Unit 5Causes of the Civil War

3 VIEWS OF SLAVERY

Moral Evil

• Humanitarian Crisis• Abolitionist idea that slavery needs to

end immediately due to its immorality. Most other players on the playground have.

• What region would most strongly support this argument about slavery?

Necessary Evil

• Necessary Evil Why?• Supported by those who agree that though slavery is

morally wrong it is the most efficient economically.

Positive Good

• Myth of the Happy Slave – Positive Good

Long Term Causes

• Sectionalism• Growing differences/disagreements between North and

South

• Slavery• States’ Rights• Can states nullify federal laws? How powerful should

federal government be? What rights do states have to protect from federal tyranny?

Wilmot Proviso

• Stated slavery could not exist in areas acquired from Mexican American War

• California, Utah, and New Mexico closed to slavery forever

• Would shift balance of power to North

• Did not pass

California Statehood

• New CA constitution outlawed slavery

• Applied for statehood in 1849

Fugitive Slave Act

• Slaves who escaped South were not entitled to trial by jury

• Slaves must return to owners if caught

Most intense debate in U.S. History•John C. Calhoun•North should honor the Constitution and enforce the Fugitive Slave Law•South wanted California•Threatened to secede from U.S. (dead horse)•U.S. should have two Presidents---one from the North and one for the South

•Daniel Webster•Secession is impractical & impossible•How would we split the land? •The military?•Compromise at all cost•Preserve the Union

• Henry Clay• The Great Compromiser, with John C. Calhoun, Daniel Webster and Stephen Douglas, propose

this compromise.

Compromise of 1850

Effects of Compromise of 1850

• Compromise of 1850 kept the nation semi-peaceful for several years…until short term causes brought issues up again.

SHORT TERM CAUSES

Kansas-Nebraska Act

• Bill that proposed dividing Kansas and Nebraska into two areas

• Would repeal Missouri Compromise and establish popular sovereignty

• Proposed by Stephen Douglas• Became law in 1854

Bleeding Kansas

• Kansas (free) held elections for legislature• Missouri citizens entered Kansas armed to vote• Missouri citizens made up the majority and passed pro

slavery laws• Lawrence, KS founded by antislavery groups• Legislators ordered arrest of Lawrence citizens• 800 armed men stormed Lawrence and burned town• Fights triggered by revolts

Harriet Tubman

• “conductor” of the Underground Railroad

• Made 19 trips between North and South

• Helped over 300 slaves escape• Guided by the North Star

Uncle Tom’s Cabin

• Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, a white woman from Connecticut

• South saw it as an attack• Fueled Northern abolitionist

protests

Dred Scott v. Sandford

• Ruled slaves were property and could be taken anywhere by owner

John Brown’s Raid

• Abolitionist who believed it was God’s purpose for him to fight slavery

• Went to Pottawatomie Creek and captured proslavery men

• Martyr for North; terrorist for South

Brooks-Sumner Incident

• Sumner (North) makes speech in Senate

• Sneered at Brooks’ (South) cousin

• Brooks canes Sumner• Accused him of libel on

SC and his cousin

Political Parties

• The Whig Party (1834-1854)• Divided over the following:• Slavery• Fugitive Slave Act• Compromise of 1850• Kansas – Nebraska Act

• Dies in 1854• Members join other parties

• Free-Soil Party (1844-Civil War)• Not all abolitionist• But against slavery in the territories

• #1 Goal• Prevent labor competition from slave labor

• Many were • Racists who did not want blacks in their communities

• Know Nothing Party (1849-1854)• AKA American Party• Belief in• Nativism

• Anti-immigrant• Anti-Catholic• Split over slavery

• Republican Party (1854-present)• Umbrella party, members agreed on• Prohibiting slavery in the territories

• Included• Free soilers• antislavery Whigs and Democrats• Nativists• Abolitionists• Reform & expansion groups

Assignment

• In groups, you will write a 60 second “elevator pitch” to sway someone to join your party.• Pitches should persuade someone to join your party, support

your beliefs/agenda, be concise, exciting, and interesting. You’re trying to “sell” your ideas in a short period of time!

• Your elevator pitch should be memorized. One person will present this. Time it and practice!

• In addition, your group should also create a symbol to represent your party and its beliefs. • This symbol should be neat and colored.• A 5 sentence description should accompany your symbol

explaining what each part of it means and how it is relevant to your party.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

• Abraham Lincoln v. Stephen Douglas competing for Senate seat

• Douglas supported popular sovereignty• Lincoln spoke and referenced morality

as reasons to oppose the Dred Scott decision, popular sovereignty, etc. but did not support equal rights between whites and African Americans

• Douglas eventually wins• People began to follow and support

Lincoln

1860 Candidates

Abraham Lincoln

Stephen Douglas John Bell John Breckinridge

• Republican• From Illinois• Platform:

Slavery must not be allowed in the territories.

• Northern Democrat

• From Illinois• Platform:

Popular sovereignty should decide if the issue of slavery in the territories when they become states.

• Constitutional Unionist

• From Tennessee

• Platform: The federal government should support slavery and also defend the Union.

• Southern Democrat

• From Kentucky

• Platform: The federal government must protect slavery.

Election of 1860

• Lincoln wins• Southern vote splits between democrats• Lincoln is not on Southern ballots, so South feels like

they have no say in American politics• South Carolina secedes that December