Chapters 12 & 13 in American: Past and Present by Robert Divine

Assignments:

A. Chapter Questions

Read Chapters 12 & 13 in American: Past and Present by Robert Divine and answer the following questions (CH 12 & 13 is part of the textbook, no worries I attached a PowerPoint of each chapter).

1. What factors were most important in pushing or pulling great waves of immigrants to the United States between 1820 and 1850?

2. Describe the factors that created dynamic economic growth in the United States between 1830 and 1850.

3. Describe the main concepts of Manifest Destiny.

4. Why weren’t there more slave revolts and rebellions in the south?

5. In what ways did slaves demonstrate their opposition to the institution of slavery?

B. Historical Article (Andrew Jackson vs. The Cherokee

& The Law That Ripped America in Two are attach in files upload)

Read one of the two articles and respond to one of the questions.

Andrew Jackson vs. The Cherokee

-Who did Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall, side with in the case Worcester vs. Georgia (1832)? Explain.

-How would you describe the legacy of Andrew Jackson’s Indian policy?

The Law That Ripped America in Two

-Explain how a bill passed in 1854 could be credited to sending the nation into civil war seven years later?

-What was Stephan A. Douglas attempting to achieve with the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

C. Movie Review Assignment (Watch Movie “Amistad”)

View the movie Amistad and answer the questions listed below. There are no real right answers. Rather I want to see how you interpret various portions of the movie.

1. Describe the historical relevance of the following characters of the movie. (Joadson, Van Buren, Quincy Adams, Tappan)

2. To what extent is political self-interest motivating the defenders of the kidnapped Africans?

3. The debate in court does not focus on the morality of the institution of slavery but of property. Describe the various positions in the court house.

4. In what way is the battle for the freedom of the kidnapped Africans a microcosm of the growing sectional conflict in America?

5. What issues drive John C. Calhoun’s monologue at dinner?

6. Describe the defense John Quincy Adams used before the Supreme Court.

D. Discussion

***Responses for each discussion should be one to two paragraphs (roughly 150 words) and should reflect deep critical thinking. Therefore, you must respond postings in a professional and respectful manner. This does not mean you cannot disagree. ***

This is a discussion from another partner of mine and all what you got to do is write a response based on the discussion you can agree or disagree with response.

1st Discussion for Historical Article Andrew Jackson vs. The Cherokee

Who did Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall, side with in the case Worcester vs. Georgia?

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Marshall, sided with Samuel Worcester and the Cherokees and against Georgia. This case started when the state of Georgia had voluntarily eliminated the Indian government during the 1820s and 1830s and seized the Cherokees’ territories in the Southeast, especially Georgia. Samuel Worcester represented the Cherokees and advised them of their rights. In 1825, Worcester was assigned to this case by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Additionally, Worcester was a friend of the Cherokees and their leaders. When Georgia representatives urged Congress to pass The Indian Removal Act, the Cherokees refused to sign and accept the act claiming their authority to the territory. Georgia’s governor tried to eliminate Worcester’s influence as he threatens Georgia’s control, so the legislature passed a law that forbid any white man from living on the Cherokee Nation. When Worcester refused to abide the governor, he was sent to prison for four years. The missionaries then appealed to the Supreme Court. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Marshall, stepped in and declared that the Cherokees possessed the right to live free from the state’s trespassers.

However, despite the ruling of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Georgia refused to act in accordance of his decision and prepared to remove the Cherokees. President Andrew Jackson did not carry out the ruling of the Supreme Court. Jackson ordered the Cherokees to relocate otherwise live in the official power of Georgia decisions and judgments.

2nd Discussion for Historical Article The Law That Ripped America in Two

The bill passed in 1854 was a catalyst for the civil war. Trying to keep the nation even with slave and free states, it created a rivalry between the two sections of the states. America is all about the competition to be have the most power and that is what happened. Every state that joined the United States had to create equal representation of free and slave states. Unfortunately, it created Bloody Kansas. People were very strong about their beliefs back in those times that they were ready to fight their own people to the death just to get their point across. Kansas was a very hostile environment as it had both people that were pro slavery and pro free. Kansas was just a small glimpse of what will happen in the future. It also created the Republican party who was against slavery. Douglas was trying to accomplish peace in the United States. He thought that having equality with different views would be a good thing because of people being able to be understanding of different views. The people did not treat it that way. In that era, people had to fend for themselves and join groups to help them be protected. With the intentions of Douglass being good in the meaning of keeping the United States together, the people took advantage of it and used it for their own views. It was to gain as much power as they could.

3rd Discussion for Movie Review (“Amistad” Movie you watch/ The questions 1-6 are the same questions that are answered for part C):

1. Describe the historical relevance of the following characters of the movie. (Joadson, Van Buren, Quincy Adams, Tappan)

The movie depicts several people from the historical period of the Amistad trial. Joadson is a freed slave and an abolitionist working with Tappan a prominent abolitionist from New York on the defense of the Africans. Quency Adams the former President of the United States reluctantly joins the defense once the case goes to the Supreme Court. President at the time Van Buren overturns the lower court decision to free the Africans therefor sending it to the Supreme Court.

2. To what extent is political self-interest motivating the defenders of the kidnapped Africans?

Political self-interest motivates both sides of the Amistad case. On the defense side the political motivation of Tappan seemed to want to further the abolitionist movement through any means necessary. The political agenda that Quincy Adams seemed to have was multi-faceted, but I believe along with abolitionism was a desire to reaffirm independence from the influence of the Queen of Spain and, according to the movie, almost welcoming a civil war if need be to finally unit the states and complete the American revolution.

3. The debate in court does not focus on the morality of the institution of slavery but of property. Describe the various positions in the court house.

There were several varying positions in the Amistad lower court case. The Spanish laid claim to the “property” that were the Africans claiming it was a legal slave ship connected to Cuba and the southern states. There were also two military men claiming the slaves as theirs due to salvaging rights, and then the defense which was proving that they were taken illegally from Africa.

4. In what way is the battle for the freedom of the kidnapped Africans a microcosm of the growing sectional conflict in America?

The Amistad case took on a reflection of the state of the conflict between the North and the Abolitionists and the South and their desire to continue the status quo of slavery as a necessity of the fabric of American economics.

5. What issues drive John C. Calhoun’s monologue at dinner?

Calhoun’s speech at the dinner table in this movie had two main points. One was that slavery as an institution was necessary for the continued economic viability of America, and the other was to make then President Van Buren wary of being the President who started a civil war and thus the possible collapse of the new nation.

6. Describe the defense John Quincy Adams used before the Supreme Court

Adams defense to the Supreme Court focused on the fact that the Amistad Africans were not cargo or property. Instead they were free people of Africa, pointing out that if Cinque was white would be honoring him as a hero. Furthermore, he juxtaposed the American revolutionists with the Amistad Africans fighting for their liberty from oppressors.