The Civil War: Final Straws

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The Civil War Final Straws

• The events in the 1850s that led to the most
  deadly war in our history

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U.S. Civil War 1861-1865

• This war is important for many reasons but two
  stand out above all others
• Most destructive war in U.S. History
• War that ended slavery in U.S.

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What were the final straws?

• I will teach you that there were 8 Final straws.
  This PPT discusses the first 4.
• Most of the last events happened in the 1850s,
  but
• To understand the issues you have to go back to
  1820 or earlier and see how the growth of the
  nation increased the slavery debate.

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Missouri Compromise (1820)
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Why the Missouri Compromise?

• When Missouri wanted to enter the US as a slave
  state, it would create one more slave state than
  free state.
• Maine is created as a free state to keep the
  slave-free balance intact.
• In addition, a line was drawn across the US at
  36 30. All land to the North was supposed to
  enter the US as free states.

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Missouri Compromise (1820)
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The Problem of California

• When the Gold Rush hit, CA had enough people to
  be a state by 1849, but
• It was both North and South of the Missouri
  Compromise line.
• WOULD IT BE SLAVE OR FREE?

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What each side got

• North gets
• California is a free state.
• Trading slaves (though not slavery) is now
  illegal in Washington D.C.

• South gets
• A much stronger fugitive slave law made
  Northerners turn over runaway slaves or face
  penalty.
• New Mexico and Utah got to choose slavery or not,
  even though Utah north of Missouri Comp. line.

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The Compromise of 1850
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Fugitive Slave Law Details

• Constitution said that runway slaves were to be
  returned, but ignored in North
• New Law stronger-- Southerners could take
  suspected runaways to judges (instead of juries
  who may be anti-slavery) and try to prove they
  were slaves
• Judges paid 10 if they found captive to be
  slave, 5 if they found him/her to be free
• Anyone proven to help runways (or not trying hard
  enough to return slaves) could be jailed or fined.

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A few historical footnotes

• This was the last act of three major figures
  Henry Clay (KY), the great compromiser, Daniel
  Webster (MA), and John Calhoun (SC).
• With their deaths, it was harder to find
  politicians who were willing to compromise.
• The compromise almost didnt happen. President
  Taylor opposed it as interfering with slavery,
  but when he died, his replacement, Millard
  Fillmore, approved it as a compromise that would
  keep the nation together.

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The Hopes of the Compromise

• Clay hoped everyone would be somewhat happy with
  what they got
• Clay hoped this could keep the peace over the
  slavery issue and solve the slavery issue for the
  next 30 years, like Missouri compromise of 1820
  did.

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The reality of the compromise

• All sides were angry with what they didnt get.
• Anti-slavery people wanted slavery ended, or at
  least NO FURTHER EXPANSION.
• Pro-slavery people feared that CA would tip the
  balance in the Senate to ban slavery everywhere.
• Result Compromise solves nothing.

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Final Straw 3 Uncle Toms Cabin

• Harriet Beecher Stowe book from 1852
• Written as response to Fugitive Slave Act, which
  Stowe hated because it involved North even more
  in slavery.
• Tom is the older slave at center of the book-
  anti slavery, but also stereotyped
• Shows the horrors of slavery, suggests that true
  Christians should end slavery

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Images of the book
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Impact of Uncle Toms Cabin

• Hugely popular in North and world
• Published in every major language at the time.
• Best selling novel of 1800s and second most
  popular book over all
• When President Lincoln met Stowe supposedly said
  So you are the little lady who started the war.
• Made into plays, etc.

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Anti-Tom Reactions

• Pro Slavery Southerners hated the book
• Complained that she didnt know what she was
  writing about, that she made stuff up
• Sword and Distaff and Planters Northern Bride
  were Southern novels published in 1853 as
  response showing how slavery really was good.

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Extra Background Two big parties of the early
1850s

• Democrats
• Party of Andrew Jackson with links to Jefferson
• Pro-farmer/ common man
• Anti-bank and business, big government, tariffs
• Pro-states rights, mostly pro slavery,
  pro-expansion (manifest destiny) esp. in South
• Pro-individual freedom over government required
  reform
• Anti fed gov-unless they were in charge of it!

• Whigs
• Formed against Jackson in the 1830s, but linked
  to Hamilton
• Pushed for federal government to spend money
  connecting nation, help businesses grow
• Pushed for Federal government laws helping
  temperance, prison reform, and education
• Opposed expansion by war
• Pro cities
• Mixed on slavery

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Last Straw 4 Kansas Nebraska Act (1854)

• Remember that the Gold Rush was happening. There
  was an idea to build a railroad to go across the
  US to help trade and travel.
• Three versions of this railroad
• A northern route that went through Chicago to
  Oregon or San Francisco
• A middle route from Memphis to LA
• A southern route from New Orleans to San Diego

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Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)

• Steven Douglas (Dem-Illinois) wanted the railroad
  to go through his state. (Northern Route)
• Southerners offered a deal
• if Douglas could change the rules that banned
  slavery in the unorganized lasts west of
  Missouri, theyd support his railroad plan

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Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)
Kansas and Nebraska open to slavery if people
in territory vote for it (Popular Sovereignty)
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Reactions to Kansas Nebraska Act

• President Pierce, Southerners, and Northern
  Democrats support Act and get it passed.
• Northern anti-slavery people furious that land
  north of the line was now open to slavery.
• Race to get to Kansas before the vote--slave or
  free?

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Kansas-Nebraska Further Shakes things up

• Birth of Republican Party (1854)
• Anti-slavery people wanted a new party to stop
  the expansion of slavery, and didnt feel Whigs
  or other smaller existing parties were working
  well.
• Formed the Republican Party largely on the
  slavery issue, but kept other Whig ideas

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Whigs completely fall apart

• In 1854, Whigs dissolve.
• Many northern whigs (called conscience whigs)
  join the Republicans
• Many southern whigs (called cotton whigs) join
  the Democrats.

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A Peek at whats coming Election of 1856