Drifting Toward Disunion

1854 - 1861

Stowe 1852 – Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s

Cabin which showed the cruelty of slavery Helped start the war

“So you’re the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war.” – Lincoln

South believed it as an “unfair” indictment Countless readers Stowe had never witnessed

slavery first hand in the Deep South

Hinton R. Helper 1857 – Wrote The Impending Crisis of the South

Nonaristocratic white from NC Attempted to prove that nonslaveholding whites were

the ones who suffered the most from slavery Book was banned in the South Distributed by the Republicans in campaign literature

The Contest for Kansas Popular sovereignty was not working

New England Emigrant Aid Company sent 2,000 Free-Soilers into Kansas

Pro-slavery “Border Ruffians” crossed the border from Missouri

Southerners had agreed with the Kansas-Nebraska Act believing that Kansas would be slave & Nebraska would be free Few slaves were

brought to Kansas

Kansas Election 1855 – “Border Ruffians” poured in from

Missouri to vote early & often Slave supporters triumphed Set up their gov’t at Shawnee Mission Free-Soilers set up their gov’t in Topeka

One gov’t based on fraud, the other on illegality

1856 – Problems begin A gang of proslavery raiders shot

up & burned part of the free-soil town of Lawrence

Prelude to a bloodier tragedy

John Brown & Civil War in Kansas

John Brown – obsessively dedicated to the abolitionist movement “Old Brown” led a band of his followers to

Pottawatomie Creek – May 1856 Hacked to pieces 5 surprised men – proslaveryites Brought retaliation from the proslavery forces “Bleeding Kansas”

Civil War in Kansas – 1856 Continued until it merged with

the Civil War 1861-1865

Kansas Applies for Statehood 1857 – Kansas applies for statehood Lecompton Constitution

Vote for or against constitution as a whole, but not for the constitution either “with slavery” or “with no slavery”

If they voted against slavery, one of the remaining provisions would protect the owners of slaves already in Kansas

Supported by President/ opposed by Douglas Divided the Democratic Party

Many free-soilers boycotted the polls Slaveryites approved the constitution with slavery

Problems in the US Senate Senator Charles Sumner - Massachusetts

leading abolitionist Disliked by other senators Gave a speech,

“The Crime against Kansas,” condemning slavery

Referred insultingly to SC & Senator Andrew Butler from SC

Congressman Preston Brooks–SC Resented the insults to his

state & senator

Sumner-Brooks Clash May 22, 1856

Brooks beat Sumner over the head with his cane until it broke

No one interfered

House of Rep. could not get enough votes to expel Brooks He resigned Later reelected

Sumner – reelected couldn’t serve

for 3½ years

Results of Sumner-Brooks Increased support for Republican Party South was angry because Sumner’s speech

was applauded in the North Emotion was displacing thought

Election of 1856 Democrats – James Buchanan

Penn lawyer & former minister to London Platform - popular sovereignty

Republicans – John C. Frémont Platform – against extension of

slavery into the territories

Know-Nothing Party – Millard Fillmore Nativists – antiforeign & anti-Catholic

Electoral Fruits of 1856 Buchanan won election Why were the Republicans defeated?

Violent threats of southerners that the election of a sectional “Black Republican” would be a declaration of war on them, forcing them to secede

Many northerners that depended on the South for their financial gain, voted for Buchanan

The Dred Scott Bombshell March 6, 1857 – Supreme Court ruled The Case

Dred Scott, a slave, had lived with his master for 5 years in free territory

Sued for his freedom Basis – because of his long residence on free soil

The Ruling Scott was a slave & not a citizen. Therefore, he

could not sue in federal court Chief Justice Taney went further:

Slaves were property & could be taken to any territory (5th Amendment)

Can not deprive people of property without due process

Ruled that Compromise of 1820 was unconstitutional Congress had no power to ban slavery from the territories

Reactions to the Ruling Republicans were infuriated

Ruling was opinion, not a decision

Southerners were inflamed by all of the defiance by the North Applauded by pro-slavery southerners

Financial Crash of 1857 Causes of the crash:

CA gold helped to inflate the currency Too much grain production Frenzied speculation in land & railroads

Over 5,000 businesses failed within 1 year

Effects of the Crash

North was hardest hit South was well off - proof that cotton was king North demanded free farms of 160 acres from

the public domain Land should be given as a reward instead of sold Opposed by:

Eastern industrialists – would cause workers to move out West

South – slavery would not flourish/ free farmers would fill up the territories

Homestead Act 1860 – vetoed by Buchanan

Push for higher tariff rates Tariff of 1857 – reduced duties by 20%

Lowest point since War of 1812

Many blamed low tariff for problems Push to increase tariff for protection

Gave the Republicans 2 surefire economic issues for the election of 1860 Protection for the unprotected Farms for the farmless

Douglas & Lincoln Senator Douglas’s term was up & Lincoln

decided to run for his seat Lincoln

Lawyer – “Honest Abe” Served 1 term in Congress 1847-1849 After the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act,

he emerged as one of the foremost politicians & orators of the Northwest.

Why is that?

The Great Debate Lincoln challenged Douglas to

a series of debates Debate in Freeport, Ill

Most famous Lincoln asked the following:

“Suppose the people of a territory should vote down slavery? The Supreme Court in the Dred Scott decision had decreed that they could not. Who would prevail, the Court or the people?”

(Freeport Question) What was the response?

Douglas’s Response Freeport Doctrine

“No matter how the Supreme Court ruled, slavery would stay down if the people voted it down.”

Territorial legislatures could keep slavery out despite Supreme Court’s decision.

Douglas defeated Lincoln Senators were chosen by state legislatures at this

time. Lincoln emerges as a possible presidential

candidate Douglas’s opposition to the Lecompton Constitution

& defiance of the Supreme Court at Freeport, hurt his chances of being president

Review – what is LeCompton Const?

John Brown Involved in “Bleeding

Kansas” His scheme:

Invade the South secretly with a handful of followers

Call on slaves to rise up Furnish slaves with

weapons Establish a black state as

a sanctuary

Raid at Harper’s Ferry

October 1859 John Brown & his followers seized the federal

arsenal in Virginia Killed 7 innocent people and injured several others Slaves did not rise up. Why? John Brown & his followers were captured by the

Marines under the command of Robert E. Lee

Brown was convicted of murder & treason Was put to death

Effects of Harpers Ferry In the South:

Viewed as a murder & an apostle of treason

How could the South remain in the Union while a “murderous gang of abolitionists” were financing armed bands to “Brown” them.

Believed that the abolitionists views were shared by all Northerners

In the North: Many openly deplored

the raid Abolitionists & other free-

soilers were upset about Brown’s execution

John Brown:Murder or Martyr?

Crazy or Sane?

Democratic National Convention

Met in Charleston, SC Stephen Douglas was the leading candidate

Regarded by southerners as a traitor because of his stand on the Lecompton Constitution & Freeport Doctrine

Delegates from the cotton states walked out Remaining delegates could not decide and

convention fell apart

Democrats try again in Baltimore Northerners were still set on Douglas Cotton states walked out Remaining democrats select Douglas

Platform: Popular sovereignty Against obstruction of the Fugitive Slave Law

Southern Democrats Southerners organized a rival convention in

Baltimore Selected John C. Breckinridge Platform:

Extension of slavery into the territories Annexation of slave-populated Cuba Where else will they want to annex?

Minor Party Constitutional Union Party

“Do Nothing” / “Old Gentlemen’s Party” Made up of former Whigs & Know-Nothings Nominated John Bell from Tennessee Compromise candidate to prevent breakup of the

union at any cost

Republican Party Gathered in Chicago William H. Seward was the best candidate

Too many enemies

Abraham Lincoln was selected Fewer enemies

Platform: Nonextension of slavery – (Free-soilers) Protective tariff – (Industrialists) No abridgement of rights – (immigrants) Pacific Railroad – (Northwest) Internal improvements at federal expense – (West) Free homesteads from the public domain – (farmers) Who are they leaving out?

Election of 1860 Lincoln’s victory- Result of:

Split in the Democratic Party Formation of a third party

Divided the southern vote & gave Lincoln 40% of the vote

all in the north

Electoral Upheaval of 1860Lincoln was a minority president

He was a sectional president Not allowed on the ballot in 10 southern states

The election was virtually 2 elections One in the North & one in the South

Gave SC a reason to secedeDouglas campaigned for himself

very unusual

Election of 1860Was the South really that bad off after

the election? Politically? Economically?

The South & Secession South still had political advantages

5-4 Supreme Court majority Democratic control of Congress

15 slave states could block any constitutional amendment to abolish slavery (requires 2/3 vote)

December 1860 – SC seceded from the union, followed by 10 other southern states over the next 6 months

The Confederate States of America

First capital Montgomery,

Alabama

President Jefferson Davis from

Mississippi

South Carolina Alabama Mississippi Florida Georgia Louisiana Texas Virginia Tennessee Arkansas North Carolina

The Crisis Deepened by the “lame duck” interlude

Period between Lincoln’s election & when he took office

Pres. Buchanan believed that the southern states could not legally secede but he could find no authority in the Constitution for stopping them with guns

Wanted to hold on to any hope of reconciliation

The Collapse of Compromise Senator James Henry Crittenden of KY

Proposed the Crittenden Amendments(Designed to appease the South) Slavery in the territories - prohibited north of 36°30’ South of the line – slavery would be protected Future states – north or south of the line, could come into

the union with or without slavery, as they should choose

Slavery would be protected in southern territories regardless of popular sovereignty

Rejected by Lincoln – would result in war against every people, tribe, & state owning land

Reasons for Secession Lack of political balance Upset with the success of the Republican

Party Weary of free-soil criticism, abolitionist

nagging, & northern interference Underground Railroad & Harpers Ferry

********* All reasons related to slavery*********

Farewell to Union Most southerners supported secession

Believed that the Yankees would not fight Why?

View as a way to end their vassalage to the North Could now establish their own banks & shipping/

trade industry with Europe Impulse of nationalism Principles of self-determination

Few if any southerners believed they were doing anything wrong

The states voluntarily entered the Union & they could voluntarily leave the Union. Do you think they were right?