1. Chapter 14 The Nation Divided

2. Section 1 Growing Tensions Over Slavery

3. Slavery & the Mexican-American War 1820-1848 4 Slaveholding & 4 free states were admitted to the Union Maintained balance of 15 each, but territory gained in M-A war could ruin balance

4. The Wilmot Proviso 1846 Rep. David Wilmot of PA proposed ban on slavery in all territory that might become part of U.S. as a result of M-A War (Wilmot Proviso) Proposal passed in House of Reps., but failed in the Senate Did not become law, but raised concerns in the South Viewed as an attack on slavery by the North

5. An Antislavery Party Democrats & Whigs did not take firm stand on slavery issue Senator Lewis Cass Democratic candidate for President 1848 Suggested popular sovereignty: people in the territory or state would vote directly on issues, rather than having their elected reps. decide 1848 Antislavery Whigs & Democrats formed Free-Soil Party Territory gained in M-A War was “free soil”, where slavery should be banned Chose Democrat Martin Van Buren as their candidate Did poorly in election, but took enough votes away from Cass General Zachery Taylor was elected president

6. A Bitter Debate California Gold discovered Enough people to become state Free vs. Slave State Would upset the balance Northerners Free state because most of territory lay north of the Missouri Compromise line Southerners Feared North would gain control of Senate, would not be able to block antislavery attacks Began to threaten to secede (withdraw) from the Union

7. Other Issues Northerners wanted slave trade abolished in Washington, D.C. Southerners wanted northerners to catch people who had escaped from slavery Wanted laws to force the return of fugitive slaves 1850 Senator Henry Clay Made proposals to resolve the issues dividing the North & South John C. Calhoun Against Clay’s compromise Very ill at the time, his speech was read Admission of California as free state would expose the South to continued attacks on slavery; only two ways to preserve South’s way of life Constitutional amendment to protect states’ rights Sucession

8. Section2 Compromises Fail

9. The Compromise of 1850 September 1850 Congress passed 5 bills based on Clay’s proposals Series of laws known as Compromise of 1850 Opposed by President Taylor, but he died in 1850 & new president Millard Fillmore supported Compromise & signed it into law

10. To Please the North California admitted as a free state Compromise banned slave trade in nation’s capital Congress declared no power to regulate slave trade between slave states

11. To Please the South Popular sovereignty used to decide question of slavery in rest of Mexican Cession People in territory would vote to be free or slave Given new fugitive slave law Allowed gov’t officials to arrest any person accused of being a runaway slave No right to trial to prove they were falsely accused Slave owner or white witness only had to swear that the suspect was a slave Northern citizens were required by law to help capture runaway slaves

12. Outrage in the North Fugitive Slave Law Very controversial Many Northerners swore to resist the law Hated seeing people deprived of their freedom Thousands of African Americans fled to Canada Many who were never slaves Northern cities began to ban together to resist slave law People threatened slave catchers with their lives John C. Calhoun hope slave law would open the eyes of northerners to the rights of southerners to their property, but instead it convinced more northerners that slavery was evil

13. Uncle Tom’s Cabin Harriet Beecher Stowe Daughter of an abolitionist minister Wrote “something that will make this whole nation feel what an accursed thing slavery is” 1852 Published Uncle Tom’s Cabin about an enslaved man, Uncle Tom, who is abused by cruel Simon Legree Was a best seller in the North Shocked many people & people began to see slavery not just as a political conflict, but as a human one. Southerners were outraged Considered propaganda: false or misleading information that is spread to further a cause Did not give an accurate picture of the lives of slaves

14. The Kansas-Nebraska Act Senator Stephen Douglas Wanted to develop lands west of Illinois Wanted a railroad from Illinois through Nebraska Territory to the Pacific Coast 1853 Douglas want 2 new territories formed: Nebraska & Kansas Southerners objected because territories lay in area closed to slavery Douglas proposed slavery be decided by popular sovereignty This undid the Missouri Compromise Southerners: satisfied hoping slave owners in Missouri would move to Kansas, allowing Kansas to enter Union as a slave state Northerners: outraged; Douglas betrayed them by reopening issue of slavery Southern support allowed act to pass both houses of Congress President Franklin Pierce signed bill into law Douglas predicted issue of slavery was now forever banished from the halls of Congress

15. Bleeding Kansas Citizens left to decide free or slave in Nebraska & Kansas Pro & anti slavery settlers flooded into Kansas Each wanted to hold the majority March 1855 Thousands of Missourians illegally voted Kansas: only 3,000 voters but 8,000 votes were cast 39 legislators elected (all but 3 supported slavery) Antislavery settlers refused results & held 2nd election

16. Growing violence 2 gov’t in Kansas now Each wanted to impose their gov’t on territory Violence soon broke out Proslavery sheriff shot in Lawrence, Kansas while trying to arrest antislavery settlers Returned one month later with 800 men & attacked the town John Brown (antislavery settler) 3 days later led 7 men to the proslavery settlement of Pottawatomie Creek Murdered 5 proslavery men & boys Incidences set of widespread fighting across Kansas Proslavery & antislavery fighters roamed the countryside killing those that did not support their views

17. Bloodshed in the Senate Senate C harles Sumner of Massachusetts Abolitionist senator Denounced proslavery legislature in Kansas Singled out Andrew Butler of South Carolina who was not present at the time Few days later Butler’s nephew Congressman Preston Brooks marched into the Senate chamber and beat Sumner with a heavy cane until he fell to the floor Sumner never recovered from his injuries Southerners felt Sumner got what he deserved Hundreds sent canes to Sumner to show their support Northerners: viewed act as another sign of brutality & inhumanity of slavery

18. Section 3 The Crisis Deepens

19. A New Antislavery Party 1854 Whig party split apart Northern Whigs joined the newly formed Republican Party Goal: to stop the spread of slavery into western territories Northern Democrats & Free Soil Party members attracted to Republican Party Republican Party became powerful quickly 1854 elections: 105 of 245 U.S. House of Reps. were Republicans Republican gained control of all but 2 northern state legislatures 1856 John C. Fremont (Republican) ran for president Strong antislavery campaign Lost election to Democrat James Buchanan, but won in 11 of nation’s 16 free states

20. The Dred Scott decision March 1857 U.S. Supreme Court delivered a shattering blow to antislavery forces in Dred Scott v. Sandford Dred Scott an enslaved person who had once been owned by a U.S. Army doctor Lived in Illinois were slavery was illegal, but after leaving the army settled in Missouri Scott sued for his freedom; argued he was free because he had lived where slavery was illegal The Court Decides Chief Justice Roger B. Taney Scott was not a free man for 2 reasons Scott had no right to sue in federal court because African Americans were not citizens Living in free territory did not make an enslaved person free; slaves were property & property rights are protected by the Constitution Taney also declared Congress did not have the power to prohibit slavery in any territory

21. reaction Slavery supporters: rejoiced; slavery was legal in all territories Northerners: stunned; condemned the ruling; slavery could spread throughout the West Abraham Lincoln spoke against decision Illinois lawyer The idea that African Americans could not be citizens was based on a false view of American history He became a central figure in the fight against slavery

22. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates Lincoln Brief career in politics Elected to Congress as a Whig Voted for Wilmot Proviso After one term returned to Illinois to practice law Opposed Kansas-Nebraska Act (brought him back into politics) Embraced the Republican cause Rival of Stephen Douglas (author of K-N Act) Both political & personal (both men courted Mary Todd, who Lincoln married)

23. A House Divided 1858 Lincoln chose by Republicans to run for Senate against Douglas Did not state he wanted to ban slavery Southerners were convinced he was an abolitionist Debating Slavery Lincoln challenged Douglas in a series of public debates Douglas: defended popular sovereignty; painted Lincoln as a dangerous abolitionist Lincoln: stood against slavery; slavery would die on its own; obligation of Americans to keep it out of western territories; believed African Americans were not to be entitled to all the rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence (life, liberty, & pursuit of happiness Douglas won Senate election Lincoln became known throughout the country 2 years later both men would face off for the presidency

24. John Brown’s Raid John Brown Driven out of Kansas after the Pottawatomie Massacre Developed a plot to raise an army & free people in the South who were enslaved 1859 Brown & supporters attacked Harpers Ferry, Virginia Wanted to seize guns stored by the U.S. army Believed African Americans would support him & he would supply them with weapons & lead a revolt Brown gained control of arms, but Colonel Robert E. Lee led troops that surrounds Brown’s forces 10 were killed; Brown was wounded & captured Brown was found guilty of murder and treason Stated Bible instructed him to care for the poor and enslaved in his defense However, he was sentenced to death December 2, 1859 Brown was hung in Virginia Church bells across the North tolled to mourn the man who many considered a hero Southerners were shocked that the North was praising a man who had tried to lead a revolt; convinced the North was out to destroy their way to life

25. Section 4 The Coming of the Civil War

26. The Nation Divides Election of 1860 Republicans: chose Abraham Lincoln as candidate Criticisms of slavery made him popular in the North Democrats: wanted slavery to be supported in territories; northern democrats refused, party became split; Northern Democrats chose Stephen Douglas & Southern Democrats chose Vice President John Breckinridge Some southerners hoping to heal the split created the Constitutional Union Party & nominated John Bell Bell promised to protect slavery & keep the nation together

27. Douglas was sure Lincoln would win the election Believed Democrats must try to save the Union Pleaded with southern voters to stay with Union no matter who was elected When he campaigned in the South hostile southerners often threw eggs & rotten fruit at him Election of 1860 showed how fragmented the nation had become Lincoln won every free state Breckinridge won all slave holding states except four Bell won Kentucky, Tennessee, & Virginia Douglas won Missouri Lincoln received on 40% of the popular votes, but received enough electoral votes to win the election

28. Southern States Secede Shock waves across South after Lincoln election South no longer had voice in national gov’t President & Congress set against slavery South Carolina 1st state to secede from the Union Dec. 20, 1860 special convention of S. Carolina’s legislature Declared no longer part of Union

29. Confederate States of America 6 more states followed S. Carolina Texas & Tennessee still supported the Union Feb. 1860 Leaders from 7 seceding states met in Montgomery, Alabama Formed new nation: Confederate States of America Written a constitution & named a president (Jefferson Davis) by the time Lincoln took office in March

30. The Civil War Begins March 4, 1861 Lincoln became president Assured seceded states he mean them no war Did warn them about continuing on the course they had chosen Friendship gesture rejected Post offices, forts, & other federal property within southern seceding states were taken over

31. Fort Sumter Fort Sumter Commander of troops within the fort refused to leave S. Carolina’s authorities decided to starve the fort Cut from supplies since December Lincoln did not want to give up the fort, but did not want other states to secede by sending troops in Declared he would send ships with food to the fort, no troops Confederate troops attacked the fort of April 12 & within 34 hours the U.S. troops surrendered

32. Was War Avoidable? Fort Sumter attack marked beginning of Civil War Debate continues today over if civil war could be avoided