The Developments That Made the Decade of the 1850’s So Turbulent

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To be more specific, the confrontation between the slave states and the free states began in September 1850. The dispute arose as a result of disagreements on territorial boundaries during the war between America and Mexico (McNamara par. 3). The compromise is applauded for averting the possibility of a drastic secession and civil war for approximately four years (McNamara par. 2). It was a perfect draft by Senator Henry Clay who gathered support from a fellow senator, Stephen Douglas (Quarles par 1).

Despite the fact that the compromise brought relief to the region, there were specific clauses that did not appeal to both sides involved in the conflict. The set of the compromise included Texas’ surrender on the planned attack on Mexico. This came along with its transfer of the public debt to the federal government (Stewart par. 6). Another compromise was the approval of California’s request to be granted the free state status alongside the disapproval of the southern territorial plan (Stewart par. 2).

The southerners benefited from the Fugitive Slave Act which created a lot of tension among the northerners (Stewart par. 3). As a result, the slave trade was demolished. The compromise was essential in order to stop the Mexican war which had started to gain momentum. However, a number of compromise proposals were also made although they did not pass.

Famed as an abolitionist and an author, Harriet Beecher was born in America in 1811 and died in 1896 when she was 85 years old. She was very interested in the study of the African-American lifestyle during the regrettable period of slavery. Her book Uncle Tom’s Cabin became very popular reaching the audience either as a book or as a play.

The book was a major success and quite influential in America as well as in the United Kingdom (Quarles par 2).

Harriet wrote her text condemning the ongoing slavery, hence accelerating the anti-slavery battle in the South. She was very vocal on matters pertaining social issues and fearlessly went public on her beliefs on the subject. Her book is credited for backing the raging debates surrounding abolition of slavery. By then, those were the major issues causing the conflicts hence she managed to capture the attention of many Americans. Interestingly, as a tribute to her great work, it was recorded that in Boston alone, 300 babies were named Eva, as a character in the novel (Quarles par 2).

Nonetheless, Harriet fled to Florida because of the sex related scandals leveled against her brother in the 1870s (Quarles par 3). She could not bare the shame and humiliation caused by the public attacks on her with regard to her brother. One of her greatest achievements includes her role in founding the Hartford Art School that is part of the University of Hartford (McNamara par. 5). The memory about her is immortalized in a number of landmarks in major states, including Florida, Maine, Connecticut, her home state, and Ohio.

Her famous novel brought out the reality about the slavery situation. It can best be described as an anti-slavery novel due to its role in the raising of the civil war (McNamara par. 9). The book exposed the reality of slavery and promoted the concept of Christian brotherly love. She highlighted a number of misguided stereotypes concerning the black community commonly referred to as the African-Americans (Stewart par. 6).

The territories of Kansas and Nebraska were divided as a result of the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 (Stewart par. 5). New lands were thereby opened for settlement, while the settlers were permitted to choose whether or not to consent to slavery within their territories due to enjoying self-government (McNamara par. 9). The main agenda for the inception of this act was to increase farms for settlement and create a feasible transcontinental railway (McNamara par. 4). Unfortunately, this led to a massive civil war as pro- and anti-slavery settlers flooded into Kansas to vote for and against slavery (Quarles par 3).

The Act was championed by Senator Stephen Douglas whose intention was to help achieve the triumph of democracy (Quarles par 3). The issue of slavery became a heated debate, and none of the leaders was willing to expose his position on the matter. This is why the senator came up with Act to promote democracy so that he would not have to align himself with a pro- or an anti-slavery campaign (Stewart par. 8). The presence of millions of farmland also necessitated the formation of a territorial infrastructure as a way of harmonizing settlement (Quarles par 3).

The Bleeding Kansas’ ordeal was the worst of its kind. It was also referred to as the Bloody or the Border War (McNamara par. 3). This can only be described as a political confrontation that was based on the slavery issue. The violent confrontation took place between 1845 and 1861 and was among the anti- and pro-slavery supporters concernong their claims to the Kansas territory and its environs (McNamara par. 3). The battle arose on the question where Kansas was located with regard to the anti- and pro-slavery alignments. It was not clear whether Kansas was a free or a slave state, hence there was the conflict.

Basically, the Bleeding Kansas was a war between the North and the South influenced by the popular issue of slave trade in the United States of America. It gave rise to the American civil war as the congress was eperiencing difficult times trying to balance between the slave owners’ and the abolitionists’ interests.

Charles Sumner was another great politician to fight against the slave trade in America. He was a Massachusetts’ senator, a lawyer, and a renowned orator (Quarles par 6). He fought for equal rights during the American civil war. He was one of the most learned statesmen closely working with Abraham Lincoln (McNamara par. 5). He is recognized for the efforts he dedicated to fight and abolition of the slave-holding system. He was determined to defeat the slave owners who were trying to gain control over the central government for their own interests at that time. In one instance, he was almost killed for giving his famous speech The Crime against Kansas (Stewart par. 5).

The anti-slave trade campaign was determined to completely paralyze slave trade. John Brown, an American abolitionist, for instance, used brute force to suppress the trade. The famous Harpers Ferry Raid on federal armory was unsuccessful, and he was captured in the process. Brown was hanged after he had been found guilty of treason and murder. Nonetheless, his execution only made things worse as historians concur that his bereavement escalated the anxiety that led to the War of Secession and the civil war (Stewart par. 5).

Works Cited

McNamara, Robert. John Brown, Fanatical Abolitionist Whose Raid at Harpers Ferry Led to Civil War. 2012. Web.

Stewart, James Brewer. Holy Warriors: The Abolitionists and American Slavery. 2012. Web.

Quarles, Benjamin. The Black Abolitionists. 2012. Web.

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The Developments That Made the Decade of the 1850’s So Turbulent

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