Posted: May 13th, 2021

The issue of slavery was central to American history

4 PAPERS THAT NEED TO BE READ ARE INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION BELOW!! You should have a thesis sentence for each paragraph that answers the questions being asked and states the argument that you will make. Provide actual historical evidence as proof for your argument and pay attention to your grammar (I need to be able to understand what you are explaining). Most students aim for a six-paragraph essay or 1,000 to 1,500 words to complete this assignment; they include an introductory paragraph, a body paragraph for each set of sources, and a concluding paragraph. However, you are not limited to just six paragraphs. I suggest that you write until you have sufficiently answered the questions provided below. You will need to read the four primary sources and then compare the opposing pro-slavery and anti-slavery perspectives. The Introduction should describe in general the issue of the pro- and anti-slavery debate. Each Body Paragraph should have at least four sentences describing what the main argument of each perspective is and then analyze the evidence that provided to support each thesis, but of course you can write more if you feel the need. I suggest that you read each document together as a set. First, start with The Declaration of Independence (1776) and The Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1858) because both involve arguments against slavery. Second, read George Fitzhugh and the Proslavery Argument (1854) then Samuel S. Cox Condemns Emancipation (1862), which are pro-slavery arguments. The Conclusion needs to answer the following: How the reading/s change the way in which you understood the subject?; How are the issues presented in the reading/s still relevant to you today? Please explain how your personal background and life experiences might influence your prospective on this topic?; Imagine that you have been asked to tackle a current national or global issue. How would you use the readings to help you do so? All papers must be written in Times New Roman, have 12pt font with 1-inch margins, and be double-spaced. If you paraphrase or directly quote any part of these documents you need to provide a footnote that indicates which source you used and the page number if applicable. The footnote text needs to also be Times New Roman, but 10pt font. Analyzing an Historical Debate For this assignment, you will analyze an historical issue from the first half of U.S. History (pre-1877). You will need to compare at least two opposing perspectives on that issue. Part I. Introduction 1. Describe in general the issue that is debated: For example, you may analyze the importance of this issue important to the culture, economics, political system, or social structure at the time. Part II. Historical Debate 2. What is the main argument in each perspective? On what points do they agree or disagree? 3. Analyze the evidence that is provided to support each thesis: What types of evidence are used? Does the evidence support the thesis? Part III. Conclusion 4. How did the reading(s) change the way in which you understood the subject? 5. How are the issues presented in the reading(s) still relevant to you today? Please explain how your personal background and life experiences might influence your perspective on this topic? 6. Imagine that you have been asked to tackle a current national or global issue. How would you use the readings to help you do so? Format: The paper must be a minimum of 1,000 to 1,500 words. Typed, double-spaced, using 12 point font. The assignment will be uploaded as a file on Blackboard. Please cite sources using Chicago Manual of Style or Kate Turabian’s: A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertation citation style manual formatting. If you use web-based articles or ebooks, you should provide the full web address (not just the home page or search engine page that you used to find it).
Introduction:

Slavery was one of the most contentious issues during the first half of U.S. history. The country’s founders, while advocating for freedom and equality in The Declaration of Independence, were unable to abolish slavery due to economic and political reasons. This paper will analyze the perspectives of pro-slavery and anti-slavery proponents through four primary sources: The Declaration of Independence, The Lincoln-Douglas Debates, George Fitzhugh and the Proslavery Argument, and Samuel S. Cox Condemns Emancipation.

Body Paragraph 1:

The Declaration of Independence, signed in 1776, is a foundational document for American democracy that articulates the ideals of freedom, liberty, and equality. It argues that “all men are created equal” and that they have “certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These words inspired many abolitionists, who saw slavery as a violation of human rights. The document also states that governments derive their powers from the consent of the governed and that when a government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it. Thus, the Declaration of Independence was a significant anti-slavery argument as it challenged the legitimacy of the government’s support for slavery.

Body Paragraph 2:

The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858 were a series of political debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas, who were running for the United States Senate in Illinois. The debates centered on the issue of slavery and its expansion into new territories. Lincoln argued that slavery was morally wrong and that it should not be allowed to spread. He also stated that the founding fathers had intended to limit slavery’s growth and that the federal government had the power to prevent it from expanding. On the other hand, Douglas argued that each state should have the right to decide whether or not to allow slavery, and that the federal government should not interfere in this matter. He believed that the Constitution protected the rights of slave owners to own and trade slaves. Thus, the debates represent a conflict between the anti-slavery and pro-slavery arguments over the issue of slavery’s expansion.

Body Paragraph 3:

George Fitzhugh and the Proslavery Argument, published in 1854, was a defense of slavery that argued that it was a positive institution that benefited both masters and slaves. Fitzhugh believed that slavery was a natural and necessary form of social organization that protected slaves from the harshness of the world and provided them with basic necessities. He also argued that slavery was superior to wage labor, which he saw as exploitative and alienating. Fitzhugh’s pro-slavery perspective is based on a paternalistic view that slaves were childlike and incapable of managing their own lives. He believed that slavery was essential to maintain social order and that it protected the interests of white society.

Body Paragraph 4:

Samuel S. Cox Condemns Emancipation, published in 1862, was a pro-slavery argument that criticized the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared all slaves in the Confederate states “forever free.” Cox argued that emancipation would lead to chaos and violence, and that it would destroy the economic and social systems of the South. He also believed that the proclamation was unconstitutional and that it exceeded the president’s powers. Cox’s argument highlights the fears of pro-slavery advocates that the abolition of slavery would disrupt the existing social and economic order and threaten the security of the white population.

Conclusion:

The readings show that the issue of slavery was central to American history, and it was a topic that divided the nation. The pro-slavery and anti-slavery arguments were based on fundamentally different moral, economic, and social perspectives. The Declaration of Independence and The Lincoln-Douglas Deb

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