America is a country founded on its ability to compromise and in the early 19th century many Americans believe that the disputes between the North and the South could be solved through compromise. As the years progressed Americans lost hope in compromise and began to take up arms in preparation for civil war. There were many reasons for this vast change in American ideals. Several Supreme Court decisions overturned previous agreements and this was very threatening to Slave and Free states. Although compromise was attempted the ability to please both sides of the union were out of the grasp of the American government.
As the tension built in the house and the senate there were many radical speeches and acts upon senators and representatives. The illustration (Document E) of Senator Brooks act upon Senator Sumner shows the way the south was willing to deal with speeches against the south. It also put a bad name on the southern and showed their savage and aggressive nature. Senator Webster’s speech to the senate had these famous words “I hear with pain and anguish the word “secession”….” which illustrates that there were those who wanted to preserve the union. It also shows the concern that there was for the idea of succession from within the government. As these speeches approached the eventual separation of the union; they became more drastic and threatening from both sides of the states.
There were radical groups from the north and the south. They stop at no cost to drive their point to the heart of the country. One of the northern groups who was willing to do whatever they had to do to get slavery abolished stated in the Declaration of the National Anti-Slavery Convention that, “the slaves ought to be instantly set free…”. Such a statement shows the extremity of some of these groups and their unwillingness to compromise. In the south there are the same such groups and pro-slave newspapers that pump propaganda into the public. One quote from a southern...