The Civil War Era Unit Overview (1844-1877)

Big Picture The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo successfully ended hostilities with Mexico abroad, but opened up a Pandora's box of internal strife at home. The question of slavery’s expansion put much stress on America’s party system that unified North and South.

Politics & Popular Sovereignty in 1848 Election of 1848 (D) General Lewis Cass (MI) Champion of popular sovereignty People choose (W) Zachary Taylor (LA) Noncommittal on issue of slavery (FSP) Martin Van Buren (NY) Wilmot Proviso Taylor wins! 163-127 FSP=291,263 votes

Gold! Discovery The rush Population boom Applied for statehood in 1849 Sutter’s Mill, CA 1848 The rush “striking it rich” Rare “mining the miners” Opportunity (e.g. Levi-Strauss) Population boom San Francisco 1848-1,000 1855-55,000 Applied for statehood in 1849 Bypasses territory status Free state?

The South Politics Grievances Southern president, majority in cabinet and SCOTUS, equality in Senate, outnumbered in House Grievances California would disrupt balance Potential slave territory waning Agitation for territories to follow CA model Mexican Cession procured with Southern blood Texas boundary dispute Proposed abolition in District of Colombia The Underground Railroad Harriet Tubman Passage to Canada

Political Compromise California logjam—1849 Old Guard Wanted admission as a free-state Old Guard Henry Clay Proposed compromise Seconded by Stephen A. Douglas John C. Calhoun Defense of slave states’ rights Daniel Webster Fugitive Slave Law Territories? Convinces North

…continued New Guard Zachary Taylor dies William Seward Opposed compromise “higher law” Opposed Texan expansion Zachary Taylor dies Millard Fillmore advocates compromise Northern sentiment swayed Fire-Eaters conspire to secede Moderate Southerners prevail Compromise of 1850 passes piecemeal The Georgia Platform “no further assaults on southern rights”

Compromise(s) of 1850 Northern Concessions Southern Concessions California admitted as a free state Remaining cession territories open to slavery by popular sovereignty NM and UT TX & NM border dispute settled in favor of NM TX receives $10 million from federal gov’t. Abolition of slave trade in D.C. Strengthened Fugitive Slave Act “The Bloodhound Bill” “personal liberty laws” denied local jails to federal officials

Demise of Whiggery Election of 1852 Pierce wins (doughface) (D) Franklin Pierce (NH) Pro-slavery Endorsed Compromise of 1850 Pro-expansion (W) Winfield Scott (VA) Haughty Regional factions distrusted Scott (FSP) John P. Hale (NH) Siphoned votes from anti-slavery Whigs Pierce wins (doughface) Electoral vote: 254-42 Whigs only had success with generals in prior elections (Harrison and Taylor) Pierce wins popular vote: 1,601,117-1,385,453 Daniel Webster and Henry Clay die in 1852

Expansion: South of the Border Central America British influence Belize, Honduras & Nicaragua Canal? Control? Clayton-Bulwer Treaty 1850 “Slavocrats” Slave expansion William Walker’s filibuster (1855) Seizes control of Nicaragua Legalizes slavery Cuba Failed filibusters (1850-1851) Black Warrior incident (1854) Ostend Manifesto $120 million to Spain for Cuba or WAR! William Walker was executed by firing squad in Honduras in 1860 Cuban filibusters (1850-1851) brought the death of Southern men from wealthy families, as a result a southern mob attacked the Spanish consulate in New Orleans

Uniting East with West Transcontinental Railroad Terminus—north or south? The Gadsden Purchase (1853) SOW Jefferson Davis (MS) Appoints James Gadsden as minister Purchases land south of Mexican border--$10 million Increases probability for terminus to be in the South Smaller mountains & organized territories Northern politicians scramble to organize territories Southerners—not eager to support expansion of free soil James Gadsden was a successful railroad man Gadsden treaty with Santa Anna might have also won access to the Sea of Cortez if it wasn’t hastily won

Kansas-Nebraska Act Stephen A. Douglas (IL) Vested interest in Chicago as terminus Champions popular sovereignty—southern support Proposal Nebraska split into two territories Northern portion (NE)—closed to slavery Southern portion (KS)—decided by the people Contradicts the Missouri Compromise (1820) Southerners jump at the prospect of another slave state Bill endorsed by Franklin Pierce Northerners felt betrayed by Douglas Whig party fractured Douglas owned railroad stock and real estate in Chicago Lewis Cass of Michigan articulated popular sovereignty in the election of 1848 Westward expansion usually moved horizontally…therefore, free soil Iowans would settle Nebraska and slave owning Missourians would settle Kansas. Kansas-Nebraska Act killed both the Compromise of 1820 and 1850 as northerners now flat out refused to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act.