Events that left to the Civil War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Events that left to the Civil War - Essay Example Most northerners had no problem with the idea of states rights. However, they believed that slavery was to be ruled by the United States federal law so no state had the right to secede when it came to this. This became a source of conflict between the north and south. As a result of this, antislavery groups made up of people calling themselves abolitionists were formed. Consequently people and especially the minority groups who were mainly slaves learned new ideas about human rights and freedom. With the fear that the federal government of the United States would force them to give up slavery, southern politicians opted to balance the number of free sates and slave states. 1Arnold points out that â€Å"if the number of free states was the same as the number of slave states, there was political balance.† The number of states that allowed slavery was thus eleven while eleven states banned slavery. Until 1820, conflict between the northern and southern states was avoided since th e number of free and slave states had remained equal. However, this balance was disturbed by the expansion of the United States west of river Mississippi. By 1820, many southerners had moved to the region of Missouri, and taken their slaves with them despite the fact that Missouri was geographically located in the north. In the same year Missouri became the first state in the territory of Louisiana to apply for admission into the Union. Missouri had thousands of slaves then so it was given that it would apply for admission as a slave state. This would however, distort the balance between free and slave states. Consequently, political leaders had to make agreements and compromises to keep the nation together. The United States House of Representatives was controlled by the north and there was no way it was going to allow slavery to expand in Missouri. To prevent the expansion of slavery, the House of Representatives passed a bill aimed and gradually eliminating slaves in Missouri. Ac cording to the bill, no new slaves were to be brought into Missouri, and children of Missouri slaves, upon reaching the age of twenty five would be declared free. Although the House of Representatives passed this law, it was turned down by the senate, which had equal representation of the north and the south. The problem with this bill was solved by Henry Clay, who proposed a compromise. To pacify the south, 2Hazen points out that â€Å"Clay suggested that Missouri be permitted to enter the Union as a slave state since that was what she already was in reality.† To appease the north, Clay suggested that slavery be barred for ever from the remaining regions of Louisiana territory. Meanwhile, Maine which had also applied for admission into the Union would be admitted as a free state. The solution would thus maintain a balance of twelve free and twelve slave states. After a long, bitter and ugly debate between the northern and southern congressmen, the Missouri Compromise was pas sed. Missouri was admitted into the union as a slave state while Maine was admitted as a free state and slavery was banned in the northern part of Louisiana territory. Consequently, peace between the north and the south was restored for several more decades. For several decades’ peace between the north and south was maintained by the Missouri Compromise. However, in 1850, the issue of slavery and its expansion surfaced again. In 1848, Gold

Beauvoir's second sex Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Beauvoir's second sex - Essay Example She notes that because of treatment, where a girl grows understanding that she is destined to do house chores, a girl grows up without â€Å"innate maternal instinct†. Basing on the way the society handles the two genders, a girl is made to grow believing in and worshiping a male god and creating imagery adult lovers. Beauvoir views the discovery of sex by women as a painful phenomenon. When it comes to sex, the society has made men the masters of the world’s revelation. Beauvoir notes that one of the hardest experiences in a girl’s life is puberty stage. She describes the way a girl in her late teens come to accept her â€Å"femininity†. According to her a girl may do this by running away from home, by stealing or following nature. In chapter 2 of this book titled â€Å"Situation† Beauvoir demonstrates that women are equally looked down upon in marriage and that she is always playing a role of satisfying the sexual desires of a man. She emphasizes that in marriage setting the role of a woman as a house keeper/cleaner is evident of the servant hood role women are made to play. She says that the dignity of women is compromised in a marriage setting and as often the case, women can only find dignity by accepting her role in providing bed â€Å"services† and â€Å"housework services†. ... spective, Beauvoir says that women can be as active, silent and effective as men, and that women just like men can handle masculinity logic they have to. However, the situation created by the society and her family does not give her such an opportunity instead she has to keep being useful preparing food, clothes and lodges. According to Beauvoir, a woman is always full of worries but she has nothing to do to change her position, she cries, complaints, and even threaten suicide but she cannot escape her lot. Beauvoir says that is the target of religion and that it is pointless trying to prove whether a woman as treated in the society is inferior or superior because the man’s situations has been made â€Å"infinitely preferable†. She hold that for a woman she has no way out than to always work for her liberation. In Chapter 4 â€Å"The Lesbian† Beauvoir describes sexual relations with a woman. She holds that though the society is a â€Å"forbidden path† for women, they are finding their way out through such acts as lesbian, and homosexuals. Beauvoir’s life story is a true reflection of the misconceptions widely held by the society about women. It mirrors the troubles we as women are made to go through as we struggle through life experiences to get to our destined career goals. As a victim of women mistreatment, my struggles to get to where I am today and the challenges accompanying such struggles are immense. Growing up is a men dominated society, my position was well defined. In a family of two boys and two girls, and as the eldest girl in the family, I had to spend most of my years under the watchful eye of my mother. This meant that I spend most of my time learning how to cook and how to clean the house and wash my sister’s and brothers’ clothes. Just like