Explain the Historical Background to Huckleberry Finn

Huckleberry Finn plays an important role as an historical document as well as a literary classic. The novel, set in pre-Civil War Missouri, yet published after the war in 1885, confronts many of the major issues the nation faced during the middle part of the 19th century. The central historical dilemma in the novel, and the one that has caused much of the controversy over this book is the issue of slavery. Huck, in his early adolescent development, much like America during its adolescent stage of national development, is trying to reconcile his love of freedom and his ambiguous support of the existence of slavery. It is a testament to Twain s keen satirical eye, and his deft literary skill, that he is able to discuss the most painful national dilemma through the voice of a young boy's emerging adult conscience.

Slavery and Civil War

Slavery is one of the great scars of American History. In 1619 the first African slaves were sold in the colonies, and for the next two hundred and fifty years, Americans committed one of the greatest atrocities in our history. As the slave trade grew in the 17th and 18th centuries, slavery became an important part of the economy, especially in the South. Wealthy plantation owners needed cheap labor if they were to grow wealthier and they found that the exploitation of an entire race of people was the easiest and cheapest solution to their labor problem. Although no corner of the nation was completely unaffected by slavery, the greatest impact slavery had was on the Southern states and colonies. Fortunately, many Americans eventually recognized the brutality of this institution and thus began the abolitionist movement. One important aspect of this movement was the Underground Railroad, which assisted Southern slaves in escaping to freedom in the North.

Eventually the nation was divided by its opposing views on the issue and political power plays concerning slavery began to have a huge impact on our growing nation. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the nation had a vast amount of land to further develop and the question of whether or not these new territories would become slave states became a key issue in all discussions involving statehood. An important event in this ongoing debate was the Compromise of 1820, also known as the Missouri Compromise. Missouri, Mark Twain's home state, was admitted as a slave state with the understanding that all other states admitted the union north of 36 degrees, 30 minutes latitude would be free states. The goal was to maintain a balance of power between the North/free states and the South/slave states. The discovery of gold in California in 1848, and the land acquired during the Mexican-American War further complicated the delicate balance of power in relation to the slavery issue. On April 12th, 1861 the nation could no longer sustain the pressures caused by this great rift in its population, and the Civil War began. For four years the nation waged a brutal and devastating war with itself. The war claimed nearly 500,000 lives by the time it ended in April 1865. In December of 1865 the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution was ratified and provided that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude...shall exist within the United States." The 250 year-old debate over slavery was finally settled by the bloodiest war in American history.

Physical and Economic Expansion

In the novel Huckleberry Finn, Huck faces the most important transition period in his life- the tumultuous period of growth and expansion known as adolescence. During the novel he struggles with many of the same issues the United States struggled with during this period in American history. In the latter half of the 19th century, the United States experienced the greatest period of economic, geographical and population growth in its history. Growth and progress at any cost was the motto of the age; between 1865 and 1900, the population of the United States more than doubled and 9 new states were added. The expansion Westward helped to shape our national character, and by the time we reached the beginning of the 20th century, we were a full-fledged world power with a reputation for being rugged and independent. Much of that character was shaped by our experience with an ever-expanding frontier. In his famous Frontier Thesis, Frederick Jackson Turner claimed that the frontier had been the key to our vitality and progress. However, the US Census in 1890 showed that the frontier had officially ended. The end of the frontier led Americans to look abroad for other expansion opportunities, thus beginning a period of intense interest in foreign policy.

Development of Railroads

Perhaps no other machine had as much influence on the development of our nation as did the railroad. The development of the transcontinental railroad provided jobs for hundreds of thousands and fueled an industrial economy that created some of the greatest wealth this nation has ever known. This period also gave birth to a group of wealthy industrialists known as the robber barons who developed a reputation as a result of their new and often unethical business practices. The rails also allowed for products of the industrial boom to make their way to new markets. Chicago, because of its proximity to many of the nation's intersecting railroads, became America's agricultural capital. Much of the nation's livestock were shipped through the stockyards of Chicago. Additionally, railroads gave all Americans a greater mobility. One could now make a trip from coast to coast in a number of days when before it took several months or years of very dangerous travel. This encouraged people to move West to start new lives in areas where new opportunities existed.