LAD #13: John Calhoun's Speech

          The unity of American Union is in grave danger, due to one major cause; slavery. Discontent was a large force between the north and the south when it came to this issue. The north had more power in the government than the south, and this had started to not only overshadow that rights the south had in the government, but it also was causing discontent. The north had more people and it therefore had more power in the government which was concerning to the south. The north was also growing faster than the south, so the south knew that the power of the north would only continue to grow in the government. The south also has been kept from their land claims and they have been unfairly taxed. These taxes and land were both beneficiaries for the north, the north gained money from the tax and land. There were tariffs, that benefitted the north, and taxes that benefitted factories, that were all in the north. Slavery was a large part of sectionalism between the north and the south. The north, on a moral level, wanted the abolition of slavery, and the south needed it. Calhoun pleads for northerners to give the south some things, he fears that the south will secede if the receive none of the things they want. The national unity will be torn apart if these differences are not fixed. The only way to fix this is for the south to secede. The only other way is for the north to re-create governmental power between the south and north through an amendment. The northerners can either make an amendment or the south will secede. If California were to be accepted into the Union as a northern state, the south will take this harshly. Overall, slavery is a major factor in the prosperity and unity of the United States.

Pictured Above: John Calhoun