Renewing the Sectional Struggle

Popular Sovereignty  Intense debate occurred over what to do with slavery in the Mexican Cession lands

 Wilmot Proviso (1848) l Northern abolitionists favored l Southern “fire-eaters” condemned l Brought slavery into forefront of American politics until Civil War

 Democrats & Whigs split over slavery expansion issue l Both were national political parties l No true geographic sectionalism in parties

l Most people wanted to ignore the issue l But, a split along sectional lines would threaten the Union

 “Popular Sovereignty” emerged as way to avoid the issue l Lewis Cass: “Father” l Sovereign people of the territories should decide for themselves

Election of 1848  President Polk, in bad health, chose not to seek reelection

The Democrats  Choose General Lewis Cass l “father of popular sovereignty”

The Whigs  Henry Clay, the leading Whig, had too many enemies  Chose General Zachary Taylor, the “Hero of Buena Vista”

Taylor Fever  Taylor was a slave owner but had not come out on either side of slavery extension

Zachary Taylor

Free Soil Party  Party organized by Anti- slavers in the North  Nominated Martin Van Buren

 Free-Soilers supported: l Wilmot Proviso l Internal improvements l Homesteads  “Free soil, free speech, free labor, and free men.”

 Condemned slavery because it limited the ability of whites to gain upward mobility

 Slavery became a non- issue - mudslinging prevailed  Taylor won 163 to 127 to 0 in the electoral vote

California - Gold & Statehood  Gold discovered at Sutter’s Mill in California

John Sutter

Yerba Buena - became San Francisco

 Tens of thousands flooded into the territory  1849: California applied for Statehood as a free state - bypassing territorial status

 California reopened the issue of sectional balance  Utah & New Mexico also sought to enter as free states

Compromise of 1850  15 free & 15 slave states in 1850  South dominated the executive & judicial branches & had a balance in the Senate

 Southern issues threatening Union: l Texas’ claim to territory in the west l North wanted abolition of slavery in the Wash. DC

l South wanted tougher fugitive slave laws l California’s statehood threatened balance in Senate

 Clay, Calhoun, & Webster speak in favor of compromise

 Clay, aided by Stephen Douglas, proposed a series of compromises l Supported a more effective fugitive slave law

 Calhoun sought to protect slavery, return runaways, & restore political balance l Died during the debate

 Webster’s 7 th of March Speech: l Slavery could not exist in the West since cotton could not l Supported compromise with South

 William Seward of New York led fight against slavery & compromise l Believed in a “higher law” (God’s moral law) l Influenced President Taylor against compromise

 Taylor threatened to use troops against Texas if they moved against New Mexico

 At the height of the debate, President Taylor died (of Cholera?)  VP Millard Fillmore took over l Signs compromise measures

President Millard Fillmore

The Compromise of 1850

For the North: For the North:  California entered the Union as a free state  Territory claimed by Texas went to New Mexico  Slave trade abolished in DC

 Remainder of the Mexican Cession divided into two territories (New Mexico & Utah) & open to popular sovereignty For the South:

 Stronger Fugitive Slave Law passed  Texas received $10 million in compensation for land

Fugitive Slave Law (1850)  Abolitionism given huge boost  Seen as appalling by North l Slaves could not testify & denied jury trial

l Heavy fines & jail time for aiding & abetting runaways  Harriet Tubman & Underground Railroad continued to help slaves escape to the North & into Canada

 Massachusetts sought to nullify the law  Some states passed “personal liberty laws”  South upset about northern refusal to carry out the law

 Why did delaying war aid the North? l 10 year window to expand economy & sentiment for Union cause l 1850s controversies convinced northerners to resist secession

Election of 1852  Democrats nominate dark horse candidate Franklin Pierce l Weak former military officer in Mexican War, but without enemies

l Pro-South northerner & agreed with the Compromise of 1850, including the Fugitive Slave Law

 Whigs nominates Winfield Scott over President Fillmore & Daniel Webster

 Whig party split over the issues of the Compromise of 1850  Pierce won 254 – 42  Election marked the death of the Whig Party

Franklin Pierce Democrat Franklin Pierce Democrat 1852 Presidential Election General Winfield Scott Whig General Winfield Scott Whig John Parker Hale Free Soil John Parker Hale Free Soil

1852 Election Results

President Franklin Pierce

Pierce & Expansionism  Trans-Isthmus Canal l West coast ports created the interest l Nicaragua considered the ideal site

 Clayton-Bulwar Treaty (1850) l British also have interest in a canal l Conflict with the Monroe Doctrine l US & Britain agreed to no exclusive control of a canal

 Asia l Commodore Matthew Perry sailed his black ships into Tokyo Bay “opening” Japan to trade

Commodore Matthew Perry

 Cuba l Spain turned down Polk l : Slave owning adventurers send “filibusters” to Cuba in failed attempt to gain the island for the US

 Ostend Manifesto (1854) l US ministers to Fr., Engl. & Sp. sent an ultimatum to Spain – sell Cuba or lose it by force l Info leaked out & northern outcry embarrassed Pierce administration

Railroad Dreams  Mexican Cession created a drive to build a transcontinental railroad  Debate: Should there be a southern or northern route?

 1853: Sec. of War Jefferson Davis sent James Gadsden to Mexico to purchase land south of the Gila River  Santa Anna sold area for $10 million

 Gadsden Purchase upsets many northerners  Southern route was flatter & the territory already organized

 Northern railroaders now sought to organize Kansas to make a northern route feasible

Kansas-Nebraska Act  Senator Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois wanted a northern train route terminating in Chicago

“The Little Giant”

 Proposed legislation to split the Nebraska Territory into two sections: Kansas & Nebraska l Slavery open to popular sovereignty l Violated Missouri Compromise of 1820

 Douglas’s oratory & Pierce’s support rammed the bill past northern opposition  Missouri Compromise repealed in the process

 Northern Reactions: l Missouri Compromise was sacred pact l Fugitive Slave Law died l Abolition movement grew l No longer willing to compromise later

 Southern Reactions: l Angry at North for trying to control Kansas l Shattered Democratic party

 Law wrecked Compromises of 1820 & 1850  Considered to be main short-term cause of Civil War

 Republican Party l Formed in response to Kansas-Nebraska Act l 2 nd political party overnight l Not allowed in South

 Northern Whigs  Northern Democrats  Free-Soilers  Know-Nothings (Nativists)  Other miscellaneous opponents of the Kansas-Nebraska Act  Northern Whigs  Northern Democrats  Free-Soilers  Know-Nothings (Nativists)  Other miscellaneous opponents of the Kansas-Nebraska Act Birth of the Republican Party, 1854

Assess the moral arguments and political actions of those opposed to the spread of slavery in the context of TWO of the following: Missouri Compromise Mexican War Compromise of 1850 Kansas-Nebraska Act QUICKWRITE