chapter 8: Missouri compromise/ John Adams

It was interesting and sad to read how slavery can tear apart a nation apart and even slavery had separated the nation. I think the Missouri Compromise had a big contribution to separating the nation more than it was already. The nation was so concerned about making Missouri a slave state or not that it practically had the north and the south turning against each other. I was influenced that the Missouri Comprise was the right decision at that time, because it pleased both the north and south by making slave states and not slave states equal. I thinking the people of the north who agreed with the Missouri Comprise, in a way was supporting slavery instead of trying to end it. I wonder what the outcome would have been if the union declared Missouri as a not slave state. Would it have brought the nation closer to ending slavery or would it have started a rebellion.

Slavery is a very touchy subject since the 1800's and now. I believe the men who wrote the Declaration of independence and Constitution was more specific in who are considered “all men are equal”, such as whom does “men” apply to. If they were specific and said everyone is equal and entitled to their rights then it could have helped end slavery. The slaves would have been entitled to the same rights as the white men. It may have started a lot of controversy at the time but, everyone would have learned just to accept it as being part of the new nation. It could have saved a lot more time in stopping slavery. But then again slavery has to do with racism, and there was a lot of racism at that time specifically from the people who wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. As much as I and so many others want to stop racism, it will always be present in this world.  

An important figure that I thought arose from after the Missouri compromise was John Adams. As reading I got the impression that Adams was a very determined, stubborn man. Due to him being so focused on making the United States be the the entire continent of North America. He was willing to do whatever or support whom ever to help expand the United States. In him expanding the United States he did so very smarty by not breaking any ties or upsetting the British or Spanish. He was a big impact on the United States.