1. Political Divisions cause the Nations to Divide
The Split over the issue of Slavery intensified due to political division and judicial decisions causing the nation to break apart.

2. Key Terms and Key People
Republican Party Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Freeport Doctrine John Brown’s Raid
Constitutional Union Party Confederate States of America
Key People
James Buchanan John C. Fremont Dred Scott John Bell
Roger B Taney Abraham Lincoln
John C. Breckinridge Jefferson Davis
Key Terms and Key People

3. The Greatest Political Rivalry
The Republican Party would form in 1854 to oppose the spread of slavery putting the Democratic Party in danger due to their support of the Kansas-Nebraska Act
Some Democrats and former Whigs joined the American Party and Nominated Millard Fillmore as their Candidate for President in 1856
The Democrats Nominated James Buchanan for President To try to distance themselves from the Kansas Nebraska Act
The Republicans Nominated John C. Fremont as their candidate for president but he could not gain support outside the free states
With the Votes Split, James Buchanan won 15 slave states and 5 free states and became president in 1856
The Greatest Political Rivalry

4. Dred Scott, A slave in Missouri, Sued to get his freedom after the death of his owner stating that his owner took him to free territory, meaning he was no longer a slave
The Supreme Court had to decide THREE issues:
Was Dred Scott a Citizen?
Does Living on Free soil make a slave free?
Was it constitutional to prohibit Slavery in the Louisiana Territory?
It would be Roger B. Taney, a slave owner from the south, who would write the majority opinion
Judge Dred

5. Roger B. Taney's First Decision was that African Americans, free or slave, were not considered US Citizens and therefore could not file suit in federal courts
Taney Then decided that living on free soil was NOT enough to constitute free status and that Scott had to follow the law of Missouri
Taney Would then state that Since a slave was considered property and the Fifth Amendment prohibits the government from taking property, the Federal Government could not restrict slavery in federal lands
The Ruling was celebrated by the South and limited the power and platform of the republican party
Many Republicans, like Abraham Lincoln, began to worry that the supreme court could soon ban states from outlawing slavery
Great Scott

6. When Abraham Lincoln ran against Stephen Douglas for The Senate Seat in Illinois, they would have a series of Debates centered around Slavery
Lincoln Accused the Democrats of trying to Spread Slavery Across the Nation and that African Americans deserved the same rights as white men in the declaration of independence but did NOT consider African Americans Socially or Politically Equal
Douglas Claimed that it was Lincoln’s Goal to make every state free, as he said the nation could not remain half slave-half free
He said that if Lincoln planned to make all states free it would lead to the destruction of the union and warfare between the North and South
The Great Debate…Part 1

7. In the Second Debate Lincoln Asked Douglas how “If congress could NOT ban slavery from Federal Territory, How could congress allow the citizens of that territory to ban it?
Douglas Responded that it did not matter what the supreme court decided, people had the right to Include or exclude slavery from their state as they see fit
He Stated that Police could Enforce the Voter’s Decisions even if it went against the supreme court
The Freeport Doctrine brought the Issue of Slavery back in the National Spotlight, and though Douglas Won the Senate Election, Abraham Lincoln would gain the National Spotlight
The Great Debate…part 2

8. If at First you Don’t Secede
John Brown planned to attack and seize weapons at the Virginia Arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, arm local slaves, and lead a rebellion through the countryside but could only raise a 20 man army in 2 years
John Brown attacked the Arsenal but no slaves would join the raid due to fear of death if the raid failed
The revolution failed as 13 of Brown’s men were killed, the rest were captured, and John Brown would be sentenced to death for his Treason
In the North, Brown was seen as a hero but many, including Abraham Lincoln, disagreed with his extremist action
The South Feared that John Brown’s Raid could lead to more extremist actions and started the Renewed push to Secession
If at First you Don’t Secede

9. A fatal Four-way Election
The Election of 1860 threatens to tear the Nation apart:
Northern Democrats Nominated Stephen Douglas a Moderate who wanted to preserve the Union
Southern Democrats John C. Breckinridge who had extreme views on preserving slavery
The Constitutional Union Party nominated John Bell, a Moderate slave owner who wanted to preserve the Union
The Republicans Nominated Abraham Lincoln who vowed to stop the spread of slavery, but NOT end it
Though Lincoln was the Favorite to win the election the other candidates hoped he would not win the needed electoral Votes but he would carry the North and win the Election
With Lincoln winning, despite not winning ANY southern states, the south realized they were losing political power and possibly could lose slavery
A fatal Four-way Election

10. If at first you Don’t Secede…
With the Election of Lincoln seen as a threat to slavery, South Carolina held a special convention to vote on secession, noting joining the Union was voluntary so leaving the union should be the same
With Lincoln arguing that Secession was not constitutional John J. Crittenden proposed the Crittenden plan to make compromises on slavery to save the Union
Lincoln Disagreed that a compromise could work and Senate rejected the plan, leading the south closer to secession
If at first you Don’t Secede…

11. Try and try again until you finally do Secede!
South Carolina voted to leave the Union on December 20th, 1860 and would soon be joined by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas forming the Confederate States of America
The South Elected Jefferson Davis as their President and the Confederate States of America started to plan on how to protect federal property and Federal Forts in the South
Abraham Lincoln Took office on March 4th, 1861 and used the constitution to speak out against Secession, Defending the Constitution and pushing for Amendments to avoid secession
Lincoln believed that The southern people had the power to try to change the constitution but not through leaving the Union
Lincoln Vowed that the union would keep all their property in the South BUT would not provoke war hoping the South would return to the Union…The south opted to go to war
Try and try again until you finally do Secede!

12. This has been Another World Famous Mr. Green PowerPoint Presentation
Its Civil War time