III'Road to Ft' Sumter part II

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III. Road to Ft. Sumter part II

• The Gateway to War

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A. Struggle for Kansas

• LA Purchase/Mexican Cession were being settled
• 3630 line worked as long as states entered in
  pairs
• Missouri Maine
• Arkansas Michigan
• Florida/Texas Iowa/Wisconsin
• California was the only exception
• Territories above the Ohio River had already
  outlawed slavery by 1787
• Northwest Ordinance

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B. Kansas-Nebraska Territory

• These territories were above the 3630 line
• Both were nearing ready to enter the Union
• The South could not let these two states join
  without having 2 slave states join
• South begins to see the unfairness of 3630 line
• Above fertile farmland
• Below is arid dry

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C. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

• Authored by Stephen Douglas (IL)
• Wanted to bypass the slavery issue due to
  presidential aspirations
• Douglas introduced the idea of Popular
  Sovereignty
• People decide which side to embrace
• Takes the burden off Congress places it on the
  people
• This act eliminated the 3630line

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Reactions

• Northern
• Did not like it b/c it lost control of states
  destiny

• Southern
• Small victory
• Destiny back in the hands of the states

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D. Bleeding Kansas (1855-1856)

• Kansas becomes the 1st battleground over slavery
• Both sides had trouble getting a voting majority
  in Kansas
• Border Ruffians
• Pro-slavery
• Stuffed ballot boxes
• Intimidated anti-slavery settlers
• Violence became more commonplace in KS

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• Anti-slavery settlers began arming themselves
  with the help of Henry Ward Beecher
• Presbyterian Minister
• Brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Rifles were shipped in boxes labeled Bibles
• Beechers Bibles

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• Lawrence, KS
• Anti-slavery
• May 21, 1856, a group of pro-slavery attacked
• Free State Hotel burned
• 2 printing press destroyed
• Homes stores were ransacked
• 2 men were killed
• Pottawatomie Creek, KS- May 24, 1856
• Northern retaliation for Lawrence, KS
• Led by New England abolitionist John Brown
• Brown and a group hacked 5 pro-slavery men to
  death with broad swords
• Lawlessness in KS/Congress did nothing

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Reaction

• Northern
• Some praised Browns actions
• Most condemned them
• Determined not to be pushed out of KS

• Southern
• Outraged over lack of justice

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E. Violence in the Capitol (1856)

• Abolitionist Senator Charles Sumner delivered a
  speech in the Senate
• Crime Against Kansas
• Speech targeted two pro-slavery senators
• David Atchison (MO)
• Andrew Butler (SC)
• Accusing the two of cavorting with the harlot,
  slavery
• The speech drew the wrath of many southerners
  including Butlers nephew Preston Brooks

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• Brooks Retaliates
• Sumner was reading his mail in the Senate
  chambers when Brooks came and beat him senseless
  with a cane
• Sumner was trapped under the desk and Brooks
  broke his cane over Sumners head
• Sumner was near death
• He never full recovered
• Southerners respond be sending Brooks new canes
  inscribed Hit him again

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Reactions

• North
• Furious as no action was taken against Brooks
• Began arming themselves in the Capitol

• South
• Praised Brooks

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F. Rise of the Republican Party (1856)

• Democrats supported states rights instead of a
  strong central government
• Whigs
• Progress
• Modernization
• Internal improvements
• Strong central government
• Expansion of power

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• Democrats
• Small farmers
• Frontiersmen
• expansionists

• Whigs
• Prosperous farmers
• Manufacturers
• City-dwellers

After the compromise of 1850- Democrats became a
southern party, while the Whigs slowly began to
disappear
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Political Realignment
WHIGS
NORTH
SOUTH
DEMOCRATS
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WHIGS
NORTH
SOUTH
DEMOCRATS
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• Northern Southern Democrats start to split
• Northern Democrats support the KS-NE act
• Southern Whigs became democrats

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New Parties Form

• Free-Soil Party
• No extension of slavery
• Northern Democrats anti-slave Whigs
• Platform Stop expansion of slavery

• Know Nothing Party
• Tired of slavery issue
• Enlisted both north south Whigs
• Platform immigrants alcohol

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The Republican Party

• Began in 1856
• Anti-slavery Whigs
• Free-soil Know Nothings
• Platform Keep slavery out of the new
  territories
• Abraham Lincoln was their biggest spokesman
• Not an abolitionist
• No intention of interfering with slavery where it
  already existed

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Election of 1856
Rep John C. Freemont (western explorer)
Dem James Buchanan (pro-south PA)
Whig/KN Millard Fillmore (ex-pres)
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• Buchanan wins the election
• Last southern political victory
• Republicans become a northern party
• Rep flood the House Senate

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Reactions

• Northern
• Pleased with their political domination

• Southern
• Politically suffocated
• Secession may be only option

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G. Dred Scott Case (1857)

• Dred Scott belonged to Dr. John Emerson, a
  military surgeon
• Scott accompanies Emerson to posts in IL WI
• 1843 Emerson dies Scott is hired out by Mrs.
  Emerson
• 1846 Scott sues for his freedom, he loses but
  is allowed to refile
• 1856 Scotts case goes before the Supreme Court.
  His argument is that he lived in free states the
  majority of his life

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• Scott vs. Sanford
• Supreme Court decides to end the slavery issue
  once and for all
• Why is this a problem?
• 1857 Supreme Court rules against Scott 7-2
• Chief Justice Roger B. Taney gives majority
  opinion

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Dred Scott Majority Opinion

• African Americans can never be citizens of he US
• Slaves are personal property and therefore do not
  have the right to sue for their freedom
• Missouri Compromise is unconstitutional- Congress
  did not have the right to outlaw slavery ANYWHERE!

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Reactions

• Northern
• Condemned the decision
• Ignored Fugitive Slave Act

• Southern
• Celebrated a victory
• Slavery now protected by the 5th Amendment

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Results of the Decision

• Slavery was now legal anywhere in the US
• The only way to get rid of slavery was
  constitutional amendment
• Turned out to be disastrous for the South
• Republican party grew exponentially
• Left the united Democratic party hanging by a
  thread

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H. Lincoln-Douglas Debates (1858)

• 1858 Illinois Senate Race
• Abraham Lincoln vs. Stephen Douglas
• Limiting Slavery vs. Popular Sovereignty
• Lincoln cornered Douglas with the inconsistency
  of popular Sovereignty the Dred Scott Decision
• If Douglas sides with the Dred Scott decision, he
  loses support in the North - If he sides with
  Popular Sovereignty he loses support in the South
• Douglas won the election but lost all southern
  support

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I. John Browns Raid (1859)

• John Brown believed he was an instrument of God
  to end slavery- he decides to end slavery once
  and for all
• His plan was to lead a nation-wide slave
  rebellion- all he needed were weapons
• Harpers Ferry, VA
• Federal arsenal
• Base of operation
• Brown wanted to create a free black nation in
  South Carolina

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• Oct. 16, 1859
• 11pm, John Brown gains and several men (incl. 2
  sons) take control of the federal arsenal
• The arsenal hostages didnt cooperate and the
  slaves didnt revolt
• Military was sent in to capture Brown
• Led by Col. Robert E. Lee
• J.E.B. Stuart was with Lee
• Fighting was quick fierce
• Brown was wounded captured/ 2 sons were killed

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• John Brown was tried and convicted of treason
  sentenced to death
• Dec. 2, 1859- John Brown was hanged

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• "I John Brown am now quite certain that the
  crimes of this guilty land will never be purged
  away, but with Blood."