Renewing the Sectional Struggle: 1848-1854 Chapter 18

A. Popular Sovereignty Panacea Allow people in individual territories to make decisions about slavery Didn’t advocate all-out ban as free-soilers did In line with democratic traditions *Not good enough for abolitionists- slavery could spread

B. Political Triumph for General Taylor Election of 1848 Whigs- General Zachary Taylor Democrats- Lewis Cass Free-Soil Party Against slavery b/c of competition w/ white jobs Taylor won- war hero who took no stance on slavery

C. Californy Gold 1848- Gold discovered in CA Huge population increase Lawlessness 1849- asked for statehood- free state

D. Sectional Balance & the Underground Railroad CA, UT, & NM all potential free states South worried about sectional balance Underground railroad

E. Twilight of the Senatorial Giants CA’s application for statehood- possibility of secession in 1849

Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun Clay- both North & South make concessions Calhoun- give southern/slaveowning rights Urged concessions to South *most northerners didn’t want South to secede- would cost them too much money

F. Deadlock & Danger on Capitol Hill “Young Guard”- purify the union William Seward- NY- no concession for South President Taylor against concessions for South He didn’t want states to have power Seemed like Civil War could erupt in 1850

G. Breaking the Congressional Logjam Taylor died during debate- Millard Fillmore took over- more open to concessions for both sides

7 months of debate led to a series of compromises called Compromise of 1850 Seemed to be accepted in North Southern “fire-eaters” still against it Cooler heads in South prevailed & south accepted compromise

H. Balancing the Compromise Scales The Compromise of 1850 CA admitted as free state UT & NM territories allowed to use popular sovereignty to determine slavery status TX/NM border dispute settled- territory would go to NM, but TX compensated $10 mil. Slave trade banned in DC Tough fugitive slave law of 1850 enacted Fines & jail terms for those helping slaves Judges paid more to convict fugitives than to acquit them

Comp of 1850 “Omnibus” bill doesn’t pass S. Douglas – engineers passage – how?

H. Cont. North clear winner Fugitive slave law most important issue Moderates to abolitionists Underground Railroads operations increased Personal liberty laws North hated it, wouldn’t enforce it, South resented northerners for this Compromise allowed north time to strengthen

Webster’s 7th of March Speech Supporting national unity

The Case of Anthony Burns

I. Defeat & doom for the whigs Election of 1852 Democrats- Franklin Pierce Expansion, Compromise of 1850 Whigs- Winfield Scott Compromise of 1850 Pierce won End of Whigs End of NATIONAL Parties (sectional)

Pierce and His “Doughfaces” Determined to enforced Fugitive Slave Act (Burns case)

J. Expansionist Stirrings South of the Border Fate of Central America Trans-american canal? Nicaragua- William Walker

Cuba- Polk had tried to buy it Tried twice to take it over 1850-1851 Ostend Manifesto 1855 Pierre Soule, James Buchanan, John Mason

K. The Allure of Asia Trade with China- July 3 1844

1852-1854- Pierce sent Commodore Matthew Perry to open trade with Japan Meiji Restoration

L. Pacific Railroad Promoters & the Gadsden Purchase Desire for transcontinental railroad- Southern route Made Gadsden Purchase- 1853 for $10 million

M. Douglas’s Kansas Nebraska Scheme Senator from Chicago- wanted a northern transcontinental Railroad route

Proposed organizing northern territory so Railroad could run through it- Kansas in South, Nebraska in North Slavery issue would be solved based on popular sov.

Believed it wouldn’t be a big issue KS would become slave, NB would become free Contradicted MO comp. line Southerners took bait, free-soilers against this

N. Congress Legislates a Civil War No way to avert civil war Repealed MO Comp. Drew up the passions of millions of Americans & would make future compromise impossible