I CAN distinguish between the positions of the sections of the United States on sectional issues of the 1820s through the 1850s.
To do this I Can...
Public opinion in early American history was influenced by pamphlets, books and newspaper articles such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The invention of the telegraph transformed news and hastened the rise of independent, mass-circulation newspapers in the 19th century.
... explain that the country’s expansion helped it develop sections with distinct economic characteristics. The sections took different positions on key political issues of the day (e.g., tariff policy, the national bank, internal improvements, sales of public lands, slavery).
... explain that the Southerners viewed slavery as vital to their agricultural way of life and favored the extension of slavery into the territories as cotton cultivation moved west. Northerners who did not rely on slaves for a workforce objected to slavery as a moral wrong and opposed its extension into the territories.
Essay Question:
We have two "real life" examples of slaves to help humanize the issue of slavery. How did Tom (From Uncle Tom's Cabin) and Lucy from Mission U.S help you understand how life could have been for a slave? AND Explain how viewing slavery as a slave named Tom or a slave named Lucy helped the abolitionist movement more than "there are 200,000 slaves in the south?"