U.S. History 10

Were the Southern States justified in their actions leading to secession?

The Question of Slavery

The Union: the United States as one unitSecede/Secession: leave the UnionFugitive: someone who is on the run, running

away from somethingStates’ rights: the idea that a state

government should have more power than the federal government to make laws concerning that state

Antebellum: “before the war” In the U.S., this generally refers to the time before the Civil War

Key Terms

A. Fugitive Slaves1. most southern slave owners believed they had the right to retrieve their slaves from anywhere, using force if necessary2. most people in free states/territories believed that retrieving fugitive slaves was kidnapping

I. What was the controversy?

B. New Territories = Slave or Free?1. President Polk thought that people wouldn’t take slaves west, because the climate wasn’t good for the type of crops people used slaves for2. Polk later realized the seriousness of the debate, and became concerned it would tear apart the Union and the Democratic Party

A. Wilmot Proviso1. a part of a bill that would have banned slavery in all territory gained from Mexico2. Passed the House3. didn’t pass Senate4. sparked fierce debate in the Senate, with John C. Calhoun (S.C.) leading the charge.

II. Early Government Actions

B. Popular Sovereignty1. the idea that settlers in the new territories would vote to decide if their territory would be slave or free2. took the choice away from national politics

III. Political PartiesA. Whig Party Splits

1. Conscience Whigs2. Cotton Whigs

B. Free Soil Party Created1. “free soil, free speech,

free labor, free men.”

Democrat Whig Free Soil

Lewis Cass (Michigan)

Gen. Zachary Taylor Martin Van Buren

+ popular sovereignty-Wilmot Proviso

Didn’t talk about slaveryWar hero

- Slavery in new territories

IV. Election of 1848

A. Zachary Taylor wins largely avoiding the slave issue

A. The California Gold Rush1. 1848 – gold was discovered in CA2. “Forty-Niners” - In 1849 about 80,000 people rushed to CA to try to find some gold.3. New towns springing up all over CA4. Desperately needed a strong government to maintain control5. CA applies for statehood in 1849, as a free state

V. California

A. Southern secession?1. a few, radical southern politicians began talking about leaving the Union.

B. Henry Clay (KY) “The Great Compromiser” wrote a compromise that he hoped would make both sides happy1. this sparked debate in the Senate2. Sen. Daniel Webster (Mass.) very pro-Union3. Calhoun wrote speech hinting at the need for secession.

VI. Trying to Compromise

A. Congress didn’t pass Clay’s bill, b/c Pres. Taylor didn’t support it.

B. Taylor dies, Millard Fillmore becomes president

C. Sen. Stephen Douglas (IL) separates it into several smaller bills.

D. All parts passed

VII. The Compromise of 1850

Legislative Item Victory For?

California admitted to Union as free state

Clear victory for North

Popular sovereignty to determine slavery issue in Utah and New Mexico territories

Moderate victory for both sides

Texas border dispute with New Mexico resolvedTexas receives $10 million

Moderate southern victories

Slave trade, but not slavery itself, abolished in Washington D.C.

Moderate northern victory

Strong federal enforcement of new Fugitive Slave Act

Clear victory for the South

On p. 324 in book

A. Passed in 1850B. Fugitive Slaves could be captured anywhere

and sent back to their ownersC. Blacks that were accused had no right to a

trial, and were not allowed to testifyD. Federal commissioners were in charge of

deciding a person’s fate

VIII. The Fugitive Slave Act

E. Northern anger increased after the actF. Henry David Thoreau wrote about using

“civil disobedience”

A. Not an actual railroad!B. An organized system of safe houses and safe

routes to travel to help slaves escape from the South

C. Harriet Tubman: known as “Moses.” a former slave who became the most famous “Conductor” on the U. RR.

IX. The Underground Railroad

A. A novel that described the struggle of anyone involved in slavery

B. Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1852C. Sometimes called, “the little book that

caused the Civil War”

X. Uncle Tom’s Cabin

A. James Gadsden (S.C) was sent to purchase the Mesilla Valley, an area which Mexico and the U.S. both claimed as their own.

XI. The Gadsden Purchase

B. This purchase would allow the transcontinental railroad to take a southern route.

C. Purchased in 1853 for $10 million.D. Established the southern border of the U.S.

with Mexico

A. Many in Congress wanted a transcontinental railroad built across the U.S.1. southern congressmen wanted it to start at New Orleans2. Northern congressmen wanted it to start in Chicago

B. Railroad wasn’t completed until after the Civil war (1869), but Congress knew they had to organize the Nebraska territory before they could build it.

XII. The Transcontinental Railroad

A. Passed in 1854B. Split Nebraska territory into two (Kansas

and Nebraska)C. Repealed Missouri CompromiseD. Slavery would be decided by popular

sovereignty.

XIII. The Kansas-Nebraska Act

E. Bleeding Kansas1. New England Emigrant Aid Society: Northern group founded to aid anti-slavery people a way to settle in Kansas2. “border ruffians:” pro-slavery people (mostly from Missouri) who rushed in to Kansas to settle.3. by 1856, both sides had created their own government for Kansas.

4. violence became common between the two sides, including a battle in Lawrence, Kansas.

5. Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner is caned in his senate chamber, after a debate on Kansas.

A. Whigs and Democrats were split along geographical lines

B. Coalitions formed between different parts of different parties1. The Republican Party formed as a coalition of people who wanted slavery to stay out of the new territories

XIV: Crisis causes new political parties

Republicans Democrats American Party“Know-Nothing Party”

John C. Fremont James Buchanan Millard Fillmore

-Former explorer-Wanted Kansas as free state

-Congressman -Ambassador to G.B. and Russia-Wanted to make concessions to the South-Campaigned that only he could save the Union

-Former President

XV: The Election of 1856

A. James Buchanan wins1. mostly because people in the North and South thought he could preserve the Union

A. Buchanan tried to keep both sides happy and calm.

B. Dred Scott Decision1. Dred Scott v. Sandford case in Supreme Court2. Dred Scott = slave3. Scott was a slave in Missouri, but his owner took him to free territory to live for a while. He sued, saying he should have been freed in free territory4. Court rules against him, saying that the U.S. Gov’t doesn’t have the right to declare territories “Free Soil”5. Northerners were VERY upset.

XVI. More Sectional Tension

C. Kansas (again)1. Pro-slavery faction writes the Lecompton Constitution, legalizing slavery, and applying for statehood (1857)2. Senate votes to allow Kansas as slave state3. House refuses to allow Kansas as slave state4. they decide to have another referendum in Kansas – and the voters reject the Lecompton Constitution5. Kansas doesn’t become a state until 1861

A. 1858 Senatorial election in Illinois1. Democrat – Stephen A. Douglas (incumbent)2. Republican – Abraham Lincoln

B. Lincoln suggests a series of public debatesC. Lincoln declares, “A house divided against

itself cannot stand.”D. Lincoln does a great job of getting the

Republican Party’s ideas heard.E. Lincoln, and the Republicans are opposed to

slavery.

XVII: Lincoln-Douglas Debates

A. Very motivated AbolitionistB. Had been active in KansasC. 1859 – planned to seize a federal arsenal in

Harper’s Ferry, VA. 1. wanted to free local slaves2. wanted to start an insurrection against slaveholders

D. He and 18 men successfully captured arsenalE. Colonel Robert E. Lee was sent with a

contingent of U.S. Marines from Washington, and captured Brown and his followers.

XVIII. John Brown

F. Brown was tried and hanged for his offenseG. Southerners became more paranoid about

slave uprisings, using Brown as “proof” that the North was trying to cause trouble.

John Brown Intro

JB_01_Intro.asx

What happened at Harper’s Ferry?

What happened in Kansas?

Was John Brown a religious zealot?

Is violence against the government ever justified?

Why didn’t John Brown use nonviolence?

Was John Brown a murderer?

Was John Brown insane?

Would slavery have ended anyway?

Ending 1

Ending 2

A. John Brown’s legacy1. southern fear of slave uprisings increased2. southerners blamed Republican Party

XIX. The Election of 1860

B. The Democratic Party Splits1. northerners wanted to use popular sovereignty2. southerners wanted Dred Scott decision upheld3. couldn’t agree on one nominee for president4. finally agree on Stephen Douglas5. southerners who disagree leave and form their own convention

Republican Northern Democrats

Southern Democrats

Constitutional Union

Abe Lincoln Stephen Douglas

John Breckenridge

John Bell

-No slavery in new territories- right of Southern states to keep slavery-Denounced John Brown-Pro transcontinental railroad-Homestead law for western settlers

-Supported popular sovereignty

-Wanted Dred Scott decision upheld- federal slave code for western territories

-Many hoped that a Lincoln win would cause South to secede

- Campaigned on upholding the Constitution and keeping the Union together

The Election of 1860

C. The split Democratic party allowed Lincoln to win.

D. Southerners saw this as a victory for abolitionists

A. Dec. 1860 – South Carolina votes unanimously to secede

B. By Jan. 1861, 6 more states seceded:AlabamaMississippiFloridaGeorgiaLouisianaTexas

XX. Secession

C. Lincoln not President yet. (March 4, 1861)D. Buchanan didn’t really do anything to stop

secessionE. Feb. 1861: The Confederate States of

America is born in Montgomery, AL.1. former Mississippi senator, Jefferson Davis is elected the first president.

F. The Confederate Constitution1. much like the U.S. Constitution, except:

- protected slavery- each state was independent- 6 year term for President- banned protective tariffs

A. Crittenden Amendments1. proposed amendments 2. protects slavery in South3. outlaws slavery in North4. allows slavery in all southern territories5. Lincoln rejected it, and compromise fails

XXI. Futile Attempts at Compromise

B. Peace Conference in Washington, D.C.1. seceded states don’t show up2. no working plan developed

A. Inaugural address makes intentions to keep Union together clear.

XXII. Lincoln becomes President

XXIII. Fort Sumter (Charleston, S.C.)