The Tears and Triumph of The Great Slavery

Debate

Sarah Sell, Laura Pantin, Brandie SullivanELD376: Social Studies Unit Plan, Part 1

February 28, 2012Sarah Sell, Laura Pantin, Brandie Sullivan

ELD376: Social Studies Unit Plan- KWL CHART

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Harriet Tubman and her role in the Underground Railroad—she helped free slaves from their masters and guided them to freedom.

What did Fredrick Douglass do during this time period?

Harriet Tubman led 300 slaves in 19 trips from the South (Maryland) to the North (Canada) on the Underground Railroad to freedom.

Fredrick Douglas was involved in this time period-he was an abolitionist.

What was Fredrick Douglass’ debate with Abraham Lincoln about?

Fredrick Douglas was a runaway slave that taught himself to read and write and with his literacy skills wrote about slavery in autobiographies and papers to persuade the public that slavery was a sin.

The underground railroad was a pathway utilized to help slaves escape from their slaveholders and it led to the North.

What were the compromises during this time period? What was accomplished from each compromise?

Fredrick Douglas advised Abraham Lincoln to make slavery the focus of the Civil War.

An abolitionist was a person who fought for the freedom of slaves and who opposed slavery in all states.

What was Abraham Lincoln’s role in the slavery debate time period?

Henry Brown mailed himself from Virginia to Philadelphia to escape freedom.

The Northern states were considered “free states.”

What was Uncle Tom’s Cabin about and how was it received by the nation?

Harriet Beecher Stowe authored Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a story of her observations from a visit to the South exposing Northerners to the harsh reality of slavery. It was praised in the North but

banned in the South. The Southern states were considered the “slave states.”

What was The Dred Scott decision? What came from this decision?

Sojourner Truth, after a message from God began to preach about sinful slavery.

Slaves picked cotton and endured whippings/lashes from their masters.

Who is Phillis Wheatley and what was his role during this time period?

Lincoln chose Truth to be a counselor to the freed men in Washington.

Slaves were traded and sold from across the world and throughout the United States

What exactly was The Battle of Kansas? What came out of this event?

William Lloyd Garrison was the lightning rod of the abolitionist movement with his articles in the liberator (editor) and his leadership of the National Anti Slavery Society.

Many slaves had to travel across the Atlantic to be shipped to the United States. During this journey, many slaves caught deadly diseases and were separated from their families and acquaintances.

What does The Missouri Compromise entail? What came out of this compromise?

“Bleeding Kansas” was the debate over the Nebraska territory and whether it would be a free or slave state. New Englanders and Missourians stormed the territory and after establishing two contradicting governments, the battle turned violent.

People who condoned slavery did not want the slaves to be literate because that would give them power.

What was the Compromise of 1850? What was the importance of this compromise?

Governor John W. Geary restored order in Kansas, declared it a free state in 1859 but it was not claimed a state until 1961 due to the delay of its induction into the Union.

Many slaves were illiterate since they were not allowed to have an education.

Who were key abolitionists during this time period? What were their roles?

“Vigilance Committees” were safe points throughout the Underground Railroad that assisted slaves in escape and worked for rights for Northerners to free blacks.

The people who owned the slaves were known as their “masters.”

About 100,000 escaped from the south between 1810 and 1850.

Some slaves were “house slaves” which meant that their duties mostly occurred inside the house.

The Underground Railroad got its name from the emerging railroads across America.

Some slaves were “field slaves” which meant that their duties mostly occurred in the field and doing rigorous manual labor.

Slaves traveled 10 to 20 miles a day, usually by night and on feet. Sometimes abolitionists would donate money so that they could travel by boat or train; money also bought them disguises and food.

Slaves who were escaping from their masters frequently stopped at “safe houses” during their trip so that they could rest and plan for the remainder of their journey.

Part of the Compromise of 1850, the new fugitive slave act made it possible and profitable to arrest slave holders and catch slaves on their escape.

The Missouri Compromise, also known as the Compromise of 1820, entailed admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state to the Union.The Compromise of 1850 entailed admitting California as a free state and allowed the legislatures of New Mexico and Utah to settle the issue of slavery in their own territories and created a strict federal law for the return of runaway slaves.Uncle Tom’s Cabin was the best selling novel of the 19th century. It helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War.The character of Uncle Tom, in the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin is a suffering black slave. The novel depicts the realities of slavery and how Christianity helped many overcome this horrific time

period.The Dred-Scott Decision was a case of Scott vs. Stanford, which was a ruling that people of African descent brought to the U.S and held as slaves were not protected by the Constitution and were not citizens of the U.S.Dred Scott lost the case because the judges ruled that the Court lacked jurisdiction because Scott had no standing to sue in the Court since he was of African descent.The Lincoln-Douglas debates occurred in 1858. Lincoln was the Republican candidate for senate in Illinois and Stephen Douglas was the Democratic candidate. Both wanted to win control of the Illinois legislature. The main issue in all their debates was on slavery.Lincoln published all of the debates and had them published in a book after losing the election for Senator in Illinois. This led to Lincoln’s nomination for Presidency of the U.S.

Sarah Sell, Laura Pantin, Brandie SullivanELD376: Social Studies Unit Plan- SUMMARY

The slavery debate was one of the most controversial time periods in American

history, which occurred from 1820 to 1865. The events that happened during these years

were the precursor to the Civil War. This debate encompassed the Northern states arguing

with the Southern states about whether or not slavery should be legal. What began as an

organized debate concerning slave’s freedom between the Northern and Southern states

resulted in bloody battle that was the Civil War. Several significant events and people

contributed to this movement and it is important to note their vital roles in freeing the

slaves across America.

As more states joined the Union, the slavery issue continued to rapidly grow and

divide the country. Missouri applied to become a state 1819 and wished to become a state

that allowed slavery. Since the country was worried that adding Missouri as a slave state

would affect the tactful balance between slave and free states, they decided to

compromise. The compromise consisted of admitting two states into the Union, one a

slave state and one a free state. Since Maine was applying to join the Union around the

same time, both were admitted to the Union. The Missouri Compromise, also known as

the Compromise of 1820, entailed Missouri being admitted as a slave state, Maine being

admitted as a free state, slavery being prohibited above the 36o latitude line, citizens in

Northern states were urged to return runaway slaves to the South and slavery was not

actually forbidden anywhere, even in the free states.

The concern over the expansion of slavery in the United States continued

throughout the years. A great amount of controversy and debate began to occur when

Senator David Wilmot proposed that slavery be prohibited from any piece of land

acquired from Mexico. The issues over how slavery should be decided per state

continued and it was up to Henry Clay to create a formula that could equalize opposing

sectional anxieties. However, the proposal that Clay presented to the Senate ignited an

eight-month long debate in Congress, which further sparked animosity between the

representatives of the states in the Union. After the compromise was lobbied and through

manipulation, only four senators and twenty-eight representatives voted for every part

and all parts eventually passed after some revision of the original one presented by Clay.

The Compromise of 1850 entailed admitting California as a free state, allowed the

legislatures of New Mexico and Utah to settle the issue of slavery in their own territories

and created a strict federal law for the return of runaway slaves. This compromise also

abolished the slave trade in the District of Columbia and gave Texas $10 million to

abandon their claim of territories in New Mexico east of the Rio Grande.

The Battle of Kansas, better known as “Bleeding Kansas,” began on December

14, 1853 when Augustus C. Dodge of Iowa introduced a bill to the Senate proposing the

organization of the Nebraska territory. Understanding that in order to fulfill the nations

call of “Manifest Destiny,” railroads had to be established, a young senator, Stephen A.

Douglas, chaired this bill. Organizing the Nebraska territory, moving Native Americans

and wining over the Southerners of this proposal established the eastern terminal as the

east terminal. Thus, Douglas proposed a bill that slavery in the Nebraska territory would

be decided by popular sovereignty, or by the whole colony. This bill would repeal the

Missouri Compromise and stated that the North would be open to slavery. Much to the

upset of Northerners, the bill became a law in 1854. As a result, Eli Thayer, a Northerner

opposed to slavery, organized the New England Emigrant Aid Company, which sent

approximately 1,200 New Englanders to Kansas to secure it as a free state. By the

summer of 1855, thousands of Southerners, predominantly Missourians, moved into

Kansas to fight the Northerners through a proslavery congressional debate. Proslavery

won the election but another election was held on March 30th, 1855 to select members of

the territorial legislature. This resulted in a new state legislation enacting a series of laws

that imposed severe penalties against anyone who spoke or wrote against slaveholding

and anyone who assisted slaves would be executed. Northerners were outraged as this

was part of the Missouri slave code and so they established the Free State legislature. At

this point, Kansas had two governments, each contradicting each other and from this

situation came the term “Bleeding Kansas” due to the bloody battlefield this place would

soon witness. In April, a three-man congressional investigation committee arrived to

assist in Kansas’ troubles but their work went undone as New Englanders and

Missourians continued to kill one another and destroy property. It was not until

September 1856 when the new territorial governor, John W. Geary, arrived in Kansas

and began to restore order after the last major outbreak which was the Marais des

Cynges massacre. Approximately 55 people died in “Bleeding Kansas” and in July 1859,

the state adopted a free state constitution and was admitted to the union. Thus, in 1861

Kansas became an official state.

With continued hostility between the slave and free states, individuals began to

enact upon their own beliefs. Thus, the Underground Railroad became an important

part of the controversy over slavery across state lines. This railroad was an organized

system or runaway paths for slaves that operated from 1830 to 1861. The networks of

people involved were mainly black and white abolitionists. Conductors were those who

were aware of the railroad inspired the Freedom Trail. The most famous of them was

Harriet Tubman. Tubman was a runaway slave who assisted 300 slaves to freedom in

her nineteen trips on the Underground Railroad. Fugitives first had to escape their

masters and from there meet the conductor who would guide them at night 10 to 20 miles

to safe houses, usually barns and distanced buildings. A message was then passed on to

the next safe house that the group was on its way. Some slaves traveled by train or boat,

however, this was more expensive than traveling by foot and was made only possible by

investments from abolitionists. Abolitionists also donated money to help disguise slaves

in suitable clothing and by providing them with food. One of the groups that contributed

monetary items was known as “vigilance committees.” They acted as contact points and

watched for the rights of Northern free blacks. Southerners were outraged by the masses

of slaves that were fleeing so as a result of the Compromise of 1850, anyone who caught

a slave or slaveholder would receive a profitable amount of money. These kidnappings

brought brutality to the north but further served as motivation to assist slaves in their

journey to Canada. Despite the hardships and danger that the assistants, conductors, and

slaves faced, about 100, 000 slaves escaped from the south between 1810 and 1850. The

Underground Railroad is one of America’s most historic and inspirational transportation

systems.

A crucial group of people during the Slavery Debate time period was the

abolitionists. They were citizens that were against slavery and worked to abolish it from

the United States laws. Their voices began to rise in the 1830’s after William Lloyd

Garrison, the editor of The Liberator, published several articles opposing slavery. He

promoted “moral persuasion” or a non-violent and non-political revolt. His methods

were successful as he and other supporters established an abolition group in 1830 titled

The National Antislavery Society. Another major abolitionist was Sojourner Truth. As

a slave in New York until the New York Gradual Abolition act freed her in 1821, Truth

influenced a number of people to join the antislavery movement with her powerful

speaking skills. President Lincoln later chose her to be a counselor to the freedmen in

Washington. Another influential female abolitionist was the infamous Harriet Tubman.

Tubman was born Arminta Ross in 1820 but lived in slavery until her escape. She

became one of the most successful conductors of the underground railroads with helping

over 300 slaves escape during 19 trips to and from the south towards Canada. During the

Civil war, Tubman work for union forces as a spy and then afterwards she opened the

Harriet Tubman Home for Indigent Negros. Fredrick Douglas was also an influential

abolitionist during this time. He was born a slave but taught himself to read and write.

Through this new literate outlet, he broke away from his master and wrote several

accounts of his time as a slave for abolitionist’s lectures. He authored three biographies,

edited four newspapers, lectured internationally and nationally and also recruited black

soldiers for the war. Finally, Harriet Beecher Stowe was a notable abolitionist during

the time of the great slavery debate mainly for her book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin written in

1852. The book was written after a trip she made to Kentucky where she had witnessed

the cruel ways in which slaves were treated. It became a bestseller in the north but was

abandoned in the south. Either way, it motivated countless Northerners to join the

abolishment movement.

An aforementioned piece of literature that was written during this Slavery Debate

period was Uncle Tom’s Cabin. As previously stated, this book was an anti-slavery novel

written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852 and was the best selling novel of 19 th century.

It helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War. Uncle Tom, a character, is a suffering

black slave around whom the stories of other characters revolve. The novel depicts the

reality of slavery as well as how the opinion that Christian faith and love can overcome

something as destructive as was the enslavement of human beings. It is credited with

helping fuel the abolitionist movement in 1850. It was considered the “most popular

novel of our day” in the time period in which it was written. Abraham Lincoln met the

author and credited her as the woman who started The Great War, which was also

known as The Civil War. The book helped popularize a number of stereotypes about

black people. Certainly, this book added to the controversial fuel that continued to ignite

during the mid-19th century.

The Dred Scott Decision was the court case of Scott vs. Stanford. It was a ruling

by the U.S Supreme Court that people of African descent brought into the United States

and held as slaves were not protected by the Constitution and could never be U.S.

citizens. This event had lasting cultural consequences—the decision was 7-2 and every

justice wrote a separate concurrence or dissent on the case. This was the first time since

Marbury vs. Madison that the court held an Act of Congress to be unconstitutional.

The decision began by first concluding that the Court lacked jurisdiction in the matter

because Dred Scott had no standing to sue in Court since Scott as well as all people of

African descent, were not considered citizens of the United States. The decision was

contrary to the practice of free states, where freed slaves did in fact enjoy the rights of

U.S. citizens, such as voting and holding public office. The Court went on to conclude

that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in federal territories and that because

slaves were not citizens, they could not sue in court. Furthermore, the Court ruled that

slaves, as private property, could not be taken away from their owners without due

process. Abraham Lincoln, the second Republican nominee in history for Presidency,

won the presidential election in 1860. This ended the further expansion of slavery and

played an important role in the timing of state sucession and the Civil War. This decision

is also acknowledged for the influential role it played in altering the national political

landscape. It is credited with launching Abraham Lincoln’s national political career and

ultimately allowing for his election. Although the Supreme Court has never explicitly

overruled the Dred Scott case, the Court stated in the Slaughter-House Cases that at

least one part of it had already been overruled by the 14 th Amendment in 1868, which

created citizenship at the national level rather than the state level. The 13th and 14th

Amendments were written with the intention of overturning the Dred Scott case.

Further taking part in the Slavery Debate and the growing concern about the

rights of slaves were the Lincoln-Douglas Debates that occurred in 1858. They were a

series of seven debates between Abraham Lincoln, who was the republican candidate for

senate of Illinois, and Senator Stephen Douglas, the Democratic candidate. During this

time, U.S. Senators were elected by state legislatures. Both candidates were in attempt to

win control of the Illinois legislature. The main issue in all seven debates was slavery.

Newspapers that supported Douglas edited his speeches to remove any errors made by

the stenographers and to correct grammatical errors, while they left Lincoln's speeches in

the rough form in which they had been transcribed. In the same way, Republican papers

edited Lincoln's speeches, but left the Douglas texts as reported. After losing the election

for Senator in Illinois, Lincoln edited the texts of all the debates and had them published

in a book. The format for each debate was that one candidate spoke for 60 minutes and

then the other candidate spoke for 90 minutes. Then, the first candidate was allowed a

30-minute "rejoinder." The candidates alternated speaking first. Douglas spoke first in

four of the debates. The widespread coverage of the original debates and the subsequent

popularity of the book eventually led to Lincoln's nomination for President of the United

States by the 1860 Republican National Convention in Chicago. Lincoln’s presidency

led to the end of slavery, although many other natural problems ensued.

Certainly, the Slavery Debate is one of the most fragile and crucial periods in

American history. From territorial debates about free versus slave states and bloody

battles in the conquest of land to true heroic figures freeing slaves to electing Abraham

Lincoln as President of the United States, this time period of great changes. Overall, the

Great Slavery Debate was a turning point in America’s history filled with turmoil and

desperation but ultimately success to identifying ourselves as the land of the free.

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