Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1855-1860: Seminar and Discussion Forum
Bleeding Kansas, Dred Scott, Lincoln-Douglas, Harper’s Ferry, the election of 1860, secession – all the events leading up to the Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts
First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: Sometime in the future.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed. To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.
Link to previous thread
Monthly Record of Current Events * – 2-6
Editor’s Drawer – 7-16
Miss Funny Flirt and her Victims. – 17-18
Fashions for February – 19-20
* South Carolina Democrat J.L. Orr elected Speaker of the House.
From The President’s State of the Union Message: “The recent financial revulsion is ascribed to our extravagant and vicious system of paper currency and bank credits, which excite the people to wild speculation and gambling in stocks.”
“Our relations with foreign powers are in general satisfactory.”
“The Message dwells at length upon the affairs of Kansas.”
“The difficulties in Utah are detailed at length.”
“The Secretary of War reports that the army of the United States consists nominally of 17,984 men, but its present effective force is but 15,764.”
“The Secretary of the Navy reports upon the distribution of our naval force. Five vessels constitute the Home Squadron; five are on the Pacific station, three in the Mediterranean; three on the Brazil station; three on the African coast; and five on the Chinese station. He recommends the construction of ten new war steamers of light draught, the estimated cost of which will be $2,300,000.”
“That portion of the President’s Message which relates to Kansas has excited warm opposition. In the Senate, Mr. Douglas took an early opportunity of expressing his dissent from the conclusions of the President, urging that the principle of ‘popular sovereignty,’ as embodied in the Kansas-Nebraska Bill, required that the Constitution framed by the Lecompton Convention should be submitted to the people of the Territory. Subsequently, in a long and able speech, he assailed the Lecompton Constitution of the ground that it was obnoxious to the great majority of the people of Kansas, whom it deprived of the power of regulating their own domestic institutions.”
Plus plenty more news of current events.
