A
summarization of the time Period between 1848 and 1860 was presented to the
children for discussion. The summary included the Compromise of 1850 which led
to the Fugitive Slave Law Act, the 1852 publication of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, whose
author felt driven to write shortly after the Fugitive Slave Law Act was
passed. The 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act which was unsuccessful and led to clashes
between pro- and ant-slavery proponents. The 1857 Dred Scott Decision by the
Supreme Court Justice Tanney indicating that a black man was only to be
considered three-fifths of a white man. The 1858 Douglas-Lincoln Debates, each
of which Senator Douglas, a pro-slavery politician, lost. John Brown’s Raids
created such anti-Northern sentiment in the South that indeed, they finally did
what they had threatened all along, seceded from the Union. The Whig Party was
no defunct, the Democrats considerably weakened, and finally, in 1860, Lincoln,
a Republican, was elected President. While he did not campaign on an
emancipation platform, nonetheless, his presidency would span some of the worst
and greatest moments in American history.
The students presented their oral reports - doing a
fine job at it too! All in all they seem to really enjoy the research, written
reports and oral reports. I will begin teaching them the difference between
reading a written report and delivering an oral report next week. By the way,
those who provide pictures have added understanding of their subjects for the
other students.
Manchester, NH based fine arts program for homeschool students
