Explain who, what, when and why significant? Your answers should be at least 3 to 5 sentences in length. Choose four from the list below New York City draft riots “Three-Fifths Compromise” Abigail Adams "Trail of Tears" Battle of Trenton Emancip
### New York City Draft Riots
The New York City draft riots occurred in July 1863 during the American Civil War. The unrest was primarily a reaction to the enrollment of soldiers in the Union Army under the Conscription Act, which many perceived as unfair, particularly because wealthier individuals could pay to avoid the draft. The riots are significant as they highlighted deep social divisions, including racial tensions and class disparities. Working-class Irish immigrants, who felt threatened by competition from freed African Americans for jobs and housing, led the riots, resulting in widespread violence, destruction, and scores of deaths.
### Emancipation Proclamation
Issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation declared that all enslaved people in Confederate states were to be set free. This executive order marked a significant turning point in the Civil War, transforming the conflict from a battle to preserve the Union into a moral crusade against slavery. It also allowed for the recruitment of African American soldiers into the Union Army, bolstering its numbers and changing the dynamics of the war. Although it did not immediately free all enslaved individuals, it set the stage for the eventual abolition of slavery in the United States with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment.
### "Three-Fifths Compromise"
The "Three-Fifths Compromise" was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It established that for the purposes of taxation and representation in Congress, enslaved individuals would be counted as three-fifths of a person. This compromise was significant because it highlighted the contentious issue of slavery in the United States and sought to balance the interests of slaveholding and non-slaveholding states. Although it allowed the Constitution to be ratified, it embedded the institution of slavery further into the fabric of American political life, contributing to ongoing tensions that would eventually culminate in the Civil War.
### Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears refers to the forced relocation of Native American tribes, particularly the Cherokee, from their ancestral homelands in the southeastern United States to designated Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) during the 1830s. It was a direct result of the Indian Removal Act of 1830, championed by President Andrew Jackson, which aimed to open up valuable land for white settlers. The journey was marked by extreme hardship, suffering, and death, with thousands of Native Americans perishing due to disease, exposure, and starvation. The Trail of Tears is significant because it exemplifies the brutal policies of displacement and genocide facing indigenous peoples in the United States and serves as a reminder of the traumatic impacts of American expansionism.