By Tori Boie, Chandavy Heng, and Emily Borges
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Panic of 1857:
Financial crash brought on by gold- fueled
inflation, over speculation, and excess grain production. It called
for higher tariffs and free homesteads (western land)
 Tariff of 1857: Lowered duties on imports in response to a high
Treasury surplus and pressure from the southern farmers
 Dred Scott v. Stanford(1857): Supreme court decision that
extended federal protection to slavery by ruling that congress did
not have the power to prohibit slavery in any territory; also
declared that slaves, as property, were not citizens of the United
States.
James Buchanan: popular votes- 1,832,955
America’s 15th President from March 4, 1857- March 4, 1861
Born: April 23, 1791 Died: June 1, 1868
Occupation: Lawyer, Diplomat
Political Party: Democratic
John C. Fremont: popular votes- 1,339,932
California’s 3rd Governor: he was looking for $
Born: January 21, 1813 Died: July 13, 1898
Profession: Solider, Adventurer
Political Party: Republican
Millard Fillmore: popular votes- 871,731
America’s 13th President from July 9, 1850-March 4, 1853
Born: January 7, 1800 Died: March 8, 1874
Profession: Lawyer
Political Party: Anti-Masonic, Whig

James Buchanan defeated Fremont in the election
of 1856
 John Fremont the election because of his lack of honesty,
capacity, and sound judgment
 Beneficial that Buchanan won, Fremont was not as strong as
Abe Lincoln, and in 1856, many people were still apathetic
about slavery, and the South could have seceded more
easily.
Bright Blue: Whig
(Fillmore)
Orange: Republican
(Buchanan)
Blue: Democratic
(Fremont)
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Born in 1795 and died in 1858
He started out a slave with Peter
Blow who died in 1832.
Ownership transferred to Dr. John
Emerson (army surgeon)
After spending time in Illinois (free
state) he decided to sue for freedom
on grounds that he was free
After the United States Supreme
court ruled against Scott, he was
bought by Blow’s children, then
freed.

Dred Scott v. Stanford(1857) and outcomes
 Dred Scott sued for freedom
 Made it to United States Supreme Court
 Court ruled against him on grounds that he was black
therefore not an American citizen and could not sue
 Legislature/Congress could not outlaw slavery- violated 5th
amendment- concluded Missouri Compromise was
unconstitutional
 Southerners were obviously happy with the decision that the
supreme court had made although the northerners were
oblivious of the choice that the supreme court had
encountered
Southerners were obviously happy with the decision
that the supreme court had made
 Northerners were oblivious of the choice that the
supreme court had encountered
 Northerners were mad and tension built
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Financial worries and bitterness over the Dred Scott cases,
causes an overall bitter feel in America and negative outlook.
“The panic of 1857 was more a psychological hardship
than an economic one”
Causes for the Clash:
1. California gold Rush
2. Demands from Crimean War in Russia
3. Frenzied speculation in land Rail Roads further ripped economic fabric
North and West was hit the hardest
 South “rode out the storm with flying colors”
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lead to the ideology that south’s economic kingdom was stronger than
the north.
1860- Homestead act was passed in congress but vetoed by
president who favored the south
 The panic also lead to higher Tariff rates.

 Congress enacted Tariff of 1857 responded to pressures from the south.
 Reduced duties to about 20% on dutiable goods *lowest point since war
1812*
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North blamed there poor fortune on the low tariffs
Panic of 1857 gave Republicans two surefire issues for election of
1860
1.
2.
Protection for the unprotected
Farms for the farmless
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Republican party decided to run Abraham Lincoln against
Stephan A. Douglas in election of 1858
Lincoln was raised poor and only had a year of schooling- self
educated
He married into a higher class
 His wife, “she wolf” taught him patience and forbearance

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He became known as “honest Abe” a better known trial lawyer
in Illinois.
He also served-uneventfully- one term in congress from 18471849

The passage of the Kansas- Nebraska Act ignited an
unexpected spark within him
 He jumped on the republican bandwagon and became one of the
“foremost politicians and orators of the northwest”
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He was on the right road to become a popular and revered
president
Although he lost this election he wouldn’t loose the next