A divided nation Chapter 14 (Part I)

The debate over slavery

New Lands Renew Slavery Debate Winning the Mexican-American War added vast amounts of land to the U.S. causing the issue of continuing or abolishing slavery to be debated

The Missouri Compromise of 1820 prohibited slavery north of 36°30’, but allowed Missouri to become a slave state

President Polk wanted to extend the line to the west coast Other leaders encouraged popular sovereignty Popular sovereignty – political power belongs to the people People should decide whether to ban or allow slavery

The california question

The gold rush caused such a rapid population growth that California applied to join the Union as a state instead of a territory Most Californians opposed slavery It was already illegal when it was part of Mexico

If California entered the Union as a free state it would upset the balance of states in favor of free states The South would not allow this

Compromise of 1850 The Compromise would institute the following (as proposed by Henry Clay) 1. California would enter the Union as a free state 2. The rest of the new lands “Mexican Cession” would be federal land and popular sovereignty would decide on slavery 3. Texas would give up lands east of the upper Rio Grande and in exchange the federal government would pay its debt from when it was an independent republic 4. The slave trade (but not slavery) would end 5. A more effective fugitive slave law would be implemented

The Compromise of 1850 passed California entered as a free state The Mexican Cession was divided into two territories Utah and New Mexico Utah and New Mexico would decide on slavery based on popular sovereignty

Fugitive slave act

The Fugitive Slave Act made it a crime to help runaway slaves

Slaveholders could use testimony from witnesses but runaway slaves could not testify

People who helped runaway slaves could not testify and they could be put in jail and fined

Commissioners (like judges) were paid $5 for freeing slaves, but were given $10 if they were returned to slave owners

Thousands of African Americans fled to Canada Over 300 cases were tried but only 11 slaves were found to be free

Anti-slavery literature

Fiction stories were used to inform people about the evils of slavery Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin Tom was taken from his wife and sold into slavery His owner, Simon Legree, had Tom beaten to death

Trouble in kansas

The kansas-nebraska act

The Kansas-Nebraska Act divided the remaining Louisiana Purchase into two territories Slavery in Kansas and Nebraska would be decided by popular sovereignty

Due to voter fraud Kansas became a slave state They passed a law that stated people who helped fugitive slaves could receive the death penalty

A second government that was anti-slavery was created in Kansas

Bleeding kansas

A congressional committee was established to determine which of the two governments was legitimate Committee found that the pro-slavery government was established through voter fraud Federal government ignored this and kept Kansas a slave state

Kansas broke into civil war (abolitionists v. pro-slavery)

The abolitionist city of Lawrence was set afire

John Brown killed five men with swords in the Pottawatomie Massacre

Senator Charles Sumner criticized pro-slavery supporters and criticized Senator Andrew Butler for being pro-slavery A relative of Butler’s, Representative Preston Brooks beat Sumner unconscious with a walking stick Supporters of Brooks sent him new canes while dissenters called him “Bully Brooks” He had to pay a $300 fine It was three years before Sumner was well enough to return to the Senate