19) Analyze the extent to which changes in electoral politics and the Second Great Awakening influenced the development of democracy between 1820 and 1840.
I) Changes in electoral politics
a) The major theme of Jacksonian Democracy was that the people should be governed as little as possible, and more specifically directly by the people.
i) Jacksonian Democrats preferred states rights and had a distrust of a strong federal government intervening.
b) The common man took center stage in Jacksonian Democracy.
i) There was universal white male suffrage and office holdingassisted in developing a democratic stance for the many immigrants, small business owners, artisans, manual & skilled workers, and small farmers that were Democrats.
c) Miscellaneous changes in the system gave people directly a greater voice.
i) Electors for the electoral college were elected directly and candidates were chosen by the people.
ii) Jacksons use of the Spoiler System also rotated people in federal office and gave more individuals an opportunity to serve.
II) Second Great Awakening
a) The rise of evangelicalism evoked a flourishing of democracy in religion.
b) The Second Great Awakening rejected pre-destination, promoting the message of making an effort to make it.
i) The Awakening was concentrated in the burn-over district of West New York, led by Charles Finney and on the frontier led by Peter Catright.
ii) Both leaders promoted a democratic message.
iii) Many participants in the Second Great Awakening would go on the become reformers.
c) Church membership and humanitarian reform were few of several of the long term effects of the Awakening.
i) Women were encouraged to pray aloud in public, giving them in a sense more social rights and status in the church.
ii) The Awakening also denounced alcohol and some even denouncing slavery.
d) The Second Great Awakening laid the foundation for major social reforms, in lieu to create a more democratic society.
24) Assess the moral arguments and political actions of those opposed to the spread of slavery in the context of the Missouri Compromise and Compromise of 1850.
I) Missouri Compromise of 1820it was the first time the issue of slavery became sectional
a) Moral Arguments: By 1820, there was a growing vocal minority in North.
i) At the very least, they opposed slavery in new territory, because they didnt want blacks interfering with white settlement.
ii) A minority of abolitionists pushed for the elimination of slavery everywhere.
b) Political actions: Missouri was admitted as a slave state.
i) The North however, wanted Maine admitted as a free state to balance the political power at 12:12.
ii) The rest of the Louisiana Purchase had slavery banned 36⁰30 north of the Louisiana Territory.
iii) The Compromise initiated for the first time talks about dividing the North and South.
II) Compromise of 1850it would have not been necessary had the Constitution addressed the issue the future of slavery and slavery in new territories.
a) Moral Arguments: By 1844, there were two positions on slavery opposed to the spread of it.
i) The abolitionists, an extreme minority movement in the North had no legal evidence, argument. Slavery was immoral and needed to be banned everywhere.
ii) The Free Soilers had Northern Whigs opposed to slavery, but werent prepared for abolition. The majority of Free Soilers didnt want blacks on new land, because the wanted to preserve the new territories for white settlement only. The minority, Lincoln Free Soilers believed slavery was immoral and should not be extended into new territories.
b) Political actions: some of the provisions of the Compromise of 1850, such as a more stringent Fugitive Slave Law, outraged Northerners.
i) Its constitutional violations fostered an unanticipated uproar in the North and began to oppose the law.
ii) Nine states passed Personal Liberty Laws, which in turn infuriated the Southerners and Southern Whigs.
(1) These laws interfered with the enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act because the trails were extended and more expensive.
(2) State jails were no longer allowed to house temporarily alleged captured fugitive slaves.