The Social Movement of Southern Backcountry - Coursework Example

The Social Movement of Southern Backcountry Before the American Revolution, Charles Woodmason an Anglican Minister had noticed the social struggle for position and affluence in the Virginian backcountry. His sentiments depict a situation indicating that survival was only for the fittest. He shows concern that the fighting was not human at all, and involved dangerous tactic when he observes as follows “I would advise you when you fight not to act like tigers and bears as these Virginians do – biting one another’s lips and noses off.” The southern backwoods brawling from the 18th century is reconstructed from both traveler accounts and their own oral traditions. Most of the people referred to in this text are common people that did not enjoy any privileges and also underwent economic oppression from the upper class strata (Gorn, 21). As depicted in the Gorn Elliot (2001), fights that took place in the mid 18th century were triggered by difference in social stratification. A fierce fight would arise when one called another, say, ‘buckskin’ a common nickname for a person that languished in adverse poverty, due to the cloths he put on. Another word that caused emotional detachment in men was ‘scotsman’ which was used to refer to a person was from the low-caste system of Scots-Irish descent who had settled in the southern highlands. Simple things like categorizing men to be from low economic regimes brought about such grievous fights, leading to understanding that the fights indicated a movement to protect not only their social life and status but also their economic prowess. Such rough-and-tumbling syndrome was highly noticeable throughout the south, but pugnacity was the order of the day in places such as the western parts of Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia and Kentucky, due to their hunting, herding and semi-subsistence farming practices. Market oriented produce and the growing of staple foods was hardly practiced, and all the people wanted was a social base, hence engaging in serious fights that often resulted in what would presently be referred to as grievous bodily harm. Toward the end of the century, however, men started to embrace gentleman characters such as Fithian. Those in the planter class slowly started distinguishing themselves from the inferior social class. This could only be done by adopting better manners, avoiding unnecessary fights and attending exhibitions of the manly arts. The protests were done to acquire social identity, and be affiliated with certain economic and social standards over the inferiors of the time. Expansion of the United States Slavery Amidst the division of the House of Representatives, US President Abraham Lincoln addresses the issue of whether or not a state should legislate and decide its position on issues of slavery and servitude. “A house divided against itself cannot stand”, indicated Lincoln, when he asked the house to consider that the US government is hesitant to manage half free and half slave states within its territory. In 1854, a revolutionary prohibition was declared and supported to ensure that states in the US did not segregate themselves and agree to be slave free zones (Annals of America, 3) A case involving the question of whether Negros were to be left free from slavery was submitted and heard by the US Supreme Court, and its decision was to be binding across the entire US territorial states. The case was later to be famously referred to as the Dred Scott case. Several aspects were to be determined after the decision of the landmark case. One was that no African Negro slave was to acquire citizenship of the United States, hence ensure that the Negros did not get any protection of citizens under the US Constitution. Second, no legislative body had rights to exclude slavery from their territories and the last bone of contention was whether or not a Negro slave in a free state had rights to due to the freedom nature of the state. Laws were sought to ensure an expanded base of slaves across the US for a long period of time. Political Rights – Sovereignty and Land Acquisition As from 1765 there was a real struggle in the United States (especially under the 13 American colonies) to acquire the self-governing rights. The move was conducted in the light of need for state sovereignty and self reliance. Under the 4th July Declaration, 1776 all the colonies declared as follows: “that they are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states; and that, as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do.” This depicted the dire need for state sovereignty and independence. There was also need to watch over government through voting, so as to keep checks and ensure that government forges the objectives of the people and the Constitution. The expansion of the United States is shown in form of political regime and rights, during and after independence regimes (Richardson, 2). Technically, fighting vehemently to acquire independence and take charge of the colonial states was a move to get the US land back to its rightful owners, who would vest interest in it and reap benefits that would accrue from the land (Yale Law School, 3). Land was known to be a valuable asset, and hence was worth the struggle to ensure benefits such as rates and lease payments to the government (referred to as the era of expansion and reform) and also benefit the private land owners who can set businesses and be productive (Sammis, 110). Works Cited Gorn Elliot. The Social Significance of Fighting in the Southern Backcountry. The American Historical Review, Volume 90, pp. 18-43. 2001. Print Annals of America. Lincoln’s “House Divided” speech. Africans in America. Retrieved on 26th April 2015 from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2934t.html .1968. Print Yale Law School. Confederate States of America – Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union. Retrieved on 26th April 2015 from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2934t.html. 1860. Print Richardson James. A Complication of the Messages and Papers of the Confederacy Including the Diplomatic Correspondence 1861-1865. Nashville: US Publishing Company. 1905. Print Sammis Kathy. The Era of Industrial Growth and Foreign Expansion. New York: Walch Publications. 2000. Print Read More