Early Attempts to Abolish Slavery Ch: 15-16

The Civil War The Civil War was fought from over the issues of slavery and economics- the 620,000 that died represents the greatest loss of American life in war. Abolitionists like John Brown, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Tubman made many efforts to halt slavery.

Early Attempts to Abolish Slavery The admissions of Texas and California highlighted the deep divisions that existed in America regarding slavery during the 1840’s and 50’s. The Compromise of 1850 failed to settle slavery, and Southerners passed the Fugitive Slave Act, which required Northerners to return escaped slaves. “Bleeding Kansas” took place in 1856, when pro- and anti-slavery forces clashed because pro-slave forces in Missouri had crossed the border to pad the slave vote in that state.

Early Attempts to Abolish Slavery The Missouri Compromise allowed Missouri to enter as a slave state, and Maine to enter as a free one. Although it balanced the numbers of free and slave states, it did nothing to address the issues of slavery. John Brown’s Raid in 1859 was influenced by the events of “Bleeding Kansas”- he tried to start a slave revolt by arming them with weapons he stole from an arsenal in Kansas. The Wilmot Proviso (1846) and the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) made unsuccessful attempts to end slavery.

Early Attempts to Abolish Slavery In 1857, the slave Dred Scott sued for his freedom, because he claimed that he had lived in a state where slavery had been banned. The Supreme Court ruled against him, and this electrified anti-slave forces throughout the country. A series of political debates between Senate candidates Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas took place in The issue of slavery took center stage. Free blacks continued to struggle in northern states, where they faced racism and state laws that recognized their freedom, but did not provide methods for them to compete with white workers.

The Civil War Speeches by Daniel Webster and John C. Calhoun demonstrated the differences states felt between the government’s ability to end slavery and enforce their decision. Slave states included: GA, LA, AL, FA, N/S Car, VA, TN, AK, KY, MS and Miss.

The Civil War Free States: IA, IL, MN, IA, OH, PA, NY, NJ, DE, CT, MS., VT, ME, NH, and RI Slave states were totally dependent upon farming to survive, while Free states had a better balance of manufacturing and industry. After Lincoln’s election in 1860, slave states began to secede from the Union- the Crittenden Provision was an example of how the south began that process.