Lauren's AP American Blog

Summarize: When Lincoln penned the Emancipation Proclamation he remembers the past words of America's founding fathers and relates their statements to the current issues over the freedoms of slaves. Therefore, Abraham Lincoln uses his power as President to designate the meaning of the civil war and to establish what the Union was fighting for, the freedom of all inhabitants of the United States, for that is what the country was built upon. Lincoln also lists the states that are rebelling against the rule of America. The Emancipation Proclamation also served as a call to action for slaves, as he ordered that as free people they are now able to fight for the safety of the Union and, therefore, their newfound freedom. Lincoln sums up this proclamation by attributing its necessity to the freedoms expressed in the Constitution, the needs of the military, and stated by God. Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation African American Troops in WWI In WWI many African Amer

Summarize: Lincoln begins by recognizing that the state of the United States has changed very little since his first inaugural address four years earlier. However, he then touches upon how the difference between the two events is that at the first address the majority of the country was attempting to avoid a civil war, but by the time Lincoln gave his second inaugural address a war had begun. Additionally, Lincoln addresses the main cause of disunion in America, slavery. He recognizes the many people enslaved in the United States, but laments the fact that rather than being distributed evenly throughout the country, slaves are concentrated in the South, the only area by this time that supported slavery. Lincoln also acknowledges how both sides of the war did not expect the war to drag on as long as it had and states that all participants were trying to attempt to end the war, but neither side was willing to back down. Finally, Lincoln advised his country to rebuild and fix the tensio

Summarize: The Dred Scott encompassed a slave, Dred Scott, who had lived in states where the act of owning slaves was illegal for nine years and sued his owner for the right to his and his family's freedom. However logical Dred Scott's case may have seemed, Supreme Court Justice Roger Taney ruled that because Dred Scott was not a citizen he, therefore, had no right to sue his master. This landmark case established a precedent of how African Americans were viewed in the eyes of the law, but at the same time reflected a case looked back upon in a dark viewpoint as one of the worst supreme court decisions in history. Dred Scott Case Political Cartoon This political cartoon depicts the effect of the Dred Scott case on the 1860 political cartoon as it reflected the role of slavery on politics in this time, as well as, the overarching division of the country. Plessy v. Ferguson Court Case The Plessy v. Ferguson Court case made the famous ruling of separate but equal. Th

Summarize: Sojourner Truth acknowledges how white men believe that women are more fragile and, essentially, are the weaker sex. However, Sojourner remembers her time as a slave, where she had to accomplish the same tasks as the male slaves, and harder tasks than many white men. She asks the audience, "ain't I a woman" because she has never been treated like free women are, but she does not lament this fact. Her experiences have not made her miss out on the rights white women benefit from, because she was able to find strength in her hardships and now has the opportunity to fight for both African Americans and women. Women, whom she acknowledges their power over the state of the world and how they are able to alter its problems.  Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I a Woman" Speech Ida B. Wells "This Awful Slaughter" Speech Similar to the "Ain't I a Woman" speech by Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells connects the fight for African A

Summarize: When Frederick Douglass gave his Fourth of July Speech on the day following the actual holiday, he recounts the offense he feels on account of former slaves and other freed African Americans in response to the 4th of July celebrations of freedom and equality. Douglass compares the enslaved Americans' current fight for freedom to the earlier colonial Americans' fight for independence from Britain. Although the speech begins by praising the founding fathers of America, Douglass is quick to condemn their ignorance of African American rights. This sets the stage for the enslaved Americans' fight for freedom and citizenship. Douglass urges those who already acknowledge the patriots and the fight for American freedom to also acknowledge the African American fight for those same freedoms. Frederick Douglass disassociates with the celebrations of the 4th of July, he calls it a holiday for white men, but not for blacks. However, he closes with a positive sentiment to th

Summarize: President Abraham Lincoln recognizes that America was founded on the concept of universal freedom and equality. He recognizes the Civil War as a testament to the strength of a nation based on individual freedoms. Lincoln states that if they make it through this conflict they will be able to prove the tenacity of the new country. Lincoln later recognizes the many who died in the battle of Gettysburg and resolves to overcome the tragic amount of loss and dedicate the grief to further their fight for universal freedom. The Gettysburg Address Emancipation Proclamation Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation was a continuation of the ideas he expressed in the Gettysburg Address, and was more of a result of the feelings expressed in Lincoln's most famous eulogy ever given. These feelings were overcome with the freedom of enslaved individuals in America. The Emancipation Proclamation was a final statement made by Lincoln that granted this freedom.

Summarize: Abraham Lincoln recognizes the state of apprehension that consumed the Southern states at the time of his first inauguration. Lincoln relates this worry to their fear that a new president would abolish slavery and, therefore, demolish their economy. However, Lincoln assures the people that the abolishment of slavery was not on his immediate agenda, nor was the diminishment of states' powers. Additionally, Lincoln addresses the problem of a potential secession by the Southern States. He states that the everlasting power of the union as a whole, defined by the constitution, is unbreakable and, therefore, states are unable to leave. Abraham Lincoln conveys his desire to avoid the impending war by declaring that he will not invade the southern states and will consequently not be the cause of any bloodshed between the two opposing sides in America. Likewise, Lincoln explains that through the continued checks and limitations the nation will avoid anarchy and, therefore, sece

Summarize: John C. Calhoun reflects on the disunity of the United States and how it is a sure sign of a civil war yet to come. Calhoun notices that the main cause of this disunion stemmed from the question of the morality and necessity of slavery. This created a geographic, moral, and political divide between north and south America. John C. Calhoun also describes that although this conflict has been apparent for many years, the climax of this argument has not occurred because of all the steps the government and leaders have taken to distract from the discontent and to appease both sides of the argument. However, Calhoun reveals that he believes that the increasing of the divide between the North and the South is born from the South's belief that they should have the right to separate from the union and have control over their own, independent union. Calhoun associates this belief with the obvious advantages that the North enjoys, both monetary and political. This dominance of th

Summarize: President James K. Polk expressed his original desire to make peace with Mexico through friendly arrangements by sending an American envoy to negotiate with the Mexican government. However, when the messenger was ignored and Mexican troops killed several Americans on US soil, he changed his stance on the conflict and began promoting a war between the two countries. This envoy, John Slidell, was commissioned to establish a border between America and Mexico, and to request Mexico to stop attacking American citizens, therefore, the failure of his mission meant a continuation of those problems. Additionally, the Mexican leader's decision to ignore their pledge to President Polk to receive an American ambassador, created additional conflicts between the two nations. Polk also touches upon how he had previously sent troops towards Mexico to counteract the threat of a Mexican invasion. At this point the United States had already considered Texas part of the union and took gre

Summarize: The Declaration of Sentiments echoes its earlier counterpart, The Declaration of Independence, by stating, "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal." However, the Declaration of Sentiments added the inclusion of women's rights and how the democratic principles that apply to all genders. Some of these principles are that all people are born with undeniable rights, the government gains its power from those who are governed, and that if the government abuses these powers, the governed has the right to ask for a new government, or overthrow the existing government. The Declaration of Sentiments also lists the many grievances they signers have with the current society, in regards to the role and treatment of women in this time. Some grievances were: women were not allowed to vote and, therefore, cannot have a voice in politics and the state of the country, the law has also deprived women of their freedom because in marriag