Events leading up to the Civil War

Review of Friday

Wilmot Proviso: document stating that slavery and involuntary servitude were not allowed

Free Soil Party – antislavery northerners that supported no slavery in any new territory added

Secede – formally withdraw from Union What states did that?

Missouri Compromise: Cali – free state Mexican Cession – federal land Texas give up land east of Rio

Grande Slave trade – no more in capital More effective fugitive slave law

passed Fugitive Slave Act passed:

crime for runaway slaves Uncle Tom’s Cabin – fictional

story about slavery, riled up the northerners

Kansas – Nebraska Act: divide LP into 2 territories, vote on slavery

Bleeding Kansas – abolitionists and pro-slavery clash

Political Parties Undergo Change

Republican Party: a political party united against the spread of slavery in the West John Fremont – little

experience James Buchanan:

democrat Great deal of experience Great Britain ambassador

during Kan-Neb act

Dred Scott Decision

Dred Scott – slave of Dr. Emerson Dr. Emerson died, Scott became

slave of wife Scott sued for freedom Court ruling: African Americans

whether free or slave were not considered citizens of the United States, and therefore had no right to sue in federal courts. The Missouri Compromise was also ruled unconstitutional.

Dred Scott Decision

Courts reasoning: Chief Justice Roger B. Taney wrote in the majority opinion that the Court did not believe that African Americans were included in the constitution’s definition of citizens and that they, “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect.” Addressing a side issue in the case the opinion also stated that Congress could not outlaw slavery in the territories.

Fair? Not fair? Why or why not?

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Historic debate between presidential candidates

Lincoln stressed central issue – spread of slavery, wanted to stop it Felt African Americans

were entitled to “natural rights”

Douglas criticized Lincoln and felt the nation could not be half and half

Freeport Doctrine

Notion that the police would enforce the voters’ decision if it contradicted the Supreme Court’s decision in the Dred Scott case

Put the slavery question back into the hands of the American citizens

Good idea? Bad idea?

John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry

Raid began when Brown and his men took over the arsenal in Harper’s Ferry

Wanted to start a slave rebellion

Brown was ordered to be hanged for this uprising

Effective or not? What do you think?

Election of 1860

Constitutional Union Party – recognized no political principals other than the Constitution of the country, the Union of the states, and the enforcement of the laws John Bell

Democrats – John Breckinridge Republicans – William Seward, leading

candidate, chose Lincoln, appealed to more party members

Election of 1860

The South Secedes

Southerners Reaction: people in south believed their economy and way of life would be destroyed without slave labor

South seceded: Confederate States of America Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia,

Louisiana, and Texas, South Carolina

Questions to Answer from notes1. What was the major issue of the newly formed

Republican party?2. Who was Roger B. Taney?3. Why do you think James Buchanan won the election

of 1856?4. What was the major issue of the Lincoln-Douglas

debates?5. Why did John Brown want to seize the arsenal on

Harper’s Ferry?6. Why do you think some abolitionists disagreed with

what John Brown did?7. What states made up the Confederate states?