Ch. 10Pre Civil War

Events Before 1861

Territorial Expansion

Missouri Compromise 1820Balance of power by admitting

Missouri as a slave state and Maine a free state.

The Compromise of 1850 Series of resolutions between the North and the

South.

◦ California: Admitted to Union as a free state.

◦ Texas and New Mexico Act: Slavery decided by settlers.

◦ Utah Act: Slavery decided by settlers.

◦ Fugitive Slave Act: Penalties for people who helped

runaway slaves/

◦ District of Columbia: Abolished slave trade.

Kansas-Nebraska ActRepealed the Missouri

Compromise of 1820 by allowing popular sovereignty. Slavery could exist north of the 36°30′ N.

Fugitive Slave ActMade it a federal crime to assist runaway

slaves. Allowed the arrest of escaped slaves in

Northern states. People accused of being a slave had to

prove they were not, which was often difficult or impossible.

RESULT: Northerners were furious. Mobs rescued slaves from northern police stations and threatened slave catchers. South became furious at the North’s reactions.

25 cents back then= $50 todayReward: ~$20,000Avg Slave Cost: $45k-$185k

Uncle Tom’s CabinWritten by a magazine writer named Harriet Beecher Stowe in Maine.

Series of short stories about slave life originally published in a newspaper that angered the south.

Republican PartyFree Soil Party: Combination of

northern Whigs and Democrats in 1848.

Common Goal: ◦Opposition to the spread of slavery. (*Typically called free-soilers).

Popular SovereigntyKansas was allowed to determine

whether it wanted slavery through Popular Sovereignty: Majority of residents vote.

Nov. 1854: First Election◦1700 armed Missourians came and

threatened violence if they were not allowed to vote

◦Pro Slavery delegate electedMarch 1855

◦Number of ballots cast was more than twice the number of registered voters

KansasLegislature of 36 pro-slavery

candidates and 3 free soilers elected. Legislature quickly passed a strict

slave code into lawOutraged free-soilers refused to

accept the new legislature and set up their own gov’t.

1856: Two gov’t were passing and carrying out laws, each claiming to be the legal gov’t of Kansas.

Sack of LawrenceNov 1855: Shootings of pro-slavery

settlers brought 1500 Missourians across the border.

Nearby federal troops got ready for president’s order to keep peace: None came.

Missourians changed mind of attacking after realizing it was defended heavily with armed free-soilers.

Sack of LawrencePresident Franklin Pierce: NH democrat but seemed to be influenced by pro-slavery elements once in Congress.

◦Condemned Kansas free-soil gov’t as rebels. This encouraged 800 pro-slavery govt

officials to charge free-soilers with treason and arrest them. ◦Destroyed offices of town’s antislavery

newspapers, burned the hotel and governor’s house, looted homes and stores.

Pottawatomie MassacreJohn Brown: 56 years old;

Committed abolitionist who as young man used his PA home as a station on the Underground Railroad.

Moved to South (Kansas) with his sons to obtain land and help make territory into a free state. Became captain of local antislavery militia.

Sought revenge for Sack of Lawrence.

Pottawatomie MassacreMay 24, 1856: He and small

group of followers dragged 5 pro-slavery settlers out of their cabins along Pottawatomie Creek and executed them.

John Brown became a hero in the North and a terrorist in the South.

Bleeding KansasNickname for Kansas Territory

because so much violence occurred there.

Pro-slavery and free-soilers were fighting for its control.

(Civil War in Kansas)

Lasted 4 months until Federal troops brought Major fighting to an end.

The Crime Against Kansas Violence from Kansas spilled over into halls of

Congress

May 1856: Senator Charles Sumner delivered an angry 2 day speech about Sack of Lawrence

2 Days Later: Brooks (Butler’s nephew) shouts at Sumner and beats him 30x with a heavy gold-handled walking stick.

Sumner collapses and doesn’t come back to Congress for 3+ years.

Reactions: Northerners keep Sumner’s empty chair on display as a reminder and Southerners sent Brooks hundreds of canes to replace the one he had broken.

Dred Scott Case 1857A slave sues for his freedom by claiming that he lived in IL, where slavery is illegal.

Outcome: Ruled against Scott as he was deemed as not a citizen of the US, but mere property.

Victory for the South

Senate Campaign 1858Stephen

Douglas◦ Spoke with great flair by

clenching his fists, stamping his feet.

Abraham Lincoln ◦ Mild, made short remarks with

humor. His strength was not in theatrics but logic and reasoning of his ideas.

“I will say then that I am not, nor have ever been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races. -- Lincoln, 1858

“Are you in favor of conferring upon the negro the rights of citizenship?” - Douglas

Lincoln-Douglas Debateso 7 debates between Lincoln and Douglas to debate on issues they would tackle as president.

Presidential Election of 1860Lincoln’s moderate stance

◦Increased his standing amongst northerners.

◦Made southerners doubt that he was going to a serious threat to slavery.

Election of 1860Abraham Lincoln: Republican

◦Popular Vote: 1,866,452Stephen Douglas: Northern

Democratic◦Popular Vote: 1,375,157

John Breckinridge: Southern Democratic◦Popular Vote: 847,953

John Bell: Constitutional Union◦Popular Vote: 590,631

Secession 1860-1861Fears that a northern controlled gov’t would

act against slavery; SC withdraws from the Union!

Confederate States of America

South Carolina: 1860

Mississippi: Jan 9,1861

Florida: Jan 10, 1861

Alabama: Jan 11, 1861

Georgia: 1861

Louisiana: 1861

Texas: 1861

Confederate States of America

7 representatives of seceded states meet in Montgomery, Alabama to form the new nation.

◦Wrote a Constitution that protected slavery

◦Selected former Mississippi senator, Jefferson Davis as temporary president.

Trying for PeaceCrittenden Compromise (Jan

1861)◦Proposed amending Constitution to

ban slavery north of the Mississippi and not interfere with south.

The Peace Convention (Feb 1861)◦More talks about slavery and

creating peace. Resulted in rejection by all leaders.