RENEWING THE SECTIONAL STRUGGLE CHAPTER 18 ELECTION OF 1848

Slavery was an issue again Wilmot Proviso - passed House, not Senate – no slavery in the Mexican Cession area

Democrats - Lewis Cass Cass – silent on slavery – favored popular sovereignty Whigs - Gen. Zachary Taylor Taylor – No public view on slavery, but owned some ELECTION OF 1848

Free-Soil Party - Martin Van Buren – Supported the Wilmot Proviso • opposed expansion of slavery because it took away opportunities for whites – $ for internal improvements – Free land for those moving west • For whites to have a chance to make money – First entirely sectional party - North Election of 1848 Results

Taylor Wins United States in 1848 California Gold Rush/Statehood

1848 - gold discovered in California – Very few made money – Selling shovels, equipment, Levi Strauss – Thousands came - needed govt. to run and control things 1849 - CA asked for statehood (free) – Skipped territorial status – Could set precedent for Mex. Cession area Other Major Issues in the Late 1840s

Texas and New Mexico had a major border dispute - almost led to war Slavery in Wash. D.C. becoming an issue Runaway Slaves – Underground Railroad – The South wanted a new fugitive slave law UNDERGROUND RAILROAD Last Time Around for the Big Three

 Henry Clay (now 73 yrs. old) – Urged concessions on both sides  John C. Calhoun (68 yrs. old) – Championed the South, no concessions – Restore the political balance, allow slavery, return runaway slaves  Daniel Webster (68 yrs. old) – Said geography already decided slavery in the Mexican Cession area – Urged concession to the South and new fugitive slave law - seen as a traitor by abolitionists Would Compromise Happen?

Senator William Seward (NY) – Spoke out against concession – Was a “higher law” than the Const. That opposed slavery What would Pres. Taylor do? Seward – Many thought he would veto a compromise – He died in 1850 – V.P. Millard Fillmore took over • Would sign a compromise Fillmore Compromise of 1850

 Clay proposed it - last great compromise – with the help of Stephen Douglas  7 parts – CA enters as a free state – NM Terr. Divided into NM & UT Terr. – NM & UT decide slavery by popular sovereignty – Disputed land b/n TX and NM goes to NM – TX was paid $10 million compensation – Slave trade illegal in Wash. D.C. – Promised a new fugitive slave law Compromise of 1850 Fugitive Slave Law of 1850

 Captured slaves could not testify in court and were denied trial by jury – Judge received $5 if found he/she free – Judge received $10 if decided he/she a slave "Thou shalt not deliver unto the master his servant which has escaped from his master  Required authorities in the unto thee. He shall dwell with thee. Even among you in that place which he shall North to help slave choose in one of thy gates where it liketh him best. Thou shalt not oppress him." catchers Reaction to the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850

 Drove many northerners to abolition  Personal Liberty Laws – Laws passed by northern states that denied use of jails and personnel to help  South mad b/c North refused to enforce it RENEWING THE SECTIONAL STRUGGLE Dems - Franklin Pierce – Pro-south northerner Whigs - Winfield Scott – A war hero, arrogant – Many Whigs voted for Daniel Webster (died before the election) – End of the Whig Party Now will have only sectional parties that enhance divisions in the U.S. Election of 1852 Results

Notice the difference between the popular vote and the electoral college vote. Pierce Administration

Open to expansion as the South wanted looked to Latin America – William Walker - attacked Nicaragua – Private citizen - “filibusterer” Nicaragua was very impt. - canal – British wanted it too – Clayton-Bulwer Treaty • Neither the U.S or G.B. would build and fortify a canal by themselves U.S. as a World Power

 Had a coast on two oceans – Initiated contact with China & Japan  Japan was very isolationist – Sent Commodore Matthew Perry with a huge fleet – Signed a treaty that opened trade with Japan Cuba

Southerners now consider expansion to Cuba – Rich in sugar, slavery – Would restore political balance in the Senate Spain would not sell it to the U.S. Filibustering Americans tried and failed How do we get it? Ostend Manifesto

Pierce has a couple U.S. diplomats meet in Ostend, Belgium to recommend options Ostend Manifesto – Offer Spain $120 million to Spain – If they refuse, state Cuba is a threat to U.S. security and take it This leaked and the North was MAD! Ostend Manifesto

 The President is being held up by robbers who are using the Ostend Manifesto as justification for stealing his stuff. Gadsden Purchase

Need more effective way of traveling to California - railroad – Only enough $ for one RR - North or South? – Would bring money and power wherever it went through – If through the South, need part of Mexico Senate approves Gadsden Purchase over northern objections - $10 million Gadsden Purchase Railroad Controversy

Southern route now possible and easiest – TX now a state and NM organized – Northern route was not organized Stephen Douglas then moves to organize territory along the northern route – A RR through the north would be good for him and for Illinois – Kansas-Nebraska Act Stephen Douglas Kansas-Nebraska Act

Divided Nebraska Terr. Into the NB and KS Terr. Slavery issue would be decided by popular sovereignty in these areas NB - free, KS - slave (political balance) Required the repeal of the Missouri Compromise Kansas-Nebraska Act Results of the Kansas-Nebraska Act South all for it, North against it Slavery now a major issue again Had been decided in the Louisiana Purchase Terr., but no longer Led to a civil war in Kansas that did not end until the end of the Civil War