And Black People Were at the Heart of It (1846-1861)- Part 1

The Compromise of 1850Fugitive Slave LawsUncle Tom’s Cabin

Free Labor vs. Slave LaborMost white northerners had a paradoxical relationship with slavery; they both detested slavery and the enslaved.

For instance, they didn’t want slavery to expand into western territories, but also didn’t want slaves living among them.

The system of free labor was widely accepted by northern blacks and whites. Under this system, men and women worked for compensation.

They felt that slavery, if it moved into the territories, would destroy the ability to have a free labor system.

The Lure of the WestThe war with Mexico fulfilled Manifest Destiny aspirations, claiming half of the Mexican territory.

Westward expansion began before the war however, and the CA and Oregon territories had forbade black settlement.Interesting Fact:

The Oregon territorial constitution called for the legal whipping of blacks who settled there every 6 months until they left….

This remained in the State Constitution until 1920.

The Wilmot-ProvisoDavid Wilmot introduced a bill that would prevent slavery from existing in land acquired through war.He personally did not want slavery or black people to “taint territory that should be reserved exclusively for whites.”

This failed to become a law, but served to outrage the Southern whites who saw this as a step towards trying to outlaw slavery.Southerners saw slavery as a “positive good,” that aided blacks who were incapable of managing themselves without white support. They saw blacks as child-like.The emergence of the Free-Soil Party in 1848 also opposed the expansion of slavery and black settlers into the new territories. This party challenged the institution of slavery.

California & The Compromise of 1850The Gold Rush of 1849 brought a mass migration men to California. By 1850, there were 900 black males and close to 100 black females inhabiting California.When California applies for statehood in 1850 as a free state, white southerners were outraged and refused to allow the constitution to pass.

Henry Clay stepped in to propose a compromise which would appease both sides. The north would get California as a free state and the end of the slave trade in D.C., the south would get a tougher fugitive slave law passed.

Clay’s bill initially failed since it was bundled together and Pres. Taylor opposed the idea. When Taylor died, Millard Fillmore came into office and Stephen Douglas unbundled the bill leading to the Compromise of 1850 passing.

Fugitive Slave LawsThe Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 created resentment for black and white abolitionists since it extended slavery’s reach into the north.

The Southern demand for a stricter fugitive slave law stemmed from the success of the Underground Railroad, the personal liberty laws enacted in the north, and the assistance of northern states and vigilance groups in aiding fugitive slaves.

The law was one of the harshest ever passed by Congress:-Required U.S. Marshalls, Deputies, and citizens to aid in catching fugitives.-Failure to help = fines or imprisonment Federal Commissioners were paid $10 for every returned fugitive and only $5 for those freed. This was seen as paperwork fees by southerners while northerners saw this as bribe payment.

Fugitive SlavesWilliam and Ellen Craft escaped by disguising Ellen as a sickly white man accompanied by “his” slave to Boston for medical treatment.

Abolitionists hid the Craft’s and vigilance groups posted fliers warning Bostonians of the slave catchers and kidnappers. The Southerners left, fearing attack, and the Craft’s escaped to England.

When Federal Marshalls apprehended Shadrach, an escaped slave who became a black waiter in Boston, they brought him to a court house. A mob of black men invaded the court, led by Lewis Hayden, and helped Shadrach escape to Canada.

When the grand jury indicted 4 black men and 4 white men involved in his escape, the Boston juries would not convict them and they were released.

Fugitive SlavesWhen Edward Gorsuch arrived in Christiana, PA in 1851 to recover two escaped slaves, he was met with armed resistance by a group of black and white men.

Gorsuch refused to leave and a battle ensued resulting in his death, and many (including his son) being injured.

The slaves escaped to Canada, but Millard Fillmore sent U.S. Marines to apprehend those involved in the fight.

They were charged with treason, but these cases were also dropped due lack of evidence or support from local courts.

Fugitive SlavesAnthony Burns was a fugitive slave from VA who had escaped aboard a ship to Boston where he became a worker in a clothing store.

Burns was captured, chained, and guarded in the court house since they wanted to avoid another incident like the one that occurred with Shadrach.A mob of black and white men attempted to break him out of the court house using axes, guns, and a battering ram. In the process a deputy was killed.

President Franklin Pierce sent troops to escort Burns back to slavery. Thousands lined the streets to watch the spectacle.

After a few months, Burns freedom was purchased for $1,300 by Bostonians and he moved to Ontario.

Fugitive SlavesMargaret Garner escaped from Kentucky with seven other slaves, but they were pursued by their owner into Cincinnati.

When recaptured, Garner knowing her children would be returned to slavery slit the throat of her daughter and was disarmed before killing her other children as well as herself.

Her wish was fulfilled when a ship bringing her remaining children to Arkansas wrecked and they drowned.

She was returned to slavery and was sold in a slave market in Louisiana.

The Rochester Convention, 1853

In 1853, African American leaders gathered in Rochester, NY for a National Convention.

They discussed how they would not submit under a government that was more geared toward helping slave owners rather than the enslaved.

They also discussed the need for more unity and black nationalism, as well as a need for more economic prosperity.

They asserted their claims to the rights of citizenship, protection under the law, and the threat of immigration on economic success.

Nativism & The Know-Nothing Party

The flood of immigrants between 1820 and 1850 led to more distress among the white Americans. In 1854 along, 430,000 immigrants arrived in the U.S.

Anti-immigration, Anti-Catholic, and Anti-Alcohol ideals led to the rise of the American Party, also known as the “Know-Nothing” Party.

The party grew to a million supporters, but eventually were split over the slavery debate. This divided their power between the north and south.

Uncle Tom’s CabinHarriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin depicted slavery’s cruelty, inhumanity, and destructive powers on the family.

Her novel was written in such a way that made slavery very personal for readers who previously did not think about the institution.

Unfortunately, play adaptations later transformed Uncle Tom from a dignified character to one that wanted to please the whites. This is the origin of the pejorative term, Uncle Tome.

Conclusions•The Compromise of 1850 and subsequent

Fugitive Slave Laws increased the violence and aggressive form of abolition.

•The Northern support for fugitive slaves led to several escaping to freedom.

•The rise of racism continued, as did the people who chose to combat this trend.

•HW: Complete CH10 and work on projects.