Challenges to Slavery
 Antislavery
Whigs and Democrats
joined forces with Free-soilers to
form Republican Party
 Republican party we have today
 Republican party strength lays in
the North. Why?
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Republican Party nominated John Fremont
“Free soil, free speech and Fremont”
Democrat Party nominated James Buchanan
supported Popular Sovereignty
Know Nothing (American Party) nominated
Millard Fillmore
James Buchanan won
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Dred Scott was an enslaved African American
bought by an army doctor in Missouri
Moved with owner to Wisconsin territory
where slavery was outlawed by Northwest
Ordinance
Moved back to Missouri and owner died
Abolitionist helped Dred Scott sue for
freedom
Went to Supreme Court
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Chief Roger Taney decision
Dred Scott still a slave
Being a slave, he is not a citizen and had no right
to bring a lawsuit
Ruled that enslaved person was property and
can’t take property away from people without
“due process of law”
Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional
because Congress had no power to prohibit
slavery
Even popular Sovereignty could not ban slavery
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Divided the country even more
South praised
North called the decision “a wicked and false
judgment and the greatest crime ever
committed in the nation’s court
Stephen Douglass was known as “the Little Giant”. He
was a very popular Senator.
Abraham Lincoln ran against Douglas.
Douglas was the favorite to win.
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Douglas believed issue should be settled with
popular sovereignty. He believed “This Union
can exist forever divided into free and slave
states as our fathers made it.”
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Lincoln saw slavery as morally wrong. He
stated “I believe that this government cannot
endure permantently half slave and half
slave.”
John Brown
Raid on Harper’s Ferry
John Brown becomes a martyr for
abolitionist
His death becomes a rallying point for
abolitionists!