Crisis and Causes Day 2 War is Inevitable American History I Mr. Hensley SRMHS Goal 2 Day 2

Millard Fillmore Taylor dies in 1850 and his VP Fillmore takes over Fillmore is a moderate anti-slavery Whig from NY He supports Compromise of 1850 North: hate his support of Fugitive Slave Laws South: hate that he’s anti-slavery – no one is happy

Whigs Disintegrate Slavery is splitting the Whigs into Northern and Southern factions Northern Whigs are anti-slavery and opposed to Fugitive Slave laws Southern Whigs are pro-slavery and pro-Union Whigs have one last national leader: War Hero Winfield Scott (Fillmore is passed over)

Election of 1852 Whigs go with Scott Democrats settle on dark horse Franklin Pierce Scott: moderate on slavery but opposed to Fugitive Slave laws Pierce: also moderate on slavery but in favor of popular sovereignty – believes Union is more important than slavery

Franklin Pierce He is committed to preserving the Union (anti-slavery but also anti-abolition) He supports Kansas-Nebraska Act Northerners think he is weak on slavery Southerners think he is too tough on slavery No one is happy

Single-Issue Splinter Groups Free Soil Party helped elect Pierce over Scott in 1852 The American Party grows during the 1850’s Aka “Know Nothings” – against immigrants and Catholics (Irish) Republican Party emerges initially focused on Kansas-Nebraska Act - caning of Sumner helps them grow

Dred Scott Dred Scott was a slave who sued his master (Sanford) for his freedom Sanford had taken Scott to free states (Wisconsin) then back to Missouri Scott felt that having been in a free state, he should be free In 1857, case goes to the Supreme Court

The Decision Slaves are property, not people and thus, cannot sue Congress can’t make laws that would end slavery because slaves are property (5th Amendment) North: slavery is now beyond the reach of the American political system South: slavery stays, let’s calm down and move on

Election of 1856 Republicans nominate John Fremont Democrats abandon Pierce and go to James Buchanan (from PA) who is sympathetic to South Issues: Kansas and slavery “Know Nothings” are strong in North and split Northern votes

Thursday Nov 5th BELL RINGER: Get out your Crisis Day 2 notes and your Story of Us Viewing Guide TODAY: Crisis and Causes Part 2 – War is Inevitable TODAY: Video (Story of Us)

James Buchanan Thought that slaves were treated humanely but that slavery was evil Wanted an end to sectionalism and thought the South was right to fight to protect slavery Recognized pro-slavery Kansas government Can’t build consensus Worst President?

Lincoln and Douglas 1858: Lincoln challenges Douglas for US Senate seat Douglas the Democrat: let the states decide and respect their decision Lincoln the Republican: slavery is evil and wrong and the federal gov’t has the responsibility to stop it Note that Lincoln does not believe in equal rights

Lincoln is NOT an Abolitionist “I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality.” Abraham Lincoln, from the Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1858)

Harpers Ferry John Brown takes over military arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia Hopes to give guns to rebelling slaves Surrounded by US Army, Brown captured and hung Brown becomes martyr and hero in North South convinced the North will use violence

Election of 1860 Lincoln is the moderate Republican (Free Soil) Democrats split – Douglas in North (champions popular sovereignty) Breckenridge in South (slavery forever) Know-Nothings rally behind Bell (find a compromise on slavery) Split gives advantage to Republicans

1860 Electoral Results

Secession Begins Lincoln wins the election without a single Southern electoral vote! Southerners believe that Republican abolitionists will use violence and Presidential authority to end slavery South Carolina secedes in December of 1860 – other slave states soon follow

The Confederacy Forms Southern states secede (those with the most slaves go first) CSA forms in March 1861 Foundations: whites are superior to blacks, belief in states rights Gov’t run by wealthy planters; small farmers and poor tend to be Unionist

Confederate States

Review: War is Inevitable BIG QUESTION: What were the major events of the late 1850’s that made the Civil War inevitable? Weak Presidents (Fillmore, Pierce and Buchanan) proved unable to help the North and the South compromise on slavery. The Dred Scott decision convinced the North that the political system would not be able to solve the slavery issue. Harpers Ferry convinced the South that the North would use violence to end slavery. When Lincoln won the 1860 election without a single Southern electoral vote, Southerners were convinced that secession was the only way to preserve slavery. South Carolina (of course) was the first to secede. War is now inevitable.