Constitution Unity Or Disunity Analysis
The Constitution: Unity or Disunity?
The U.S. Constitution is looked upon as not only a legal bond, but as a unifying document that exemplifies the American desire for "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." From 1787, the year of its creation, until 1850, the Constitution helped to uphold these ideals, by ruling with the majority, but protecting the minority, as well as acting as a symbol of unity for the growing nation. In the decade before the Civil War, the Constitution's openness for wide interpretation as well as its lack of specificity on sectional issues such as states' rights and slavery led to the eventual disunion and the Southern secession.
For over 60 years prior to the Civil War, the Constitution was able to unify the Nation. After the Democrat-Republicans swept the Federalists of their offices in the Revolution of 1800, the Federalists, in their …show more content…
The U.S. Constitution foes not recognize or advocate slavery, thus many Southerners felt that as the minority in the country (Lincoln was able to be elected without one electoral vote from the South) their rights were in danger of being violated. The theory of "popular sovereignty," a favored one in the south, which gave new territories their right to choose whether to allow slavery also led to disunity, as it placed states rights above federal laws and statutes. Furthermore, the South believed the Constitution to be a compact between states, as opposed to a federal government of higher power than those of the states, and thus, they felt that if this compact was broken, Southern states could secede legally and peacefully. Before secession, the South even attempted to exert their power as states within a union, and did so by stating that unless an amendment was added to the Constitution which formalized the legality of slavery the South would leave the
The U.S. Constitution is looked upon as not only a legal bond, but as a unifying document that exemplifies the American desire for "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." From 1787, the year of its creation, until 1850, the Constitution helped to uphold these ideals, by ruling with the majority, but protecting the minority, as well as acting as a symbol of unity for the growing nation. In the decade before the Civil War, the Constitution's openness for wide interpretation as well as its lack of specificity on sectional issues such as states' rights and slavery led to the eventual disunion and the Southern secession.
For over 60 years prior to the Civil War, the Constitution was able to unify the Nation. After the Democrat-Republicans swept the Federalists of their offices in the Revolution of 1800, the Federalists, in their …show more content…
The U.S. Constitution foes not recognize or advocate slavery, thus many Southerners felt that as the minority in the country (Lincoln was able to be elected without one electoral vote from the South) their rights were in danger of being violated. The theory of "popular sovereignty," a favored one in the south, which gave new territories their right to choose whether to allow slavery also led to disunity, as it placed states rights above federal laws and statutes. Furthermore, the South believed the Constitution to be a compact between states, as opposed to a federal government of higher power than those of the states, and thus, they felt that if this compact was broken, Southern states could secede legally and peacefully. Before secession, the South even attempted to exert their power as states within a union, and did so by stating that unless an amendment was added to the Constitution which formalized the legality of slavery the South would leave the