Chapter 17.2 pgs. 395-402Chapter 17.2 pgs. 395-402

How did the North and the South move closer to conflict?

Franklin PierceFranklin Pierce

14th President1853-1857DemocratKey events: Gadsden Purchase, Kansas-

Nebraska, Republican party startedDied October 8, 1869Lawyer, Senator, brigadier general in

Mexican War

Peace and ProsperityPeace and Prosperity

After the Compromise of 1850 and Fugitive Slave Act tempers were cooled

Peace lasted for awhileCertain events over the next 10 year period

changed that

Northerners defyNortherners defy

Northerners thought FSL was a great evil Law made it risky for slaves to flee South Slave-Catchers loved it because they made lots of

money Some catchers even took free blacks Abolitionists still housed runaways URR still going strong Some Northern states passed laws forbidding

citizens to cooperate with slave catchers

Written word becomes Written word becomes weaponweapon

Harriet Beecher Stowe1852 “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”Talked about treatment of slavesTom had 3 owners (2 nice 1 evil)Beecher drew on own experiences when

writing the book. Her family helped runaways in Cincinnati

Uncle TomUncle Tom

Book outsold every book except the bible in the years leading up to the Civil War

Sold about 300,000 copies Translated into more than 20 languages Became a play 1n 1852 written by George Aiken Stirred northerners against slavery like nothing

else Southerners thought the book was misleading

Kansas-Nebraska ActKansas-Nebraska Act

Slavery issue in West alsoStephen A. Douglas drafts a bill to organize

territorial governments for the Nebraska Territory

Felt it should be divided into 2 territories – Kansas and Nebraska

Land part of Louisiana Purchase – lies north of the Missouri Compromise line (36 30 N)

Kansas-NebraskaKansas-Nebraska

Land was supposed to be closed to slavery Douglas, to gain Southern support for the bill,

suggested the decision about slavery be settled by popular sovereignty

Popular Sovereignty – system where the residents vote to decide an issue

The act would allow these territories to be sovereign – self-governed – with the regard to slavery

Douglas’s motiveDouglas’s motive

Douglas had hoped to be president somedayHe felt this would win him support in both

the North and the SouthHe felt the bill did equal and exact justice to

the whole union. It violated the rights of no territory. Instead it allowed people free enjoyment of all their rights under the Constitution

Kansas-NebraskaKansas-Nebraska

Act passed by Congress in May 1854– President Pierce supported it

South rejoices, North felt betrayed Why? North had agreed to Missouri Compromise to limit

slavery, now they had no guarantee slavery would stay out of the West.

South felt Compromise of 1850 applied popular sovereignty to New Mexico and Utah

Trouble in KansasTrouble in Kansas

Douglas had no idea he just lit a powder keg Kansas became a bitter struggle for slavery vs

anti-slavery Each group sent settlers to Kansas to fight for

control of the territory Most arrivals were farmers looking for cheap land.

Few owned slaves. Abolitionists brought in more than 1,000 settlers from New England

KansasKansas

Proslavery settlers moved in as well to ensure antislavery forces didn’t overrun Kansas

Proslavery bands from Missouri known as Border Ruffians often rode across the border battling antislavery forces in Kansas

Kansas GovernmentKansas Government

1855 Kansas held elections to choose lawmakers

5,000 Border Ruffians crossed and voted illegally. They helped to elect a proslavery legislature

Legislature quickly passed laws to support slavery

LawsLaws

One law said that people could be put to death for helping slaves escape

Another made speaking out against slavery a crime punishable by two years of hard labor.

Antislavery settlers refused these lawsElected their own governor and legislature

Bleeding KansasBleeding Kansas

Kansas in chaos with two governments Armed gangs roamed the territory looking for

trouble Band of Proslavery men raided the town of

Lawrence in 1856 They destroyed homes including that of the

governor of the antislavery government and smashed the press of the Free-Soil newspaper

John BrownJohn Brown

John Brown, extreme abolitionist, strikes back

He led a band of men to Pottawatomie Creek

Dragged 5 proslavery settlers from their beds and murdered them. Claimed he had been sent by God to punish slavery supporters

More violenceMore violence

The killings at Pot. Creek led to both sides engaging in guerrilla warfare – hit and run tactics

By 1856 more than 200 people had been killed and millions of dollars of property destroyed, which is how Kansas became known as “Bleeding Kansas” according to the newspapers

Violence in SenateViolence in Senate

May 1856, Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts blamed Southerners for the trouble in Kansas

He especially blamed South Carolina Senator Andrew Butler

The day after his speech Peter Brooks, nephew of Butler, broke into Sumner’s office and beat him with a heavy cane

SenateSenate

Brooks beat Sumner until he was bloody and fell unconsciously to the floor

It took Sumner over 3 years to recover and return to Congress

Southerners supported Brooks, felt Sumner got what he deserved. They even sent canes to Brooks to show support. Northerners felt it was just another example of slavery leading to violence

Senate/KansasSenate/Kansas

Northerners began using rallying cries such as “Bleeding Kansas” and “Bleeding Sumner” to fight against slavery

They also became slogans for a new Republican Party

Struggle for slavery in Kansas went on until 1861 when the antislavery numbers greatly outnumbered slavery supporters. Kansas entered the Union as a free state

Republican PartyRepublican Party

Party formed in 1854 Northern Whigs split from Southern Whigs and

met with antislavery Democrats and Free-Soilers in Ripon, Wisconsin

Party’s leaders shared one goal: keep slavery out of the territories

Got their name from old Democratic-Republican party founded by Thomas Jefferson

RepublicansRepublicans

Party gained many northern members In 1856 election, 2/3 of northern states voted for

the Republican candidate John C. Fremont However, Southerners were Democrats and had

enough votes to elect James Buchanan Whigs break up North become Rep. South Dem.,

Republicans stay positive hope to send candidate to 1860 election

James BuchananJames Buchanan

15th President 1857-1861 Never married Lawyer, senator, Secretary of State, ambassador to

Russia and England Died June 1, 1868 Key events: Dred Scott case, Panic of 1857, John

Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, and Minnesota and Oregon become states

Dred Scott CaseDred Scott Case

With Congress and the nation in an uproar over slavery, many Americans looked for the Supreme Court to help restore peace

1857 the Court ruled on Dred Scott caseHowever, instead of harmonizing their

decision further divided North and South

ScottScott

Scott was a slave from MissouriHis owner had taken him north of the slave

line in 18344 years they lived in free territory in Illinois

and WisconsinThen returned to Missouri, where his owner

died

ScottScott

Filed a lawsuit to gain his freedomClaimed he was free due to living in a free

territory for several yearsCase eventually made it to Supreme Court –

Dred Scott v. Sandford

IssuesIssues

Three issues at handWas Dred Scott a U.S. citizen with the right

to sue in federal court?Did living in free territory make him free?Was the Missouri Compromise

constitutional?

DecisionDecision

Chief Justice Roger B. Taney gave the majority decision (Taney hated slavery and in fact freed his own slaves)

Court ruled Scott had no claim to freedom because he was living in Missouri, a slave state, when he began his suit and his time in free territory had no bearing. He was considered a slave and as an enslaved person he was not a citizen and could not file a lawsuit.

DecisionDecision

Court also said Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional.

Congress could not forbid slavery in any part of the territories. Doing so would interfere with slaveholders’ right to own property, a right protected by the 5th Amendment

Reaction to decisionReaction to decision

Southerners cheeredNortherners stunnedStriking down the Missouri Compromise

cleared the way for the extension of slaveryNortherners hoped Republicans could keep

slavery in check

Republicans voiceRepublicans voice

After Dred Scott, Republicans charged Democrats wanted to legalize slavery everywhere territories and all states

Started challenging individual Democrats Main target Stephen A. Douglas sponsor of the

Kansas-Nebraska Act 1858 Illinois Republicans nominate Abraham

Lincoln to challenge Douglas for his U.S. Senate seat

Lincoln/Douglas debatesLincoln/Douglas debates

The two met for 7 debates between August 21 and October 15, 1858

The two had extreme differences Especially on slavery Lincoln believed it was the national government’s

role to prevent expansion of slavery. Douglas argued popular sovereignty was the best way but this was a problem for Douglas.

Lincoln/DouglasLincoln/Douglas

Dred Scott decision made popular sovereignty unconstitutional. It said that people could not vote to ban slavery, because doing so would take away slaveholders’ property rights

Lincoln asked Douglas if he thought people in a territory who were against slavery could legally prohibit it – despite the Dred Scott decision

Lincoln/DouglasLincoln/Douglas

Douglas replied that it did not matter what the Supreme Court might decide about slavery because “the people have the lawful means to introduce it or exclude it as they please.”

Douglas won reelection. Lincoln became a national figure and strengthened his standing in the Republican Party

John Brown Raids againJohn Brown Raids again

John Brown went unpunished for his earlier attacks

1859 Brown and 18 followers seized the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia

Wanted to arm slaves to start a revolt Buchanan sent troops to capture Brown. Troops

led by Robert E. Lee Brown captured, tried, found guilty of treason and

hung

BrownBrown

Northerners considered him a martyr– someone who dies or suffers for a cause.

Became a hero to many northernersSoutherners thought it was outrageous.

They thought northerners were out to destroy slavery and the South along with it.

Nation is now poised for a violent crash

Questions??Questions??

What events split the North and South in the 1850’s?

Why did antislavery groups form the Republican party?

AnswersAnswers

Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, Dred Scott case, John Brown’s raid

To keep slavery out of the territories