American History—Chapter 10

Division over Slavery

• Wilmont Proviso• Proposal: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall exist in

any territory acquired by war (Mex-Am)• California/New Mexico Territory

• Congressman Issues• North mad at South b/c they would not vote for things to make the

country better (RR/Roads/Proviso)• South was made at North b/c they felt as if the slaves were their

property

• California• Gold Rush caused it to become a state right away• Outlawed Slavery

Divisions over Slavery

• Compromise of 1850• Created by Henry Clay, attempting to end fighting (N v S)• Compromise of 1850

– California would be a free state– New Mexico/Utah would vote to decide if they want slaves (Popular Sovereignty)– North would help South catch runaway slaves– No more slave trade in Washington DC– REJECTED BY THE SENATE

• Secession• State leaving the USA, starting to become a popular idea

• Popular Sovereignty• States would vote to determine if it would have slaves

Passing of the Compromise

• Stephen Douglas• Senator from Illinois• Broke the Compromise of 1850 into smaller parts, able

to get them passed by the Senate

• Millard Fillmore• President during this time• Able to convince Southerners that passing the parts of

the Great Compromise was a good idea

Opposing Views on Slavery

• Fugitive Slave Act• Law that helped the South catch run-away slaves• Slaves had no trial/people got $1000 for catching

(corruption)• North passed laws that prohibited this=controversy

• Underground RR• Secret network of tunnels, houses, etc that helped run

away slaves escape

• Harriet Tubman• Famous “conductor”, led over 300 people to freedom

Opposing Views on Slavery

• Uncle Tom’s Cabin• Book written by Harriet Beecher Stowe• Showed how bad slavery was; convinced people that

slavery was a moral issue that needed to be addressed• Over 1,000,000 sold• Northerners loved the book, hated in the South

• Stephen Douglas• Wanted to expand a RR through Kansas/Nebraska• Wanted the land to be free of slaves

Kansas/Nebraska Act• Kansas/Nebraska Act

• Split Nebraska territory into 2 territories (Kan and Neb)• Got rid of 36’30 Line• Each state would vote on the slavery issue

• What happened• Settlers from both North and South moved into Kansas to vote on slavery• Vote was not fair, thousands came from Missouri (slave state) just to

vote, then went back home

• Kansas became a slave state:• Kansas became a slave state due to illegal voting• Anti-slavery people would not leave Kansas and they would not follow

the laws of the Kansas government

Violence

• John Brown• Abolitionist who believed God told him to personally fight slavery in

Kansas• He led a revolt against the government in Kansas• 200 people died, known as Bleeding Kansas• 1854—Preview of the Civil War

• Violence in Senate• Charles Sumner (Sen/Mass) was giving a speech that ripped on

Andrew Butler (Sen/SC)• Preston Brooks (Rep/SC)—Butler’s nephew, went to Sumner’s office a

beat him with a cane• Caused severe brain damage• North thought this was savage, South thought this was a good thing

because he was defending family

Political Parties

• Whig Party• Divided over slavery; fell apart after 1852

• Know Nothing Party• White Protestants that were against Catholics/Immigrants• Nativism• Divided over Slavery

• Free-Soil Party• Against slavery expanding into territories• Very popular in the North

Republican Party

• Republican• Formed by Horace Greely• Combination of Northern Whigs, Free Soilers, and Anti-

Slavery Democrats• Popular in North

• Election of 1856• Fremont (Rep) vs James Buchanan (Dem)• Buchanan won a close election, country was still very

divided. • North was way more Republican/South was Democrat

Slavery Issues

• Dred Scott• Slave from Missouri that sued to get his freedom back• Supreme Court ruled that slaves did not have the same

rights as citizens• Also said that Congress could not forbid slavery

anywhere (would hurt popular sovereignty)

• 1858 US Senate Race (Illinois)• Abraham Lincoln (Rep) vs Stephen Douglas (Dem)• Lincoln was unknown, Douglas was very popular

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

• Debates• Lincoln challenged Douglas to a series of 7 public debates• Every debate was about slavery, popular everywhere• Lincoln (tall and calm) vs Douglas (short and angry)• Douglas believed in Popular Sovereignty, Lincoln thought

slavery should be abolished

• Freeport Doctrine• Slavery could not exist without laws to support it• Lincoln tricked Douglas into saying this, thus giving every

state a way to get around the Dred Scot Decision

More Violence

• Harpers Ferry• John Brown and followers stole weapons from a federal

arsenal and tried to create a slave rebellion.• Brown was captured and killed• North viewed him as a hero for trying to free slaves,

South became more violent in opposition to anti-slavery ideas

Election of 1860

• Election of 1860• Abraham Lincoln (Rep), Douglas (N Dem), Breckenridge

(S Dem), Bell (Know-Nothing)• Lincoln won the election without receiving any

electoral votes from the South.• In many states, Lincoln did not even appear on the

ballot in the South.

Secession

• Secession (Leaving the USA)• Dec. 20th 1860—South Carolina became the first state

to leave the USA.• Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and

Louisiana all followed.

• Confederacy• Confederate States of America was the new

government formed by the South.• Capital was in Montgomery, Alabama• Jefferson Davis—elected President of Confederacy