Impending Crisis
1854-1861
A. Literary Influence
1.
Harriet Beecher Stowe
a.
b.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852)
Written in reaction to passage
of Fugitive Slave Law
Witnessed slavery once,
depiction almost as evil as
reality
Translated into 20+ languages
and millions of copies sold
worldwide
Easily could be most politically
influential piece of literature
ever written.
c.
d.
e.
i.
ii.
iii.
South condemned it as evil and
untrue.
Many northerners pledged NOT
to enforce Fugitive Slave Law as a
result of having read it.
GB and French people sided with
northern cause – may have
prevented gov’t intervention on
behalf of South
2. Hinton Helper
a. Impending Crisis of the
South (1857)
b. Helper a white man
from NC who hated
both slavery and
blacks.
c. Argued that slavery
hurt poor southern
white worst of all.
d. Poor southern whites
didn’t/couldn’t read
book, but aristocratic
south freaked – book
banned.
B. Bleeding Kansas
1.
Popular sovereignty for KN brought
settlers with ulterior motives.
a.
b.
c.
2.
Anti-slavery organizations (New England
Emigrant Aid Company) sent 2000 ppl (carrying
rifles known as “Beecher’s Bibles”) to stall the
southern vote for a pro-slave
Kansas.
South, in response sent armed proslavery settlers.
Very few slaves in either Kansas or
Nebraska in 1860.
1855 – territorial legislative election
a.
b.
c.
Southern “border ruffians” poured
in to KS to “vote early and often” –
won election and set up gov’t in
Shawnee Mission
Free soilers set up a different
legislature in Topeka
1856 – pro-slaveryites shot up and
burned part of Lawrence.
3. John Brown
a. Ardent antislaveryite who
moved to KS and
sought to avenge
burning of Lawrence,
KS.
b. Hacked to death (w/
broadswords) 5 proslaveryites in 1856 at
Pottawatomie Creek.
c. Became civil war
before THE Civil War.
4. Lecompton Constitution
a.
b.
c.
1857 – KS ready to apply for
statehood
Popular sovereignty allowed for
a vote
Lecompton Constitution
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Tricky move by pro slavery forces
to have a vote for constitution
“with slavery” or “without
slavery”
Regardless of outcome, provision
in Lecompton Constitution still
allowed for current slave owners
in KS to keep slaves.
Anti-slavery forces refused to
vote and Lecompton passed.
Stephan Douglas rallied for fair
play and free elections and a new
up or down vote on Constitution
was allowed.
Anti-slaveryites voted in droves
against Lecompton and KS failed
to become a state (until 1861)
C. Brooks v. Sumner on Senate Floor
1.
Charles Sumner
a.
b.
One of few abolitionist politicians
Smart, unliked and furious over debacle in KS
i.
ii.
iii.
2.
SC Congressmen Preston Brooks
a.
b.
3.
Called the “Crime Against Kansas”
Called pro-slavery men there “hirelings picked from the drunken spew and
vomit of an uneasy civilization”
Insulted SC and its popular senator Andrew Butler
felt need to uphold honor of state and its esteemed senator
Approached Sumner on floor and beat him repeatedly with cane
until it broke.
Aftermath
a.
b.
c.
d.
Brooks resigned his seat but was re-elected anyway
Southerners sent him canes in support
Sumner left Senate for 3 ½ yrs to receive treatment in Europe
Massachusetts kept re-electing him anyway and his seat remained
empty until his return.
D. Election of 1856
1.
Democrats
a.
b.
c.
2.
Republicans
a.
b.
John C. Fremont
James Buchanan
3.
4.
shied away from weak Pierce and divisive
Douglas - both tainted by Kansas.
Chose fancy and “Kansas-less” lawyer
James Buchanan
Platform was popular sovereignty
By-passed “Higher Law” Seward and went
for “Kansas-less” surveyor and western
explorer John C. Fremont.
Platform against extension of slavery into
territories.
Know-Nothing Party
Results
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Buchanan (174) Fremont (114) and
Fillmore (8)
Civil War kicked another 4 years down the
road
2 yr old Republican Party has strong
showing and becomes 2nd major party
overnight.
Anti-foreigner 3rd party
Against influx of Germans and Irish
Chose ex-Prez Millard Fillmore to run.
E. Dred Scott v. Sanford
1.
2.
Dred Scott lived with his master in IL and
WI Territory for 5 years – sued for his
freedom.
Roger B. Taney – Chief Justice led
majority southern SC
a.
b.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Dred Scott not a citizen and cannot sue in
federal courts
Ruled that slaves were property and could
not be taken away without due process of
law (5th Amendment) and could be taken
into ANY territory and legally held as slaves.
Made the Missouri Compromise invalid
– Congress had no power to ban slavery
north of 36’30”
Even made popular sovereignty null and
void.
Southerners delighted, northerners
horrified and popular sovereigntyites
(Douglas) aghast.
Many northerners pledged to defy it –
again seen as an act of bad faith by the
South.
Dred Scott
Roger B. Taney
F. Panic of 1857
1.
Causes
a.
b.
2.
CA hold inflating currency
Overspeculation in land
because of RR boom.
Results
a.
North hardest hit
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
b.
Demand for free farmland in
west grew
Homestead Act passed by
Congress but vetoed by
Buchanan.
Clamor for higher tariffs
These two issues will become
large part of platform for
Republican in 1860.
South protected by high
cotton prices abroad –
further entrenched King
Cotton belief.
G. Abraham Lincoln
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Born in 1809 to impoverished
Kentucky family
Grew up wrestling, weight lifting,
splitting rails and reading.
Self taught – mostly law.
Married above his social class into
influential Todd family.
One of a handful of well known
trial lawyers in IL.
Rose like a meteor through
republican ranks – earned 110
votes for VP in 1856.
Decides to challenge Dem Stephen
Douglas for IL senate seat in 1958.
H. Lincoln – Douglas Debates
1.
2.
Lincoln challenged Douglas to a series of 7 debates throughout IL (Aug–
Oct, 1858)
Freeport Doctrine
a.
b.
3.
Lincoln backed Douglas into a corner by questioning if ppl count vote against
slavery if Supreme Court ruled that they could not (Dred Scott Case)
Douglas held fast to his popular sovereignty doctrine thus upsetting the
southern contingent of Democratic Party.
Douglas won Senate seat, but divided national Democratic Party and hurt
his chances of winning 1860 Presidential Election.
I. John Brown: Murderer or Martyr?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Brown hatched a plan to secretly invade
South, arm slaves and incite a revolution.
Slaves, ignorant of the plan, failed to rise.
Brown and 20 men seized arsenal at
Harper’s Ferry incidently killing 7
innocent ppl.
Was wounded and quickly captured by
US Marines led by Robt E. Lee.
Convicted of murder and treason
Defense tried to plead insanity (much
evidence to support this) but Brown saw
he was worth more to cause dead than
alive – sentenced to hang.
Results
a.
b.
c.
d.
South convinced North was full of “John
Browns” inciting slaves to rise against their
masters.
Moderate northerners denounced Harpers
Ferry raid
Aboltionists hailed him a hero and a martyr
– Emerson compared him to Jesus.
“John Browns Body”
1.
Democrats
a.
b.
c.
2.
J. Election of 1860
Southern Dems do not want
“Freeport” Douglas – walk
out of convention in
Charleston
Dems try again in Baltimore
– nominate Douglas,
although many southern
states walked out again
Platform of popular
sovereignty and nonobstruction of Fugitive Slave
Law.
Southern Democrats
a.
b.
c.
Host convention of their
own after walking out
Nominate John Breckinridge
Platform of extension of
slavery into territories and
annexation of Cuba.
3.
Constitutional Union Party
a.
Former Whigs and KnowNothings
Nominate John Bell of TN
Pro-Union
b.
c.
4.
Republicans
a.
Seward the natural leader,
but too many enemies
Lincoln nominated oon 3rd
ballot
Platform had broad appeal.
b.
c.
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
For free-soilers Nonextension of slavery
For northern manufacturers A protective tariff
For immigrants – protection of
rights
For the Northwest – a
northern transatlantic RR
For the West – Internal
improvements
For the farmers – free
homesteads
5. Results
a. Lincoln won but not with plurality.
b. Not on ballot in 10 southern states
c. Democrats amassed more popular votes than
Lincoln – but Lincoln still had more EC votes than
all 3 opponents combined.
d. Republicans held Presidency, but not House,
Senate or Supreme Court.
K. Secession
1.
South Carolina threatened to secede if
Lincoln elected
a.
Rejoiced at his win for it gave them the
excuse
Dec. 1860 – SC convention voted
unanimously to secede.
6 more states secede in following 6
weeks – 4 more later.
New government
b.
c.
d.
i.
ii.
2.
7 original seceders meet in Montgomery,
AL in Feb 1861 and form Confederate
States of America.
Choose MS Senator Jefferson Davis as
President
“Lame Duck” period
a.
b.
Lincoln elected in Nov but can’t take
office until March
Buchanan a Unionist, but saw no
constitutional authority to make
southern states “stay” in Union with
force.
L. Crittenden Compromise
1.
2.
KY Senator James Crittenden
successor of Great
Compromiser Henry Clay.
Makes one last ditch effort at
compromise
a.
b.
c.
3.
Slavery still prohibited north
of 36’30’’ in territories.
Slavery federally protected
south of line in existing
territories or those to be
acquired.
When ready for statehood,
slavery issue still determined
by popular sovereignty.
Lincoln flatly rejected the
compromise
M. Farewell to Union
1. Reasons for Secession
a. Worried about political imbalance.
b. Feared new republican Party and their plans for slavery
c. Aggravated by northern agitators like Underground
Railroad and John Brown – wanted to be left alone.
d. Thought their departure would be unopposed.
e. Hoped to NOT have to pay back northern creditors
f. Hoped to establish their own banking and trade networks
g. Planned on a lower tariff
h. Feelings of Southern nationalism swept through
i. Principles of self-determination, as laid out in the
Declaration of Independence, seemed to apply perfectly
to them.