A Divided Nation
New Land!
The U.S. gets 500,000 miles from winning the
Mexican American War.
The North and South debate on what land
should be free or slave land.
What to do?????
Wilmot Proviso: NO SLAVERY IN ANY NEW
TERRITORY!!!
North-controlled House passes, but Southern
Congress said NO!
Problem: favoring the interest of one section
over the interests of the entire country or
Sectionalism was growing!
New Politics
A new political party emerged to support antislavery- The Free Soil Party.
The California Question
Mexican American War brings U.S.
new land!
______ brings thousands of people
to California.
Instead of being a U.S. territory,
California petitions to be a state.
Would it be a free or slave state?
Either way the balance of power is
upset.
Compromise of 1850
Henry Clay says, “Let’s do this…”
1. California enters as a free state!
2. Other territory would be federal law and
popular sovereignty would decide on free or
slavery. (Utah/New Mexico)
popular sovereignty=The people decide/vote to
allow or ban slavery.
Compromise of 1850
3. Slave trade ends in nation’s capital. (slavery is
still ok)
4. Stronger fugitive slave laws would be passed.
Fugitive Slave Laws
The new laws made it a:
1. Crime to help runaway slaves.
2. Allowed officials to arrest those
slaves in free areas.
Slaveholders could testify in court,
slaves could not.
Those caught helping faced 6 mo. in
jail/$1000 fine.
Commissioners who rejected a
slaveholder’s claim received $5.00
per case, but those who returned
slaves received $10.00 per case.
How did that effect a
commissioners
decision?
Reactions
• Immediate federal action-slaves are quickly
sought.
• Thousands of freed slaves rushed to Canada.
• Northerners were angry with the abuse of
power and no trial without a jury.
• New abolitionists came to support the cause.
Abraham Lincoln to Harriet Beecher
Stowe, “So you’re the little lady who
made this big war.”
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
• Uncle Tom’s Cabin-exposed
the cruelty of slavery.
• In 10 years it sold 2 million
copies.
• The South became enraged,
the North electrified!
Let’s Expand the Railroad!
• Congressman Stephen Douglas supports the
idea of expanding the railroad from Chicago
to the Pacific Ocean.
• To do this the unorganized land of the
Louisiana Purchase had to become Federal
territory.
• The Missouri Compromise stated this
territory was to be free.
• Southerners wanted the railroad to run from
New Orleans to the Pacific Ocean.
• Douglas got his way, but agreed Missouri
could be opened to slavery.
Two New Territories
• Douglas’s bill divided the Louisiana
Purchase into two territories—Kansas and
Nebraska –People decide on free/slave.
• Would allow people in each territory to
decide on slavery.
• Would eliminate the Missouri Compromise’s
restriction on slavery north of the 36°30’ line
• Northern Free-Soilers (Anti-slavery political
group) outraged that free territory could be
turned into slave territory.
• Kansas-Nebraska Act passed in 1854 with
southern support
Kansas Divided
• Pro-Slavery and Anti-Slavery groups rushed to
Kansas.
• Two governments arose
Two governments cause
major conflicts!
Kansas 1856: a pro-slavery
grand jury in Kansas
charged the anti-slavery
government with treason.
800 men rode into the city
of Lawrence to arrest the
leaders-who had all fled.
The 800 set fires, looted
buildings and destroyed
anti-slavery printing
presses.
One man was killed.
The Sack of
Lawrence
John Brown’s Response
Abolitionist John Brown
believed God called him to
end slavery.
The Sack on Lawrence convinced
him to, “fight fire with fire.”
On the night of May 24, 1856
Brown and his men killed 5
pro-slavery men along the
Pottawatomie river. (The
Pottawatomie Massacre)
Hero or Fanatic
Bleeding Kansas
• Kansas falls into a civil war-200 people are
killed!
• The events became known as “Bleeding
Kansas.”
• Congress tries
to restore order
Congress Fights! The Sumner-Brooks
Affair • Story
Southern Chivalry - Argument Versus Club's by J.L. Magee
A political cartoon showing South Carolina Representative
Preston Brooks beating abolitionist and Massachusetts Senator
Charles Sumner in the Senate chamber, after Brooks accused
Sumner of insulting his uncle, Senator Andrew Butler, in an antislavery speech. Image: © Bettmann/CORBIS
Date Created: 1856
23
• Charles Sumner was a
leading abolitionist,
speaking on Bleeding
Kansas, insults to
Senator Butler (NC)’s
lisp
• Congressman Brooks,
his cousin, approached
Sumner and beat him
with a cane until it
broke
• Effect
• Leads to Violence in
Congress
Discussion Question
• (Don’t write!! Just think!)
• Was the Civil War inevitable at this point?
?
24
Political Divisions
• A new party arrives: Whigs, Democrats, FreeSoilers and abolitionists joined the
Republican Party. Goal: Unite against Slavery!
• John C. Fremont chosen to run president.
Political Divisions
• Democratic Party show support for KansasNebraska Act and mostly pro-slavery.
• Chose strong politician James Buchanan for
presidential nomination.
• Buchanan won 1856 election.
• Some say Buchanan was the worst president
ever to serve.
Dredd Scott Decision
• Dredd Scott, a slave from Missouri is
taken to Free States, Illinois and
Wisconsin to aid his master, Army Dr.
John Emerson.
• Emerson had promised Scott his
freedom, but died and his widow would
not hear of it.
• Scott sued saying he should be free
because he had lived in free territory.
• Supreme Court rules issued by Roger B.
Taney (from a southern slaveholding
family) wrote the majority opinion
stating:
Newspaper About Dred Scott Decision
A copy of Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper has a front page story on
the Supreme Court anti-abolitionist Dred Scott Decision of 1857. The
story includes illustrations of Dred Scott and his family. Image: ©
CORBIS
Date Created: ca. 1857
27
The Ruling!
• Supreme Court rules issued by Roger B. Taney (from a
southern slaveholding family) wrote the majority
opinion stating:
1) slaves are not citizens so cannot sue
2) slaves are property so can be brought to any state
3) Declared the Missouri Compromise-36’30 line
unconstitutional- so slavery could exist anywhere.
4) African Americans were NOT citizens.
Effect
• Northern turn more to abolitionism
• Southerners begin to worry when North seems bound
to violate the Supreme Court and Constitution!
Good News For Dred Scott
• Following the Supreme Court ruling in his
case, Scott and his family were brought by
Henry Blow, who freed them. Scott worked as
a hotel porter in St. Louis until his death in
1858.
Abraham Lincoln
Illinois lawyer Abraham Lincoln is
angered by the Dredd Scott Ruling and
is vocal about it.
• Illinois Republicans nominated Lincoln
for the U.S. Senate in 1858.
• His opponent was Democrat Stephen
Douglas, who had been senator since
1847.
• Lincoln challenged Douglas to what
became the historic Lincoln-Douglas
debates.
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Lincoln stressed that central issue of campaign was spread
of slavery in the West
Douglas criticized Lincoln for saying nation could not remain
“half slave and half free”
Douglas put forth Freeport Doctrine: people had right to
introduce or exclude slavery, and police would enforce their
decision even if it contradicted the Supreme Court
Freeport Doctrine helped Douglas win
Lincoln Douglas Debate
Story:
• Even though Lincoln lost
people are impressed with
Lincoln’s folksy charm, but
Douglas wins the seat.
•
Effect
• Helps make Lincoln
famous enough to run for
president later
Lincoln At Lincoln Douglas Debate
Original caption: Lincoln at the Lincoln-Douglas
debate. 1858.Undated image. Image: ©
Bettmann/CORBIS
33
1860 Presidential Election!
Who are the players?
• Northern Democrats chose Senator Stephen
Douglas. Southern Democrats, Vice President John
C. Breckinridge. The Constitutional Union Party
selected John Bell of Tennessee.
• Republicans nominated Lincoln, who won with
most votes of the free states.
• Lincoln promised not to abolish slavery where
it already existed.
• The result angered southerners.
• Lincoln had not campaigned in the South or
carried any southern states in the election.
Lincoln
• Lincoln insisted he would not change
slavery in South, but would not let it
expand!
• People in South believed that their
economy and way of life would be
destroyed
• South Carolina legislature met and
formally seceded from the Union.
• South Carolina seceded, believing it had
the right because it had voluntarily
joined the Union
Secession!
• Following South Carolina’s
secession, Mississippi, Florida,
Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana,
and Texas joined to form The
Confederate States of America
• Jefferson Davis of Mississippi
elected Confederate president.
John Brown Continues His Attack on
Slavery.
• Abolitionist John Brown tried to start uprising in 1858
– Planned to arm local slaves by attacking federal arsenal at
Harpers Ferry, Virginia
Raid on Harper’s Ferry
• John Brown’s raid began on night of
October 16, 1859, when he, his 5 sons,
and his men took over the arsenal.
• He could not get slaves to join uprising.
• Quickly federal troops captured Brown
and his men in attack on arsenal.
• Brown was convicted of treason, murder,
and conspiracy, and was hanged.
– Many northerners mourned his death,
but criticized methods.
– Most southern whites felt threatened,
and newspapers started to call for
leaving the Union in order to remain
safe.