Congress's Role in Abolishing Slavery in US - Essay Sample

The Role of the Congress in Ending Slavery in the United States

The Declaration of Independence stated many grievances against the British. The Declaration also included human rights, after United States reporting their complaints and won the Revolutionary War. The Declaration also resulted in George Washington gaining a reputation as a result of his command. In 1783, the Treaty of Paris identified the United States independence and expanded the nation a large piece of land which stretched to Mississippi River. The Articles of Confederation was responsible for governing the United States, and as a resulted, all was well for a while in the country. However, the United States started experiencing problems since many of their states were in debt, and the fear of invasion by Britain or any other country increased among people. The concern arose from the fact that the government could not raise the revenue, and its economy was collapsing. Also, many individuals were doing in the 1780s in terms of wealth, and their fear was an increased power by the national government. They believed that they fought for the American Revolution to avoid issues such as substantial revenue collection from the government and standings from the armies. These resulted in sentiments that motivated the Anti-Federalist movement and the Democratic-Republican Party.

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The state government of the United States used different methods of handling their affairs, such as paying off their debts. However, not all states paid off their debts as some had brutal internal conflicts. In late 1786, Shays' Rebellion broke out, and many people feared for their lives, armed groups of working-class invaded the countryside and protested the increased state taxes and land seizures. They applied the rhetoric of the Declaration of Independence. The protest resulted in misunderstanding to the majority of the Founding Fathers as it went against their principles and did not suggest decent anarchy. In 1787, the Shays' rebellion gave a new impetus to the Constitutional Convention, and a meeting was held to discuss the various parts of the Articles of Confederation. In this situation, the discussion was meant to throw them out and begin from scratch; they rewrote the whole legal structure of the United States where James Madison provided participation. They formed three branches of the government, created the Senate and the House of Representatives. They also put in detail the method used to elect a president, outlined the federal judiciary, checked the responsibilities of each branch, and also describe the powers of the federal government.

The Constitution Convection sent the constitution to the States for rectification. However, the Anti-Federalists opposed it, ultimately, and they wanted the first Congress to pass the Bill of Rights. The Bill contained ten Amendments responsible for securing free speech, the right to get a trial from the jury, the right to be free from unnecessary searches, and many other reasons as stated in the bill. The constitution created the Supreme Court and the decisions it made on the amendments and many other arising issues such conflicts. During the administration of George Washington, the government resolved many aspects, such as paying off debts and ensure that the nation grew in terms of economy. As a result of determining various federal government aspects, Washington selected Cabinet Secretaries and placed them in charge of multiple departments he created. Washington appointed Alexander Hamilton as the secretary of the Treasury, whose responsibility was to fix the financial situation of the nation and also establish a national bank. John Adams became the first Vice President and Thomas Jefferson appointed in the cabinet. Since then, each president selected has a well-functioning committee and has the freedom to appoint and fire his/her members of the council. After two terms in power, Washington retired setting a regime meant to last until 1940. Additionally, John Adams served for a short period from 1797-1801 at the time when the majority of the political parties became upfront. Thomas Jefferson denounced the controversial Alien and Sedition Acts used during Adams' term. Jefferson won the 1800 election defeating Adams, therefore, referring his win as the "Revolution of 1800".

Roots of the American Revolution

In the 1800s, the Northern states of America developed strategies to abolish slavery, but Eli Whitney was in the process of opening a new plantation in the South to grow cotton. Women gained few legal rights while the ones with husbands were not allowed to own property or have control over any financial transactions.Certain professions such as engineering, law, and medicine were not allowed for women, and very few people could vote. The infant mortality rate increased because each woman was expected to give birth to at least seven children. Also, almost everyone was a farm laborer. A new national bank developed in the United States as Henry Clay, a spokesman, pushed for the American System, this resulted to the expansion in the settlement in the west and an increased in value of land which later on crashed. Unemployment in the city increased, the value of land sunk and many banks broke as a result of the Panic of 1819. Also, many farmers went broke and could not afford to pay off their loans. Therefore the era of good feelings came to a deep end. In 1820, conflicts resulting from the admission of Missouri acted as foreshadow of the Civil War expected to come. From 1824-1828, the lower class individuals started to participate in politics, and during that period, the majority of the states got rid of restrictions on the property from the vote. This resulted in "universal suffrage" for th...