Galaab Gandaria
HIS 3553
galaab34@yahoo.com
Dear Cousin,
Hope all is well in England and that life is treating you fairly. Unfortunately
things are not so well here in America. The country is at war with each other and is split
in two between the North and South parts of the country, in what has been called the
Civil War. I have become an avid supporter of our president Abraham Lincoln and his
efforts to win the civil war for the north. The north is fighting in this unjust war because
of several events that have unfolded over the last couple of years. Luckily I have stayed
current because our country does a good job of delivering the news in the newspaper.
It seems certain disagreements started after the Missouri compromise was
admitted. According to the newspaper, the Missouri Compromise was an effort by
Congress to defuse the sectional and political rivalries triggered by the request of
Missouri late in 1819 for admission as a state in which slavery would be permitted. At the
time, the United States contained twenty-two states, evenly divided between slave and
free. Admission of Missouri as a slave state would upset that balance; it would also set a
precedent for congressional agreement in the expansion of slavery. And from what I read
it seems that the United States seems to want to expand west. The desire for expansion
comes after the Mexican American war cousin. The United States acquires much land
west from a war with neighboring Mexico which most of us here in the north did not
agree with. Much of this land cousin is to be free of slavery and also Negros. But it seems
that the previous Missouri compromise has deterred the south wanting slavery in the new
acquired land. A speaker for the Republican Party in town told what follows next cousin
and I saw pictures in the newspaper.
Galaab Gandaria
HIS 3553
galaab34@yahoo.com
The U.S. Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act on May 30, 1854. It allowed
people in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska to decide for themselves whether or not
to allow slavery within their borders. The Act served to repeal the Missouri Compromise
of 1820, which prohibited slavery north. The Kansas-Nebraska Act infuriated many in the
North who considered the Missouri Compromise to be a long-standing binding
agreement. In the pro-slavery South it was strongly supported. After the KansasNebraska Act was passed, pro-slavery and anti-slavery supporters rushed in to settle
Kansas to affect the outcome of the first election held there after the law went into effect.
Pro-slavery settlers carried the election but were charged with fraud by anti-slavery
settlers, and they did not accept the results. The anti-slavery settlers held another election,
however pro-slavery settlers refused to vote. This resulted in the establishment of two
opposing legislatures within the Kansas territory. Violence soon erupted, with the antislavery forces led by John Brown. The territory earned the nickname "bleeding Kansas"
as the death toll rose. You see cousin, that because of these events the country is at war. It
seems that many southerners want to expand slavery and retain their power and
dominance over blacks. They fear the revolt of blacks upon release and the fact that every
white person could share living next to a black person. So due to these events over the
past years it was inevitable that a war would erupt. I am currently support the Republican
Party cousin, which seems to want to stop slavery and its heinous existence. During the
elections of 1860, I was at voters rally to support them. It seemed the Abraham Lincoln
was to win the presidency. But I feared that by Lincoln being president and his views on
slavery would ultimately provide ammunition for a split between the pro-slavery and the
anti-slavery people.
Galaab Gandaria
HIS 3553
galaab34@yahoo.com
Cousin, I recently was at rally where president Lincoln gave a speech and he
spoke of slavery and his vision. According to his speech it seems that president Lincoln
does not agree with slavery and he is not a slave master himself. But he mentions that he
holds no say in what the south does with slavery and so that the north should not interfere
with slave affairs. It seems cousin that president Lincoln only means to contain slavery
and not let it expand. He believes that by not letting slavery spread to northern and
western states that slavery will soon die out. Based on the speech I attended, president
Lincoln will end slavery in the near future and will end the war.
Sorry to write this letter cousin based on bad news and troubling times here in the
United States. Please cousin, pray for us and hopefully we pull out of this bad situation
and awful time. I feel that by voting and having my opinion felt somehow I can make a
difference in abolishing slavery along with some concerned citizens. Blacks should have
the same opportunities as the white man and should be able to pursuit happiness. Please
give my greetings to your family and do not trouble them with America’s dark times. I
love you cousin and please write to see how your life is.
Much love and greetings