1. SOL 6e
Sectionalism in the 1850s

2. California Crisis
In 1848 Gold was discovered. People flocked to California
The territory applied to become a free state
But there would be NO slave state to join it

3. Secession
Southern politicians threatened secession (leaving the union) unless the future of slavery was guaranteed
Henry Clay (“the Great Compromiser”) came along AGAIN to save the day

4. The 1850 Compromise
President Taylor believed that California should be able to join the union as it wanted…he threatened to veto the Compromise
After he died, Fillmore signed the compromise

5. The 1850 Compromise

6. Fugitive Slave Act
This became the most controversial part of the 1850 Compromise
Southerners wanted a strong fugitive slave law because more and more slaves were escaping to the North via the Underground Railroad
What was the Fugitive Slave Act:
All runaways had to be returned (no matter when they escaped)
It became illegal to aid runaway slaves
Accused runaways were denied a jury trial. Magistrates were paid more to convict…

7. The Underground Railroad
Free blacks and Northern abolitionists organized an escape network called the Underground Railroad.
The map shows the routes “conductors” used to lead enslaved blacks to freedom.

8. The Underground Railroad
A fugitive slave from Maryland, Harriet Tubman, was called the “Black Moses” because she led so many people to freedom on the Underground Railroad.

9. Fugitive Slave Act
Horror stories of former slaves taken back to the Deep South were told throughout the North
In 1852 Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote a novel about slavery and the Fugitive Slave Act, Uncle Tom’s Cabin
This book more than ANY abolitionist caused Northern public opinion to turn against slavery. The book became a runway bestseller

10. Primary Sources
Fugitive Slave Act Sources

11. Personal Liberty Laws
Laws enacted in many northern states to protect free blacks and fugitive slaves from southern slave catchers. Early laws required a formal hearing before a local court. When these kinds of provisions were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Prigg v. Pennsylvania (1842), new laws prohibited state officials from helping slave catchers. What were the Northern states doing here?
This is nullification…

12. Pierce Video Clip

13. Pierce and Expansion 1. Commodore Perry and Japan – North
2. Gadsden Purchase – South
3. Expansion into Central America – South

14. Pierce and Expansion
As president, Pierce followed an expansionist foreign policy. He sponsored private US citizens in their attempts to take over Honduras and Nicaragua
In 1854 the Secret Ostend Manifesto was made public. This was a secret government plan to take over Cuba
This convinced many Northerners that a slave-owner’s conspiracy existed

15. Kansas-Nebraska Act
Americans realized that California needed to be joined to the Eastern states. A railroad would do this
Both the North and the South wanted the railroad…why?
Remember, the South had pushed for the Gadsden Purchase, so they could build a railroad

16. Kansas-Nebraska Act
Stephen Douglas a Northern Democrat from Illinois wanted the railroad to go through Illinois…but what could he give the South?
He decided to sacrifice the Missouri Compromise

17. Review: The Missouri Compromise

18. Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas Nebraska Act repealed the Missouri Compromise
It created two territories in the Northern Louisiana Purchase, Kansas and Nebraska
The issue of slavery in those territories would be decided by “popular sovereignty”. Many Northerners hated this deal. The act led to the death of the Whig Party. A new party was formed to stop the spread of slavery: The Republican Party

19. Kansas-Nebraska Act
When Congress passed the K-N Act, they assumed Nebraska would become a free state and Kansas would become a slave state
Southerners became outraged when New England abolitionists organized a society to colonize Kansas…why?

20. Bleeding Kansas Settlers from the North and South poured into Kansas
Border Ruffians
Illegal votes
Illegal proslavery government (Lecompton)
Abolitionists set up their own government at Topeka
Violence broke out in 1856
Lawrence
Pottawatomie Massacre

21. Bleeding Kansas Reporters called the violence “Bleeding Kansas”
Start of the Civil War?

22. The 1856 Election
Performance of Republican Party
Sectionalism

23. Violence Reaches Washington, DC
Congressmen angrily discussed events in Kansas. Both North and South blamed each other
Charles Sumner’s speech toward Andrew Butler
Preston Brooks
Northern reaction
Southern reaction

24. Violence Reaches Washington, DC

25. The President Relies on the Supreme Court
James Buchanan
Dred Scott v Sandford
Buchanan’s hopes
Remove sectionalism
Move on

26. The President Relies on the Supreme Court
YOU ARE THE JUDGE!

27. The Dred Scott Decision
1. Dred Scott, as a black man, was NOT a citizen; therefore he could not bring the lawsuit
2. Slavery was protected by the 5th amendment because slaves were property
3. THEREFORE…slaves could be taken ANYWHERE
Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional
Congress could NOT pass laws restricting slavery

28. Reaction to the Dred Scott Decision
Most Democrats were happy – the decision seemed to say that slavery could go ANYWHERE
Most Republicans thought that the court had made a mistake and simply ignored the issue.