Saturday, December 6, 2014

Slavery: Main Issue in the US

     Through out the United States, people have made different assumptions about how the Civil War started. Many of the assumptions are true and some are off subjectively bias. But all of these assumptions have a common conflict, while the conflict is slavery. Slavery was the drive of the US economy and started the Civil War.
Slavery started here in the US in 1619 when the first African slave came to Virginia. These slaves were not recognized as human beings, but instead they we referred as to someone's "property." These slaves would be the start of this great import of slaves from Africa for the next couple hundred years until it's abolition in 1865.

 These slaves were mostly present in the southern part of the United States. This part of the United States gained extensive of amount of wealth from their cotton, tobacco, or sugarcane plantations. Most of the slaves were treated inhumanly given scraps of meals, small close quarters to live in with other slaves, and the scars on their body from being beat. Soon with the occurring inhumane treatment of the slaves people began making abolitionist groups, people against slavery, to end the tyranny of slavery. The south knowing their neighbor to the north was against slavery, realized how their economy would not survive with the abolition of slavery.  

The slavery issue affected the whole of the government and to the core of their purpose to meet.  Their discussions became extremely heated when slavery arose. One instance of their ansimsoty with each other's side of this hot topic was the Brooks and Sumner assault. A couple days after Senator Sumner gave his speech called " The Crime against Kansas" Brooks went to him and started mercilously beating him with his cane.
Brooks was agriatted by his speech and the repeated use of sexual imagery,"It is also important to note the sexual imagery that recurred throughout the oration, which was neither accidental nor without precedent. Abolitionists routinely accused slaveholders of maintaining slavery so that they could engage in forcible sexual relations with their slaves." Everyone in Congress and country realized how controversial this topic was between northern and southern people.

The slavery predicament affected the people of the United States as well. The people had 2 opinions with slavery. Their opinions had the views to be against slavery and want the abolition of it or the prolonging of slavery in the United States. This division made people very adamant about their opinion and willing to go to great lengths for their side to win. One major showing of this is John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry.
 
People in the South took this raid as terrorism, the abolitionist North is willing to die for their movement to win. While people in the North are experiencing the effects of one persons effect on the view point of their movement.

The whole effect of the slavery issue is it is ripping the United States apart. Each side of the view on slavery is willing to die for their cause. It is clear slavery would lead to something greater and more terrifying then an assault on a senator in Congress and a little raid on an armory. This issue would lead up to a war which would last for 5 years and make the country see what one idea can tear them apart. So they must let go of their differences and unite.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Nathaniel Hawthorne's book, The Scarlet Letter, represents the ideas of the American Renaissance. This book is a branch of romanticism with its Transcendentalist ideas present in the text. Hawthorne heavily expresses these transcendentalist ideas even though the book takes place in the time of the puritans. 
Romanticism is about emotions and the right way of living. Transcendentalism is the bond between man and nature. Before this book writing was mostly about religion and revolution. Nathaniel used good and evil to show the contrast between the old and new American ideas. This contrast helps show change ideals from revolutionist to romantic.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LwoRt0K5ams

Monday, November 3, 2014

Who won the war of 1812?

Who won the war of 1812? I believe United States won the war of 1812. The US won because they were recognized by the English as their own country and rallied their population to come together for the come cause. The war of 1812 was key in US history. This war was known as the "2nd war for independence." The war started because of the US trade routes being blocked by British ships who would not give in. The wars first battle was the Battle of Tippecanoe. But all the battles lead up to the two most key battles, Battle of New Orleans and the Battle of Baltimore. The Battle of Baltimore was key because the population wanted to help with fight by sinking their ships in the bay entrance so the British can't sail through and blow out their candles so they couldn't aim for certain parts of Baltimore. These acts caused the British to bombarded the fort for hours on end till they gave up because the militia would not surrender. The final key moment was the Battle of New Orleans.