Chapter 19: Drifting Toward Disunion

The Debate over Slavery continues Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Toms Cabin in 1852 selling millions of copies Awakened passions of the North against slavery Southerners believed the portrayal of slavery was wrong and unfair People in great Britain sympathized with Uncle Tom in the story and it deterred many from supporting the South Hinton R. Helper writes “The Impending Crisis of the South” in an attempt to prove that whites were really the ones being hurt by slavery, not blacks Published in the North, both books were banned in the south but were widely read in the North Both books deepen the wedge between the North and South

Controversy in Kansas Northerner's pour into Kansas hoping to turn it into a free state under the idea of popular sovereignty Southerners are outraged Southerners called “border ruffians” flood the polls on election day and vote for Kansas to become a slave state Free-Soilers (Northerners) in defiance set up their own government in Topeka Kansas Two governments were thus erected, one illegal Free government in Topeka and another fraudulent government in Shawnee (Slave) In 1856, violence erupts in Kansas over what the issue of slavery and what government is in power

Bleeding Kansas & John Brown In response, abolitionist John Brown leads a group of followers to Pottawatomie Creek and kills 5 pro slavery supporters By 1857 Kansas had enough people to apply for statehood. Slavery advocates create the Lecompton Constitution which said people were only allowed to vote for the constitution with slavery or without slavery If passed without slavery, slaveholders in the state would be protected Free-soilers boycotted the polls and the Constitution was approved with slavery

Bleeding Kansas President James Buchanan supported the South and the Lecompton Constitution Stephen Douglas refused to accept the fraudulent vote saying it wasn’t true popular sovereignty and called for another vote The Free Soilers then storm the voting booths and the Lecompton Constitution fails, thus keeping Kansas a territory until 1861 Democratic Party is divided over the issue

“Bully” Brooks and His Bludgeon Senator Charles Sumner (anti-slavery) and Preston S. Brooks (pro-slavery) get in fight on the Congress floor Brooks beats Sumner with a cane to a bloody pulp Southern Congressman cheer him on as others watch Sumner follows the event with a speech titled “ The Crime Against Kansas” Read by thousands, Spurs support for the North.

Dred Scott Decision Dred Scott was a slave whose master took him north into free states where he lived for years His master dies and he sues his new master for his freedom Claimed he had been In free territory and was therefore free He won and the Missouri Supreme court freed him His new master appealed and the U.S. Supreme Court overruled the decision

Dred Scott Outcomes Supreme Court Rules… Supreme Court also Rules… No slave could be a citizen Legislature/Congress cannot outlaw slavery because it would go against the 5th amendment saying that a persons property cannot be taken without due process of law Supreme Court also Rules… The Missouri Compromise had been unconstitutional due to the second point listed above

Dred Scott Reaction Infuriated northern abolitionists against slavery Northern defiance increased People in the South celebrate The slavery battle now favored the South South had a Southern President, the Supreme Court, and the Constitution on its side

Lincoln Douglas Debates Abraham Lincoln (Republican nominee for senate) challenged Stephen Douglas to a series of debates in 1858 Lincoln: “Suppose the people of a territory should vote down slavery. The Supreme Court in the Dred Scott decision had decreed that they could not. Who would prevail, the Court or the people? The answer to this question by Douglas came to be known as the Freeport Doctrine “No matter how the supreme court ruled, slavery would stay down if the people voted it down.

Significance of the Debates Lincoln loses the senate seat in the upcoming election but wins a moral victory Received national attention and pushed Lincoln into the spotlight Becomes a potential Republican nominee for president

Murderer or Martyr? John Brown planned to invade the south and start a slave rebellion