Choosing Sides Atlas

Dred Scott Video Response

• What was Dred Scott's argument for why he and his wife should be free? 

His argument was that since they had lived in free Illinois and Wisconsin territories, they had a right to be free. They had experience freedom and they should have a right to continue that freedom.

• What was the Supreme Court's decision? 

The Chief Justice stated that African Americans do not have the leisure to stand in court and accuse others because that is only for the white American man. African Americans were not even considered citizens. Before the Supreme Court, the Scott couple went to smaller, federal courts. The first court agreed with the Scott's and said that they should be free but was soon denied that freedom. 

• How did many Northerners react to the decision?  Why?  

The abolitionist got even more mad at the government which led to more revolts and protests. Some thought that if slaves were free then it would be difficult for the whites to find jobs and expand trade since all of them would be taken by Africans. Mrs. Emerson remarried to an abolitionist who was shocked after finding out that the she had slaves. The Scott's were then released. The Scott's had in some sense wasted their time in trying to fight for their freedom.

Slavery Crash Course 3,2,1

• 3 things known

1. Slavery lasted a really long time.
2. Slaves were the ones who actually made trade possible between the South and the North. They were the ones who grew and made things that were then later sold.
3. The whites were racist towards the slaves and repeatedly stated that the Africans were inferior to the whites. 

• 2 things learnt

1. Slaves were treated in SO brutally. They were made to feel as though they were not human anymore... And the slave owners believed that weren't...
2. Slaves actually rose up against their white masters and killed them.

• 1 thing wondered

1. How was it that underground railroads were never found out? Didn't the whites wonder as to where large number of slaves were going and didn't they thoroughly check those small stations?

Lucretia Mott Faces a Mob Response

1) The general public seems to believe that the abolitionists are purposely trying to diminsh trade with the South and the North. Trade is widely spreading at a tremendous rate during this time and the public believes that the slaves are crucial at this period of time. They are also against women playing a role in the public such as politics and public speeches. They are also angered over how the Quakers are holding meetings including people of different races, as in blacks. They see the abolitionists as a threat to their trading businesses and their general so believed "improved" means of living. 

2) No, the statement claiming that the South is dependent on the North was no big surprise. The South produces in order to support themselves and also for money. The only means of getting that money is by selling products to place that cannot produce those specifics things, such as the North. Without the North buying Southern produce, plantations would close and the rich Southerners would become poor. 

Response

The book actually doesn't really seem to emphasize how much exactly the Native Americans lost. What it seems to go more detail in is how the Americans kept murdering innocent Natives in order to get new land. There is no clear statement on how the Natives felt or reacted to any of this. The book has described in a way as though the Natives were ok with dying and losing their land. Moving out. Natives to the west and coming to tortue them even more? I mean how much more could the Natives take? Wasn't there anything they did? Was there no one who actually saw how much wrong was being done and stood up to stop this? And why was it that the Americans kept coming for more land? Had they not had enough? They shoot the buffaloes as a game and then kill hundreds of innocent women and children who came to them to seek help. 

Section 13.2 Vocab

• Homestead Act

Offering 160 acres of land free to any citizen or intended citizen who was head of the household.

An act used to draw in people into purchasing new and unclaimed land Westward. It was the only possible way because 160 acres of free land is a lot land that is being offered free.  

• Exodusters

African Americans who moved from the post-Reconstruction South to Kansas.

Free and unclaimed African Americans who were in search of free land in order to start their new lives. 

• Soddy

Like a dugout, a sod home.

Settlers who moved Westward were at a shortage of wood so they had to build houses without it. They instead built houses of sod or piles of prairie turf.

• The Morrill Act

Gave federal land to the states to help finance agricultural colleges.

Gave land to the government so that they could build colleges and give education to children on agriculture. In order to survive in the wild, prairie lands, it was vital to know how to farm.

• Bonanza Farms

Enormous single-crop spreads of 15,000-50,000 acres.

Land where crops were grown not to support their own families but to rather sell and gain profit.