Gienapp Theory

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Many aspects attributed to the Crisis of 1850. Men such as William Gienapp and Tyler Anbinder both pose different theories on what was the cause of the Crisis. Gienapp states that local political contests as well as state contests in 1853 and 1854 turned in mostly ethno-cultural issues. These issues included temperance and anti-Catholicism. He argues that these two issues in particular, caused great damage to the old "party system." Before the Kansas-Nebraska Act passed they also prompted a political realignment. Anbinder argues that the Know Nothing Party, as portrayed by Gienapp, contains a poor representation. The anti-slavery actions in the north attributed to the success of the Know Nothing party. Most of the victories of the Know Nothings …show more content…
Gienapp’s argument is that the Kansas-Nebraska Act is the main cause of the crisis. On the other hand, Anbinder argues that anti-Catholicism was the actual reasoning behind it. Both of theories discuss the Know Nothing Party, as well as the Democratic and the Republican parties. The real reasoning behind the Crisis of 1850 is the passing if the Kansas-Nebraska Act and everything that happened to fall behind it. The Kansas-Nebraska act posed a threat to the Northern states who had already wanted to abolish slavery. This act gave these two states the right to decide whether or not they would have the act of slavery banned within their borders. There were many who were against the Act but far more were for …show more content…
The “Northern Idea and Southern Safety” is almost impossible due to the fact that apprehension of the idea of change is becoming more apparent to them. As in the section “How the Union is to be dissolved”, this section about southern safety contains reasons as to why the idea of abolishing slavery is a poor choice and will only lead to more chaos among the states. The resistance to the Northern states is starting to make the Southern states more aggressive to the act of abolishing slavery. These sections of the book have shown how Gienapp’s argument was the most effective. They explain the overwhelming opinion of the American states on whether or not to make America a slave-free country.

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