Chapter 15 Study Guide
The Nation Breaking Apart
1846-1861
Section 1 - Growing Tensions
Between North and South
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Find Out:
How the abolitionist movement heightened
tensions between the North and South
The controversies over slavery in the territories
How the Wilmot Proviso and potential
statehood for California deepened regional
divisions
Analyze the Compromise of 1850
1. What did both the North and the South rely on
heavily for their economies? How was it different in the
South?
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Over the centuries, the Northern and
Southern sections of the United States had
developed into two very different cultural
and economic regions
There were also differences in geography
and climate, as well as religious differences
Rural plantation economy
Relied on slave labor
“Peculiar Institution” created tension
James Hopkinson's
Plantation. Planting
Southerners feared that the loss of
sweet potatoes.
slavery would mean loss of culture
Library of Congress
Both the North and the South relied on
agriculture but the South relied more on
plantation agriculture.
THE NORTH BEFORE THE WAR
2. What led to the rapid growth of Northern cities?
Why did Eastern and Midwestern states develop strong
ties with each other?
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The North had a more diverse
economy
Industry flourished
Openly opposed slavery in the
South and the new territories
More urbanized than South
Immigration fueled Northern
population growth.
Immigrants and Easterners
moved west and built farms in
the new states formed from the
Northwest Territory. They used
the canals and railroads that
ran mostly east and west.
BOSTON HARBOR
3. Describe how the South developed differently than the
North?
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A few wealthy planters controlled
Southern society, making great
profits from the labor of slaves.
Much of the profit came from trade,
especially cotton.
4. Most Southern whites were poor
farmers who owned no slaves. But
even many of the nonslaveholding
whites supported slavery because it
kept them off the bottom of society.
Antislavery and racism
5. What view did most abolitionists have of
slavery
• Antislavery movement gained strength in North
since 1830’s
• Abolitionists felt slavery was unjust and should
immediately be abolished (North)
6. Why did many Northern workers and immigrants oppose
slavery?
 It posed an economic threat to them
because slaves did not work for pay. They
feared managers would employ slaves
rather than them or they would become
slaves.
 7. Despite their opposition to slavery, most
Northerners, even abolitionists were racist
by modern standards.
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8. Slaverholders defended slavery. Most
offered the openly racist argument that
white people were superior to blacks.
Many also claimed that slavery helped
slaves by introducing them to Christianity,
as well as providing them with food,
shelter, and clothing.
9. What caused new disagreements to arise over slavery
in the 1840's?
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The outbreak of War with Mexico
and new territories won from Mexico
and the expansion of slavery in the
territories caused disagreements in
Congress
The issue of whether slavery in
California and the West would be
legal led to heated debates in
Congress
Gold rush led to application for
statehood for California
David Wilmot was a representative from the
state of Pennsylvania. He proposed that
slavery should not be allowed in any territory
won in the War with Mexico. (10)
Angry slaveholders protested that the
government had no right to tell them what to
do with their own property since slaves were
considered property. The measure passed the
House but failed in the Senate. (11)
– Library of Congress Prints and Photographs
10. What did David Wilmot
propose?
11. How did slaveholders feel about Wilmot's
Proviso?
The Wilmot Proviso
• Proposed by Penn. Rep. David Wilmot
• Most disagreements settled with Compromise
of 1820
• New land won from Mexico caused tension over
spread of slavery for many Northerners
• Wilmot proposed to outlaw the spread of
slavery in any territory won from War with
Mexico
• Southerners argued that slaves were property
12. What was an effect of the Wilmot Proviso?
• Slave holders said the government couldn’t
prevent them from taking property anywhere
they wanted
• Said Wilmot Proviso would be unconstitutional
• Divided Congress along regional lines
• Passed in House of Reps but not in Senate
• Wilmot’s Proviso led to creation of Free Soil
Party to stop expansion of slavery
• Made slavery a national issue
13. What did the addition of new states in territories won
from Mexico threaten?
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1848 Nation debates what to do with land won from Mexico
Addition of new states threatened balance of power between
Northern and Southern states
Gold discovered in California would soon cause it to apply for
statehood as its population grew
Most in California wanted to be a free state and applied in
1850
Balance of power between slave and free states would be
upset which create an imbalance in Congress, especially the
Senate
COMPROMISE OF 1850
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Southerners threatened
secession over issue
Henry Clay again worked a
Compromise (15)
For the North: California
would be admitted as free
state (16)
For the South: A more
effective fugitive slave law
(16)
Residents of New Mexico &
Utah would vote themselves
(16)
The slave trade would be
abolished in Washington
D. C.(16)
CONGRESSIONAL DEBATE
The United States Senate, A.D.
1850 – Library of Congress
Prints and Photographs
Compromise of 1850
• Proposed by Henry Clay (The Great Compromiser)
• California admitted as a free state
• Slave trade ended in Washington, D.C.
• Congress would allow popular sovereignty regarding
slavery for the rest of the territories won from Mexico
• Stronger fugitive slave laws passed
Henry Clay, known as the
Great Compromiser for coming
up with the Missouri
Compromise of 1820. Years
and years in the Senate can
surely age a man!
Henry Clay – Library of Congress
Prints and Photographs
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Compromise of 1850 cont.
Northerners now feel they are part of slavery
because of fugitive slave law
Daniel Webster supports measure for good of
country (17)
Bill pushed through by Stephen Douglas of
Illinois (17)
Many felt the Union was saved
Daniel Webster
supported the
Compromise of
1850 for the good
of the country.
Stephen Douglas
helped his friend
Henry Clay by
pushing the bill
through Congress.
Notes and images from Library of
Congress Prints and Photographs
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
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Escape from slavery was
dangerous and meant
traveling on foot at night
As time went on, African
Americans and white
abolitionists developed a
secret network of people
who would hide fugitive
slaves
”Conductors” would hide
runaways in tunnels and
even cupboards
HARRIET TUBMAN
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HARRIET TUBMAN 1820-1913
One of the most
famous conductors
was Harriet Tubman
Tubman escaped
slavery and vowed to
help others do the
same
She made 19 trips
back to South and
freed over 300 slaves
(Including her own
parents)