Revolutionary Legacy and The Civil War

Slavery as the central conflict of the Civil War is a chiefly accepted proposition. What is less common is the certainty about the roots of this conflict that begat the political struggle which resulted in secession. What about the institution of slavery caused such a rift between North and South? In his article "The Declaration and the Conflict of Slavery," Jeremy Tewell invokes the memory of the American Revolution and its effects on the character of the conflict.

Central to Tewell's analysis is the Declaration of Independence, particularly the phrase "all men are created equal," and its influence on American thought. The document's attributed advocacy of universal liberty was frequently summoned by many opponents of slavery. This faction believed that universal liberty was the true and single safeguard of individual liberty; that any section of society could face justified enslavement as long as the institution was acceptable to society. It is the author's thesis that this belief was the driving force behind opposition to slavery, and that slavery's supporters were not convinced, choosing to interpret the Revolution as a repudiation of tyrannical government while maintaining that the abolition of slavery would infringe upon the freedom of whites who were probably the intended beneficiaries of the phrase.

Tewell apprises various debates in congress, along with Lincoln's famous rounds with Stephen Douglas, in which the Revolution's legacy, particularly the Declaration, is interpreted by the participants for justification of their perspectives. A particularly significant instance that Tewell utilizes is Indiana Senator John Pettit's 1854 proclamation that universal equality of men was a "self-evident lie." Pettit was apathetic towards the Declaration's  importance, and he was subsequently challenged by many, including those who were in agreement with him on the issue of slavery.

Also discussed is the 1857 Dred Scott decision and the interpretation of the Declaration by the Justices. Chief Justice Robert Taney had argued that the phrase was too loose, and held that Jefferson's, along with many other founders, behavior as a white slaveholder seemed to enhance the position that whites were the only equal men in question. Justice Benjamin Curtis offered his contrary opinion, which asserted that the founders' behaviors were not entirely indicative of their principles.

Tewell believes that this struggle over the Revolution's legacy provides a more fulfilling interpretation of the origins of the regional conflict than the previously promoted alternatives. The economic interpretation, for example, failed to distinguish the differences of opinion between Democrats and Republicans. To Tewell, the explanation for the conflict of slavery should be something basic to the society, and there is no more basic than the founding event of the country, the Revolution, and one of its most important documents, The Declaration of Independence.

Tewell, Jeremy J. "Jefferson's Declaration and the Conflict over Slavery." Civil War History 58, no. 5 (2012).