The Nation Divided

Homework: What issues reopened slavery? Think back to chapters 12 &13 and create a list

Do Now: Have out key terms and people (page 482) What was the Wilmot Proviso?

• Slavery and the Mexican – American War– Maintaining the balance

• Between 1820 and 1848 – 8 new states were admitted– 4 slave and 4 free– Totals of 15 slave and 15 free states

• Remember the Missouri Compromise?– It did not apply to the lands claimed after the

Mexican-American War• Wilmot Proviso– David Wilmot of PA proposed this law– Congress ban slavery in all territory that might

become part of the U.S. as a result of the M-A War.» It passed in the house (population) and failed in

the senate (equal)– Wilmot Proviso never became law, but it was

viewed as an attack on slavery by southerners

An Anti-Slavery Party Free Soil Party

Formed on the basis of the Wilmot Proviso – they wanted to stop the spread of slavery – especially in the newly acquired territory from Mexico

3 candidates run in the election of 1848 Democrats – Senator Lewis Cass of Michigan Whigs – General Zachary Taylor (hero of the M-A

War) Free Soil – former president Martin Van Buren

Democrat votes are split between Van Buren and Cass This allows Taylor to win

• A Bitter Debate– California’s Gold Rush– With the inflow if gold seekers – California had

enough people to become a state– Both sides realized that the admission of California

would upset the balance between free and slave states

– Northerners• Argued that CA become a free state because most of

the land there was north of the Missouri Compromise line

– Southerners• Knew that another free state would upset the balance

in the senate– They would be unable to block laws like the Wilmot

Proviso• Began threatening to secede from the union

– Other issues dividing the North and South• Northerners– Wanted the slave trade abolished in Washington D.C.

• Southerners– Wanted fugitive slave laws

» Would force the return of runaway slaves to their owners

– Henry Clay• Presents a series of proposals to deal with the issue• This sparks one of the greatest debates in

American history• John C. Calhoun– Argues against the compromise– The admission of CA as a free state leaves only 2

solutions for the South» 1 – an amendment protecting states rights must be

passed OR…» 2 – The South would leave the Union

Daniel Webster Argues in support of the compromise He calls for an end to the sectionalism that divides

the country Argues for Clay’s proposal in order to preserve

the union

Homework: Complete classwork (page 492-493)

Do Now: Take out Key terms and people page 486

• The Compromise of 1850– In September 1850 Congress passes 5 bills

based on Clay’s Proposals– Zachary Taylor had opposed the compromise, but

he died in 1850– Millard Fillmore took over the presidency and signed

the bills into law

– To Please the North• CA would be admitted as a free state• Slave trade would be banned in Washington D.C.

– To Please the South• Popular sovereignty would decide slave issues in

other new states from the Mexican Cession• Southerners got a tough new Fugitive Slave Law

Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 Allowed government officials

to arrest ANYONE accused of being a runaway slave

The accused had no right to a trial – no way to defend themselves

All that was required was a witness to swear that the individual “was a slave”

Law also required northern citizens to help capture accused runaways if authorities requested assistance

Outrage in the North Northerners were upset to

see people accused of being fugitives lose their freedom Many African Americans fled

to Canada to escape being accused

Many Northerners resisted the laws

Calhoun had hoped that the law would force northerners to admit that slave owners had rights to their property Calhoun was wrong – it convinced more northerners that

slavery was evil

Uncle Tom’s Cabin Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Daughter of an abolitionist minister Book was written to show the nation what a

horrible thing slavery was Focused on a fictional tale of Uncle Tom – a kind slave

who suffers cruelty from his owner Simon Legree Book was a best-seller in the North

Southerners called it Propaganda False or misleading information to spread or further a

cause They claimed it did not give an accurate portrayal of

the lives of slaves

Open to page 492-493. Read the excerpts from Uncle Tom’s Cabin Identify the main characters and describe

themNotice how the author presents the

characters, what does Stowe really think of the slavetrader? How do you know?

The Kansas-Nebraska Act Nation moved closer to war after Congress

passes the KS-NE Act in 1854 Proposed by Stephen Douglas

Wanted to form two new territories – Kansas and Nebraska

Southerners objected The two new territories were in areas closed to

slavery When they became states they would be free

To win southern support, Douglas proposed popular sovereignty in the territories

Because of this proposal, the act passed in Congress

It was signed into law by Franklin Pierce, (D – 1852) According to Pierce ‘the question of slavery would be

forever banished from the halls of Congress’

• Bleeding Kansas– Both pro and anti slavery settlers flooded into

the new territory of Kansas• Each side was determined to hold a majority when

it was time to vote– Thousands of MO residents entered Kansas on

election day– KS only had 3,000 residents but 8,000 votes were cast

to elect a legislature» In that legislature, 36 of the 39 elected were pro-

slavery• Anti-Slavery settlers refused to accept the results– They held a second election– KS now had 2 governments each claiming a right to

impose their government on the territory

Growing Violence In April 1855 a pro-slavery sheriff was shot when

he tried to arrest some anti-slavery settlers in Lawrence A month later he returned with 800 men and

attacked the town Three days after the attack on Lawrence more

violence occurred John Brown led 7 men to a pro-slavery settlement

near Pottawatomie Creek and murdered 5 men and children

These incidents set off widespread violence throughout the territory

Bloodshed in the Senate Charles Sumner – Abolitionist senator from MA

Denounced the proslavery legislature in Kansas Then went on to attack southerners singling out

Andrew Butler from SC Butler’s nephew – a congressman, Preston Brooks

marched into the senate chamber and beat Sumner with a cane – Sumner never fully recovered Many southerners felt he got what he deserved

and sent canes to Brooks to show their support

No Homework

Do Now: Have out homework (section review and key people)

• A New Anti-Slavery Party– In 1854 the Whig party split apart

• Many northern Whigs joined the Republican Party– Main goal was to stop the spread of slavery in the

western territories• Republican Victories– In the 1854 elections, republicans won 105 of the

available 245 seats in congress– They also gained control of most free state

legislatures• First Republican presidential candidate– John C. Fremont (leader of revolution in California)

» He won 11 of the nations 16 free states– Defeated by James Buchanan

• Dred Scott Decision– Decision was made by the U.S. Supreme Court

• Facts of the Case– Dred Scott was a slave owned by a U.S. Army Doctor.

The doctor and Scott lived in Illinois and later in Wisconsin, both were places where slavery was illegal. Later the Doctor and Scott settled in Missouri.

– Scott, with the help of abolitionist lawyers sued for his freedom claiming that since he lived where slavery was banned, that he should be free.

– The Court Decides• Opinion written by Chief Justice Roger B. Taney– Scott was not a free man for 2 reasons

» First, he had no right to sue in federal court because he was not a citizen

» Second, merely living in a free territory did not make a slave free, slaves were property, and property rights were protected by the Constitution.

• Taney’s decision went further….– Taney said that Congress did not have the power to

prohibit slavery in any territory» This meant that the Missouri Compromise was

unconstitutional

– Reaction• Supporters of slavery rejoiced.– Decision meant that slavery was legal everywhere

• Northerners were stunned– The decision brought out many abolitionists

because of outrage– One key player was an attorney from Illinois– Abraham Lincoln

» Said that the idea that African Americans could not be citizens was based on a false view of American History

Homework: page 498 1-3

Do Now: Be ready to rpesent your “what if…” scenarios

• The Lincoln Douglas Debates– Lincoln had a brief beginning in politics

• Served one term as a representative for IL– Then returned to his law practice

– Lincoln was a long time rival of Stephen Douglas• Both politically and personally– Both men had courted Mary Todd, who married Lincoln

– A House Divided• In 1858 the Republican party chose Lincoln to run

against Douglas for the Senate– In his nomination acceptance speech, Lincoln claimed

that a nation divided by issues such as slavery cannot continue to stand

Debating Slavery Douglas held firm to his position on Popular Sovereignty

States had a right to decide what was and was not legal within their borders

Lincoln claimed that ‘if slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong’

Douglas won the election, but the 2 would face off again Both ran for the presidency later

John Brown’s Raid Brown had a plan

Lead abolitionists on a raid at Harpers Ferry Goal was to acquire guns the military had stored there Blacks would join in his uprising, and he would form an

army to lead the enslaved to freedom Brown’s plan fell short

While he took over Harpers Ferry, he and his men were soon surrounded by Col. Robert E. Lee

John Brown’s Trial Brown sat quietly as he was convicted of treason

at his trial He received a death sentence and was hung in

Virginia December 2, 1859

That day, church bells across the North rang out Many considered him a hero

Southerners were stunned How could the north support a man convicted of

treason

• The Nation Divides– Election of 1860

• Republicans nominate Abraham Lincoln• The Democratic party splits – Southern Democrats nominate Vice President John

Breckenridge– Northern Democrats nominate Stephen Douglas– A third party was formed by Southerners hoping to heal

the split between North and South, they form the Constitutional Union and nominate John Bell

• Douglas felt that Lincoln would win and pleaded with southern voters to stay with the Union no matter what happened– He was pelted with eggs and garbage as a result of his

efforts– The election showed the division of the country

• Look at the map on page 500

Southern States Secede Lincoln’s election shocked the

south They felt that a government

would move to take away their ‘rights’

On December 20, 1860 South Carolina passed a declaration In that document was stated “The union now subsisting between

South Carolina and the other states, under the name of the United States of America, is hereby dissolved”

Chapter 14 test Tuesday!

Do Now: Have out homework from last night (page 503). Compare with a partner

The Confederate States of America Six more states followed SC out of the union

Some moderates in Tennessee and Texas opposed Sam Houston and Andrew Johnson

The 7 seceding states met in Montgomery Alabama to form a new nation

By the time Lincoln took office, they had written a constitution and appointed a president – Jefferson Davis of Mississippi

• The Civil War Begins– On March 4, 1861 Abraham Lincoln became

President• He had to face the greatest crisis in the short history of

the U.S.– Lincoln tried to give assurance to the seceded

states• He said that:– I have no intention of interfering with slavery where it

exists– Warned the southern states about continuing on their

present course» Read the quote on page 501

• The south rejected Lincoln’s proposal– They took over forts, post offices, and other federal lands

• Lincoln now had to decide how to respond

– Fort Sumter• The commander of Fort Sumter refused to

surrender and turn his post over to the southern states– The southern states had cut the fort off from supplies

since December– They knew that the men inside would starve and be

forced to give up• Lincoln did not want to give up the fort either– He announced that the north was sending unarmed

supply ships to the fort• The southern states did not give them a chance to

arrive• On April 12, 1861 Confederate artillery opened

fire on Fort Sumter– This was the beginning of a Civil War

» War between opposing groups of citizens of the same country