident that much of the conflict revolved around slavery and rights. Abraham Lincoln and Stephan Douglas were complete opposites. During many of the speeches and throughout the campaign, both Lincoln and Douglas warned their supporters and voters of each other. These men were opposites solely because Douglas was for slavery and Lincoln was not. The main issue during the debates was in fact slavery, and the fact that both men did not necessarily agree with each other. Douglas supported "popular sovereignty". He believed that the majority of people in a state or territory could rule as they wished, but this included making slavery legal. Douglas tolerated slavery and wanted to make slavery legal because he believed in the absolute right for white citizens to choose the kind of society and government they want. On the other hand, Lincoln had a different point of view regarding Douglas' thoughts. Lincoln didn't agree that the majority should rule along with having the power to decide a minority's fate. In Lincoln's opinion, the majority should not have the power to decide a minority's (the blacks) rights to life, liberty, and happiness. Most of the debates revolved around the expansion of slavery to the territories. While Lincoln didn't believe in popular sovereignty, Douglas did. This is where both men collided. In the end, Douglas ended up winning the election. Although there were many topics included in these debates, slavery was the one that caused the most contention. Slavery was the elephant in the room, because instead of sitting down and really discussing the obvious issue, different parties decided to simply disagree and cause more and more turmoil down the road. People weren't really thinking about slavery and the slaves involved, but their own opinions instead.
Alongside Bleeding Kansas and the Caning of Charles Sumner, John Brown's Raid also served as a violent act leading up to the civil war. On October 16th, 1859, Brown and several other whites and blacks chose to raid the federal arsenal in Harper's Ferry, Virginia. Brown and his followers hoped to
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Many weapons were seized from Harpers Ferry.
This image shows the violent aspect of this event.
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seize the weapons from the arsenal and five enslaved people so that they could rebel. They had a dream of an uprising of enslaved American's that would end slavery for good, punish slave holders, and lead the United States to moral renewal. However, resorting to violence only made things worse. John Brown believed that armed fighting was the right way to overthrow slavery in the United States. Obviously, Browns motives did not follow through. A civil war still occurred and failing to attend to "the elephant in the room" caused more and more issues. After this, John Brown was hanged. Opposing reactions caused by Brown's raid only deepened the anger between the North and South.
Bleeding Kansas, The Caning of Charles Sumner, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, and John Brown's raid are all huge indicator of the "elephant in the room" that everyone failed to attend to during the 19th century. If people had been more willing and open to exclusively discussing the more obvious issue, then there could have been possibility for compromise. But, instead, people chose to resort to violence. Violence does not solve anything. Although John Brown believed that his ways would be successful, he was wrong. Any sort of violence does not solve issues and definitely does not help the debate over slavery. These events show that people must look at the big picture, and not the little issues that surround the big problem at hand.
Citations:
Charles Sumner/Preston Brooks:
http://www.ushistory.org/us/images/00000499.jpg
Charles Sumner Quote: SOURCE: The Works of Charles Sumner, vol. IV (Boston: Lee and Shepard, 18701873), pages 125-249.
Harper's Ferry Photo:
http://timelinewritingwiki.wikispaces.com/file/view/brown_harpers-ferry1.jpg/220567288/brown_harpers-ferry1.jpg
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