Drifting Towards Disunion

Chapter 19

Stowe and Helper: Literary Incendiaries

Harriet Beecher Stowe- Uncle Tom’s Cabin

• Dismayed by fugitive slave law

• Awaken north to cruelty

• Very popular in North• Prompted by the 2nd

Great Awakening

Incredible Force in Shaping Politics

• Slavery became evil to millions of people

• Sold millions of copies world wide

“So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that made this great

war”-Lincoln

• Helped start and win the civil war

• Many turned against slavery because of the book

• The south condemned her and her book

Impression on the North

• Would not enforce Fugitive Slave Law

• Many Yanks fought to end slavery as a moral wrong

• England and France would not enter the war on the side of the South because of the slavery issue

Impending Crisis of the South-Hinton Helper

• Hated both slavery and blacks

• Tried to prove that non-slaveholding whites suffered the most from slavery

• Published in the North

Book banned in the South

• Distributed as campaign literature in the North

• South alarmed at North for spreading these lies

• South turned against the North more and more

The North-South Contest for Kansas

Kansas opens up for settlement

• Most northerners looking for richer land

• Some sponsored by Abolitionists to settle and keep Kansas free– sponsored by New England Emigrant Aid Co. -

about 2,000- to make a profit– carried Beecher’s bibles -Sharp’s rifles– Henry Ward Beecher helped raised money to

send settlers

• South mad b/c they supported Kansas-Nebraska Act supposing Kansas would be a slave state– now Nabrascals trying to abolitionize Kansas– South trying to send new slave-owning farmers

to Kansas to vote for slavery• many not willing to go• may go to free state• few blacks in Kansas

• Border Ruffians from Missouri help make a slave-owning constitution

• Free-soilers make a constitution in Topeka with no slaves

Lawrence Kansas

• Violence broke out over land and slaves in Kansas

• Free town of Lawrence was burned

Kansas in Convulsion

Pottawatomie Creek

• John Brown moves into Kansas

• Anti-slavery zealot• Leads family on

killing spree• Hurt free-soil cause

and brought vicious retaliation from pro-slavery forces

Civil War in Kansas

• 1856

• Intermittently and merged with Civil War

• Millions in property and personal loss

Lecompton Constitution

• Free-soilers had enough to apply for statehood without slavery

• Pro-slavery forces push through document to vote only with or without slavery– would protect slave owners who already had

slaves there– free-soilers boycott polls and slaveryites

approve constitution in 1857

• New President Buchanan supports this notorious Lecompton Constitution

• Douglas through his support behind true popular sovereignty (cost him presidency and support from South)

• Entire constitution set up for vote– free-soilers overwhelm the constitution and

Kansas remained a territory

Democratic Party

• Buchanan and Douglas sectionalize the Democratic Party (only national party left)

• James Buchanan

“Bully” Brooks and His Bludgeon

Charles Sumner

• Not liked in Senate

• Angry at failure of popular sovereignty

• Gave blistering speech– condemned pro-slavery men– insulted south Carolina– insulted Andrew Butler-very popular senator

Preston Brooks of South Carolina

• Mad b/c of insults to S. Carolina and its Senator

• Wants to duel but only with social equals

• May 22, 1856-beat Sumner with his cane until bleeding and unconscious

House could not expel Brooks

• Brooks resigns– gets canes from admirers– Sumner left seat for 3 and 1/2 years to go to

Europe for treatment– South Carolina defiantly re-elects him

North Publishes Speech

• Arouses Republicans in the North

• South condemns speech and angry at North b/c Sumner applauded the North

“Old Buck versus “The Pathfinder”

Election of 1856

• Democrats nominate Buchanan– Douglas and Pierce too close to Kansas-

Nebraska Act– Pennsylvania lawyer and minister to London– Kansasless b/c he was gone and enemyless– called for popular sovereignty

• Republicans nominate John C. Freemont– Seward did not think this was the Republican

year– No political experience– Against the extension of slavery into territories

Know-nothing Party

• Nativist organized this against the influx of recent immigrants of Irish and German

• Secretiveness is where they got their name• Nominate ex Millard Fillmore• Anti-foreign and Anti-catholic• “Americans must rule America”• Party Whigs threaten to take Republican votes

Mudslinging Campaign

• Buchanan assailed b/c he was a bachelor

• Freemont assailed b/c of illegitimate birth– born inn the south– roman catholic

The Electoral Fruits of 1856

Why did Republicans lose?

• Freemont’s honesty and sound judgement

• fire eaters claiming that his election would be a declaration of war– intimidated by the Northern business people

connected to the South

Probably good that Freemont lost

• Not a Lincoln

• 1856 North more willing to let South depart in peace than in 1860

• Republicans make a great showing the in election – many anxious about the election of 1860

The Dred-Scott Bombshell

Dred Scott

• Dred Scott lived with master for 5 yrs in Illinois and Wisconsin territory– sued for freedom based

on residence on free soil

Supreme court makes a political case out of a simple case

• Dred Scott could not sue in court– he was property

• Chief Justice Taney was from a slave state-Maryland– made judgement on slavery issues in territories

– pro-southern majority wanted to lay issue to rest

• 1. B/c slave was private property they could be taken to any territory

• 2. Compromise of 1820 (Missouri) was unconstitutional-congress had no authority to ban slavery in the territories

• North aghast at the decision against popular sovereignty

• South elated at unexpected victory

• Republicans infuriated by the Dred Scott decision– hurt their rallying cry– considered the courts ruling only and “opinion” and not

binding– Republicans defiant of ruling– Ruling hurt b/c majority of court’s members were

southerners and sullied itself by entering politics– south wondering how long it could stay in union that

defied the court and constitution

The Financial Crash of 1857

Financial Crash

• Financial Crash of 1857 not as bad financially but more psychologically

What caused the crash?

• Gold from California inflated prices

• Over stimulation of grain by Crimean War

• Over speculation in land a railroads

• Unemployment and business failure

Hit North the Hardest

• South doing ok during the crash– proved cotton was king and helping country– southerners over confident

New vigor for demand of free land

• Pioneers were worthy and hardy

• would get many to move west

Opposition to free homesteads

• 1. Eastern industrialists were afraid it would take cheap labor west

• 2. Southerners afraid 160 acre farms would fill up the west and add population

Homestead Act

• 1. Gave land at nominal price $0.25 per acre

• 2. vetoed by Buchanan

Also clamor for higher tariffs

• Tariff 1857– reduced rate to 20%– financial crisis hit right after this– north blamed panic on low tariffs

• Panic of 1857 gave Republican two economic issues– protection for unprotected– free farms for families

An Illinois Rail-Splitter Emerges

Senatorial election of 1858 in Illinois

• Douglas up for re-election

• Republicans nominate Lincoln

1809 in Kentucky

• Attends frontier school

• avid reader

• wrestler and rail splitter

• could tell a great story

Married Mary Todd

• Slave owning family from Kentucky

• married above himself• well known lawyer

from Illinois• “Honest Abe”

Congress in 1846

• Spot resolutions

• Illinois state legislature

• received votes in 1856 Republican convention

The Great Debate: Lincoln v. Douglas

Lincoln Challenges Douglas to a series of debates

• Douglas considered America’s best debator

• Douglas seemed to be an over match for Lincoln

• Lincoln became effective as debates grew

Freeport Doctrine

• Lincoln asks who prevails in territory, Court (Dred Scott) or people (popular sovereignty)?– Douglas’ reply becomes the Freeport Doctrine

• Douglas believes that the people who do not support slavery will eventually end slavery

• says people should decided

Douglas wins seat in senate by state legislature

• Lincoln won the moral victory

• Lincoln becomes a national figure– emerges as the leading Republican

Douglas hurt his chances for Presidency

• Supports popular sovereignty over the courts (isolates the south from the Democrats)

• Opposed the Lecompton Constitution and defied the Supreme Court

• Preliminary battle field of the Civil War

John Brown: Murderer or Martyr?

John Brown’s idea

• Invade south

• have slaves rise up

• arm slaves

• establish black free state as sanctuary

Harper’s Ferry• 1859

• John Brown and 20 followers they invade and take over Harper’s Ferry– killed some innocent

people– looking for ammunition– blacks did not rise up– captured by Robert E. Lee

Brown found guilty of murder and treason

• Tried to prove insanity

• Brown saw he would be a martyr

• took on exalted character– did not flinch– unfailing devotion to abolitionist cause– John Brown’s body lies a mould’ring in the

grave

Effects of Harper’s Ferry• South saw him as a murderer and guilty of

treason

• moderate Republicans deplored Brown’s exploits

• South saw all of North supporting Brown

• Abolitionists angry with Brown’s execution-thought he was working for a righteous cause

• legacy would live on

The Disruption of Democrats

• Fate of the nation hinged on the election of 1860

Southerners secede for the National Nominating Convention in South

Carolina

• Douglas was leading candidate– south distrusted him b/c of the Freeport

Doctrine and the Lecompton Constitution– walk out– Douglas does not have the votes for nomination

Democrats again in Baltimore

• Northern Democrats nominate Douglas after South walks out again

• platform for popular sovereignty and against obstruction to the Fugitive Slave Law

Southern Democrats organize Convention in Baltimore

• Nominate John C. Breckinridge from Kentucky

• Platform wants extension of slavery and annexation of Cuba

Constitutional Union Party

• Middle of roaders sneered at old Democrats

• Met in Baltimore

• Nominate John Bell of Tennessee

• “The Union, the Constitution, and the Enforcement of the Laws”

A Rail Splitter Splits the Union

Republicans met in Chicago

• Nominate Lincoln over Seward– fewer enemies and less radical

Platform (for everyone)

• Free-soilers - non-extension of slavery

• northern manufacturers - no abridgement of rights

• northwest - pacific railroad

• west - internal improvements

• farmers - free homesteads

Southerners said election of Lincoln would split the Union

• Lincoln no abolitionist

• would compensate south for loss of slaves

• Douglas supports saving the Union and campaigns in the south

Lincoln got all votes from the North

• Shows voting strength of the North over the South

• South feels they have lost political power

The Electoral Upheaval of 1860

Lincoln a minority president

• Sectional president (only in the North)

• south had reason to secede

Douglas made good showing

• Campaigned for himself (breaking precedent)

• Democrats together would have defeated Lincoln ?

Lincoln would have won anyway

• Democrats would have been better organized and more united

Breckinridge

• Could not carry his state of Kentucky

• no disunionist

South

• Controlled Supreme Court 5-4

• Republicans did not control House or Senate

• More than 1/4 of states favored slavery

• Senate

The Secessionist Exodus

South Carolina-4 days after election of Lincoln

• Special convention

• unanimously voted to secede

• Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas followed

• four more to bring it to 11

Confederacy formed

• Jeff Davis elected first president– senator– West Pointer– Cabinet member

During Lincoln’s election 4 more states secede

• He could do nothing

Buchanan

• Surrounded by pro-southerner advisors

• did not believe South could secede

• constitution would not let him act

Small standing army

• Many were used to to control western Indians

• North not really ready to fight

• Lincoln’s wait and see policy continues

The Collapse of Compromise

Crittenden amendments

• Wants to appease the South• Kentucky Senator

– no slavery above 36’30”

– federal protection of territory south of this

– territories south of 36’30” could vote for slavery or not

• would protect full rights in southern territories of slavery

• might turn whole area into slavery

Lincoln rejects the Crittenden Compromise

• Elected against the principle of extension of slavery

• would be perpetual to war against any area south of 36’30”

Buchanan did not force war

• North would be seen as aggressor

Farewell to Union

Secessionist reasons for leaving:• Political balance tips towards the North• South dismayed by success of sectional party

(Republicans) which threatened their lifestyle• tired of free-soil and abolitionist criticism• tired of underground railroad and John Brown• thought secession would be unopposed

– believed North would not fight

– if war came, debt would be eliminated

• could throw off North dominance and develop their own industry– could control the hated tariff

• Nationalism sweeping world and infected the South– did not want to be lorded over by the hostile North

• did not feel they were in violation of the Declaration of Independence

• felt they were throwing off the yoke of despotic North and Lincoln

• could determine their own destiny