5.12.15
1850s
More on the Kansas Nebraska Act
Remember
1820 Missouri Compromise-kept the balance drew line at 36 30
COVERED Louisiana Purchase Territory
Maine came in
Below the line, slave state-above the line free
Compromise of 1850 concerned with land we got from Mexico
New rule, no line,
Created Popular Sovereignty-when your territory became a state, you voted on whether to have slavery in that area
NOW, WE HAVE 2 DIFFERENT RULES-
And
In1854 the Kansas Nebraska Act, and these areas are given Popular Sovereignty-
One rule says that you VOTE for or against slavery, while the Missouri Compromise says
“free land”
THIS REPEALS THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE 36 30 Rule
This is turning the game around-favoring the North
“Bleeding Kansas”
People are killed-dress rehearsal for Civil War
People are fighting over slavery
Pottawatomie Massacre-both sides want to win
Lawrence, anti slavery - “The Sack of Lawrence”-a fight over slavery
Pottawatomie is a pro slavery town-John Brown (he’s anti slavery) shows up-he feels
God tells him to go there and kill pro slavery people, and chop their hands off-
PAYBACK TIME
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A speech is given in Washington-“The Crime Against Kansas”
Charles Sumner-Republican from Massachusetts-gave the speech
Congressman Preston Brooks Democrat from South Carolina-beat up Sumner for giving the speech-he breaks his cane over Sumner’s head
Sumner needed 3-4 years to recover
Brooks got hundreds of canes from people in South Carolina
Is slavery in our country at this time only a violent issue on the frontier in Kansas? Noit’s even in Congress
Do you think American is heading for violence?
Bleeding Kansas
The beating in Congress
John Brown
YES
John Brown: Madman, Hero or Martyr?
Look at the beard:
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It looks like the beard is doing the leading
Look at his position-arms outstretched-we were a Christian country-representing Christ on the cross-he’s a martyr-maybe he’s Jesus, the book he’s holding has the alpha & omega (first and last)
Or Moses- parting the waters
He’s made to look taller, to make him the main focus-more important
He’s walking on dead people, one’s blue, the North, one grey, the South-he’s dead before the war, but this painting was painted in the 1930s, and its symbolism
On his right, we see an American flag, with an African American-he had multi racial followers
On his left is the Stars and Bars
Think of the biblical story when the Israelites were being led by a pillar of fire and in this painting, we have a tornado, and a prairie fire
1856 Presidential Election
James Buchanan Democratin 1856, politicians have fought over Compromise of 1850,
Kansas Nebraska act-LOTS OF ARGUING- he hasn’t made anyone angry-he was in Europe
He’s elected for that reason-Americans chose a man who hadn’t annoyed them-not due to being bright, principled, he was not a leader-he was a comfortable choice
John C Fremont Republican
Millard Fillmore Whig
Do we Sectionalism, or Nationalism?
Only the most Northern supported Fremont-Buchannan is getting the South-Democrat
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We are seeing the birth of the Republican party -Don’t let slavery expand-look at the vote in the North
REMEMBER, WE ELECT A PRESIDENT FROM THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE
VOTE, NOT THE POPULAR VOTE
Dred Scott Decision
Dred Scott v. Sanford, 1857
Background-
Dred Scott is a slave from Missouri-a southern slave state, with a low percentage of slavery
His master is a military doctor, posted to different places and Dred goes with him-posted in Illinois & Wisconsin-they were in the old Northwest Territory, before Articles of
Confederation, slavery was forbidden there-never had slaves
They return to Missouri, his master dies, and Dred sues, saying “I want to be free, because I lived in a free territory”-PROPERTY SHOULD BE TRANSFERRED TO THE
WIDOW
How could a slave sue-your sofa cannot sue you-slaves are property, not people
His argument was not the first time this argument was made. Slaves had been accepting this argument
Why wouldn’t these southern courts do for Dred Scott, what had been done for others?
The governor was pro slavery, so it doesn’t go in his favor.
It goes to the Supreme Court
Remember the Legislative Branch-makes the law-legislators can speak up at the beginning of the law
Executive branch-carries out the law-speak out quite soon @ the law
Judicial branch-interprets the law-in the court-they have to wait until the case gets to themthe justices can leap at it like a ‘trap door spider’
The Supreme Court was waiting for this case
Question 1-Can Dred Scott bring suit?
Answer 1-Supreme Court rules-no, because he’s an African (due to his race)
Not because he’s a slave, but due to his race-affects free blacks
(due to that answer, that’s the END of it)
Question 2-Can Congress prohibit slavery?
Answer 2- a. slaves = property
b. Congress cannot take property
c. Congress, therefore, cannot take slaves, so it cannot prohibit slavery
d. Missouri Compromise (line 36 30) is unconstitutional now-if we cannot bring suit, why are we talking about this?
“””””””””””””””””””””, why are we ruling on the Missouri Compromise?
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If Congress cannot declare, or prohibit slavery, then,look at the 1856 election results, and it appears that slavery may come back to the North
The white area on that map may become slave again, thus slavery may move back to the
North
As the 1850s go on, the South is gaining momentum.
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