1. The Impact of the Kansas-Nebraska Act
destroyed the Whig Party
nearly destroyed the northern wing of the Democratic Party
negated treaties with Indians removed to Kansas in the 1830s.

2. “BLEEDING KANSAS” Virtually no slaves in KS
Both N & S determined to have KS
Pro-slavery Missourians move in, elect territorial legislature & allow slavery
Antislavery settlers hold their own election & denounce slavery
Two govts in KS in 1856
Proslavery forces attack antislavery areas – 5 killed

3. JOHN BROWN - vigilante
May 1856
Pottawatomie Creek
Brutally murdered 5 pro-slavery men in retaliation for 5 killed by them
Leads to terror, mayhem from both sides
Brown goes into hiding
Over 200 dead by then
Becomes known as “Bleeding Kansas”

4. The Politics of Nativism
Concurrent with sectional pressures came an outburst of anti-immigrant feeling
Reformers were appalled by the influx of Irish into American cities
Former Whigs formed the "Know Nothing" or American Party
prevent what they saw as a takeover by the immigrants.
But the Know-Nothings succumbed to sectional divisions

5. From One Party to the Next
Know-Nothings
Republican
Young men
White-collar & skilled blue-collar
Native-born Protestants
Afraid that if Catholic was voted into office, Pope would be who they answered to
“I know nothing”
Combined many characteristics of the Whigs
Expansionists
Free-soil
Willing to tolerate slavery where it already existed
Merchants & industrialists
Question remained: which new party would emerge the stronger?

6. ELECTION OF 1856 WHIGS DISSOLVED, 2 new parties:
Americans -- the Know-Nothings
Millard Fillmore
anti-immigration; national party
adopt slavery stance of either section
Republicans
former Free Soilers, Whigs
sectional party - N only
Gen. Fremont: “Free soil, free speech, and Fremont”

7. DEMOCRATS BUCHANAN WINS OMINOUS ELECTION:
James Buchanan –non-controversial
Support KS-NE Act & Compromise of 1850
But never voted on the KS-NE Act
Was ambassador to Britain at the time
BUCHANAN WINS
Republicans dub him “Doughface”
OMINOUS ELECTION:
SHOWS SECTIONAL VOTING
DEMOCRATS TAKE S
REPUBLICANS TAKE N

9. James Buchanan #15 Democrat VP – John Breckinridge Very well organized
Practiced law
Only bachelor president
Adopted niece served as hostess
The girl he had given his heart to broke off engagement
Will blame the Republicans for the secession
“If you are as happy, my dear sir, on entering this house as I am in leaving it and returning home, you are the happiest man in this country.”

10. Caning of Senator Sumner
The violence of “Bleeding Kansas” spilled over into the halls of Congress
1856, Senator Charles Sumner (MA) verbally attacked the Democratic administration
“The Crime Against Kansas”
Included personal charges against Senator Andrew Butler (SC)
Was not present at time of speech to defend himself
Butler’s nephew, Preston Brooks, defended his uncle’s honor
“Dueling was too good for Sumner, but a cane was fit for a dog.”
North: outraged, voted to censure Brooks
South: applauded him, sent him numerous canes to replace the one he broke beating Sumner
Incident was another sign of growing passions on both sides

11. DRED SCOTT DECISION
SCOTT V. SANFORD, 1857
SCOTT: slave taken by former master into free territory (WI) & then brought back into slave territory (MO)
SCOTT SUES FOR FREEDOM
RESIDENCE IN FREE TERRITORY MADE HIM FREE
ISSUE: whether slavery can legally be outlawed in the territories

12. Case is heard only 2 days after Buchanan takes office
Head of the court is Chief Justice Roger Taney (southern Democrat)
Wanted to settle the issue of slavery once and for all
Instead, he will only make the problem worse
S. CT. RULES WITH SOUTH
HOLDS THAT SCOTT IS NOT CITIZEN & HAS NO RIGHT TO SUE
Framers of the Constitution did not intend people of African descent to be US citizens
HOLDS THAT SLAVES ARE “PROPERTY,” NOT CITIZENS & THUS COULD BE TAKEN INTO FREE TERRITORIES W/O BECOMING FREE
Could not take away a person’s property without due process of law
RULES THAT MISSOURI COMPROMISE BAN ON SLAVERY N OF 36’30’ LINE WAS ALWAYS UNCONSTITUTIONAL
If slaves were property, the Congress could not exclude slavery from any federal territory

13. Republican Fallout
For the Party, the Dred Scott decision represented a challenge
Without the Missouri Compromise, the free-soil foundation of the party was gone
To challenge a Supreme Court decision however was not to be taken lightly
Abraham Lincoln & William Seward
Accused Buchanan conspired with the southern Supreme Court
Withheld the decision until after the presidential election
“The next Dred Scott decision”
Legalize slavery in all states, including free

14. Lecompton Constitution
One of Buchanan’s first challenges as President
Southern legislature of Kansas submits a proslavery constitution
Did not have the majority support of settlers
Buchanan asked Congress to accept the constitution & admit Kansas as a slave state
Would have made the number of free & slave states equal in congress
Congress denies the request
Led by Stephen Douglas
Violated the principle of popular sovereignty
The next year, 1858, the document will be defeated by the majority of Kansas settlers (antislavery Republicans)
Would eventually be admitted as a free state in 1861

15. The Panic of 1857 Short depression lasting from 1857 to 1858
Ohio investment house failed
Usually it would take weeks for the nation to find out
Telegraph makes it known almost immediately
Major Cause: sharp, but temporary, downturn in agricultural exports to Britain
Effected cotton exports less than northern exports
Proof that King Cotton was superior

16. LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES
THE LITTLE GIANT
12 yrs. in Senate; Democrat
excellent negotiator, hoping to be President
Would probably be last hope of keeping North & South together
built career on idea of popular sovereignty
But, opposed to extension
believes blacks inferior
STEPHEN DOUGLAS

17. ABRAHAM LINCOLN Not an abolitionist Republican 1 term in House of Rep
Lawyer; brilliant debator; sincere
Believes no extension of slavery should be allowed
BUT, leave it alone where it already exists
Also believes blacks inferior
“A house divided against itself cannot stand; I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.”

18. Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Debates will attract tremendous interest
Douglas accused Lincoln of favoring social equality of whites & blacks
Lincoln accused Douglas of supporting policies that would spread slavery everywhere
Douglas will win the senate seat
BUT…established both Lincoln & the Republican Party as contenders for nat’l power
RESULT: shows that the slavery question had divided Americans, but that they hoped to use their democratic institutions to heal the rift

19. JOHN BROWN’S RAID
OCT. 1859
RAIDS FEDERAL ARSENAL AT HARPER’S FERRY, VA
MISSION IS TO ARM & LIBERATE SLAVES & PUNISH SLAVEOWNERS
CAPTURED BY ROBERT E. LEE
HE & 6 FOLLOWERS FOUND GUILTY OF TREASON AND SENTENCED TO HANGING
MARTYR TO NORTH
“Glory, glory, hallelujah! He soul is marching on.”
REINFORCES SOUTH’S FEAR & NEED TO PROTECT ITSELF FROM ABOLITIONISTS

20. The Road to Secession
Republicans did well in the midterm elections of 1858
Alarmed southerners
Worried about anti-slavery plank
Worried about pro-north economic program
Republican victory in 1860 would spell disaster

21. CONSTITUTIONAL UNION PARTY:
ELECTION OF 1860
CONSTITUTIONAL UNION PARTY:
DEMOCRATS:
DIVIDED OVER SLAVERY
RUN 2 Nominees:
STEPHEN DOUGLAS
N - Freeport Doctrine
Popular soveriegnty
Enforcement of Fugitive Slave Law
VP BRECKENRIDGE
S - Dred Scott
Extension of slavery in territories
Annexation of Cuba
LEFTOVER WHIGS, KNOW-NOTHINGS, & MODERATE DEMOCRATS
SENATOR JOHN BELL
Enforcement of laws & Constitution
Preserving the Union

22. ELECTION OF 1860 REPUBLICANS: ABRAHAM LINCOLN
S believes he is an abolitionist
Opposes extension of slavery in any of the territories
Lincoln doesn’t campaign; no speeches
Name won’t even appear on 10 southern ballots
WINS with all free states except NJ
A “minority President”
Only 39.8% of the popular vote
Shows the reality that the populous free states had enough electoral votes to select a president w/out the need for a single electoral vote from the South
True winner: sectionalism

23. Abraham Lincoln #16 Republican VP – Hannibal Hamlin
He was born in a one-room Kentucky log cabin
“Honest Abe”
Self-schooled
Not an abolitionist, but believed slavery was morally evil
Will be assassinated in the Ford’s theater by John Wilkes Booth

24. SECESSION! LINCOLN ELECTED - SC SECEDES on basis of state’s rights
FEB Deep South has seceded
SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, TX
NORTH DID NOT THINK THEY WOULD SECEDE
Had threatened too many times before

25. The Confederate States of America
February 1861
Montgomery, Alabama
Representatives of 7 states met to create the constitution
Similar to the US Constitution
Limits on gov’ts power to impose tariffs
Limits on gov’t to restrict slavery
President – Jefferson Davis (SC)
VP – Alexander Stephens (GA)

26. Northern Response to Slavery
Buchanan had become a “lame-duck” president
Didn’t do much to prevent the Southern secession
Senator John Crittenden (KY) proposed a constitutional amendment
Guaranteed the right to hold slaves in all territories south of the 36’30 line
Last ditch effort to appease the South
Known as the Crittenden Compromise
Lincoln did not accept
Violated the Republican position against extension of slavery

27. Southern Secession Beliefs
Those who voted for secession believed they were acting in the tradition of the Revolution of 1776
Argued that they had a right to a national independence
Had the right to dissolve a constitutional compact that no longer protected them from “tyranny”
Though that Lincoln, like Buchanan, might permit secession w/out a fight
They were wrong…..