SECTIONAL CONFLICT 1850-1860

The Coming of the Civil War: Territorial Expansion and westward settlement leads to disputes over the future of slavery in the new territories.

RECAP: The Slavery Issue ▪ (1820): adds Missouri (slave state) and Maine (free state) to maintain balance in Congress. Territories north of 36° 30’ line free to slavery.

▪ Annexation of Texas (1845) and new territories acquired as a result of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) increase tensions between pro-slavery South and anti-slavery North. suggests banning slavery in new territories from Mexico – denied

▪ : Gold discovered in California speeds up the admission of California to the union. This compromise adds CA as a free state, ends the slave trade in Washington DC, enforces a stricter Fugitive Slave Act and determines future territories by popular sovereignty.

Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 o Introduced by Senator Stephen Douglas (D-IL) o Future of slavery in the and Nebraska territories would be decided by popular sovereignty – settlers in the territories would vote on slavery o Calls for repeal of Missouri Compromise (see map)

The Result of Kansas-Nebraska Act:

Bleeding Kansas: pro-slavery Southerners and anti- Violence in the Senate: abolitionist slavery northerners rush to Kansas to influence the Senator (MA) denounces vote. Violence breaks out (mini Civil War). Missouri slavery in a speech. Violence breaks out “border ruffians,” pro-slavery activists who crossed as Sumner is beat over the head with a the Missouri border, burned and pillaged anti- cane by Congressmen Preston Brooks slavery towns. Abolitionist John Brown and crew (SC), who is then celebrated as a hero murder pro-slavery camps along a river. throughout the South.

Lecompton Constitution: Proslavery government in Kansas ratifies a state constitution without a popular vote. Congress orders Kansas to vote on the Constitution – become a slave state or remain a territory. Kansas reject being a slave state, remains a territory until 1861. POLITICAL SPLIT:

• Split in the Whig Party: The Kansas-Nebraska Act and the repeal of the Missouri Compromise is seen as the breaking of a solemn agreement o “We went to bed one night old fashioned Whigs and woke up stark mad abolitionists!”

▪ Northerners “Conscience Whigs” vs. Southerners “Cotton Whigs”

Most importantly, the Act gave rise to the REPUBLICAN PARTY, a new hodgepodge of northern “Conscience” Whigs and Democrats who shunned the Kansas-Nebraska Act, members of the , and assorted abolitionists who opposed the extension of slavery into the territories. 1854: win over 100 seats in the House of Representatives

KNOW-NOTHING PARTY (American Party): ▪ born of out a reaction to the increased immigration of Catholics from Germany and Ireland during the 1840s and early 1850s. Believed that immigrants posed a threat to economic and political security of native-born Protestant Americans

o NATIVISTS: nationalists, anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic

o Called for restrictions on immigration, exclusion of foreign-born from voting or holding office, 25-year residency requirement for citizenship

o by 1855 they are the 2nd largest party in the US, then they disappear – ignore the issue of slavery

ELECTION OF 1856

Democrats Republicans Know-Nothing John Fremont Millard Fillmore Supports from southerners, Northern Support, abolitionists. Anti-German and Irish. Do slaveholders. A supporter of Opposed expansion of slavery, not take a stance on slavery popular sovereignty. “Free Soil! Free labor! Fremont!”

Buchanan wins: The election in 1856 brought a weak president to leadership in a badly divided nation.

INCREASING TENSIONS

Uncle Tom’s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe ▪ A fictional novel about the heart-wrenching tale of a slave and life in slavery. Becomes an instant bestseller (300,000 copies – 2nd only to Bible) o Makes the issue of slavery a personal one/moral issue o Slaves are portrayed as people, not property o Northerners see the evils of slavery o "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war.” – Lincoln

▪ Southern Reaction: furiously denounce the book an inaccurate and inflammatory  “Wholly false” “Wildly exaggerated”

DRED SCOTT DECISION

Historical circumstances: Dred Scott is a slave who moves with his owner from Missouri to free territories in the North. He then moves back with his owner to Missouri. When his owner dies, the widow allows John Sanford to take ownership of Scott. Dred Scott sues for his freedom, claiming he is no longer a slave because he had become free after living in a free state

Ruling: Dred Scott v. Sanford, 1857 o African Americans are not citizens, cannot sue in court o Slaves are property. Congress can’t ban property, therefore Congress can’t make laws banning slavery o Missouri Compromise is unconstitutional

Impact: The Dred Scott decision further increased tensions between anti-slavery and pro- slavery groups. For abolitionists who were outraged at the decision, the ruling made it clear where the government stood on slavery and suggested there would never be laws to ban slavery. Southerners saw the decision as a victory, defending their institution of slavery.

PANIC OF 1857 ▪ – sudden downturn in the economy ▪ North is hit hardest and blames the South for supporting low tariffs o South unaffected by the depression – shows the superiority of the slave economy

JOHN BROWN’S RAID ▪ John Brown, an abolitionist, has a plan to raid a federal arsenal in Harper’s Ferry, WV and arm slaves for a slave rebellion. Brown easily takes the arsenal, but slaves do not rise to support his cause. John Brown is captured, tried, and sentenced to hanging.

▪ Southerners view John Brown has a traitor and terrorist, where Northerners celebrate his actions are courageous, treating him as a hero and martyr.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

▪ House Divided speech at the Illinois A house divided against itself cannot stand.

Senate Republican convention I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. ▪ Lincoln-Douglas Debates: Lincoln debates Illinois Senate incumbent I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided. Stephen Douglas on the issue of slavery in the territories. It will become all one thing, or all the other. o Lincoln loses, Douglas elected to the Senate – but Lincoln is Either the opponents of slavery, will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in propelled into the national course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, spotlight. Widely known for his till it shall become alike lawful in all the States, old as well as views on slavery (stop spread) new—North as well as South.

ELECTION OF 1860:

Republican Democrat Democrat Constitutional Union John Breckinridge Stephen Douglas John Bell Prohibit slavery in Support federal slave Oppose federal slave Avoids the slavery territories, contain code in territories, code in territories, issue slavery where it exists support popular support popular sovereignty

ABRAHAM LINCOLN WINS THE ELECTION OF 1860

- Immediately after the Election of 1860, the South secedes from the Union (led by South Carolina)

- South Carolina votes unanimously to secede, six more states in the

lower South join South Carolina (Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Florida)

Southern states name reasons for their -