CHAPTER 15 Road to Civil War

STANDARD 8.H.11

Disputes over the nature of federalism, complicated by economic developments in the United States, resulted in sectional issues, including slavery, which led to the American Civil War.

CHAPTER 15 VOCABULARY

Abstain – to not take part in an activity, such as voting Arsenal – a storage place for weapons and ammunition Border Ruffians – Missourians who traveled in armed groups to vote in

Kansas’s election during the mid-1850’s Fugitive – runaway or trying to runaway Kansas-Nebraska Act – decision made by Congress to allow people of

Kansas and Nebraska to decide whether they would be a free of slave state

Martyr – a person who sacrifices his or her life for a principle or cause Popular Sovereignty – idea that people living in a territory have the right

to decide by voting if slavery would be allowed there Secession – withdrawal from the Union State’s Rights – the belief that states’ rights supersede federal rights and

law Wilmot Proviso – proposal in Congress that said any lands acquired from

fighting with Mexico should be free

Slavery – Crash Course

NEW WESTERN LANDS AND SLAVERY

For twenty-five years, since the Missouri Compromise, Congress did not discuss slavery

With new territories of Texas, New Mexico, and California that changed

Just after Mexican War began, Pennsylvania rep David Wilmot proposed the Wilmot Proviso Any lands acquired from Mexico should be free

California applied for statehood in 1849 At the time, free and slave states were split 15-15 California would give what ever side it chose an advantage in Congress Southerners began talking of seceding if balance was lost

T

FREE-SOIL PARTY

In the 1848 election, neither Whig candidate Zachary Taylor or Democratic candidate Lewis Cass took a stand on slavery Whigs supported power of Congress over President Name modeled after 1776 revolutionaries going against tyranny

This angered voters and antislavery Congressmen

Antislavery Democrats and Whigs left to form the Free-Soil Party “Free Soil, Free Speech, Free Labor, and Free Men.” Endorsed the Wilmot Proviso Martin Van Buren presidential candidate

Zachary Taylor won election 13 free-soil members won seats in Congress

DISPUTES IN CONGRESS

After Taylor was elected, he faced heated debate in Congress. The talk of adding new territories brought slavery back into the mix

Antislavery forces wanted District of Columbia to be free

Southerners wanted a fugitive slave law

Would New Mexico, Utah, Oregon, and California be free? What would this mean for slavery supporters in Congress?

HENRY CLAY’S PROPOSAL

January 1850, Henry Clay presented a five-point plan to settle issues dividing Congress. 1. California admitted as free state 2. New Mexico territory has no restrictions on slavery 3. New Mexico-Texas border set in favor of New Mexico 4. Slave trade but NOT slavery abolished in District of

Columbia 5. Stronger Fugitive Slave Law

Debate over Clay’s proposal raged for seven months

COMPROMISE OF 1850

Congress could not pass proposal as a whole.

President Taylor opposed plan but passed away in July 1850. Millard Fillmore becomes president and supports compromise

Senator of Illinois Stephen Douglas proposes to vote on points separately instead of as a whole

Through bargaining, Fillmore persuaded many Congressmen to abstain votes so bills could be passed

The five separate bills were passed into law in August and September of 1850

A NATION DIVIDING

Fugitive Slave Act (2:20) required all citizens to help catch runaways

Anyone caught helping escaped slaves could be fined $1,000 or imprisoned

Southerners took advantage of the act Traveled into Northern towns and cities to find runaways Captured runaways from years past Captured and forced free African Americans into slavery

Many Northerners were angered by the law and southerners actions

THINK ABOUT IT!

How could slavery be defended? What do you do if laws are morally wrong?

On the paper provided, answer the following questions…1. How did the Fugitive Slave Law provide support to

Southern slave owners opinions about slaves (for the primary sources we read in class)?

2. Why did the Fugitive Slave Law convince many Abolitionists there was a “Slave Power” conspiracy in the U.S. Government?

3. How might the Fugitive Slave Law changed slaves opinions about running away?

KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACT

The Compromise of 1850 did not last

Stephen Douglas proposed organizing territories of Kansas and Nebraska for settlement and a transcontinental railroad

Both above Missouri 36’30’ boundary which would have made them free states

Douglas proposed popular sovereignty Many northerners objected; southerners supported idea Act passed in May 1854

INTERACTIVE MAP

Color free states/territories blue Color slave states/territories red Abbreviate states

“BLEEDING KANSAS”

After Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed, antislavery and proslavery groups rushed supporters into Kansas for the elections.

Elections of 1855 voted for a proslavery legislature in Kansas 6,000 votes cast with only 1,500 voters living there before election Proslavery supporters crossed from Missouri

Traveled in armed bands called Border Ruffians

Proslavery government started to establish laws supporting slavery

Antislavery supporters refused to obey laws. Armed themselves, held own elections, and adopted constitution that banned slavery.

Two governments now existed in Kansas Antislavery supported by House of Reps Proslavery supported by President Franklin Pierce and Senate

“BLEEDING KANSAS” (CONT.)

Violence erupts in Kansas

May 1856, 800 slavery supporters attack Antislavery capital of Lawrence. Sack town, burn hotel and governor’s home, and destroy newspaper offices

Abolitionist John Brown retaliated by taking his sons and killing five supporters of slavery

Armed bands roam the territory inciting violence

In fall of 1856, U.S. Army finally stops bloodshed

More than 200 people were killed

REPUBLICAN PARTY FORMS

Events in Kansas shake up the political landscape

Parties start to divide along sectional (North and South) lines

The death of leaders Henry Clay and Daniel Webster and differing views destroy Whig party

In 1854, the remaining antislavery Whigs and antislavery Democrats join the Free-Soilers to form Republican Party

Party formed to eliminate slavery from new territories Support for Republicans in North was strong, but in the south, there was no

support

Democrats win election of 1856; James Buchanan becomes president

DRED SCOTT DECISION

Buchanan took office on March 4, 1857. Two days later, the Supreme Court made a historical decision

Dred Scott was an enslaved African American in Missouri. In 1830’s, the doctor who purchased him moved to Illinois (a free

state) and then Wisconsin (where slavery was banned) In 1846, he obtained lawyers and sued for his freedom, claiming

since he lived on free land, he should be free

The case attracted enormous attention because Americans hoped the court decision would end the issue of slavery in territories for good

DRED SCOTT DECISION (CONT.)

Chief Justice Roger Taney ruled the following Scott is still a slave Scott is not a citizen and therefore cannot bring a lawsuit to court Scott is property and Congress cannot take away property under

5th Amendment Congress has no power to eliminate slavery in territories and

Missouri Compromise of 1820 was unconstitutional

Bottom line: the Constitution PROTECTS slavery

The decision (3:00) divided the country even more

LINCOLN AND DOUGLAS DEBATES

Illinois Senatorial race of 1858 put the favorite Senator Stephen Douglas against unknown candidate Abraham Lincoln

Douglas supported popular sovereignty while Lincoln believed slavery should not be allowed to spread

Lincoln challenged Douglas to a series of debates to build his popularity

From August through October 1858, Douglas and Lincoln had seven debates all over Illinois with slavery being the main topic of discussion

Lincoln lost, but debates put him in the national spotlight

HARPERS FERRY

October 16, 1859 Abolitionist John Brown led 18 men (whites and African Americans) to Harpers Ferry, Virginia

Brown wanted to seize the federal arsenal there and spark an uprising of enslaved people.

His plan failed. No slaves rebelled and U.S. Marines captured Brown and his men. Ten of Brown’s men were killed.

Brown and six of his followers were sentenced to hang on December 2nd.

Brown’s death became a rally point for abolitionists, some even calling him a martyr

ELECTION OF 1860

The question on everyone’s mind before the election of 1860 was ‘can the nation stay together?’

Alabama said they would secede if a republican became president

Election came down to three candidates: Southern Democrat John Breckinridge, Northern Democrat Stephen Douglas, and Republican Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln won with 180 of 303 electoral votes and only 40% of the popular vote (Douglas was second with 30% of vote) Lincoln’s name was not even on the ballot in most southern states, but he

won every northern state

SOUTH SECEDES

Southern states feared a Republican president would not protect southern rights and liberties

December 20, 1860, South Carolina seceded

Many STILL wanted to keep Union together, but divide was too wide

By February 1861, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Georgia also seceded and on February 4th, established the Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis elected President

Southerners justified seceding on the theory of states’ rights

PRESIDENTIAL RESPONSE

As southern states seceded, Lincoln had to wait to do anything until he took office on March 4th.

Many people, including border states between northern states and southern (seceded) states, wanted to see what Lincoln would do

In Inaugural Address, Lincoln said secession would not be allowed, but pleaded with south to keep nation intact

FORT SUMTER

After seceding, some southern states took control of U.S. forts within their borders

Lincoln did not want to start war by taking them back, but also did not want to admit southern right to take them

The commander at Fort Sumter sent word to Lincoln he needed resupplied and Confederates were demanding his surrender

FORT SUMTER (CONT.)

Lincoln sent message to Governor of South Carolina, Francis Pickens, that he was sending and unarmed group to Fort Sumter with supplies and would not send weapons unless the group was fired upon.

Confederate President Jefferson Davis ordered the attack of Fort Sumter before supplies arrived.

On April 12, 1861, the Civil War began and on April 14th, Fort Sumter surrendered.

The North was sparked into action and Lincoln issued a call for 75,000 troops to fight and save the Union.

Summary of Chapter 15 Crash Course