American History essay

American History essay

During the Jacksonian era that was between 1825-1845, president John Quincy Adams was the first one to propose the end of slavery and promote equality among the races. When Andrew Jackson was elected in 1828, the Democratic Party was born, which was the beginning of the Second Party System, which existed in the United States from 1828 to 1854 (“The Second Party System | Boundless US History”). It was during this period that Andrew’s democratic supporters begun calling themselves Democrats. During the presidency of John Quincy Adams, congress passed legislation that increased the tax that was being fined on foreign manufacturers to reduce British competition. After the nullification of the taxes, President Andrew presented his argument to the congress. He stated that the justification of state nullification of federal laws was misguided, unconstitutional, and an act of treason to the country (“The Nullification Crisis”). President Jackson was very controversial because of his harsh treatment towards enslaved workers and how he forcefully removed Native Americans from their native lands. Democrats disowned president Jackson because he was a slave owner and was adopted by the Republicans because of his heroism. The Depression of 1837 was caused by the economic policies put in place by president Jackson; this had the nation re-evaluating the policies. The second great awakening was a religious movement that influenced the rise of abolitionism by encouraging people to be good and save their souls. The Whig party challenged the Democrats, although it failed as it lacked unity. The 1884 elections saw the win of James Polk over Whig Henry.

President Paul had an enthusiasm for the expansion of the westward. Through the use of military threats and diplomacy, he was able to get England to compromise, which set the parallel as the northern boundary causing an entrapment between the north and south region. The death of Zachary Taylor was able to postpone civil war since many were a concern for the cause of his death. The Kansas-Nebraska Act led to the Bleeding Kansas, which was a violent outbreak in 1856, which took place in Lawrence, Kansas. John Brown took part in killing settlers in the Kansas region. All these events led to the drafting of a workable solution between Kansas and Nebraska. Fillmore, Pierce, and Buchanan managed to buy time, which was required to save the Union by increasing the division among the slaves.

Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated in 1861. This was after winning the popular vote in the 1860 elections. During the American Civil war that took place between 1861 and 1865, President Lincoln suspended constitutional rights in Maryland. Maryland was a small slave town that bordered Washington DC. With the suspension of civil rights, slavery took precedence in Maryland and flowed over to the other states. The Confederacy Constitution was adopted in opposition to the United States Constitution and the Union. The significant difference being that the Confederacy Constitution had different guarantees of the states’ rights, and it protected slavery as an institution. Lincoln drafted the Emancipation Proclamation in a bid to save the crumbling union more than it was about ending slavery. The Union victories of Vicksburg and Gettysburg gave them control over the Mississippi River and also split the states of the Confederacy, which was doom for them. The Gettysburg address was vital because it invoked the principles of human equality with a desire for a new freedom birth. It was also crucial because it merged the Declaration of Independence and the sacrifices in the Civil War, all while preserving the Union of 1776.  The loss of Grant gave Lincoln time, which he used to run again as he was still in the office before his inauguration in 1865. Grant and Sherman won the war by waging attacks on civilians and a war on the economic resources.

President Abraham Lincoln agreed to the Joint Resolution of Congress, which meant he has to submit the proposal to the state legislatures, which eventually saw the passing of the 13^th amendment that abolished the slave trade. The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, which took place towards the end of the American Civil war was very tragic because of the role he had played in the abolition of the slave trade. Andrew Johnson and the Democrats agreed to end slavery and pledge their loyalty, and they achieved this by sending representatives to the congress. Thaddeus Stevens also shared his plans for reconstruction. The plans for the reconstruction did not go through because the Republicans gave up on the fight for equality for all races. This led to the south, finally defeating the reconstruction plans.