Bleeding Kansas and the Dred Scott Decision

“Can we as a nation continue together permanently – forever – half-slave and half free?” - A. Lincoln, 1855.

 Stemmed from two trends  Desire for a transcontinental railroad  Stephen Douglas’ presidential hopes

 Had to create the transcontinental railroad  Chose a central route (compromise choice)  Had to organize the Kansas and Nebraska Territories  Had to come to an agreement with the South

 Kansas and Nebraska Territories organized  Settlers would decide status  Repeals the Missouri Compromise

 Northerners up in arms  Violated the bargain between the sections  Demonstrated the power of the “slaveocracy”  Southerners grew concerned over the North  Would the North accept national laws?  Would the North permit either to enter as slave territory?

 Neither side wanted to lose either territory  Abolitionists swarmed into Kansas  Fire-Eaters flocked to the territory  Assisted by Missouri Border Ruffians  Border War erupted

 Sack of Lawrence by Pro-Slavery forces  Pottawatomie Creek Massacre by John Brown  Precursor of the Civil War

 Proslavery Constitution passed by referendum  Abolitionist forces boycotted the election  Fraudulent voting from Missouri  The Territorial Governor resigned in protest  Now Congress had to act

 Douglas fought the Lecompton Constitution  Violated Popular Sovereignty  Cost him southern support  President Buchanan stood behind it  Cabinet dominated by Southerners  Debate led to the beating of Charles Sumner

 Border war in Kansas  Formation of the Republican Party  Different groups coalesced together ▪ Northern Whigs ▪ Anti-Slavery Democrats ▪ Free Soil Party ▪ American Party

Meanwhile

 Sent the nation hurtling toward disunion  Centered upon a constitutional matter  Did freedom go with the territory  Sparked outrage

 Scott belonged to an Army captain  Brought to army posts in Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota (Free territory)  The Captain died, leaving Scott to his wife  Scott brought back to Missouri as a slave ▪ Scott sued for his freedom ▪ Living in free territory made him free ▪ Argument had precedent in Missouri courts

 Faced two key questions  Was Scott a citizen?  Did freedom go with the territory?  Decision issued by Roger B. Taney

 Decision handed down in 1857  African-Americans could not be citizens  Scott could not file a lawsuit  Scott was a slave  Missouri Compromise ruled unconstitutional  Congress had no right to limit property rights  Slavery did not go with the territory

 Celebrated in the South  Seen as a pro-slavery decision  Assaulted in the North  “Confirmed” power of the slaveocracy  Could slavery spread to the free states?