Dred Scott and the Beginning of the Civil War
Dred Scott and the Beginning of the Civil War
There are many people who contributed to the circumstances leading up to the Civil War. Four such individuals are Harriet Breecher Stowe, John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, and Dred Scott. The three people who contributed most to the circumstances leading up to the Civil War are John Brown, Dred Scott, and Abraham Lincoln.
The first person that contributed to the circumstances leading up to the Civil War was John Brown. From The New York Herald, he said “ It was my own idea in that of my maker, or that of the devil, whichever you please to blame. ” This quote means that he is ready to take responsibility for his own actions. From the Kansas State Legislature it is clear that Brown is trying to fight for a very good cause. This means that he thinks it’s ok to fight, if it is for a good cause. Another source that helps present day history students to understand Brown’s impact on the circumstances leading up to the Civil War is the lyrics is the song “ John Brown’s Body. ” This song was even written before he was hung on December 2, 1859.
The second person that influenced the circumstances leading up to the Civil War is Abraham Lincoln. In A House Divided Speech, he said, “ A house divided against itself cannot stand. ” This means that the nation needs to stick together. Another speech Lincoln made that helped the north become more unified was Lincoln’s Inaugural Address. “ I believe this government cannot endure, permanent half slave and half free. ” I think that this quote means that the government cannot make the people be half slave and the others free.
The third event to contributed to the Civil War was the Dred Scott Decision. From the remarks made by Chief Justice Taney in 1857, it is clear that “ The question is simply this: Can a Negro, whose ancestors were imported to this country, and sold as slaves, become a member of the political community formed and brought into all existence by the Constitution of the United States, and as such become entitled to all the rights, and privileges, and immunities, guaranteed by that instrument to the citizen? ” This means that should the slave owners let the slaves become a part of their life style. Let...