├── README.md ├── avalon.py ├── pandocket-output.md ├── pandocket.py └── sources.txt /README.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | pandocket 2 | ========= 3 | 4 | A python script that looks for special lines in a markdown file and uses those lines to convert, clean up, and insert content from URLs into the file for processing by pandoc 5 | 6 | # Basic Usage 7 | 8 | Pandocket is a python wrapper for pandoc mashed together with BeautifulSoup. It looks through a markdown "input" file (specified at the command line) until it sees a stand-alone line that begins with "http". It then uses information in that line to go to the URL, grab the content, and parse it using BeautifulSoup. 9 | 10 | The trigger lines should look like this: 11 | 12 | http://www.example.com | div > class=content 13 | 14 | Pandocket knows that everything to the left of the first bar is the URL that you want to grab content from. To the right of the first bar you should place information about the tag that wraps the specific content from the page that you want. The name on the left of `>` is the tag name, and the text on the right is one of that tag's attributes. (If the content you want isn't contained within a tag that has attributes, you can also just put a tag name. For instance, you can be greedy about grabbing content by simply putting `body` in this space.) 15 | 16 | After "expanding" these trigger lines with the content from the specified URLs, pandocket creates three "output" files by default---a markdown (*.md) file, a PDF file, and an EPUB file---using pandoc. 17 | 18 | The markdown file is produced so that the user can clean up any problems in the content grabbed from the web. The outputted markdown file, once manually cleaned, can either be processed at the command line using pandoc or passed back through pandocket as the new input file. 19 | 20 | An example input file called `sources.txt` is included in this repository, together with its markdown output file `pandocket-output.md`. In a real-world scenario, the user might want to delete a few lines from this output file before converting into PDF, but even the PDF produced from this output file is very readable. 21 | 22 | To run the program, give the source file first and then the desired basename for output files, followed by any options. 23 | 24 | E.g.: 25 | 26 | pandocket.py sources.txt lincoln-docs --noimages --toc 27 | 28 | # Options 29 | 30 | ## `-h`, `--help` 31 | 32 | See a list of the main pyandocket options and positional arguments. 33 | 34 | ## `--mdonly` 35 | 36 | The `--mdonly` option will suppress the EPUB and PDF output. Use this if you are using the main `pyandoc` project instead of the yoavram fork. 37 | 38 | ## `--noimages` 39 | 40 | The `--noimages` option will strip all `` tags from the HTML content. This is recommended if you are using PDF and EPUB output, since those outputs will usually fail if the content you are parsing has image links in it. 41 | 42 | ## Any pandoc options 43 | 44 | If you are using the yoavram fork of pyandoc (see below for dependencies), you can supply (almost) any of pandoc's regular options at the command line so long as you use the longer "two-dash" form of the option. (E.g., `--standalone` instead of `-s`.) See known issues for problems. 45 | 46 | ## Additional user-defined filtering 47 | 48 | Users who are familiar with beautifulsoup can create their own modules that add additional filtering to the HTML content. Create a file with your module that includes a function called `pandocket`. Then, on the trigger line in your source file, add a second bar at the end of the line, followed by your module's name. 49 | 50 | For example, to remove the byline from posts on my old blog Mode for Caleb, I might create a file called `modeforcaleb.py` that contains this: 51 | 52 | # modeforcaleb.py 53 | def pandocket(soup): 54 | soup.find("div", class_="byline").decompose() 55 | return soup 56 | 57 | Then I could include a trigger line like this in my source file: 58 | 59 | http://modeforcaleb.blogspot.com/2004/12/lives-of-douglass-part-i.html | div > class=blogPost | modeforcaleb 60 | 61 | The only important thing here, from pandocket's perspective, is that the function be called `pandocket`. 62 | 63 | An example module of this kind is included in this repository as `avalon.py`, and is used in the example `sources.txt` file also included here. 64 | 65 | # Known Issues 66 | 67 | - If the HTML content grabbed from the web uses "span" tags to provide formatting like italics, pandoc will lose the formatting. Basically, if the HTML is not well-formed, you're on your own. 68 | - You can't enter pandoc options that include strings with quotes, like `--variable=header-includes:'\setromanfont{TeX Gyre Pagella}'` 69 | 70 | # Dependencies 71 | 72 | - [BeautifulSoup](http://www.crummy.com/software/BeautifulSoup/) 73 | - [pyandoc](http://github.com/kennethreitz/pyandoc) 74 | - [Pandoc](http://johnmacfarlane.et) 75 | - *optional*: [yoavram](http://github.com/yoavram/pyandoc) fork of pyandoc for automatic PDF and EPUB output 76 | - *optional*: LaTeX for PDF output by pandoc 77 | 78 | # TODO 79 | 80 | A *ton*, beginning with a better README.md. 81 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /avalon.py: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | def pandocket(soup): 2 | for table in soup.find_all("table", class_="site-menu"): 3 | table.decompose() 4 | soup.find("table", class_="page-menu").decompose() 5 | return soup 6 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /pandocket-output.md: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | % Some Slavery Milestones in U.S. History 2 | % W. Caleb McDaniel 3 | % December 8, 2012 4 | 5 | This packet contains the text of some important legislative documents pertaining to slavery and antislavery in U.S. history. The source of the text is provided after each excerpt. 6 | 7 | # Pennsylvania Emancipation Law of 1780 8 | 9 | > During and after the American Revolution, Northern states began passing gradual emancipation laws. One of the first such laws was passed by Pennsylvania in 1780. 10 | 11 | Pennsylvania - An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery, 1780 12 | 13 | *SECTION 1.* WHEN we contemplate our abhorrence of that condition to 14 | which the arms and tyranny of Great Britain were exerted to reduce us; 15 | when we look back on the variety of dangers to which we have been 16 | expofed, and how miraculously our wants in many inftances have been 17 | fupplied, and our deliverances wrought, when even hope and human 18 | fortitude have become unequal to the conflict; we are unavoidably led to 19 | a ferious and grateful fence of the manifold bleffings which we have 20 | undeservedly received from the hand of that Being from whom every good 21 | and perfect gift cometh. Impreffed with there ideas, we conceive that it 22 | is our duty, and we rejoice that it is in our power to extend a portion 23 | of that freedom to others, which hath been extended to us; and a releafe 24 | from that state of thraldom to which we ourfelves were tyrannically 25 | doomed, and from which we have now every profpect of being delivered. It 26 | is not for us to enquire why, in the creation of mankind, the 27 | inhabitants of the feveral parts of the earth were diftinguifhed by a 28 | difference in feature or complexion. It is fufficient to know that all 29 | are the work of an Almighty Hand. We find in the distribution of the 30 | human fpecies, that the moft fertile as well as the moft barren parts of 31 | the earth are inhabited by men of complexions different from ours, and 32 | from each other; from whence we may reasonably, as well as religiously, 33 | infer, that He who placed them in their various situations, hath 34 | extended equally his care and protection to all, and that it becometh 35 | not us to counteract his mercies. We efteem it a peculiar bleffing 36 | granted to us, that we are enabled this day to add one more ftep to 37 | univerfal civilization, by removing as much as poffible the forrows of 38 | thofe w ho have lived in undeferved bondage, and from which, by the 39 | assumed authority of the kings of Great Britain, no effectual, legal 40 | relief could be obtained. Weaned by a long courfe of experience from 41 | thofe narrower prejudices and partialities we had imbibed, we find our 42 | hearts enlarged with kindness and benevolence towards men of all 43 | conditions and nations; and we conceive ourfelves at this particular 44 | period extraordinarily called upon, by the bleffings which we have 45 | received, to manifeft the fincerity of our profeffion, and to give a 46 | Substantial proof of our gratitude. 47 | 48 | *SECT. 2.* And whereas the condition of thofe perfons who have 49 | heretofore been denominated Negro and Mulatto flaves, has been attended 50 | with circumftances which not only deprived them of the common bleffings 51 | that they were by nature entitled to, but has caft them into the deepeft 52 | afflictions, by an unnatural feparation and fale of hufband and wife 53 | from each other and from their children; an injury, the greatnefs of 54 | which can only be conceived by fuppofing that we were in the fame 55 | unhappy cafe. In juftice therefore to perfons So unhappily 56 | circumftanced, and who, having no profpect before them whereon they may 57 | reft their forrows and their hopes, have no reasonable inducement to 58 | render their fervice to fociety, which they otherwise might; and also in 59 | grateful commemoration of our own happy deliverance from that ftate of 60 | unconditional fubmiffion to which we were doomed by the tyranny of 61 | Britain. 62 | 63 | *SECT. 3.* Be it enacted, and it is hereby enacted, by the 64 | reprefentatives of the freeman of the commonwealth of Pennfylvania, in 65 | general affembly met, and by the authority of the fame, That all 66 | perfons, as well Negroes and Mulattoes as others, who fhall be born 67 | within this ftate from and after the paffing of this act, fhall not be 68 | deemed and confidered as fervants for life, or flaves; and that all 69 | fervitude for life, or flavery of children, in confequence of the 70 | flavery of their mothers, in the cafe of all children born within this 71 | ftate, from and after the paffing of this act as aforefaid, fhall be, 72 | and hereby is utterly taken away, extinguifhed and for ever abolifhed. 73 | 74 | *SECT. 4.* Provided always, and be it further enacted by the authority 75 | aforefaid, That every Negro and Mulatto child born within this ftate 76 | after the paffing of this act as aforefaid (who would, in cafe this act 77 | had not been made, have been born a fervent for years, or life, or a 78 | flave) fhall be deemed to be and fhall be by virtue of this act the 79 | fervant of fuch perfon or his or her affigns, who would in fuch cafe 80 | have been entitled to the fervice of fuch child, until fuch child fhall 81 | attain unto the age of twenty eight years, in the manner and on the 82 | conditions whereon fervants bound by indenture for four years are or may 83 | be retained and holder; and fhall be liable to like correction and 84 | punifhment, and entitled to like relief in cafe he or fhe be evilly 85 | treated by his or her mafter or miftrefs, and to like freedom dues and 86 | other privileges as fervants bound by indenture for four years are or 87 | may be entitled, unlefs the perfon to whom the fervice of any fuch child 88 | fhall belong fhall abandon his or her claim to the fame; in which cafe 89 | the overfeers of the poor of the city, township or diftrict 90 | refpectively, where fuch child fhall be So abandoned, fhall by indenture 91 | bind out every child fo abandoned, as an apprentice for a time not 92 | exceeding the age herein before limited for the fervice of fuch 93 | children. 94 | 95 | *SECT. 5.* And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That 96 | every person, who is or fhall be the owner of any Negro or Mulatto flave 97 | or fervant for life or till the age of thirty one years, now within this 98 | ftate, or his lawful attorney, fhall on or before the faid firft day of 99 | November next deliver or calm to be delivered in writing to the clerk of 100 | the peace of the county, or to the clerk of the court of record of the 101 | city of Philadelphia, in which he or fhe fhall respectively inhabit, the 102 | name and furname and occupation or profeffion of fuch owner, and the 103 | name of the county and townfhip, diftrict or ward wherein he or fhe 104 | refideth; and alfo the name and names of any fuch flave and flaves, and 105 | fervant and fervants for life or till the age of thirty one years, 106 | together with their ages and fexes feverally and refpectively fet forth 107 | and annexed, by fuch perfon owned or ftatedly employed and then being 108 | within this ftate, in order to afcertain and diftinguifh the flaves and 109 | fervants for life, and till the age of thirty one years, within this 110 | ftate, who fhall be fuch on the faid firft day of November next, from 111 | all other perfons; which particulars fhall by faid clerk of the feffions 112 | asked clerk of the faid city court be entered in books to be provided 113 | for that purpofe by the faid clerks; and that no Negro or Mulatto, now 114 | within this ftate, fhall from and after the faid firft day of November, 115 | be deemed a flave or fervant for life, or till the age of thirty one 116 | years, unlefs his or her name fhall be entered as aforefaid on fuch 117 | record, except fuch Negro and Mulatto flaves and fervants as are herein 118 | after excepted; the faid clerk to be entitled to a fee of two dollars 119 | for each flave or fervant fo entered as aforefaid from the treafurer of 120 | the county, to be allowed to him in his accounts. 121 | 122 | *SECT. 6.* Provided always, That any perfon, in whom the ownerfhip or 123 | right to the fervice of any Negro or Mulatto fhall be vefted at the 124 | paffing of this act, other than fuch as are herein before excepted, his 125 | or her heirs, executors, adminiftrators and affigns, and all and every 126 | of them feverally fhall be liable to the overfeers of the poor of the 127 | city, townfhip or diftrict to which any fuch Negro or Mulatto fhall 128 | become chargeable, for fuch neceffary expence, with cofts of fuit 129 | thereon, as fuch overfeers may be put to, through the neglect of the 130 | owner, mafter or miftrefs of fuch Negro or Mulatto; notwithfhanding the 131 | name and other defcriptions of fuch Negro or Mulatto fhall not be 132 | entered and recorded as aforefaid; unlefs his or her maftcr or owner 133 | fhall before fuch flave or fervant attain his or her twenty eighth year 134 | execute and record in the proper county a deed or inftrumcnt, fecuring 135 | to fuch flave or or fervant his or her freedom. 136 | 137 | *SECT. 7.* And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That 138 | the offences and crimes of Negroes and Mulattoes, as well flaves and 139 | fervants as freemen, fhall be enquired of, adjudged, corrected and 140 | punifhed in like manner as the offences and crimes of the other 141 | inhabitants of this ftate are and fhall be enquired of, adjudged, 142 | corrected and punifhed, and not otherwife; except that a flave fhall not 143 | be admitted to bear witnefs againft a freeman. 144 | 145 | *SECT. 8.* And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That in 146 | all cafes wherein fentence of death fhall be pronounced againft a flave, 147 | the jury before whom he or fhe fhall be tried, fhall appraife and 148 | declare the value of fuch flave; and in cafe fuch fentence be executed, 149 | the court fhall make an order on the ftate treasurer, payable to the 150 | owner for the fame and for the cofts of profecution; but cafe of 151 | remiffion or mitigation, for the cofts only. 152 | 153 | *SECT. 9.* And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That 154 | the reward for taking up runaway and abfconding Negro and Mulatto flaves 155 | and fervants, and the penalties for enticing away, dealing with, or 156 | harbouring, concealing or employing Negro and Mulatto flaves and 157 | fervants, fhall be the fame, and fhall be recovered in like manner as in 158 | cafe of fervants bound for four years. 159 | 160 | *SECT. 10.* And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That 161 | no man or woman of any nation or colour, except the Negroes or Mulattoes 162 | who fhall be regiftered as aforefaid, fhall at any time hereafter be 163 | deemed, adjudged, or holden within the territories of this commonwealth 164 | as flaves or fervants for life, but as free men and free women; except 165 | the domestic flaves attending upon delegates in congrefs from the other 166 | American ftates, foreign minifters and confuls, and perfons paffing 167 | through or fojourning in this ftate, and not becoming refident therein; 168 | and feamen employed in fhips not belonging to any inhabitant of this 169 | ftate, nor employed in any fhip owned by any fuch inhabitant. Provided 170 | fuch domeftic flaves be not aliened or fold to any inhabitants nor 171 | (except in the cafe of members of congrefs, foreign minifters and 172 | confuls) retained in this ftate longer than fix months. 173 | 174 | *SECT. 11.* Provided always; And be it further enacted by the authority 175 | aforefaid, That this act or any thing in it contained fhall not give any 176 | relief or fhelter to any abfconding or runaway Negro or Mulatto flave or 177 | fervant, who has absented himfelf or fhall absent himfelf from his or 178 | her owner, mafter or miftrefs refiding in any other ftate or country, 179 | but fuch owner, mafter or miftrefs fhall have like right and aid to 180 | demand, claim and take away his flave or fervant, as he might have had 181 | in cafe this act had not been made: And that all Negro and Mulatto 182 | flaves now owned and heretofore refident in this ftate, who have 183 | abfented themfelves, or been clandeftinely carried away, or who may be 184 | employed abroad as feamen and have not returned or been brought back to 185 | their owners, mafters or miftreffes, before the paffing of this act, may 186 | within five years be regiftered as effectually as is ordered by this act 187 | concerning thofe who are now within the ftate, on producing fuch flave 188 | before any two juftices of the peace, and fatisfying the faid juftices 189 | by due proof of the former refidence, abfconding, taking away, or 190 | abfence of fuch flaves as aforefaid; who thereupon fhall direct and 191 | order the said flave to be entered on the record as aforefaid. 192 | 193 | *SECT. 12.* And whereas attempts maybe made to evade this act, by 194 | introducing into this ftate Negroes and Mulatoes bound by covenant to 195 | ferve for long and unreafonable terms of years, if the fame be not 196 | prevented: 197 | 198 | *SECT. 13.* Be it therefore enacted by the authority aforefaid, That no 199 | covenant of perfonal fervitude or apprenticefhip whatfoever fhall be 200 | valid or binding on a Negro or Mulatto for a longer time than feven 201 | years, unlefs fuch fervant or apprentice were at the commencement of 202 | fuch fervitude or apprenticefhip under the age of twenty one years; in 203 | which cafe fuch Negro or Mulatto may be holden as a fervant or 204 | apprentice refpectively, according to the covenant, as the cafe fhall 205 | be, until he or fhe fhall attain the age of twenty eight years, but no 206 | longer. 207 | 208 | *SECT. 14.* And be it further enacted by the authority aforefaid, That 209 | an act of affembly of die province of Pennfylvania, paffed in the year 210 | one thousand Seven hundred and five, intitled, "an Act for the trial of 211 | Negroes;" and another act of affembly of the faid province, paffed in 212 | the year one thousand feven hundred and twenty five, intitled, "An Act 213 | for the better regulating of Negroes in this province; " and another act 214 | of affembly of the faid province, paffed in the year one thousand feven 215 | hundred and fixty one, intitled, .. An Act for laying a duty on Negro 216 | and Mulatto flaves imported into this province; " and also another act 217 | of affembly of the faid province, paffed in the year one thousand feven 218 | hundred and feventy three, inititled, "An Act making perpetual an Act 219 | laying a duty on Negro and Mulatto flaves imported into this province, 220 | and for laying an additional duty faid flaves," fhall be and are hereby 221 | repealed, annulled and made void. 222 | 223 | JOHN BAYARD, SPEAKER 224 | 225 | Enabled into a law at Philadelphia, on Wednefday, the firft day of 226 | March, A.D. 1780 227 | 228 | 229 | 230 | 231 | *Source*: 232 | 233 | ## Questions 234 | 235 | 1. How many slaves living in Pennsylvania in 1780 were freed as a result of this law? 236 | 237 | 2. Under what conditions was emancipation promised to enslaved people in Pennsylvania? 238 | 239 | --- 240 | 241 | # Northwest Ordinance of 1787 242 | 243 | > This ordinance, passed by the Second Continental Congress, prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude in the Northwest Territory, which later became the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. 244 | 245 | [](print_friendly.php?page=transcript&doc=8&title=Transcript+of+Northwest+Ordinance+%281787%29) 246 | 247 | **An Ordinance for the government of the Territory of the United States 248 | northwest of the River Ohio.** 249 | 250 | **Section 1.** Be it ordained by the United States in Congress 251 | assembled, That the said territory, for the purposes of temporary 252 | government, be one district, subject, however, to be divided into two 253 | districts, as future circumstances may, in the opinion of Congress, make 254 | it expedient. 255 | 256 | **Sec 2.** Be it ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the estates, 257 | both of resident and nonresident proprietors in the said territory, 258 | dying intestate, shall descent to, and be distributed among their 259 | children, and the descendants of a deceased child, in equal parts; the 260 | descendants of a deceased child or grandchild to take the share of their 261 | deceased parent in equal parts among them: And where there shall be no 262 | children or descendants, then in equal parts to the next of kin in equal 263 | degree; and among collaterals, the children of a deceased brother or 264 | sister of the intestate shall have, in equal parts among them, their 265 | deceased parents' share; and there shall in no case be a distinction 266 | between kindred of the whole and half blood; saving, in all cases, to 267 | the widow of the intestate her third part of the real estate for life, 268 | and one third part of the personal estate; and this law relative to 269 | descents and dower, shall remain in full force until altered by the 270 | legislature of the district. And until the governor and judges shall 271 | adopt laws as hereinafter mentioned, estates in the said territory may 272 | be devised or bequeathed by wills in writing, signed and sealed by him 273 | or her in whom the estate may be (being of full age), and attested by 274 | three witnesses; and real estates may be conveyed by lease and release, 275 | or bargain and sale, signed, sealed and delivered by the person being of 276 | full age, in whom the estate may be, and attested by two witnesses, 277 | provided such wills be duly proved, and such conveyances be 278 | acknowledged, or the execution thereof duly proved, and be recorded 279 | within one year after proper magistrates, courts, and registers shall be 280 | appointed for that purpose; and personal property may be transferred by 281 | delivery; saving, however to the French and Canadian inhabitants, and 282 | other settlers of the Kaskaskies, St. Vincents and the neighboring 283 | villages who have heretofore professed themselves citizens of Virginia, 284 | their laws and customs now in force among them, relative to the descent 285 | and conveyance, of property. 286 | 287 | **Sec. 3.** Be it ordained by the authority aforesaid, That there shall 288 | be appointed from time to time by Congress, a governor, whose commission 289 | shall continue in force for the term of three years, unless sooner 290 | revoked by Congress; he shall reside in the district, and have a 291 | freehold estate therein in 1,000 acres of land, while in the exercise of 292 | his office. 293 | 294 | **Sec. 4.** There shall be appointed from time to time by Congress, a 295 | secretary, whose commission shall continue in force for four years 296 | unless sooner revoked; he shall reside in the district, and have a 297 | freehold estate therein in 500 acres of land, while in the exercise of 298 | his office. It shall be his duty to keep and preserve the acts and laws 299 | passed by the legislature, and the public records of the district, and 300 | the proceedings of the governor in his executive department, and 301 | transmit authentic copies of such acts and proceedings, every six 302 | months, to the Secretary of Congress: There shall also be appointed a 303 | court to consist of three judges, any two of whom to form a court, who 304 | shall have a common law jurisdiction, and reside in the district, and 305 | have each therein a freehold estate in 500 acres of land while in the 306 | exercise of their offices; and their commissions shall continue in force 307 | during good behavior. 308 | 309 | **Sec. 5.**The governor and judges, or a majority of them, shall adopt 310 | and publish in the district such laws of the original States, criminal 311 | and civil, as may be necessary and best suited to the circumstances of 312 | the district, and report them to Congress from time to time: which laws 313 | shall be in force in the district until the organization of the General 314 | Assembly therein, unless disapproved of by Congress; but afterwards the 315 | Legislature shall have authority to alter them as they shall think fit. 316 | 317 | **Sec. 6.** The governor, for the time being, shall be commander in 318 | chief of the militia, appoint and commission all officers in the same 319 | below the rank of general officers; all general officers shall be 320 | appointed and commissioned by Congress. 321 | 322 | **Sec. 7.** Previous to the organization of the general assembly, the 323 | governor shall appoint such magistrates and other civil officers in each 324 | county or township, as he shall find necessary for the preservation of 325 | the peace and good order in the same: After the general assembly shall 326 | be organized, the powers and duties of the magistrates and other civil 327 | officers shall be regulated and defined by the said assembly; but all 328 | magistrates and other civil officers not herein otherwise directed, 329 | shall during the continuance of this temporary government, be appointed 330 | by the governor. 331 | 332 | **Sec. 8.** For the prevention of crimes and injuries, the laws to be 333 | adopted or made shall have force in all parts of the district, and for 334 | the execution of process, criminal and civil, the governor shall make 335 | proper divisions thereof; and he shall proceed from time to time as 336 | circumstances may require, to lay out the parts of the district in which 337 | the Indian titles shall have been extinguished, into counties and 338 | townships, subject, however, to such alterations as may thereafter be 339 | made by the legislature. 340 | 341 | **Sec. 9.** So soon as there shall be five thousand free male 342 | inhabitants of full age in the district, upon giving proof thereof to 343 | the governor, they shall receive authority, with time and place, to 344 | elect a representative from their counties or townships to represent 345 | them in the general assembly: Provided, That, for every five hundred 346 | free male inhabitants, there shall be one representative, and so on 347 | progressively with the number of free male inhabitants shall the right 348 | of representation increase, until the number of representatives shall 349 | amount to twenty five; after which, the number and proportion of 350 | representatives shall be regulated by the legislature: Provided, That no 351 | person be eligible or qualified to act as a representative unless he 352 | shall have been a citizen of one of the United States three years, and 353 | be a resident in the district, or unless he shall have resided in the 354 | district three years; and, in either case, shall likewise hold in his 355 | own right, in fee simple, two hundred acres of land within the same; 356 | Provided, also, That a freehold in fifty acres of land in the district, 357 | having been a citizen of one of the states, and being resident in the 358 | district, or the like freehold and two years residence in the district, 359 | shall be necessary to qualify a man as an elector of a representative. 360 | 361 | **Sec. 10.** The representatives thus elected, shall serve for the term 362 | of two years; and, in case of the death of a representative, or removal 363 | from office, the governor shall issue a writ to the county or township 364 | for which he was a member, to elect another in his stead, to serve for 365 | the residue of the term. 366 | 367 | **Sec. 11.** The general assembly or legislature shall consist of the 368 | governor, legislative council, and a house of representatives. The 369 | Legislative Council shall consist of five members, to continue in office 370 | five years, unless sooner removed by Congress; any three of whom to be a 371 | quorum: and the members of the Council shall be nominated and appointed 372 | in the following manner, to wit: As soon as representatives shall be 373 | elected, the Governor shall appoint a time and place for them to meet 374 | together; and, when met, they shall nominate ten persons, residents in 375 | the district, and each possessed of a freehold in five hundred acres of 376 | land, and return their names to Congress; five of whom Congress shall 377 | appoint and commission to serve as aforesaid; and, whenever a vacancy 378 | shall happen in the council, by death or removal from office, the house 379 | of representatives shall nominate two persons, qualified as aforesaid, 380 | for each vacancy, and return their names to Congress; one of whom 381 | congress shall appoint and commission for the residue of the term. And 382 | every five years, four months at least before the expiration of the time 383 | of service of the members of council, the said house shall nominate ten 384 | persons, qualified as aforesaid, and return their names to Congress; 385 | five of whom Congress shall appoint and commission to serve as members 386 | of the council five years, unless sooner removed. And the governor, 387 | legislative council, and house of representatives, shall have authority 388 | to make laws in all cases, for the good government of the district, not 389 | repugnant to the principles and articles in this ordinance established 390 | and declared. And all bills, having passed by a majority in the house, 391 | and by a majority in the council, shall be referred to the governor for 392 | his assent; but no bill, or legislative act whatever, shall be of any 393 | force without his assent. The governor shall have power to convene, 394 | prorogue, and dissolve the general assembly, when, in his opinion, it 395 | shall be expedient. 396 | 397 | **Sec. 12.** The governor, judges, legislative council, secretary, and 398 | such other officers as Congress shall appoint in the district, shall 399 | take an oath or affirmation of fidelity and of office; the governor 400 | before the president of congress, and all other officers before the 401 | Governor. As soon as a legislature shall be formed in the district, the 402 | council and house assembled in one room, shall have authority, by joint 403 | ballot, to elect a delegate to Congress, who shall have a seat in 404 | Congress, with a right of debating but not voting during this temporary 405 | government. 406 | 407 | **Sec. 13.** And, for extending the fundamental principles of civil and 408 | religious liberty, which form the basis whereon these republics, their 409 | laws and constitutions are erected; to fix and establish those 410 | principles as the basis of all laws, constitutions, and governments, 411 | which forever hereafter shall be formed in the said territory: to 412 | provide also for the establishment of States, and permanent government 413 | therein, and for their admission to a share in the federal councils on 414 | an equal footing with the original States, at as early periods as may be 415 | consistent with the general interest: 416 | 417 | **Sec. 14.** It is hereby ordained and declared by the authority 418 | aforesaid, That the following articles shall be considered as articles 419 | of compact between the original States and the people and States in the 420 | said territory and forever remain unalterable, unless by common consent, 421 | to wit: 422 | 423 | **Art. 1.** No person, demeaning himself in a peaceable and orderly 424 | manner, shall ever be molested on account of his mode of worship or 425 | religious sentiments, in the said territory. 426 | 427 | **Art. 2.** The inhabitants of the said territory shall always be 428 | entitled to the benefits of the writ of habeas corpus, and of the trial 429 | by jury; of a proportionate representation of the people in the 430 | legislature; and of judicial proceedings according to the course of the 431 | common law. All persons shall be bailable, unless for capital offenses, 432 | where the proof shall be evident or the presumption great. All fines 433 | shall be moderate; and no cruel or unusual punishments shall be 434 | inflicted. No man shall be deprived of his liberty or property, but by 435 | the judgment of his peers or the law of the land; and, should the public 436 | exigencies make it necessary, for the common preservation, to take any 437 | person's property, or to demand his particular services, full 438 | compensation shall be made for the same. And, in the just preservation 439 | of rights and property, it is understood and declared, that no law ought 440 | ever to be made, or have force in the said territory, that shall, in any 441 | manner whatever, interfere with or affect private contracts or 442 | engagements, bona fide, and without fraud, previously formed. 443 | 444 | **Art. 3.** Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good 445 | government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of 446 | education shall forever be encouraged. The utmost good faith shall 447 | always be observed towards the Indians; their lands and property shall 448 | never be taken from them without their consent; and, in their property, 449 | rights, and liberty, they shall never be invaded or disturbed, unless in 450 | just and lawful wars authorized by Congress; but laws founded in justice 451 | and humanity, shall from time to time be made for preventing wrongs 452 | being done to them, and for preserving peace and friendship with them. 453 | 454 | **Art. 4.** The said territory, and the States which may be formed 455 | therein, shall forever remain a part of this Confederacy of the United 456 | States of America, subject to the Articles of Confederation, and to such 457 | alterations therein as shall be constitutionally made; and to all the 458 | acts and ordinances of the United States in Congress assembled, 459 | conformable thereto. The inhabitants and settlers in the said territory 460 | shall be subject to pay a part of the federal debts contracted or to be 461 | contracted, and a proportional part of the expenses of government, to be 462 | apportioned on them by Congress according to the same common rule and 463 | measure by which apportionments thereof shall be made on the other 464 | States; and the taxes for paying their proportion shall be laid and 465 | levied by the authority and direction of the legislatures of the 466 | district or districts, or new States, as in the original States, within 467 | the time agreed upon by the United States in Congress assembled. The 468 | legislatures of those districts or new States, shall never interfere 469 | with the primary disposal of the soil by the United States in Congress 470 | assembled, nor with any regulations Congress may find necessary for 471 | securing the title in such soil to the bona fide purchasers. No tax 472 | shall be imposed on lands the property of the United States; and, in no 473 | case, shall nonresident proprietors be taxed higher than residents. The 474 | navigable waters leading into the Mississippi and St. Lawrence, and the 475 | carrying places between the same, shall be common highways and forever 476 | free, as well to the inhabitants of the said territory as to the 477 | citizens of the United States, and those of any other States that may be 478 | admitted into the confederacy, without any tax, impost, or duty 479 | therefor. 480 | 481 | **Art. 5.** There shall be formed in the said territory, not less than 482 | three nor more than five States; and the boundaries of the States, as 483 | soon as Virginia shall alter her act of cession, and consent to the 484 | same, shall become fixed and established as follows, to wit: The western 485 | State in the said territory, shall be bounded by the Mississippi, the 486 | Ohio, and Wabash Rivers; a direct line drawn from the Wabash and Post 487 | Vincents, due North, to the territorial line between the United States 488 | and Canada; and, by the said territorial line, to the Lake of the Woods 489 | and Mississippi. The middle State shall be bounded by the said direct 490 | line, the Wabash from Post Vincents to the Ohio, by the Ohio, by a 491 | direct line, drawn due north from the mouth of the Great Miami, to the 492 | said territorial line, and by the said territorial line. The eastern 493 | State shall be bounded by the last mentioned direct line, the Ohio, 494 | Pennsylvania, and the said territorial line: Provided, however, and it 495 | is further understood and declared, that the boundaries of these three 496 | States shall be subject so far to be altered, that, if Congress shall 497 | hereafter find it expedient, they shall have authority to form one or 498 | two States in that part of the said territory which lies north of an 499 | east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake 500 | Michigan. And, whenever any of the said States shall have sixty thousand 501 | free inhabitants therein, such State shall be admitted, by its 502 | delegates, into the Congress of the United States, on an equal footing 503 | with the original States in all respects whatever, and shall be at 504 | liberty to form a permanent constitution and State government: Provided, 505 | the constitution and government so to be formed, shall be republican, 506 | and in conformity to the principles contained in these articles; and, so 507 | far as it can be consistent with the general interest of the 508 | confederacy, such admission shall be allowed at an earlier period, and 509 | when there may be a less number of free inhabitants in the State than 510 | sixty thousand. 511 | 512 | **Art. 6.** There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in 513 | the said territory, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes whereof 514 | the party shall have been duly convicted: Provided, always, That any 515 | person escaping into the same, from whom labor or service is lawfully 516 | claimed in any one of the original States, such fugitive may be lawfully 517 | reclaimed and conveyed to the person claiming his or her labor or 518 | service as aforesaid. 519 | 520 | Be it ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the resolutions of the 521 | 23rd of April, 1784, relative to the subject of this ordinance, be, and 522 | the same are hereby repealed and declared null and void. 523 | 524 | Done by the United States, in Congress assembled, the 13th day of July, 525 | in the year of our Lord 1787, and of their soveriegnty and independence 526 | the twelfth. 527 | 528 | *Transcription courtesy of [the Avalon 529 | Project](http://avalon.law.yale.edu) at Yale Law School.* 530 | 531 | * * * * * 532 | 533 | *[Special note regarding document 534 | transcripts](/content.php?page=note_on_transcripts)* 535 | 536 | *Source*: 537 | 538 | ## Questions 539 | 540 | 1. Why does the Ordinance distinguish between "slavery" and "involuntary servitude"? 541 | 542 | 2. What do you think the effect of the "fugitive" clause of the Ordinance would be on the status of slavery in the territories? 543 | 544 | --- 545 | 546 | # Wilmot Proviso of 1846 547 | 548 | > This proposed amendment to an appropriations bill for the Mexican American War galvanized antislavery politicians in the Free Soil Party formed two years later. 549 | 550 | ### The Wilmot Proviso, 1846 551 | 552 | * * * * * 553 | 554 | *Provided*that, as an express and fundamental condition to the 555 | acquisition of any territory from the Republic of Mexico by the United 556 | States, by virtue of any treaty which may be negotiated between them, 557 | and to the use by the Executive of the moneys herein appropriated, 558 | neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist in any part 559 | of said territory, except for crime, whereof the party shall first be 560 | duly convicted 561 | 562 | *[Passed by the U.S.House of Representatives, 1846 and 1847, never 563 | passed by the U.S.Senate]* 564 | 565 | * * * * * 566 | 567 | [*Return to Vinnie's Home 568 | Page*](http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/feros-pg.htm) 569 | 570 | [*Return to Documents Relating to American Foreign Policy Before 571 | 1898*](http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/pre1898.htm) 572 | 573 | *Source*: 574 | 575 | ## Questions 576 | 577 | 1. Did the text of the Proviso resemble any earlier documents we have studied? 578 | 579 | 2. Which territories would be covered by the Proviso if it had been passed? 580 | 581 | --- 582 | 583 | The Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation 584 | ========================================= 585 | 586 | BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: 587 | 588 | A PROCLAMATION. 589 | 590 | I, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United States of America, and 591 | commander-in-chief of the army and navy thereof, do hereby proclaim and 592 | declare that hereafter, as heretofore, the war will be prosecuted for 593 | the object of practically restoring the constitutional relation between 594 | the United States and each of the states and the people thereof, in 595 | which states that relation is or may be suspended or disturbed. 596 | 597 | That it is my purpose, upon the next meeting of Congress, to again 598 | recommend the adoption of a practical measure tendering pecuniary aid to 599 | the free acceptance or rejection of all slave states, so called, the 600 | people whereof may not then be in rebellion against the United States, 601 | and which states may then have voluntarily adopted, or thereafter may 602 | voluntarily adopt, immediate or gradual abolishment of slavery within 603 | their respective limits; and that the effort to colonize persons of 604 | African descent with their consent upon this continent or elsewhere, 605 | with the previously obtained consent of the governments existing there, 606 | will be continued. 607 | 608 | That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand 609 | eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any 610 | state or designated part of a state, the people whereof shall then be in 611 | rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and 612 | forever free; and the Executive Government of the United States, 613 | including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and 614 | maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to 615 | repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for 616 | their actual freedom. 617 | 618 | That the Executive will, on the first day of January aforesaid, by 619 | proclamation, designate the states and parts of states, if any, in which 620 | the people thereof, respectively, shall then be in rebellion against the 621 | United States; and the fact that any State, or the people thereof, shall 622 | on that day be, in good faith, represented in the Congress of the United 623 | States by members chosen thereto at elections wherein a majority of the 624 | qualified voters of such state shall have participated, shall, in the 625 | absence of strong countervailing testimony, be deemed conclusive 626 | evidence that such state, and the people thereof, are not then in 627 | rebellion against the United States. 628 | 629 | That attention is hereby called to an act of Congress entitled “An act 630 | to make an additional article of war,” approved March 13, 1862, and 631 | which act is in the words and figure following: 632 | 633 | “*Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United 634 | States of America in Congress assembled*, That hereafter the following 635 | shall be promulgated as an additional article of war, for the government 636 | of the army of the United States, and shall be obeyed and observed as 637 | such: 638 | 639 | “ARTICLE –. All officers or persons in the military or naval service of 640 | the United States are prohibited from employing any of the forces under 641 | their respective commands for the purpose of returning fugitives from 642 | service or labor who may have escaped from any persons to whom such 643 | service or labor is claimed to be due, and any officer who shall be 644 | found guilty by a court-martial of violating this article shall be 645 | dismissed from the service. 646 | 647 | “SEC. 2. *And be it further enacted*, That this act shall take effect 648 | from and after its passage.” 649 | 650 | Also to the ninth and tenth sections of an act entitled “An act to 651 | suppress insurrection, to punish treason and rebellion, to seize and 652 | confiscate property of rebels, and for other purposes,” approved July 653 | 17, 1862, and which sections are in the words and figures following: 654 | 655 | “SEC 9. *And be it further enacted*, That all slaves of persons who 656 | shall hereafter be engaged in rebellion against the Government of the 657 | United States, or who shall in any way give aid or comfort thereto, 658 | escaping from such persons and taking refuge within the lines of the 659 | army; and all slaves captured from such persons or deserted by them, and 660 | coming under the control of the Government of the United States; and all 661 | slaves of such persons found *on* [or] being within any place occupied 662 | by rebel forces and afterwards occupied by the forces of the United 663 | States, shall be deemed captives of war, and shall be forever free of 664 | their servitude, and not again held as slaves. 665 | 666 | SEC. 10. *And be it further enacted*, That no slaves escaping into any 667 | state, territory, or the District of Columbia, from any other state, 668 | shall be delivered up, or in any way impeded or hindered of his liberty, 669 | except for crime, or some offence against the laws, unless the person 670 | claiming said fugitive shall first make oath that the person to whom the 671 | labor or service of such fugitive is alleged to be due is his lawful 672 | owner, and has not borne arms against the United States in the present 673 | rebellion, nor in any way given aid and comfort thereto; and no person 674 | engaged in the military or naval service of the United States shall, 675 | under any pretence whatever, assume to decide on the validity of the 676 | claim of any person to the service or labor of any other person, or 677 | surrender up any such person to the claimant, on pain of being dismissed 678 | from the service.” 679 | 680 | And I do hereby enjoin upon and order all persons engaged in the 681 | military and naval service of the United States to observe, obey, and 682 | enforce, within their respective spheres of service, the act and 683 | sections above recited. 684 | 685 | And the Executive will in due time recommend that all citizens of the 686 | United States who shall have remained loyal thereto throughout the 687 | rebellion shall (upon the restoration of the constitutional relation 688 | between the United States and their respective states and people, if 689 | that relation shall have been suspended or disturbed) be compensated for 690 | all losses by acts of the United States, including the loss of slaves. 691 | 692 | In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of 693 | the United States to be affixed. 694 | 695 | Done at the city of Washington this twenty-second day of September, in 696 | the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, and of 697 | the Independence of the United States the eighty-seventh. 698 | 699 | ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 700 | 701 | By the President: 702 | WILLIAM H. SEWARD, *Secretary of State*. 703 | 704 | *Source:* 705 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /pandocket.py: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | #! /usr/bin/env python 2 | # -*- coding: utf-8 -*- 3 | # by Caleb McDaniel, http://wcm1.web.rice.edu / BB-CY 4 | # External Dependencies: pandoc, pyandoc, bs4 5 | # TODO: Preserve span formatting from original webpage 6 | # TODO: Make error handling easier to understand 7 | 8 | import argparse 9 | import urllib2 10 | import pandoc 11 | from bs4 import BeautifulSoup 12 | 13 | # Define and parse command-line arguments 14 | parser = argparse.ArgumentParser() 15 | parser.add_argument('filename', action='store', help='Name of input file to process') 16 | parser.add_argument('outname', action='store', help='Basename for output files') 17 | parser.add_argument('--mdonly', action='store_true', help='Output markdown only, suppress EPUB and PDF output') 18 | parser.add_argument('--noimages', action='store_true', help='Remove image tags from webpage (recommended for PDF and EPUB output)') 19 | sysargs, panargs = parser.parse_known_args() 20 | 21 | # Open the input file and empty the output file if it exists 22 | open(sysargs.outname + ".md","w").close() 23 | input = open(sysargs.filename, "r").read().splitlines() 24 | 25 | for line in input: 26 | 27 | if line.startswith("http"): 28 | 29 | # Get information from line about website to be parsed 30 | # Help provided by http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13537829/ 31 | if line.count('|') == 1: 32 | url, args = line.split (' | ', 1) 33 | user = None 34 | elif line.count('|') == 2: 35 | url, args, user = line.split (' | ', 2) 36 | args = args.split(' >') 37 | tag = args[0] 38 | params = dict([param.strip().split('=') for param in args[1:]]) 39 | 40 | # Open specified URL and make soup 41 | html = urllib2.urlopen(url).read() 42 | soup = BeautifulSoup(html) 43 | 44 | # Filter out images if noimages option selected 45 | if (sysargs.noimages): 46 | for image in soup.find_all(name='img'): 47 | image.decompose() 48 | 49 | # Use BeautifulSoup to get specified section 50 | html_section = soup.find(tag, **params) 51 | 52 | # Do additional filtering based on user options 53 | if user is not None: 54 | user = __import__(user) 55 | html_section = user.pandocket(html_section) 56 | 57 | # Convert from HTML to markdown 58 | doc = pandoc.Document() 59 | doc.html = str(html_section) 60 | html_md = doc.markdown 61 | 62 | # Write to output file, getting rid of any literal linebreaks 63 | f = open(sysargs.outname + ".md","a").write(html_md.replace("\\\n","\n")) 64 | 65 | elif len(line) == 0: 66 | 67 | # Convert blank lines in input file to newlines in output file 68 | f = open(sysargs.outname + ".md","a").write("\n") 69 | 70 | else: 71 | 72 | # Pass regular lines from input file to output file 73 | f = open(sysargs.outname + ".md","a").write(line + "\n") 74 | 75 | # Call on pandoc to convert markdown to PDF and EPUB, adding user options 76 | # Using yoavram fork of pyandoc 77 | 78 | if not (sysargs.mdonly): 79 | fulldoc = pandoc.Document() 80 | for panarg in panargs: 81 | panarg = panarg.lstrip('-') 82 | fulldoc.add_argument(panarg) 83 | fulldoc.markdown = open(sysargs.outname + ".md","r").read() 84 | fulldoc.to_file(sysargs.outname + '.pdf') 85 | fulldoc.to_file(sysargs.outname + '.epub') 86 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /sources.txt: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 | % Some Slavery Milestones in U.S. History 2 | % W. Caleb McDaniel 3 | % December 8, 2012 4 | 5 | This packet contains the text of some important legislative documents pertaining to slavery and antislavery in U.S. history. The source of the text is provided after each excerpt. 6 | 7 | # Pennsylvania Emancipation Law of 1780 8 | 9 | > During and after the American Revolution, Northern states began passing gradual emancipation laws. One of the first such laws was passed by Pennsylvania in 1780. 10 | 11 | http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/pennst01.asp | div > class_=text-properties | avalon 12 | 13 | *Source*: 14 | 15 | ## Questions 16 | 17 | 1. How many slaves living in Pennsylvania in 1780 were freed as a result of this law? 18 | 19 | 2. Under what conditions was emancipation promised to enslaved people in Pennsylvania? 20 | 21 | --- 22 | 23 | # Northwest Ordinance of 1787 24 | 25 | > This ordinance, passed by the Second Continental Congress, prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude in the Northwest Territory, which later became the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. 26 | 27 | http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=8&page=transcript | div > id=infoText 28 | 29 | *Source*: 30 | 31 | ## Questions 32 | 33 | 1. Why does the Ordinance distinguish between "slavery" and "involuntary servitude"? 34 | 35 | 2. What do you think the effect of the "fugitive" clause of the Ordinance would be on the status of slavery in the territories? 36 | 37 | --- 38 | 39 | # Wilmot Proviso of 1846 40 | 41 | > This proposed amendment to an appropriations bill for the Mexican American War galvanized antislavery politicians in the Free Soil Party formed two years later. 42 | 43 | http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/wilmot.htm | body 44 | 45 | *Source*: 46 | 47 | ## Questions 48 | 49 | 1. Did the text of the Proviso resemble any earlier documents we have studied? 50 | 51 | 2. Which territories would be covered by the Proviso if it had been passed? 52 | 53 | --- 54 | 55 | http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/prelep.htm | div > id=doctext 56 | 57 | *Source:* 58 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------