1. Changing Political Scene CHAPTER 6, SECTION 3

2. The Shifting Political Scene  Millard Fillmore was the last Whig president. The party collapsed when he angered Northerners by supporting the Fugitive Slave Act, and angered Southerners by supporting California as a free state.  The changing make-up of the country’s population gave rise to the Know-Nothing Party.  Their platform consisted of anti-immigration and pro-slavery ideas, even though a large number of anti-slavery Whigs had joined.  The Republican Party attracted anti-slavery Dems, Whigs, Know- Nothings and Free-Soilers.  The rise and fall of political parties demonstrated the opposing viewpoints on slavery.

3. Sectional Divisions Intensify  In 1857, the Supreme Court ruled on the case of Dred Scott v. Sandford.  Dred Scott, a slave sued for his freedom when his slavemaster took him to the free territories of Illinois and Wisconsin.  In these areas, slavery was banned, so Dred Scott argued he had become a freedman.  The court ruled that slaves and their descendants were property and therefore were not entitled to sue in courts like a citizen.  It also declared the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional.

4. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates  In 1858, Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln had a series of debates while vying for the Illinois Senate seat.  The two had opposing views of slavery– Douglas was sympathetic to slavery, while Lincoln was against both popular sovereignty and the Dred Scott decision.  While Douglas won the Senate seat, Lincoln gained a widespread reputation for his honesty.

5. John Brown’s Raid  John Brown continued his violent methods to end slavery by leading a group of men to the arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, VA.  He hoped to recruit local slaves to join his efforts.  He chose Harper’s Ferry because it was a transportation hub, and its proximity to PA and MD.  Brown was captured and while some viewed him as a martyr, others viewed him as fanatical and Southerners started preparing for war.

6. The Last Straw CHAPTER 6, SECTION 4

7. The Election of 1860  In the election of 1860, there were 4 candidates vying for the presidency.  Though he only won the electoral votes of the free states, Lincoln received enough electoral votes to become president.  He won without receiving a single electoral vote– demonstrating the divide between North and South, free and slave.

8. Secession  Southerners were angry that a president could be elected without the support of the South.  To them, it was if they had no voice in their government.  South Carolina was the first state to secede from the U.S.  Soon, 6 other Deep South states followed (GA, FL, AL, MS, LA and TX).  These 7 states formed the Confederate States of America.