1. Chapter 19 Drifting Towards Disunion 1854-1861 Emma Buckley

2. Uncle Toms Cabin (1852) –Harriet Beecher Stowe –Revealed the terrible ways slaves and fugitives were treated. She hoped to make people realize the evil of slavery, putting an end to it –Lincoln said the book helped to start “this great war” The north refused the Fugitive Slave Law after realizing how wrong slavery was, some people even volunteered to fight in the Civil War The south was angered by the book, it depicted them as bad people The Impending Crisis of the South (1857) –Hinton R. Helper tried to prove nonslaveholding whites were the only people suffering –South elite’s feared that the nonslaveholding would leave them because of the book and it was banned in the South

3. The North-South Contest for Kansas –People coming to Kansas Most northerners were people searching for richer lands Some were northern abolitionists or free-soilers including the New England Emigrant Aid Company (1854) –South was angry because they heard Kansas was defying the Kansas-Nebraska Act by wanting to end slavery in both territories –Slave owners would not take their slaves to Kansas –In 1855 proslavery members were elected to the territorial legislature causing a confusion in Kansas over two governments, free-soilers or people for slavery 1856 proslavery people destroyed the towns of free-soiler

4. Kansas in Convulsion –John Brown, moved from Kansas to Ohio and led people to Pottawatomie Creek killing 5 men (1856) This ruined the reputation of the free-soilers and angered people in favor of slavery –1857 Kansas applied for a popular sovereignty basis –Lecompton Constitution People could vote for slavery or no slavery but no matter what, blacks in Kansas would still not be completely free –James Buchanan became president over Pierce and relied on the Lecompton Constitution –Senator Stephen Douglas strongly opposed the document and campaigned against it –A compromise was reached that let the people of Kansas vote on the Constitution It was revoked by the free-soil voters, but Kansas remained a territory until 1861, when the southern states seceded from the Union. –President Buchanan divided the Democratic Party

5. “Bully” Brooks and His Bludgeon –Bleeding Kansas-Civil War fought in Kansas over the issue of slavery fought from 1856-1861 when it merged into the greater Civil War –Senator Charles Sumner gave a speech condemning pro-slavery men. During this speech, he also insulted Senator Andrew Butler –Preston S. Brooks was angry because of the speech May 22, 1856 he pounded Sumner with a cane until it broke and he was unconscious and bleeding, causing him to leave for 3 ½ years –Brooks resigned but was reelected –This whole incident caused more tension between the North and South

6. “Old Buck” Versus “The Pathfinder” –Democrats chose James Buchanan as their presidential candidate to run in the election of 1856 because he wasn't influenced by the Kansas-Nebraska Act –Republicans choose Captain John C. Fremont for the similar reasons as the Democrats –Immigrants from Ireland and Germany scared Americans, leading to the formation of the Know-Nothing party –Both Buchanan and Fremont were attacked Buchanan was a bachelor Fremont had illegitimate birth

7. The Electoral Fruits of 1856 –Buchanan won the election of 1856 against Fremont and Fillmore Southerners threatened that if a Republican won, that would be a declaration of war, forcing them to secede Caused northerners to vote for Buchanan, hoping to preserve the Union

8. The Dred Scott Bombshell –Dred Scott v. Sandford- Supreme court decision that extended federal protection to slavery by ruling that Congress did not have the power to prohibit slavery in any territory, slaves were not citizens of the US Dred sued his owner for living in free territory for 5 years Black slaves can’t sue in federal court Missouri compromise was still looked at in the North Compromise of 1820 had always been unconstitutional –Tensions grew between the North and the South based on the new court decisions and Dred Scott case

9. The Financial Crash of 1857 –Panic of 1857- financial crash brought on by gold-fueled inflation, overspeculation, and excess grain production Over 5 thousand businesses failed, unemployment, and hunger meetings in urban areas took place –It effected the North most because they were the biggest North government decided to give 160 acres of farming land to pioneers for free Eastern Industrialists opposed, fearing that their underpaid workers would all go to the West The South opposed because slavery could not thrive on such a limited amount of land Homestead Act passed, making public land accessible for 25 cents an acre –Tariff of 1857- Lowered duties on imports in response to a high Treasury surplus and pressure from Southern farmers Lowered duties to 20% Gave Republicans 2 economic issues for election of 1960

10. An Illinois Rail-Splitter Emerges –Abraham Lincoln (Honest Abe) decided to run against Stephan Douglas Served one term in Congress from 1847-1849 but had an otherwise private, uneventful life before running for President The Great Debate: Lincoln v. Douglas –Lincoln-Douglas Debates- (August to October 1858) Most famous debate at Freeport, Illinois and Lincoln brought up an issue named the Freeport question »Freepost question-asked whether the court or the people should decide the future of slavery in the territories Douglas’ answer to this question is called the Freeport Doctrine- declared that since slavery could not exist without laws to protect it, territorial legislatures, not the Supreme Court, would have the final say on the slavery question –More Pro-Douglas members were elected for senate seats but Lincoln won a moral victory

11. John Brown: Murderer or Martyr –John Brown created a plan to invade the South gathering all the slaves and giving them weapons to stand up for themselves, hoping to establish a black free state At Harpers Ferry, he accidentally killed 7 people and the slaves refused to follow him –Brown was captured by the U.S. Marines and killed He died proud that he failed fighting against slavery than live any other way –The South saw Harpers Ferry as an awful, murderous event by Brown along with some northerners –Abolitionists and free-soilers were angered about Brown’s execution and went to his hanging and to rebel

12. The Disruption of the Democrats –Many southerners resented Douglas due to this dislike for the Freeport Doctrine and Lecompton Constitution The democrats could not get enough votes for Douglas so they backed out –After Democrats tried again in Baltimore, and Douglas was elected –Democrats selected John C. Breckinridge as their vice president which favored the extension of slavery into the territories –Constitutional Union Party- (1860) formed by moderate Whigs and Know-Nothings in an effort to elect a compromise candidate and avert a sectional crisis Nominated John Bell for presidency

13. A Rail-Splitter Splits the Union –Republicans gathered in Chicago and nominated Abraham Lincoln as presidential candidate –Southern secessionists believed that Lincolns election would contribute to the split of the Union –Lincoln was not an abolitionist and did not want to calm the southern fears The electoral Upheaval of 1860 –Lincoln was victorious, despite the fact that he was a minority president –Because Lincoln won, South Caroline now had an excuse to secede from the Union –The South was not completely negatively affected by election 5 to 4 majority on Supreme Court Republicans did not control House of Representatives or Senate

14. The Secessionist Exodus –South Carolina met and seceded with a unanimous cote (December 1860) AL, MS, FL, GA, LA, and TX all seceded too –The 7 seceded states created the Confederate States of America and choose Jefferson Davis as their president –Buchanan replaced Lincoln for the first 4 months he could not be in office yet and was blamed for the 7 states seceding Did not resort to force because the tiny army he had of 15,000 men was needed to control Indians in the West

15. The Collapse of Compromise –Crittenden amendments- (1860) attempted to please the South, the failed Constitutional amendments would have given federal protection for slavery in all territories south of 36’30’ where slavery was supported by popular sovereignty Lincoln rejected the amendments

16. Farewell to Union –The southern states seceded fearing that the Republican Party would threaten their rights to own slaves –Many southerners felt that their secession would be unopposed by the North Northern manufacturers were dependant on southern economics –The South experienced nationalism –Almost none of the seceded states felt that they were doing anything wrong by seceding