THE COMING OF THE CIVIL WAR

1850: The Decade of Crisis

NORTHERN CRITICISMS OF

SLAVERY

• It violates the principles of the United States & Christian religion (equality of all men) .

• Primarily the belief that all humans – slave or free – had the right to choose their own destiny & follow God’s laws.

• BUT, most did NOT believe that blacks and whites were equals & did not want blacks to have equal political rights.

SOUTHERN DEFENSE OF

SLAVERY:• Necessary to provide an adequate labor

supply• “Positive Good” since all basic needs of

slaves were met• Better than the unemployment, poverty

& crime in the North• Religion – slavery existed in Bible• Science – blacks are racially inferior

THE CONFLICT OVER SLAVERY CONTINUES …• As a result of the

land acquired from the war with Mexico in 1840s• The idea of “Popular

Sovereignty” develops:– The voters in a territory

decide whether or not slavery will be allowed in that territory

Slave Distribution

COMPROMISE OF 1850• California sought admission as a free

state – would have upset balance of power in Senate; S threatens secession

• Compromise designed by Henry Clay

• Provisions favoring the North:

– California admitted as a free state

• Free states outnumber slave states

– All future slave TRADING prohibited in Washington, D.C.

• Provisions favoring the South:

– Slave ownership still allowed in D.C.

– Stronger Fugitive Slave Law

• Designed to suppress the Underground RR

• Slave owners didn’t have to prove ownership to get slaves returned

• Slaves had no right to testify in their own behalf

• North totally opposed & passed “personal liberty laws” which forbade the capture & return of runaway slaves

Provision that could benefit either the North or the South:

• Mexican cession would be divided into 2 territories: UT & NM

• Slavery would be decided in these 2 territories by popular sovereignty

Underground Railroad• Harriet Tubman

(“Black Moses”)

• Stations, conductors, passengers

• Liberated over 300 slaves

• Master of disguises, never caught

UNCLE TOM’S CABIN• Harriett Beecher Stowe,

author

• 1852

• sold 10,000 copies in first week!

• S criticizes – exaggerated account by woman from ME; not typical story ….

• N convinced slavery would be ruin of US

KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACT

• 1854, introduced by STEPHEN DOUGLAS

• ACT PROVIDES FOR 2 NEW TERRITORIES FROM REST OF LA PURCHASE: KS & NE

• SLAVERY WOULD BE DECIDED BY POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY

• N PROTESTS! - But Act passed anyway

KANSAS-NEBRASKA ACT• 1854, introduced by STEPHEN DOUGLAS

• ACT PROVIDES FOR 2 NEW TERRITORIES FROM REST OF LA PURCHASE: KS & NE

• SLAVERY DECIDED BY POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY

• REPEALED PORTION OF MO COMPROMISE BANNING SLAVERY N OF 36’30’ LINE

• N PROTESTS! - But Act passed anyway

“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

• 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”

DRED SCOTT DECISION• SCOTT V. SANFORD,

1857• SCOTT: slave taken by

former master into free territory & then brought back into slave territory

• SCOTT SUES FOR FREEDOM saying that residence in a free territory should make him free

• ISSUE is whether slavery can legally be outlawed in the territories

• S. CT. RULES WITH SOUTH

• Holds that Scott is not citizen & has no right to sue

• HOLDS THAT SLAVES ARE “PROPERTY,” NOT CITIZENS & THUS COULD BE TAKEN INTO FREE TERRITORIES W/O BECOMING FREE

• Rules that Congress has no right to take away any person’s property rights

JOHN BROWN’S RAID• Oct. 1859• Raids federal arsenal at Harper’s

Ferry, VA• Mission is to arm & liberate slaves

& punish slave-owners & establish black republic in VA Hills

• Captured by Robert E. Lee• Found guilty of treason, hanged• Martyr to North• Reinforces South’s greatest fear &

need to protect itself from abolitionists!

"If it is deemed necessary that I should forfeit my life for the furtherance of the ends of justice, and mingle my blood further

with the blood of my children, and with the blood of millions in this slave country whose rights are disregarded by wicked, cruel, and most unjust enactments, I submit: so let it be done!" (Last speech

to the court at his trial, November 2, 1859)

ELECTION OF 1860

• DIVIDED OVER SLAVERY

• RUN 2 CANDIDATES SO THE VOTES OF THE PARTY ARE SPLIT

• RUN ABRAHAM LINCOLN

DEMOCRATS: REPUBLICAN(ANTI-SLAVERY) PARTY:

• South believes Abraham Lincoln is an Abolitionist– “A house divided against itself cannot stand; I

believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.”

• Lincoln believes no extension of slavery should be allowed

• BUT, he’s willing to leave it alone where it already exists

• Lincoln doesn’t campaign; no speeches

• WINS with all free states except NJ

SECESSION!SECESSION!• LINCOLN ELECTED - SC secedes on

basis of state’s rights• Seceding Southern states seized

federal property in their states– Only a few places remained in the

Union’s hands, including Fort Sumter• FEB. 1861 – 7 states of the Deep South

seceded– SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, TX

• ESTABLISH CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA– JEFFERSON DAVIS President

• After battle at Ft. Sumter, 4 more southern states secede:– VA, NC, AK, TN

GENERAL WINFIELD SCOTT:“Wayward sisters, depart in peace.”