Chapter 19 Drifting Toward Disunion, 1854–1861

I. Stowe and Helper: Literary Incendiaries Uncle Tom’s Cabin—Harriet Beecher Stowe – Goal to awaken the North to the wickedness of slavery Impending Crisis of the South by Hinton Helper – Anti-slavery book based on statistics

p397

p398

II. The North-South Contest for Kansas Kansas slavery to based on popular sovereignty – Both sides ‘assisted’ Crisis conditions in Kansas rapidly worsened – Disputed 1855 election for the territorial legislature – Proslavery a ttack on town of Lawrence (1856) – John Brown - Pottawatomie Creek revenge attack

Map 19-1 p399

Tragic Prelude by John Steuart Curry

p400

III. Kansas in Convulsion Civil war erupted in Kansas in 1856 Kansas applies for statehood (1857) – Lecompton Constitution: A proslavery document The scene shifted to Washington – POTUS Buchanan supports Lecompton Constitution Democratic Party splits – Congress voted against Lecompton Constitution Kansas stays a territory

IV. “Bully” Brooks and His Bludgeon Bleeding Kansas (Kansas Territory War) Blood also splattered on the Senate floor (1856) – Senator Sumner (MA) beaten by Preston Brooks (SC) House could not muster enough votes to expel Brooks

p401

V. “Old Buck” Versus “The Pathfinder” Democrats chose James Buchanan Republicans final choice was John C. Frémont ‘Know-Nothing party’ Nominated Fillmore VI. The Electoral Fruits of 1856 BuchananFreemontFillmore Electoral vote Popular vote 1,832,955 1,339, ,731 Many feared a Republican vote = civil war

p402

Map 19-2 p403

VII. The Dred Scott Bombshell Dred Scott v. Stanford decision (March 1857) – Said Dred Scott was property, not a citizen – Said Congress had no power to ban slavery Republicans were defiant of SCOTUS – Southerners upset that northerners were upset

p404

VIII. The Financial Crash of 1857 Causes of the ‘Panic of 1857’ – Caused by gold inflation, land & RR speculation The Tariff of 1857 despised by the South – The north wanted higher tariffs

p405

IX. An Illinois Rail-Splitter Emerges The Illinois senatorial election of 1858 – Democrat nominee Senator Stephen A. Douglas – Republicans nominated Abraham Lincoln Not well educated, but an avid reader

p406

X. The Great Debate: Lincoln Versus Douglas Lincoln-Douglas debates led to the… Freeport Doctrine – Popular opinion would rule – Laws against popular opinion would fail State legislature selected Douglas over Lincoln Lincoln emerged as a potential POTUS nominee

p407

XI. John Brown: Murderer or Martyr? John Brown – Raid of Harpers Ferry failed (Oct 1859) The effects of Harper Ferry were inflammatory – To the South, Brown was a treasonous murderer – To the North, Brown was a free-soile martyr

p409

XII. The Disruption of the Democrats In the Election of 1860 – Democrats were split Douglas (north) & Breckenridge (south) Constitutional Union party – Belittled “Do Nothing” or “Old Gentleman’s” party – Nominated John Bell of Tennessee.

XIII. A Rail-Splitter Splits the Union Lincoln Republican nominee on beat third ballot Republican party had an appeal for everybody – Free-soilers, manufacturers, immigrants, farmers – Covered Northeast, Midwest, West, Northwest

p410

XIV. The Electoral Upheaval of 1860 LincolnDouglasBreckenridgeBell E.C Pop 1,865,593 1,382, , ,906 Lincoln wins the 1860 election – Lincoln was a minority president (39.7%)

XV. The Secessionist Exodus South Carolina secedes 4 days after election – Then Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, left before Lincoln took office Confederate States of America (Feb 1861) – Selected Jefferson Davis as their president POTUS Buchanan “lame duck” interlude – Said no authority for stopping succession

CSA unofficial flag 1861 “Bonnie Blue”

CSA Flag “Stars and Bars”

CSA Flag “Stainless Banner”

CSA Flag 1865 “Blood Stained Banner”

p413

XVI. The Collapse of Compromise Crittenden amendments – Designed to appease the South – Slavery prohibited north of the latitude – Given federal protection in all territories south Lincoln flatly rejected the Crittenden scheme

XVII. Farewell to Union Secessionists left for a number of reasons – Most related to the issue of slavery – Southerners upset at triumph of Republican party – They were weary of free-soil criticism/attacks – Many thought succession would be unopposed – South tired of vassalage to ‘moneyed’ North – South believed in principles of self-determination – South believed they were right – South believed, if a war, they would win

p414

p417