The 1850s: Road to Secession

MEXICAN CESSION #FREEORSLAVE?

The debate over slavery: Should it be allowed to expand west? The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1848 and the Gadsden Purchase of 1853 added over 500,000 square miles increasing the size of the U.S. by 25%. The question: Will slavery be allowed in the Mexican Cession???

The Wilmot Proviso Proposed law to ban slavery in the entire Mexican Cession. Passed in the House of representatives (controlled by free states). Killed in the Senate by the slave states.

FREE SOIL PARTY Salmon P. Chase, commemorated on the $10,000 bill, founded the Free Soil Party in 1848. This party advocated an end to the spread of American slavery, and elected 14 representatives and 2 senators to the federal government.

CA Population increase thanks to gold rush, applied for statehood, but free or slave

COMPROMISE OF 1850 Henry Clay South threatens secession again, 1. CA enters as a Free state. 2. Divides Cession into 2 territories; New Mexico and Utah, in these territories slavery will be decided by… POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY-the voters decide if they want to ban slavery or not. The majority rules. Fugitive Slave Act of 1850- federal crime to help runaway slaves, cops can arrest runaways in free states, no trial by jury, only a judge would decide if it was a runaway.

Compromise of 1850

Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811 – 1896) Interviewed runaway slaves in Ohio and learned about the cruelty of slavery from their stories. “So this is the lady who started the Civil War.” -- Abraham Lincoln

Uncle Tom’s Cabin 1852- Harriet Beecher Stowe Anti slavery novel about a slave’s life in Louisiana. Sold 300,000 copies in the first year. 2 million by 1862 Caused many in North to support abolition Banned in the South.

Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 1852

The “Know-Nothings” [The American Party] Nativists. Anti-Catholics. Anti-immigrants. 1849  Secret Order of the Star-Spangled Banner created in NYC.

1852 Presidential Election √ Franklin Pierce Gen. Winfield Scott John Parker Hale Democrat Whig Free Soil

1852 Election Results

Kansas-Nebraska Act 1854 Law written by Stephen Douglas Divides rest of LA Purchase into 2 territories, KS and NE. The territories would use popular sovereignty to determine free or slave. Bye bye MO Compromise Line! Free states outraged.

Kansas-Nebraska Act, 1854

“Bleeding Kansas” Border “Ruffians” (pro-slavery Missourians)flood in to KS to vote for slavery. Free soilers from New England rush to move to KS to vote KS a free state. All brought their guns with them too.

John Brown: Terrorist or Hero? Or both? Mural in the Kansas Capitol building by John Steuart Curry (20c)

Birth of the Republican Party, 1854 Formed to oppose the spread of slavery Northern Whigs. Northern Democrats. Free-Soilers. Know-Nothings. Abolitionists Other miscellaneous opponents of the Kansas-Nebraska Act.

“The Crime Against Kansas” Congr. Preston Brooks (D-SC) Sen. Charles Sumner (R-MA)

1856 Presidential Election √ James Buchanan John C. Frémont Millard Fillmore Democrat Republican Whig

1856 Election Results

Dred Scott v. Sanford, 1857 Slave who traveled in Free States with his owner Sues for his freedom, arguing that being in a Free State made him free by law.

Chief Justice Roger Taney’s Decision on Dred Scott Slaves are property, not citizens, no rights under Constitution, cannot sue in court MO Compromise unconstitutional, all citizens have the right to life liberty and Property, all may own slaves.

The Lincoln-Douglas (Illinois Senate) Debates, 1858 A House divided against itself, cannot stand.

Lincoln stated that the US could not survive as half-slave and half-free states. Against the spread of slavery proponent of Popular Sovereignty The people have the power to choose!

Stephen Douglas & the Freeport Doctrine Popular Sovereignty? The people should make the rules

John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry, 1859 Brown’s Plan was to raid the federal arsenal and give the weapons to slaves to start an uprising. The plan failed when slaves were afraid to join, and local townspeople surrounded Brown, Col. Robert E Lee then arrived with soldiers…John Brown caused the South to prepare militias to defend against future raids.

Republican Party Platform in 1860 Contain Slavery [for the Free-Soilers. Protective tariff [for the No. Industrialists]. Immigrants rights. build a Pacific RR [for the Northwest]. Homestead Act[free land for farmers].

1860 Election: 3 “Outs” & 1 ”Run!”

1860 Election: A Nation Coming Apart?!

1860 Presidential Election √ Abraham Lincoln Republican John Bell Constitutional Union 1860 Presidential Election Stephen A. Douglas Northern Democrat John C. Breckinridge Southern Democrat

1860 Election Results

Crittenden Compromise: A Last Ditch Appeal to Sanity Senator John J. Crittenden (Know-Nothing-KY)

Secession!: South Carolina Dec. 20, 1860 Confederate States of America

Jefferson Davis President of Confederate States of America A graduate of West Point military academy, Davis was a distinguished soldier in the Black Hawk War (1832) and the U.S. war with Mexico (1846-47). He served Mississippi as a congressman (1845) and a U.S. senator (1847-51 and 1857-61), and was President Franklin Pierce's Secretary of War (1853-57).

Fort Sumter: April 12, 1861