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The Fugitive Slave Law, Antislavery and the Emergence of the Republican Party in Indiana

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The Fugitive Slave Law, Antislavery and the Emergence of the Republican Party in Indiana Purdue University Purdue e-Pubs Open Access Dissertations Theses and Dissertations Fall 2013 The uF gitive Slave Law, Antislavery and the Emergence of the Republican Party in Indiana Christopher David Walker Purdue University Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations Part of the United States History Commons Recommended Citation Walker, Christopher David, "The uF gitive Slave Law, Antislavery and the Emergence of the Republican Party in Indiana" (2013). Open Access Dissertations. 17. https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/open_access_dissertations/17 This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact [email protected] for additional information. Graduate School ETD Form 9 (Revised 12/07) PURDUE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE SCHOOL Thesis/Dissertation Acceptance This is to certify that the thesis/dissertation prepared By Christopher David Walker Entitled THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW, ANTISLAVERY AND THE EMERGENCE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN INDIANA Doctor of Philosophy For the degree of Is approved by the final examining committee: Robert E. May Chair Michael A. Morrison John L. Larson Yvonne M. Pitts To the best of my knowledge and as understood by the student in the Research Integrity and Copyright Disclaimer (Graduate School Form 20), this thesis/dissertation adheres to the provisions of Purdue University’s “Policy on Integrity in Research” and the use of copyrighted material. Approved by Major Professor(s): ____________________________________Robert E. May ____________________________________ 12/0 /2013 Approved by: R. Douglas Hurt 2 Head of the Graduate Program Date THE FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW, ANTISLAVERY AND THE EMERGENCE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN INDIANA A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Purdue University by Christopher David Walker In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy December 2013 Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana ii To my parents, Dave and Paulette, for nurturing my early love of history and for implanting within me the values of industry, self-discipline, perseverance, integrity and faith. To my wife Lisa, without whose constant support and encouragement the completion of this project would not have been possible. Finally, to my daughters, Sarah and Julia, who have lovingly endured countless hours of dad’s inattentiveness while he worked on his “paper.” iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS During my studies at Purdue and throughout the course of this research endeavor, I have received the valuable assistance of many dedicated librarians, archivists, county historians, faculty, university staff, and colleagues. Fay Chan and Rebecca Gwin in the graduate history office always provided timely assistance. Mark Jaeger in the thesis/dissertation office graciously accommodated me when I was running into a final submission deadline. Dr. Jennifer Foray, with whom I worked in my minor field studies, inspired me at a time in my program when I was struggling to stay on track. Dr. Yvonne Pitts compassionately offered constructive criticism on the manuscript and encouraged me to persevere when I was staggering toward the finish line. Dr. Michael Morrison, whose wit and humor in the classroom I will always cherish, contributed significantly to my intellectual development and knowledge of nineteenth century American history. Dr. John Larson graciously agreed to serve on my committee and has been exceedingly patient with my dilatory progress during my years at Purdue. Finally, without the input and support of Dr. Robert May, my faculty advisor and committee chairperson, I could not have completed the doctoral program. Dr. May has been a constant advocate and champion for my success. He was exceptionally tolerant of my inadequacies as a student. His expertise in Civil War-era American history and his mastery of the writing craft positively guided my academic and professional development. I have been very fortunate to have been surrounded by such a devoted and talented group of professionals. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................................... v INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER ONE .................................................................................................................................. 26 FREEDOM'S TRIUMPH IN INDIANA CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................................................. 55 FUGITIVE SLAVES, RACISM AND ABOLITION CHAPTER THREE ............................................................................................................................. 106 JOHN FREEMAN AND THE DESTRUCTION OF FINALITY CHAPTER FOUR .............................................................................................................................. 145 BENJAMIN WATERHOUSE AND ANTI-NEBRASKA CHAPTER FIVE ................................................................................................................................ 186 WEST, FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW VIOLENCE, AND LECOMPTON CHAPTER SIX .................................................................................................................................. 215 THE BRANDENBURG AFFAIR - BORDER RUFFIANISM IN INDIANA CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................. 258 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................... 268 VITA ................................................................................................................................................ 292 v ABSTRACT Walker, Christopher D. Ph.D., Purdue University, December 2013. The Fugitive Slave Law, Antislavery and the Emergence of the Republican Party in Indiana. Major Professor: Dr. Robert E. May. The most contentious portion of the Compromise of 1850 between the Northern free states and the Southern slave states was the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. For decades slaveholders had complained of the difficulties encountered in reclaiming their fugitive slaves and demanded stronger legislation to deal with the problem. Northerners, however, did not believe that national legislation on the subject of fugitive slaves as embodied in the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 provided adequate protection to free blacks and many states passed anti- kidnapping laws which often placed obstacles to rendition. Slaveholders discovered that the costs involved in reclaiming an absconding slave often exceeded the slave's value, and because of Northern hostility to slave hunting, could be physically dangerous. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 increased the weight of federal power behind the rendition process, provided additional administrative facilities to slaveholders for reclamation, and stiffened penalties for harboring, concealing, aiding and abetting fugitive slaves, or in any way obstructing the law. Instead of ameliorating sectional conflict, the new fugitive bill became a source of constant interstate conflict and was a factor in bringing about the Civil War. Historians have written extensively about the Fugitive Slave Law - specific cases arising under the law, how rigorously the law was enforced, and Northern reaction to the law. However, little of this scholarship has focused on Indiana, by 1860 the sixth most populous state vi in the nation, a border state, and a state with important cultural and commercial ties to the South. As illustrated by the fugitive slave cases discussed in this work, the Fugitive Slave Law played an important role in reshaping the political loyalties of the Indiana electorate in the politically turbulent decade of the 1850s. The kidnapping of free blacks and the often heartless enforcement of the law concretely demonstrated the evils of slavery to many Hoosiers who had previously given little thought to the issue. Abolitionists capitalized on the propagandistic value of fugitive slave cases, which became indispensible to increasing antislavery sentiment in the state. For most of the antebellum period, Democrats had controlled Indiana politically. In the 1852 national and state elections, Hoosiers emphatically endorsed the "finality" of the 1850 Compromise package by sweeping Democrats into office. However, in 1854 the People's Party , a fusionist opposition movement opposed to the extension of slavery into the federal territories, coalesced in the aftermath of the passage of Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas' Kansas-Nebraska Act, and carried the state's fall elections. By 1860, the fusionists, now calling themselves Republicans, captured Indiana for Abraham Lincoln, as well as the gubernatorial race, a majority of the congressional seats, and control of the state legislature. The injustices occasioned by the heavy-handed enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Law increased antislavery sentiment in the state, awakened Hoosiers to the danger of a "slave power" conspiracy that threatened the liberty of all Northerners, and significantly contributed to the political transformation of the Indiana electorate in the decade prior to the Civil War. 1 INTRODUCTION The Civil War claimed over a million lives and physically wounded, emotionally scarred, and financially
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