1. Chapter 18 Renewing the Sectional Struggle

2. Popular Sovereignty and the Mexican Session
Debate over what to do with the Mexican Cession
WILMOT PROVISO (1848)--sought a Mexican Cession free of slavery
Passed by the House
Block by Southern Senators
SIGNIFICANCE: Brought slavery into the front of American politics from here on until the Civil War
DESCRIBE THE WILMOT PROVISO AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO THE DEBATE ON SLAVERY

3. “Popular Sovereignty”
Emerged as a possible way to avoid the issue
LEWIS CASS--Became Democratic nominee for election of 1848
Cass known as the “Father of Popular Sovereignty
Says people of a territory should decide for themselves whether to be slave state or not
DESCRIBE WHAT POPULAR SOVERIGNTY IS AND THE HISTORY BEHIND IT

4. Election of 1848 Whigs nominate Zachary Taylor
“Hero of Buena Vista
Neutral on slave issue, but owned slaves
Free Soil Party nominates Van Buren
Mixture of northern antislavery Whigs, Democrats, and Liberty Party members in North
Supported Wilmot Proviso
“Free soil, free speech, free labor, and free men”
Sign of the coming of the Republican Party 6 years later!!!
ANALYZE THE ELECTION OF 1848

5. Results of Election of 1848 Taylor wins the election
Free soilers won no states and did not impact the outcome of the election

6. Issue of California Gold discovered in 1848 at Sutters Mill
By 1849, masses of people come to northern California
Gold essentially paved the way for rapid economic growth in California
CA drafted a Constitution in 1849
Excluded slavery
Asked Congress for admission as a state
Southerners opposed CA statehood; free state threat
DISCUSS HOW THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA CAME INTO BEING AND THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH IT B/C OF SLAVERY

7. Underground Railroad Chain of homes that hid slaves escaping to Canada
Harriet Tubman
Most famous person involved in Underground Railroad
Personal Liberty Laws
Passed by many Northern states which prohibited state officials from assisting anyone trying to capture runaway slaves
SIGNIFICANCE: Southerners demand a new stronger fugitive slave law
DISCUSS THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD AND HOW IT ALL WORKED

8. Get them out of the South!!!

9. Why Is the South so Upset???
Issues of Concern for Southerners
CA would tip balance in Senate
New Mexico and Utah territories look to be free states
Northerners demanded abolition of slavery in Washington DC
Loss of fugitive slaves
When CA applied for statehood, southern “fire-eater's” threatened secession
DESCRIBE WHY THE SOUTH WAS SO UPSET BY THE MID-1850’S REGARDING THE NORTH

10. Attempt at Compromise The Great Triumvirate Henry Clay
Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Daniel Webster make an attempt to end the crisis
Henry Clay
North should pass a more effective fugitive slave law
Supported by Stephen Douglas, the “Little Giant”
COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE VIEWS REGARDING SLAVERY IN THE LATE 1840’S BY HENRY CLAY, JOHN C. CALHOUN, AND DANIEL WEBSTER

11. John C. Calhoun Daniel Webster Felt Clay’s position was inadequate
Leave slavery alone, return runaway slaves, give South rights as a minority, and restore political balance
Daniel Webster
Supported Clay
Gives famous “7th of March Speech”
Urged reasonable concession to the South
Opposed Congress legislating in the territories

12. I won’t show the other side of my face. Why?
SIGNIFICANCE: Turned the North towards Compromise
Abolitionists branded Webster a traitor
William H. Seward
Opposed granting concessions to the South
Stated Christian legislators must obey God’s moral law first
“Slavery shouldn’t be allowed in western territories due to a ‘higher law’ than the Constitution”
WHO WAS WILLIAM SEWARD AND WHY WAS HE IMPORTANT IN THE SLAVERY DEBATE?

13. Pop-FACT Compromise of 1850 Popular sovereignty in Mexican Cession
Fugitive Slave law toughened
Abolition of slave trade in Washington DC
California admitted as a free state
Texas given $10 million for disputed Mexican territory
Pop-FACT
WHAT WERE THE MAJOR CONDITIONS OF THE COMPROMISE OF 1850?

14. Election of 1852 Democrats Whigs Nominated Franklin Pierce
Sympathetic to Southern views
Acceptable to slavery wing of the party
Campaign in favor of Compromise of 1850
Whigs
Nominate General Winfield Scott
Party fatally split
Southern Whigs supported Fugitive Slave Law but doubted Scotts willingness to hold Compromise
Antislavery Whigs supported Scott but hated his support of the Fugitive Slave Law
DESCRIBE IN DETAIL THE ELECTION OF 1852

15. Expansionism Under Pierce
“Young America”
Pierce wanted to extend “Manifest Destiny” overseas
Wanted to build a canal in Central America
Clayton-Bulwer Treaty--US and GB agreed that neither side would build and monopolize a new canal w/o the others consent
Issues with Asia
Signed trade agreements with China
Sent US ships to force Japan to open up trade with US
DISCUSS HOW PRESIDENT FRANKLIN PIERCE ATTEMPTED TO EXTEND MANIFEST DESTINY TO THE WORLD?

16. Cuba Polk had offered Spain money for Cuba, Spain refused
South wanted Cuba for slavery
OSTEND MANIFESTO--US secretly demanded Cuba for $130 million. If Spain refused, use force
Plan backfired b/c of angry Northerners who saw it as a slaveholders plot

17. Gadsden Purchase Congress wanted a transcontinental railroad built
Question should it be in the North or South?
Best route seemed to be below the Mexican border
In 1853, US purchased Mesilla Valley (in southern New Mexico and Arizona) from Santa Anna for $10 million
WHAT WAS THE GADSDEN PURCHASE AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

18. Result:
South now had the advantage

19. Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854
Most important short term cause of the Civil War
Stephen Douglas proposed splitting Nebraska territory into two states: Kansas and Nebraska
Slavery issue would be based on popular sovereignty
Kansas would probably be slave, Nebraska free
Problems
36-30 line created by Compromise of 1820 prohibited slavery
Kansas was above it
Solution? Repeal Compromise of 1820
Fully supported by Southerners
DISCUSS WHAT THE KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACT SAID AND WHY IT WAS SO CONTROVERSIAL

21. Reaction to Kansas-Nebraska Act?
Northerners shocked; saw Compromise of 1820 as sacred pact
Northern reactions?????
Refused to honor Fugitive Slave Law
Antislavery movement grew stronger
North unwilling to compromise again

22. Birth of Republican Party
Formed in response to the Kansas-Nebraska Act
Included Whigs, northern Democrats, Free-Soilers, and Know-Nothings
Lincoln came out of retirement and ran for the Senate
Became nations 2nd major political party overnight
Republican Party not allowed in the South
DISCUSS THE BIRTH OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND WHY IT WAS FORMED