Political And Constitutional Differences Among The North And South USA (Essay Sample)

Student’s Name Professor’s Name Subject DD MM YYYY Discussion 7 Political and constitutional differences rocked the unity between the north and the southern United States primarily because of opposing views on slavery. Disagreements on slave trade stirred unrest of several southern states resulting in secession. After the Mexican war, the issue of slavery dominated political discussions and some politicians sought to pass laws that would protect the continuity of the slave trade. Accordingly, in 1850 politicians from both sides of the divide drafted a compromise that would protect the interests of the Southern States such as Georgia whose economies greatly depended on slavery (Bowman 17). Unfortunately, the politicians from the south lacked the political muscle required to make constitutional changes that would protect their state interests. Political representation in the US Senate comprised more of politicians from the north who wanted to put an end to the slave trade, meaning that the political and constitutional compromise of 1850 was defeated in the Senate. Correspondingly, the Free states heightened legislative efforts to force Slave states to abandon the practice of slavery (Bowman 19). Furthermore, since the north had more political muscle to direct the federal government, they were able to impose laws and penalties that profoundly hampered the business of slave traders having an overall impact on the livelihood of southern states. Unity between the states that comprised of the United States was based on the understanding of the constitutional protection of different states interests. A majority of southern states joined the union because they were led to believe their business interests in slavery will be safeguarded (Bowman 21). However, following the defeat of the compromise of 1850 and increasing pressure from the federal government, discord grew between the north and the south. Furthermore, by imposing fines on individuals and businesses which prac...