Slavery and Federalism essays

Slavery and Federalism essays The emphasis on natural rights and freedom during the American Revolution and its aftermath that resulted in the formation of an independent United States of America contradicted sharply with the institution of slavery that existed in the country at the time. It was, thus, logical that slavery should an important issue in American politics during the 19th century. While the industrialized Northern states set about abolishing slavery from their territories after the revolution, the agricultural South whose economy depended on slave labor was adamant to retain slavery. Several attempts were made to reconcile the differences but the issue of slavery proved too hot to handle, and ultimately led to the secession of the Southern states and the Civil War between the North and the South in 1861. This essay examines the impact of slavery upon federalism in the United States with particular emphasis on the Missouri Compromise of 1820, Compromise Measures of 1854 and the Kansas-Nebraska Act Federalism and Slavery The United States began as a confederation[1] with a weak central government that ruled the country from 1783 to 1789 under the Articles of Confederation. There was no chief executive or central body to enforce the provisions of the articles or even to impose taxes. Individual states imposed heavy taxes on inter-state commerce that virtually paralyzed the functioning of the government. As a result, the need for a stronger central government was realized. The Constitutional Convention in 1787 resulted in the framing of the US Constitution in which the broad principles of Federalism (i.e., the formation of a strong central government without trampling the rights of the states) were laid. The delicate balancing act performed by the framers of the US constitution between the powers of the federal government and the states, left quite a few grey...