The institution of slavery was legal and eventually constitutional in the United States for 245 years. In that time, many compromises were made in the American government regarding slavery. This is particularly evident in the time period prior to 1854 in which the US government made a great deal of compromises in order to maintain the stability of American society. As 1854 began, tensions continued to rise in the United States of America surrounding the topic of slavery. Ultimately, these tensions lead to horrific violence within the nation, beginning with the events of Bleeding Kansas. Bleeding Kansas catalysed a violent reaction to the rising tensions that eventually manifested itself as the American Civil War, beginning in 1861. This progression
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The Kansas-Nebraska Act, passed by Congress on May 30th of 1854, repealed the Missouri Compromise (“Kansas-Nebraska Act”). However, it continued the idea of popular sovereignty that contributed to the theme of compromise in American history. Sadly, the compromise failed to quell the tensions over slavery and ultimately caused Kansas to become a battleground for issues regarding slavery. Evidently, compromise was no longer as effective as it had once been, a development seen especially in the events of the Pottawatomie Massacre. The massacre took place from May 24th to May 25th, 1856 and is considered one of the most noted massacres that occurred during the battles of Bleeding Kansas. It resulted in the death of five proslavery men, which caused outrage amongst the slavery supporters (McPherson). The Pottawatomie Massacre began to illuminate the flaws in the idea of compromise. John Brown was incredibly influential in the violent movement of abolition, and away from compromise. His leadership in the Pottawatomie Massacre and the raid on Harpers Ferry during Bleeding Kansas showed, clearly, that compromise was no longer an option. On the day of his execution, on December 2nd, 1859 John Brown wrote; “I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood” (Oates). He reiterates the view that compromise is no longer a valid option in American society, and that the only effective way forward was through violent acts, John Brown 's words about the idea of compromise further exemplified that compromise had ceased to be
The Kansas-Nebraska Act, passed by Congress on May 30th of 1854, repealed the Missouri Compromise (“Kansas-Nebraska Act”). However, it continued the idea of popular sovereignty that contributed to the theme of compromise in American history. Sadly, the compromise failed to quell the tensions over slavery and ultimately caused Kansas to become a battleground for issues regarding slavery. Evidently, compromise was no longer as effective as it had once been, a development seen especially in the events of the Pottawatomie Massacre. The massacre took place from May 24th to May 25th, 1856 and is considered one of the most noted massacres that occurred during the battles of Bleeding Kansas. It resulted in the death of five proslavery men, which caused outrage amongst the slavery supporters (McPherson). The Pottawatomie Massacre began to illuminate the flaws in the idea of compromise. John Brown was incredibly influential in the violent movement of abolition, and away from compromise. His leadership in the Pottawatomie Massacre and the raid on Harpers Ferry during Bleeding Kansas showed, clearly, that compromise was no longer an option. On the day of his execution, on December 2nd, 1859 John Brown wrote; “I, John Brown, am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away but with blood” (Oates). He reiterates the view that compromise is no longer a valid option in American society, and that the only effective way forward was through violent acts, John Brown 's words about the idea of compromise further exemplified that compromise had ceased to be