Vocabulary Cards Glossary
1. Confronting the Issue of Slavery
A traveler heading west across the Appalachians after the War of 1812 wrote. "Old America seems to be breaking up and moving westward." It was true. By 1819, settlers had formed seven new states west of the Appalachian Mountains on land taken from Indigenous groups.
In the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, Congress had established a process for forming new states. In addition to outlining the steps leading to statehood, this law also banned enslavement north of the Ohio River. As a result, the three western states that were formed north of the river-Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois-became free states, and the four states that were formed south of the Ohio River- Kentucky. Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi-became states that allowed enslavement.
In 1819, Alabama and Missouri applied to Congress for statehood as states that would allow the enslavement of Black people. No one in Congress questioned admitting Alabama as a state where enslavement was legal, as it was located far
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Congres had another reason for admitting Alabama with no debate. For years Congress adopted an unspoken agreement to keep equal the number of states that allowed enslavement and the number of states that outlawed it, a balance that had been upset by the admission of Illinois as a free state in 1818. By scompting Alabama as a state that allowed enslavement, Congress was able to restore the balance. Missouri, however, was another matter
Questions About Missoun Some Northerners in Congress questioned whether Missouri should be admitted as a state with slavery, because most of Missouri lay north of the point where the Ohio River flows into the Mississippi. On the eastern side of the Mississippi, enslavement was banned north of that point. Should this ban not also be applied west of the Mississippi?
This question led to another one. If Missouri were allowed to enter theUnion as an enslaving state, some asked what would keep slavery from spreading across all of the Lousiana Territory? The vision of a block of new states with legal enslavement stretching from the Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains was enough So give some Northerners nightmares
The Tallimadge Amendment When the bill to make Missouri a state came before Congress, Representative James Tallmadge of New York proposed an amendment in the bill. The amendment said that Missouri could join the Union, but only as a free state
Southerners in Congress protested Tallmadge's amendment. What right, they asked, did Congress have to decide whether a new state should legalize ment or not? According to the theory of states' rights favored by many Southerinen, Congress had no power to impose its will on a state, old or new
This illustration shows African Americans being sold at an auction of enslaved peaple in the South in 1861. Scenes like this added to the moral outrage man, people, both Black and White, felt toward the enslavement of Black people
Instead, Southerners argued that the people of each state should decide whethe to permit slavery. The fight over enslavement thus involved a basic question abo the powers of the federal and state governments under the Constitution
A Deadlocked Congress Southerners' protests were based on their view that it Congress were allowed to end the enslavement of Black people in Missouri, it might try to end slavery elsewhere. The North already had more votes in the House of Representatives than the South. But in the Senate, the two sections had equal voting power. As long as the number of states without slavery and states with slavery remained equal, Southern senators could potentially defeat any attempt to interfere with slavery However, if Missouri entered the Union as a free state, the South would lose its power to block antislavery bills in the Senate, which would mean an end to enslavement and result in economic disaster for the South
In the North, the Tallmadge Amendment awakened strong feelings against enslavement. Many people sent petitions to Congress, condemning enslavement as immoral and unconstitutional Arguing in favor of the amendment. New Hampshire representative Arthur Livermore spoke for many Northerners when he said,
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Confronting the Issue of Slavery
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Unit 9
make up 20 questions then answer
Question:
Answer:
Question: What was the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and how did it affect the issue of slavery in new states?
Answer: The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 outlined the steps leading to statehood and banned enslavement north of the Ohio River. This resulted in some states becoming free states where slavery was not allowed, while others became slave states where slavery was legal.
Question: Why did Congress face challenges when considering the admission of Missouri as a state with slavery?
Answer: Some Northerners in Congress questioned whether Missouri should be admitted as a state with slavery because most of Missouri lay north of the point where the Ohio River flows into the Mississippi, where slavery was banned.
Question: What was the Tallmadge Amendment and how did it impact the debate over slavery in Missouri?
Answer: The Tallmadge Amendment proposed that Missouri could only join the Union as a free state. This sparked protests from Southerners in Congress who believed that states should have the right to decide whether or not to permit slavery.
Question: How did the deadlock in Congress over the issue of slavery in Missouri impact the balance of power between the North and South?
Answer: The deadlock in Congress over Missouri's admission as a slave state could potentially shift the balance of power in the Senate, as the North already had more votes in the House of Representatives. The South feared that losing the power to block anti-slavery bills in the Senate would lead to economic disaster for the region.
16 more questions
Question: What was the significance of the balance of slave states and free states in Congress during this time period?
Answer: The balance of slave states and free states in Congress was important as it impacted the political power and representation of each region, especially in regards to the issue of slavery.
Question: How did the debate over slavery in Missouri reflect larger tensions between the North and South?
Answer: The debate over slavery in Missouri reflected larger tensions between the North and South regarding states' rights, federal power, and the expansion of slavery into new territories.
Question: What were the arguments made by Southerners in Congress against the Tallmadge Amendment?
Answer: Southerners argued that Congress did not have the right to decide whether a new state should legalize slavery and believed that the decision should be left to the people of each state.
Question: How did the vision of a block of new states with legalized slavery stretching from the Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains impact the debate over slavery in Missouri?
Answer: The vision of a block of new states with legalized slavery raised concerns among Northerners, sparking fears of the spread of slavery and influencing the debate over admitting Missouri as a slave state.
Question: How did the Tallmadge Amendment influence public opinion towards slavery in the North?
Answer: The Tallmadge Amendment led to strong public opinion against slavery in the North, with many people sending petitions to Congress condemning slavery as immoral and unconstitutional.
Question: How did Congress address the issue of slavery in new states prior to the admission of Missouri?
Answer: Congress addressed the issue of slavery in new states by establishing rules and regulations, such as the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which banned slavery north of the Ohio River.
Question: What was the significance of the Appalachian Mountains in relation to the movement of settlers and the expansion of new states?
Answer: The Appalachian Mountains served as a natural barrier that limited settlement and expansion westward, leading to the formation of new states beyond the region post-War of 1812.
Question: How did the admission of Illinois as a free state in 1818 impact the balance of slave and free states in Congress?
Answer: The admission of Illinois as a free state upset the balance of slave and free states in Congress, leading to a need to restore the equilibrium through the admission of new slave states like Alabama.
Question: What were the economic implications for the South if Missouri were admitted as a free state?
Answer: The South feared economic disaster if Missouri were admitted as a free state, as it would shift the power balance in the Senate and potentially lead to the end of slavery, impacting the region's economy.
Question: How did the issue of slavery in Missouri pose a challenge to the concept of states' rights?
Answer: The issue of slavery in Missouri posed a challenge to the concept of states' rights as it raised questions about the power of Congress to regulate slavery in new states and the rights of states to determine their own laws.
Question: How did Southerners in Congress use political strategy to maintain the balance of power in relation to the issue of slavery in new states?
Answer: Southerners in Congress used political strategy and alliances to maintain the balance of power between slave states and free states to prevent anti-slavery legislation from passing in Congress.
Question: How did the debate over the admission of Missouri as a slave state highlight the divide between the North and South on the issue of slavery?
Answer: The debate over the admission of Missouri as a slave state highlighted the deep divide between the North and South on the issue of slavery, revealing conflicting views on states' rights, federal power, and morality.
Question: What were the arguments made by Northerners in Congress in support of the Tallmadge Amendment?
Answer: Northerners in Congress argued in support of the Tallmadge Amendment as a way to restrict the spread of slavery into new territories, expressing moral and constitutional concerns about the institution of slavery.
Question: How did the deadlock in Congress over the issue of slavery in Missouri impact the legislative process and decision-making on other issues?
Answer: The deadlock in Congress over the issue of slavery in Missouri hindered the legislative process and decision-making on other issues, as it became a divisive and controversial topic that consumed much of the political discourse at the time.
Question: What role did public opinion and activism play in influencing the debate over slavery in Missouri and in shaping legislative decisions?
Answer: Public opinion and activism played a significant role in influencing the debate over slavery in Missouri, as petitions, protests, and campaigns from both supporters and opponents of slavery helped shape legislative decisions and outcomes.