When the Founding Fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776, they did not know the period of great transformation their beloved country would go through in the next 80 years. The economy would flourish and then fall into a panic, only to be revived again. Battles would be fought over land, freedom, and money. Presidents would cause the United States to spiral downward and other presidents had to save the country from dying before it ever really lived. These were the years of several reform movements like the Second Great Awakening and education reform. However, these years were also built on the oppression of those with darker skin through the “peculiar institution” of slavery. This issue divided the country up to and during the Civil War and eventually led to the inevitable downfall of the American Republic. The discussion of slavery caused tensions to erupt around the country. The North and South were divided over the issue. The Southern economy was built on the “peculiar institution” of slavery. When Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, cotton production grew from 300,000 acres in 1800 to almost five million acres by 1840, which added more force behind the preservation of slavery. However, even the South itself was divided over the reason why they needed to keep slavery. Some Southerners argued that slavery was a “necessary evil” which they had not created and would be too detrimental to the economy if it was abolished. Other Southerners argued that slavery was a “positive good” and the Bible stated it was “lawful and right.” The worries of the North revolved around the possibility of slavery spreading to new territories. Northerners feared there was a “Slave Power Conspiracy” in government that had the goal of keeping slavery alive. The annexation of Texas was just one example of the slave power conspiracy. People thought that annexing Texas was a way to increase the power of the slave states. The increase of Southern power would confirm the fact that slavery was never going to end in America. Northerners were also upset with the Fugitive Slave Law. This law required the free Northern states to help with the return of escaped slaves. It angered Northerners that although they had rejected slavery, they still had to participate in the immoral labor system. They could be punished by not aiding in the capture of escaped slaves. Northerners passed “personal liberty laws” to protect the blacks that resided in their states by requiring a trial by jury and habeas corpus. This, of course, angered the Southern slave owners and slave catchers because it made it more
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Black women’s role in slavery influenced society’s views on them. The “Jezebel” and “Mammy” stereotypes were rooted in slavery. The “Jezebel” stereotype represented African American women as coercive and hypersexualized beings, while the “Mammy” stereotype characterized these women as passionless and lacking empowerment. These stereotypes cast black women as “breeders” to their masters. Stereotypes also affected black men. They were called “lustful brutes” and white women needed to be protected from them at all costs. These stereotypes were much of the reason why free blacks protested slavery and white man’s power. They were tired of being reduced to sexualized or violent beings instead of who they really were, …show more content…
It was a labor system that turned people into livestock. They could be bought, sold, and punished, just like cattle. Slaves had no rights and could be quickly separated from their families with the drop of a mallet. When these actions were brought to Americans’ attention, whether it was through Uncle Tom’s Cabin or from free and escaped slaves, the morality of slavery was brought into question.
In the late 1850s, America was a rubber band stretched to its max and it was only a matter of time before that rubber band snapped. The rising tensions combined with the stereotypes, international relations, and injustices, brought about the inevitable fall of the Republic. While the American Republic fell with the onset of the Civil War, it was not completely destroyed. The country may not have been united any longer, but many of its core ideals endured. When the war ended, the country was united once more and was once again the United States of
Black women’s role in slavery influenced society’s views on them. The “Jezebel” and “Mammy” stereotypes were rooted in slavery. The “Jezebel” stereotype represented African American women as coercive and hypersexualized beings, while the “Mammy” stereotype characterized these women as passionless and lacking empowerment. These stereotypes cast black women as “breeders” to their masters. Stereotypes also affected black men. They were called “lustful brutes” and white women needed to be protected from them at all costs. These stereotypes were much of the reason why free blacks protested slavery and white man’s power. They were tired of being reduced to sexualized or violent beings instead of who they really were, …show more content…
It was a labor system that turned people into livestock. They could be bought, sold, and punished, just like cattle. Slaves had no rights and could be quickly separated from their families with the drop of a mallet. When these actions were brought to Americans’ attention, whether it was through Uncle Tom’s Cabin or from free and escaped slaves, the morality of slavery was brought into question.
In the late 1850s, America was a rubber band stretched to its max and it was only a matter of time before that rubber band snapped. The rising tensions combined with the stereotypes, international relations, and injustices, brought about the inevitable fall of the Republic. While the American Republic fell with the onset of the Civil War, it was not completely destroyed. The country may not have been united any longer, but many of its core ideals endured. When the war ended, the country was united once more and was once again the United States of