Slavery had great effects on the United States of America politically and economically throughout the 1800s. Some of these include the division of the United States being slave states or free states, elections being based on approval or abolishment of slavery, the economic stability of slavery in the South, and the agricultural effects of slavery leading to the stability of the South.
Source 1: This article reads the opinion of a man, Mel Bradford, and his opinion on slavery. Bradford explains the history of slavery and uses sources such as Larry Tise’s “Proslavery A History of the Defense of Slavery in America” to further explain his explanation of America’s slavery and how it affected the United States politically and economically. “As surprising as it may seem to us, the social philosophers surveyed by Larry Tise could find considerable precedent for their opinions in the public discourse of their immediate forefathers and could also find heirs in American social thought of the late nineteenth century, even though the issue of slavery had already been settled by force of arms. However, this is not to minimize the importance of Proslavery as a correction of one segment of glaring misinformation-as a step forward toward an honest history of our country” (Bradford)
Source 2: This article by Randall Enos explains how Abraham Lincoln as president ended slavery. This article also reads about how Abraham Lincoln viewed slavery as a child and how it changed as he became president and an advocate for equal rights. Enos also clearly displays Abraham Lincoln’s second term and how it impacted the United States of America.
Source 3: This article reads facts and examples of the abolishment of slavery. Morales talks about the Fugitive Slave Act and how it got citizens to return slaves. “Then, in 1850, the United States government passed a law called the Fugitive Slave Act. This law forced citizens to help capture and return fugitive slaves. This meant that only by traveling all the way to Canada could a slave find freedom. Now the journey to freedom was even longer and more dangerous.” (Morales)
Source 4: “Though it opens with a Louisiana slave revolt in 1811, this volume primarily looks at the legacy of slavery in America since the Civil War: prejudiced assumption, discriminatory practices, unjust laws, and violence against African Americans. Citing many examples, Harris reviews the history of racism (sometimes deliberate, sometimes unintentional) and its role in the attitudes of white Americans over the last 155 years, despite strides made during the civil rights era and, decades later, the election of a Black president.” (Phelan)
Source 5: This article uses documents such as the Constitution and the Declaration to explain why slavery was to be abolished and was abolished. Timothy Sandefur mentions Adams, Fred Scott, and the 13-15th amendments and explains how and why they were formed. Sandefur also goes into detail by explaining how the British could have possibly enforced this spread of slavery.
Source 6: This article explains how slavery was a very important aspect of America, whether legal or illegal. It was still important to the South economically and was the cause of the Civil War for political and economic reasons. This article greatly reads about the life of an average slave and runaway slave and their motives. “Information blows away some stereotypes, clarifies slave life (for example, there are specific descriptions of poor food and medical care), and includes information on lesser-known topics such as Canadian refugee communities.” (Slavery in America)
Slavery was so impactful in the United States that a war within the country emerged, known as the Civil War. The Civil occurred between 1861 and 1865 and was between the South (Confederates) and the North (Union) on each other’s opinion of slavery. The North wanted to completely abolish slavery and give African Americans freedom and eventually equal rights. The Union would inevitably pass the 13th amendment abolishing slavery and ending the Civil War. The South was defending slavery primarily because it was the basis for their economic stability, they felt as if slavery was their identity.
Works Cited
Bradford, M.E. “Proslavery: A History of the Defense of Slavery in America, 1701-1840.” National Review, 24 Feb. 1989, p. 50+. Gale In Context: U.S. History, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A7049446/GPS?u=lap36hcs&sid=GPS&xid=1b1350f7. Accessed 25 Nov. 2019.
Cavendish, Richard. “Oct 15, 1858: last Lincoln v. Douglas debate.” History Today, Oct. 2008, p. 13. Gale In Context: U.S. History, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A1865005/GPS?u=lap36hcs&sid=GPS&xid=59ecfdfb. Accessed 24 Nov. 2019.
Enos, Randall. “Lincoln: How Abraham Lincoln Ended Slavery in America.” Booklist, 1 Feb. 2013, p. 52. Gale In Context: Biography, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A317308613/GPS?u=lap36hcs&sid=GPS&xid-46b1c238. Accessed 25 Nov. 2019.
Morales, Leslie Anderson. “Slavery in America.” Appleseeds, Mar. 2004, p. 2+. Gale In Context: High School, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A116490245/GPS?u=lap36hcs&sid=GPS&xid=91d8e3f5. Accessed 25 Nov. 2019.
Phelan, Carolyn. “The Impact of Slavery in America.” Booklist, 1 Oct. 2018, p. 40. Gale In Context: Biography, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A604002736/GPS?u=lap36hcs&sid=GPS&xid=ddb5e50d. Accessed 24 Nov. 2019.
Sandefur, Timothy. “The Glorious Liberty Document: Ever since its ratification, many Americans have rightly read the Constitution as opposing slavery.” National Review, 30 Sept. 2019, p. 26+. Gale In Context: U.S. History, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A599660263/GPS?u=lap36hcs&sid=GPS&xid=5bd39ac3. Accessed 25 Nov. 2019.
“Slavery in America: From Colonial Times to the Civil War.” Booklist, 1 Feb. 2001, p. 1077. Gale In Context: Biography, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A70637902/GPS?u=lap36hcs&sid=GPS&xid=c4e8f8bb. Accessed 25 Nov. 2019.