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Document Rationales
First-Order document: 1820 Free/Slave
Soil Map
This document graphically demonstrates the sectional divisions
over slavery in the United States in 1820. More specifically,
it shows the results of the Missouri Compromise. Although
the original source of the map is unknown, the map accurately
shows the American states and territories, Spanish Mexico,
British Canada and the Oregon Country. This map was chosen
as the First-Order document because it is essential for
students to understand the role of slavery in a discussion
about nationalism and sectionalism from 1820-1860. These
sectional divisions were also evident over issues such as
tariffs and internal improvements. This map illustrates
the Habit of Mind to "understand the relationship between
geography and history as a matrix of time and place, and
as a context for events."
Second-Order document: Jackson's Proclamation
to the People of South Carolina (1832)
Jackson's reply (December, 1832) to the South Carolina
Ordinance of Nullification declares the unconstitutionality
of that state's repudiation of the federal tariff laws and
of its threat to secede from the union. A key document of
the "Nullification Crisis," Jackson announces
the theoretical and legal foundations used to combat the
growing sectional divisions portrayed in the First-Order
document. President Jackson, formerly a strong supporter
of states' rights, provided a surprising about-face on the
tariff issue and revealed the underlying tenacity and power
of nationalism. This Second-Order document corroborates
the central ideas presented in the First-Order document
and offers students a look at some of the key ideas involved
in the early sectional crisis.
Second-Order document: The Wilmot Proviso
(1846)
Representative David Wilmot introduced this amendment to
an appropriations bill in Congress in August, 1846. The
Wilmot Proviso corroborates the ideas of slavery and sectionalism
central to the First-Order document. It represents the revival
of intense political debate between northern and southern
politicians over the issue of slavery in western territories
a quarter-century following the Missouri Compromise. By
doing so, the amendment provided the opening round of the
sectional crisis leading to the Civil War. Wilmot's proposal
to prevent slavery in territories acquired from Mexico is
important because it provoked southern ideologues like John
C. Calhoun into formulating a southern position on the question
that became more and more dogmatic and entrenched over time.
Second-Order Document: Lincoln's "House
Divided" Speech
In this speech Lincoln argued that the United States could
not remain indefinitely part slave and part free. His contention
refutes the premise of the Missouri Compromise that there
could be both free and slave states in the Union. Lincoln
delivered this speech to the Illinois Republican convention,
where Lincoln was nominated to run for the U.S. Senate against
the incumbent, Democrat Stephen Douglas. This speech illustrates
the Habit of Mind "recognize the importance of individuals
who have made a difference in history."
Second-Order document: The Political
Quadrille, Music by Dred Scott (Cartoon)
With all of the issues involved and the events occurring
leading up to the election of 1860, no issue was more important
than slavery and no event had as much impact on the election
than the Dred Scott decision of 1857. This cartoon describes
the "political quadrille" by depicting the four
major candidates during the election and the various interests
or constituencies that those candidates represented at the
time. This cartoon adds substance to the Missouri Compromise
of 1820 map based on the sectional differences present on
the map as well as the ideologies of the four candidates.
Although the original source of this cartoon is not known,
as students analyze this cartoon, they will be able to discuss
the reasons for the Democratic Party splitting three ways,
as well as why the issue of slavery dominated the political
arena during the campaign leading up to the election.
Second-Order Document: South Carolina's
Address to the Slaveholding States, December 1860
Rationale is coming soon. Click to
above link to view the document.
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