The War had increased tensions

The War had increased tensions

• The War had increased tensions

• question of whether or not slavery should expand westward

• Also, could slave holders retrieve escaped slaves?

August 1846

• August 1846

• David Wilmot (D, PA) proposed an amendment

• “Neither slavery no involuntary servitude shall exist in any new territory gained from Mexico.”

• House passed it, but the Senate would not even vote on it.

• *Upset the Southerners

• They say it as a threat to slavery everywhere

Calhoun, weak from TB

• Calhoun, weak from TB

• “States own the territories”

• “Congress has no right to ban slavery”

• Warned that a “civil war” would break out

• If the North didn’t deal with Southern concerns

Senator Lewis Cass (MI) proposed the idea of “popular sovereignty.”

• Senator Lewis Cass (MI) proposed the idea of “popular sovereignty.”

• Citizens of the new territories should decided the issue

• Many supported this idea. It was democratic and kept the controversy at bay.

• *Abolitionists still argued that the right of African-Americans not to be enslaved did exist.

Whigs: Zachary Taylor

• Whigs: Zachary Taylor

• But..

• Whigs split:

• Northern Whigs=“Conscience Whigs”

• Opposed slavery

• Opposed Taylor

January 1848: James Marshall discovered gold in California

• January 1848: James Marshall discovered gold in California

• By end of 1849: over 80,000 people in CA looking for gold

• Nicknamed “forty-niners.”

• Chaos and violence

To gain control, CA applies for statehood

• To gain control, CA applies for statehood

• But this raises the question…..

• Would CA be a slave state or a free state

• Dec. 1849: CA applies for statehood as a free state

• Now, you’d think that would be the end of it……..

If CA is a free state, then slave states would be in the minority in the Senate

• If CA is a free state, then slave states would be in the minority in the Senate

• Southern politicians began talking about secession.

Henry Clay “The Compromiser”

• Henry Clay “The Compromiser”

• Comes up with compromises in pairs

• 1st: CA = free state, and the rest of Mexican land would have no restrictions on slavery

• 2nd: Border between NM and TX would favor NM

• And, Federal Government would take on debts of TX 3rd: Outlawed slave trade in DC, but not slavery

• 4th: Congress would not interfere with domestic slave trade

• But, they did pass the Fugitive Slave Act to help recover escaped slaves

Calhoun: “North’s opposition to slavery would destroy the South.”

• Calhoun: “North’s opposition to slavery would destroy the South.”

• Daniel Webster: supported Clay’s plans, and warned against secession.

Clays plans did not pass

• Clays plans did not pass

• Largely because, Taylor opposed them

• But…..Taylor died in the Summer of 1850

• New President, Millard Fillmore supported the plans.

• By the end of the summer…

• John C. Calhoun…

• DEAD!

• Webster….

• SECRETARY OF STATE!

• Clay…

• WORN OUT!

Stephen Douglas (IL) split Clay’s plans into smaller bills

• Stephen Douglas (IL) split Clay’s plans into smaller bills

• By Fall 1850: all parts were passed, Fillmore signed into law

• Compromise of 1850 eased tensions over slavery…..

• TEMPORARILY!!!!!!

A person points out someone and accuses him/her of being an escaped slave

• A person points out someone and accuses him/her of being an escaped slave

• Accused person would go before a federal commission

• Testimony of white people was all that was needed to convict

• No trial and no chance to testify

• Federal Commissioner would be paid $10 if he sided with the slave owner, and $5 if he sided with the accused.

• Northern citizens were required to help capture people or face jail time

Harriet Beecher Stowe

• Harriet Beecher Stowe

• “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” in 1852

• Sold 300,000 copies its 1st year

• Henry David Thoreau

• “Civil Disobedience” (1849)

• O.K. to disobey immoral laws

• Northerners were inspired

Early 1850s

• Early 1850s

• Force NE and IA to develop territory and organize

• Travel to CA and OR in 4 days

• Big Question: “Where would it start?”

South

• South

• New Orleans

• But, you would have to go through Northern Mexico

• Secretary of War Jefferson Davis sent James Gadsden

• Santa Anna sold 300,000 square miles for $10 million.

1st bill: claimed “popular sovereignty”

• 1st bill: claimed “popular sovereignty”

• Would not repeal the MO compromise

• Southerners saw through this

• 2nd bill: undo MO Compromise

• Create 2 territories

• Kansas and Nebraska

• Known as the Kansas and Nebraska Act

Southerners rushed there

• Southerners rushed there

• Northerners rushed there, and established a majority

• MO Senator David Atchison called upon Missourians to go to Kansas

• May 1855

• Thousands of armed Missourians rushed into Kansas

• They voted illegally and established a pro-slavery government

They held a convention and created an anti-slavery government

• They held a convention and created an anti-slavery government

• By the end of 1855: 2 governments in Kansas

• 1856: Armed Missourians attacked Northern settlers

• “Bleeding Kansas”

• Over 200 died

• Over $2 million in damages

May 1856

• May 1856

• Senator Charles Sumner (MA) insulted Sen. Andrew Butler (SC)

• Said that he “had a mistress…the harlot of slavery!!!”

• May 22, 1856: Representative Preston Brooks (SC) entered the Senate chamber

• And beat Sumner with a metal and gold cane

Kansas-Nebraska upset many in the North

• Kansas-Nebraska upset many in the North

• Whig Party split…again

• Northern Whigs + Free Soil + Anti-Slavery Democrats joined together in 1854

• Also…

• Anti-Nebraska Party, Fusion Party, People’s Party, and Independent Party

• Held a convention and became the “Republican Party” in July 1854

• All agree that slavery should not exist in the new territories.

• “Know-Nothings” made gains in 1854

• Republican Party absorbed the “Know-Nothings.”

Republican: John C. Fremont

• Republican: John C. Fremont

• Known as the “pathfinder”

• Believed that KS should be a free state

• Democrats: James Buchanan

• In Congress for 20 years

• Ambassador to Russia and Great Britain

• No real stand on KS

• But, he did believe that the only way to save the U.S. was to give the South what they wanted.

• He won

Violence in KS

• Violence in KS

• Buchanan’s solution is to make KS a state

• 1857: The Anti-Slavery government banned slavery

• The Pro-Slavery government legalized slavery

• Referendum was put out “yes” or “no” on the “Lecompton Constitution” (pro-slavery).

Buchanan accepted the pro-slavery vote

• Buchanan accepted the pro-slavery vote

• Asked Congress to admit KS as a slave state

• Senate: accepted

• House: blocked

• Fights broke out

• Buchanan and Southern leaders agreed to have another referendum

• But there’s a catch…..

• If KS voted against the Lecompton Constitution, they would delay statehood for 2 years.

• 1858: KS voted against the Lecompton Constitution

• 1861: KS admitted to the U.S. as a free state

1858: Illinois Republicans nominated Lincoln to challenge Douglas for the Senate

• 1858: Illinois Republicans nominated Lincoln to challenge Douglas for the Senate

Born in Kentucky

• Born in Kentucky

• Store owner

• Practiced law

• Little formal education

• Was NOT an abolitionist

• But did think it was immoral and should not exist out West

Douglas believed in “popular sovereignty”

• Douglas believed in “popular sovereignty”

• Supported the Dred Scott decision (slaves are and never were meant to be included in the constitution)

• But people could refuse to enforce it

• Known as the “Freeport Doctrine”

Radical abolitionist

• Radical abolitionist

• Believed that God wanted him to end slavery

• Killed 5 pro slavery settlers and was never punished

October 16, 1859

• October 16, 1859

• Brown led 18 people to a federal arsenal in modern West Virginia (Harper’s Ferry)

• U.S. Marines led by Colonel Robert E. Lee stopped Brown

• Took 36 hours

• Tried, and convicted of treason

• December 2, 1859 he was executed

• North saw him as a martyr

• South saw this as evidence that the North was going to attack the South

South believed that John Brown represented the North

• South believed that John Brown represented the North

• 1860: The Democrats finally split over slavery

Northern Democrats: popular sovereignty

• Northern Democrats: popular sovereignty

• Nominate Stephen Douglas

• Southern Democrats: wanted to keep slave codes

• Nominate John C. Breckenridge

• Republicans: denounced John Brown, acknowledges the South has a right to slavery

• Nominate Abe Lincoln

• Constitutional Union Party: John Bell

• Lincoln wins, and this ultimately causes secession

SC: 12/20/1860

• SC: 12/20/1860

• MS: 1/9/1861

• FL: 1/10/1861

• AL: 1/11/1861

• GA: 1/19/1861

• LA: 1/26/1861

• TX: 2/1/1861

• VA: 4/17/1861

• AR: 5/6/1861

• NC: 5/20/1861

• TN: 6/8/1861

Secessionists would seize federal property

• Secessionists would seize federal property

• Including forts and arsenals

• 2 exceptions

• Ft. Sumter (for a little bit) and Ft. Pickens stayed in Union hands

• U.S. still wants to compromise

KY Senator John Crittenden

• KY Senator John Crittenden

• Guarantee slavery

• Extend MO compromise line to CA

• Did not pass

Feb. 1861

• Feb. 1861

• Confederate leaders met in Montgomery, AL

• Formed the “Confederate States of America.”

• Drafted a constitution

• Each state was independent

• Guaranteed slavery

• Banned protective tariffs

• Limited Presidency to one 6 year term

• Elected Jefferson Davis

• March 4, 1861: Lincoln is inaugurated President of the United States

Lincoln takes office March 4, 1861

• Lincoln takes office March 4, 1861

• Inaugural address, “the Union of these states is perpetual.”

• Tried to reassure the southern states that the North was not the aggressor

April 1861

• April 1861

• Lincoln announces that he will re-supply Ft. Sumter

• Confederacy has a dilemma

• Can’t let the U.S. come into their territory

• But, can’t really fire on them cause it will lead to war

Davis decides to take Ft. Sumter before the U.S. troops get there.

• Davis decides to take Ft. Sumter before the U.S. troops get there.

• Major Robert Anderson (Union) was told to surrender the fort by April 12, 1861

• Anderson refused to leave

• Confederate troops bombarded the fort for 33 hours

• No one died, but Anderson finally surrendered

• Civil War has now begun

Lincoln calls for 75,000 volunteers

• Lincoln calls for 75,000 volunteers

• They would serve in the military for 90 days

• This created panic in the Upper South

• They didn’t necessarily want to secede, but felt they had no choice

• Virginia was first

Lincoln knew it was important to keep the slave-holding border states

• Lincoln knew it was important to keep the slave-holding border states

• KY, MO, and MD were particular concerns

• If MD seceded, then the nation’s capital would be surrounded by Confederate states

Lincoln imposed martial law in Baltimore

• Lincoln imposed martial law in Baltimore

• Soldiers would arrest anyone suspected of supporting secession

KY was important because it controlled the Ohio River

• KY was important because it controlled the Ohio River

• KY declared itself neutral

• Lincoln promised to leave it alone if the Confederacy did too.

• Sept. 1861

• Confederate troops moved into southwest corner

• Union troops moved in too

• KY legislature voted to go to war with Confederacy

• While pro-confederacy Kentuckians seceded and formed own government

Many sympathized with the Confederacy

• Many sympathized with the Confederacy

• But voted to stay in the Union

• Federal forces helped keep Missouri in the Union