The Union in Peril

Four Main Causes of the Civil War  Slavery  Constitutional Disputes: States’ Rights vs. Federal Rights  Economic Differences: Industrialized North vs. the Agricultural South  Political Blunders and Extremism  Slavery  Constitutional Disputes: States’ Rights vs. Federal Rights  Economic Differences: Industrialized North vs. the Agricultural South  Political Blunders and Extremism

Conflict over Territorial Status  Northern Democrats and the Whigs supported the Wilmot Proviso  Were they abolitionists?  Northern Democrats and the Whigs supported the Wilmot Proviso  Were they abolitionists?

The Free-Soilers  They did not demand the end of slavery, just the extension of it.  They wanted to keep the West for whites only so there would be no competition with slaves OR free blacks.  Party slogan: “free soil, free labor, and free men”  Advocated free homesteads and internal improvements  They did not demand the end of slavery, just the extension of it.  They wanted to keep the West for whites only so there would be no competition with slaves OR free blacks.  Party slogan: “free soil, free labor, and free men”  Advocated free homesteads and internal improvements

Southern Position  Disliked abolitionists and Free- Soilers.  Moderates: wanted an extension of the Missouri Compromise line westward  Disliked abolitionists and Free- Soilers.  Moderates: wanted an extension of the Missouri Compromise line westward

Popular Sovereignty  Proposed by Lewis Cass (MO-D)  Slavery should be determined by popular vote  Proposed by Lewis Cass (MO-D)  Slavery should be determined by popular vote

The Election of 1848  Lewis Cass (Democrat): platform was popular sovereignty  Zachary Taylor (Whig): took no position on slavery in the new territories  Martin Van Buren (Free-Soil): Consisted of “conscience” Whigs and anti-slavery Democrats  Taylor defeated Cass because the Free-Soil party took away many Democrats’ votes  Lewis Cass (Democrat): platform was popular sovereignty  Zachary Taylor (Whig): took no position on slavery in the new territories  Martin Van Buren (Free-Soil): Consisted of “conscience” Whigs and anti-slavery Democrats  Taylor defeated Cass because the Free-Soil party took away many Democrats’ votes

The Compromise of 1850  1849: CA Constitution banned slavery  President Taylor supported the free admission of CA and NM  Taylor’s actions sparked talk of secession  Henry Clay proposed the following:  Admit CA as a free state  Divide rest of Mexican Cession into UT and NM: allow popular sovereignty to decide the issue  Disputed land in TX and NM to be given to the new territories in exchange for the assumption of TX $10 million debt  Ban slave trade in DC but still allow whites to hold slaves  Adopt and enforce a new Fugitive Slave Law  1849: CA Constitution banned slavery  President Taylor supported the free admission of CA and NM  Taylor’s actions sparked talk of secession  Henry Clay proposed the following:  Admit CA as a free state  Divide rest of Mexican Cession into UT and NM: allow popular sovereignty to decide the issue  Disputed land in TX and NM to be given to the new territories in exchange for the assumption of TX $10 million debt  Ban slave trade in DC but still allow whites to hold slaves  Adopt and enforce a new Fugitive Slave Law

Compromise Debate  Henry Clay (KY): for compromise  Daniel Webster (MA): argued for compromise to save the Union and alienated his abolitionist supporters  John C. Calhoun (SC): argued against compromise and for states’ rights  William H. Seward (NY): against the compromise and argued that there was a higher law than the Constitution  Stephen A. Douglas (IL): prepared the components of the compromise for separate passage  President Fillmore, succeeding Taylor, signed the compromises into law.  Henry Clay (KY): for compromise  Daniel Webster (MA): argued for compromise to save the Union and alienated his abolitionist supporters  John C. Calhoun (SC): argued against compromise and for states’ rights  William H. Seward (NY): against the compromise and argued that there was a higher law than the Constitution  Stephen A. Douglas (IL): prepared the components of the compromise for separate passage  President Fillmore, succeeding Taylor, signed the compromises into law.

Fugitive Slave Law  Northerners were obligated to return escaped slaves to the South  Fugitive slave cases were placed under the jurisdiction of the federal government  They were denied the right of trial by jury  Northerners were obligated to return escaped slaves to the South  Fugitive slave cases were placed under the jurisdiction of the federal government  They were denied the right of trial by jury

Underground Railroad  Not dominated by white abolitionists  Northern free blacks and ex-slaves were the main “conductors”  Harriet Tubman: 19 trips and helped 300 slaves escape  Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth also took an active role  Not dominated by white abolitionists  Northern free blacks and ex-slaves were the main “conductors”  Harriet Tubman: 19 trips and helped 300 slaves escape  Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth also took an active role

Literature  Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) by Harriet Beecher Stowe; promoted abolitionism in both the North and in Europe  Lincoln: “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war.”  Impending Crisis of the South (1857) by Hinton Helper showed that slavery hurt the Southern economy  Southerners argued that slavery was sanctioned by the Bible.  George Fitzhugh argued that the northern capitalist wage system was worse than slavery.  Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) by Harriet Beecher Stowe; promoted abolitionism in both the North and in Europe  Lincoln: “So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war.”  Impending Crisis of the South (1857) by Hinton Helper showed that slavery hurt the Southern economy  Southerners argued that slavery was sanctioned by the Bible.  George Fitzhugh argued that the northern capitalist wage system was worse than slavery.

Election of 1852  General Winfield Scott (Whig): ignored the issue of slavery and concentrated on internal improvements.  Franklin Pierce (Democrat-NH): acceptable to the South because he supported the Fugitive Slave Law  The Democrats won all but 4 states.  General Winfield Scott (Whig): ignored the issue of slavery and concentrated on internal improvements.  Franklin Pierce (Democrat-NH): acceptable to the South because he supported the Fugitive Slave Law  The Democrats won all but 4 states.

Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)  Democrat Stephen Douglas wanted to win support to build a transcontinental railroad.  He obtained southern approval by introducing this bill.  Two states would be formed and popular sovereignty would decide the issue.  Both territories were located North of the Missouri Compromise line.  Renewed the sectional controversy.  A new antislavery party was born: the Republicans.  Democrat Stephen Douglas wanted to win support to build a transcontinental railroad.  He obtained southern approval by introducing this bill.  Two states would be formed and popular sovereignty would decide the issue.  Both territories were located North of the Missouri Compromise line.  Renewed the sectional controversy.  A new antislavery party was born: the Republicans.

New Parties  Know-Nothing Party: opposition to Catholics and immigrants  Republican Party  Founded in 1854 in Racine, WI  Direct reaction to the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act  Coalition of free-soilers, antislavery Whigs and Democrats made up the party  Asked for a repeal of the Kansas- Nebraska Act and the Fugitive Slave Law  Abolitionists would join later  Know-Nothing Party: opposition to Catholics and immigrants  Republican Party  Founded in 1854 in Racine, WI  Direct reaction to the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act  Coalition of free-soilers, antislavery Whigs and Democrats made up the party  Asked for a repeal of the Kansas- Nebraska Act and the Fugitive Slave Law  Abolitionists would join later

Election of 1856  Republican: John C. Fremont (CA)  Know-Nothings: former President Millard Fillmore  Democrats: James Buchanan  Democrats won, but Fremont carried 11/16 free states  Republican: John C. Fremont (CA)  Know-Nothings: former President Millard Fillmore  Democrats: James Buchanan  Democrats won, but Fremont carried 11/16 free states

Bleeding Kansas  Settled by antislavery farmers from the Midwest  Slaveholders from MO set up homesteads  New England Emigrant Aid Society: paid for the transportation of antislavery settlers  Proslavery Missourians created a proslavery legislature in Lecompton, KS  Antislavery settlers created own legislature  1856: proslavery forces attacked the town of Lawrence, killing 2  John Brown and his sons killed 5 on an attack on a proslavery settlement  Democrats became even more divided between the North and South  Settled by antislavery farmers from the Midwest  Slaveholders from MO set up homesteads  New England Emigrant Aid Society: paid for the transportation of antislavery settlers  Proslavery Missourians created a proslavery legislature in Lecompton, KS  Antislavery settlers created own legislature  1856: proslavery forces attacked the town of Lawrence, killing 2  John Brown and his sons killed 5 on an attack on a proslavery settlement  Democrats became even more divided between the North and South

The Caning  Senator Charles Sumner attacked the administration about its handling of “Bleeding Kansas”  Included personal attacks on SC Senator Andrew Butler  Butler’s nephew, Congressman Preston Brooks beat Sumner over the head with a cane  Northerners were angry and voted for censure, but Southerners sent Brooks numerous canes to replace his broken one  Senator Charles Sumner attacked the administration about its handling of “Bleeding Kansas”  Included personal attacks on SC Senator Andrew Butler  Butler’s nephew, Congressman Preston Brooks beat Sumner over the head with a cane  Northerners were angry and voted for censure, but Southerners sent Brooks numerous canes to replace his broken one