The Union in Peril 1848-1861 Unit 5 Ch.13

Main Causes of Conflict Slavery Constitutional disputes Economic differences Political blunders and extremism Compromise of 1820 made a balance of 15 slave and 15 free states What breaks it?

Conflict over Territories Free-Soil Movement Wanted to keep the west for whites only so they would not have to compete for land and jobs “free soil, free labor, and free men” Whigs who opposed slavery and antislavery Democrats Southern Position Any attempt to restrict slavery was a violation of constitutional rights Popular Sovereignty Democratic senator Lewis Cass proposed that all new states vote on whether they want slavery

Election of 1848 Democrats nominate Lewis Cass Campaigned on platform of popular sovereignty Whigs nominate General Zachary Taylor Took no position on slavery Free-Soilers nominate former president Martin Van Buren Antislavery Taylor won the election

Compromise of 1850 Henry Clay’s proposal Arguments for and against Admit California as a free state Divide the remainder of the territory into two territories and allow popular sovereignty Disputed land to new territories; gov will assume Texas debt Slave trade banned in DC New fugitive slave law Arguments for and against Webster says compromise and save the union Calhoun says don’t compromise and give the south equal rights in the new territories President Taylor opposed Clay’s plan

Compromise of 1850 Stephen Douglas and ratification President Millard Fillmore supported compromise Douglas passed each part of the compromise separately through congress no major slavery issues until 1854

Agitation over Slavery Fugitive Slave law Fugitive slaves could be tracked down in the North and taken back to the South Enforcement of the law added to feelings of bitterness Underground Railroad A series of houses or other places to hide slaves on their journey north Harriet Tubman, an escaped slave, went to the South at least 19 times to help escaped slaves

Agitation over Slavery Literature on Slavery North- Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) was the most influential book of its day South- George Fitzhugh’s Sociology for the South (1854) and Cannibals All! (1857)- capitalism was worse than slavery, no equal rights for “unequal” men South- Hinton R. Helper’s Impending Crisis of the South; used statistics to demonstrate slavery’s negative impact on the southern economy South was convinced more than ever that the North wanted to end slavery and destroy the southern way of life

National Parties in Crisis Election of 1852 Whigs nominated General Winfield Scott Campaign ignored slavery and instead focused on improving roads and harbors Democrats nominated Franklin Pierce Supported Fugitive slave law

Kansas-Nebraska Act Stephen A. Douglas wanted a railroad to go through Chicago to support Western settlement He owned land there To win southern approval, he proposed Nebraska be divided into two territories Kansas and Nebraska could decide slavery with popular sovereignty The bill passed and tensions over slavery were renewed

New Parties Know-Nothing Party Republican Party Grew out of opposition to immigrant German and Irish Catholics (this became their main issue) Won a few state and local elections; weakened the Whigs Republican Party Founded in direct response to K-N Act Northern and Western moderates Would let slavery continue as long as it was confined to states in which it already existed

Election of 1856 Republican-:John C. Fremont No expansion of slavery free homesteads Protective tariff Democrats: James Buchannan Not tainted by K-N Act Know-Nothing: Millard Fillmore Democrats won

Extremists and Violence “Bleeding Kansas” Slave holders from Missouri set up homesteads in Kansas Know-Nothings organize New England Emigrant Aid Company to pay for transportation of antislavery settlers Fighting breaks out between pro and anti slavery advocates Free-soil killings 1856 Lawrence, KS (free-soil) is attacked and 2 are killed John Brown (radical abolitionist) retaliates by attacking the proslavery settlement of Pottawatomie Creek and killing 5 settlers Pierce administration does nothing

Extremists and Violence Caning of Sumner Mass Senator Charles Sumner verbally attacked the Pierce administration over the violence in Kansas included personal attacks on a S.C. senator, Andrew Butler Butler’s nephew, Congressman Preston Brooks beat Sumner with his cane until it broke

Constitutional Issues Lecompton Constitution Proslavery constitution submitted by Kansas Buchanan asked Congress to accept the document even though it was clear it did not have majority support in Kansas Congress rejected it. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) Overturned Missouri Compromise of 1820 Scott was not a citizen and had no right to bring suit Lincoln-Douglas Debates Stephen Douglas won reelection but alienated southern Democrats Abraham Lincoln won national recognition and became a leading contender for the 1860 Republican presidential nomination

Road to Secession John Brown’s Raid at Harper's Ferry Election of 1860 Attacked a federal arsenal in an attempt to arm slaves to start a rebellion in Virginia Brown and six of his followers were tried and hanged Election of 1860 Breakup of Democratic party Northern Dems- Stephen Douglas Southern Dems- John C. Breckinridge Republicans nominate Lincoln Constitutional Union party nominates John Bell Election results- Lincoln wins

Secession of the Deep South Special Convention Dec. 1860; South Carolina votes to leave the union; followed by Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas Feb 1861- Montgomery, AL; Confederate States of America formed Crittenden Compromise Buchanan let the seven states go without a fight Senator John Crittenden proposes a constitutional amendment that would uphold the Missouri Compromise This effort fails