Slavery Divides the Nation

Chapter 16

1820-1861

Missouri Compromise

1819: Missouri applied for statehood. At the time there were 11 free states and 11 slave states in

the US Senate Missouri would upset the balance in the Senate

Crisis occur for several months Missouri Compromise

Brainchild of Henry Clay Missouri apply as a slave state Maine apply as a free state Congress drew a line at 36’ 30” N and stated that slavery

was permitted below that line from the lands of the Louisiana Purchase and slavery was banned north of that line in the Louisiana Purchase

Wilmot Proviso

Wilmot Proviso Missouri Compromise applied only to lands of the Louisiana Purchase Mexican War added new lands

Slavery issue arises to these new lands David Wilmot

Pennsylvania Congressman Called for a law to ban slavery in any territories won from Mexico

Wilmot Proviso Passed in the House in 1846 but failed in the Senate

Views on Slavery Southerners: Slavery should be allowed anywhere and all runaway

slaves should be returned Abolitionists: wanted slavery abolished throughout the entire country Moderates had two views: 1. extend the Missouri Compromise Line,

2. idea of Popular Sovereignty

Popular Sovereignty

Brainchild of Lewis Cass a Democrat Definition: the right of people to create their

own government How it effects the territories:

Voters in a new territory would decide for themselves whether or not to allow slavery

Free Soil Party Arise 1848

Zachary Taylor Whig 163 Lewis Cass Democratic 127 Martin Van Buren Free Soil 0 Campaign issues:

How to deal with all of the new territory That is why the Free Soil party arises:

No slavery in the new territories Cass supported the voice of the people in territories known

as Popular Sovereignty Taylor a slave owner did not speak on the issues but

Southerners figured he favored slavery Slavery now became a political issue

California

1850 California request entry into the Union as a Free State

This would upset the balance of free and slave states in the Senate Some southerners even suggested to secede from the Union

Clay vs. Calhoun debates Calhoun:

Slavery be allowed into the territories Fugitive slave law If both demands are not met that the states should part in peace.

Clay: Called for a compromise

Webster: Spoke after the two men and warned that the nation could not separate

in peace, but a civil war would occur instead He viewed slavery as evil but the breaking of the union was worse then

slavery.

Compromise of 1850

Compromise of 1850 Headed by Henry Clay and Stephen Douglas Five Parts

1. California is allowed to enter the Union as a free state 2. Mexican Cession territory would be divided into New Mexico and Utah

territories Voters would decide on the issue of slavery according to popular sovereignty

3. It ended the slave trade in Washington, D.C. 4. It included a strict fugitive slave law 5. It settled a border dispute between Texas and New Mexico

Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 Required all citizens to help catch runaway slaves Those who did not follow the law could be fined

Reaction to Compromise FSA enraged the abolitionists

By enforcing it, abolitionist became unwilling supporters of slavery Tension remained high because neither side got what they wanted

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

Uncle Tom’s Cabin Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Northerners embraced the book Saw slavery as a moral evil now Congress could no longer avoid it

Southerners claimed it did not give a true picture of slavery

Kansas-Nebraska Act

Nebraska Territory Was divided into two territories

Nebraska and Kansas With the settlers deciding the issue of slavery by popular-sovereignty This was settled in the Kansas-Nebraska Act

Stephen Douglas was creator of this act President Franklin Pierce supported the bill and helped it pass

through Congress Act goes against the Missouri Compromise and angers many

northerners

Kansas New arrivals in Kansas

Proslavery and Anti-slavery settlers rush into Kansas Border Ruffians: proslavery settlers from Missouri who roughed up anti-slavery settlers

Two Governments 1855:

Border Ruffians and Proslavery settlers elected a proslavery legislature illegally Anti-slavery settlers refused to accept that government and elected their own

government “Bleeding Kansas”

1856: Proslavery settlers attacked an anti-slavery settlement in Lawrence, Kansas John Brown, an abolitionist, decided to strike back

Pottawatomie Creek Brown and six other men dragged out 5 proslavery settlers and murdered them This caused both sides to engage in guerrilla warfare, that resulted in 200 dead

Charles Sumner

Charles Sumner Massachusetts Senator Leading abolitionist senator Denounced the proslavery legislature in Kansas Criticized and singled out South Carolina, Senator Andrew

Butler Congressman Preston Brooks

Butler’s nephew Marched into the Senator chamber and beat Sumner until he

laid unconscious on the Senate floor. Sumner did not recover from injuries for 3 years Massachusetts left Sumner’s seat vacant in defiance of

the south

Dred Scott Case

Dred Scott A slave Lived in Missouri and then his master moved him to Illinois then to Wisconsin,

where slavery was illegal Scott’s master dies while in Wisconsin Scott filed a lawsuit declaring he had lived in a free territory and became a free

man

Dred Scott v. Sanford Roger Taney, Chief Justice Decision

1st. Dred Scott could not file a lawsuit because he was not a citizen 2nd Slaves were considered property 3rd Congress did not have power to outlaw slavery in the territories 4th Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional

Election of 1852

Election of 1852 Franklin Pierce Democrat 254 Winfield Scott Whig 42 John Hale Free Soil 0

The Whig party was in turmoil which lead to the Democrats easily winning the White House Whigs were divided over the issue of slavery

Republican Party emerges

Republican Party Made up from Free-Soilers, northern

Democrats and antislavery Whigs Main goal:

Keep slavery out of the territories New party grew in members quickly By 1856: they were a national party and ran a

candidate for president

Election of 1856

Election of 1856 James Buchanan Democrat John C. Fremont Republican Millard Fillmore American (Know-Nothing)

Buchanan was from Pennsylvania who was a northerner with southern principles.

Fillmore and American party was fearful that a Republican victory would split the Union They voiced a goal of unity

Without a single southern vote, Fremont received 1/3 of the popular vote

Harpers Ferry

Harpers Ferry, Virginia Site of an arsenal

John Brown plan to raid the arsenal and arm slaves for an insurrection Brown easily took control of the arsenal No slave uprising occur, so no help for Brown and his gang US Army was sent in to crush the raid

Lead by Robert E. Lee Killed ten raiders and captured Brown

Brown’s trial Court found him guilty of murder and treason Sentenced to death

Brown became a martyr for the abolitionist’s cause

ELECTION of 1860

Abraham Lincoln:

The Emergence of the

Republican Party

The Candidates of 1860

Abraham Lincolnof Illinois

Republican Party

Stephen A. Douglas

of Illinois

Democratic Party

John C. Breckinridge

of Kentucky

Democratic Party

John Bellof Tennessee

Constitutional Union Party

Abraham Lincoln

Life: 1809-1865 Occupation: Lawyer Political Parties:

Whig, Republican Political Career:

Postmaster of Salem, Illinois 1833- 1836 Illinois State Representative: 1834 -1842 United States Representative: 1847-

1849 Other:

Lost US Senate race to Stephen A. Douglas in 1858

A Captain in the Black Hawk War

Republican Platform

The Republican Party absorbed anti-slavery Whigs, Democrats, Free-Soilers and most American (Know-Nothings) .

It became more moderate in its stance on the exclusion of slavery and denounced John Brown's raid.

They were firm on no extension of slavery into the new territories.

The platform endorsed a protective tariff, the Homestead Act, and internal improvements.

Stephen A. Douglas

• Life: 1813-1861

• Occupation: Teacher and Lawyer

•Political Party:

– Democratic Party

• Political Career:

– State Attorney: 1835

– Illinois State Representative: 1836-1837

– United State Representative: 1843-1847

– United State Senator: 1847-1861

John C. Breckinridge Life: 1821-1875 Occupation: Lawyer Military Career:

Mexican War: 1847-1848, Major Political Party: Democrat Political Career:

Kentucky State Representative: 1849 United States Representative: 1851-1855 Vice President for James Buchanan 1856-

1860 United States Senator 1861

Democratic PartyThe Democratic Party split completely along sectional lines.

Northern Democrats nominated Stephen A. Douglas on a popular sovereignty platform and against obstruction of the Fugitive Slave Law by the states.

Southern Democrats nominated John C. Breckenridge on a slave code ticket. The platform favored the extension of slavery into the territories and the annexation of slave-populated Cuba.

John Bell

Life: 1797-1869 Occupation: Lawyer Political Parties:

Whig, American (Know-Nothing), Constitutional Party

Political Career: Tennessee State Senator: 1817-1823 United States Representative 1827-

1841 United States Senator 1847-1859

Other: Secretary of War 1841

Constitutional Union Party

The Constitutional Union Party was the middle-of-the-road political group.

The party consisted mainly of former Whigs and American (Know-Nothings).

Their platform was the Union, the Constitution, and the Enforcement of the Laws.

Electoral College Breakdown

Last attempt at Peace

Crittenden Compromise Extend Missouri Compromise Line to the

Pacific “Unamendable” amendment that would

guarantee forever the right to hold slaves in states south of the compromise line

Received little support and failed

Result of the Election of 1860

Southern states start to secede from the Union First being South Carolina on December 20,1860 By late February of 1861:

Alabama (AL), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Louisiana (LA), Mississippi (MS) and Texas (TX) had also seceded from the Union.

They created the Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis became its first and only President

Fort Sumter

April 11, 1861 First shot of the Civil War is fired Confederates (South) fired onto the Union fort Major Anderson of the Union Army (North)

refused to give up the fort When the union ran out of ammunition they

surrender

Thus began the Civil War