A Nation Dividing

Section 2

I. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850A. Required all citizens to help catch runaways.B. If you aided a fugitive you could be fined or

imprisoned.C. The law divided the North and South even moreD. More northerners take a stand against slavery. E. Slave catchers even seized African Americans who

were always free. F. Resistance to the Law

1. Northerners refuse to obey law2. Northern juries refuse to convict those accused of

breaking the law3. Underground Railroad grows—Antislavery groups increase

II. The Kansas-Nebraska ActA. Franklin Pierce becomes President in 1853

1. Support and enforces the Fugitive Slave Act

B. Stephen Douglas wanted to encourage settlement west in hopes of building a transcontinental Railroad 1. Wants to open up the Kansas and Nebraska Territories

2. Both territories lay north of the 36’ 30’ line of the Missouri Compromise and should be free 3. Douglas knew the South would reject all this new Free Territory.

4. Douglas proposes throwing out the Missouri Compromise and allowing the people to decide for themselves.

a. Popular Sovereignty

C. Passage of the Act1. Northerners protest against the Act2. Act would allow slavery into areas without

slaves for over 30 years.3. Southerners in Congress provide solid support, along with some Northern Democrats, and President Pierce.4. Congress passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act in May 1854

D. Division Grows1. Northern Democrats in the House split on the vote,

showing division within the party

2. Sam Houston, senator from Texas, declared the bill will divide the entire nation.

III. Conflict in KansasA. Proslavery and Antislavery groups rushed into

Kansas. B. Large groups from the slave state Missouri sneak into

Kansas just to vote in the Kansas elections---Border Ruffians

C. Kansas passed proslavery laws—even forbidding Antislavery people from running for office.

D. Antislavery groups arm them selves and form their own government.

E. Franklin Pierce and the Senate recognize the Proslavery Government

F. The House of Rep. recognized the Antislavery government

G. Bleeding Kansas1. May 1856, 800 slavery supporters attacked the town of

Lawrence, the antislavery capital.2. John Brown, an extreme abolitionist who believed God

had chosen him to end slavery, kills 5 supporters of slavery.

3. Armed bands from both sides start roaming the territory attacking each other

4. Newspapers begin calling it “Bleeding Kansas”5. Kansas fights a Mini-Civil War6. Fighting doesn’t stop until federal troops are finally sent

in

H. Violence in Congress1. Abolitionist senator Charles Sumner of Mass. speaks out

against proslavery forces in Kansas and senator Andrew Butler of South Carolina.

2. Butler’s cousin, Representative Preston Brooks, attacks Sumner with a cane. Hitting him in the head and

shoulders.3. His injuries are so bad that he doesn’t return to the

Senate for several years.

4. This action revealed the rising level of hostility between the

North and South.

The law that required all citizens to help catch runaway enslaved people

A. Removal ActB. Fugitive Slave ActC. Runaway ActD. Slave Owners Act

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These groups bought freedom for enslaved people

Antislavery groups

What two numbers were the latitude line that divided the nation under the Missouri

Compromise36 30

What do we call it when the people get to decide the issue of slavery?

Popular sovereignty

Which act did Sam Houston predict would “convulse the country from Maine to the Rio

GrandeA. Missouri-Maine ActB. Texas-Maine ActC. Kansas-Nebraska ActD. Missouri Compromise

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What event caused the death of over 200 people?

Bleeding Kansas

Missourians who traveled in armed groups to cross the border and vote in elections became

know asA. Border ruffiansB. Border votersC. Border patrolD. Missouri Compromise

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Who was the most violent abolitionist?

John Brown

Rival proslavery and antislavery governments existed in

A. MissouriB. CaliforniaC. TexasD. Kansas

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A war between citizens of the same country is called

A. A cold warB. An undeclared warC. A civil warD. A country war

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