The Question of Slavery
Popular sovereignty
The people would decide on the issues of
slavery—
slavery
—vote
Self
Self--determination
Compromise between anti or pro slavery
Flaw
Flaw—
—could allow the spread of slavery
Election of 1848
Whigs-nominate Zachary Taylor (slave
Whigsowner but silent on the issue of slavery
Democrats
Democrats--nominate General Lewis Cass
(father of “popular sovereignty)
Free
Free--Soilers
Soilers--against spread of slavery
slavery--for
free land
Free
Free--Soilers pull votes from Democrats
Democrats-Taylor wins Presidency
California
Gold feverfever-Sutters Mill
Mill--1848
California makes a constitution excluding
slavery--.
slavery
Then apply of Congress to be admitted as
a state
Southern politicians feel trickedtricked-will lead
to 15 slave states and 16 free states
Gold panning
Issues dividing America
Admit California?
Disputed land in Texas
Runaway slaves
Land gained from Mexico (Calif., Utah
terr., N. Mex. Terr.) should it be free or
slave
Disputed land in Texas
Disputed land in Texas
Federal Govt. wants to take western Texas
and give it to New Mexico
Texas threatens violence
Harriet Tubman
19 trips into the south
to rescue more than 300
slaves
About 1000 slaves
escaped per year out of
4 million slaves
Underground railroad
Compromise of 1850
Compromise—Calif.
Compromise—
Calif. free and Terr. Will have
Popular Sovereignty
Fugitive Slave law—
law—runaway slaves caught
must be returned
Disputed Texas territory goes to New MexicoMexicoTexas gets $10 million
No slave trade (but slavery OK) in D.C.
FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW
-no jury trial,
Slaves can not testify
imprisonment for northerners
Federal commissioner gets $5 if slave
freed-- $10 if slave returned
freed
angers moderates
MANIFEST DESTINY
Compromise of 1850 a victory for the
North—
North
—why
MANIFEST DESTINY
The South can not spread plantation
system northnorth-why?
Can’t spread west very easilyeasily-Why?
South looks to Baja California and
Nicaragua (William Walker)
South looks to Cuba (buy Cuba for $120
million)
Attempts fail
MANIFEST DESTINY
Treaty with Columbia allows building
transcontinental RR through what is now
Panama (1855)
China opened for trade in 1844
Thousands of missionaries follow
Japan had been closed for two centuries
1854
1854--treaty opens door slightly
Manifest Destiny.
Gadsden purchasepurchase-1855
Purpose to build a southern route for the
RR
RR--why?
Not completed until 1882
Northerners want northern route for RR
Review-- Missouri compromise
Review
compromise-1820
Kansas--Nebraska Act
Kansas
To have RR, have to organize territories
Stephen DouglasDouglas-maybe
motivated by $$
Kansas--Nebraska Act
Kansas
Spilt Nebraska territoryterritory-northern part is
Nebraska, southern part is Kansas
Popular SovereigntySovereignty Neb. Terr.
Terr.-assumed free
Kan. Terr.Terr.-assumed slave
Problem
Problem-- Missouri Compromise
Missouri Compromise is repealed
Kan
Kan--Neb Act Passes
Violence in Kansas
New England Emigrant Aid Company sent
anti--slavery (free soilers) settlers to Kansas.
anti
ProPro-slavery settlers move to KS. –”vote early
and often”
2 governmentsgovernments-one pro, one anti
anti--slavery
ProPro-slavery shoot up and burn Lawrence
Civil war in KS off and on from 1856 to the
start of the Civil War
AN 1856 CARTOON DEPICTS A GIANT FREE SOILER BEING HELD DOWN BY
JAMES BUCHANAN AND LEWIS CASS STANDING ON THE DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM MARKED "KANSAS", "CUBA" AND "CENTRAL AMERICA". FRANKLIN
PIERCE ALSO HOLDS DOWN THE GIANT'S BEARD AS STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS
SHOVES A SLAVE DOWN HIS THROAT.