LAD #20 Emancipation Proclamation

Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, proclaimed on the first day of January 1863 that persons held as slaves in the states of Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana (except a few territories), Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia shall be free. He declared this by the power vested in him as Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy in the time of actual armed rebelion and as a fit and necessary war measure for supressing said rebellion. He also proclaimed that the executive government of the US will recognize adn maintain the freedom of the freed slaves. He hopes that the people that were freed will abstain from any violence, unless it is necessary for self-defense. He also recommends that the freed slaves labor faithfully for reasonable wages. The freed slaves will be received intot he armed service of the United States to man vessels of all sorts in the service. He believes this is an act of justice warranted by the Constitution upon military necessity. He finishes by saying that he sets his hand to cause the seal of the United States to be affixed to the Proclamation.

LAD #19 Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

Lincoln states that as this is the second appearance of him taking oath there is less occasion for an extended address. At the expiration of four years, where the phase of the great contest still absorbs the nation there is little that is new that could be presented. Four years ago all thoughts were anxiously towards an impending civil war where many sought to avert it and all dreaded it. Lincoln says that his first inaugural address was devoted to saving the Union without war while in the city there were agents who were seeking to destroy the Union with war. He believes that the South would have rather had war than let the nation survive and the North would rather have accepted the war than let the nation perish so the war came. The government originally claimed no right to do more than to restrict slavery in the new territories. Lincoln says that neither side expected that the war would be long or that it would be hard and neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with or before the war. Each side reads the same Bible and prays to the same God and yet we are fighting against another. Lincoln finishes his speech by saying that they should finish the work that is already half way dond to bind the nation's wounds.

LAD #18 Dred Scott Decision

The Court did not take into consideration the larger issues of black citizenship and the constitutionality of the Missouri Compromise, although it did rule in favor of Sanford. Supreme Justice Roger B. Taney was the one to review whether Dred Scott, a slave of African descent. Taney ended up deciding that as a slave Scott was not even a citizen of the United States. Therefore he had no right to even sue or bring his case to the court. Taney believed that Scott was "property" of whoever his owner was. This decision meant that all slaves were considered property and not citizens or humans. They had no personal liberties and were confined to their cages, ruled by their owners. Taney went on to say that Congress did not have the right to abolish slavery within the states. This would mean that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. This was controversial since the issue of slavery was now to be debated even more hotly than before. It was to be debated since "slave" and "free" states that would be admitted to the country may disrupt the balance in Congress. Now they could not even keep the balance in Congress since Congress did not have the right to say slavery was not allowed in a state.

LAD #17 Ain't I a Woman

There are slaves in the South and women of the North that are talking about the rights of women which will put the white men in a fix. The men say that woman are dainty and need to be "helped into carriages, and lifed over ditches." However, Sojourner Truth says that nobody helps her into carriages or over mud-puddles. She is a woman that does not need the help of men and that has worked hard. She has ploughed, planted, and gathered which are normally male jobs. She believes that intellect has nothing to do with women's rights. She then questions the gender of Christ since the men say that Christ was a male, but she asks "where did your Christ come from?" She believes that if the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down then women should be able to turn it right side up and now women are asking to do that so the men better let them.

LAD #16 5th of July

Douglass starts out by asking the citizens what he or the people he represents has to do with their nation independence. He wishes that an affirmative answer could be returned for the questions he asks at the beginning of his speech because his task would be easier if that were so.  July 4th has a lack of importance to him as a former slave because he was not emancipated on that day and instead, 100+ years later he was still a slave. The celebration means nothing to any slave since they are still kept in slavery and have no rights of their own. Instead they are bound by laws and by racism to their masters. He believes that the slaves are victims to the cruel nation of America.

LAD #15 Gettysburg Address

the fathers of this nation brought forth a new country that was conceived in liberty and dedicated to the idea that all men were created equal. Mainly Lincoln commemorates all of the soldiers and men who had died in the Gettysburg battle. This address was meant to remind everyone that war is not glamorous and that many had died fighting for their beliefs. The Civil War had started due to sectionalism, slavery, and economics. Lincoln blessed the soldiers in their final resting place.

LAD #14 President Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

Lincoln starts out by assuring the Southern states that he will not endanger their property, peace or personal security. Many southerners were afraid that if a Republican were voted into office their personal property (slaves) would be taken away. Lincoln wanted to make sure that his statements in the election, that he would not take on the issue of slavery, would not be recanted and he would leave that issue alone because he does not believe he has the lawful right to do nor does he have any inclination to do so. The right of the states to control its own domestic institutions according to its own judgment is essential to the balance of power on which the country's political fabric depends on. Lincoln also states that he will keep the fugitive slave act in place, which required a runaway slave to be returned if they escaped into another state. Lincoln's main objective was to keep the Union together since it had been around for a time and must be preserved. He argued that it is unconstitutional for a state to cede from the Union, but that it was a touchy topic since events like this were not written in the Constitution. Above all Lincoln believed civil war must be avoided to maintain the prosperity America had achieved.

LAD #13 John Calhoun's Speech

John Calhoun talks about slavery in his speech. It has been an argument that has dated bate many years. However, Calhoun seems to definitely be a southerner as he is an advocate of slavery. He understands that some in the North think slavery is inhumane and could be considered a crime. However, for Calhoun slavery would not be a problem if not for the numerous compromises, like the Missouri Compromise, that deal with slavery. These compromises are all brought about due to government intervention. He believes that the Missouri Compromise will only benefit the North instead of the South. He asks where the issue of slavery will leave the United States as a country. He proposes that the North should nullify the compromise so the break in the Union will be avoided and the persistent arguments on slavery will end.
The main question that Calhoun asking and attempting to answer is how can the Union be preserved?
The South has been too negatively affected with all these compromises and therefore arguments on the issue of slavery will persist.

LAD #12 Polk's War Message

President James Polk addresses America's issues with the Mexican government which would include the Texas boundary and the poor treatment of the American citizens in the War Message in 1846. He states that the United States has a strong desire to establish peace with Mexico. Both countries wished for negotiations that would cause better relations between the two countries. Polk gives a recollection on how he sent a diplomat, John Slidell, to Mexico with full negotiation powers, meaning he had the power to negotiate a treaty or deal. John Slidell was sent to purchase territory and the Mexicans were not happy so they sent him home. Polk decided that an army should be built in Del Norte just in case the Mexicans attacked, which they later did. This fueled anger and hatred towards the Mexicans. The trade between the countries was heavily suffering. However, Polk hoped, despite these events, that peaceful agreements could be met. He warns the nation and asks them to prepare anyways due to the fact that a war seemed very likely between Mexico and the United States.

LAD #11 Declaration of Sentiments from the Seneca Falls Convention

Mankind has a history of injuries and usurpation on the part of man towards a woman. This being that men have had an establishment of tyranny over women. The facts are:

Women do not have the right to the elective franchise.
Women are required to obey laws in which they had no say in the writing of.
Women have been withheld from their rights which even the most degrading of men have held.
Elective franchise has been withheld which shows that men oppress women on all sides.
If a woman is married she is in the eyes of the law civilly dead.
She is morally irresponsible as she can commit crimes with impunity as long as she is in the presence of her husband; she must also be obedient to her husband.
Divorce is in the hands of the husband.
Men have monopolized profitable employments and from the ones she is permitted to follow women receive a small payment.
If a woman is single and owns property she is required to pay taxes.
She is allowed in church, but not in any important positions.
Women, because of men, have lower self-esteems.

After all of these complaints there are resolutions that would fix these infractions upon women. Some of them include:
A woman is man's equal.
The same amount of virtue, delicacy, and refinement of behavior that is required of woman in the social state.