History Paper Example: Discussion Questions on Emancipation of Slaves

Was Civil War necessary to free the slaves or was there a possible path to emancipation?

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Before its abolition, slavery in the United States was deeply rooted. This practice was demeaning, and it promoted the violation of the human rights. It was also a form of perpetuating racism since it targeted minority groups in the society such as Black-Americans. The slaves were treated inhumanly, highlighting the plight of the victims who were in bondage. There was the need of applying various strategies to deliver people from slavery as well as ending the practice. It follows that Civil War was a justified cause when it comes to freeing the slaves.

At its initial stages, the abolition movement applied less violent strategies to push for the prohibition of slavery in the United States. This involved the use of moral persuasion and lecturing in an attempt of changing peoples attitudes (those who were in support of slavery) towards the practice. However, these abolitionist strategies were fruitless since the slavery continued intensifying. This implies that the possible peaceful paths of emancipation had failed and the use of violence was the only viable alternative.

As an ardent abolitionist, John Brown launched a movement that devoted itself at ending slavery, at Harpers Ferry. Brown embarked on training Liberator Army, which operated in small groups. The army was responsible for escorting the escaped slaves towards the North. So safe and reliable was Browns system of liberating the slaves that lured numerous slaves to join him. The white supremacy, which promoted practices that intimidated African-American people needed to be stopped. They were superior in weaponry, indicating that the abolitionists also needed an equal force to pursue their objectives of ending anti-slavery.

James Brown might have been hanged thus ending his pursuit of freedom for those enslaved, but his use of violence was significant in the abolition of slavery in the United States. The death of James Brown acted as an eye opener to the abolitionists who intensified their anti-slavery movement. It follows that violence through Civil War was an acceptable move as far as eradication of the slavery in the United States is concerned.

What is the meaning of freedom for freed blacks during Reconstruction, and are their goals achieved? How would characterize/describe Reconstructions success or failures?

The Confederate defeat, consequently eradicating slavery prompted the inception of multiple changes to the southerners. Deconstruction of slavery led to the escalation of disagreements between the blacks who wanted total freedom and the whites who were advocating for the powers they had over the slaves before its abolishment. This indicates that the meaning of the freedom for became a point of contention in the Reconstruction South.

According to the Committee of the Freedmen, the actual meaning of liberty involved the right to own a homestead. Apparently, the government had promised the freed people and those who participated in the war, homesteads. It was wrong of the government to ignore them (the governments allies in the war) once it had wiped out all of its enemies. The freedmen lamented that they had properties in the form of horses, cattle, furniture and carriages but unfortunately, they remained landless and homeless. From the perspective of the freedmen, a land monopoly was detrimental to the freedom of some section of the population in the community.

The core objective of the freedmen in the Reconstruction era was to be guaranteed of protection from the government when it comes to their rights as citizens. This involved the privileges to purchase and own land in every part of the country, even in South Carolina. There was the need of securing the rights of the freedmen to help them enjoy their freedom. The Reconstruction was therefore supposed to ensure that state laws are amended. The amendment was intended to give the freedmen a right to vote, own the land and homesteads.

The reconstruction process faced multiple challenges and opposition, especially from the slave owners. Forgiveness was the core element when it comes to the integration of United States. The freedmen were expected the slave owners, who had oppressed them. This was a hard thing to achieve. However, the whole initiative was a success. Through Reconstruction, United States became a unified nation again.

Argue whether the rise of Northern industrial capitalism and free labor was morally or materially equivalent Southern agrarian capitalism and slave labor.

Capitalism is a unique type of the class society. Apparently, capitalism is a characterized by minority section of the population seizing the surplus that was created through enormous efforts and toils of the entire community. The Northern industrial capitalism brought a lot of suffering to the vulnerable members of the society. The plight of men and women during the early phases of industrialization can be explored in the framework of the labor market in which the women entered. Young women were compelled into servitude; toiling for long hours.

The conditions in the factories, especially in the factory mills in the Lowell and Massachusetts violated the labor laws and the fundamental rights of the workers. Young women were initially happy to be employed in the mills since it was a significant source of income. However, with time, some practices such as gender discrimination and exploitation became synonymous with the Northern industrialization capitalism. Women were paid less than men, irrespective of the workload. The women employees worked for long hours, which did not match their wages.

In the southern region, slavery was a common practice. Unlike the form of slavery perpetuated by the Northern industrialization, the southern region was dominated by slave owners who advocated for the practice. The slaves underwent awful experiences. This involved being maimed, silenced through coercive acts, to be whipped mercilessly and all cruel means that made the slaves obedient to their masters. Apparently, these mistreatments towards the slaves in the south were equivalent to the exploitation of the women workers in the northern factories.

The northern capitalism and free labor were morally equivalent to the southern agrarian capitalism and slave labor. Under both instances, it involved exploitation of the human rights. The exercise might have led to material gain to some parties but remained to be morally wrong. It follows that the rise of the northern industrial capitalism had the adverse impact on the Reconstruction process.