Chapter 18

The Popular Sovereignty Panacea
 Mexican American War set the stage for
Slavery Controversy
 Threatened to divide the union
 Issue: What to do with new territory?
 Wilmot Proviso
 What it said
 What happened to it
 Whigs and Democrats wanted to keep lid on Slavery Controversy

 Polk is in ill-health from over-work and does not run again.
 Democrats nominate Lewis Cass. Not very warm or easy for the electorate to like.
 Democratic platform is silent on slavery, but
Cass is the reputed father of “popular sovereignty.
 What is Popular Sovereignty?
 Popular Sovereignty is very popular with the people.

 Whigs nominated Zachary Taylor , hero of the Mexican-American war.
(Va.-born, slave-owner).
 Taylor had never even held office
 Why Clay not nominated.
 Whig platform is silent of slavery and generally is wishy-washy.
 Taylor does not take a position on slavery, but he is assumed safe for the southern Whigs. Why?

Free Soil Party Splits the Vote
 Northern Whigs unhappy with Taylor because he’s a slave owner.
 Free Soil Party .
 Agreed with the Wilmot Proviso and stood against slavery. This is primary issue.
 Supported free government homesteads for settlers in
Western territories.
 Types of people in party?
 Enough Northern Dems vote Free Soil, especially in New York, to give the election to
Whigs and Taylor.

 The discovery of Gold in
California in 1848 blew the lid off the slavery issue.
 Why and How?
California Gold Rush Country

 Citizens write a constitution and apply or statehood as non-slave state.
 This will put slave states in the minority.
 The feces hits the fan in the South.
 South rises in violent opposition to admission of California.

 South had the presidency, majority of the cabinet, and majority of the Supreme
Court.
 The cotton economy was good and seemingly held the north and Europe in an economic bind.
 South not concerned about the immediate outright abolition of slavery .
 Why?

 Loss of balance in Senate
 Rest of the Mexican Cession
 Slavery in D.C.
 Texas land claims
 Biggest Concern: Run-Away Slaves and enforcement of Fugitive Slave law

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Underground Railroad
Harriet Tubman

 South demanded a harsher fugitive slave law.
 Why?
 Only losing about 1000 slave a year out of population of 2 Million.
 More slaves are freed by self-purchase and manumition.

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1850 all these issues come to a head.
 Southern fire-eaters threaten cession
Crisis was looming.
Three Senatorial Giants tackle the issue in the
Senate. Henry Clay, John
C. Calhoun, and Daniel
Webster.
Webster and Clay urge compromise and reasonable concession to south.
Calhoun argues for Const.
Amendments to protect the
South.

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The Young Guard from the North.
William Seward , Senator from New
York.
Seward’s position.
Deadlock seemed certain as debate progressed. And if there was deadlock the south would likely secede.

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Taylor was poised to veto the compromise. Why?
1850 President Taylor suddenly died;
Vice President Millard Fillmore took the presidency.
Fillmore supports the compromise
Clay, Webster and Stephen Douglas work hard to get Compromise supported in North, and it generally is.
Fire-eaters in South unhappy.
 Nashville convention
Second (short lived) era of good feelings.

 Pro-North:
 Cal. admitted as a free state;
 Terr. in dispute between TX and NM goes to NM, so more likely to go free
 abolition of slave-trade (but not slavery) in Wash.
DC.
 Pro-South:
 NM and Utah slavery issue to be decided by popular sovereignty;
 more stringent Fugitive Slave Law .
 $3.10 Million to Texas

 Who got the better deal?

Backfiring Slave Law
 Reaction in North to Fugitive Slave Law .
 Provisions:
 Slaves not allowed to testify and denied a jury trial.
 Commissioner who handled the case got twice as much if the slave was returned.
 Northerners who aided slaves to freedom subject to heavy fines and jail.
 Northerners could be ordered to assist in capture of run-aways
 How does the law backfire against the South?

 Dems. Hopelessly divided.
 Nominate Franklin Pierce, a pro-southern, northerner.
Compromise candidate.
 Weak and indecisive.
 Scant public record, and thus not much to offend either part of party
 Platform for Compromise of
1850 and Fugitive Slave Law

 Nominate Winfield Scott.
 Great general, but not well liked by people. Stuffy.
 Whigs hopelessly divided.
Why?
 Election turned largely on issues of personality.
 Pierce wins in a landslide.
 Effective end of Whig Party.

President Pierce The Expansionist
 Pierce cabinet full of southerners
 Jefferson Davis is Sec. of War
 South needs more slave states
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Can’t find in US, so start looking over southern border
 Fueled by ideas of Manifest Destiny.
 Nicaragua-William Walker
 Clayton-Bulwer Treaty

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The South saw Cuba as the most desirable slave territory available.
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Right off our Southern shore and perfect for a slave economy.
Already had lots of slaves there.
Carved into several states it would restore the northsouth balance
Pierce offers Spain 100 Mil. to buy. Spain refuses.
Pierce and cabinet plot to seize it.
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Ostend Manifesto
Consequences

 Nation desperately needs a transcontinental RR to tie California to nation.
 Both North and South want the route.
 Why?
 Southern Route is easier.
 Gadsden Purchase .
 Nebraska territory.
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South doesn’t want this. Why?

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Stephen A. Douglas proposes
Kansas-Nebraska Act.
Terms.
Assumptions about Kansas
Impact on Missouri
Compromise
Abolitionist Reaction
Reaction of moderates
The “Little Giant”

 One of the most momentous measures to pass Congress.
 Led to open warfare in
Kansas and the unofficial opening of the
Civil War.