Chapter 10: Sectional Conflict Intensifies

American History

Impact of Mexican War• With the new lands acquired from Mexico, the

issue of slavery came into those territories• Representative David Wilmot proposed the lands

be free of slavery or involuntary servitude▫Wilmot Proviso

Outraged Southerners Democrats and Whigs voted for it, Senate would not

vote on it• Senator Lewis Cass proposed a solution to the

divide brought on by the slave debate▫Popular sovereignty (decision to permit slavery or

not) Many supported the idea

Election of 1848• New parties emerged during this

time▫ Conscience Whigs (opposed slavery▫ Cotton Whigs (supported slavery

due to their ownership in North cloth factories)

▫ Free Soil Party (Conscience Whigs + anti-slavery Democrats + Liberty Party)

• Runners▫ Lewis Cass (Democrat)-supported

popular sovereignty▫ Martin Van Buren (Free Soil)-

supported Wilmot Proviso▫ Zachary Taylor (Whig)-ignored the

issue-won

Taylor’s the boss• The issue of slavery came again

once Taylor was inaugurated▫California’s admittance into the

Union Gold Rush of 1849

• Taylor did not believe slavery needed to expand westward to survive▫Encouraged California to apply

to the Union as a free state• California coming in as a free

state place the Southern slave states as the minority▫Threatened to secede

The Great Compromiser• To ease the tensions of the

slave debate, Henry Clay proposed a compromise▫What did the pairs state?

(pg. 323)▫Did anyone disagree with

him? (pg. 323)▫Was it approved? (pg. 324)

• Taylor unexpectedly died, and Vice President Millard Fillmore took the role as President▫Would later support and vote

in the Compromise of 1850

Uncle Tom’s Cabin•The publication of

Uncle Tom’s Cabin sparked controversy in the South and outraged in the North▫Depicts the life of a

slave (Tom) and his encounters with his overseer (Simon Legree) Brutal and violent

▫Changed Northern views of African Americans and slavery

The Fugitive Slave Act• Under this law:

▫ a person claiming an African American had escaped from slavery had only to point him out as a runaway for him to be taken to custody

▫Accused runaway was brought before a commissioner, where a sworn statement or testimony from white witnesses were needed to send the accused down South

▫Commissioners were given a $10 incentive to find the accused as a slave, and $5 to go the other way

▫Required federal marshals to help track slaves, and appoint any person to help, or face jail time

• Received opposition from the North, specifically for the appointment of Northerners as slave trappers▫Oppositions became public, violent, and frequent

The Railroads•The Underground Railroad

▫Informal, but well-organized system “Conductors” transported runaways in

secret, giving them food and shelter, and sending them to the North and Canada, with money for a fresh start

Most famous conductor-Harriet Tubman•The Transcontinental Railroad

▫Supported by those who desired to expand westward

▫Gadsden Purchase: purchasing of land from Mexico for destination points (Arizona and New Mexico)

The Kansas-Nebraska Act• Senator Stephan Douglas

desired to open the Great Plains for settlement▫ Proposed to undo the

Missouri Compromise and repeal slavery in the region

▫ Also proposed to divide the Missouri territory into two Nebraska would follow free

Iowa; Kansas would follow slave Missouri

• The Kansas-Nebraska Act had opponents from northerners and anti-slavery advocates, but was passed in 1854

Opposition towards Act• Public opposition grew from

the Kansas-Nebraska Act▫Southerners and Northerners

hurried into Kansas▫“Border ruffians” and anti-

slavery settlers created two governments in Kansas Ruffians committed violent

acts-”Bleeding Kansas”▫Caning of Senator Charles

Sumner, an abolitionist, by Representative Preston Brooks

Formation of new parties•Due to disagreements

with common issues, mainly slavery, new parties emerged▫Republicans:

combination of former Northern Whigs and Free-Soilers Opposed slavery

▫Know-Nothings and American Parties: Nativist Opposed immigration

Election of 1856•Republicans: John C.

Fremont•Democrats: James

Buchanan•Know-Nothings:

Milliard Fillmore•What did each party

represent? (pg. 334)•Where did each party

have support? (pg. 334)•Who won ? (pg. 334)

The Dred Scott Decision• Buchanan argued that the

Supreme Court should decide slavery in territories

• The Dred Scott Decision▫Who was Dred Scott? (pg.

334)▫What was the issue around

the case? (pg. 334)▫Who won the case, and why?

(pg. 335)Who supported the decisions? Who condemned it? (pg. 335)

▫What is obiter dictum? (pg. 335)

Lecompton Constitution• Buchanan urged Kansas to apply

for statehood▫ Pro-slavery delegates called for an

election to a constitutional convention, but ant-slavery delegates boycotted it Constitution, drafted in Lecompton,

legalized slavery with pro-slavery votes winning over anti-slavery votes

• Another referendum (popular vote) was held▫ Settlers voted against the

constitution▫ Kansas did not become a state

until 1861

Lincoln’s coming….• In 1858, the Republican Party

nominated Abraham Lincoln to run against Stephan Douglas▫Lincoln opposed slavery and its

expansion into the western territories

▫Douglas supported popular sovereignty Freeport Doctrine: stated that he

accepted the Dred Scott Decision, but that people could still keep slavery out by refusing to pass the laws needed to enforce it

• Douglas won, but Lincoln made a reputation for himself

Crazy John Brown and his raid• Fundamental abolitionist who

believed God had appointed him to eliminate slavery

• Planned and executed an insurrection on the federal arsenal in Harper’s Ferry

• Arrested, tried, and executed for murder and treason

• Northerners saw him as a martyr

• Southerners took raid as proof that Northerners were plotting to murder slaveholders

The Election of 1860• The debate over slavery tore the

Democratic Party apart, leaving two candidates:▫Stephan Douglas-Northern Democrats-

supported popular sovereignty▫John Breckinridge-Southern

Democrats-supported Dred Scott decision

▫John Bell-Constitutional Party-former Whigs-supported upholding constitution and Union

• Because of the Democratic split, Lincoln won without support from the South

Attempt to Compromise• Before being inaugurated, however, six Southern

states (South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas, seceded from the Union

• Senator John Crittenden attempted to compromise with the South by making several amendments: Crittenden’s Compromise▫Guarantee slavery where it existed▫Return the Missouri Compromise lines and extend them

to California border where slavery would be prohibited north of the line, and allowed south of the line Did not pass

• Virginia proposed a peace conference▫No one came from the seceding states

Forming the Confederacy• The seceding states met in

Alabama to form the Confederacy, or the Confederate States of America▫Drafted a new constitution

based mainly on the U.S. Constitution Declared each state

independent and guaranteed slavery in those states

Banned protective tariffs Limited president’s office to a

single six-year term Elected Jefferson Davis as

president

The Civil War begins• Lincoln warned the

Confederate States that he would protect the North from invasion, but try and make peace with the states

• Davis heard that Fort Sumter was being re-supplied, and decided to attack in order to get additional arms▫Confederates attacked on

April 12th, 1861▫Killed no one, except for

one horse

More states secede• Many did not want to secede, but faced with the

prospect of a civil war, had no other choice▫ Virginia seceded first, then Arkansas, North Carolina,

and Tennessee followed• Lincoln ordered martial law, or military authority, in

Maryland in order to protect it from seceding• Lincoln worried about Kentucky and Missouri seceding

▫ Promised to leave Kentucky neutral if Confederates did the same

▫ Kentucky was invaded by Confederates; state split due to siding with both Union and Confederates

▫ Missouri sympathized with the Confederates, but voted against secession

▫ Missouri was held to the Union’s cause, despite opposition from pro-secession leaders