CRISIS BREWING

 by redlily

                The United States was merely a young nation in the mid-19th century. At the time, America was still struggling with its identity and what to make of its newfound freedom from Great Britain. With its rich immigrant history and variety of natural resources, the country was slowly writing its history.

               As the nation grew and expanded westward, with new territories being admitted to the Union, there was growing debate as to the issue of the swelling ranks of slavery in these new states. At this point, Northerners (free states) and Southerners (slave states) had contradicting views on the issue of slavery. The economy of the south relied greatly on the effort of slaves to work on their plantations. Slave owners had power and influence and were prepared to protect their interests at all costs.

                Meanwhile, the anti-slavery sentiment was gaining traction in the north. Abolitionists were criticizing the immorality of slavery. For years, slave state Georgia strived to remain moderate and avert the threat of breaking from the Union. Politicians sought to protect Southern rights but still preserve their place within the Union. Efforts to quell demands for secession and Georgia’s support for the passage of the Compromise of 1850 came to be known as the Georgia Platform.

                However, even with attempts to strike a compromise, Georgians and the rest of America could only prolong the growing tensions and pressure that was building up in the decade before the outbreak of the Civil War. Ultimately, they could not escape the inevitable reality of conflict and war.

                  Restrictions on slavery were viewed as an encroachment of the Fifth Amendment Right to life, liberty, and property. Many slaveholders considered their slaves to be personal property. This constitutional challenge posed a threat to the entire Union. Despite efforts seeking to balance free and slave states, such as the Missouri Compromise, the sectional crisis of the 1850s only proved that America was deeply divided on slavery and struggled to keep their young Republic from falling apart.   

                The brewing social unrest and political turmoil that characterized the 1850s led to the eventual secession of Georgia from the Union in 1861. Georgia, along with the other slave states, would band together and form the Confederacy. The Civil War was to be the defining moment in the young nation’s history. 

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