1. Slavery & secession
Pre-Civil War

2. 4 Views of Slavery 1- Abolish slavery immediately
2- Make progress towards abolishing slavery (but not immediately)
3- Slavery is a “necessary evil” (either for political or economic reasons)
4- Slavery is perfectly acceptable
[video]

3. William Lloyd Garrison
Radical abolitionist
In his newspaper, The Liberator, he argued for “immediate” abolishment of slavery
Famous for burning the Constitution
Not all abolitionists agreed with Garrison’s extreme actions; opponents obviously really disagreed with him
[video]

4. Nat Turner Revolt
Nat Turner was a Virginia preacher who encouraged a slave rebellion that ended up killing about 60 people
Southerners blamed Garrison for the revolt
[video] rebellion

5. Positive Steps Forward for Abolitionists
The Liberty Party was formed (an abolitionist political party)
The “underground railroad” was effective
Harriet Tubman = helped about 300 slaves escape to freedom through the underground railroad
[Tubman Video]

6. The Wilmot Proviso
This law “would have” made the new territories added from the Mexican War (Guadalupe Hidalgo Treaty) to be free states
After being debated in the House of Representatives, the Senate rejected it—ending the proviso

7. The Election of 1848
Two major parties: The Whig Party and the Free-Soil Party
The Whigs were indifferent towards slavery
The Free-Soil politicians were against slavery
Presidential winner of 1848: Zachary Taylor

8. Compromise of 1850
Key Question: How to preserve the Union with the split opinion on slavery?
Daniel Webster gave a famous, “Seventh of March Speech” which argued that there could be no “peaceful secession”
^ Why is this speech important to your teacher?
Also of note: The powerful Zachary Taylor died in office during the summer of 1850, making Millard Fillmore president
[video]

10. Kansas-Nebraska Act
[Video]
[TED Video]
The Missouri Compromise was…compromised
The South got Kansas (slave state)
The North got Nebraska (free state)

11. “Bleeding Kansas”
As a reaction to the slave/free state controversy with the Kansas-Nebraska Act, spontaneous violence arose in Kansas—killing about 200 people

12. The Republican Party
This party was form in 1854 to oppose the extension of slavery
This was a coalition of Whigs, Free-Soilers, and Democrats (remember, these parties were not identical to today’s Democrat-Republican relationship)

13. Dred Scott
Dred Scott had traveled with his owner from the slave state of Missouri to the free states of Illinois and Wisconsin.
HOWEVER, before his owner died, both had returned to the slave state of Missouri
Scott’s Claim: Since he had lived in free states before returning to Missouri, he was now a free citizen
Court’s Ruling: (1) Slaves are not allowed to sue (2) The Missouri Compromise (barring slavery in certain states) was unconstitutional. Therefore, Scott was not free.
[Video]

14. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates
The “Little-Giant,” Stephen Douglas debated against the 6 ft. 4 “Honest Abe,” Abraham Lincoln for the fight to become a Senator of Illinois.
Douglas was an incredible speaker; Lincoln was perceived by some as being very weak. However, it has been told that Lincoln’s honesty helped him win favor.
Deciding factor: slavery. Lincoln spoke out against it in his debates (though his personal thoughts are questionable), while Douglas tried to keep the issue up to the states.
The Outcome—Douglas won the seat in the Senate, but Lincoln would later win the presidency.

16. john Brown’s Raid
John Brown was a radical abolitionist who tried to take over the South in order to destroy slavery
He claimed to be called by God to destroy slavery
His plan: To give the slaves weapons, establish a republic in the mountains of Virginia, and then invade the South to free all slaves
He led a gang of 18 men into Harper’s Ferry, Virginia and seized a federal armory. However, the state militia captured him and was hanged for treason and conspiracy.
[video]

18. “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”
Author Harriet Beecher Stow published this novel to describe the abuses of slave life
In the North, many people read the book. It became so popular that even plays were based on it, causing more and more people to oppose slavery.

19. The Election of 1860
Although there were more political parties back then, the major candidates were (a repeat of the 1858 Illinois election) Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln.
The winner: Abraham Lincoln (the Republican Party’s first president)
[video]

20. Southern Secession
Soon after the presidential election, South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union.
Others quickly followed: Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas
The Southern Confederates chose a president: Jefferson Davis
[link] urces/declarationofcauses.html

21. Days of Crisis
The president could not do anything to keep the South from seceding
Some Northerners believed that the South could secede if they chose; others did not grant the South that right
Lincoln’s inauguration address: “I have no purpose directly or indirectly to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists.”
ALL attempts at compromise would fail…