American History Homework Five Answers - Student Eighteen

MichelleF

1. Imagine that someone by the name of Joe Biden lived in 1858. Imagine also that he belonged to the "Know Nothing Party." The following would be true about Mr. Biden EXCEPT: b.He would not have welcomed immigrants if he was a member of the “Know Nothing” party.

Correct.

2. Identify at least two key positions of the Whig Party. A The Whig party favored National banks (the party was formed to pratest Jacksons rejection of National banks). B They were usualy more symathetic to Abolitionists than people who were pro-slavery. C They opposed the Mexican War.

Superb.

3. What caused and what ended the Mexican War? Texas(annexed by that time) and Mexico were both claiming the land between the Nueces and Rio Grande.polk sent Zachary Taylor to to occupy the disputed land, while John Sliddel was sent to try and negotiate a treaty, which failed. After a declaration of war from Congress, and bloodshed, Nicholas Trist, who was the emmisary to negotiate the treaty, successfully negatiated a treaty that was signed on Feb. 2,1848. Polk , however had summoned Trist back to Washington before the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hildago was signed. He did not like the terms of the treaty;he thought they were too generous to Mexico.

Good. Work on spelling.

4. Who do you think was the most important person in the period 1840-1860, and why? Stephen Douglas. The Kansas-Nebraska Act and “popular sovereignty” were detrimantal to the already strained relations between the North and South. They were, quite possibly the “staw that broke the camel’s back”. He helped majorly in bringing about a war that left rifts in our country.

Excellent, but spelling could improve.

5.Explain what "Bleeding Kansas" was. The issue over whether Kansas should be a slave state or free. This caused Kansas to descend into civil war. It is called “Bleeding Kansas” because of the resulting violence and turmoil.

Correct.

6. Explain the cartoon, and what you think the cartoonist's view was. The woman's quote begins, "You have been a bad boy, Steve, ever since you had anything to do with that Nebraska Bill ...." America is spanking Stephen Douglas, while uncle Sam looks on approvingly. This cartoonists view is one of disapproval of Douglous’s actions.

Why is America spanking him? Good otherwise. (Minus 1).

7. Do you think it was possible to avoid the Civil War? Explain I think the Civil war was inevitable. The South would not have willingly freed their slaves and given up what they perceived as their rights as states. They were too dependent on the income they got from cotton which they “needed” slaves to grow. The Abolitionists would not have lat the matter rest. More slave states would have been added, possibly enough to out number the free ones, creating unbalance in the House of Representatives. There was no way to avoid conflict.

Excellent.

H2. Explain the Compromise of 1850. The compromise of 1850- Admitted California as a free state Established the south’s right to bring slaves into the U.S.’s Southwest Territories, because they were “property Abolished slave trade in Washington D.C. (not slavery) Enacted and enforced tougher fugitive slave laws on the federal level Gave Texas $10 million to pay off its debt in return for Texas’s accepting a narrower western border.

Good.

H3.Explain how the “Freeport Doctrine” cost Douglas support in the presidential election of 1860. Douglas attempted to take a middle position on the issue of slavery in territories. This backfired on him, because instead of gaining support from those who wanted to exclude slavery, he lost support from the South and the North because neither liked his position. The South feared that a popular vote would deprive them of their slaves and the north wanted to exclude slavery from the territories.

Good, but explain the Doctrine itself more. (Minus 1).

H4.Do you think John Brown helped his cause? I think his response was damaging to his cause because it gave people a bad perception of Abolitionists. It showed them as people who would kill you if you didn’t agree with them. If no action had been taken more people might have been sympathetic to their cause, because the pro-slavery people had already destroyed property and killed a person. The man would have looked like a martyr. Instead, the Abolitionists looked vengeful.

Right.

Great work. Score: 98/100.--Aschlafly 19:16, 18 October 2008 (EDT)