Due Jan. 23, 2014
All links are to be read and a short response (200-500 words total/not per reading) answering the prompts need to be left in the comment section by each student.
Lincoln: A House Divided What is Lincolns primary objective in the giving of this speech? Who/what does he blame for the countries division and how can it be resolved?
Lincoln Douglas Debates 1- 7 - Compare and contrast the ideals of Douglas v. Lincoln in regards to their positions on slavery and states rights. Why would you consider these debates to be so significant to our understanding of the differences between north and south?
Lincoln's First Inaugural Address - In what ways (if at all) does Lincoln's inaugural address reflect the sentiments shared in his house divided speech/his debates with Douglas? To whom is he addressing in this speech and what as president is he hoping to ensure?
F. Douglass: Excerpt from his narrative - How would this excerpt from Douglass' personal narrative have moved northerners to become abolitionists and angered southerners who for years had suggested slavery was a beneficial institution for blacks?
Lincoln’s primary objective for the first speech is to point out how the country couldn’t exist without the entire country believing whole heartily that slavery is a good thing, or that the entire country believes that slavery is bad and abolishes it across the entire nation. Lincoln blames the lack of uniformity in the nation for having the inconsistent views on slavery from the north to the south.
ReplyDeleteDouglas’s main idea of his speech was to show how Lincoln disbanded the old wig party and created a republican party that was another name for his abolitionist party. Even though Douglas was a Abolitionist himself, he wanted immediate action to the freedom of slaves.. Lincoln however states how his ideal aren’t favoring the immediate ban of slavery in the United States, but for slavery to eventually die out within the next generation or so. These debates really show what the south thinks of the north and how they are hatching plans to abolish slavery. This also shows how the north knows nothing about the workings of the south and how with the removal of slavery, the south could become very poor and have little to know income.
Lincoln’s speech starts by saying that his intentions are to leave the act of slavery in the south alone. This one of the topics that he really emphasized in his house divided speech and it shows how he understands the South’s needs for slavery. In Lincoln’s speech, he really focuses his attention to the people that feel like he is going to absolutely change the way of living and working in the south.
This excerpt would have really shown the true cruelty of some of the owners of slaves, and seen the true horror of what slavery could have done. The way that Douglas portrayed his experiences, shows the northerners how bad the plantations were and how slaves were treated to get them to act against it. The southerners on the other hand didn’t all treat their slaves like trash. Many slaves were fed well, housed and all treated with respect. Douglas’s assertion in his excerpt would have really angered the southern slave owners, by making them all look as if they were all guilty of cruelty.
In “Lincoln: A House Divided” Lincoln’s main objective is to prove that the country needs to either be all for or all against slavery. Lincoln blames the countries lack of unity for the diversion, the diversion can be fixed with the decision to either become a country with slaves or to abolish slavery.
ReplyDeleteIn the Lincoln Douglas Debates 1-7 it is essentially abolitionist vs abolitionist except Douglas hopes for speedy abolition while Lincoln plans for it to die out over a few decades, a gradual abolition. These debates should be considered significant to our understanding of the differences between the north and south because it allows us to better understand the slaves’ roles in each of the two societies.
In Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address he quotes one of his previous speeches with “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.” With this he helps enforce the idea that he has no intention to abolish slavery where it exists. Lincoln knows the south needs slavery to continue to survive.
In F. Douglass: Excerpt from his narrative it is a first-hand account of a slave who has experienced both good and bad. It exposes the cruelty of some and the sincerity of others towards slaves. Douglass compares city slave with slave that work on a plantation. He states “A city slave is almost a freeman, compared with a slave on the plantation. He is much better fed and clothed, and enjoys privileges altogether unknown to the slave on the plantation.” This would have moved northerners to become abolitionists because it shows them how well they treat slaves compared to the southerners. It would also anger the southerners because they do not want to lose their slaves because of a slave who wrote about the differences in slave treatment in the north and south.
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ReplyDelete1. Lincoln's primary objective in his speech "A House Divided" was that the country cannot and will not continue to be divided on the issue of slavery. Either all the states have to be for the abolition of slavery or against it. Furthermore, Lincoln asserts that the country will soon be forced to make this decision in one way or another. Lincoln blames the states for lacking in unity and conformity. He believes that a country of one mind-set towards slavery could resolve this issue.
ReplyDeleteIn the Lincoln-Douglas debates, Lincoln wanted to limit the spread of slavery into the territories, whereas Douglas believed in the doctrine of popular sovereignty. This means that Lincoln wanted slavery to eventually die out, while Douglas believed that the states and territories should have the right to decide if they wanted to be a free state or a slave state. These debates are significant in understanding the differences between the North and South because it highlights the North hoping to abolish slavery, while not understanding that this would greatly impoverish the slave-dependent southern economy.
Lincoln's First Inaugural Address reflects on the same sentiments in "A House Divided in two ways. First, he assures the people that he has no intention of interfering with the slavery in states that have it or want it. Second, he calls for a nation united. This speech is clearly aimed at southerners who are uneasy with a republican in the white house at this very tense time. Lincoln is aiming to ensure that there is no insurrection from the southern states and that the Union stays intact.
The narrative of F. Douglass is an account of a slave who was treated good and treated badly by a master. This would have convinced northerners to become abolitionists because it exposed many of the cruelties that slaves were subject to in the south. However, not all slaves were treated as such in the south. This narrative would have upset many slave owners because it would have put all of them in the negative light of a cruel master. It would have also upset slave owners because the southern economy was dependent on slave labor and a call to end slavery would have an extremely significant effect on the south.
Lincoln’s primary objective in giving the house divided speech was to put an end to the slavery debate, though not necessarily slavery itself. It was this conflict that he blamed for the division of the country. The lack of resolution in this issue, and the incapacity of the government to act either way on it were the reasons Lincoln believed the government would remain at odds with itself. His proposed solution to this problem was to unite, and either go all in or all out, as far as slavery was concerned. Otherwise, he felt, the government wouldn’t be able to survive or be maintained successfully, since being half slave and half free would only serve to continue the crisis and eventually cause the ‘house’ to collapse.
ReplyDeleteThe ideals presented in the Lincoln-Douglas debates showed both candidates to be abolitionist, though each had different opinions of how it should be done. Lincoln, for example, favored letting the institution of slavery slowly die out, while Douglas aimed to end it immediately. As for the rights of states to decide on the matter, Douglas supported popular sovereignty, or the right of the citizens of a territory to decide whether it would become a slave or free state. Lincoln, however, was adamant that slavery should spread no further than it already had within the country. As far as understanding relations between the north and the south, these debates demonstrate the immense enthusiasm of northerners to end slavery, but their ignorance of the negative effects it would have on the south, which depended heavily on slave labor.
Lincoln’s first inaugural address, directed towards southerners, aimed to put the south at ease and reconcile with the rebellious states. It reflected his previous views about maintaining the union, reiterating that an agreement needed to be made, all one way or the other, on the subject of slavery. He also reassured the south that slavery would not be touched in the states that already had it (in fact, it was in the works of being protected under an amendment at the time). His hopes were to preserve the union, keep the peace, and ultimately dissuade the southern states from doing anything regrettable.
The narrative of Frederick Douglass described a multitude of situations that would cause northerners to move to abolish slavery. One of these, a note on two slaves, Mary and Henrietta, described the horrible conditions under which slaves were forced to live. It detailed how the women suffered lashings at the hands of their mistress, were kept ‘nearly half starved,’ and in the case of Mary, had festering wounds covering her head, neck, and shoulders. As for southerners who claimed slavery to be a positive institution, the description of slave a slave owner being more or less destroyed by ‘irresponsible power’ would be hard to argue with. If such an institution could change a kindhearted woman into a harsh and rageful master, how beneficial could it really be to the slaves it ‘helps’?
He blames “slavery” and the two halves of the divided country, and their unwillingness to compromise. He believed that the country would not survive as half free half slave. Then there was the Kansas Nebraska act, opening the west to the option of slavery. He thought the only way to resolve it was to have the country become whole, either in freedom or slavery.
ReplyDeleteThey are both statesmen that represent their parties and support regional ideals. Douglas represented the rights of the states over the federal government. He believes the states should be able to decide for themselves if they have slaves, not the federal government’s choice. Douglas’s opinions and platform represent Southern ideals. Lincoln believed that the federal government is the supreme power over the states, and as such should have final say over the matter. He is not for or against slavery, but he is against the spread of slavery into the western territories. He represents the North’s ideology.
Lincoln is addressing the entire Union, both the north and the south. His primary goal is to keep the union together, by forcing a compromise. Lincoln stands with the republican platform, in that he believes the spread of slavery should be stopped and the western states should be born free. He expresses in his speech that no matter what the differences, the states should not be divided.
Douglass’s narrative disagreed with the Southern view that they were ignorant and their belief that they should be kept that way. The Northerner’s encouraged the slaves to become more educated. This would cause Northerners to be abolitionists by the fact that the blacks were literate enough to understand that the institution of slavery was abusing them.
Lincoln’s primary objective in delivering his “A House Divided” speech was to alert people to the fact that if the slavery debate was not settled soon, the country would cease to function. He also desired to clarify how his ideas differed from Douglass’, and defend his reasoning. He blames slavery for the country’s divide, asserting that the only way to repair it is for the country to totally abolish slavery or totally endorse it.
ReplyDeleteDouglas believed in popular sovereignty, and felt it was a good idea because it was something both Whigs and Democrats supported. Like Lincoln, he desired to abolish slavery, but thought it should be immediate rather than a slow process. These debates emphasize that the North did not fully understand the significance of slavery in Southern society, much less that the immediate abolition of slavery would destroy many southerners’ way of life. They also shed light on the fact that the South felt threatened by the North at this time. Lincoln felt that above all, slavery was not in the country’s best interest because it went against America’s doctrine of freedom. Allowing slavery to be a major part of America’s industry was hypocritical and would only lead to more conflict amongst Americans, while giving America a bad reputation. That being said, he understood that the South relied heavily on slavery to survive, and that if it was to be abolished it would have to be a slow process.
Lincoln’s first inaugural address is similar to his “A House Divided” speech and his debates with Douglas in that he restates his belief that the country cannot exist at odds, but does not feel he has the right to deny the states popular sovereignty. He is mainly speaking to the people of the South, since they would be the most directly affected. The speech was meant to ensure that he in no way intended to interfere with slavery, or the rights of each state to govern their own domestic institutions.
Being that it is written from a slave’s perspective, the narrative by F. Douglass sheds light on what slavery was actually like. Since this was inconsistent with both the South’s claim that it was the best thing for the slaves, and the North’s romanticized idea of slave life, it threatened the institution by exposing it as a display of power by the slave owners, rather than something that was in everyone’s best interest. Most people were uncomfortable with the idea of slaves being treated cruelly, especially if it was only so that white owners could profit.
Lincoln’s main point in the “House Divided” speech is that something has to be done to end the slavery debate. Lincoln outwardly states that he doesn’t believe the government can survive without choosing one side. Lincoln essentially blames the stubbornness of both sides for the divide. With both sides unwilling to compromise there has been no decision made. The countries division will be solved when a solid decision either for or against slavery is made.
ReplyDeleteDouglas ideals were more aligned with southern beliefs in states’ rights even though he hints at being against slavery he feels that the states should be able to make their own decisions on whether to have slavery or not. Lincoln was also against slavery but had the opinion that slavery’s expansion should not be allowed thus abolishing the practice over a generation or two not immediately. These debates were significant in that they showed the divide between northerner and southern ideals demonstrated by Lincoln and Douglas respectively. The significance not only lies in the difference in ideals but the southern beliefs that all the northerner’s wanted to immediately abolish slavery and have increased strength in the federal government.
Lincoln uses his inaugural address to reiterate that he is not trying to abolish slavery, he simply wants to stop the spread of slavery to new territories. Lincoln also goes on to restate that he isn’t trying to end states rights but wants the state and federal government to work better together. Lincoln seems to be aiming his address mostly at the southern states in hopes of maintaining the unity of the country.
This excerpt’s last paragraph is most likely the passage that would have generated the greatest reaction from both northerner’s and southerners. The description of Mrs. Hamilton’s abuse would have brought out reactions of both parties. Northerners would have been driven by disgust to support abolition. Southerners who believed slaves were treated well and gained from the experience would have been angered at hearing these stories since they most likely had never seen a slave mistreated and would believe the anecdote is purely northern propaganda.
Lincoln’s primary objective in giving this speech was to say that the US could not survive as a half-slave, half-free nation, and that it would eventually become either all slaveholding, or all free. Lincoln blames the “Nebraska Bill”, or the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 which allowed settlers in new territories to vote on whether or not slavery would be allowed in their area.
ReplyDeleteIn these debates, Lincoln and Douglas mainly debated slavery. One of the most important differences in their views was that Douglas advocated popular sovereignty determine whether or not slavery was permitted in new territories. Lincoln, however, argued against the spread of slavery as a national institution.
Lincoln’s inaugural address reflects the sentiments in the debates of not ending slavery, but not allowing it to spread further west across the new territories. In his speech, he is attempting to reassure the southern states that he does not intend to free their slaves, nor will he interfere with slavery where it already exists. He is hoping to prevent southern states from seceding from the Union, and vows to do whatever he must to maintain it.
Frederick Douglas’s narrative would have would have informed northerners of how many slaves were treated, and would have moved them to become abolitionists as a means to end the inhumane treatment of many slaves. It would have angered many southerners who came from areas where slaves were well treated, since many would have simply seen that as northern propaganda. Other southerners would have been angered by the exposure of their treatment of their slaves, which many saw no issue with, as criminal.
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ReplyDelete1. Lincoln's primary goal in his speech is to talk about the division between the North and the South. He states how “this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.” Lincoln puts the blame for the division on the states that “ought to be subject to the Constitution of the United States”
ReplyDelete2. Lincoln argued for an end to the spread of slavery in the new territories. He was against Douglas' proposal of popular sovereignty, which would bring the issue of slavery up to vote in each state. Lincoln feared this would lead to the nationalization of slavery. These debates were significant, because they showed the underlying tension between the South and the North. When Lincoln was elected it was clear to the South that slavery would be on the downhill path.
3. Lincoln took a different approach to slavery in his inaugural speech. He was attempting to comfort the southern states that had secessed over slavery. He said that it was unlawful to interfere with the institution of slavery in the south and he had no inclination to do such a thing. If reflects the same sentiments shared in his debates, but veers further away from his House Divided speech.
4. This excerpt is written from the point of view of a slave who worked on a both a plantation and as a city slave. He talks about how he was very poorly treated on the plantation and more shockingly it took Mrs. Hamilton who started as a nice person and was changed into a much crueler and more hateful person. Northerners would see that even city slaves while on average have better lives can still be abused. Southerners would be angered because some of their preconceived notations of slavery being beneficial would be false. Many would outright reject these claims as false.
1) Lincoln's main objective with the speech A House Divided was to distance himself from his opponent, Douglas. Lincoln's mind the country's unwillingness to face the issue of slavery was causing tension between the North and South. This apathetic state toward slavery was mostly caused by popular sovereignty; something that Douglas had put through Congress, overturning the Missouri compromise. With popular sovereignty the states were to decide whether or not slavery would be legal and the public's opinion was that the issue would sort itself out. However, Lincoln pointed out that the Dred Scott decision had forced the country into a polarized situation in which there could only be one way or the other, and Douglas's continued support of popular sovereignty was only prolonging the issue allowing it to fester.
ReplyDelete2) Lincoln's position on state rights was that while it was important for a state to have its own identity and even ideals, but all states in the union had to have a the same base of fundamental ideals for the United States to function as a nation. Lincoln's thoughts on slavery were that the institution was wrong and needed to be ended, but he was unsure of how to emancipate Negroes because of the strong anti-Negro citizen feelings of the nation at that time. By contrast Douglas thought that slavery was immoral and corrupting institution, but at the same time it was any states right to condone slavery just as it was Illinois right to condemn it. I think these debates show just how attached Southern states forward to the idea of independence, And how northern states wanted something more unified that would represent them as a whole rather than acting individually.
3) In Lincoln's 1st inaugural address, the only link connecting it to the house divided speech or his debates with Douglas is his belief that the union cannot and will not be dissolved. With this being said the 1st inaugural speech was without a doubt aimed at the people of the South. Specifically the states that had just seceded. His goal was to ensure that while certain states had seceded the union would not fall apart. To this end Lincoln stated that the federal government would continue to hold its property in the states that had left the union, that the federal government would not be the 1st to cause hostilities between itself and the rebel states, and that in his eyes, Lincoln did not see the states that had seceded as enemies and that he did not wish for conflict.
4) The beginning of this excerpt from Frederick Douglass's narrative would not seem like much fuel for either abolitionists or to enrage Southerners who thought slavery was a good thing for blacks however the end of it is completely different Frederick Douglass's description of 2 slave girls owned by the Hamilton family is more than enough to induce outrage if even half of what was described turned out to be true.
1) The House Divided speech was given by Lincoln to address the union that it was divided between people who believed in slavery and people who opposed slavery. Lincoln believed that the two divided groups could not exist in one nation. He does not agree with either group he just insists that people have to either be for slavery or be against it.
ReplyDelete2) In the Lincoln-Douglas debates both Lincoln and Douglas gave there opinion on what they thought would be best for the nation. Lincoln believed that slavery should not grow. He said it would die out over time and it should not be abolished right away. Douglas on the other hand believed that each state should have the right to decide if it is a slave state or free state. The significance in this is that there was a fine line between the North and the South. The south believed the north just wanted to take over, make the nations decisions and end slavery.
3) In Lincoln's Inaugural speech he is trying to remind the southern states that he is not trying to overpower there beliefs and abolish slavery from them. He is trying to explain that slavery should not be spread to the new states. Lincoln also makes it clear again as he did in "House Divided" that the nation should not be separated it would be stronger if it was united as one. This speech is directed toward the South ensuring them that they will still be allowed slavery.
4) Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass is a clear story of how slaves were treated in different areas. Frederick Douglass was treated both bad and good. Some cases of slaves being treated badly are; rape, whipping, beating and starvation. In the south slaves were treated well, they believed slavery should be a better life experience than the life they had before. Southern masters would have been disappointed and angered after knowing how some slaves were treated. Northerners would move toward becoming abolitionists because they would be pissed at the way slaves were being treated.
Lincoln’s primary objective of giving his “House Divided Speech,” is to tell his fellow senators that if they do no come together and the country will be divided and destroyed. He blames this division on slavery. The cause of the fight over slavery is because the federal government and state governments are arguing over their powers. Without compromise or settlement, he tells his peers that the government of the United States will be dissolved in their differences.
ReplyDeleteThey are both statesmen that represent their parties and territorial ideals. Douglas represented the rights of the states over the federal government. The states should be able to decide for them selves if they have slaves, not the federal government’s choice. Douglas’s opinions and platform represent Southern ideals. Lincoln believes that the federal government is the supreme power over the states. He is not for or against slavery, but he is against the spread of slavery into the western territories. He represents the northern views and platform.
Lincoln is addressing the union as a whole. His primary goal is to keep the union together, not abolish slavery. He stands with the republican platform in that the spread of slavery should be stopped and the western states should be with out slavery. He expresses in his speech that no matter what differences, the states should stay together and not be divided.
Douglass’s narrative disagreed with the Southern view that they were ignorant and their belief that they should be kept that way. The Northerner’s encouraged the slaves to become more educated. This would cause Northerners to be abolitionists by the fact that the blacks were literate enough to understand that the institution of slavery was abusing them.
Lincoln's primary objective with his "House Divided" speech was to convince others that the issue of slavery divides the United States so that it will eventually cease to function as a nation. He blamed the concept of "squatter sovereignty" and those who support it, such as Stephen Douglas, as well as the Dred Scott decision for splitting the nation and causing a potential spread of slavery to the North. Lincoln believed the inevitable solution must have been that the entire nation became either all slave or all free.
ReplyDeleteBoth Lincoln and Douglas were against the institution of slavery, yet both also denied that they were true abolitionists. Douglas believed in strong states' rights, such as popular sovereignty, and that individual states would be able to end slavery on their own. Lincoln, however, believed in a strong federal government, and that federal legislation could gradually end slavery nationwide. The major points of tension between the North and the South were disagreements over the issues of slavery and states' rights. These debates focused on the same issues, so they provide a clear reflection of the distinction between Northern and Southern ideologies, although they may not have been explicitly held by the candidates themselves.
Lincoln's First Inaugural Address took a more moderate approach than his previous speech and debates. He stated that he will not interfere with slavery in the South or the territories. He continued to stress that the nation should remain unified, but he claimed that he would not use military action unless the South attacked first. His speech was primarily aimed at Southerners in an effort to keep them within the Union.
Douglass' personal narrative exposed the mistreatment of slaves even under the treatment of supposedly kind masters and mistresses while praising the liberty he had attained through knowledge despite his master's attempts to suppress him. This could convince Northerners that slavery was morally wrong, encouraging them to become abolitionists. Southerners who relied on slaves, though, would be angered at the prospect that slaves are not treated well because it contradicts their beliefs and claims that slavery is beneficial to slaves.
1. In Lincoln's "House Divided" speech he addresses the issue of slavery within the Union. He believed that "a house divided against itself cannot stand", meaning that all states would need to make a decision whether to remain as slave states or free states. He believed that the nation could no longer ignore the issue as it would result in the eventual downfall of the nation.
ReplyDelete2. Throughout the Lincoln-Douglas debates it was made clear where both candidates stood. Lincoln strongly believed in the eventual abolition of slavery through the aid of a strong federal government. Whereas Douglas believed that political power should be given to the states allowing for individual decisions regarding the abolition of slavery. Although the beliefs of the candidates seemed to be directed towards the ethical treatment of African Americans it was mainly regarding the political powers of the north and south.
3. Lincoln's First Inaugural Address was much more lax compared to his previous speeches regarding the south. Lincoln believed he had no right to interfere with slavery within the states where it had already existed. He addressed this apprehension and continued to try to further unify the nation. However, as a newly elected president, Lincoln made clear that if any southern state attempted to secede it would not be tolerated; especially with the possibility of a civil war.
4. Frederick Douglas' personal narrative shined a new light on the mistreatment and oppression by slave owners. Douglas, despite his oppression, was able to gain a sense of freedom through knowledge. Through his narrative, Douglas, may have swayed the mindsets of northerners towards the abolition of slavery. However, southerners may have felt disbelief and more anger towards African Americans as they believed slavery was justifiable.
In "Lincoln: A House Divided", the main objective of Lincoln's speech is to let the people know that the United States would not be successful and would fail if the north and south could not come to agreement. The United States needed to be either all "free" states and territories or all "slave" states and territories. He then declares that sooner or later the decision would have to be made or the United states would crumble so to speak. He blamed the lack of uniformity and commitment for the division and the only way to resolve this was to choose "free states" or "slave states".
ReplyDeleteIn the debates between Douglas and Lincoln the main argument or objective of these debates was over slavery. Where Lincoln stated that he believed that slavery should be abolished by simply slow down and die out over time and limit the spread of slavery to only existing territories. While Douglas believed in popular sovereignty which is each state should be able to make their own decision of whether or not to be a “free” state or “slave” state.
Lincoln’s first inaugural address reflected the previous statements and belief stated in the “A House Divided” speech and his debates with Douglas in several different ways. He stated again that he does not want slavery to expand any further than it was and that he would not mess with the states that already had slaves. He also reassured that he wanted to keep the union together by keeping the “peace” between North and South. Over all his address is aimed towards the southerners ensure that he would leave the already “slaved” states alone.
This narrative was written from a slave’s point of view during this time. This narrative tells people how slaves were treated so poorly nothing like the north believed. If this were to have come out during this time it would have pushed the north to genuinely abolish slavery completely from both the north and the south, which would inevitably keep the union together and possibly, prevented the Civil War.
Lincoln’s primary objective with his “House Divided” speech was to portray why Stephen A. Douglas’s approach to slavery would not work. Douglas’s idea of “popular sovereignty” let individual residents of a territory decide if slavery be allowed or not. Lincoln believed that this would lead to a conflict between sides, one trying to broaden slavery and the other trying to abolish it. This would end in an unwanted division of the Union. As Lincoln puts it, “I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free”. Lincoln believes that the power of the current “political dynasty”, the Whigs and Democrats, must be overthrown in order to prevent the Supreme Court from spreading slavery all over the country.
ReplyDeleteDouglas believes Lincoln and Mr. Trumbull have a plan to break down and convert the Whig and Democratic party’s “into an Abolition party under the name and disguise of a Republican party”. Lincoln later says in his speech that this is not true. Douglas thinks that since the government has survived divided for the past seventy years, it will be just fine continuing to exist divided. Lincolns believes the government cannot continue as divided, so a decision on slavery must be made. He goes on to say that he has no interest to introduce equality between the white and the black races, although the black race deserves the rights stated in the Declaration of independence. These speeches show the roles of slaves in the South.
In his First Inaugural Address, directed towards Southerners, Lincoln talks about how he has no plans to interfere with slavery in areas where it already exists. More important is his sentiments towards preserving and protection the Government, where he says he has an oath to “preserve, protect, and defend it”. Lincoln shows similar feeling in his “House Divided” speech.
This exert from Fredrick Douglass’s personal narrative shows that he is actually quite smart and well spoken. This would upset Southerner’s because they believed blacks did not have the mental capacity to be independent citizens. Northerner’s might be persuaded to become abolitionists after learning of the harsh treatment of some slaves by plantation owners.
1. Lincoln's primary objective with his "House Divided" speech was to bring to light the fact that the opposing viewpoints on slavery was tearing apart the nation from within. He knew that if the issue wasn't decided, one way or the other, there would inevitably be a schism of much greater magnitude. He showed no particular support toward either side of the issue. The only way to resolve this was for the nation to either be fully free, or fully slave-owning
ReplyDelete2. In the Lincoln Douglas debates, Douglas showed himself to support fully the peoples' right to choose between slavery or not. He accused Lincoln of being a radical abolitionist. Lincoln had no desire to completely abolish slavery, but rather stop it's spread further into America so that it would eventually die out. As the debates progress Lincoln started to progress to the idea that slavery was morally wrong. Douglas' arguments show us that the South felt that their freedom was being trampled on.
3. In his inaugural address, Lincoln went to great lengths to try and get the point across that he had no intention to meddle with slavery in the States where it was allowed as well as no intention to take action against the South unless they act first. Lincoln's main goal was to preserve the unity of the nation.
4. This excerpt describes some of the cruelty that was inflicted on slaves. For the North, it would have just stoked the fires and brought even more people to the side of the abolitionists. In the South, it would have shown many of the people or Slave-owners who had not experienced other slave-owners' cruelty that there was nothing beneficial to being a slave. The excerpt could have bought support in the South for the abolitionist movement.
In Lincoln's speech, “A House Divided,” he was trying to pose the point that congress is divided entirely on one issue: Slaves. He argued that while most people thought that they were moving away from slaver, that it was actually false, by demonstrating the effect of laws, such as the Nebraska Bill, on society through examples, and hypotheticals. Throughout his speech he blames both the supreme court and congress for their indecision on slavery, and inability to follow the Constitution on this subject.
ReplyDeleteDuring the debates of 1858, which took place in Illinois at 7 different locations (a total of 21 hours of debating between all events) Douglas and Lincoln both shared the viewpoint of disbanding the practice of slavery, but both wanted to go about it in different ways. Douglas was for a rapid dispelling of the practice, where Lincoln was more moderate on the issue, wanting for a more gradual transition, feeling it was more fail for both pro, and anti-slavery demographics. These viewpoints also depicted the difference between northern and southern positions. Douglas's ideal showed how little the north knew about the south's dependency on slave labor, where if slavery was immediately abolished, the southern economy would tank. Lincoln's plan of slowly transitioning slavery, would allow the south to reform their economy and prevent backlash.
Lincoln's inaugural address re-affirmed his stance on slavery, while stating that he has no intention of abolishing it during his term, but instead focusing the public's attention on the issue instead. This will gradually change public opinion, so that when the time come to actually casting slavery aside, it will be easier on all involved, allowing the acceptance of abolition to be in good light.
Douglas's excerpt showed his first hand account of southern slavery abuse, in an effort to sway people to a radical stance on slavery in the north. He argued that the indignities should not be overlooked as that he believed that all southerners treated their slave indecently, while during the time when the north had slaves, the northerners treated their slaves with basic respect. While there were abuses in the south, and that it wasn't uncommon, it wasn't how everyone treated their slaves. In some places the slaves were treated as well as they were in the north, such as in Jefferson Davis's small county.
1. The finished address avoided any mention of the Republican Party platform, which condemned all efforts to reopen the African slave trade and denied the authority of Congress or a territorial legislature to legalized slavery in the territories. The address also denied any plan on the part of the Lincoln administration to interfere with the institution of slavery in states where it existed. But to Lincoln, the Union, which he saw as older even than the Constitution, was perpetual and unbroken, and secession legally impossible.
ReplyDelete2. The "House Divided" speech which Mr. Lincoln delivered was more prophetic than reportorial. It recognized the hardening lines between northern and southern opinion and the unwillingness to compromise. Lincoln biographer Ida Tarbell wrote: "The speech was, in fact, one of great political adroitness. It forced Douglas to do exactly what he did not want to do in Illinois: explain his own record during the past four years; explain the true meaning of the Kansas-Nebraska bill; discuss the Dred Scott decision; say whether or not he thought slavery so good a thing that the country could afford to extend it instead of confining it where it would be in course of gradual extinction. Douglas wanted the Republicans of Illinois to follow Greeley's advice: 'Forgive the past.' He wanted to make the most among them of his really noble revolt against the attempt of his party to fasten an unjust constitution on Kansas. Lincoln would not allow him to bask for an instant in the sun of that revolt. He crowded him step by step through his party's record, and compelled him to face what he called the 'profound central truth' of the Republican party, 'slavery is wrong and ought to be dealt with as wrong.'
3. The debates themselves had important consequences for the candidates. While Abraham Lincoln was thrust into the national spotlight and helped generate momentum for the Republican Party, Stephen Douglas actually angered many of his fellow Democrats and helped divide the party, dooming his chances in the 1860 presidential election.
4. In the aftermath of his defeat at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Confederate General Robert E. Lee sends a letter of resignation as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
The letter came more than a month after Lee's retreat from Pennsylvania. At first, many people in the South wondered if in fact Lee had lost the battle. Lee's intent had been to drive the Union army from Virginia, which he did. The Army of the Potomac suffered over 28,000 casualties, and the Union army's offensive capabilities were temporarily disabled. But the Army of Northern Virginia absorbed 23,000 casualties, nearly one-third of its total. As the weeks rolled by and the Union army reentered Virginia, it became clear that the Confederacy had suffered a serious defeat at Gettysburg. As the press began to openly speculate about Lee's leadership, the great general reflected on the campaign at his headquarters in Orange Courthouse, Virginia.
The modest Lee took the failure at Gettysburg very personally. In his letter to Davis, he wrote, "I have been prompted by these reflections more than once since my return from Pennsylvania to propose to Your Excellency the propriety of selecting another commander for this army... No one is more aware than myself of my inability for the duties of my position. I cannot even accomplish what I myself desire... I, therefore, in all sincerity, request your Excellency to take measure to supply my place."
Lee not only seriously questioned his ability to lead his army, he was also experiencing significant physical fatigue. He might also have sensed that Gettysburg was his last chance to win the war. Regardless, President Davis refused the request. He wrote, "To ask me to substitute you by someone... more fit to command, or who would possess more of the confidence of the army... is to demand an impossibility."
Lincoln's primary objective is to show that if the government is going to be against slavery, then we need to give no room for those for slavery any concessions or we would fall apart. He blames the government for the division and only way it can be resolved is to not let there be compromise for slavery or against slavery.
ReplyDeleteDouglas and Lincoln debates where significant to our understanding of the differences between north and south because, this showed how certain political parties ruled certain areas and what slavery meant to each party.
Lincoln's inaugural address is addressing the southerners is trying to keep them from wanting to secede and this is reflected by his previous addresses for he is making a massive effort to keep everyone happy and keep the nation together as one.
F. Douglass's moved Northerners for it showed even the kindest of people keep become corrupted by free willing/unwilling help and Northerners are "good" people. This angered Southerners because it shows that blacks really weren't receiving in benefits from slavery especially due to the fact that some blacks had to fight the pigs for food.
Lincoln’s primary objective in giving his “House Divided” speech was to address the division of the country which was due to the issue of slavery. He believed that the country as a whole would have to abolish slavery or accept it, otherwise it would fall apart. Lincoln blamed preceding president James Buchanan for his failure to act on the issue of slavery due to Buchanan’s fear that he would be ridiculed by the public. Stephen Douglas believed that popular sovereignty would solve the issue of slavery but Lincoln knew that it would cause a further division of the country.
ReplyDeleteStephen Douglas believed that the issue of slavery should be resolved without government involvement and that the people in that state would decide on the issue of slavery with popular sovereignty. Lincoln saw the problems with popular sovereignty in deciding whether a new state would be a free state or a slave state. He believed in a larger federal government to help aid the division of the country and the issue of slavery. Lincoln also knew popular sovereignty would not work because it inaccurately represented the interest of all the citizens of a new state and he said popular sovereignty would, “allow the people of a Territory to have slavery if they want to, but does not allow them not to have it if they do not want it” (Debate 1). These debates are very significant because they showed the ever growing cultural gap between the North and the South.
Similar to his previous speeches and debates, Lincoln’s inaugural address showed he would continued his agenda against the spread of slavery; however, his address was much less redoubtable than his previous speeches and debates. He directed his speech towards the southern states and reassured the South that he would not attack slavery where it already existed. As a president he hoped to preserve the Union.
Through his personal narrative, Stephen Douglas outlined his personal perspective on the living conditions of slaves. Douglas reflected on the cruel treatment stating, ’"Move faster, you ~black gip!~" at the same time giving them a blow with the cowskin over the head or shoulders, often drawing the blood.” This would further alienate the northerners because the shocking revelations of slave life were so directly discussed from a southerner. Southerners were offended because Douglas exposed the darker aspects of slavery.
Lincoln’s primary objective in the giving of “A House Divided” is to address the division of the nation; a nation that consists of being half-slave and half-free. Lincoln stated that he did not believe that the country’s government would continue to function successfully if a compromise was not reached. The blame of the nation’s division is pinned on the issue of slavery. The only probable way to reconcile the issue of slavery, as well as the nation’s divide, is to deem the country, as a whole, as supportive of slavery or unsupportive of slavery. Thus leading to a nation in which a government can function properly and efficiently.
ReplyDeleteLincoln believed that while the significance of individual states is important, it needs be recognized that all states are under a union; thus meaning that all states must maintain the same fundamental principles for the government to function as a nation. In regard to the issue of slavery, Lincoln believed that slavery is to be abolished gradually and merely the spread of slavery should be limited. Douglas was a proponent of states rights over federal government rights. Being a advocate of states rights, Douglas’s ideals were similar in terms of slavery; he believed that it should be within individual state jurisdiction to decide whether to claim themselves as free or slave states. I would consider these debates to be significant in the understanding of the differences between the north and south because it exemplified Lincoln’s standpoints as being representative of northern ideology, whereas Douglas’s platforms show preference of south ideals.
While he still states his desire to deplete the spread of slavery and maintain the nation as a union, this speech is much less assertive than his previous speeches. Lincoln’s inaugural address was written as an attempt of easing the tension between the southern states. He guaranteed the south that slavery in their states would not be hindered. With this speech, Lincoln hoped to ensure the preservation of the union and the composure of southern states on the issue of slavery (attempting to assure that no irrational acts occur).
Douglass’ personal narrative had the effect that it did due to the fact that it bared the brutal mistreatment slaves had to endure, regardless of the masters. Exposing such a narrative led to the movement of northerners to become abolitionists because it posed the question of morality in the relevance of slaves. This gave the northerners a sense of how the slaves were actually being treated. This same narrative angered the southerners because southerners were dependent on the usage of slave labor. As well as, Douglass’ narrative merely showed the negative treatment of slaves – the southerners see this as mere propaganda because those in the south claim that it is beneficial to the populace of the nation.
Riggon Robinson
ReplyDeleteLincolns primary objective is to bring the country together at all costs, he greatly emphasized that if this country were to be at split over a subject it would come to fall apart. This was, in all, an attack on popular sovereignty. They must come together as a country if they wanted to stay as one united country
Douglas was a large proprietor of popular sovereignty saying that it was the most democratic way to go about things, as well as sought to deny any citizenship to a black man. Lincoln on the other hand opposed popular sovereignty saying it would break apart the country, he also came to talk about how he felt that slavery was a politically, socially and morally wrong practice. These were significant as they represented the north and the south. In the south they have relied so heavily on slavery to generate their economy that many had the fear of not knowing what they would do should slavery be abolished. The north on the other hand which had become much more industrial, saw slavery not as a necessity and could then view it as immoral.
In his address to the people Lincoln worked to avoid talking about slavery. In his efforts he wanted to make the south not feel alienated from the country though still show strong support for the union
This exert gave a compassionate eye to black men, making the south look bad for their cruel treatment of their slaves in the plantation as opposed to the much more reasonable seaming treatment of slaves in the more northern city. This resulted in the mistreated slaves of the south to be in a much worse condition than that of the north which brings evidence to disprove the benefit that slavery brings the black man, an idea which many had defended. Many southerners would have taken this as an insult for how it made them look in comparison to their northern neighbors by none other than Douglass who spoke for most the south. It also, in turn, promoted the idea to treat blacks better, possibly with freedom, to bring them their ultimate betterment.
The house divided speech showed Lincolns main issue with the current government that ultimately the current government would not last. That have half slave and half free would eventually lead to the collapse of the government and even the entire union. Because having to radically different views always going head to head trying to protect to very different things just wouldn't work. He strongly felt that the only way to same the union was to join both houses make the whole US free or slave.
ReplyDeleteThe Debates really show the difference in the opinions of the north and south as to how much power the federal government had. I don't really see it as a slave anti slave debate as there are several times where I think Douglas is more of an abolitionist then Lincoln. Lincoln doesn't what to end slavery just stop the spreed and let it die naturally but he wants to us the federal government to do so. Where as Douglas says doing so is a violation of states rights and it's up to the states to decide no the federal government.
To me it does as he does slightly touch on the issue of the house divided and really briefly on the stopping or slow the spread of slavery however he also really tries to appeal to the southern states saying there is no need for succession and violence as he has no plans to interfere with the current institution of slavery already established. To me this really shows how he believes that if he can stop the importation then slavery will just naturally die.
The memoirs to me really shows how Douglas might not support slavery as much as originally thought. For a long time northern states had argued that the slavery was a better live for black then they could have in Africa and that actually the lucky ones were the ones that were sold into slavery. However the memoirs follow the stories of several slaves that were not always northern house slaves. It ultimately relieved that the treatment of slaves especially the deep southern plantation slaves was not the northern states were told it was. To me the memoirs really painted a darker picture of slavery and I can imagine that it could persuade a northern person that is on the fence about slavery to become an abolitionist. To the southern that was trying to get him into office this would be the ultimate betrayal. Of coarse they would be pissed