The 1850s:

1
The 1850s
Road to Secession
2
Mexican Cession and issues

• The Mexican War brought to the forefront the
  issue of slavery because the new territories
  would have to be organized as slave states or
  free states
• Wilmot Proviso tried to state that all the new
  territories could not become slave states
• This enrages the southern fire-eaters and
  they rally to protect their institution
• Debate over these new territories threatened to
  rip the country apart along North-South Sectional
  lines

3
Two-party System

• The Democrats and Whigs actually served as a
  means to achieve national unity
• As catch-all parties, they had followers in both
  the North and South and this allowed for a loose
  national unity through peoples party allegiance
• However, if the political parties were to split
  along sectional North-South lines due to the
  slavery issue, the country would be ripped apart
  and it would be difficult to maintain the Union

4
Election of 1848

• James Polk only decided not to run for a second
  term to health issues due to chronic overwork and
  also chronic diarrhea (gross)
• Democrats choose Lewis Cass as a second straight
  dark horse candidate
• Democrats generally silent on slavery in their
  platform, but Cass was not. He openly advocated
  for popular sovereignty.
• Idea that the people of a territory should decide
  themselves if they should be free or slave state.
  

General Cass, also Known by his critics
as General Gass and they also said that Cass
rhymes with Jackass
5
Popular Sovereignty

• Positives
• Was in line with democratic tradition of
  self-determination
• Politicians liked it because it was a pseudo
  compromise between free-soilers demands for
  abolition in the territories and also the Souths
  plea to Congress to allow slavery.
• It put the issue of slavery in the laps of the
  people and removed the government
• Negatives
• Most important issue of the day turned into a
  local issue and not a national issue
• Most importantly, the possibility that slavery
  spread and expanded

6
Election of 1848

• The Whigs nominated Zachary Taylor for president
• He never held public office and had never voted
  in a presidential election. But he was popular
  with the people from his role in the Mexican War.
• Whigs also not clear on their platform

7
Free Soil Party
Free Soil! Free Speech! Free Labor! Free Men!

• Barnburners discontented northern Democrats.
• Anti-slave members of the Liberty and Whig
  Parties.
• Opposition to the extension of slavery in the
  newterritories and supported the Wilmot Proviso.
• Also advocated federal aid for internal
  improvements and free government homesteads for
  settlers.
• They nominated Martin Van Buren for president

8
Free Soil Party

• They did not oppose slavery just on moral
  grounds. They also said that it destroyed the
  chances of free white workers from rising up from
  wage-earning dependence to the esteemed status of
  self-employment.
• Only way to achieve this upward mobility was to
  have free soil out west for white settlers
• Competing with slave labor meant lower wages for
  whites and the inability to have social mobility
  and to own property.

9
The 1848 Presidential Election Results
v
10
GOLD! At Sutters Mill, 1848
John A. Sutter
11
California Gold Rush, 1849
49ers
12
Digging for Gold in California
Many people going to California were
criminals, Lawless men, and virtueless Women. As
a result, a wave Of crime occurred.
Consequently, California Needed a strong
government To deal with these problems. They
write a Constitution, Making it a free state.
This Becomes an issue
13
The South of the 1850s

• Relatively well-off
• Fair share of nations leadership
• Zachary Taylor, majority in the cabinet and the
  supreme court, and equality in the Senate
• Cotton was expanding and prices were high,
  increasing the Souths wealth and importance
• Slavery not necessarily threatened below the
  Mason-Dixon line and the 15 slave states could
  veto any amendment.
• BUT..the admittance of California as a
  free-state had the fire eaters worried that the
  scale would tip in the Norths favor. California
  might set a precedent for all of the territories
  from the Mexican Cession

14
Fugitive Slave Law and other worries

• Texas angry over a territorial dispute in New
  Mexico
• Abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia
• Fugitive Slave Law
• Underground Railroad and runaway slaves angers
  Southern slave owners and they seek to change the
  Fugitive Slave Law of 1793 to a stricter version.
  
• In 1850, South lost roughly 1,000 slaves per year
  to runaways. Less than those who bought their
  own freedom.

15
Problems of Sectional Balancein 1850

• California statehood.
• Southern fire-eaters threateningsecession.
• Underground RR fugitive slave issues
• Personal liberty laws

16
The Compromise of 1850
17
Southern Secession

• In 1850, Southern states met in Nashville to
  discuss secession.
• Congress was forced to act.
• For the last time, the giants of the Senate, will
  make their last speeches
• Calhoun
• Clay
• Webster

18
Compromise of 1850

• Henry Clay- 73 years old, proposed a series of
  compromises. He asked for both the North and
  South to make concessions and for the North to
  accept a stronger Fugitive Slave law
• Calhoun, (to sick to speak),
• agreed with concessions, but rejected them
  because they did not give enough safeguards to
  the Southerners
• Leave slavery alone, return runaway slaves, give
  the South its rights as a minority, and restore
  the political balance.

19
Compromise of 1850

• Daniel Webster-
• Famous Seventh of March speech
• Three-hour effort
• 68 years old and suffering from liver problems
• Thinks legislating on slavery in the territories
  was dumb, slavery was not conducive to the
  southwest and these territories
• Advocated compromise, concessions and
  reasonableness to solve the issues
• Helped turn the tide in the North to comp
• promise and he could not print enough copies fo
  the speech to be sold
• Free Soilers- not happy with Webster.

20
Compromise of 1850

• Young Guard from the North needed to give their
  two-cents
• William Seward
• Freshman senator from New York
• Spokesmen for the new radical young senators from
  the North
• Argued that man should also appeal to a higher
  law greater than the Constitution in trying to
  settle the slavery issue. Believed that the
  moral law should be considered and that slavery
  was morally wrong.
• Zachary Taylor was influenced by Seward, and also
  angered at Texas threat to take Santa Fe.
  Taylor wanted to march an army to Texas and
  punish the dissenters.

21
Zachary and Fillmore

• In 1850, Taylor suddenly passed from an
  intestinal disorder.
• His vice president, Millard Fillmore took over
  the presidency. He was a New York
  lawyer-politician.
• After hearing all the arguments on the Senate
  form, he believed in the compromise and signed
  the changes into law.

22
Compromise of 1850
23
Compromise of 1850
What the North Got What the South Got
Free California New Fugitive Slave Law
Territory disputed by Texas and New Mexico became part of New Mexico Territories of Utah and New Mexico could decide slavery issue through popular sovereignty
Abolition of slave trade in District of Columbia Texas got 10 million in compensation
24
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850

• Known as the Bloodhound Bill
• Fleeing slaves could not testify on their own
  behalf
• Denied trail by jury
• Federal commissioner who handled case got 5
  dollars if runaway was freed and 10 dollars if
  they were not
• Northerners who aided a runaway slave were
  subject to heavy fines and jail sentences

25
Fugitive Slave Law of 1850

• North was so outraged at the law that it caused
  many moderates to turn to the abolitionist
  movement.
• We went to bed one night old-fashioned,
  conservative, Compromise Union Whigs and waked up
  stark mad abolitionists.
• Massachusetts made it a penal offence if any
  official tried to enforce the new fugitive slave
  law.
• Slave law was bad overall for the South. North
  became more pro-abolition and they never enforced
  the law. So South did not gain anything from the
  compromise.

26
1852 Presidential Election
v Franklin Pierce Gen. Winfield
Scott John Parker Hale
Democrat Whig
Free Soil
27
The Know-Nothings The American Party

• Nativists.
• Anti-Catholics.
• Anti-immigrants.

1849 ? Secret Order of the Star-Spangled Banner
created in NYC.
28
1852Election Results
29
The Whig Party

• After the election of 1852, the Whig party slowly
  died. A few years later , it was completely
  dead.
• Its demise brought about the scary thought of the
  death to national parties and the rise of
  sectional parties
• Whig legacy
• Two presidents, both war heroes (both died in
  office too)
• Great contribution was they upheld the idea of a
  Union and also great leaders such as Henry Clay
  and Daniel Webster (both died in 1852)

30
Expansion of Manifest DestinyPanama Canal,
Cuba, China, Japan, and Gadsden
31
Panama Canal

• Important because it allowed continuous
  Atlantic-Pacific transportation.
• In 1848, United States and New Granada (Columbia)
  worked out a treaty giving United States the
  right of transit as long as United States
  respected the neutrality of the isthmus
• In 1855, a 48 mile railroad was built connecting
  the two oceans.
• Clayton-Bulwer Treaty-Neither Britain nor United
  States would fortify or gain exclusive rights to
  a waterway across the isthmus

32
Nicaragua

• So, the South looked to Central America to expand
  slavery.
• William Walker, a Texan, raised an army and went
  to Nicaragua and made himself president 1856 and
  legalized slavery.
• However, other Central American nations formed a
  coalition and overthrew Walker.
• In 1860, he was executed by a Honduran fire
  squad.
• In 1856, President Pierce recognized Walker and
  his regime as the legitimate leaders of
  Nicaragua. In 1860, Pierce withdrew formal
  recognition after Walker was overthrown.

33
Cuba

• Also seen as a destination for plantation economy
  aned southerners coveted Cuba.
• 2 groups of several hundred men attacked Cuba
  unsuccessfully
• In 1854, Spanish officials in Cuba seized the
  American steamer Black Warrior
• Pierece pushes the issue to try to obtain Cuba
  for 120 million. If Spain refuses, U.S. would be
  justified in tacking it. This is known as Ostend
  Manifesto.
• Northerners hear of this and pressure Pierce to
  stop his shenanigans in Cuba. Some has to do
  with a very famous book at the time..

34
HarrietBeecherStowe(1811 1896)
So this is the lady who started the Civil War.
-- Abraham Lincoln
35
Uncle Toms Cabin 1852

• Sold 300,000 copies inthe first year.
• 2 million in a decade!

36
Allure of Asia

• China- Caleb Cushing sent in 1844 by President
  Tyler to gain trade concessions. He arrived in
  Macao bearing gifts in an attempt to gain access
  to trading ports in China
• Impressed by Cushing and also to have a counter
  weight power to the British, the Chinese signed
  the Treaty of Wanghia
• Signed July 3, 1844
• Most favored nation status given to the U.S. on
  all trading terms accorded to other nations.
• Extraterritoriality- Americans accused of crimes
  will be tried by Americans.
• Trade with China increased and also opened the
  doors for American missionaries

37
Commodore Matthew Perry

• Japan- under the Tokugawa Shongunate, Japan was
  isolated from western world. U.S wanted to
  change that. Also, in 1853, Japan was ready to
  trade openly again
• In 1852, Fillmore sent out Commodore Matthew
  Perry to gain trade concessions with a fleet of
  warships.
• Perry arrives on July 8, 1853 with a letter
  asking for trading rights and friendly relations.
  He promises to return a year later expecting the
  Japanese response.
• He returns in February 1854, with seven warships,
  and convinces the Japanese to sign the Treaty of
  Kanagawa
• Provided rights to shipwrecked sailors
• Coaling rights in Japan
• Consular rights

38
Gadsden Purchase

• Transportation issues were another problem of
  Mexican Cession
• Sea routes too long (through Panama or around
  South America)
• Covered wagon travel was slow and dangerous in
  the hot southwest
• Imperative to gain feasible and reasonable land
  transportation
• So the South wants a railroad going from Houston
  to Los Angeles. They also wanted to build one
  before the North to gain the wealth from it
  before the North.

39
Gadsden Purchase

• Best route was through a strip of land in Mexico
  because it by-passed mountains.
• James Gadsden negotiated a treaty ceding the land
  for 10 million dollars. Known as the Gadsden
  treaty of 1853.
• North mad because South said new Mexico was an
  already organized territory so it made sense to
  due to their.
• North counters that if this is the case, the
  Nebraska Territory needs to be organized too.

40
Kansas-Nebraska Act
41
Stephen Douglas

• Senator from Illinois, he devises a scheme to
  counter the Gadsden Purchase
• He is known as the Little Giant. Desired to
  continue West and create settlements along the
  way.
• Invested heavily in Chicago real estate and
  wanted to Chicago to be the eastern terminus of
  the Pacific railroad
• His plan was designed to attract support of South

42
Kansas-Nebraska Act

• Nebraska territory split into two Nebraska and
  Kansas
• Slavery would be decided by Popular Sovereignty
• His assumption was that Kansas would choose
  slavery and Nebraska would choose to be a free
  state
• Problem is that this scheme threated to
  contradict the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which
  made slavery forbidden north of 3630.

43
Kansa-Nebraska Act

• South liked the idea because they gained a slave
  state, possibly. President Pierce threw his
  weight behind the proposal.
• North not happy because they did not want the
  Missouri Compromise trampled on.
• This causes great harm to the relations between
  the North and South. It serves as exacerbating
  wedge issue. North did not want to see the
  Missouri Compromise repealed.

44
Kansas-Nebraska Act, 1854
45
Birth of the Republican Party, 1854

• Northern Whigs.
• Northern Democrats.
• Free-Soilers.
• Know-Nothings.
• Other miscellaneous opponents of the
  Kansas-Nebraska Act.

46
1856 Presidential Election
v James Buchanan John C. Frémont
Millard Fillmore Democrat
Republican Whig
47
1856Election Results