Fitful Fifties
Instantly after the passage of the Compromise of 1850—
pressure builds on Nebraska,
It had good soil
It was near the Platte River
It was a target for several railroads
The land was Indian, but that mattered little
Southern Senators held back since it was “north” of the 1820 compromise lines & the
South wanted a southern rail route to California—through Texas.
Several powerful Congressmen looked for quick statehood
Stephen Douglas, (D) Senator from Illinois & was Chair of Senate Committee on
Territories.
William Richardson, (D) Representative from Illinois & Chair of House Committee on
Territories.
Douglas wealthy—invested in land along rail routes, and his friends had similar
interests
Douglas & Richardson drew up a bill for the House
to recognize “early” territorial rights for Nebraska.
Symbolically it was introduced in the Senate by
August Dodge (also a rail and land investor)
The bill easily passed the House—nominated by
northerners.. But was stopped cold in “balanced”
Senate.
The strongest Southern opposition was from
the “F Street Mess” (they boarded together on F
Street)
James Mason of Virginia, Chair of Foreign Relations
Robert Hunter, Virginia, Chair of Finance
Atchison
Andrew Butler, South Carolina, Judiciary Chair
“I will see Nebraska sink in hell”
David Atchison, Missouri, & Senate pro tem
Atchison sent Douglas a note—if Douglas wanted Nebraska, he had to cut a deal.
The F Street boys demanded a “repeal” the ban on bondage (Compromise of 1820)
And Atchison also demanded…
“the slave-holder and no-slaveholder upon terms of equality”
So Douglas set to work. His first first bill (Jan. 1854) said that Nebraska would come in as
a “state or states”…
“with or without slavery, as their constitutions may prescribe”
The F Street Mess disapproved, & Douglas made a second revision…
“all questions on slavery .. Are to be left to the citizens residing
therein”
Neither was acceptable to the Southern leaders, for as long as the Missouri Compromise
(Compromise of 1820) was in effect, the land north of 36° 30’ N. Latitude was “free”.
Douglas, who wanted to be president; who had millions invested; who had railroad plans;
and who represented a state positioned to benefit greatly from a neighbor gave in….
His third version, revoked the Missouri Compromise AND broke up
“Nebraska” into two potential territories: Kansas to the south and Nebraska to the north
(one for slave, one for free). Most in the nation—shocked. The 1820 “line” had been a
commonly accepted border for a generation—34 years.
President Pierce was against the bill fearing political
fallout.
Pierce drafted a response bill requiring all slavery
questions to go to the Supreme Court. His position
was unpopular.
On a Sunday, when Pierce normally avoided politics,
the F Street Mess demanded a meeting with the
President.
Atchison & the group threatened
Pierce, …support the repeal they said,
or lose the south.
General Franklin Pierce
It was an election year!!!!
Northern Democrats, Whigs, and Free
Soilers were also against the
Douglas bill.
Candidate Pierce
There was an outpouring of anger…many
called it a
“gross violation of a sacred pledge”
Public meetings and protests included church
sermons, editorials, & speeches in Congress.
“Anti-Nebraska” meetings were held all across
the North.
In Northern state legislatures, four refused to
endorse the bill, and five were against the bill.
Douglas never did understand the depth of
Northern resentment. All he could think of is
that you cannot win the Presidency without
some Southern votes. He insisted that the
Compromise of 1850 (where New Mexico &
Utah had popular sovereignty) had already
“undone” the rule of 1820.
Finally Douglas pushed hard and got a vote of 41 to 17 for the
bill in the Senate.
On May 22, 1854, the House passed it 115-104
The voting record for the Kansas-Nebraska Act, 1854:
S. WHIGS=75%
S. DEMOCRATS= 96%
Voting against the Kansas-Nebraska Act, 1854:
N. WHIGS=100%
N. DEMOCRATS=45%
Northern Dems were especially worried. If they voted “yes”
they faced defeat at the polls; and if “no” they faced a loss of
party appointments and favors. Only seven of northern
members who voted “yes” were re-elected.
In July 1854, in Michigan a new Republican Party was formed.
That September, home for a rest, Douglas was shouted off the
stage at a local Chicago political meeting.
Douglas
A local lawyer and former House member, Abraham Lincoln
spoke out against Douglas and the bill.
Lincoln found a basic acceptable argument in 1856 that he
would use in the election of 1860.
Lincoln said “the great wrong” was that bill opened a formerly
closed territory to slavery.
It was in this period that Lincoln his three main political points:
..PROTECT EXISTING SLAVERY (if we must)
…PREVENT EXPANSION OF SLAVERY
…BEGIN GRADUAL EMANCIPATION
He also directly countered Douglas, saying that the assumption
that slavery in one territory only impacts the population in that
place—to be wrong. While Douglas claimed that climate would
prevent slavery in the Mexican sessions, Lincoln called Douglas’s
ideas a “lullaby” argument. Lincoln was becoming a master
orator.
Lincoln, December 1860
IN THRITY DAYS KANSAS WAS AT WAR
“We will engage in a competition for the
virgin soil of Kansas”
William Seward
“We are playing for a mighty stake”
David Atchison
“If we win we carry slavery to the Pacific
Ocean, if we fail we lose
Missouri, Arkansas, Texas and all the
territories”
Robert Hunter
Robert Hunter, will be Secretary of
State, Confederate States of America
Rapid series of events…note sequence and patterns…
1854—law passes May 30
Settlers rush in despite legitimate Indian claims
June 13—Leavenworth Town Company-pro-slave-Missourians organize to settle
Kansas
Aug 1-New England Emigrant Aid Society forms
Amos Lawrence finances settlers
Aug 26—land surveys begin
October—first Governor appointed
November—first invasion of border ruffians
First elections full of obvious fraud—territorial representative elected & seated in
Congress
In 1855Census—8,501, 151 free blacks, 192 slaves
March-May: More elections held with more ruffians
2,905 registered voters
But 6,307 voted!
Only 791 vote against slavery
September-Nov—multiple parties organize (free and slave)
Governor went to Washington to ask the proceedings be ignored.
Several governors are appointed with pressures exerted by the F
Street Mess and abolitionists
In truth, the proslavery faction did outnumber the freesoilers, but
their use of fraud would turn popular opinion against them.
Eli Thayer immediately organized the New
England Emigrant Aid Society
for the purpose of giving indirect aid to settlers
to Kansas to keep the territory free.
By mid summer 1855 1,200 settlers came to
Kansas. The Society formed a business
company to get reduced travel rates. And they
built settlements Lawrence, Topeka,
Osawatomie, Manhattan, Hampden, and
Wabaunsee. And they were armed.
The abolitionist minister Henry Ward Beecher
furnished settlers with Sharps rifles, which
came to be known as "Beecher's Bibles."
Congress and many Americans were outraged
when the rifles arrived in fall1855—Congress
even investigated.
Thayer
Henry Ward Beecher
Dec 3-9, 1855
In the fall a free-soiler, Charles Dow, was
killed by a pro-slave neighbor about 30 miles
south of Lawrence. Free-soil leader Jacob
Branson, began to agitate for retaliation
but was arrested. When Branson escaped to
Lawrence the local sheriff organized a
“siege”.
Sheriff Jones used over 3,000 Missourians in
what was called the “Wakarusa War”.
The Governor, a pro-slave sympathizer from
Ohio, stepped in and ended the siege before
violence took place.
Meanwhile a Topeka Convention had formed
a free state government—now Kansas had
two territorial governments.
Ruins of Free State Hotel, Lawrence
Spring 1856—a judge orders indictments of the free state government for treason
May 19-20, Sen. Charles Sumner, Mass gave a two day speech called “The Crime
Against Kansas”
“murderous robbers from Missouri”
“hirelings picked from drunken spew and vomit”
“committed … rape of a virgin territory”
And Sumner then singled out members of the F Street Mess, naming
Andrew P. Butler of SC guilty of representing a state
“and its shameful imbecility from Slavery”
“polluted the sight of the world”
and wed to the “harlot of slavery”
May 21, 1856. —800 Missourians with five cannon burned and plundered Lawrence
May 22, 1856. —Rep Preston Brooks, a cousin of Butler entered a nearly
deserted Senate Chamber and told Sumner that “Mr. Butler is a relative of mine.”
Brooks beat Sumner with a gold headed cane 30 plus times
The national press went crazy—”bleeding Sumner” was added to “bleeding Kansas”;
but Southerners applauded Brooks. He received dozens of new canes –
One engraved with “Hit Him Again”
Senator Sumner, 1855
Representative Brooks
Brooks was fined $300, and Sumner could not serve for another three years. The
Massachusetts General Court (legislature) continued to re-elect Sumner as a snub to
the South. When Sumner returned to the Senate he became a powerful Senator against
the south and a Radical Republican during Reconstruction. Brooks was challenged to a
duel immediately by a friend of Sumner; but Brooks failed to show. A hothead, he was
wounded in another duel, and died from respiratory illness in 1857.
As the events of May unfolded an ardent abolitionist, John Brown, was on his
way to help Lawrence. He then heard of the Sack of Lawrence, only to hear of the
canning of Sumner the next day…
He was with others going t Kansas, and witnesses reported that he
“went crazy”…that he yelled
“we must fight fire with fire”
“we must strike terror in the hearts of proslavery men”
Brown developed a plan against the “slave hounds”. Focusing n the proslavery town
of Pottawatomie…
With four of his sons and three others, Brown abducted five proslavery men
from their cabins on May 24 and 25 and split open their heads with broadswords.
The northern press was more sympathetic to Brown despite his violence
Soon newspapers were calling it “Civil War in Kansas”
May 21, 1856, Sack of Lawrence
May 22, 1856, Canning of Sumner
May 24-25, 1856, Massacre in Potawatomie
SOON CIVIL WAR IN THE UNITED STATES
John Brown, 1856
John Brown, without beard
Brown on the cover of Leslie’s Illustrated
Brown and Harper’s Ferry hostages, in lass than a year
Conclusions:
War is here—started in the west—over slavery
Compromise of 1850—creates immense interest in Kansas
F Street Mess politicians plot for Nebraska statehood
Money, power, and railroads at stake
Douglas write two bills—neither acceptable to the F Street Mess
Only a reversal of the 1820 ban on slavery north of 36° 30’ and two territories would do
Opposition strong
Anti-Nebraska movement covers North
Voting on the bill breaks apart both national parties
Lincoln speaks out against the bill & forms his basic argument against expanding slavery
Southerners are adamant and see this as a contest for Kansas
Events of 1854, 1855, 1856, all spell violence
Settlement marred by proslavery &free soil camps, & competing territorial governments
Bleeding Kansas becomes a national outrage
Compounded by Bleeding Sumner