1. AMERICAN HISTORY

2.  1850—Slavery had existed for over 200 years  By 1790—more than 90% of enslaved Americans lived in the South  The developing debate over slavery was largely one of property rights vs. human rights  “Shall the Government be a commonwealth where all are citizens, or an aristocracy where man owns his brother man”

3.  After the Mexican-American War more than 500,000 square miles of territory were add  Would new states created be free or slave?  Missouri Compromise of 1820 had banned slavery in most of the northern part of the Louisiana Purchase  March 1850—California applies to be a state  Currently 15 free states and 15 slave states

4.  California’s population in 1850 was 93,000  Residents adopted a state constitution banning slavery and applied for statehood  January 29, 1850—Henry Clay introduces a plan in which he proposes compromises on several slavery issues  The Senate debate was one of the greatest in history—Daniel Webster (MA) vs. John C. Calhoun (SC)

5.  Calhoun indicated that states might secede from the Union if the slavery question was not resolved  Webster was dismayed by Calhoun’s threat of secession. He believed that preserving the union was more important then the disagreement over slavery  Not all northern senators agreed with Webster

6.  NY Senator William Seward opposed any compromise on slavery  Seward was labeled a RADICAL (person with extreme views)  Debate on Clay’s proposal dragged on through the summer  Calhoun’s death March 31 removed one obstacle  President Zachary Taylor opposed Clay’s plan

7.  President Taylor died a few months later  President Millard Fillmore supported the plan  September 1850—The Senate passed 5 laws that became the COMPROMISE OF 1850  FUGATIVE SLAVE ACT—a federal crime to aid runaway slaves; allowed the arrest of escaped slaves in states where slavery was illegal

8.  UNCLE TOM’S CABIN  Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe  300,000 copies were sold  Described the cruelty and horror of slavery  The book outraged southerners

9.  Clay and Webster both die within 2 years  Stephen Douglas (Sen-IL) gained power and influence  Popular Sovereignty—people decide  Kansas and Nebraska would be allowed to determine whether slavery was legal or not

10.  Northerners protested the Kansas-Nebraska Act  SHIFTS IN POLITICS  Whig Party was suffering from serious divisions  Conscience Whigs—northern Whigs—opposed slavery on moral grounds  Cotton Whigs—(north and south) strongly supported slavery

11.  Cotton Whigs joined southern Democrats  Conscience Whigs joined northern Democrats and Free Soil Party members to form a new political party to further resist the spread of slavery  THE RISE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY  Rally held at a church in Ripon, WI February 1854  Republican Party born

12.  The party’s new name adopted @ Jackson, MI meeting  End of 1854—Republican groups were operating in states across the North  Members of the Know-Nothings also joined Republicans  Relationship between Republicans and Know- Nothings kept one prominent Whig out—William Seward

13. SSeward joined Republicans in 1855 after being re- elected to the Senate AAnother, much less famous, northern Whig politician joined the Republicans also. HHis name was Abraham Lincoln. TTHE END