The Move towards War

Slavery issue rears its ugly head

Wilmot Proviso

Wilmot Proviso- David Wilmot a Dem rep from Penn

a. any territory the US gains from Mexico shall not have slavery

1. Passes in the House but fails in the Senate

Compromise of 1850

1. California admitted as a free state2. New Mexico have no restrictions as to

slavery3. Settle New Mexico/Texas border

dispute4. Slave trade in Washington DC

abolished5. Fugitive slave law passed

Fugitive Slave Act

a. slave catchers only need point out runaways

b. federal commissioners try the case c. one white witness was all that was needed

to return them to the south ($10 paid to the court for a verdict in favor of slave catcher and $5 for the accused)

d. required federal marshals to assist in catching runaways

e. marshals could deputize private citizens to help and those that refused could be jailed

Underground railroad

Series of stations to CanadaHarriet Tubman

Kansas Nebraska Act 1854

Proposed by Stephen Douglas of Illinois 1. Idea of Popular sovereignty- Popular Sovereignty- proposed by Lewis Cass

of Michigan a. citizens of each new territory be allowed to

choose whether they wanted slavery or not 1. democratic 2. removed the issue from national politics 3. but still did nothing for the rights of slaves

2. This would mean that both Kansas and Nebraska lying north of the line, the Missouri Compromise would be repealed

Lewis Cass Stephen Douglas

Bleeding Kansas

Lawrence Kansas is burned by proslavery groups

John Brown- and his son’s slaughter 5 pro slavery family members

Jayhawkers-

Jayhawkers- where it was adopted by militant bands affiliated with the free-state cause. These bands, known as "Jayhawkers", were guerilla fighters who often clashed with pro-slavery groups from Missouri known at the time as “Border Ruffians". After the Civil War, the word "Jayhawker" became synonymous with the people of Kansas

Border Ruffians-Bushwhackers-

Border Ruffians-Bushwhackers- pro-Slavery activists from the Slave state of Missouri, who in 1854 to 1860 crossed the state border into Kansas Territory, to force the acceptance of slavery there

http://www.learn360.com/ShowVideo.aspx?ID=142648

Violence on the Floor of Congress

Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts is assaulted by Representative Preston Brooks for speeches against slavery and its proponents

Charles Sumner Preston Brooks

Dred Scott Case

Dred Scott sues for his freedom as a result of living in a free state of Illinois and Wisconsin

Dred Scott

Court Rules

Roger B. Taney1.He is Still a slave2. He can not sue because he is not a

citizen3. Slaves were property and the 5th

amendment prohibits taking away property without due process

Congress had no power to prohibit slavery in the new territories and the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional and so was popular sovereignty