Growing Discord
Differences between the North and South
By the 1850s, the North and South had developed different ways of life. When the Constitution was drafted, the North and South were politically equal. This equality no longer existed and most of the political issues that fueled debates revolved around the existence of slavery in newly established states. In this interactivity, investigate the differences between the North and South that existed around 1850. Click the player button to begin.
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Free States, Slave States, and Territories
The Northern and Southern states both wanted to expand their views to newly acquired territory. Each time a new territory gained a high enough population to apply for statehood, the issue of slavery arose. Northerners wanted to abolish slavery and wanted new states to be slave free. Southerners, who relied on slave labor, wanted new states to include slavery. In this interactivity, explore the changes in free states, slave states, and territories as you learn about the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850, and Kansas-Nebraska Act. Click the player button to begin.
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The Republican Political Party
The Republican political party resulted from the Kansas-Nebraska Act. The political party formed in opposition to this act pulling together a new political coalition. It took only six years to win its first presidential election when Abraham Lincoln became President in 1860.
Sectionalism and the Nullification Crisis
Continuing issues drove the North and South apart. The North’s industry was based on manufacturing and small-scale farming. The South’s economy required slave labor to harvest cash crops on large plantations. The largest difference between the two regions was their views on both slavery and tariffs. The political differences between the North and South created sectionalism. In this interactivity, explore sectionalism and the Nullification Crisis. Click the player button to begin.
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Second Great Awakening
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| "Black Valley Rail Road" by the Massachusetts Temperance Alliance. An image created in 1863 representing alcohol as a destructive train ride. |
Starting around when the U.S. Constitution was ratified and lasting until about 1840, the Protestant faith in America experienced a second great awakening. During this awakening, protestant churches, particularly Baptist and Methodist denominations, saw significant membership growth. An outcome of the rise in members of the protestant faith was the development of three reform movements which were trying to improve various elements of society. One of these movements was the Temperance movement. Members of that movement advocated for reducing the consumption of alcohol in order to improve the general well-being of society. The other two movements of significance were the Abolitionist movement and the Women's Suffrage movement.
Abolitionist Movement
Beginning in the 1800s, slave owners reported the resistance of slaves. In response, harsh laws were passed in the South. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 required that all escaped slaves be returned to their masters. Even the Northern States had to comply with this law. The rights by state varied, but many African-Americans were denied the right to preach the gospel, read, own guns, purchase alcohol, assemble in public, testify in court, own property, and work independently. The poor treatment of slaves led to the Abolitionist Movement, an effort to emancipate all slaves based on the idea that “all men are created equal.” In the interactivity, learn about several important abolitionist leaders. Click the player button to begin.
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William Lloyd Garrison
William Lloyd Garrison was one of the strongest leaders in the movement to abolish slavery and emancipate all slaves. He began a newspaper and created two societies that were dedicated to ending slavery in the United States. View Abolitionist Leader William Lloyd Garrison from eMediaVASM to learn about this influential leader.
Women's Suffrage Movement
Women in the mid-1800s had limited options and did not have the same rights as a white male. Women were denied the right to vote and to serve on a jury. If a woman married, her possessions and properties became her husband's. Even with the limitations, women participated in important reform movements. Women in the United States came together seeking equal rights. The women’s suffrage movement developed before the Civil War and continued long after the war ended. In this interactivity, learn about several important leaders in the women’s suffrage movement. Click the player button to begin.
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Seneca Falls Convention
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucreatia Mott held the first women’s right convention in Seneca, New York, in 1848. The two women composed an agenda, created a detailed list of complaints, and proposed resolutions to those complaints. These grievances were modeled after the Declaration of Independence and were named the Seneca Falls Declaration. Stanton and Mott proposed amending the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence to read, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.” Three hundred women attended the conference and approved all parts of the declaration, including a passage calling for women to gain the right to vote.
Growing Discord
Now that you have investigated the growing discord present in the United States during the mid-to-late 1800s, complete this activity to check your knowledge. In this non-graded interactivity, read each statement and decide if it is true or false. Click the player button to get started.