Trouble in Kansas

Section 2

Trouble in Kansas

The Big Idea

The Kansas-Nebraska Act heightened tensions in the conflict over slavery.

Election of 1852

Main Idea 1: The debate over the expansion of slavery

influenced the election of 1852.

Election of 1852

Franklin Pierce was Democratic candidate He Promised to support the

Compromise of 1850 and enforce the Fugitive Slave Act which gained the trust of southern Democrats.

Whig Party chose Winfield Scott, a Mexican-American War hero Southerners did not trust Scott

because he had not fully supported Compromise of 1850

Election of 1852

Pierce won election by large margin

The Kansas-Nebraska Act

In 1854, Stephen Douglas wanted to build a railroad in the north, going west from Chicago to the Pacific Ocean.

Stephen Douglas

The Kansas-Nebraska Act

Douglas proposed organizing the region west of Missouri and Iowa as the territories of Kansas and Nebraska which would mean two more free states would be added.

His proposal would become known as the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

Kansas

Nebraska

Stephen Douglas

The Kansas-Nebraska Act

He proposed abandoning Missouri Compromise and allowing for popular sovereignty after Southerners suggested he build the Railroad in the South. Allowing for popular sovereignty would mean that

voters in those areas could decide if they wanted to have slavery or make it illegal.

Stephen Douglas

The Kansas-Nebraska Act

The Kansas-Nebraska Act would therefore eliminate the Missouri Compromise’s restriction on slavery north of the 36°30’ line

Kansas

Nebraska

Stephen Douglas

Now you can have slaver here

This line would mean nothing now

The Kansas-Nebraska Act

May 1854 – the Kansas-Nebraska Act is passed Antislavery northerners were outraged that free

territory could be turned into slave territory.

Bleeding Kansas

Proslavery and Anti-Slavery groups rushed into Kansas after the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

Pro-slavery groups wanted to win Kansas for their side giving them more power in government. Antislavery groups wanted to win Kansas for their side.

Bleeding Kansas

Even though there were only 1,500 registered voters in Kansas, 6,000 votes were cast in the election.

1855: A proslavery Congress was elected in Kansas.

Many of the voters were actually people from Missouri. The voters from Missouri were called border ruffians because of their improper behavior.

Missouri

Bleeding Kansas

Antislavery people in Kansas refused to accept defeat Antislavery people armed themselves with

weapons and adopted their own government

ProSlavery AntiSlavery

Bleeding Kansas

The National Government in Washington DC was divided over Kansas as well. The National Senate recognized the

proslavery government in Kansas The National House of Representatives

supported and recognized the antislavery government in Kansas

Bleeding Bleeding KansasKansas The outbreak of

violence in Kansas was inevitable

Slavery supporters attacked the antislavery capital building in Kansas.

Abolitionist leader John Brown retaliates He vowed to “strike

terror in the hearts of proslavery people”

BleedingBleeding KansasKansas

Abolitionist John Brown and his sons killed five pro-slavery men in what was called the Pottawatomie Massacre Brown and his men dragged the pro-slavery men out of

their cabins and killed them with swords. The abolitionist group managed to escape capture. Brown declared that his actions had been ordered by God.

BleedingBleeding KansasKansas

As a result of the Pottawatomie Massacre, Kansas soon collapsed into a civil war. Many citizens were killed. That civil war in Kansas became known as “Bleeding Kansas.”

Bleeding Kansas

The events in Kansas led representative Charles Sumner to give a speech in Congress called “The Crime against Kansas.” In his speech, Sumner verbally attacked the proslavery

forces, and especially proslavery senator Andrew Butler Preston Brooks, who was Butler’s distant cousin, took

offense to Sumner’s speech.

Charles Sumner

You know you got a big mouth.

Preston Brooks, the

cousin of Andrew Butler

Bleeding Kansas Brooks went to the Senate chamber and laid

a beating on Sumner. Brooks hit Sumner repeatedly over the head

and shoulders with a cane Sumner was knocked unconscious and left

bloody.

Preston Brooks beats Charles Sumner in the Senate chambers

Bleeding Kansas Both Bleeding Kansas and the Brooks-

Sumner incident revealed the high level of hostility (anger) between the North and South.

Bleeding Kansas made things much worse between the North and the South

Political Divisions

Section 3

Political Parties Undergo Change

The violence of the slavery issue made people realize that a new party was needed – a party to bring together all of the antislavery people.

A poster for an Anti-Slavery

meeting

Political Parties Undergo Change

1854 – the Republican Party begins Some Whigs, Democrats, & Free-Soilers

joined the Republican Party. The Republican Party rallied behind the issue of stopping

the spread of slavery in the west. They received strong support in the North

Political Parties Undergo Change

During the Presidential Election of 1854: The Republicans ran John C. Fremont for

President.

The Democratic Party ran James Buchanan

The Know-Nothing Party ran Millard Fillmore. The Know-Nothing Party disliked immigrants,

and had no stance on slavery

Political Parties Undergo Change

Democrat James Buchanan won the election. Southern Dem’s happy

He won 14 of 15 slave states.

The Know-Nothings decided to join forces with Republicans after the election.

James Buchanan

Political Parties Undergo Change

Main Idea 1: Political parties in the United States

underwent change due to the movement to expand slavery.

Dred Scott Decision

Main Idea 2: The Dred Scott decision created further

division over the issue of slavery.

Dred Scott Decision

Dred Scott - a slave, bought by a man from Missouri

Scott’s master – along with Scott - later moved to Illinois, a free state, and then to the Wisconsin Territory where slavery was banned, before moving back to Missouri where he died

Dred Scott

Discussion

Convince me to either free Dred Scott or keep him a slave? Be ready to explain you answer.

Dred Scott Decision

Upon his master’s death, Scott sued for his freedom

He argued that since he had once lived in free soil, he should now be free

His case lasts 11 years and finally makes it to Supreme Court

Judge Taney, Dred Scott and his wife

Dred Scott Decision

Chief Justice Roger B. Taney decided that Scott was still a slave Scott was not a citizen = he can’t sue

Judge Taney

Dred Scott Decision

Enslaved people = property 5th Amendment

Govt cannot take away property without “due process of law”

Dred Scott Decision He also said that Congress had no power

to prohibit slavery in any territory Missouri Compromise = unconstitutional Popular Sovereignty = unconstitutional

Citizen’s cannot take away another person’s property (i.e. slave)

Judge Taney said that slavery was protected

I am the Law!!

Dred Scott Decision

In effect, Taney’s decision meant that the Constitution protected slavery The ruling stunned many northerners,

including Illinois lawyer Abraham Lincoln, who warned about its consequences

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

In 1858, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A Douglas ran for the Illinois Senate position. Abraham Lincoln ran under

the Republican platform and was an unknown to most people.

Stephen A. Douglas ran as a Democrat and was well known. He was considered to be a likely presidential candidate in the election of 1860.

Stephen Douglas

AbeLincoln

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Stephen Douglas had been a successful lawyer.

Because he was short and stalky, he was often called “the Little Giant.”

Douglas disliked slavery, but believed in the idea of popular sovereignty. He thought the people of an area should decide if slavery should be allowed where they lived.

Stephen Douglas

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Abraham Lincoln had very little formal education.

Lincoln believed that slavery was morally wrong. However, he also believed

that there was no easy way to end it.

Lincoln believed that slavery should not be allowed to spread, but was not against slavery continuing in the South.

How was Abe like George Washington?

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

During the debates, Lincoln expressed the Republican party belief that slavery was wrong

One of the most memorable parts of the debates was known as the House Divided speech, where Lincoln warned about the dangers of disagreement about slavery. He also expressed his belief that the dispute over slavery would soon be resolved. He said - “ `A house divided against itself

cannot stand.’ I believe that this Government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. . I do not expect the Union to be dissolved -- I do not expect the house to fall -- but I do expect it will cease to be divided ”

Lincoln speaking at a debate

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Lincoln and Douglas held 7 debates as they ran for the

Senate seat in Illinois. Most of the debates were about slavery.

Thousands of people attended the debates and were very popular.

Douglas lost Southern support due to debates. Lincoln, on the other hand, gained a lot of fame.

Abe Lincoln & Stephen Douglas

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

• During the debates, Douglas put forth the idea of the Freeport Doctrine. • The Freeport Doctrine said that decision

to practice slavery in the territories belonged to the people. This idea is called popular sovereignty.

• Popular sovereignty put the power into the peoples hands and helped Douglas win the election. The South did not like this idea and were upset that Douglas was not more pro-slavery.

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Douglas eventually won the election and the Senate position in Illinois. However, Douglas also lost a

lot of support in the south because he did not strongly support slavery enough for their liking.

Although Lincoln lost the election, he won national fame and attention.

Honest Abe

DANG!!

How tall was Abraham Lincoln?

Lincoln stood 6'3 3/4" tall (not including his hat) and was the tallest president in U.S. history. That makes him about 1” taller than the world famous Mr. Pine

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Main Idea 3: The Lincoln-Douglas debates brought

much attention to the conflict over slavery.