Based upon your reading of these selected primary documents and incorporating such secondary sources as your textbook and notes, I would like you to answer the following 4 Questions. Please provide specific examples from these documents that support your arguments.
1) Under what grounds does Daniel Webster (Document #1) oppose the ability of a state to nullify federal laws, also known as the Doctrine of Nullification? What justifications does South Carolina (Document #2) employ to defend their decision to nullify federal laws? In comparing these two primary documents, whose arguments regarding the concept of nullification are most persuasive to you and why?
2) How did the Dred Scott Decision (Document #3) support the pro-slavery arguments regarding the ability of the federal government to restrict the expansion of slavery? What position did this Supreme Court decision assign people of African descent in the United States of America? What inconsistencies does Frederick Douglass (Document #4) identify with the founding principles of the nation and the current status of people of African descent within it? In what ways does the Dred Scott Decision confirm and/or challenge Douglass’ arguments?
3) What is the “irrepressible conflict” according to William H. Seward (Document #5) and how does he specifically define the two sides involved? How does Alexander Stephens (Document #6) define the Confederacy and why does he believe secession is justified and necessary? How does President Lincoln (Document #7) frame the Civil War and effort to restore the Union as a moral imperative?
4) In thinking about these primary documents and what you have learned in your course, should states have the power to nullify federal laws if they disagree with them? Why or why not? As part of your response, provide a specific case or issue (political, economic, social, or cultural) within the United States from the end of the Civil War until the present day where you could imagine a scenario in which nullification could play out and reflect upon both the positive and negative consequences of such action.
Please click the above document above for your HIST 1301 Course Final. You will find the documents you will need to analyze within this file as well as the required questions at the end. For this Course Final, you will be expected to:
1. Follow the formatting requirements of your previous PDA assignments (margins, font, font size, double spaced, etc). You do not have to tie the four questions together into a cohesive narrative, just answer each of the questions individually. You will submit this Course Final as a single paper with your individual responses to the four questions separated within it, either by numbers (1., 2., 3., and 4.), page breaks, or both.
2. Ensure that your responses to the (4) four required questions exceed a MINIMUM length of ONE FULL PAGE per question for a total submission length of over 4 full pages. The four required questions can be found by scrolling to the end of the Course Final document.
3. Use evidence provided by the documents as well as your knowledge gained throughout this course to support your arguments.
