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VOICE ONE:
THE MAKING OF A NATION -- a program in Special English.
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As we reported last week, Spain asked Europe to help it put downa rebellion among Spanish colonies in latin America. Some of thesecolonies had overthrown their Spanish rulers and declared themselvesindependent. Britain wanted no part of the Spanish proposal. Britainwas trading heavily with these new Latin American countries. Spanishor even French control of this area would destroy or limit thistrade. So Britain proposed a joint statement with the United Statesthat neither country wanted any of Spain's territory in the NewWorld. Britain also wanted the United States to join in opposing thetransfer of any of Spain's American territories to any other powerin Europe.
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Most of President James Monroe's advisors urged him to accept theBritish offer. Secretary of state John Quincy Adams opposed it. Hedid not believe the United States should tie itself to any Europeanpower, even Britain. Monroe accepted the advice of his Secretary ofState. He included Adams' ideas in his message to Congress inDecember, 1823. This part of the message became known as the "MonroeDoctrine. " The president said no European power should, in thefuture, try to establish a colony anywhere in the Americas. He saidthe political system of the European powers was very different fromthat of the Americas. Monroe said any attempt to extend thisEuropean system to any of the Americas would threaten the peace andsafety of the United States.
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The president also said the United States had not interfered withthe colonies of any European power in South America and would not doso in the future. But, said Monroe, a number of these formercolonies had become independent countries. And the United States hadrecognized their independence. We would see it as an unfriendly act,he said, for any European power to try to oppress or control thesenew American countries in any way. At the same time, Monroe said,the United States never had -- and never would -- take part in anywar among the European powers. This statement of Monroe's was onlypart of a presidential message to Congress. But it clearly statedone of the most important of America's foreign policies.
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The nation had continued to grow during Monroe's term aspresident. A number of new states were added to the union. Indiana,Mississippi, Illinois, and Alabama all became states before 1820.Louisiana had become the first state to be formed from part of theLouisiana territory that the United States bought from France. Therest of this great area was given the name of the Missouriterritory. By 1819, there were enough people in part of the Missouriterritory for that part to become a state. It would be known as thestate of Missouri. But Missouri could not become a state without theapproval of Congress. And this approval was almost impossible toget.
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The problem was slavery. Slaves were not new in America. Spainhad brought them to the west indies hundreds of years before. In1619, a ship brought 20 African slaves to Jamestown, Virginia. Theseblack men were sold to farmers. Over the years, the use of slavesspread to all the American colonies. There were many more slaves inthe agricultural south than in the north. The farms in the northwere smaller and needed less man-power. But in the south, farms weremuch larger, and needed many men. Slaves were the least expensiveform of labor. Most of the northern states had passed laws before1800 freeing slaves. Even the southern states made it illegal toimport more slaves from Africa. But those southerners who alreadyowned slaves believed they were necessary, and they refused to freethem.
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Slavery had been legal when France and Spain controlled theLouisiana territory. The United States did nothing to change thiswhen it purchased the area. So slavery was permitted in the Missouriterritory at the time it asked for statehood. A New Yorkcongressman, James Tallmadge, offered an amendment to Missouri'srequest to become a state. Tallmadge proposed that no more slaves bebrought into Missouri, and that the children of slaves already therebe freed at the age of 25. His proposal started a debate that lasteda year. Supporters of Tallmadge argued that his proposed amendmentwas constitutional. The constitution, they said, gave Congress theright to admit new states into the union. This also meant, theysaid, that Congress could refuse to admit new states unless thesestates met conditions demanded by Congress.
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Supporters of the amendment also said small farmers of the northand east could not compete with the southern farmers and the freelabor of slaves. They argued that these northern and eastern farmershad as much right to the land of Missouri as anyone else. TheLouisiana territory had been paid for by the taxes of all Americans.Those opposed to slavery also argued that slave-holding states wouldbe given too great a voice in the government if Missouri joinedthem. Under the constitution, three of every five slaves wereincluded in the population count to decide membership in the Houseof Representatives. In the past, each time a slave state wasadmitted to the union, a free state also had been admitted. Thiskept a balance in Congress.
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Southerners had an answer for each argument of those supportingthe Tallmadge amendment. They agreed that Congress had theconstitutional right to admit or reject a state. But they saidCongress did not have the right to make conditions for a territoryto become a state. William Pinkney of Maryland argued that statesalready in the union had joined without any conditions. If Congress,he declared, had the right to set conditions for new states, thenthese new states would not be equal to the old ones. The UnitedStates no longer would be a union of equal states. The debate wasviolent on both sides. Representative Howell Cobb of Georgia toldTallmadge: "You have started a fire. All the waters of the oceanscannot put it out. Only seas of blood can do so."
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The House of Representativespassed the Missouri bill with the Tallmadge amendment. It wasrejected by the Senate. The people of Missouri would try again forstatehood when the new Congress met in 1820. By this time, anotherfree state was ready to enter the union. Maine -- with thepermission of Massachusetts -- asked to become a separate state.Once again, a New York congressman tried to put a condition onstatehood for Missouri. He offered an amendment that Missouri shouldagree never to permit any kind of slavery inside its borders. HouseSpeaker Henry Clay said that as long as any kind of condition wasput on Missouri, he could never permit Maine to become a state. Claywas not strong enough to prevent the House from approving statehoodfor Maine. This bill was sent to the Senate for its approval. TheSenate, however, joined the Maine bill with the one for unlimitedstatehood for Missouri. Senators refused to separate the two.
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Finally, Senator Thomas of Illinois offered a compromise. He saidMissouri should be admitted as a state permitting slavery. But, hesaid no other state permitting slavery could be formed from thenorthern part of the Louisiana territory. The compromise wasaccepted. And Congress approved statehood both for Missouri andMaine. But they would not become states until President Monroesigned the bills. President Monroe had to make a difficult decision.He was a slave-holder. Many of his friends urged him to veto thebills, which would limit slavery in the Louisiana territory. Andelectors would soon be chosen for the next presidential election.Still, a decision had to be made. That will be our story in the nextprogram of THE MAKING OF A NATION.
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VOICE ONE:
You have been listening to the Special English program, THEMAKING OF A NATION. Your narrators were Maurice Joyce and HarryMonroe. Our program was written by Frank Beardsley. THE MAKING OF ANATION can be heard on Thursdays.