1. The 1850’s Crisis and Compromise
Road to War

2. How we got here?
As the North became more industrialized, slavery began to die out in the northern states. However, South became more and more dependent on the use of slaves with the development of the cotton gin. The big question in the United States was what to do with slavery in the new western territories. Congress passed new laws every few years to try to solve the problem.

3. Northwest Ordinance
All states in this area (northwest of Ohio River) will be free states

4. Missouri Compromise
Missouri is not northwest of Ohio, so what to do?
Northern states don’t want more slave states, will disrupt the balance of slave and free; final decision:
Missouri is slave state
Maine (used to be part of MA) is added as separate free state
in future, all states North of 36˚30' will be free; all states South of 36˚30' will be slave

5. Nat Turner Born in 1800 in Southampton County, VA Gifted preacher
Believed he had been chosen to lead his people out of bondage
Grew up hearing of the failed rebellion (1800) of Gabriel Prosser in Richmond, VA 5

6. Nat Turner’s Rebellion, 1831
Turner believed that an eclipse of the sun was a divine sign for action
Turner and 80 followers attacked 4 plantations killing about 60 white people
Turner hid for several weeks before being captured and hanged
In retaliation, about 200 blacks were killed
In the aftermath the Virginia legislature debated the issue of slavery and possible abolition
When a motion for abolition was put to the legislature, the vote was 73 to 58 in favor of keeping slavery
This failed debate on slavery effectively closed the issue in the antebellum South 6

7. Results of Texas and Mexico
Texas Annexation & the Mexican-American War (1848) results in more land being added to the United States, south of 36-30, would give Slave states an advantage
What should be done?
1846 – Wilmot Proviso – slavery should not be permitted in any territory taken from Mexico

8. Compromise of 1850 - California is a free state
- New Mexico and Utah can decide for themselves whether or not to have slavery
- Abolished sale of slaves in DC
- Fugitive Slave Law – northern states were required to help capture and return run-away slaves (Enraged many Northerners)

10. Kansas – Nebraska Act
People in the new territories (Kansas and Nebraska) should decide for themselves whether to be slave or free
popular sovereignty: the people in each territory will vote on whether or not to have slavery

12. Results of the Kansas-Nebraska Act
1854 – Creation of the Republican Party
opposed to the Kansas-Nebraska Act
wanted to keep slavery out of the territories
drew support from many diverse groups – were able to win elections
1856 – Bleeding Kansas
Groups in favor of slavery and groups opposed to slavery (“free-soilers”) both move into Kansas, trying to sway the vote

13. Bleeding Kansas May 21 – Sack of Lawrence:
Southerners attacked and looted several homes and the newspaper office in this anti-slavery town
May 24 – Pottawatomie Creek:
John Brown and a group of New Englanders attacked this pro-slavery town at night, dragged 5 men from their homes and killed them (with swords)
Raids and counter-raids continued all summer, Kansas is “bleeding”

14. Dred Scott Decision 1857 -- Chief Justice Roger Taney ruled that
African-Americans are not citizens and do not have rights
Even if slaves were brought into free states, they were still slaves

16. Lincoln Douglas Debates
1858 – Series of debates over the issue of slavery during the campaign for Illinois Senate seat
Lincoln lost the race for the Senate, but became the Republican Party candidate for president in 1860
Lincoln warned: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

17. John Brown’s Raid October 16, 1859 – Harper’s Ferry, Virginia
John Brown (a white abolitionist) and 18 others (5 black and 13 whites) attacked the Federal Arsenal at Harper's Ferry
Attempted to overthrow all slave masters
the arsenal was surrounded and John Brown and the others were captured
Brown is executed for treason