Chapter 14 THE SECTIONAL CRISIS

The Role of Popular Sovereignty 1) Politicians who want to avoid. 2) Territories before states: Congress give powers to territorial governors. First come first serve on land. Had to give up voting rights for a while. 3) Population grows, draft constitution, become a state. 4) Wealthy Slave owners grabbing land. Hopes of growing vast slavery lands. Congress wouldn’t say yes or no to slavery in instructions, was left to the people in the territory, knowing governors would let rich slave owners in. 5) Missouri Compromise seemed to help until New Mexico, Utah, Kansas, and Nebraska were on the table. 6) Was used to confuse Northerners about settling of the territories. Congress said people of the territories should have the right to vote for what they want, i.e. slavery. Tried to repeal all compromises. Northerners would yell for a new party and leaders, enter Abraham Lincoln.

Assault and The Compromise of 1850: The Problem of Slavery in the Mexican Cession: Slavery was kept out of politics except to say that nothing could be passed to abolish it. Congress, however, could set the conditions by which territories became states. With expansion came this big problem. The Wilmot Proviso Launches the Free-Soil Movement: Anti-slavery groups wanted to make sure that none of the new land from Mexico could be slave, in fact small white farmers only. David Wilmot pushes a bill for this very thing and it is big in the North. Passes in the House, defeated in the Senate. Huge foreshadowing for what was to come.

Cont’d: Squatter Sovereignty and the Election of 1848: This question dominated the election of Democrat Lewis Cass offered that the territories decided the issue (popular sovereignty). The anti-slavery movement was in big support because they thought that settlers would kill slavery right away. The Free-Soil party wanted a definite limit set on the expansion and ran Martin Van Buren. The Whigs would nominate Zachary Taylor who took no stance and won with less than half the popular vote. Why? Taylor Takes Charge: President Taylor proposes to admit California and New Mexico right away even though New Mexico didn’t have enough people. Southerners angry at the move. A meeting called to talk about secession.

Yep, Still Cont’d: Forging a Compromise: Henry Clay puts together the Compromise of California a free state, no slave trade in District of Columbia, stronger fugitive slave laws, the South would have the right to settle New Mexico. Slave owners could push further to recover slaves who had fled. More and more slaves escape to Canada. President Taylor opposes the law, but dies in Millard Fillmore takes over, supports the Compromise, and decides that measures should be voted on separately. Both the North and South seem to be alright with the compromise. Map on page 335. Poster on page 336.

Political Upheaval: A Party System in Crisis: Both parties survived the first battle, but were in search of new issues. The Democrats took credit for the Compromise and success was due to them, the Whigs began to fight amongst themselves. Democrats and Franklin Pierce win in a land slide over Winfield Scott. The Kansas-Nebraska Act Raises a Storm: In 1854, Stephen Douglas(Dem.) pushes for a bill to organize the Kansas and Nebraska territories. Above the line so they should be free(Missouri Compromise of 1820). Wants to use popular sovereignty to let the people decide. Wanted to revive the party on Manifest Destiny, and run for president in South agrees and wants repeal of the Missouri Compromise. This would cause a storm in the North. The Whig party falls apart and the Democrats are the only party in the South. Anti-Nebraska candidates sweep the North in Congressional elections. President Pierce tries to buy Cuba from Spain but stops due to the anti-slavery movement. The Ostend Manifesto. Map on page 337.

Cont’d: An Appeal to Nativism: The Know-Nothing Episode: The Know- Nothings, or the American Party, gained popularity. The party appealed to evangelical Protestants who were upset about immigration. By 1850 the party had support of some of the Whigs and Democrats who were tired of the way things were. They fell just as quickly as they had come to power because Northerners were more worried about slavery than immigration. Kansas and the Rise of the Republicans: The joining of the Whig, Know- Nothings, Free-Soilers, and Democrats. Aimed at Northerners and promised to leave the West for small white farmers. The events in Kansas help the Republican party along. Abolitionists and Pro-slavery groups all converge on Kansas to push for freedom or slavery. President Pierce sees the pro-slavery movement as a positive, but the Republicans saw it as tyrannical. “Bleeding Kansas” becomes the battle cry for the Republicans to win the North. Severe fighting breaks out in Kansas.

Cont’d: Sectional Division in the Election of 1856: Republicans- John C. Fremont(Only votes in Free States) Know-Nothings- Ex- President Millard Fillmore(Sectional Compromise). Democrats- James Buchanan ( Defense of the Compromise of 1850). Wins election.

The House Divided, Cultural Sectionalism: Split in everything from religion to literature divided the North and the South. Intellectuals from both sides began to prepare for separate worlds. The Dred Scott Case: The Supreme Court could have shut the door on slavery with the Dred Scott vs. Sanford case in The court ruled that the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional because Congress could not control where a slave owner took his slaves. Only served to make the Republicans stronger. The Lecompton Controversy: Proslavery movement meets to make Kansas a slave state. A constitution is drafted and it is backed by the President and the Congress. The House blocks the attempt. The idea goes back to the people of Kansas who throw it out. Stephen Douglas will make himself popular in the South with the move. Debating the Morality of Slavery: 1858 Lincoln and Douglas square off in Senate race. The debate is based around slavery. Lincoln calls it a moral issue and accuses the South of trying to spread slavery country wide. Douglas claims that Lincoln is for racial equality forcing him to take a pro-white stance. Lincoln loses, but he gains a national reputation.

Cont’d The South’s Crisis of Fear: Events that took place between 1859 and 1860 would lead Southerners to believe that the Republicans wanted to form an armed rebellion. John Brown tried to capture an arsenal at Harpers Ferry in order to arm slaves. Brown is executed for treason and is mourned in the south is a martyr. The South is convinced that the North will use armed force to abolish slavery. If there is a Republican president the South will leave the Union. The Election of 1860: Republicans nominate Lincoln because he is the least controversial. Promise high tariffs for industry, free homesteads for small farmers, and government aid for internal improvements. The Democrats are split between Douglas and Breckinridge. Lincoln wins by receiving less than 40% of the popular vote, but won virtually every northern electoral vote, giving him the victory.