Gavin's AP American Blog

On September 22nd, 1862, a new proclamation was issued. One impact was that on January 1st, 1863, all slaves held in states that were rebelling against the United States would be recognized as free. It was also stated that if there were representatives in Congress voted on by a majority of the qualified voters of a state, the state would not be considered in rebellion. Lincoln then listed the states that were in rebellion. There were several areas in states that were considered to be rebelling that were left alone, the most notable of these being West Virginia. Emancipation Proclamation Synthesis: 13th Amendment

Lincoln believed that there was less of a need for extended remarks in his second address than there was for his first. He believed that the progress being made by the military was making satisfactory and encouraging progress. Four years ago, most attention was being given to trying to prevent the upcoming Civil War. War came because one side was willing to create war because of their situation. Slavery was a major cause of this war. Lincoln believed that his main job during his second term was to eliminate the division within the country, take care of the soldiers who were serving in the military, and create a lasting peace within the country. Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address Synthesis: George Washington's First Inaugural Address

In 1857, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that Dred Scott could not sue for his freedom because he was African-American and therefore not a citizen of the United States. It is often seen as one of the worst decisions ever made by the Supreme Court. Dred Scott, who had been a slave in Missouri, sued for him freedom when Missouri became a free state. The case traveled through several courts until it reached the Supreme Court in 1857. In the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Robert Taney ruled that Scott's lawsuit should never have been heard in the first place, as Scott was not a United States citizen and could not sue. This is widely seen as a terrible decision as Taney ignored precedent and distorted the meaning of the Constitution. Taney, who owned slaves, also ruled that African-Americans could never be citizens and that Congress could not prohibit slavery in territories. This decision was celebrated in the South, as it seemingly provided an example of the federal government defending slav

In her speech, Sojourner Truth says that women are equal to men but are not treated that way by society, because women are still helped when they are getting into carriages or jumping over puddles. Sojourner says that she has planted crops and worked on farms and can work and eat as much as a man, despite the fact that most people at the time didn't think that women could do that. At the end of the speech, she says that even though Christ was a man, he was born because of a woman.   Sojourner Truth Synthesis: Lucretia Mott

In this speech, Douglas praised the Founding Fathers and said that they were brave and wanted to honor their memories. However, Douglass also claims that slavery is unjust and goes against the American spirit. Because the 4th of July celebrated freedoms, Douglass claimed that only white Americans could celebrate it, as slaves had not been given any of the same freedoms. He believed that slavery was wrong because it went against the principles of liberty that the country had been founded upon, which made America barbaric and hypocritical, and it was unfair that only certain people in the country were given these rights. He ended his speech with a poem that also supported the abolition of slavery. Frederick Douglass Synthesis: Martin Luther King Jr.

87 years ago a new nation was created with the basis of freedom and equality. Now there is a civil war that is testing whether the country can survive. I am dedicating part of this field to the soldiers who died so that the country could survive. However, in a sense, the ground cannot be dedicated, because the soldiers made it above others to be impacted. While what is said after the battle will be forgotten, what occurred during the battle will not be. People need to be focused on the task ahead to ensure that the people who will killed did not die in vain and that American democracy will not be destroyed. The Gettysburg Address Synthesis: First Inaugural Address of Franklin D. Roosevelt, in which he addressed the country on the impacts of the Great Depression and the need to carry forward.

Lincoln stated that people in the Southern states were fearful that their property and peace were in danger, but that Lincoln had no intention to interfere with slavery and that he had no lawful right or motivation to do so. Lincoln stated that the Constitution was extremely clear on the issue of slavery and the rights of enslaved people, and that he intended to follow what had been written in the Constitution. He was taking the oath of office with no doubts about the Constitution and what it stated about the issue of slavery. Lincoln also believed that the Union was very important, and that secession was a great danger. Because complete agreement would never be possible, it was necessary, on some issues, for either the majority or minority to step aside and allow for harmony. Lincoln claimed that the Supreme Court had an important role in the government and binding power. He thought that people in the North and South had to become friends instead of enemies and remember the past of th

From the start John Calhoun believed that the issue of slavery, if not addressed, would lead to disunion. There are deeper issues that differences between political parties, and many people in the South feel like they cannot safely remain a part of the United States. One of the causes of the larger discontent is the issue of slavery, and another is the equilibrium between the two sections of the government (the Senate and the House of Representatives). The amount of electoral votes and members of the House from the North will increase significantly when a new census is taken, and the amount of Senators will grow when new states are added to the country. Because all of the potential new states are in the North, the equilibrium will be destroyed. The loss of equilibrium can be blamed on the North, as they have taken aggressive actions such as attempting to influence Texas and attracting immigrants to significantly increase their population. With this power, the North could try to end sl

The United States wishes to have peaceful relations with Mexico, and a group of diplomats was sent to try to negotiate peace, but the Mexican government refused to listen to them. John Slidell was sent to negotiate and was well-received, but the Mexican president then resigned and Mexico fell under the rule of a military leader. When Slidell attempted to negotiate with this new government, he was turned away and told to return to America. This was a clear violation of a deal that Mexico had made with the United States that allowed us to negotiate with them. Texas has been annexed, is an important part of our union, and troops have been sent to protect it. Mexican troops nearby became hostile, and told the Americans to leave. Later, a fight began, and 16 American troops were killed or wounded. Because Mexico has been aggressive and invaded American territory, there is no option but to go to war. Polk's War Message Synthesis: Woodrow Wilson calls for entering World War 1 in 191

1- The democratic principles are that all men and women are create equal and that they are given rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that the government gains it right to govern from the people that it governs. 2- Complaints are that women had no voice in creating laws, women were unable to own property or make wages, divorce laws were unfair, there were unequal education opportunities, and women were unable to vote. 3- The final resolution stated that the people signing the document hoped for similar conventions of women to take place all around the country. 4- Frederick Douglas, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Jane Hunt, and Jacob Chamberlain all signed the document. Ansel Bascom had attended the convention where it was signed but did not sign it. Statues of attendees Synthesis: Declaration of Independence