American History: A Survey (Brinkley), 13th Edition

Chapter 13: THE IMPENDING CRISIS

Primary Sources

1
Below is an excerpt from a statement made in 1837 by John C. Calhoun that outlines his views on slavery. Note his comparison of the lot of slaves with that of the European poor. How might William Lloyd Garrison have responded to this?

John C. Calhoun

2
One of the most outspoken critics of the Mexican War was the Massachusetts poet James Russell Lowell. Like so many of his fellow New Englanders, he believed that the conflict was part of an effort to advance the interests of the South, a view he set forth in The Bigelow Papers, a collection of observations that Lowell attributed to one Hosea Bigelow. In the following poem, Bigelow confronts a recruiting sergeant and explains, in Yankee vernacular, his opposition to the war.

What does Bigelow see as the main purpose of the war with Mexico? Whom does he blame, and why? What role does he see the North playing in the war, and what does he feel the results will be? Look at the final verse. What solution does he propose? Remember this when we get to 1860. With such sentiments being expressed in the North, why will the northern states be willing to fight to preserve the Union?

James Russell Lowell

3
In 1846, President James K. Polk requested an appropriation of $2 million to pay expenses incurred in negotiations with Mexico. David Wilmot, a Pennsylvania Democrat, introduced an amendment to that bill and, in so doing, set off a new round of debate over the question of slavery in the territories. The following is a description of what took place.

Wilmot was a Democrat, and the Democratic Party depended on the South for much of its support. Why would he have introduced such an amendment? What does this tell you about divisions within the Democratic Party? What alternatives were offered, who offered them, and what resulted? What happened to the amendment in the House, where it was introduced? What does this tell you about the position of the South with regard to the rest of the nation? What would have been the future for the South had it become law?

Congressional Globe 1846

4
Many people believed (and many more hoped) that the Compromise of 1850 would save the Union. But as the excerpts that follow show, the divisions were deep and healing would be difficult. The first excerpt is from John C. Calhoun's last speech. What stand did he take regarding compromise? Calhoun's views are followed by those of William H. Seward, a senator from New York who became a leading Republican and secretary of state in the Lincoln administration. What is his position? Is there room for compromise?

John C. Calhoun and William H. Seward

5
The Republicans' 1860 platform was hardly the radical pronouncement that southern fire-eaters expected, for its primary purpose was to show potential supporters in the North that it was the party of moderation and progress. Still, among its declarations were statements that made it clear where the Republicans stood on the issues most crucial to the South. What follows is an excerpt from that platform. Note declaration 3, does this give you any indication why the Republicans were willing to fight to preserve the Union? How would the South have reacted to this?

What was declaration 4 designed to do? What effects did the Republicans hope it would have on the South? How does declaration 7 relate to 4 and to whom was it designed to appeal? What is the purpose of declarations 12 and 15? What do they reveal about the composition of the Republican Party? Again, what would the South's reaction have been?

The Republican 1860 Platform

6
Here is Roger Taney's controversial 1857 decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford, which further exacerbated the tensions embroiling the nation in the turbulent 1850s. What does Taney conclude from the case, and what are the sectional ramifications of these conclusions? What legal and rhetorical arguments does Taney employ to lend authority to his decision? Does he seem cognizant of the public interest in this case?

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