The Union in Trouble

1850-1860

Manifest Destiny – Mission Accomplished!

Who controlled Congress?

 Labor was the big difference between North and South.

 The South relied upon _____________ as their labor source. This kept the population _________.

 The North relied upon _____________ as their labor source. This made the population go ______.

 With a bigger population, the North had more votes in the _______________________.

Who controlled Congress?

 Even though the population kept increasing in the North…  The ratio of slave states to free states remained _____________.

 This means that NO SIDE controlled the ___________. (Both sides had equal votes.)

What about the territories?

 The Wilmot Proviso (1846) proposed that all territory taken from Mexico should be FREE.

 How did the North feel about it?

 Did it pass the House of Representatives?

 How did the South feel about it?

 Did it pass the Senate?

California

 California applied to be a free state in 1850.

 (where did all the people come from?)  Problem! Most of California is BELOW the Missouri Compromise line (1820).

The Compromise of 1850

 Created by Henry Clay  NORTH gets:  California as a free state  SOUTH gets:  A strong Fugitive Slave Act (1850)  TERRITORIES get:  to decide on whether they want slavery or not. This was called

popular sovereignty

.

The Fugitive Slave Act 1850

 Northerners hated the Act.

 $1000 fine + prison if caught aiding a slave.

 Fugitive slaves cannot speak in their own defense.

 No trial by jury.

 “bounty” on slaves.

The Fight Against Slavery

 The Underground Railroad  Harriet Tubman and others helped fugitive slaves escape to Canada.

 Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe  Written in 1852  The novel illustrated (exaggerated?) the cruelty of southern slavery.

 Result! Northerners increased protest over the FSA.

Kansas and Nebraska

 Sen. Stephen Douglas: “The Little Giant.” D – Illinois  Wanted a railroad from Chicago to San Fran.

 Needed to organize territories in between.

 New States! Same question!

The Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854

 Step 1: one territory in two: Split Nebraska in the North; Kansas in the South. IL

The Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854

 Step 2 : The issue of slavery would be decided by

popular sovereignty

.

 Problems!

    Both Kansas and Nebraska are NORTH of what line?

How did the North feel about this?

How did the South feel about this?

Douglas assumed that Kansas would be slave and Nebraska would be free. What’s wrong with that assumption?

IL

Bleeding Kansas

 The race for Kansas begins in 1854.

 Thousands came from both North and South.

 Whomever has the majority wins…… what?

 By March, 1855, Kansas had enough people to become a state.

 The North had more people to send, but…  “Border Ruffians” from Missouri crossed into Kansas and illegally voted for slavery.

Violence Breaks Out

 Pro-slavery settlers fought bitterly with those against slavery.

 Savagery symbolized by abolitionist preacher John Brown .

 Believed he was on God’s crusade against slavery.

 Hacked five pro-slavery settlers to death with broadswords.

Violence Breaks Out

 Violence also occurred in Washington, DC.

  Charles Sumner (MA) delivered a speech against southern violence and slavery.

Sumner was beaten nearly to death by Preston Brooks (SC).

 Southerners sent Brooks new canes!

New Political Parties

 Whig Party divided: Anti-slavery Whigs in the North  Know-Nothing Party: secretive party against all immigration. Nativists .

REPUBLICAN PARTY

 Free-Soil Party: no slavery in the territories.

Election of 1856

 R – John Fremont (CA)  D – James Buchanan (PA)  KN – Millard Fillmore (NY) EVs 114 174 8 Pop 33% 45% 22%  Buchanan was a pro-slavery Northerner.

 This allowed him to take enough EVs in the North to win.

Election of 1856 Map

Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)

 Background:  Dred Scott (a slave) was taken by his owner (Sanford) into northern territory.

 Scott felt that, since slavery was illegal in northern territories due to the Missouri Compromise (1820), he should be free.

 When he came back to Missouri, Scott sued for freedom.

Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)

 Issue:  Is Dred Scott a citizen of the US and legally allowed to use the courts to sue?

 Holding:  NO.

Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)

 Rationale:  Slaves are property and cannot sue.

 Freeing Scott would violate Sanford’s 5 th Amendment rights.

 The Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional. Congress had no power to regulate slavery in the territories.

Lincoln challenges Douglas

 Race for the Senate seat in Illinois  Main topic: slavery in the territories.

 R – Lincoln against.

 D – Douglas: popular sovereignty.

 Result!

 Douglas won the election, but split the Democratic Party. (why?)

Harpers Ferry

 John Brown led a raid on the federal arsenal Harpers Ferry, VA in 1859.

at  Goal: get weapons to start a slave uprising in the South.

 Result! Failure. John Brown executed: treason.

 The North made him a martyr .

 The South accused the North of planning a massive slave revolt.

Election of 1860

 N.D. – Stephen Douglas (IL)  Popular sovereignty  S.D. – John Breckinridge (KY)  Preserve slavery EVs 12 72   C.U. – John Bell (TN)  Const. Union – keep country whole 39 R – Abraham Lincoln (IL) 180 Pop 30% 18% 13% 40%

1860 Electoral Map

Election of 1860 results

 Most of the US (60%) did not vote for Lincoln.

 Lincoln did not get any EVs from the South… and won.

 What does this tell the South?

 South Carolina vowed to secede if Lincoln won.

 They did, in December 1860.

Secession

 Six other states soon followed S.C.

 Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. “The Deep South.” These states feared that Lincoln would end slavery for good.

Formed the Confederate States of America (CSA)