The Cornerstone Speech And The Thomas Nast s Cartoon

The cornerstone speech and the Thomas Nast’s cartoon The American Civil War erupted in 1861 due to the constitutional and ideological differences between the Northern and the Southern states. The North advocated for equality and protection of human rights. On the other hand, the South considered the white to be more equal than the blacks. There are two historical documents that bring out the picture of the United States during the 1860s. The documents are the cornerstone speech by Alexander H. Stephens and the editorial cartoon by Thomas Nast that depict the inauguration of President Lincoln on 23rd, March 1861. The documents bring out the racial and gender-based prejudice that was rampant in the American society during the 19th century. Stephens’s speech provided the principles of the Confederacy state that were in contrast to the policies of the Union.. Thomas Nast editorial cartoon shows the reaction of the North and South to the election of President Lincoln. The South despised Lincoln since he was against slavery. The cornerstone of the Confederacy According to Alexander H. Stephens, the cornerstone of the Confederacy was slavery. Stephens believed that the white were more superior to the blacks and deserved better privileges. It was the natural and moral right of the white to be superior and the black to be inferior. He considered slavery to be a natural and moral condition. Stephens was a strong advocate of slavery in America. The Southern States of America supportedShow MoreRelatedSlavery And The American Civil War1125 Words   |  5 Pagesrole in the origins of the Civil War. The origins of the Civil War can also be attributed to the political, economical, social, and cultural differences between the North and South during the 1800s. The Cornerstone Speech by Alexander Stephens, Vice President of Confederacy, and the Nast’s cartoon of President Lincoln’s inaugural allow historians to gain a deeper understanding about the causes of the Civil War, and also allow historians to learn how the differences between t he North and South led