Prelude to the Civil War

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Prelude to the Civil War

• 1820 - 1861

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What is sectionalism?

• Sectionalism loyalty to the interests of ones
  region (section) of the country as opposed to
  nationwide interests
• In the 19th century, sectional differences
  between North and South became a major source of
  tension leading to the Civil War.

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What were the differences?
North South
Industrial Large and medium sized factories Family owned businesses Small family farms Agricultural Large plantations Small family farms Few factories
Large and medium sized cities No large cities, few medium sized cities
Relied on cheap immigrant labor Relied on slave labor
Large population, mostly in cities Smaller population, mostly on plantations and farms. 1/3 of population was slaves
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Roots of sectional conflict

• While economic differences were at the heart of
  sectional tensions, they tended to play out in
  debates over three key issues
• Slavery
• Tariffs
• States rights
• These issues became even more important as
  Americans tried to figure out what to do with
  land they had gained in the 1840s

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Slavery

• All Northern states outlawed slavery by 1860.
• Northerners wanted to ban slavery in all existing
  and new states.
• All Southern states allowed slavery felt it was
  essential for their way of life.
• Wanted to allow slavery in new territories and
  states

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Slavery
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Tariffs

• A tariff is a tax on goods imported or brought
  into the country from another country.
• North supported tariffs
• Used it to protect their industries tariffs
  made foreign made goods cost more so people would
  by American made goods

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Tariffs

• South resented all tariffs.
• They trade cotton for goods from other countries
  and tariffs raised the price of what they bought.

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States Rights

• Southerners believed in States Rights. (a
  states right to be free from unwanted federal
  control.)
• People of a state could nullify, or declare
  illegal any federal law they believed to be
  unconstitutional (or didnt like).

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States Rights

• South feared the North would pass laws that will
  hurt their lifestyle.
• Examples would be tariffs and laws to restrict or
  abolish slavery.
• Major debate emerges in U.S. Senate do
  individual states have the right to nullify a
  law?

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Sectionalism

• Sectionalism
• Issues dividing North and South
• Economy
• Population
• Way of life
• Slavery
• Tariffs
• States Rights

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Missouri Compromise (1820)

• Missouri applies for admission into Union in 1817
  as a slave statewhy is this a problem?
• 11 slave states 11 free states balanced Union
• Adding Missouri would upset the balance!
• Result representatives of Northern states want
  to ban slavery in Missouri

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Missouri Compromise (1820)

• Missouri is admitted as a slave state
• Maine is admitted as a free state
• Slavery is banned in the Louisiana Territory
  north of 36 30 (Missouris southern border)

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Compromise of 1850

• The Terms
• California admitted as a free state
• Banned slave trade in Washington D.C.
• Utah and New Mexico territories decide about
  slavery (Popular Sovereignty)
• Stricter fugitive slave law

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Compromise of 1850
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Fugitive Slave Act

• Anyone accused of being a runaway slave could be
  arrested and returned to the South
• Northerners were required to help capture
  fugitives.
• Strict penalties for helping runaway slaves

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Fugitive Slave Act
Poster Warning Escaped Slaves to avoid Police
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(No Transcript)
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Underground Railroad

• Secret network of people who hid fugitive slaves
  at great risk to themselves
• Provided slaves with shelter, food, and clothing
• Not a real railroad but used railroad words
• Passengers runaway slaves
• Conductors people who helped runaway slaves
• Stations safe houses or hiding places

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Map of the Underground Railroad Routes often Used
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Underground Railroad

• One of the most famous conductors on the U.R.
• Former Slave ran away as a teenager
• Said to have helped 300 slaves escape to freedom
• Southern authorities put 40,000 bounty on her
  head

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• Uncle Toms Cabin
• Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe 1852
• Brought Slavery into the homes of Americans
• Showed that slavery was cruel and evil
• Southerners criticized the book as propaganda and
  an merely attack on southern way of life

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Harriet Beecher Stowe
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Kansas Nebraska Act --1854

• Stephan Douglass of Illinois wanted to add 2 new
  territories -- Kansas Territory and Nebraska
  Territory.
• Both were above the Missouri Compromise line so
  should be Free Territories.
• South was opposed to the new
• territories because they were to
• be free.

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Kansas Nebraska Act --1854

• To win Southern support, slavery was to be
  decided by popular sovereignty.
• Voting for or against slavery undid the Missouri
  Compromise.
• 1000s of slavery supporters entered Kansas to
  vote illegally in the election
• Kansas had 3000 citizens but 8000 total votes
  were counted.

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Kansas-Nebraska Act-1854
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Kansas-Nebraska Act-1854

• The election was thrown out and a 2nd election
  called.
• This time, anti slavery supporters moved in to
  Kansas.
• Bands of pro- and anti- slavery
• supporters roamed the
• territory terrorizing people.
• Call Bleeding Kansas
• Over 200 people die in
• the violence.

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Pottawatomie Massacre

• On the night of May 24, 1856, a small band of
  abolitionists led by John Brown murdered five
  pro-slavery men just north Pottawatomie Creek in
  Kansas.
• It became known as the Pottawatomie Massacre.

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Dred Scott Decision-1857

• Dred Scott was a slave who lived in Missouri (a
  slave state)with his master.
• He is taken with his master to live in Wisconsin
  (a free state).
• They later return to live in
• Missouri.
• Scott sues claiming that
• living in a free territory made
• him a free man.

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Dred Scott Case

• Scott takes his case to the Supreme Court and
  asks two key questions
• 1. Was he a citizen of the United States?
• Does residence in a free territory make someone a
  free man?
• Supreme Court Justice Roger B.
  Taney

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Dred Scott Case

• Question 1 NO! Slaves can never be citizens
  because African Americans are a subordinate and
  inferior class of beings
• Question 2 NO! Being in a free state does not
  make a slave free.
• Other rulings
• Slaves are property not human beings with rights
• Missouri compromise and all other agreements
  regarding slavery are illegal, only citizens of
  states can determine the slavery issues

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Raid On Harpers Ferry

• Led By John Brown- October 1856 in Harpers
  Ferry, Virginia
• Seized a federal arsenal (gun storage area)
• Planned to give the guns to slaves to use against
  Southern whites
• It doesnt work and Browns followers are killed
  or captured.
• Brown is captured, tried and hanged.
• Southerners were afraid of the idea of a slave
  uprising

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Raid On Harpers Ferry
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Raid On Harpers Ferry
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Raid On Harpers Ferry
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The Final Straw in the Road to Secession
The Election of Abraham Lincoln 1860
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The Election of Lincoln-1860

• Wins the Republican nomination for president
• Pledged to halt the further spread of slavery
• BUT said that he would not interfere with slaves
  or slavery in south
• Southerners DONT buy it

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The Election of Lincoln-1860
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Result