Build Up to the Civil War

What is sectionalism?

1. Sectionalism Sectionalism – an exaggerated loyalty to a particular region of the country South resented interference by outsiders

What was the Missouri Compromise?

2. The Missouri Compromise In 1818, Missouri sought admission to the Union as a slave-holding state. This compromise admitted Missouri to the Union as a slave state and admitted Maine as a free state to maintain the balance in the Senate. The compromise prohibited slavery north of latitude 36° 30’ in the Louisiana Purchase territory, with the exception of Missouri, and allowed it south of that line.

Will this always work?

Missouri Compromise Importance: preserved the balance between slave and frees states for the time, create lull in slavery debate Effect: This system of adding states would not always work.

Free Soil Party Angered with Political Parties failure to stance, people broke away to create new party Free Soil Party: wanted free soil, speech, labor, and men Endorsed the Wilmot Proviso

3. Wilmot Proviso President Polk looks to expand United States territory with the Mexican American War Representative David Wilmot of Pennsylvania Purposed that slavery should be prohibited in any lands acquired from Mexico Senator John C. Calhoun Neither Congress nor any territorial government had the authority to ban slavery from a territory or regulate it. No conclusion reached Importance: Fuel the debate or slavery

4. Slavery Debate Conflicts 15 Free States, and 15 Slave States California applies for statehood in 1850, and is delayed since no conclusion could be made North wanted to abolish slavery in Washington D.C. Fearing a threat to slavery, the South called for the creation of a national Fugitive Slave Laws – required runaway slaves to be returned to their masters

Henry Clay to the Rescue….Again

5. The Compromise of 1850 Disagreements erupted over whether land acquired from Mexico after the Mexican American War would become slave or free states. Henry Clay purposes The compromise: Admitted California as a free state The inhabitants of the territories of New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah would be allowed to decide whether or not to permit slavery in their territories when they applied for statehood. “final settlement”?

6. The Fugitive Slave Act Fugitive Slave Act - denied captured blacks legal power to prove their freedom and required U.S. marshals and deputies to help slave owners capture their property. Northern found ways to resist law

7. Kansas-Nebraska Act This act repealed the Missouri Compromise, which said that states north of the latitude 36° 30’ would be free states. Franklin Pierce called for popular sovereignty: allowing settlers to decide whether they would allow slavery within their borders

7. Kansas-Nebraska Act The Kansas-Nebraska Act split the Democratic Party and virtually destroyed the Whig Party. The northern Whigs joined the antislavery Democrats to form the Republican Party. Effect: Proslavery and antislavery groups rush to Kansas

8. Bleeding Kansas Border Ruffians: proslavery supporters crossed the borders from Missouri just to vote in elections Two constitutions created, one for and one against slavery John Brown, an extreme abolitionist, led a bloody and deadly attack on the town of Lawrence.

8. Bleeding Kansas Continue outbreak of violence from both sides Caning of Charles Sumner by Preston Brooks Effect: Rising level of hostility between North and South

9. Dred Scott Decision Dred Scott, a slave, sued for his freedom on the grounds that since his master had taken him to live in free territories, he should be free.

9. Dred Scott Decision The controversial decision of the U.S. Supreme Court stated that no slave or descendant of a slave could be a U.S. citizen. As a non-citizen and a slave viewed as property, Scott was not entitled to file suit.

9. Dred Scott Decision The Court also ruled that Congress had no power to exclude slavery from the territories; therefore, the Missouri Compromise and other legislation limiting slavery were unconstitutional.

A New Political Party Creation of the Republican Party based on antislavery principles.

10. Lincoln-Doulas Debates These debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas, sponsor of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, were primarily over the issue of slavery.

Effect: The debates forged Lincoln into a prominent national figure and solidified his Republican Party’s antislavery platform.

11. John Brown Raid on Harpers Ferry John Brown and 22 other men raided the town of Harpers Ferry, Virginia, hoping to arm and free slaves. Brown and his raiders captured many of the town’s most important citizens and held them hostage.

11. John Brown Raid on Harpers Ferry Within 24 hours, Brown was captured and convicted of treason, murder, and conspiracy to incite slave rebellion. He was later hanged. Effect: Nation on the brink of disaster