Civil War Dbq

AP US History This DBQ received a 7 Civil War DBQ As American settlers stretched westward in the 1850s, the equivocalness of the Constitution framed 60 age earlier increased sectioned tension over the topic of bondage. Initially, the framers of the constitution left the distinguish of slavery to be worked out in the countrys future. This in discharge convinced the Southern states that their peculiar institution would be respected and maintained. However, as years passed, the United body politics acquired more dominion, and as more territories applied for statehood, the issue arose whether or not the upstart states would be admitted as a slave State or Free State. Americans also disputed the very consideration of a slave, and whether or not a fugitive slave in the Northern Free States was guaranteed his or her freedom from their masters down south. It was debates wish these, due to the vague details of the constitution, that created enormous repercussions ones that would tr igger a serial of thrall related legislation, and ultimately the destruction the union.Following President Polks thriving victory against the young Republic of Mexico, Americans gained a significant amount of occidental land including Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and most importantly the promising, golden coastal territory of California. To pacify the growing discord among North and South, the Democratic Senator, Stephan Douglas of Illinois, combine 5 Bills that would secure California as a Free State and would abolish slavery in the District of Columbia. It also included the transitory Slave Act. In addition, Utah and New Mexico would grant its citizens popular sovereignty.This was the compromise of 1850. As a result, New Mexico and Utah became slave states. Due to the internal Constitutions vagueness, this compromise allowed states to define for themselves the issue of slavery. Consequently, the most aureate and democratic solution seemed Louis Casss idea of popula r sovereignty. Four years later, the Kansas- northeast Act was passed by Congress, which again allowed popular sovereignty in the Nebraska Territory. This also repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which prohibited slavery north of the 36-30 ground level of latitude. As a result, Nebraska became a slave state.However, in the terror of losing Kansas to Anti-Slavery settlers, Pro-Slavery Missourians flooded Kansas to overwhelm the polls on Election Day. Though Slavery had passed in Kansas, it was charged a fraud. In 1856, this erupted into the infamous conflict mingled with the Pro-Slavery Border Ruffians and the John Brown supporters of abolitionism. Nicknamed Bleeding Kansas, it was Americas early violent conflict over the unsettled issue of slavery. As a lame duck, Pro-Slavery President Pierce, relied on settling the conflict with the LeCompton Constitution of 1857a constitution that would legalize slavery in Kansas.Buchanan, soon after, took office expert before congress v oted. Though passed by the Senate, the LeCompton Constitution failed in the fireside of Representatives because Northern Democrats fled to the Republican Party. Pierces failure to recognize the sagacity of the Free-Soilers sentiment in the North led the past midterm exam Elections of 1858. Republicans, the Anti-Slavery party established only four years prior, took a people in the House of Representatives, foreshadowing Lincolns election in 1861 and ultimately, Southern succession.As the creation of Slave and Free States spurred political debate, the individual consideration of a slave remained questionable due to legislation being absent in the Constitution. Following the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act pressured Northerns to recapture and return slaves that fled north. This mandate became the first constitutional law that limited the sort outs of slaves, still forcing slavery down the throats of Free Soilers in the north. Northerns could now no lasting ride th e fence, because now they were coerced by law to act.This also strengthened the abolitionist movement led by William Lloyd Garrison, which had already picked up momentum from Harriett Beacher Stowes best-selling novel, Uncle Toms Cabin, published in 1852. Another historic event that resulted in the Constitutions ambiguity was the Supreme solicit case Scott v. Sanford. Being a former slave residing in the free-state of Wisconsin, Dred Scott sued for his freedom. However, in 1857 Chief Justice Roger B. Taney ruled by majority opinion that any(prenominal) blacks, regardless of their territory, possessed no right to sue.They had rights. This decision angered many a(prenominal) Northerns because the ruling was based off opinion alone. There was no move in Constitutional law that had justified prohibiting the rights of Northern free black. Moreover, to maintain national unity, the original absence of any constitutional restriction or security measure of the institution of slavery led to sectional discord. Such tension between North and South, due to their polarizing philosophical views on slavery, led individual states to decide whether or not they were Pro- or Anti-Slavery.In addition, Federal (Pro-Slavery) legislation ironically began to forswear the citizenship of even Free Blacks within Free States, which seems almost hypocritical for the Pro-Slavery leaders to proclaim States Rights to justify their succession. However, because there was no constitutional restriction, Southerns lawfully claimed had the right to succeed from the Union, and did so in 1861 out fear of Lincolns Freeport Doctrine. Therefore, because the constitution circumvented the issue of slavery to achieve national unity, the addition of new states reintroduced the sectional discord rooted in slavery, which ultimately dissolved the union.