A Civil War Is Brewing: Missouri Compromise

I'm back! Thanks to Ms. Harrison for carrying on the blog the past few weeks.  She did a great job keeping this site hopping.  Once again, this blog only works well because you guys take it seriously.  I really appreciate the effort you put in each week.

So, as we look forward to the close of the school year we begin our study of the Civil War.  Over the past few blogs you've discussed slavery in the south, wage-slavery in the north, utopians, Manifest Destiny and various other topics.  This week we will look at the Missouri Compromise of 1820 and its impact on the growing division of America in the early 19th century.

To begin, visit here and here for a brief overview of this legislation.

Now examine the map below.  Consider the following questions before writing your comment this week.     -What was the overall rationale/reasoning for this compromise?
-Was this "geographical solution" the only solution to admitting new states as either slave or free?  If not, what suggestions do you have?
-What is strange about Missouri in relation to this compromise and its location on the map?

Comments: After giving a brief description of the Missouri Compromise, discuss whether or not you think the MC was an effective solution to America's problem of adding new states.  What would have done differently?  Did the MC lead to the Civil War or hold the country together until the Civil War erupted?  In other words, was the Civil War going to happen no matter what, or did the MC help cause the Civil War?

Utopia: Achievable?

The Age of Reform was a time of great societal change,  partially a result of the Second Great Awakening. Through this movement, not only were people called once again to religious fever, but also many radical religious groups formed. In these "Utopian Communities," perfection was sought after. All parts of men and women's lives were governed by their faith; all parts of life were communal and equal. Two examples of these communities were New Harmony, PA and  Oneida, NY. Read about each community. Then, compare and contrast the two settings. Do you think that one community would have been more successful implementing a Utopian Society than the other? How do you think these communities were received by the surrounding population? How do you think  they would be received today?

The Tale of a Forty-Niner

The Gold Rush changed the course of American history. As people flooded West, they had high hopes of striking a gold mine; their spirits were high during the lengthy, treacherous journey across the nation, or by sea. When they reached California, however, their lives in the boom-towns didn't exactly meet their expectations. Read this article to read a personal account of one of the many forty-niners. After you read, summarize the account and then take a minute to reflect on what life must have looked like for Mr. Sheldon Shufelt. Why do you think that Shufelt didn't stay in California? Hypothesize about how he kept his spirits high despite a disappointing season in California.

To Fight or Not to Fight: That is the Question

As you know, we have been talking about Manifest Destiny this week in class. On Thursday we are going to start talking about Texas Independence, and soon after the Mexican American War. Familiarize yourself with this **map and brief summary article so that you have a larger context to understand the war in. Then, spend a few minutes perusing this website. Figure out how the War began. Do you think that the actions that one certain president took were right? Why or why not?

**EDIT: Don't worry about the map. I have copied the summary article into a comment box (comment #3).  Since I am just getting to this change, you will have until Tuesday to complete this blog! - Ms. H