• Missouri admitted as a slave state • Maine (Mass.) admitted as a free state• Number of slave and free states kept equal

(12 each)• Louisiana Purchase territory divided at 36°30’

line of latitude

William Lloyd Garrison Radical, outspoken white abolitionist 1831 – Began printing The Liberator, an

antislavery newspaper in Boston – published weekly until 1865

1833 - Founded the American Anti-Slavery Society

1835 – Nearly lynched by a mob in Boston Georgia legislature offered $5000 reward

for delivering Garrison for trial Mississippi slaveholders offered $20,000 1854 - Burned a copy of the Fugitive Slave

Law, and the Constitution, calling it “a Covenant with Death, an Agreement with Hell”

The LiberatorAbolitionist Paper – published

weekly from 1831 to 1865William Lloyd Garrison, publisher

Boston, Massachusetts

• August 1831 – Southampton, Virginia• Nat Turner led about 60 slaves from

local plantations to attack white families in the area

• 57 whites, many women and children, killed

• October 1831 – Turner found hiding in a cave

• From jail, Turner dictated his “Confessions” explaining how God had given him a vision to lead others in rebellion.

• Turner was executed for the murders

• The Virginia State Assembly debated the issue of slavery throughout the 1831 – 32 session.

• As no plan for abolition could be agreed on, Virginia began to support the idea of colonization of blacks elsewhere.

• This became a way to get rid of free blacks rather than eliminate slavery, as free blacks were seen as a bad influence on slaves.

• Afraid of more slave violence, Virginia enacted laws severely limiting both free and enslaved Africans – They could not be taught to read, could not assemble, could not be preachers.

• Southerners began to defend slavery as a “positive good” rather than a necessary evil.

Frederick Douglass

1818 - 1895

Frederick Douglass1818 - Born a slave in Maryland1838 – Escaped to Massachusetts1841 – He heard William Lloyd

Garrison speak at an Anti-Slavery Society meeting in Bristol.

A few days later, he gave his first speech at the annual Society convention in Nantucket.

The Anti-Slavery Society asked him to become a lecturer for them.

Frederick DouglassGarrison became his friend and

mentor1845 – Wrote autobiography -

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written By Himself

Lectured in Britain for 3 years1848 - Began to publish

abolitionist weekly newspaper, The North Star, in Rochester, New York

1855 – Split with Garrison after he burned the Constitution

Harriet Tubman

“Black Moses”1820 - 1913

Harriet Tubman• 1820 – Born into slavery in Maryland• 1849 – Escaped to Philadelphia• Immediately returned to help her family

escape• After 1850 - Became a major

“conductor” on the Underground Railroad helping more than 70 slaves escape from eastern Maryland to Canada

• 1858 – Helped John Brown in his efforts to recruit escaped slaves in Canada to join his rebellion

Mexican Cession• March of 1848 – Treaty of

Guadalupe Hidalgo ratified by Congress

• Defined the new border of Mexico and the U.S. (partly along the Rio Grande)

• This resulted in Mexico ceding 525,000 square miles of land in present-day New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, California, and Nevada.

Territory gained in the Mexican Cession525,000

acres

Wilmot Proviso

• 1846 – Before the Mexican-American war was even over

• Proposed by Congressman David Wilmot, Democrat from Pennsylvania

• Would prohibit slavery and the settlement of any free blacks in any territory acquired from Mexico (Free Soil Movement)

• Appealed to abolitionists . . .And white laborers . . . and racists.

Political Realignments• The Wilmot Proviso is supported by

both Democrats and Whigs in the North.

• It is opposed by both Democrats and Whigs in the South.

• The second-party system (Whigs/Democrats) begins to split along sectional lines based on the issue of slavery.

• The Proviso is defeated and the issue is not resolved before the 1848 election.

Election of 1848• Democrats – Senator Lewis Cass

– proposed “squatter sovereignty”– allow the people of the new territories

to vote on issue of slavery• Whigs – General Zachary Taylor

– slave holding Southerner– refused to take a stand on slavery, but

promised to support whatever Congress decided on the issue.

• Taylor wins.

President Zachary Taylor – Hero of the Mexican-American War

California Gold Rush• 1848 – Gold is discovered in

California. (at almost exactly the same time that the treaty is being ratified)

• 1849 - Population booms from 15,000 to over 100,000. (“49ers”)

• 1850 - California applies for statehood.

• The issue of slavery in the state must be decided.

• Time for another compromise . . .

Gold seekers traveled west on the Oregon Trail then south along the

California Trail - a 2000 mile trek

Donner Pass

Compromise of 1850 Proposed by Henry Clay. A series of bills, meant to satisfy

both northern and southern lawmakers

Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois was a key negotiator in getting the separate pieces of legislation passed: California entered the Union as a free

state Squatters’ sovereignty (popular

sovereignty) in New Mexico and Utah - Territorial legislatures would vote on slavery issue.

Slave auctions would be abolished in Washington, D.C.

Fugitive Slave Act Northerners compelled to help return

slaves Fugitives denied a jury trial Fugitives could not testify in own defense Led to the kidnapping of and enslavement

of legally free blacks Neither the South nor North were

entirely pleased with the plan.

Compromise of 1850

Compromise of 1850Senator Henry Clay

(Kentucky)Senator Stephen Douglas

(Illinois)

Uncle Tom’s Cabin 1852 - A novel written by Harriet

Beecher StoweDescribed the misery and horror of

slaveryStirred up abolition sentiment in

the NorthAngered Southerners During the Civil War, when Abe

Lincoln met her, he reportedly said, “So this is the little lady who brought on this big war.”

Kansas-Nebraska Act

1854 - Proposed by Senator Stephen A. Douglas (the “Little Giant”)

He wanted the rapid settlement and economic growth of the region by bringing a transcontinental railroad through Kansas

Territories of Kansas and Nebraska created

Slavery would be decided by popular sovereignty in both territories.

Senator Stephen A. Douglas (1813 – 1861)Democrat from Illinois

The OutcomeA few southern lawmakers

demanded a repeal of the Missouri Compromise.

Douglas agreed.Northerners felt betrayed –

believed Douglas had violated a sacred pledge to limit slavery

Added to their suspicion of a “Southern conspiracy” to spread slavery.

Douglas lost support of “independent Democrats”

Political Consequences66 northern Democrats lost their

Congressional seats in the 1854 elections to Free Soilers and the new Republican Party.

Whig Party disintegrates as northerners and southerners cannot unite over slavery issue.

Republicans become the party of the North.

Democrats the party of the South.

“Bleeding Kansas” Over 1000 New Englanders were sent

to Kansas to fight against slavery. Henry Ward Beecher and others

provided them with money and rifles (Beecher Bibles).

Many Southerners crossed into Kansas from Missouri to vote illegally for slavery.

By 1855 anti-slavery forces had created a second capital at Lawrence.

Many died in violent raids between pro and anti slavery groups.

“Bleeding Kansas”

Dred ScottA slave living in MissouriFiled suit against his ownerClaimed he and his wife

should be free because their owner had once taken them to live in the free territories of Illinois & Wisconsin

Dred Scott

Dred Scott Decision• 1857 Supreme Court (Chief

Justice Roger B. Taney) ruled that• Scott had no right to sue in

court because he was black and therefore not a citizen.

• Congress did not have the power to ban slavery in states or territories because slaves were private property.

Roger B. Taney

Chief Justice of the

Supreme Court 1836 to 1864

John Brown Radical white abolitionist May, 1856 He and his sons had killed 5

men in Pottawatomie , Kansas during the “Bleeding Kansas” civil unrest

October, 1859 - Led an attack on the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia.

Intended to give guns to slaves for an armed rebellion.

7 people killed and the rebellion failed. Brown was convicted of treason and

hanged.

John Brown

Painting, depicting John Brown on his way to the

gallows to be hung, stopping to kiss a black

child

(Did not actually happen)

Election of 1860 Republican Party Platform

Halt the expansion of slavery High protective tariff Federal aid for internal improvements (transcontinental

railroad) Free homesteads for western settlers

Election of 1860 Democratic Party

Douglas supporters – endorsed popular sovereignty in

territories Deep South – wanted a federal

slave code in territories (to protect slavery)

Party splits over the issue

Election of 1860 Constitutional Union Party

Made up of former conservative Whigs and Know-Nothings

(the anti-immigrant party) Took no stand on slavery Attempted to be the party of compromise

Election of 1860 Republicans – Abraham Lincoln Southern Democrats – John Breckinridge

Northern Democrats – Stephen A. Douglas

Constitutional Unionists – John Bell

The Outcome Lincoln Wins

only 40% of popular vote 180 electoral votes (out of 303) wins 19 states other 13 states split 3 ways no southern states vote for

Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln 16th President

Self-educated lawyer from Kentucky/Illinois

Almost no political experience

Served one term as Congressman from Illinois

Originally a Whig, but became a Republican

1860 – Elected with no southern electoral votesFeb. 1860