Fighting for Freedom

Question # 1
The Missouri Compromise played a major role in America's history in the early 1800s. Explain
how important and significant this law was as it relates to necessity and overall reason the law
was written. Please pay attention to why and what impact this would have on America
throughout the 1800s as the struggle and continuation of freedom was still being waged and
fought.
The controversy of slavery came to play an important role in the national government during this
time. The disputes between the north and the south continued all the way until the end of the
civil war. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 called for the division of Slave and Free states
according to the 36, 30 latitude line. All states above the line would join the union as a free state,
and those to the south of the line would join as slave states. The determination of whether it
would become one or the other compromised those running the government. The Northern New
England states called upon and promoted states free of slavery, but the southern states economy
was based on slavery and thus essential to its flourishment. In order to prevent conflict between
the north and south, congress ratified the Missouri compromise, making the new state of
Missouri, a pro-slave state, and at the same time, making also the new state of Maine a free state
in 1820, making a balance between opposite sides.
Question # 2
What role would the Gold Rush have on America's growth and expansion west during the mid
1850s? In a good 1 page or 2 page essay make sure to discuss and include in your answer one
way in which Americans traveled to participate in this mad race for wealth. In addition, please
cover the overall meaning the Gold Rush would have on the entire political landscape as it
relates to freedom and more importantly, the quest to fight for it.
The concept of Manifest Destiny can utterly be seen during these times in the 1850s. California
although not yet a state at the time, was still a territory that had been taken from Mexico in the
Mexican-American war, according to the Treaty of Guadalupe in its provisions. As the rumors of
gold in this territory spread across the nation and even across the continent, people from all over
the nation rushed into the territory. As the revolution in transportation was being developed at
this time, railroads allowed for movement of people and things from one state to the other
adequately fast, essentially linking economies together from one state to another. People would
travel by land, sea, wagons and railroad systems. Although extremely dangerous due to the harsh
weather in the Rocky Mountains, people settled in the west into California with the foolish
dream of becoming rich overnight. As people started to settle, the idea of California becoming a
state was agreed upon. They created and ratified a constitution, although Congress had not
approved yet. Once again, the issue of slavery aroused conflict in these new-to-be states. Clay
proposed the Compromise of 1850, in which California was to be accepted as a free state
favoring the north, and in order to compensate evenness with the south, the compromise called
for Utah and New Mexico without restrictions on slavery and tougher fugitive slave laws, which
prevented a temporary solution on national division.
Question # 3
Fighting for freedom took many forms and one very important form was the idea of freedom as
outlined and discussed in the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Why was this Act so controversial and yet
so popular? Use any notes, class discussions, etc. to answer in wha

t capacity was this indeed a fight for freedom? In addition, please consider and think of the
most obvious and best excellent example that emphasizes and illustrates just how dire this one
Act was in America and its continued fight for freedom?
The Kansas-Nebraska Act called forth whether Kansas and Nebraska would be a free or slave
state. This act proposed by Douglas in 1854, emphasized popular sovereignty, meaning it was for
the peoples vote to decide for their own laws. Ultimately, it repealed the Missouri Compromise
and its provision of Louisiana territory being slave-free, as it was now up to the people to agree
upon what kind of states they would be. As the Act was passed, pro-slavery settler forces from
Missouri, a slave state, crossed the border into Kansas, murdering and killing antislavery settlers
and causing turmoil. Retaliation attacks were followed primarily by John Brown, a radical
abolitionist against slavery, and his followers. Ultimately, this slave issue war lasted four years,
followed by the victory of antislavery, although Brown was captured and executed. It came
known to be called Bleeding Kansas. This event catalyzed even further the separation of the
nation, which would eventually lead into the Civil War.
Question # 4
Bleeding Kansas was one event in America during the 1850s that was widely contested and very
controversial. In a good 1 page or 2 page paragraph pick any 2 of the examples that occurred
during this time and discuss how both examples just exacerbated the problem when freedom was
at stake? In addition, focus and stress the overall impact that this will have on America and
Americans.
The Dispute over slavery continued across the country. Following the election of 1844 and 1848,
as Texas had won its independency from Mexico, and Oregon was ready to be claimed a state
and part of the Union, the controversy of slavery aroused once more in these two states. Zachary
Taylor having won the 1848 election had close ties with both the north and south. As he was a
military hero, he was also a slave owner; popularity aroused around him. Surprisingly for the
South, Oregon and Texas came both as Free states, infuriating the south with the threat to secede.
Americans in the south felt betrayed, as they had given their votes for Taylor, they expected for
Taylor to be on their favor. Public trust on the government declined during this era.
During this time, the fight for freedom was fought every way possible. Printing companies such
as The Liberator, under William Garrisons words would describe the injustices of slaves in
the south. His extreme radical words spread popularity and hatred across the whole nation. This
moral issue was portrayed in these printing companies to convey the public towards antislavery
and the separation between north and south. With this propaganda, Americans differentiated
themselves and animosity grew between the slave owner and the non-slave owner. And although
all men are created equal according to the Declaration of Independence, during these times, it
did not mean that all men were equal, ultimately dividing the nation apart leading to the Civil
War.