Primary Source Essay
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Nov 24, 2024
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Primary Source Essay
Author/Creator
Based on the reading, the author of the source, Alexander Stephens, was the vice
president of the Confederate States of America at the time the source was written. The source is
based on his speech on March 21, 1861. The speech was titled “Cornerstone Speech,” the author
used the speech to explain the Southern perspective on the slavery institution and the
Confederate Constitution formation
(Stephens, 226)
. The details in the source that shed light on
the author is the call for recession, a stance held by the Southerners during the Civil War. This
information is essential in understanding the source, as viewing the author as a Southerner will
lead to a deeper understanding of the source in its context, both in time and the setting. Date(s)
The author is from one of the Southern states in the United States, and that’s why he
seemed to advocate for the continuity of the slavery institution. At the time the source was
created, the world was against the slavery institution that had done much harm to minority
groups, particularly people of African descent. The United States was divided on the issue at the
time, with the Northern states advocating for the abolition of slavery and the Southern States
calling for its continuation (Stephens, 226)
. The historical event that influenced the creation of
the source was the civil war that threatened to divide the country into two. The Southerners
threatened to call for secession due to the disagreements between the opposing sides.
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Audience
The primary source of this article was a speech titled “Cornerstone Speech” by Alexander
Stephens on March 21, 1861. The speech was intended for all proponents of the abolition of
slavery from the Northern States and was meant to justify secession as the only way out of the
conflict. However, the audience did not know the author’s point of view on the issue and forced
their point of view by declaring war on the Southern states (Stephens, 226)
. They won the war
and abolished slavery in the whole of the United States without bowing to the pressure of the call
for secession. The Northern states initiated the Civil War, defeated the Southern states, and
forced their interests in the constitution without giving in to the demands of the Southern states
on the abolition of slavery in the United States.
Purpose
The source was created to justify the call for secession by the Southern States. It also
shows the Southerner’s stand on forming the Confederate Constitution. I found a different reason
why the Southerners advocated for the continuity of slavery institutions rather than the obvious
economic reasons (Stephens, 226)
. The social reason is that the Northern States pretended to be
championing the rights of African Americans but were not ready to advocate a society anchored
on equality and equal opportunities for all races. In short, they had a “hidden” evil that would do
the same harm as slavery. The source never achieved its intended purpose, as the interests of the
Southerners were ignored soon after their defeat. Topic
The question I have for the source is the logic behind the decision not to abolish slavery.
The reasons given are pretty flawed as they tend to ride on the fact that the other side had its
share of racial inequalities. The different perspective I get on this source was the need for an
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autonomous government that would pass legislation based on their interests without fighting with
others. The source relates to what we already studied in class as it touches on a historical event
we discussed: the issue of slavery and the American Civil War.
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Work Cited
Stephens, Alexander H. "Cornerstone Speech."
March
21.1861 (1861): 226.