The Divisive Politics of Slavery Objectives: Identify differences between the North and the South. Describe the operation of the Underground Railroad and other forms of protest against slavery. Explain the political conditions that gave rise to the Republican Party and divided the Whigs. Describe the conflicts that led to secession.

Differences Between North and South North and South Differences The North and South had developed into two very different cultural and economic regions The South’s plantation economy relied heavily on the use of slave labor The North, with its diversified industries, was less dependent on slavery As the North industrialized, Northern opposition to slavery grew more intense The controversy over slavery worsened as new territories were admitted to the union Supporters of slavery saw the opportunity to create more slave states Opponents of slavery remained equally determined that slavery should not spread

Slavery in the Territories Statehood for California California applied for statehood in 1850 Admitted as a free state Outraged many Southerners who believed that since most of California lay south of the Missouri Compromise line, the state would be open to slavery The Compromise of 1850 As tensions mounted over the issue of slavery, threats of Southern secession became more frequent Compromise of 1850 – Provided that California would be admitted as a free state to appease northerners, and created a new and more effective fugitive slave law to appease southerners To placate both sides, a provision allowed popular sovereignty for residents of the New Mexico and Utah territories Popular Sovereignty – The right to vote for or against slavery in a territory

Protest, Resistance, and Violence The Fugitive Slave Act The harsh terms of the fugitive slave act surprised many people Alleged fugitive slaves were not entitled to a trial by jury Persons accused of helping a fugitive slave could be imprisoned or incarcerated The Underground Railroad Infuriated by the Fugitive Slave Act, many northerners resisted by organizing vigilance committees to send endangered slaves to safety in the North Underground Railroad – Secret network of people who helped slaves escape to freedom Harriet Tubman – African American conductor on the Underground Railroad that helped 300 slaves escape to freedom Uncle Tom’s Cabin In 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe published her novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin that described the horror’s of slavery The book stirred Northern abolitionists to increase their protests against the Fugitive Slave Act

Protests, Resistance, and Violence Tension in Kansas and Nebraska Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) – Divided the Nebraska territory into two parts: Nebraska in the north and Kansas in the south Popular sovereignty would decide whether slavery would be permitted in each territory “Bleeding Kansas” Both supporters and opponents of slavery attempted to populate Kansas in order to win the vote on the issue of slavery “Border Ruffians” – Southerners from the slave state of Missouri who crossed over into Kansas and illegally participated in the vote on slavery The proslavery candidates won a majority of the votes and set up a government at Lecompton Passed a series of proslavery acts Abolitionists organized their own rival government Violence eventually erupted between the proslavery and abolitionist settlers

Conflicts Lead to Secession The Dred Scott Decision Dred Scott – Slave whose owner took him from the slave state of Missouri to the free territory of Illinois and back to Missouri Scott appealed to the Supreme Court for his freedom on the grounds that living in a free state had made him a free man The court ruled against Scott Ruled that Scott lacked the legal standing to sue in federal court because he was not a citizen Also ruled that living in a free territory did not make a slave free

Conflict Leads to Secession Harpers Ferry John Brown – Radical abolitionist who led an attempt to stage a slave uprising Attempted to organize a raid into Harpers Ferry, Virginia in an attempt to seize the federal arsenal there and start a general slave uprising Troops put down the rebellion and executed Brown Lincoln is Elected President Election of 1860 Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln Lincoln, pledged to halt the further spread of slavery The issue of slavery split the Democrats and allowed Lincoln to win the election with less than half the popular vote and no electoral votes from the South Southern Secession Lincoln’s victory convinced Southerner’s that they had lost their political voice in the national government South Carolina seceded from the Union on December 20th, 1860 Other southern states soon followed Secessionist states formed the Confederate States of America Elected former senator Jefferson Davis as president