America: A Narrative History (Ninth Edition)
Chapter 15 - The Gathering Storm
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I. Slavery in the territories
o A. The Wilmot Proviso
o B. Calhoun’s resolutions in reaction to the Proviso
o C. Other proposals addressing slavery in the territories
 1. Extension of the Missouri Compromise line
 2. Popular, or squatter, sovereignty
 a. Controversy over admission of Oregon as a free territory
o D. Slavery debate and the 1848 presidential election
 1. Cass for popular sovereignty
 2. Whigs shun Clay for Taylor
 3. Formation of Free-Soil party
 a. Three elements form the coalition
 (1) rebellious Northern Democrats
 (2) anti-slavery Whigs
 (3) Liberty party
 b. “Cotton“ vs. “Conscience“ Whigs
 c. Van Buren nominated
 4. Victory for Taylor in close race
II. The push for California statehood
o A. California gold rush
o B. The mining frontier
o C. Zachary Taylor’s motives and California statehood
o D. Taylor calls for admission of California as a free state
III. The Compromise of 1850
o A. Southern outrage and secession threats
o B. Clay presents compromise package of eight resolutions
o C. Calhoun’s response
o D. Webster’s plea for union
o E. Seward’s response for the abolitionists
o F. Taylor’s opposition and Whig divisions
o G. Taylor’s unexpected death
o H. Fillmore supports the Clay compromise
o I. Douglas’s “comprehensive“ strategy for compromise
o J. Terms of the Compromise
o K. Reaction to the Fugitive Slave Act
 1. Terms of the law
 2. Uncle Tom’s Cabin
IV. The election of 1852
o A. The Democrats turn to Franklin Pierce
o B. Free-Soilers promote John P. Hale
o C. Whigs turn to Winfield Scott
o D. Pierce is the victor
V. The Kansas-Nebraska crisis
o A. Development
 1. Ideas for a transcontinental railroad reopen slavery issue
 2. Douglas’s “popular sovereignty“ bill leads to repeal of the Missouri Compromise
 a. Proposed bill permits slavery expansion into new territories on basis of popular sovereignty
 3. Douglas’s unclear motives
 4. Congress passes “Kansas-Nebraska Act“ despite growing anti-slavery sentiment
o B. Consequences of passage
 1. Growing opposition to “Fugitive Slave Act“
 a. Trial and return to slavery of Anthony Burns
 2. Break-up of the Whigs
 a. Formation of the Republican Party
 3. The “battle“ for Kansas
 a. Free-Soilers vs. pro-slavery forces compete to settle Kansas
 b. Fraudulent vote established official pro-slavery government
 c. “Free state“ counter-government established in Topeka
 d. Violence in Lawrence and Pottawatomie
 e. The Sumner-Butler-Brooks clash in Congress
VI. The election of 1856
o A. The American and Whig parties nominate Fillmore
o B. The Republicans choose John Frémont as their first presidential candidate
Tindall/Shi
America: A Narrative History (Ninth Edition)
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Tindall/Shi
C. The Democrats nominate James Buchanan
D. The campaign and Buchanan’s election
E. Buchanan’s background and perspective
VII. The Dred Scott decision
o A. Nature of the case: Dred Scott tries to get freedom based on his residency in non-slave states
o B. Analysis of the court’s decision
 1. Decided against Scott on basis he lacked legal standing
 2. Denied the right of Congress to exclude slavery from a territory
o C. Consequence: Sectional divisions inflamed
 1. Anti-slavery advocates infuriated
 2. Emboldened Southerners demand a federal slave code
VIII. Movements for Kansas statehood
o A. Governor Walker’s pro-Union efforts
o B. The pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution
o C. Buchanan’s support for Lecompton
o D. Popular vote in Kansas rejects Lecompton constitution
o E. Postponement of statehood for Kansas, now in anti-slavery hands
IX. Panic of 1857
o A. Causes and nature of the economic reversal
o B. Sectional reactions to the economic problems
 1. Northern businessmen blame Democratic Tariff of 1857
 2. Less-affected South emboldened and convinced of cotton’s importance
o C. Hard times inspire “prayer-meeting“ revivals from 1857–1859
X. The Lincoln-Douglas 1858 senatorial contest in Illinois
o A. The candidates and their situation
 1. Democrat Douglas was weakened by his earlier role in rising sectional crisis
 2. Republican Lincoln opposed to slavery but not an abolitionist
o B. National significance of the Illinois race and debates
o C. The Freeport Doctrine and popular sovereignty
o D. Candidates’ differences on the moral question of slavery
o E. Douglas defeats Lincoln in Illinois
 1. But Democrats fare poorly elsewhere in the nation
 2. Power shifting to the Republicans
XI. Sectional divide increases, 1858–1860
o A. John Brown’s raid at Harpers Ferry
o B. The effects of Brown’s raid and martyrdom
 1. Martyr for the anti-slavery cause in the North
 2. Inspired tremendous fear in the South
XII. The election of 1860
o A. Democrats split
 1. Democratic convention eventually nominates Douglas
 a. He promises to defend slavery where it exists but does not support its expansion
 2. Southern Democrats secede from main party and nominate ardently pro-slavery Breckenridge
o B. Republican convention nominates Lincoln
 1. Adopts a platform restating its resistance to expansion of slavery and pledging to support measures that promoted national
economic expansion
o C. Constitutional Union party formed by former Whigs to support Bell and preservation of the Union
o D. Nature of the campaign
 1. No candidate had a national following
 2. Sensing defeat, Douglas goes south to try to save the Union
o E. Victory for Lincoln
 1. Clear electoral majority
 2. Smallest plurality ever
XIII. Secession begins
o A. South Carolina is first to secede
o B. Six more Deep South states leave the Union by early 1861
o C. Buchanan’s non-reaction to secession
o D. Secessionists seize federal property in the South
o E. Last failed efforts to compromise
 1. Crittenden’s proposal
 2. Proposed thirteenth amendment to the Constitution protecting slavery in existing areas passes both Houses of Congress
 a. States never had the chance to ratify it
 3. Lincoln takes office with nation on edge of self-destruction