1. What was the primary function of the commissioners? Who appointed the first commissioners and why? The primary function of the commissioners was to convince the other slave states to join them in secession. “… five states of the lower South-Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana-appointed commissioners to other slave states and instructed them to spread the secessionist message across the entire region” (17) “Mississippi and Alabama commissioners were appointed by the governor and thus took the field first.” (17) Only these two were appointed by the governor and the other states, South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana, commissioners were appointed by the secession conventions. (17)
2. How did the commissioners attempt to fulfill their mission? Cite specific examples of their activities, naming the specific individuals. The commissioners went to the different states and spoke to the public. (17) “They addressed state legislatures, they spoke before state conventions called to consider the question of secession, they took the platform before crowds in meeting halls and in the streets, and they wrote letters to governors whose legislatures were not in session.” (17) Their speeches were reprinted in newspapers, on official state publications, and would also be reprinted on pamphlets that were put into circulation. (18) The commissioners were also very passionate and emotional with their words such as, “Let’s cut to the chase”, (20) which pushed the people toward disunion. Governor Petus also sent commissioners to every slave state to promote the “common defense and safety” of the South. (21) John Archer Elmore, who was Alabama’s commissioner, went to South Carolina to help convince the people for secession. He wanted an immediate secession because it would strengthen all the other states that were united together with the same interests. (25) 3. What political or economic rationale did the commissioners give for the secession vote by their respective states? Cite several examples. Make sure you only use quotes based on political or economic reasons. If they were to lose their cotton fields, it would mean their major export would be gone ergo loss of money. If the southern plantation owners paid for their slaves, and were asked to give them up without compensation, from a business standpoint, it would be a loss. Garrot and Smith told the North Carolinians that the North wanted to “…impair the value of slave property in the States by unfriendly legislation.”(34) He goes on to say how slave owners “feel no desire to depreciate the value of their own property, nor to demoralize their slaves by throwing among them savages and cannibals.” (34) Garrot and Smith said if they joined the Union, it would invite more aggressions from the North until it became a degraded province, specifically Alabama (34) Andrew Pickens Calhoun from South Carolina made a speech in the State Capitol in Columbia and made many attacks against the North for wanting abolition of slavery. (39) He said the North would “seek to seduce the poor, ignorant and stupid nature of the negro in the midst of his home and happiness.” (39) He says the slaves being brought to American was a blessing because in their native home in Africa, they were always hunted and scared of losing their lives from others, and how the North wanted to see it re-enacted with …show more content…
With the words of the commissioners in mind, what, in your opinion, was the underlying or root cause of the Civil War? And, yet, what does the magazine Mississippi call the Civil War, and what conclusion can you draw for the magazines position? In my opinion, the big root that caused the Civil War was the threat of taking away the majority of the Southern economy away. If they were to have no more slaves, they wouldn’t have the man power to run the plantations themselves. Getting rid of slavery also meant that they were losing money because they paid for them and were going to have to free them. Though Lincoln did The magazine Mississippi called the Civil War “The War of Northern Aggression.” (9) The conclusion I drew from the magazine’s position is they were showing how the South was the victim of this whole
2. How did the commissioners attempt to fulfill their mission? Cite specific examples of their activities, naming the specific individuals. The commissioners went to the different states and spoke to the public. (17) “They addressed state legislatures, they spoke before state conventions called to consider the question of secession, they took the platform before crowds in meeting halls and in the streets, and they wrote letters to governors whose legislatures were not in session.” (17) Their speeches were reprinted in newspapers, on official state publications, and would also be reprinted on pamphlets that were put into circulation. (18) The commissioners were also very passionate and emotional with their words such as, “Let’s cut to the chase”, (20) which pushed the people toward disunion. Governor Petus also sent commissioners to every slave state to promote the “common defense and safety” of the South. (21) John Archer Elmore, who was Alabama’s commissioner, went to South Carolina to help convince the people for secession. He wanted an immediate secession because it would strengthen all the other states that were united together with the same interests. (25) 3. What political or economic rationale did the commissioners give for the secession vote by their respective states? Cite several examples. Make sure you only use quotes based on political or economic reasons. If they were to lose their cotton fields, it would mean their major export would be gone ergo loss of money. If the southern plantation owners paid for their slaves, and were asked to give them up without compensation, from a business standpoint, it would be a loss. Garrot and Smith told the North Carolinians that the North wanted to “…impair the value of slave property in the States by unfriendly legislation.”(34) He goes on to say how slave owners “feel no desire to depreciate the value of their own property, nor to demoralize their slaves by throwing among them savages and cannibals.” (34) Garrot and Smith said if they joined the Union, it would invite more aggressions from the North until it became a degraded province, specifically Alabama (34) Andrew Pickens Calhoun from South Carolina made a speech in the State Capitol in Columbia and made many attacks against the North for wanting abolition of slavery. (39) He said the North would “seek to seduce the poor, ignorant and stupid nature of the negro in the midst of his home and happiness.” (39) He says the slaves being brought to American was a blessing because in their native home in Africa, they were always hunted and scared of losing their lives from others, and how the North wanted to see it re-enacted with …show more content…
With the words of the commissioners in mind, what, in your opinion, was the underlying or root cause of the Civil War? And, yet, what does the magazine Mississippi call the Civil War, and what conclusion can you draw for the magazines position? In my opinion, the big root that caused the Civil War was the threat of taking away the majority of the Southern economy away. If they were to have no more slaves, they wouldn’t have the man power to run the plantations themselves. Getting rid of slavery also meant that they were losing money because they paid for them and were going to have to free them. Though Lincoln did The magazine Mississippi called the Civil War “The War of Northern Aggression.” (9) The conclusion I drew from the magazine’s position is they were showing how the South was the victim of this whole