Antebellum Events: Prelude to War

Nat Turner’s Rebellion In 1831, Nat Turner saw a solar eclipse as evidence of a heaven-sent mission to lead a slave rebellion across four VA plantations 60 whites were killed, but Turner was ultimately captured and executed As a result, slave owners passed much more limiting laws against the lives of slaves and strengthening slavery itself in the South How could Nat Turner’s rebellion be variously interpreted by northerners and southerners?

Slavery as a Political Issue Most southern whites opposed abolition, claimed it was necessary for the economy Also argued that their highly sophisticated culture was further proof of the necessity and that slaves benefitted from slavery more than northern workers benefitted from industrialization As America moved west, the question continued to come up…should slavery be extended everywhere the American flag goes? What will happen when northerners and southerners both move into a new territory like Missouri?

Missouri Compromise In 1820, half the states in the US allowed slavery and half did not, so the next state was going to tip the balance! Missouri would be admitted as a slave state Maine would be admitted as a free state All future states above the 36’30’ line would be free, and all future below would be slave Did the Missouri Compromise create a final solution to the political problem of slavery?

Texas Revolution Prior to the 1830s Texas was considered to be a part of the Republic of Mexico. Mexican officials had allowed American settlers to live and farm on the land. However, these American settlers could not own slaves because it was outlawed by Mexico. As more and more American settlers entered Texas they began to want their independence. In 1836 the settlers and inhabitants declared the independent Republic of Texas. Mexico under the leadership of President Antonio López de Santa Anna, who considered himself the Napoleon of the west, attacked but lost.

Annexation of Texas By the mid-1840s many individuals in congress had called for the annexation of Texas. Annexation- means to formally take over a territory. President James K. Polk favored the annexation but others, namely the Whig party, did not. To make the Whigs happy Polk agrees to negotiate for land in the Oregon territory from Great Britain. In 1845 the US will officially annex Texas making it the 28th state. The US will also receive the Oregon Territory and set the border between the US and British Canada at the 54°, 40’ parallel.

Mexican-American War Annexation led America to look at other Mexican lands, war broke in 1846 under the presidency of James K. Polk American victory in the war led to a large Mexican Cession of lands including Arizona, New Mexico, and California

The United States had a better army and navy and more advanced weaponry. The US had major victories at Vera Cruz and Mexico City. Many of the future generals during the American Civil War fought in the Mexican-American War. The war ended in February of 1848 with sinning of the Treaty of Gadalupe Hildalgo. The treaty that ended the war led to a large Mexican Cession of lands including Arizona, New Mexico, and California

Wilmont Proviso Even as America had fought the Mexican-American War, the debate over slavery went on Many wondered if these new lands in NM, AZ and CA would allow slavery (Mexico had not allowed it there, when it was theirs) The Wilmot Proviso was a proposal to ban slavery in the Southwest, but the House of Representatives voted it down Based on their vote on the Wilmot Proviso, how willing is Congress to take a permanent position on the issue of slavery in the West?

Compromise of 1850 Congress started to realize the nation was threatened by the growing sectionalism over the issue of slavery They looked for a compromise to rebuild nationalism and restore calm The people of the NM territory could vote themselves on the issue of slavery California would be a free state The slave trade in Washington DC would stop Fugitive slaves had to be returned, failure by a citizen to do so could result in fine or jail= known as the Fugitive Slave Act. Which of these pieces was good for the North? Which of these was good for the South?

Kansas-Nebraska Act In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act cancelled the Missouri Compromise and made a new vision for western slavery Popular Sovereignty gave the power to the people to decide on the issue of slavery for themselves, by vote and majority rule Pro-slavery groups and abolitionists rushed to Kansas to test this new idea but violence erupted after Kansas wrote a pro-slavery constitution This is known as “Bleeding Kansas” How successful was the idea of popular sovereignty in finally bringing an end to sectionalism?

Dred Scott v. Sanford In 1857, the Supreme Court settled a lawsuit against a slave claiming to be free The Court determined that no African America, free or slave, had the rights of citizenship The Court also said that the government could not ban slavery in any territory The new Republican party swore to overturn the decision if elected According to the Constitution, if not citizens, what are African Americans?

John Brown’s Raid A famous abolitionist decided to fight against slavery with violence and terrorism In 1856, Brown explained that God had chosen him to end slavery and killed five men in Kansas In 1859, Brown led an assault on a armory in Harper’s Ferry, VA to take weapons to slaves who could use them in an uprising He failed, then was captured and hanged Is John Brown a martyr or a terrorist?

Can Abraham Lincoln Preserve the Union? After Lincoln was elected in 1860, seven states seceded from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America After an attack on Fort Sumter, SC in 1861, four more states seceded & war broke Lincoln believed his top priority as president was to maintain the Union, and he believed that the southern states did not have the right to secede What was the cause of the Civil War? Is it slavery? Is it states’ rights? Is it economics?