Final Writing Assignment

Unit 2 Writing Assessment (50 points)¶

Our unit question for this unit is, “How did American democracy succeed and fail in the years leading up to the Civil War?” Your assignment is to answer this question in ONE clear, polished paragraph (about 12-15 sentences) that makes a historical argument. You will work on this during ONE class but may continue for HW.

Requirements¶

Topic Sentence. Answer the question in a clear, direct sentence that makes an argument.
Evidence. Provide 2-3 pieces of specific, detailed historical evidence to support your claim. Try to paraphrase most of your evidence -- explain what happened in your own words. You might want to quote a brief phrase from the Declaration of Independence or Abigail Adams, but you should not include long quotes.
Analysis. Connect the evidence back to the argument. In this case, you should clearly explain how the evidence shows that there was or was not a lot of change.
Citation. Cite your evidence -- whether quoted or paraphrased -- using MLA-style parenthetical citation, as follows:

Recommendations¶

Approaching the Topic. Consider significant events between 1820 and 1960. Did this event or historical example indicate the success or failure of American democracy? An expansion of the country’s founding ideal or contraction? Then try to choose 3-4 events/examples that seem all indicate a similar conclusion.
Historical Accuracy. Take care to make your facts precise and accurate. Include dates when possible. Ensure your response communicates a proper understanding of the changes happening during the Revolution.
Writing Craft. Proofread your writing to ensure it is easy to understand and doesn’t contain significant grammatical or syntax errors. Write in the past tense.

Unit 1 Writing Prep Assignment¶

Write a Topic Sentence: Answer the question, “How did American democracy succeed and fail in the years leading up to the Civil War?” in ONE clear, specific topic sentence.

Don’t say, “American Democracy failed during this time in many ways.”
Instead, claim a specific way it failed (or succeeded).

Notes¶

My Topic Sentence:¶

American Democracy succeeded through the ideals of a free trial, a democratic process of decision, and non-violent political compromise in the face of high tensions.

Evidence: You CANNOT discuss all the sources and evidence we’ve examined in a 12-15 sentence paragraph! List 2-3 examples that you think work well together to support your argument. Briefly explain what you want to show with each example (just a sentence here will do, and write in the first person about what you think might be helpful here -- “I think this shows that . . .” ).

Example 1 + Explanation¶

Dredd Scott decision:

In 1857, the supreme court ruled Dred Scott v. Sanford that the enslaved Scott’s four-year residence in the free north was not sufficient to make him a free man. In his majority opinion, Chief Justice Roger B Taney cited two main rationales for the ruling against Scott; first, as an African American, Scott “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect”(2.6.8) and was therefore not eligible to bring a suit to court. Second, enslaved people were property, the same as any other. By prohibiting slavery north of the 36’30” line, the Missouri compromise of 1820 violated citizens’ constitutional rights against unwarranted seizure of property. Taney's decision effectively made it impossible to prevent the spread of slavery, even in states that had outlawed it decades prior. Many legal historians consider the Dred Scott decision the worst decision ever made by the supreme court; it was overturned by the passage of the 13^th and 14^th amendments to the constitution in 1865 and 1868, respectively.

A success of American democracy was in the way an enslaved American could contest a fair trial in the supreme court. The fact that Dredd Scott was able to compete for his freedom (albeit it wasn't granted, means that at least the northern states were - in some shape - already considering most black Americans as people with rights)

Example 2 + Explanation¶

Bleeding Kansas:

Bleeding Kansas was the result of several choices made by the American government. When Kansas was first acquired and established, Congress decided that the residents of Kansas would vote to determine the status of Kansas as a slave state or a free state. The result was a massive influx of both abolitionists and enslavers. This deadly combination of political extremists led to massive outbreaks of political violence throughout the state.

For the first time in American history, the government allowed the state to choose its status as either an enslaved person or a free state. Through this, we can see the growth of American democracy from that of a government that decides everything to one that favors the people they govern and their decisions on the status of their nation.

Example 3 + Explanation (Optional)¶

Fugitive slave act (compromise of 1850):

Passed on September 18, 1850 by Congress, The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was part of the Compromise of 1850. The act required that slaves be returned to their owners, even if they were in a free state. The act also made the federal government responsible for finding, returning, and trying escaped slaves. The law itself was problematic due to its liminal oversight through the judicial system. Many “slave hunters would falsely prosecute free blacks in northern states and kidnap them into forced labor in the south.

When California was being decided as an enslaved person or free state, on the compromise of 1850; California would remain a free state, and the slave states would receive the fugitive slave act. We can see how the American congress - amidst incredible tension - was able to provide a Political compromise without political violence.

Paragraph¶

In the years leading up to the civil war, American Democracy succeeded through the ideals of a free trial, a democratic process of decision, and non-violent political compromise in the face of high tensions. However, it also failed through extreme racism, political violence, and unjust legislation. In 1857, the supreme court ruled Dred Scott v. Sanford that the enslaved Scott's four-year residence in the free north was insufficient to make him a free man. Even though Dred Scott was a resident of the north, to take away the property of an enslaver would be unconstitutional. This was a success of the right to free trial because Dred Scott could prosecute his owner for infringing his rights. On the other hand, American Democracy failed through the evident lack of regard for the constitution. The Dred Scott decision allowed slavery to exist in northern states that had outlawed it decades prior. The ruling stated that" "had no rights which the white man was bound to respect" (2.6.8). Bleeding Kansas was a failure of the right to vote; for the first time in American history, the government allowed the state to choose its status as either a slave state or a free state. Due to this decision, abolitionists and enslavers flocked to Kansas to sway the state's election. Having these polar groups in such proximity caused a massive amount of political violence between the groups. The tensions would continue to rise into the 1940s, and in 1950, America acquired California. This time, instead of declaring that California's inhabitants would decide the state's status, the senate compromised and created the fugitive slave law. This was a success for American Democracy as a compromise came about through deliberation rather than violence during a time of extremely high tensions between the northern and southern states. The terms of the compromise, specifically the fugitive slave law, were a failure of American Democracy. The Fugitive Slave Law enabled enslavers to recapture escaped enslaved people in the north. The law itself was problematic due to the liminal oversight through the judicial system. The judge would almost always rule in favor of the slave hunter rather than the enslaved person, making the system heavily flawed. Many "slave hunters" in the north would falsely prosecute free blacks in northern states and kidnap them into forced labor in the south. The unjust legislation of the Fugitive Slave Act, as well as the failure to moderate the practices of the American people, was a failure of American Democracy's right to life, liberty, and property. By taking away the rights of free blacks who were not escaped enslaved people, the law itself was unconstitutional and went against the ideals of the American school of thought that the founding fathers had in mind. We can see how America's political and social environment before the Civil War was incredibly complicated through all of these successes and failures. Each event encompasses either a success or failure of American democracy, showing that in a growing country, the ability to remain constitutional and in favor of American democracy was difficult to achieve.

Last update: June 5, 2023
Created: June 5, 2023