| History Of Slavery In Nebraska |
Article Index for History Of |
Shopping Slavery |
Website Links For History |
Information AboutHistory Of Slavery In Nebraska |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT HISTORY OF SLAVERY IN NEBRASKA | |
| history of nebraska | |
| history of slavery in the united states | |
| nebraska | |
|
EARLY DEVELOPMENTS The very first recorded instance of a Black Person in the area what would become Nebraska was a slave. York , a slave belonging to William Clark , traveled along the Missouri River in 1804 and 1806 as part of the Lewis And Clark Expedition 's exploration of the Louisiana Purchase . In 1820, the Missouri Compromise was passed by the United States Congress ; this legislation prohibited slavery in the unorganized lands that would later become Nebraska Territory . The topic of slavery in Nebraska would not be revisited until 1854. KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACT The Nebraska Territory was created in 1854 with the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act ; the act overturned the Missouri Compromise, allowing the Nebraska and Kansas territories to permit or abolish slavery. A recurring topic of debate from 1855 onward in the Territorial Legislature was the presence and persistence of slavery.Bristow, D. (2002) ''A Dirty, Wicked Town: Tale of 19th Century Omaha.'' Caxton Press. In the meantime, a small number of slaves entered the territory. "In Nebraska the people never voted for slavery, but people coming here from the South brought slaves with them. In 1855 there were thirteen slaves in Nebraska and in 1860 there were ten. Most of these were held at Nebraska City ."Sheldon, A. (nd) Slavery in Nebraska , ''Sheldon's History and Stories of Nebraska.'' Retrieved 5/29/07. In 1859, the ''Daily Nebraskian'' newspaper reported its favoring of Slavery , writing, :The bill introduced in City Council, for the Abolition Of Slavery in this Territory, was called up yesterday, and its further consideration postponed for two weeks. A strong effort will be made among the Republicans to secure its passage; we think, however, it will fail. The farce certainly cannot be enacted if the Democrats do their duty. A ''Daily Nebraskian'' newspaper editorial from 1859, as quoted in Bristow, D. (2002) ''A Dirty, Wicked Town: Tale of 19th Century Omaha.'' Caxton Press. During that same period, several local newspapers openly editorialized against the presence of blacks in Omaha, for the Confederacy and against the election and re-election of Abraham Lincoln .Several sources in Bristow, D. (2002) Nebraska Territory Governor Samuel W. Black vetoed two antislavery bills during these years, arguing that Popular Sovereignty , as defined by the Kansas-Nebraska Act, made it the responsibility of the drafters of the state constitution to outlaw slavery, as opposed to the Territorial Legislature. There were many legislators who argued that Nebraska simply did not need a law because slavery did not exist "in any practical form" in the state.Potter, J. (2004) and Nebraska . Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 6/7/07. The ''Daily Nebraskian'' quoted the '' Chicago Times And Herald '' in 1860, reporting that a slave from Omaha named "Eliza" was arrested in Chicago . The slave reportedly belonged to Mr. S. F. Nuckolls at Nebraska City, whom Nuckolls County, Nebraska was named for. A census from the 1860 showed that of the 81 Negroes in Nebraska, 10 of them were slaves.(1938) Authur Goodlett . American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1940. Answering the criticism of legislators who were against making a law, Mr. Little, a legislator, remarked in session that, :The opponents of this measure have not a single reason to advance why this bill should not pass. They put forth, however, some excuses for opposing it. They come forth with the miserable plea that they are opposed to blotting our statute books with useless legislation. Sir, this is not so much a plea against this law as it is in favor of blotting our territory with slavery. They say that slavery does not exist here, and that this measure is useless. This excuse will not now hold good, for a president's message has just reached us, in which it is declared, and in this opinion he is backed by a powerful party, that men have the right to bring slaves here, and to hold them as such, and that this is slave territory... If the friends of slavery insist that they have the right to hold slaves here, shall we tamely submit to it? If they insist on making this a slave territory, which they do, shall we not insist that it shall be forever free? [http://www.rootsweb.com/~neresour/OLLibrary/Comp_NE/cmp0092.htm Chapter VI. Miscellaneous historical matters: The locust or grasshoppers]. ''Compendium of history, reminiscence and biography.'' NebGenWeb.Com. p. 98. Retrieved 6/7/07. In 1861 a bill prohibiting slavery in Nebraska was passed by the territorial legislature and vetoed by the governor. Subsequently, the veto was overridden by a vote of ten to three in the Territory Council, and thirty-three to three in the Territorial House.(nd) Education Timeline . Omaha Public Library. Retrieved 5/30/07. A clause in the proposed Nebraska State Constitution of 1866 limited Voting Rights in the state to "free white males". This clause delayed Nebraska from entering the Union for nearly a year. MAYHEW CABIN Located just outside of , one of the first black churches built west of the Missouri River. About Nebraska City: Mayhew Cabin SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
REFERENCES |
|
|