Chapter 13
 While sectional tensions were rising during the 1840s, a place where most
Americans could agree was on the idea of Expansionism- That God had chosen
America to control the Western Hemisphere . Really started with Indian
removal- that focused the drive west. Our size and growth (pop doubles every 20
years) seemed to make it obvious- and this was one area Whigs and Democrats
alike could support.
 John O’Sullivan coined phrase “manifest destiny”. Frederick Jackson Turner
Wrote The Significance of the Frontier in American History (1893). Said the west is what
forged America’s character- we were forged by conquering the continent.
 Yet expansion only exacerbated the tensions, as new territory gained became yet
another place to argue over- esp in regards to expansion (or not) of slavery
 Panic of 1837 sent a lot of people west of the Mississippi, and that was a
new thing- up till that time it had been mostly trappers.
 1840-45 5000 people move to Oregon ( “Oregon Fever” Willamette Valley),
by 1860 300,000 people have moved over the Rockies to OR and CA
 At the time, Oregon was
claimed by both US and Eng
(we said it was Louisiana
Purchase, they say it’s Canada)
Adams – Onis Treaty says we
Share
 Mexico won independence in
1821- and controlled huge
territory -6.5 m people but not
many in “New Mexico” (30,000
Sp 10,000 In) or California
(3,200 Sp – land grants, and
170,000 In)
 Santa Fe trail and Pacific trade
linked NM and CA with US
 In 1821- the new gov’t of Mexico sold a large land
grant (18,000 acres)to Stephen Austin. By 1830,
Austin had organized and sold that land to 7,000
people
 By 1835 there were 27,000 American settlers- who
had come to TX with about 3000 slaves to farm
cotton.
 Mexico was worried so many people were comingand that they were protestant Americans with no
thought of changing culture- Austin wanted
autonomy, and eventually independence.
 Issue got stickier when Mexico abolished slaveryand Texans had no intention of complying.
 Pres. Of Mexico sends General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna to
force Texans to follow the law. Lay siege to the ALAMO (a
mission in San Antonio) March 6 1836, Santa Anna attacks and
kills 187 Texans (including Davie Crocket and Jim Bowie)
“Remember the Alamo” become the Texan’s war cry.
 March 2nd Texas had declared itself and independent nationand April 21 Sam Houston led Texans to victory at Battle of San
Jacinto where Santa Anna was taken prisoner and forced to
recognize Texan Independence. When he got home- Santa
Anna (and Mexico) repudiated the treaty
 Issue tricky for US- the Texans were Americans, but support
could bring war with Mexico. Furthermore, if Texas joined US,
it would be a slave state. By 1845 there are 150,000 in TX
 John Tyler had taken presidency in 1841 Wm H Harrison died. Tyler
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was a strange Whig president- they decline to run him in 1844
But main issue of the 1840s is expansion- which makes presidential
campaign far more about foreign policy than domestic
An expression of Manifest Destiny- Texas and Oregon were the central
issues in the campaign. (would enter union with balance of slave/free)
Henry Clay Whig candidate (again, this is his 4th attempt!)– waffles on
Texas (costs him presidency, as does abolition party)
Martin Van Buren expected democratic candidate, but couldn’t muster
support- so Democrats nominate “dark horse” candidate James k Polk.
(a protégé of Jackson’s- some historians call him the only other
Jacksonian Democrat. “Young Hickory”)
Polk wins 170-105- seen as a mandate for annexation…but Tyler steals
Polk’s thunder by annexing before he left office
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Abraham Lincoln
Franklin Roosevelt
George Washington
Theodore Roosevelt
Harry Truman
John Kennedy
Thomas Jefferson
Dwight Eisenhower
Woodrow Wilson
Ronald Reagan
Lyndon Johnson
James Polk
Andrew Jackson
James Monroe
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
Bill Clinton
William McKinley
John Adams
George H.W. Bush
John Quincy Adams
James Madison
Grover Cleveland
Gerald Ford
Ulysses Grant
William Taft
Jimmy Carter
Calvin Coolidge
Richard Nixon
James Garfield
29. Zachary Taylor
30. Benjamin Harrison
31. Martin Van Buren
32. Chester Arthur
33. Rutherford Hayes
34. Herbert Hoover
35. John Tyler
36. George W. Bush
37. Millard Fillmore
38. Warren Harding
39. William Harrison
40. Franklin Pierce
41. Andrew Johnson
42. James Buchanan
 Polk was virtually unknown before elected, but came with a clear platform of
things he wanted to do. - all of which he achieved in less than 4 years…
 Lower Tariff from 32%-25% (Walker Tariff- which still makes good $$ b/c it
happens to be a boom cycle economically)
 Restore independent treasury system – 1846
 Settle Oregon Dispute - One of the campaign slogans had been “54’40 or fight”but with Texas joining the union in 1845- keeping balance was more important, so
compromise in Oregon became attractive. Settled along 49th parallel. Polk Knew
treaty would be unpopular- so he didn’t spearhead it himself, passed it to Senate for
negotiation
 Acquire California – this one is going to get tricky- Mexico does not want to
sell…..
 Mexico did not appreciate US
annexation (They cut dip. relations)
Boundary dispute: US says Texas
territory goes to Rio Grande, Mexico
says it stops at Nueces river. Polk
wants to negotiate boundary- and
try to buy CA for $30 million- Mexican officials
won’t even meet- and Mexican army attacks US
troops patrolling disputed area. (btw- Polk sent
army there to provoke attack)
 Polk asks congress for Dec. of War- controversial.
Whigs not sure about land claims…North fears this
is to expand slavery
 Majority of Americans are fans, but the North is worried, not just b/c of slavery,
but b/c we are pushing Mexico around to get what we want (Thoreau goes to jail)
I mean, it’s not like we aren’t going to win…. Not something that gets a lot of
press here in US, but Mexico still strongly resents
 Ulysses S Grant, and Robert E Lee (both of whom served in war) said it was an
embarrassment. Training ground for civil war- many officers (from both
sides) get their military experience here. Not bad in terms of casualtiesonly 13,000 Americans die, most of those from disease- so we decide
fighting isn’t all that hard
 Abraham Lincoln (Congressman at time) challenged Polk’s declaration, and it
made him unpopular at home
 1st time we have fought (in a big way) on “Foreign” soil
changes the game.
 Multi pronged attack:
 California: wants to be a part of US, declares themselves independent of
Mexico (Bear Flag Republic) Capt John C Fremont and Stephen Kearny arrive
with US army to defend against Mexican forces (took New Mexico for good
measure
 Mexico: Largest amount of fighting took place. Feb 1847 Zachary Taylor
(becomes overnight hero) defeats Santa Anna at Battle of Buena Vista, but
Mex. Gov’t still won’t negotiate…so Polk sends army to take Mexico
city…suddenly they are willing to talk.
 Mexico recognized annexation of Texas
(to Rio Grande), and Ceded territory to
US based on successes of Fremont,
Kearny, and Taylor.
 US agreed to pay $15 compensation for
land
 So….if we want it, we should have it. Many
Americans (esp Southerners) wanted to
take all of Mexico. Eventually decide there
are too many Mexicans there….
 We got half a million square miles of land, and about 100,000 Spanish, and
150,000 more Native Americans.
 Treaty guaranteed “male citizens the free enjoyment of their liberty and
property, and all the rights of Americans” – but we really only meant large
landowners of European descent. “Spanish” Mexicans (generally defined by
wealth and social position) were invited to be a part of society, those who were
“too Mexican” were not –and that was a lot of people. New Mexico did not
become a state until 1912.
 Dark side of manifest destiny is that the “destiny” (like so many other things)
only applies to white men –we are convinced this is evidence of the superiority
of the Anglo Saxon Race (defined by being NOT black, Indian, Hispanic, or
Catholic)
 Race is more than skin color, it also involved culture, national origin, class, and
religion. In Mexican Cession- only whites could purchase land – and free blacks
can’t even live there.
 California has a white population of 15,000 when war ended.
 January 1848 Gold found at Sutter’s Mill (outside Sacramento)- when
news got out people began to flood to area, and by end of year over $6
million in gold had been discovered in various areas in California.
 In 1849 over 100,000 people came (either overland or by sea) to try their
luck. By 1852, there are 360,000 people there. Including our 1st real wave of
Asian Immigration – 25,000 Chinese (who had been leased as contract
workers)
 Most don’t find gold. Some leave- but businesses serving the “49ers” made
excellent profits - like Levi Strauss- who made durable work pants for
miners.
 Women ran boarding houses and restaurants, ran laundries, and brothelsbut they were scare. Men outnumbered women 3/1
 “Gold Fever” created chaos and lawlessness – and attacks against “outsiders”: Mexicans,
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Chileans, Chinese, French, Indians carried out by “committees of vigilance”.
To get things under control (they need federal support)- California drafted a
constitution, and applied to congress for statehood (bypassing territorial phase).
Constitution did not include slavery, which upset South (we’ll come back to this)
As usual, things don’t go well for Native Americans. Population dropped from 150,000 to
30,000 by 1860. Indian children could be declared orphans or vagrants and be bought
and sold as laborers.
Gold discovered in Australia in 1851. During the 1850s, California and Australia
produced 80% of world gold supply (really helped Eng and US in terms of gold reserves
and capitalism)
Aborigines did not fair well, nor did Chinese who came to mine
 Before 1850 we didn’t deal all
that much with Asia- kind of a
pain to get there… but
California and Oregon created US states on a new oceanfacing an new continent on the other side.
 Japanese had been isolationist since 1500s- allowed Dutch 1
ship a year- no trade for anyone else.
 1853 US sent Commodore Matthew Perry (brother of Oliver
Perry from 1812) to open trade with Japan- which he does at
gunpoint
 Successful- sparks Meiji restoration and industrialization
of Japan- turning them into the superpower of the Pacificand they don’t forget who forced them to change
 Splits are happening all
 Mexican Cession (which,
including Texas, is even bigger
than Louisiana Purchase) will
eventually create: California,
Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada,
Utah - and bits of Colorado and
Wyoming. But what will happen
in territory (slave/free) is
tearing at Fragile bonds
over- the Methodist and
Baptist churches split in
Northern and Southern
denominations, and the
two party system is
crumbling
 1846 David Wilmot (Congressman from PA) proposed that
no slavery be allowed in the Mexican Cession
 Passed in House -where majority of congressmen are from North, that’s
where the population is- but couldn’t pass senate- where states are even
(and VP is southern)
 Southerners are incredibly resentful- John C Calhoun says you can’t tell
settlers where they can take their property…Abolitionists are excited, and
tensions are mounting…parties are dividing along sectional (rather than
ideological) lines
 From this point on – Slavery is attached to EVERY issue- it’s becoming the
elephant in the room
 James K Polk had run in 1844 with a one term pledge,
which he kept.
 Whigs run Zachary Taylor- hero of Mex. War, and
Louisiana slaveholder (though he declared himself
neutral on slave issue)
 Democrats ran Lewis Cass: expansionist,
vague on slavery, who dealt with situation
in a clever way by declaring policy of
“Popular Sovereignty” … the people who
live in the territory should vote and decide
slave or free. Resonated as a possible way
out of sticky messes.
 Both the Democrats and Whigs seem to be leaving the door open
for slavery in territories- and there are a growing number of people
who don’t agree.
 Free Soil a 3rd party sectional coalition of Northern
Whigs and Democrats opposed to expansion of slavery. Nominated
Martin Van Buren as President (with Charles Adams, grandson of
John as running mate)
 Rest of platform was internal improvements, and free land for
settlement in the west.
 Foreshadowed Republicans, who will come 6 years later
 Zachary Taylor wins, but Free Soil has respectable total (300,000
votes- though won not state for electoral) which shows increase of
sectionalism
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Abraham Lincoln
Franklin Roosevelt
George Washington
Theodore Roosevelt
Harry Truman
John Kennedy
Thomas Jefferson
Dwight Eisenhower
Woodrow Wilson
Ronald Reagan
Lyndon Johnson
James Polk
Andrew Jackson
James Monroe
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
Bill Clinton
William McKinley
John Adams
George H.W. Bush
John Quincy Adams
James Madison
Grover Cleveland
Gerald Ford
Ulysses Grant
William Taft
Jimmy Carter
Calvin Coolidge
Richard Nixon
James Garfield
29. Zachary Taylor
30. Benjamin Harrison
31. Martin Van Buren
32. Chester Arthur
33. Rutherford Hayes
34. Herbert Hoover
35. John Tyler
36. George W. Bush
37. Millard Fillmore
38. Warren Harding
39. William Harrison
40. Franklin Pierce
41. Andrew Johnson
42. James Buchanan
 Admission of CA causing an uproar (no slave state available
for balance) Henry Clay “the great compromiser” puts
together one more deal The Compromise of 1850
 California enters as free state
 Texas (slave) boundary with New Mexico (will be free)
set to give Texas advantage in land
 Slave trade (not slavery) will be abolished in
Washington DC
 A new – tougher- Fugitive Slave law will be enacted
 Rest of Mex. Cession will use popular sovereignty.
 Famous Debate between Henry Clay/Stephen Douglas vs John C Calhoun
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(dying of TB). Daniel Webster (also dying) stepped in and helped swing North
to accept the Compromise. Then Zachary Taylor died unexpectedly of an
intestinal infection in 1850 (what is it with Whig Presidents?) Millard Fillmore
new President, and he wants compromise
Stephen Douglas cleverly introduces sections one at a time- realizing they are
more likely to pass that way. (works)
North gets the better side of the deal – CA as free state gives them the majority
in Senate. Halt of slave trade in DC a big concession from gov’t that slavery is a
problem.
Fugitive Slave law is the only the really designed to make south happy- and it
backfires in that if offends many people- and swells the numbers of
abolitionists.
Again, if South had left in 1850- they would have had a much better chance of
winning. North got 10 more years to expand economically and gain support for
union cause (it is southern actions in Kansas etc… that really fire them up)
 Required citizens to assist in recovery of slaves (you could be tried as accessory if
you did not). Denied blacks right to trial by jury or to testify in their own
defense.
 Made both sides angry- North b/c they were forced to agree to it (though not
many followed it) and South b/c they knew North was avoiding, and therefore
deliberately flouting the law)
 Becoming very difficult to find a “national” candidate- if they have any views
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they are probably controversial- so Whigs and Democrats split along sectional
lines.
Whigs had never been really strong anyway- fell apart with death of Henry Clay
and Daniel Webster
Democrats in equally bad shape- firmly split N/S
1852 Whigs ran General Winfield Scott (another Mex. War general- the only
times they have won have been with generals)
Democrats argued over who to run – in the end chose Franklin Pierce who spent
a lot of time talking about maintaining the rights of all sections- and supporting
the compromise of 1850, including fugitive slave law
Pierce SPANKS Scott 254-42
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Abraham Lincoln
Franklin Roosevelt
George Washington
Theodore Roosevelt
Harry Truman
John Kennedy
Thomas Jefferson
Dwight Eisenhower
Woodrow Wilson
Ronald Reagan
Lyndon Johnson
James Polk
Andrew Jackson
James Monroe
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
Bill Clinton
William McKinley
John Adams
George H.W. Bush
John Quincy Adams
James Madison
Grover Cleveland
Gerald Ford
Ulysses Grant
William Taft
Jimmy Carter
Calvin Coolidge
Richard Nixon
James Garfield
29. Zachary Taylor
30. Benjamin Harrison
31. Martin Van Buren
32. Chester Arthur
33. Rutherford Hayes
34. Herbert Hoover
35. John Tyler
36. George W. Bush
37. Millard Fillmore
38. Warren Harding
39. William Harrison
40. Franklin Pierce
41. Andrew Johnson
42. James Buchanan
 Most important short term cause of the Civil War
 1854 IL senator Stephen Douglas proposed a bill to create “Kansas” and “Nebraska”
out of Louisiana Purchase territory- (he wants to see transcontinental RR take a
more northern route, and start in his home state of IL) and that the status of
slavery in those territories should be determined by popular sovereignty.
 Problem is that the territory is above Missouri Compromise line- if this works it is
a repeal of the Missouri Compromise. South is thrilled…North is freaking out.
 Kansas Nebraska Act passes - but at a
terrible cost. Missouri Comp and Comp
of 1850 are dead, and political parties
dissolve. Whigs shatter entirely,
Democrats split North/South
 The Republicans came not only from sectional tension, but economic
(market revolution) and social (immigration) changes to the nation as a
whole
 RR are now connecting the country, from 5,000 mi in 1848, there were
30,000 miles in 1860 (most in North) In 1850 farmers still tended to ship
crops down Mississippi, by 1860 it was almost entirely RR. While most
people live in towns rather than cities, large cities are developing rapidly
 North and West were creating a complex integrated economy- and the
Republicans tied into that
 “Know Nothing”, or “American” Party- also formed at this time.
Nativist, angry about the large #s of German and Irish immigrants
who had been arriving since 1840s. Wanted to prohibit further
immigration and create literacy and citizenship tests for voting
 Had a lot of success at the local (mayor) and even state (gov) level
 And yet, despite SEVERE
discrimination, it is remarkable
how few immigrants were truly
disenfranchised.
 Republicans are Born from the remnants of the Whigs, the Free Soil
Party, and those who oppose the Kansas Nebraska act in general. Not
allowed to exist in the South.
 Item #1- no further expansion of slavery in the territories (notice not
fully abolitionist yet) said the strength of the nation lay in her “Free
Labor”, and that the defining quality of the North (vs South) was the
opportunity to rise.
 Quickly becomes the 2nd national party (held majority of northern
Congressional seats in 1854)
 Douglas had figured that Kansas would be slave, and Nebraska free
 But if we are using popular sovereignty, the trick is to have your group (slave or free
soil) be in the majority.
 New England Emigrant Aid- helped 2000 move to Kansas
 1855 election held for 1st Kansas legislature- Missourians poured over border to
stack the vote. But free soilers repudiate and set up their own gov’t- which was
attacked by proslavery groups in 1856
 Overall- more than 200 dead in fighting
that goes from 1856 to start of civil war
 The craziest abolitionist of them all was John
Brown (originally from
Hudson OH) He felt slave holders weren’t going
to change- they needed to be wiped out- it was
God’s work.
 May 24-25th 1856 He and his sons attacked and
killed (with hatchets) a group of 5 men in
retaliation for the attack on Free soil Lawrence
Kansas
 Brown escaped authorities- was seen as a hero
to some, a demon to others
 Charles Sumner- an abolitionist Senator from Massachusetts- gave a speech in which
he denounced the “crimes committed in Kansas”, condemned south and southerners
as a whole, which didn’t amuse the southern senators.
 Preston Brooks – congressman from South Carolina, gets up and begins beating him
on the head with his metal toped cane- nearly killing Sumner (he was never quite
right again)
 Brooks resigned, but was
overwhelmingly re-electedSouth saw him as a hero
(sent him dozens of canes)
 Dissolution/creation of national parties created a re-alignment of voters.
 Republicans: their slogan, “free soil, free labor, free men”, obviously
designed for north- but also to appeal to many social classes. Nominate
John C Freemont (another Mexican war hero) emphatically against
expansion of slavery
 Democrats: developing two wings, north and south. Recent events had
made moderates in the South more radical. Northern Democrats support
the idea of popular sovereignty, just keep ticking along. Nominate James
Buchanan of PA, had been sec of state under Polk.
 Buchanan wins 174-114
 Democrats larger
 Southerners threaten to secede if Fremont elected
 People feared change….Buchanan is promising to not make changes…..
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Abraham Lincoln
Franklin Roosevelt
George Washington
Theodore Roosevelt
Harry Truman
John Kennedy
Thomas Jefferson
Dwight Eisenhower
Woodrow Wilson
Ronald Reagan
Lyndon Johnson
James Polk
Andrew Jackson
James Monroe
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
Bill Clinton
William McKinley
John Adams
George H.W. Bush
John Quincy Adams
James Madison
Grover Cleveland
Gerald Ford
Ulysses Grant
William Taft
Jimmy Carter
Calvin Coolidge
Richard Nixon
James Garfield
29. Zachary Taylor
30. Benjamin Harrison
31. Martin Van Buren
32. Chester Arthur
33. Rutherford Hayes
34. Herbert Hoover
35. John Tyler
36. George W. Bush
37. Millard Fillmore
38. Warren Harding
39. William Harrison
40. Franklin Pierce
41. Andrew Johnson
42. James Buchanan
 The worst president on the list for the same
reason he was elected, he did nothing to
stop the Armageddon that was coming
 Makes no one happy; he doesn’t like slavery, (alienates south) but refuses to act
(alienates abolitionists) and does nothing to stand up to those causing issues, like
when supporters of slavery in Kansas use blatant fraud to create their constitution
(alienates north)
 But the final nail is that when the south does decide to secede he does….nothing
(felt he had no legal right) a firm hand MIGHT have prevented bloodshed
 1857, two days after Buchanan took office, the
Supreme Court took the US a giant step closer
to war.
 Dred Scott was a slave, whose master moved (with him) to IL for 4 years,
then they went back to Missouri. Backed by abolitionists, Scott sued for
his freedom on the basis of having lived in free territory.
 Chief Justice Roger Taney (Maryland slaveowner) published an
inflammatory ruling:
 Scott could not sue- he was not a citizen, and living in IL did not make him free
 The Missouri compromise is unconstitutional, an popular sovereignty is unnecessary, b/c
property is property, and no state or territory had the right to forbid slavery.
 North decides that South is trying to impose their will on US, compromise
is not possible, slavery will have to end for the argument to be over.
 Perhaps the person LEAST effected is Scott himself- the abolitionists kept their
promise, and he was emancipated. The reputation of the Court took a big hit.
Republicans saw it as another part of the gov’t controlled by slaveowners.
 LeCompton Constitution: Kansas applied for statehood in 1857. Using
popular sovereignty, voters were allowed to vote for 2 version of state
constitution, one with, and one without slavery. However, if the “no slave”
section won, the rights of slaveholders already there would be protected,
so Kansas would be a slave state no matter what.
 Many “free soilers” refused to vote- so “slave” faction won, and Kansas
petitioned for entryas a slave state. But it was so bogus that even the pop.
Sov. Guys like Stephen Douglas
don’t back it- Kansas denied entry.
 Actually less economically intense than either 1819 or
1837, but more psychologically damaging, we were
already on the edge.
 Caused by too much gold from CA creating inflation,
overproduction of grain, and land speculation.
 Industrial north hardest hit- cotton econ not
particularly damaged.
 Become part of Republican platform:
 Demand for higher tariffs - passed during war
 Demand for free farms (pioneers point out they
are risking their lives to develop land, it should
be free) Homestead Act passed during the war.
 Originally a Whig, he was not well known outside of
Illinois before mid-1850s. A lawyer, state legislator, and
had served one term in Congress.
 Strong objection to Kansas Nebraska act brought him
back into politics, as did his disagreement with Stephen
Douglas about the idea of popular sovereignty- Lincoln
says the gov’t needs to take a stand.
 NOT an abolitionist, had no objections (until later) to
Southern states keeping their slaves, but adamantly
against the expansion of slavery
 Lincoln challenged Douglas for his Senate seat in 1858. Famous for
quote when nominated “A house divided against itself cannot stand.
I believe the government of this nation cannot endure permanently
half slave and half free”.
 Challenged Douglas to a series of 7 famous debates that contrasted
not only the two candidates ideology, but their overall approach.
Douglas was a great traditional speaker, used lots of big words,
passionate long winded appeals, and clever tricks to make his point.
Lincoln much more down to earth, folksy, accessible.
 Most famous given included Freeport Doctrine: Lincoln asked
Douglas if he thought slavery COULD be made illegal after Dred
Scott. Douglas said “sort of” they could exclude slavery by not
accepting it.
 Douglas wins narrow victory- but Lincoln gained national exposure
 After Kansas, John Brown decided what is needed is a literal war against slavery.
 Raised $$ in North and Canada, Oct 16th 1859 then led a group of 21 on a raid of
the federal arsenal in Harper’s Ferry Virginia, where he intended to steal
guns/ammunition, which he intended to use to create a slave rebellion. (he
wants to establish an independent black nation in the south)
 7 federal employees killed in attack, 10 wounded- but Brown et al trapped
inside, eventually surrendered to Virginia army captain Robert E Lee.
 Brown tried/convicted of treason, Hanged on Dec 2nd . Became abolitionism
martyr - “John Brown’s body lies a moldering in the grave, but his sole is
marching on”. But though many in the north disparaged his acts as extreme,
many southerners saw his act a representative of what they could expect if they
stayed in the union
 When democrats met for nominating Southern delegates (fire eaters) end up
walking out – and party splits. Important b/c the Democrats had been the last
piece of national unity.
 Stephen Douglas nominated by Northern Dems
 Southern Dems nominate John C Breckenridge- a kentucky moderate
(not disunionist)
 A new party jumps up in response to crisis, Constitutional Union party (whigs &
Know nothings), which nominates John Bell of TN as compromise candidate
 Republicans nominate Abraham Lincoln – primarily b/c he hadn’t been around
long enough to make enemies.
 South warns, if Lincoln wins, they are out….
 South wasn’t kidding about leaving…. They recognized that
Lincoln not only meant an end to the expansion of slavery,
but a shift in power to the north. (no more balance), and the
way they see it, their entire way of life is at stake. Besides,
they’re tired of being criticized etc…
 December 1860 South Carolina votes (in state legislature) to
secede, within 6 weeks, 6 more states: Mississippi, Florida,
Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas, follow
 Buchanan does nothing. Said Constitution gave him “no
authority” on this matter (NOW we get a strict
constructionist!) and favored “peaceful resolution of this
unpleasant situation”.
 On the other hand, if he had attacked immediately, more of
the border states would have probably left, which would
have changed the war
 In February delegates meet in 1st capital of Montgomery Alabama (will later move to
Richmond VA). Write a constitution- with firm protection of slavery, and guarantee of
supremacy of state’s rights.
 Jefferson Davis elected President
 Many southerners felt secession would be unopposed- you go your way, we’ll go ours.
Figured north needed southern cotton too much, and if war came, all southern debts
would be repudiated, which could crash northern econ.
 Firmly believed they had the moral high ground- the original 13 states had made the
union voluntarily, now some were leaving voluntarily- this is the social contract/natural
rights all over again.
 Last ditch attempt at compromise proposed by
James Crittenden of KY.
 Proposed creating a constitutional amendment
to extend Missouri compromise line to the Pacific which would include any
new territory acquired (Like Cuba)
 Lincoln flatly rejected- says in his inaugural address he has no problem with
the idea of slavery (has to keep the border states!) but he would not allow
states to leave the union, and would do ANYTHING necessary to get them
back.