LAD #20: Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation refers to another date (September 22, 1862) in which Abraham Lincoln announced that he would free the slaves in the rebellious states or parts of states of the South on January 1, 1863, and that the Executive Government would support their freedom. Lincoln then listed the territories in which the Emancipation Proclamation was due to take place, which was most of the South but not the "border states", and asserted that the Government, including the army and navy, would uphold the document. He ends by warning the newly freed slaves not to resort to violence, and invited any of them to join the military of the Union.

LAD #19: Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural Address

Lincoln giving his Second Inaugural Address

Lincoln starts this address by saying that, unlike his 1st, there was no need for an extended speech this time. He talks briefly about the Civil War at the time 4 years ago, saying how then everyone sought to avoid it although it eventually happened anyway to determine how the Union would be afterwards- that some people would prefer war over keeping the country in one piece, though nobody expected it to go on for that long. He affirms his beliefs that the Federal Government had no power to stop slavery, only the power to stop its expansion, and that's ultimately what the war became about. He also expresses his wish that the war would quickly come to a close, and that everyone should try to fix the wounds in the nation and make an effort to keep the country united through times of war.

LAD #18: Dred Scott Decision

Dred Scott

The controversial Scott v. Sandford case of 1857 arose when Dred Scott crossed from a slave state into a free state, wanting to be free from slavery. Chief Justice Roger Taney was chosen to represent the majority opinion of the Court. The new President, Buchanan, contacted some people he knew in the Supreme Court and asked what side he should support in his inaugural address. He ended up saying that he would support the decision of the Supreme Court, whatever it was going to be. Taney dismissed the case in the end, saying that even free black people weren't truly citizens of the United States and therefore were unable to sue in court. Furthermore, he said that he couldn't declare Scott free because slaves counted as property, and it was unconstitutional to take away someone's property without due process. This led him to determine that the Missouri Compromise was also unconstitutional, as it limited slavery and therefore limited property. The dismissal of the case upheld the state of Missouri's ruling in favor of Sandford.

LAD #17: Ain't I A Woman?

Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth, in this speech, addresses people's treatment of women. She called out their behavior when they say that women need to be helped everywhere and can't do the same things men can do, and saying that she was a woman too and yet nobody ever helped her, and she worked just as hard a man, and saw most of her children sold off to slavery, and led a hard life even though women weren't supposed to do that, according to some. Truth then devalues the argument of intellect proving that other groups shouldn't have equal rights, saying that has nothing to do with equality at all and shouldn't affect how well people are treated. She finishes by saying that if the first woman God made was strong enough to turn the world upside down, then the women of that day should be able to get together and fix it again.

LAD #16: 5th of July Speech

Frederick Douglass

In the beginning of his speech, Frederick Douglass asks if the principles of political freedom and natural justice apply to him as well. He states that the independence of the white people in the country only serves to highlight the differences between the groups, as the liberty, prosperity, justice, and independence they celebrate only applied to them. He also says that its hypocritical to not give these core principles to African-Americans and then ask one to speak on the Fourth of July, a day for celebrating all these things. If he just forgets about their struggles and joins in with the majority, he says, it would be the same as treason. Douglass denounces "everything that serves to perpetrate slavery" and America's denial of past and present situations. He affirms that, to a slave, the Fourth of July is an extreme reminder of the injustice they have to face, like it's mocking their situation while everyone is celebrating their freedom, and they don't have any. Douglass concludes with saying there is no other nation on Earth as hypocritical and cruel as the United States is on the Fourth of July.

LAD #15: The Gettysburg Address

Lincoln giving the Gettysburg Address

Lincoln begins the Gettysburg Address by saying that when the Founding Fathers made the country, they did so on the premise that "all men were created equal", but the country had become engaged in a civil war over that very issue. The Civil War, he said, was like a test to see how long the nation could endure. He then stated that the true importance of the gathering there was to honor the efforts of the fallen soldiers, and that the remaining living should carry on the goals of the dead and prevent the country from collapsing and disappearing.

LAD #14: Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

A photo of President Lincoln giving his first inaugural address

Lincoln starts the speech with saying that he feels no need to address matters of presidential administration as he doesn't find them important. He then states that he has no intention of abolishing slavery and reassures the people of the southern states that he isn't out to completely change their way of life or give them any reason to fear their rights might be infringed upon. He also addresses the issue some people have regarding slaves, pointing out that the decision written in the Constitution would be carried out, so they wouldn't have to worry about how it's being carried out. Throughout the entire speech, Lincoln tries to gain support from the Southerners and clear up any misconceptions they might have about his goals as President. He also says something about the threat to the unity of the country and how a state can't just leave the Union lawfully, as well as the fact that the Constitution says nothing about Congress's power over slavery in the new states, but does say that any right written plainly in the constitution has never before been denied. Lincoln stated that the dispute over slavery was the only substantial one having effect then immediately. He then says that, because of this and because of smaller problems arising from this, some people want to amend the Constitution, which he recognizes as a right that the citizens have, declaring the country to belong to the people. Lincoln later addresses the issue of secession again, saying that he has no authority over making terms for the separation of states because the people haven't given him any to do so. He concludes the speech by saying that the question of civil war is in the people's hands, not his, and that everyone in the country must remain as friends, not enemies.

LAD #13: John Calhoun's Speech

John C. Calhoun, the author of the Clay Compromise Measures

Calhoun starts his speech by saying that the issue of slavery and general discontent in the South has grown so much that it threatened the unity of the country, and poses the question: how can the Union be preserved? Even though people in the south have tried to preserve peace it wasn't successful. He then asks, what caused the beliefs of the impossibility of certain things as they were remaining in the Union? Calhoun states that the primary reason is the equilibrium between the sections of the United States has been thrown off, because the North has more control over the government due to having more states and more population. The probable addition of several new states to the North would also greatly increase the number of senators there, which is promoted by the government, controlled mostly by the North, who should be trying to benefit all states. Calhoun points out that if nothing is done to stop the agitation already arising from these issues, introducing what to do about the topic of slavery will be the breaking point of the country. He believes that the only way of preserving the Union is to adopt measures that will satisfy the Southern states so they don't try to secede or civil war occurs. He continues with the point, saying that the North will have to be willing to implement changes, because the South is unable to do it by itself.

LAD #12: Polk's War Message

President James K. Polk

In his war message to Congress, Polk states that even though they have made efforts to resolve the conflict peacefully, the Mexicans would not cooperate and eventually invaded American territory. This was due to the leader of the government changing to a military leader after General Herrera had surrendered to rebel forces, with the new leader, General Paredes, refusing to see the American envoy. Because Mexico had threatened invasion when Texas annexed itself to the U.S., protection was given to it. Troops were later moved to protect the area near the Del Norte river, the border between Texas and Mexico. Mexican forces at nearby Matamoras demanded that the camp be broken up and troops moved back over the Nueces river, the border that was established before the land there was annexed to the U.S. as part of Texan territory. A group of 63 members of the U.S. Army went to the river to see if the Mexican forces were attempting to cross the border, where they were surrounded and had to surrender. Polk argues that these issues had gone on long enough without anything done about them and finishes by stating that because Americans were killed on their own soil, the United States was justified in going to war and should see that the rights and interests of the U.S. are carried out.

LAD #11: Seneca Falls Declaration

A woman gives a speech at the Seneca Falls Convention

The Declaration issued at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 consisted of two parts: the Declaration of Sentiments, and Resolutions. The Declaration of Sentiments was structured after the Declaration of Independence, with key differences being "all men and women are created equal", resolving one of the issues from the original Declaration, and listing the "repeated injuries and usurpations" faced by women over the years, including the powerlessness of a married woman to her husband and the restrictions placed upon women in the areas of voting, education, employment, and religion. The Resolutions state that laws that make men and women are not intended by nature or God, and should be corrected, as well as saying that men and women should be treated the same both by laws and by social norms. They also elaborate on how women should achieve equality in all spheres of life as they were both made with the same capabilities and how men and women would need to cooperate to destroy the supremacy of men in everyday life.