1. FIRST THINGS FIRST
Why is slavery wrong?

2. Toward Civil War

3. Who are the “Democrats”?
The Democratic Party was formed in the 1830’s around President Andrew Jackson
Primary domestic issues = banking
Democrats strongly favored American expansion to new farm lands and the acquisition of new territories
Democrats also opposed the Bank of the United States, which they believed would build up industry at the expense of the yeoman farmer
Pro farming = indirectly means pro slavery
Yet, Democrats were divided on the slavery issue

4. Who are the “Democrats”?
Pro-slavery FOR THE MOST PART

5. Who are the “Republicans”?
Republican Party born in the early 1850’s by anti-slavery activists
The name “Republican” was chosen because it alluded to equality and reminded individuals of Thomas Jefferson
Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican to win the White House
The Republicans of the day worked to pass the Thirteenth Amendment, which outlawed slavery, the Fourteenth, which guaranteed equal protection under the laws, and the Fifteenth, which helped secure voting rights for African-Americans

6. Who are the “Republicans”?
ANTI-SLAVERY

7. Who are the “Whigs”?
The Whig Party was a reaction to Andrew Jackson’s dictator policies (“King Andrew”) regarding the Bank of the United States, Native Americans, the Supreme Court and his use of presidential war powers
The term Whig was taken from English politics, the name of a group that opposed royal tyranny
Opponents who gravitated to the Whig Party included Jackson critics and states’ rights advocates 

8. STATE’S RIGHTS ACTIVISTS
Who are the “Whigs”?
STATE’S RIGHTS ACTIVISTS
(SOME ANTI-SLAVERY)

9. Who are the “Free Soilers”?
Short-lived political party between 1848 & 1852
Founded in NY & drew greatest strength from NY
Third party AND a single-issue party
Main purpose: Stop the expansion of slavery
“Free Soil” – All African Americans “free” in US
Most “Free Soilers” eventually joined the Republican Party

10. Who are the “Free Soilers”?
ANTI-SLAVERY

11. 1854 Congressional Elections
Kansas-Nebraska Act divides the Democratic Party
Northern Democrats leave the party
Whig Party also splits
Antislavery Whigs and Democrats join the Free Soil Party to form the Republican Party
Major goal of Republican Party: ban slavery in the new territories

12. Political Parties (1850) Democrats divided over slavery
Anti-slavery Democrats leave party
Whigs & Democrats make Republican Party
Whig Party divided over slavery
Anti-slavery Whigs leave party
Whigs & Democrats make Republican Party

13. 1854 Congressional Elections
Republicans quickly develop strength in North
Most Republican candidates from free states lost, but Democrats began to lose support in the South
Democratic party was becoming a Southern party

14. Presidential Election of 1856
Whig party candidate was John C. Fremont
Democratic candidate was James Buchanan (PA)
American Party (Know-Nothing) candidate was Millard Fillmore

15. Presidential Election of 1856
The vote in 1856 was divided along rigid (firm and inflexible) sectional lines
Buchanan (Democrat) had votes from all southern states except Maryland
Fremont (Whig) won 11 of 16 free states, but did not get any electoral votes from south of the Mason-Dixon line
Buchanan 174 electoral votes, Fremont 114, Fillmore 8…
Buchanan (Democrat) wins

16. What does this mean? Buchanan (Democrat) wins over Whigs
Slavery proves to still have support from the country – slavery is still strong in the eyes of the law

17. Dred Scott Decision
The Dred Scott decision by Chief Justice Taney was a polarizing (causing people to separate into two opposing groups) one

18. Dred Scott Versus Sanford
Dred Scott was an enslaved African American owned by a doctor in Missouri (slave state)
1830’s - Scott is brought by his owner to Illinois (free state) then to Wisconsin territory (slavery banned)
Later, he moved back to Missouri with his owner
Antislavery lawyers helped Scott sue for his freedom—Scott says he should be free because he was taken to an area where slavery was illegal

19. Dred Scott Versus Sanford
Case reaches Supreme Court with Chief Justice Roger B. Taney
Taney rules that Scott is still a slave AND because of that, he is not a citizen AND therefore has no right to file a lawsuit
Taney rules that just because Scott lived in free land doesn’t make him free—slaves were permanent property

20. Dred Scott Versus Sanford
Reaction in the South—nothing can legally stop slavery and limiting the spread of slavery is unconstitutional
Reaction in the North—Republican groups were outraged. They called the decision “wicked” and “a false judgment” and “the greatest crime” ever committed in the nation’s courts

21. Lincoln and Douglas Illinois Senate race of 1858
Democratic Senator Stephen Douglas vs. Republican Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln & Douglas debate 7 times from August – October 1858
Main topic of debate = slavery
Douglas said Lincoln wanted full equality for slaves (Lincoln denied this)
Douglas wins narrow victory but Lincoln gains attention as a clear thinker who argued with force and passion