1. Renewing the Sectional Struggle
Chapter 18

2. The Popular Sovereignty
The Election of 1848
Polk announces he will not run
The Democrats run General Lewis Cass
The party ignored the slavery issue
Cass, on the other hand, was a proponent of popular sovereignty.
Self-determination; it let the territories decide for themselves whether slavery should exist

3. Political Triumphs for General Taylor
The Whigs nominated General Zachary Taylor
The party also ignored slavery and focused on their candidate.
Taylor was a Louisiana slave owner.
General during the Mexican-American War.

4. Free Soil Party
Platform: Against slavery in the territories and for the Wilmot Proviso
Candidate: Martin Van Buren
Who were “Free Soilers?”
Industrialists who disliked Polk’s reduced tariff
Democrats who felt betrayed by Polk’s Oregon compromise
Northerners who disliked blacks in the territories
Conscience Whigs: abolitionists

5. The Election The Campaign: The Votes: Focused on personalities
Slogans used extensively
The Votes:
Taylor – 1,360,967 (163)
Cass – 1,222,342 (127)
Van Buren – 291,263 (0)

6. President Zachary Taylor
War Hero, but no politician
Born in Virginia
Eventually became a well-off plantation owner
Career Soldier
Nationalist

7. “Californy Gold” 1848: Gold is discovered in California
Hordes of people moved to California with “Gold Fever”
Many of whom were “lawless” men
Crime significantly increased

8. Statehood for California
1849: California drafts a constitution and applies for statehood
The constitution excluded slavery
Southerners fought against the annexation of California

9. Sectional Balance and the Underground Railroad
The South in 1850
Political Advantages:
Southern President
Majority in the Cabinet and the Supreme Court
Equal in the Senate
Expanding cotton fields and profits
Political Disadvantages:
Potential slave territory was diminishing
California could tip the balance in the Senate
Abolitionists were gaining more power

10. Sectional Balance and the Underground Railroad
Runaway Slaves
Slaves could receive “passage” on the Underground Railroad System
It was a series of safe-houses at which slaves could stay on their way to freedom – Canada
Harriet Tubman (Moses), a runaway slave, rescued more than 300 slaves.
Southerners demanded a more stringent fugitive slave act

11. Sectional Balance and the Underground Railroad
Why did Southerners want such a stringent Fugitive Slave Act?
Abolitionists were openly flouting the current laws.
Abolitionists held moral judgments on Southern slave-holders.

12. Twilight of the Senatorial Giants
Southern states threatened secession if California was admitted as a free state.
There was a great debate in Congress over this issue.
Henry Clay
Stephen A. Douglas
John C. Calhoun
Daniel Webster

13. The Debate
Henry Clay proposed a series of compromises which would allow California admittance, while giving concessions to the South.
John C. Calhoun rejected Clay’s plans and argued for:
The return of runaway slaves
Keep the balance in the Senate
Possible dual presidency

14. The Debate Daniel Webster upheld Clay’s compromise measures
His speech lasted three hours and turned many people toward compromise.
Webster argued that slavery would not exist in the new territories because of geography – no need to legislate

15. The Compromise of 1850 Concessions to the North
California admitted as a free state
Disputed territory in Texas would go to New Mexico
Abolition of the slave trade in D.C.
Concessions to the South
Remainder of the Mexican Cession would have popular sovereignty
Texas would receive $10 million compensation
A stronger fugitive slave law

16. Deadlock and Danger on Capitol Hill
William H. Seward
Senator from New York
Strong anti-slaveryite
He argued against concessions and compromise
President Taylor threatened to veto any compromise
Stephen A. Douglas broke the compromise into its individual pieces, and they were all eventually passed.

17. Breaking the Congressional Logjam
President Taylor died and Millard Fillmore became President.
He wanted compromise and willingly signed the compromise
Although it was now law, the country was still very divided over the compromise.
Southern extremists met to condemn the compromise, but eventually the South accepted it.

18. Balance the Compromise Scales
Who got the better deal?
North because:
California tipped the scale against the South
New Mexico and Utah were unlikely to use slave labor because of geography.
Texas received $10 million, but it was not a great sum.
Fugitive Slave Act of 1850: many northerners ignored it.

19. The Fugitive Slave Law
Captured slaves could not testify on their own behalf
They were denied a jury trial.
Commissioners received a double fee if he ruled the suspect a runaway slave.
Northerners were threatened with heavy fines and jail sentences for aiding runaway slaves.

20. The Fugitive Slave Law Results in the North: Personal Liberty Laws
Growth of the Underground Railroad
Moderate Northerners became ardent abolitionists

21. Defeat and Doom for the Whigs
Election of 1852
The Democrats nominate the unknown Franklin Pierce
Prosouth northerner
He supported the Compromise of 1850
The Whigs nominated Winfield Scott
They did not choose to nominate notables from their party.
The Whigs also campaigned on the Compromise.

22. The Election
The campaign, again, focused on personalities and tried to ignore the issues.
The Whig party had split amid the Fugitive Slave Law and the Democrats were able to capitalize on that.
Pierce – 254 electoral votes
Scott – 42 electoral votes

23. President Pierce the Expansionist
President Pierce wanted to acquire more territory
He filled his Cabinet with aggressive southerners

24. Expansion in Central America?
Southerners were locked out of the North for expansion, so they began looking at the Caribbean and Central American as potential slave states.
An American adventurer had attempted to seize control of this land in the 1850s.
William Walker recruited an army (Southern) and installed himself as president.
He legalized slavery
A coalition of Central American nations overthrew him and he was executed in 1860.

25. America as a Pacific Power
Acquisition of California and Oregon opened up trade prospects with Asia.
Already had commercial contracts with China
Commodore Matthew Perry “Persuaded” the Japanese to sign a treaty in 1854

26. Coveted Cuba: Pearl of the Antilles
President Polk had offered to purchase Cuba from the Spanish.
Private filibustering expeditions were attempted to seize it by Southerners.
1854: Spain seized an American steamer – Black Warrior
Ostend Manifesto: a scheme to offer Spain $120 million and seize it if she refused the offer
Northern Free-Soilers forced Pierce to drop its scheme for Cuba

27. Pacific Railroad Promoters
The great distance between California and the Union caused many problems.
A transcontinental railroad was proposed to solve the problems.
The new problem:
Where to build it?

28. The Gadsden Purchase
The best railway route would be through the South. In order to make it work, a piece of land in Mexico was necessary.
Gadsden Purchase treaty (1853):
$10 million dollars for the land

29. The Gadsden Purchase The Advantages of the Southern Route:
Easier to build with fewer high mountains
It would pass through organized territory with federal troops
The threat of natives was lower
Attempts for the Northern Route:
Nebraska would have to be organized
Southern states would not approve – it would create another free-soil state

30. Douglas’s Kansas-Nebraska Scheme
Stephen A. Douglas wanted the railroad to take a northern route and pass through his home state: Illinois
It would help his reelection
He had made land investments in Chicago

31. Kansas-Nebraska Act
Divide the Nebraska Territory into two – Kansas and Nebraska
Allow popular sovereignty to determine whether slavery would exist
The Catch:
It would repeal the Missouri Compromise of 1820

32. Kansas-Nebraska Act The Fight in Congress:
Southerners jumped at the chance to gain another slave state
President Pierce backed the bill due to the influence of his advisors
Northerners fought the act with a vengeance.
Violence threatened to break out in the Congressional chambers

33. Congress Legislates a Civil War
The Act leads to the Civil War:
The Kansas-Nebraska Act undid a 34 year compromise.
It polarized people to the point of no return.
It launched the Republican party - whose election of Abraham Lincoln sparked the war itself.