Apush Dbq Research Paper

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Pages: 3

In the early 1800s, the United States was growing and changing rapidly. One invention introduced around this time was the cotton gin, whose purpose was to separate any seeds in short-staple cotton. While this invention should have shortened the slave population, it didn’t. In fact, slavery became more widespread as the need for cotton skyrocketed due to more cotton growing, which meant more people had to pick it. Another major factor that affected African Americans at the beginning of the 18th century was known as westward expansion. Essentially, the idea behind it was to expand Westword. With this exploration, more states joined the US, and one of these states was Texas. Texas was admitted into the US as a slave state in 1845 after around nine years of being its own country. …show more content…
By 1860, African Americans had limited social and political rights compared to white men because of the laws they enforced. In Document 4: Charles Mackay, Life and Liberty in America: or Sketches of a Tour in the United States and Canada in 1857-1858, London, 1859 by Charles Mackay, a British visitor has this to say about the treatment of the free African Americans in the north, that is, not free to represent in the legislature” (1). Charles Mackay's depiction of the North shows that free African Americans in the North couldn't serve in the legislature, which reflects how white people restricted their rights in public places, leading to unequal treatment. Henry Highland Garnet, Excerpt adapted from speech, “An Address To The Slaves Of The United States” by Henry Highland Garnet, a free African American once remarked, "Better to die as a free man, live as slaves.” (2). This statement emphasizes the real difference between the idea of freedom and the reality of oppression, illustrating the inequality faced by African Americans due to overall restrictions on their rights by white individuals in public