AskSia

Plus

"[I have] been selected as the representative of the twenty-five thousand [free ...

Oct 16, 2023

"[I have] been selected as the representative of the twenty-five thousand [free African Americans] of Ohio, to law of this State, all ask your honorable body to the necessary and appropriate steps for striking from the those clauses which make discriminations on the ground of color. "As men we have rights, inherent rights, which civil society is bound to respect. Prominent among is the elective franchise those rights Self-government, in our opinion, is an inherent right. And without the privilege of saying who shall be the makers of our laws, there can be no self-government. This was the view taken of the matter by the Fathers of the Republic. And it was upon this principle as enduring granite that they built up the free institutions of the land. LL It is a fundamental maxim of your political faith. that taxation and representation are never to be [separated], but always go together; and since we are taxed in common with all others to meet the expenditures of the government, we respectfully submit. that we ought to have the advantage of a fair and impartial representation [in the legislature] " In conclusion we hold that it is unjust, anti-democratic, impolitic and ungenerous to withhold from us the right of suffrage." John Mercer Langston, petition to the Ohio state legislature, 1854 2. Using the excerpt, respond to parts a. b. and c. a. Briefly describe the point of view of the excerpt. b. Briefly explain how one specific historical event or development between 1783 and 1854 led to developments such as that depicted in the excerpt. c. Briefly explain how one specific historical event or development between 1854 and 1877 resulted from developments such as that depicted in the excerpt.

Key Concept

KC-5.3.II In the mid-19th century, debates over slavery in the territories and the abolitionist movement increased sectional tensions between the North and South. Answer: a. The point of view of the excerpt is from John Mercer Langston, a free African American in Ohio, who is advocating for the rights of African Americans, specifically the right to vote. He argues that as taxpayers, African Americans should have the right to representation in the legislature, and that withholding this right is unjust and undemocratic. b. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 is a specific historical event that led to developments such as that depicted in the excerpt. This compromise admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state, maintaining the balance of power in Congress. However, it also prohibited slavery in the remaining territory acquired in the Louisiana Purchase north of the 36°30' latitude line. This event intensified the national debate over slavery and the rights of African Americans, leading to increased advocacy for African American rights, as seen in the excerpt. c. The passage of the 15th Amendment in 1870 is a specific historical event that resulted from developments such as that depicted in the excerpt. The 15th Amendment prohibited the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. This amendment was a direct result of the advocacy and struggle for African American rights during and after the Civil War, as exemplified by the excerpt.