The Sectional Crisis: Political Events of the 1850s

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The Sectional Crisis Political Events of the
1850s
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• Directions You and your group will present the
  life and work of an abolitionist to the class.
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• FIRST Read the materials you were given. You all
  have one secondary source and one primary source.
  Take notes about the important aspects of the
  persons life and work.
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• SECOND Write a few sentences of background
  information about the person. Pay close attention
  to the events in his or her life that influenced
  their belief system about slavery.
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• THIRD Write a few sentences about the persons
  activism about slavery. What type of activism was
  he or she involved in and how successful was he
  or she?
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• FOURTH Pick an excerpt from the primary source
  you were given that you feel best describes the
  persons beliefs. You will teach the class this
  excert and make sure they understand what this
  person is saying. Give me the excerpt so I can
  include it in the class handout that will be
  filled out during each presentation.
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• The Compromise of 1850
• WHY was a compromise needed?
• 15 free states 15 slave states in 1849 and
  California was attempting to enter the Union.

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• What did each side want?
• John C. Calhoun versus Daniel Webster
• Who tried to work out a compromise?
• Henry Clay

• NORTHERN STATES WANT
• Slavery abolished in Washington D.C.
• California as a free state.

• SOUTHERN STATES WANT
• Western territories open to slavery.
• Enforcement of fugitive slave laws.

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• What were the final terms of the compromise?
• California admitted as a free state.
• Utah and New Mexicos status to be determined by
  POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY.
• Sale of slaves outlawed in Washington D.C.
• New and improved Fugitive Slave Act with strict
  enforcement.
• What Senator sealed the deal on the Compromise?
• Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois (the Little Giant)

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• II. The Kansas-Nebraska Act
• WHAT A bill to divide Kansas and Nebraska. It
  would repeal (nullify) the Missouri Compromise
  and establish popular sovereignty in each state
• WHO The Little Giant Stephen Douglass
• WHEN and WHERE 1854 in the senate
• WHY Now that the Missouri Compromise was
  nullified, the senate needed to figure out a new
  way to determine if new states would be free
  states or slave states.
• popular sovereignty
• Each state should be able to vote to become
  either a slave state or a free state.

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• II. Bleeding Kansas
• WHO
• The Border Ruffians were Missourians who entered
  Kansas illegally to vote for it (Kansas) to
  become a slave state.
• WHEN Between 1854-1861

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• WHAT
• John Brown and his men killed 5 pro-slavery men
  at their homes. Brown believed he was called by
  God to fight slavery.
• Senators also became violent. Sen. Charles Sumner
  was beaten nearly to death by a congressman on
  the floor of the U.S. Senate.
• WHY The debate over the expansion of slavery was
  becoming the most important issue in the country.
  Bleeding Kansas revealed that the problem may
  only be solved with fighting.

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• III. Dred Scott v. Sanford
• WHO
• Dred Scott was a slave from Missouri who was
  moved to free states with his owner. Sanford was
  his owner.
• WHAT
• 2 issues- Was Scott a citizen of the U.S.?, Did
  residence in a free state make Scott a free man?
• WHEN (was the case decided)?
• March 6, 1857
• WHERE (was the case heard)?
• The Supreme Court
• WHO issued the court decision?
• Roger B. Taney
• WHY did the court decide the way it did?
• The court said that the Constitution protected
  property and that slaves were the property of
  owners even if they were in a free state.
  Northern states felt their rights were being
  violated.

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• IV. Lincoln-Douglas Debates
• WHO Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglass were
  running for Senator from the state of Illinois
• WHEN and WHERE
• There were seven outdoor debates In 1858
  throughout Illinois.
• WHAT was the difference between the two
  candidates positions on slavery?

• LINCOLN
• Believed slavery was immoral
• Believed it needed to be outawed in the
  territories to stop its spread.
• Tries to reveal the fact that Douglas popular
  sovereignty views would ensure the spread of
  slavery.

• DOUGLAS
• Believed in Popular Sovereignty.
• Thought slavery would die out on its own.
• Tried to make Lincoln look like an abolitionist.

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• WHY were the debates important?
• Douglas won the Senate race.
• BUT, the Democratic party became weaker and split
  because of the slavery issue.
• AND it drew national attention to Abraham
  Lincoln, making him a nationally famous figure in
  the Republican party.

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• The Raid on Harpers Ferry
• What (was the point of the raid)?
• To steal weapons from the U.S. arsenal and then
  arm slaves as part of a rebellion.
• When (did the raid take place)?
• October 16, 1859
• Where (was Harpers Ferry)?
• Virginia
• Who (organized and executed the raid)?
• John Brown
• Why (did the raid fail)?
• No slaves rebelled with him, local militias
  fought back, and the U.S. Marines swooped in and
  captured Brown
• What happened to John Brown?
• He was tried, convicted, and hanged for treason.

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• Lincoln the Election of 1860
• WHO and WHY
• The Republican party chose Lincoln because
• His reputation was fresh, new, and respected.
• He seemed more moderate than original
  front-runner William H. Seward.
• Lincoln wanted to stop spread of slavery, but he
  promised the South that he would not interfere
  with their slaves.
• WHO ELSE?
• Republican Party- Abraham Lincoln
• Southern Democratic Party- J.C. Breckinridge
• Constitutional Union Party- John Bell
• Northern Democratic Party- Stephen A. Douglas

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• WHAT did each of the candidates running for
  president believe about slavery?
• Lincoln- halt the spread, keep slavery in the
  south
• Breckinridge- Supported Dred Scott decision
• Bell- ignored slavery completely
• Douglas- supported popular sovereignty
• WHO won the election? Where was his support
  from?
• Lincoln won and his support was from the free
  states in the north.
• No southern states voted for him and many did
  even not put him on the ballot.

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• WHY was the election so important?
• The South believed they had lost their voice in
  government.
• South Carolina seceded (quit, dropped out) just a
  few days after the announcement of Lincoln as the
  winner.
• By inauguration day, 7 states had dropped out of
  the Union and formed their own country, called
  the Confederate States of America.