Check List for Road to Civil War Research Project

The project for periods 1, 4, 6, and 7 is due on Friday, March 30th. Period 3, your assignment is going to be due on Monday, April 2nd.

Every group should be handing in the following:

Part I: Research Questions.

Every group is responsible for writing and answering four research questions. These should be handed in typed and double-spaced. The format should look like this:

Names _______________________ Period

Mr. Mulladys Class

Road to Civil War Project

Part I. Research Questions

Question 1.

Answer to Question 1

Questions 2.

Answer to Question 2

Question 3.

Answer to Question 3

Question 4.

Answer to Question 4

Part II: A Ranked Source List (An Annotated Bibliography)

An annotated bibliography is a list of citations to books, articles, and websites. Each citation is followed by a brief paragraph (the annotation) describing and evaluating the resource. The purpose of the annotation is to inform the reader of the relevance, accuracy, and quality of the resource.

Your annotated bibliography is going to be incomplete, you are only going to be citing and ranking three of your sources. In your citation be sure to use CART as a guide and explain HOW and WHY each aspect of CART is addressed, not just state that it was or not.

Research Questions

By Monday, each group should submit 4 research questions about their Road to the Civil War Topic. Writing a good research question can be tricky so here are some guidelines from the University of Virginia that you should follow.

1. A good research question is a question that's worth asking, it requires more than looking something up.

Example: How did Ted Williams' military service impact his baseball career?

or

How did John C. Calhoun and Thomas Jefferson differ on the view of state's rights?

2. The Answer should not be immediately obvious.

Good Example: How was Uncle Tom's Cabin received in the North?

Poor Example: Was Uncle Tom's Cabin popular in the North?

3. Should be "researchable" by your audience and possible to answer in the available time.

Good Example: How did Harriet Beecher Stowe's personal experiences inspire her to write Uncle Tom's Cabin?

Poor Example: How did Harriet Beecher Stowe's time living in Main impact her writing style prior to her publication of Uncle Tom's Cabin?

4. Can realign accepted notions or beliefs and offer a different view of an issue.

Good Example: How did the creation of the Republican party frighten and unite Southerners?

Remember: A good research questions does not have to meet all of these characteristics, but should have some of them.

Road to the Civil War Project.

Starting tomorrow we will be working on a project on the Road to the Civil War that will require you to research a topic and evaluate your resources. Today, I would like you to look over the following topics that will be researched. Write down three of the topics that you find most interesting or that you would like to do a project on and bring it to class.

People:

Abraham Lincoln: former Congressmen from Illinois who won the Republican nomination for President in 1860. Lincoln’s view on slavery was considered moderate; he opposed the spread of slavery but promised not to support abolishing it where it already existed.

John Brown: abolitionist who participated in the violent actions of “Bleeding Kansas” where he swore to “strike terror in the hearts of pro-slavery” people. In October of 1859, Brown attempted to start a slave revolt in Virginia by attacking a federal arsenal in Harper’s Ferry Virginia.

Frederick Douglas: former slave that became one of the leading abolitionists in the United States as well as in Europe. His autobiography detailed his life as a slave and became one of the best selling books in the U.S.

William Lloyd Garrison: prominent abolitionist who founded the anti-slavery newspaper The Liberator in 1831. Helped form the American Anti Slavery Society that became the largest abolitionist organization in the country.

Dred Scott: former slave of an army surgeon that was originally stationed in St. Louis. When his owner was transferred to Illinois, Scott believed that he should be free. In 1846, Scott sued for his freedom, saying that he had become free when he lived in a free territory. Scott’s case would reach the Supreme Court in 1856.

John C. Fremont: the first Republican presidential nominee. Fremont vocally opposed the spread of slavery, and was widely opposed in the South. The Governor of Virginia predicted, “If Fremont is elected, there will be a revolution”.

Eli Thayer: abolitionist from Massachusetts and a member of the House of Representatives from 1857 to 1861. In 1854, Thayer organized the Massachusetts Emigrant Aid Company to send anti-slavery settlers to the Kansas Territory.

Harriet Beecher Stowe: as an abolitionist and an author, Stowe impacted millions of people regarding slavery. Her most famous novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin was written as a response to the Fugitive Slave Act and became one of the top selling novels of the 19^th Century.

Roger B. Taney: a long serving member of the U.S. government, Taney had served as both the Secretary of Treasury and Attorney General under Andrew Jackson. As Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Taney delivered the ruling on Dred Scott’s case.

Harriet Tubman: a former slave and abolitionist. Took part in thirteen missions to rescue more than seventy slaves from bondage. Tubman’s work on the Underground Railroad made national headlines and made her a wanted criminal.

Stephen Douglas: member of the House of Representatives and U.S. Senator from Illinois. Douglas initially proposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act in order to secure Chicago’s bid to be the hub of the Transcontinental Railroad. In 1858, Douglas and Abraham Lincoln engaged in a series of debates that gained national attention.

Henry Clay: known as “The Great Compromiser”, Clay served as a member of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate from Kentucky. Clay was the driving force behind both the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850.

John C. Calhoun: member of the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate from South Carolina. Calhoun was a strong advocate for state’s rights and believed that any state had the right to nullify any federal law that they deemed was unconstitutional. Calhoun rejected the Compromise of 1850, and warned that the North would use its size and strength to dominate the South.

Charles Sumner: U.S. Senator from Massachusetts and an outspoken critic of slavery. Sumner attacked the Fugitive Slave Act and the Kansas-Nebraska Act of the Senate floor. Representative Preston Brooks from South Carolina attacked in the Senate Chamber sparking rallies of outrage across the North.

Lydia Maria Child: was an author, editor, and abolitionist who served on the executive committee of the American Anti-Slavery Society. Her 1833 book, An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans called for an immediate emancipation of slaves.

Harriet Ann Jacobs: was an American writer, abolitionist, and reformer who escaped slavery. Jacobs became a member of the Anti-Slavery and spoke to audiences about the evils of slavery. In 1861, Her autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl was published in 1861 and created a storm of controversy.

Sam Houston: U.S. Senator from Texas from 1846-1859. Houston spoke out against the growing sectionalism in the country, warning that the nation was on the brink of breaking apart. During the debate of the Compromise of 1850, Houston said, “a nation divided against itself cannot stand.” He opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, warning that it would further divide the nation.

Daniel Webster: U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. Webster was known to be a fierce opponent of slavery while serving in the Senate. Henry Clay sought out Webster’s support in order to have the Compromise of 1850 passed.

David Wilmot: member of the House of Representatives who attempted to stop the spread of slavery into territories that were gained from the Mexican-American War. Wilmot’s Proviso brought the controversy of expanding slavery into the national debate and impacted the Presidential Election of 1852.

John Quincy Adams: the sixth President of the United States, Adams was later elected to the House of Representatives. While serving as a Congressman, Adams became an outspoken critic of slavery and the slave trade. In 1841, Adams represented the African slaves of the Amsitad in their court case.

Events:

The Annexation of Texas

The Publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin

The Missouri Compromise

The Fugitive Slave Act

The Dred Scott Decision

The Compromise of 1850

Bleeding Kansas

The Kansas Nebraska Act

John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry

The Formation of the Republican Party

The Election of 1860

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates: debates between U.S. Senator Stephen Douglas and Senate candidate Abraham Lincoln. The debates between Lincoln and Douglas gained national attention.

The Ostend Manifesto: a plan that called for the United States to annex Cuba and further expand slavery.

Trouble in Kansas

Beginning in the late 1840s, there was talk of creating a railroad that would run from the East coast to the West coast. This would make it possible to ship people and goods to California faster and less expensive. There were two routes that were being considered, one had the railroad starting in Chicago then heading West to California, the other route began at New Orleans and would travel through Texas before heading south through New Mexico and Arizona. The railroad would bring millions of dollars to what ever city became the home to it and would guarantee business for local factories and new jobs for residents. Business leaders and politicians of Chicago saw the transcontinental railroad to fuel the continuing growth of their city. Senator Stephen Douglas faced the daunting task of convincing Southern Congressmen to approve of Chicago's request to be the starting point of the railroad. Southern Senators agreed to abandon the proposition of a southern route for the railroad if the remaining territory from the Louisiana Purchase would be open to slavery.

In February 1854, Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois proposed a Bill to Congress that would divide the remaining land of the Louisiana Purchase into two territories: Kansas and Nebraska. The Bill also mentioned that the citizens of those territories would get to decide if they were to become slave states or free states. Douglas was hoping that if the Bill was passed then the railroad would go through Chicago.

Douglas was one of the leading Democrats in the Senate. He used his influence in Washington to get the Bill to pass the House and the Senate with ease. Many people in the North were outraged over the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The Kansas and Nebraska Territories were both north of the 36 30 line from the Missouri Compromise. This land had been declared off limits to slave owners in 1820, now the National Government was over turning the Missouri Compromise.

Across the nation Pro-Slavery and Anti-Slavery groups attempted to get the settlers into Kansas. Since the residents of Kansas were going to decide if the territory would be a slave state or a free state, thousands of emigrants traveled to Kansas. The New England Emigrant Society sent "Free Soilers" to Kansas hoping that the land would become slave free. "Border Ruffians" from the South traveled to Kansas to ensure that Kansas would become a slave state. Both groups were passionate about their beliefs prepared to fight for their cause.

In March of 1855, there was elections held to form the legislative branch of the Territory of Kansas. In Missouri (slave state) groups were formed that took thousands of men from Missouri into Kansas to vote for pro-slavery members of the government. Since there was no clear way of deciding if the people voting were actual residents of Kansas, the people from Missouri were able to decide the fate of Kansas. Voter fraud was rampant in Kansas for that election, with both pro-slavery and anti-slavery residents and non-residents voting more than once.

A Pro-Slavery government was elected and those that opposed slavery established their own government in Lawrence Kansas.

H.W.

Read pages 556-560.

On p. 560: Answer questions 1,2, and 3

St. Baldrick's Link

For those that are interested in signing up for St. Baldrick's here is the link and some basic information.

Date: March 30, 2012

Start Time: 2:45

Location: Gym A

Thank you for your support.

Daniel Webster Questions

After reading the Daniel Webster Reading please answer the following questions:

1. Why did Henry Clay seek out assistance from Daniel Webster?

2. It was said that Daniel Webster could, “make alive the sense of oneness, of Union, that all Americans felt but few could express.” Put that phrase in your one words

3. List the five key features from the Compromise of 1850.

4. From those compromises, what upset the North? The South?

5. What was the moral dilemma that Daniel Webster faced? Defend the decision that Webster chose to take.

6. Why was William Lloyd Garrison against the U.S. Constitution?

7. Why did the South praise him for his actions while people from the North called him a traitor?

The Missouri Compromise

Step with care and great tact, and remember that life is a great balancing act"

~ Dr. Seuss

As the nation expanded after the War of 1812, a very delicate balancing act was taking place. The number of slave holding states in the South wad equal to the number of free states in the North. The Northern states had a larger population and therefore had more members in the House of Representatives but in the Senate there was the same number of Senators from the North and the South. With this balance in place it met that no law could be passed that would ban slavery. An unsteady truce would remain in Washington until 1820.

By 1820, there were 11 slave holding states and 11 free states in the Union. There would be 22 Senators representing the South and 22 Senators representing the North. The Missouri Territory had required enough residents to be eligible for statehood. Since there were already over 2,000 slaves living in Missouri, it seemed logical that it would be admitted as a slave holding state. Senators from the North did not like this idea. If Missouri was admitted as a slave state that meant that the South would now have the advantage in the Senate and be able to dictate the issue of slavery.

As the debate wore on in the Senate, one Senator proposed a Compromise. Senator Henry Clay from Kentucky came up with a solution to solve the issue of Missouri's statehood that would satisfy both the North and the South. He proposed that Missouri be admitted as a slave state but that Maine be admitted into the Union as well but as a free state. This would return the balance of power so that neither the North nor the South had control over the Senate. The second part of the Compromise would be to draw a line at the 36, 30 latitude line (the southern border of Missouri). Any territory from the Louisiana Purchase that was north of that line would be designated as free territory. No resident of that land would be permitted to own slaves. Land from the Louisiana Purchase that was South of that line would be designated as "slave-holding" territory.

Which side do you think got the better part of that deal?

Many Senators from the South were eager to see if the line from the Missouri Compromise would be extended to the Pacific Ocean. Prior to the Mexican-American War, many Congressmen and Senators were eager to go to war with Mexico to obtain lands west of Texas.

The Missouri Compromise was far from perfect and did not resolve the issue of slavery, but only prolonging the issue for another time. Henry's Clay's attempt at preserving the Union would last for 30 years before it was declared un-constitutional. Many settlers felt as though the Federal Government did not have the right to decide if lands were open to slavery or not.

The balancing act would continue for a three more decades. When Arkansas was eligible for statehood in 1836, it could only be admitted into the Union after Congress declared that Michigan would become a state in 1837. When Congress allowed Florida to become a state in 1845, the law also said that free state Iowa would be allowed to enter the Union.

It would be when California was ready for statehood that the balancing act would come to an end.

Manifest Destiny Practice Questions

Here are some practice questions in getting ready for Tuesday's exam.

1. Who created the phrase, "Manifest Destiny"? What does it mean?

2. Who was Lansford Hastings? What were two problems with his shortcut?

3. State two reasons why a Congressmen would be against the annexation of Texas.

4. Why would a Southern Congressman be supportive of the Mexican-American War?

5. What nation did James K. Polk sign a treaty with that set the boundary between Oregon and Canada?

6. Who was Joseph Smith? What were his followers called?

7. What future U.S. President(s) fought during the Mexican-American War?

8. What led to the rise of the fur trade in the Pacific Northwest?

9. What was economic reason that would motivate an American to move out West?

10. Explain how the United States obtained the following territories:

Florida

Louisiana

Texas

California

Oregon

11. Who was Stephen F. Austin?

12. Give two motivating factors to join the U.S. army during the Mexican-American War?

13. Who was John C. Fremont?

14. Why did some Irish soldiers desert the U.S. army and choose to fight for Mexico?

15. Explain why Henry Clay lost the election of 1844.