Why Were American Politicians Unable to Fashion a Compromise, as They Had Done in the Past - Essay Example

Why were American politicians unable to fashion a compromise, as they had done in the past, to avoid a civil war in 1860 and 1861? Introduction A large group of American citizens has been wondering why American’s politicians were incapable of styling a compromise to avoid occurrence of a civil war in the year1860 and 1861. Most authors have tried to give an explanation as to why American politicians were unable to avoid the occurrence of the war in the year 1860 and 1861. This leads to a number of questions. Why and how did the status of middle class women change between the years1776 and 1876? What militaries or ideas inspired and influenced antebellum reform remake and change of American society during the antebellum years? What made Southern nations to secede from the unification in the year1860 and 1861? This essay answers these three questions, hence outlining the reasons why American politicians were unable to avoid civil war in 1860 and 1861. Northern Middle-Class Women The change of lives and status of Northern middle class women between 1776 and 1876 really influenced the occurrence of the civil war. Women with delegate credentials such Lucretia Mott were denied access to the national assembly of the World Antislavery Convention (WAC) in London (Blackstone 5). This highly resulted in protests due to rejection of gender equality. Some of the angered delegates such as Mott stormed from this gender dissatisfaction to support the protests, which contributed to the civil war (DBQ #11, Doc. #3). During this era, women were unable to occupy the ethnically fashionable “separate sphere” hence this led to gender equality violence. Blackstone William, in his 1979 book, “Commentaries of the Laws of England” states that a wife and a husband are one thing and therefore the legal existence and being of a woman should be suspended only in marriage (DBQ #10, Doc. #1). This means that politicians of this era were supposed to give women equal opportunities to take part in the government. Although, (Mercy 22) states that, it is true there are some duties assigned to each sex in the society, this does not imply that the American politicians were supposed to deny women to political rights (DBQ #10, Doc. #6). Antebellum Reforms The efforts and notions, which enthused and aggravated the antebellum reforms highly influenced the occurrence of the 1860 civil war. There is not period in the history of America that had superior efforts to change society than the preceding four years before the Civil War (DBQ #9, Doc. #1). During these four decades, there was a diversity of social problems, which came under attack (Blackstone 7). The most prominent reformer of the antebellum reform was Horace Mann. Throughout the years 1837 to 1848, this reformer (Mann) was the leader of the Massachusetts Board of Education. During his leadership, Mann was a tireless supporter of education and stated that, if the civic failed to prepare the children to be effective citizens, then the republic was to undergo destruction like other nations (DBQ #11, Doc. #4). During these years, many Americans worked tirelessly to construct public schools, improve healthcare facilities, promote women’s rights, and change criminal integrity system, and battle drunkenness and poverty. By the 1850’s, abolitionism, which was an attempt to end slavery in American became the greatest issue of the antebellum reform movement (DBQ #9, Doc. #1). According to President Jackson’s statement, “I deem man can be prominent…” quoted from (Alice 22), people are more godlike, and they were capable of eliminating any challenge and governing themselves through perfecting the institutions in order to perfect the American democracy (DBQ #11, Doc. #1). In the American history, antebellum reform comprised of frantic efforts to eradicate evils and right wrongs, which soon resulted to wars (McCutchen 33). William started publishing The Liberator in the year 1831whose aim was to motivate people to lift up the emancipation standards in the eyes of America (DBQ #11, Doc. #2). The secession event There is no event in the American history that affected its citizen more extensively than the secession of the southern states and the Civil War that proceeded. This event resulted to four decades of bloody violence, millions of deaths, untold destruction and misery, and continued sectional and racial hatreds (Garrison, William, Ruchames, and Walter 13). Even nowadays, in the republic of American, close to two centuries later, is marked economically, politically, and socially by these terrible events. Many politicians of this time influenced the occurrence of the Civil War (DBQ #11, Doc. #1). According to a speech given by Mississippi politician, Albert Gallatin, the northerners hated them and even taught their children in churches and schools to hate their children (DBQ #14, Doc. #2). This highly led to occurrence of Civil War and remains to be among the reasons why the American Politicians were unable to avoid occurrence of the Civil War. An editorial in the Pittsburgh Press, published October 10, 1860, stated that there was more rampant disunion spirit in the Black Republic in the north as in the south. The main purpose of these republicans was to eliminate slavery in the states of America. If Lincoln were the President, then these republicans would not exist hence the reason why American politicians were unable to avoid Civil War (DBQ #11, Doc. #3). Those who witnessed this secession have argued over its causes. The causes of the secession in the southern and northern highly made the politicians to be unable to avoid the Civil War. Conclusion In conclusion, the politicians of American were unable to fashion a compromise, as they had done in the past, to avoid a civil war in 1860 and 186. The reform of the lives and status of Northern middle class women between 1776 and 1876 really influenced the occurrence of the civil war. Due to gender inequality before the Civil War, politicians were unable to fashion a compromise to avoid the Civil War (Wellman 76). The forces and ideas, which inspired and motivated the antebellum reforms highly influenced the occurrence of the 1860 civil war. This is because a number of the politicians supported the antebellum movement. If the American politicians of this time could make efforts to avoid the Civil War then American would not be experiencing economical, political, and social challenges it is experiencing today. Work cited Blackstone, William. Commentaries on the Laws of England: 4. Chicago [u.a.: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1996. Print. Garrison, William L, Louis Ruchames, and Walter M. Merrill. The Letters of William Lloyd Garrison. Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1981. Print. McCutchen, Samuel P. The Political Career of Albert Gallatin Brown. , 1974. Print. Mercy, Warren. History of the Rise, Progress and Termination of the American Revolution. Kessinger Publishing press, 2010.Print Tyler, Alice F. Freedom's Ferment: Phases of American Social History to 1860. [illustr.]. Minneapolis, 1961. Print. Wellman, Christopher H. A Theory of Secession: The Case for Political Self-Determination. New York, N.Y: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2005. Print. Read More