LADs/Blogs #21 Emancipation Proclamation

The Battle of Antietam gave Lincoln a victory he needed in order to issue his Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation declared all slaves in the South free. It also orders people to maintain and respect their freedom, instead of repressing their rights. Therefore, he demonstrates that any slaves who are able to escape the Confederate government are free. However, he does not include parts of Virginia and Louisiana because, being border states, he feared they would also secede. He ends by saying his hopes for nonviolence and justice.

Just as the Emancipation Proclamation declared an end to slavery, Brown v. Board of Education declared an end to segregation.

LADs/Blogs #20 Lincolns 2nd inaugural Address

Lincoln starts off by saying there is no new information that he can give to the public. The public already knows of the "progress of our arms," meaning the progression of the war. Lincoln states that no side wanted war, but one side wanted to stay unified and the other to split, therefore the war started. He then talks about how slavery acted as a cause for war and, when the war came, neither side anticipated its magnitude or the difficulty of triumph. He discusses God, how God's judgements are "righteous and true altogether." To end his Inaugural Address, Lincoln urges the nation to end the war and start to rebuild the country, so peace can be achieved.

Lincoln's second Inaugural Address is similar to Woodrow Wilson's second Inaugural Address since both stressed unity. Wilson encouraged the nation to provide "united aid."

LAD/Blog #19: The Dred Scott Decision

In 1846, Dred Scott, a slave, and his wife filed a suit against Irene Emerson (maiden name Sanford) for their freedom. Born into slavery in Virginia, Dred Scott was eventually purchased by John Emerson in St. Louis. Slavery had been prohibited in these territories due to the Missouri Compromise of 1820.. Irene Emerson hired out the Scott family when John Emerson died, and it was then that Dred Scott sued for his freedom. Scott had lived in free territories, yet he was still considered the property of the Emersons. Nonetheless, Chief Justice Roger Taney ruled on the side of Sanford. He denounced the legal ability of Dred Scott to sue in the first place, saying even though some states may grant African Americans state citizenship, this does not relate to national citizenship.. unconstitutional. Roger Taney ignored the precedent set as a result of the Missouri Compromise of "once free, always free" and made a questionable decision that many considered unconstitutional--a questionable decision that eventually led to the civil war. 

the Dred Scott decision is similar to Plessy v Ferguson, which upheld segregation saying "separate but equal" this was also later deemed unconstutional. 

LAD/Blog #17: Frederick Douglass' "5th of July" speech

Frederick Douglass was an escaped slave who, on July 5th, gave a speech: "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro." His speech was presented on the day after American Independence day, and is a reflection on if America truly embraces freedom. Douglass starts with acknowledging the Founding Father's of America, yet then questions "Are the great principles of political freedom and natural justice...extended to [slaves]?" Clearly, Fredrick Douglass believes America has fallen short with their guarantee of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" with continuing the institution of slavery. Douglass emphasizes this fact, saying that while Americans are celebrating July 4th, others are trapped as a slave, something no one can justify. Therefore, Douglass ends by saying his belief that abolitionist movements will eventually crush slavery, finishing with William Lloyd Garrison's poem that highlights the fight for slavery, despite any dangers. 

similar to Douglass, Martin Luther King Jr. advocated for the end of injustices against African Americans. he too believed that the people would be able to unite and overcome the grave wrongs society has done to blacks. 

LAD/Blog #18: Sojouner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman" speech

In 1851, Sojourner Truth delivered her "Ain't I a Women" speech at the Women's Convention in Akron, Ohio. Truth starts off by saying men believe women are not capable of doing certain labor, but she herself has done somethings that many men have not. And, she's a women. Therefore, she implies that women are capable and as a result should have the same rights as men. Yet, she extends this to portray that men believe women need help in many aspects, but she, as a black woman, doesn't receive help. Lastly, she says that even though Christ is a man, he came from a woman. Woman are going to fight for their rights, so men should not stand in their way. 

similar to Truth, Susan B. Anthony was a women rights leader and leader for the rights of African Americans. she fought for suffrage for women and was also an abolitionist.

LAD/Blog #16: Lincoln's Gettysburg Address

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is directed toward Americans after the Battle of Gettysburg. Lincoln had attempted to preserve the union and wanted to avoid civil war, yet the civil war began. He reminds the citizens that America was founded on the basis of equality and this war is testing whether the nation will survive. Now, Americans must resolve what these men were fighting for and America needs to have a rebirth of freedom so that the "government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from Earth."

similar to Lincoln inaugural address, JFK expressed ideas of unity in the nation "don't ask what the nation can do for you, but what you can do for the nation."

LAD/Blog #15: Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

Lincoln's First Inaugural Address speaks to the "Fellow Citizens of the United States." Lincoln realizes there is apprehension in the South due to slavery, yet he states he has no desire to take away the institution of slavery from the people. He goes on to emphasize the rights of states, and how this is essential to the balance of power. Lincoln does not want to construe the Constitution, however, he wants to review acts that were not repealed and determine if they are unconstitutional. So far, the Union has held up, so Lincoln sees it as his duty to preserve the union. The issue of slavery has presented the threat of secession, but the nation has gone through so much as a whole and he does not want the unity to be threatened. Lincoln ends his address with "We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies." which emphasizes his desire to prove that America is a united nation that must not be split and threatened by civil war.

similar to Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson opened his inaugural address with " we are all republicans, and we are all federalists" proving that America should not tear itself apart of parties or political view but that they are one whole nation.

LAD/Blog #14: Calhoun's Speech on the Compromise of 1850

Calhoun, who did not actually deliver the speech himself as he was too ill, addressed the disunity of the nation in regard to the division between the North and the South. He determines what has put the Union in danger is the discontent of the South. And, efforts so far have not been as successful in attempt to preserve the Union. One of the causes of this discontent is slavery, yet the lack of balance in Congress has also caused discontent since the North became more dominant. Also, the issue of land and revenue raised distress in the South, because the North is characterized as wealthier. Therefore, Calhoun says that the US needs to appease the South by giving them an equal right to territory and slaves. Despite Calhoun's efforts, the Compromise of 1850 was still implicated. 

Abraham Lincoln advised against succession similar to Calhoun, however when the south seceded    from the United States he fought to keep the Union.

LAD/Blog #13: Polk's War Message

Polk's War message emphasizes the urgency of cementing relations with Mexico. Polk states that the United States has a strong desire to establish relations with them and adjust the boundary. Therefore, in an attempt to reopen diplomatic relations, the Mexican government agreed to receive an envoy to discuss the wrongs done upon American citizens which also became a question of boundary. Even though the government of Mexico was planning on beginning friendly relations when the envoy arrived, growing hostilities led to an overthrow of the government in Mexico. Polk sends in the military to prevent Mexican invasion of US territory and after not agreeing to retreat, Mexican armies invaded. Polk states the two nations are now at war, but the war was to be blamed on Mexico.

The Mexican American war is similar to the American civil war, war was not the goal before either, and the Mexican American war was needed because of Mexicos invasion of US territory and the civil war was needed due to the threat of the south splitting the union.

LAD/Blog #12: Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments

1.    The democratic principles at the beginning are that all men and women are created equal and that both have certain inalienable rights such as life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These rights were stated in the Declaration of Independence, the were reinvented in the Declaration of Sentiments and included women.

2.    Grievances in the Declaration of Sentiments include that men force women to succumb to laws under which they have no control, men take away rights to property from women, men have taken all profitable employment, they deny women access to education and men help create the laws of divorce so that they have power. These grievances are obviously unfair to woman and they need to be changed

3.    The final revolution states that the women feel they are being fair and that they expect this to be faced with a variety of reactions and rejection, yet they hope that is will be followed with efforts of change.

4.     The Declaration of Sentiments was signed by people including Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Margaret Pryor, Richard Hunt, and Fredrick Douglass. Susan B. Anthony, however, did not sign the Declaration of Sentiments: not because she disagreed with it but because she was not at the convention.

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the Declaration of Sentiments was the beginning of the women's rights movements. women would continually fight for the right to vote until 1920 when the 19th amendment was ratified stating the right to vote could not be denied by sex.