Term Paper on "Secession Was a Serious Response to Fundamental"

Term Paper 5 pages (1492 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Secession was a serious response to fundamental disagreements over the interpretation of the Constitution and the role of the federal government of the United States. Slavery was the core issue that brought these disagreements to light. Although states' rights and sectionalism played major roles in the decision to cede from the Union, the South would most likely have used any excuse to keep the plantation economy strong and preserve the integrity of Southern social institutions.

Southerners clung to the institution of slavery more powerfully than they clung to the idea that they were being discriminated against in Congress. Had slavery not been as integral to the survival of the Southern economy, Southerners could have easily benefited from allowing Blacks to become full citizens of the United States. If the slaves were permitted the rights of citizenship they would then be counted in official populations that helped determine federal representation in Congress. Southerners did not, however, support the citizenship rights of Blacks. Their staunch pro-slavery stance was exemplified by the Dred Scott v. Sanford Supreme Court decision in 1857. In spite of this minor victory for Southerners, the slavery issue carried over into the politics of territorial acquisition.

One of the main reasons why Southerners advocated states' rights over federal rights was because of the proliferation of new states and territories gained via Westward expansion and the Mexican-American War. If slavery were categorically prohibited from new territories, Southerners could not count on their support regarding federal matters. Representation in Congress depended not only on state population counts but also on the number and strength of sectional alliances. Any new states and territories that permitted slavery under the Kansas-Nebraska Act could be counted on to support Southern political, social, and economic goals. Each of those goals depended on the proliferation of slavery and the reinforcement of the institution through such measures as the Fugitive Slave Law.

Sectionalism did stir up the resentment that preceded secession but the differences between North and South on the issue of slavery were not wholly apparent. Not all Northerners were abolitionists and few were activist abolitionists. Northerners also benefited from the vibrant Southern economy. Thus, sectionalism was not as strong a cause for secession as slavery itself was.

2. Andrew Jackson epitomizes 19th century America because of his expansionist policies, his advocacy of the common American, and his stubborn and controversial leadership style. An advocate of direct democracy, Jackson was also a populist who decried the Electoral College and the National Bank. He believed in direct elections that would empower average Americans and strip power away from the elite. Although he publicly opposed elitism, Jackson waged brutal attacks on Native Americans and engaged wholeheartedly in the slave trade. His Indian Removal policies transformed the geography, culture, and character of the United States and reinforced the American sense of Manifest Destiny and cultural superiority. Jackson's contradictory attitudes toward individual rights and freedoms can be considered characteristic of America as a whole. Jackson was known for championing the rights of the "common man" and did allow middle and low-income white Americans to at least feel that they had a greater say in the American political process. Jacksonian Democracy cannot truly be called egalitarian, however.

Although Jackson promoted popular rule, he also supported a strong central government and therefore caused conflicts with his fellow Southerners. When South Carolinians and other southerners asserted their right to nullify federal tariffs, Jackson helped passed the Force Bill. Jackson's politics were as controversial and contradictory as his social policies. While he opposed elitism he started the trend of the Kitchen Cabinet, surrounding himself with agreeable, friendly advisors in Washington. The co-founder of the Democratic Party, Jackson also encouraged strong party loyalty. The way Jackson approached the presidency remains salient today.

3. The New Deal ushered in a slew of federal agencies with acronyms ranging from AAA to the CCC to the WPA. Of the Alphabet Agencies, a few remain viable today, over half a century after Roosevelt. In addition to the specific effects of the alphabet agencies on the American economy, the New Deal had a lasting impact on American political discourse. Moreover, the New Deal changed the character of the American Democratic Party and created the still existing diametric opposition between "bleeding heart" liberals and the conservatives who oppose them.

Several of the New deal programs and agencies dealt directly with the effects of the Great Depression and were designed to re-stablize the economy and to revitalize investments. The… READ MORE

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