The Road to the Civil War

Overview of Slavery in the United States

• Life of the Slave– On plantations an African-American culture

had emerged» Strong religious convictions» Close personal Bonds» Family played a large roll in Slave life» Cruel part of slavery families often separated» Took comfort in family» Married (not legal) also had children

Abundance of Music• Why would music be a source of

their culture as opposed to written sources?

• All helped the slaves endure• Drew strength from the bible

– Especially Moses• Why?

– Led slaves out of Egypt

– Spirituals – religious folk songs• Contained coded messages

– i.e. escape plans

Spirituals

• http://www.classicsforkids.com/shows/freedom.asp

– Listen to the Song– What might the song try to be

communicating to slaves?– How could the song be confusing to slave

owners?

Slave Rebellions

• Nat Turner – Virginia– August 21, 1831

– Led 70 followers and killed 55 white men, women, and children

– Turner was captured, tried, and hung

Nat Turner

Results• What do you think some of the

results might have been?• Whites take revenge• Kill nearly 200 slaves• Pass Harsh laws• African Americans can not have

weapons or buy liquor• No religious services unless a

white present.

Abolition – The movement to end slavery

• Most northern states had outlawed slavery (1804)

• Congress bans the importation of slaves (1807)

– What have we already learned about the life of the slave that might show us why this law would not anger the South?

The Liberator – 1831

• Abolitionist newspaper published by William Lloyd Garrison

– Hated by many for his views• 1834- grabbed by a mob from his house and

they had all intentions of hanging him– The mayor stepped in and saved his life

William Lloyd Garrison

Liberator

Other Famous Abolitionists

• Frederick Douglass– Escaped slave– Made a career

speaking for the Massachusetts Slavery Society

– Also published an anti-slavery newspaper

Other Famous Abolitionists

• Sojourner Truth– Escaped Slave– Spoke out against

slavery gaining huge crowds all across the north.

The Underground Railroad

• What do you think most people who visit stops along the Underground Railroad today are most disappointed with?

• An above ground series of escape routes from the South to the North

• Slaves hid by day in places called stations– Stables, attics, and cellars served as stations.– Traveled by Night– Led by people called Conductors

• How might this name be misleading to slave owners trying to recover their escaped slaves?

Most Famous Conductor• Harriet Tubman

– Escaped Slave– Took 19 dangerous

journeys to free slaves

– Carried a pistol • Also carried medicine

to quiet crying babies– Why might this be

necessary?

• $40,000 bounty offered for her capture.

“I never run my train off the track and I never lost a passenger”

What was Harriet saying?

Status of the New States• North – Primarily Anti-Slavery – Industrialized

very little need for slave labor• South – Primarily Pro-Slavery – Large fields

and Plantations requiring far more labor then available in this section of the U.S.– Causes tension between the two sections

of the United States – Especially in government

– Nation was growing and adding new states and territories» What do you think would be the biggest

fight over these new areas?

Nationalism• A feeling of pride,

loyalty, and protectiveness toward your country.

Nationalism

•Give some examples of nationalism

Sectionalism• loyalty to the interests

of your own region or section of the country, rather then to the nation as a whole.

Sectionalism

•Think of some examples of sectionalism

Missouri Compromise (1820)

• Missouri wants to be admitted as a state.–What battle will arise in congress?

• Should Missouri be a free or slave state.

–The debate in congress waged on forever.

Missouri Compromise• Henry Clay’s (Kentucky) Proposal

– Maine also wants admission

– Maine is admitted as a free state and Missouri is admitted as a slave state• The balance of power remains

– Also called for a ban of slavery north of Missouri in the rest of the Louisiana territory.

– Bill passes Congress

Wilmot Proviso - 1846

• Proviso – A stipulation or provision

• Following the Missouri Compromise the slave debate cooled until war with Mexico broke out in 1846.

– Northerners feared that Southerners wanted to take territory from Mexico in order to extend slavery.

Wilmot Proviso• David Wilmot’s (Pennsylvania) Plan

– Outlaw slavery in any territory that the United States may acquire as a result of war with Mexico.

• Southern View– Congress has no right to stop them from

bringing slaves into any of the territories» Slaves were property and the Constitution

gave equal protection to property rights» Bill is unconstitutional

Wilmot Proviso

• David Wilmot’s Plan (Cont.)– Bill split congress

• What does congress consist of?

• How do you think congress was split?

• The Bill passed in the House but not in the Senate.

Free Soil Party - 1848

• Although the Wilmot Proviso never became law it did have on important effect.– The Creation of the Free

Soil Party

Free Soil Party• What do you think the name refers to?

• Dedicated to the stopping of slavery

• Theme: “Free Soil, Free Speech, and Free Men”

– Evaluate this motto

• Won 10 congressional seats in 1848.

• Made Slavery a key issue in national politics.

Critical Thinking

•What else have we learned that made slavery a national issue?

The Compromise of 1850

• California wants to be admitted as a state.–What question do we know the debate will be over in congress?

Compromise of 1850

• Henry Clay’s Plan– What else have we learned that

Henry clay was responsible for?

– Needs to please both sides.• North

– California would be admitted as a free state and the slave trade would be abolished in Washington DC

Compromise of 1850

• Henry Clay’s Plan– South

• Congress would pass no laws regarding slavery for the rest of the territories won from Mexico and stronger laws would be passed to help slave holders recapture slaves.

Compromise of 1850

• The regional bickering had grown tiresome and both sides felt compromise was best for the Union

• Stephen Douglass (Illinois) was given the job of making sure the bill passed. He did and the bill became law.

• Critical Thinking – Will this bring an end to the slavery debate?

Results

• Fugitive Slave Act – 1850– Congress promised the South to

as a part of the Compromise of 1850 to pass harsher laws regarding the capture of runaway slaves.

• People accused of being a fugitive could be held w/o an arrest warrant.

Results

• Fugitive Slave Act (cont.)– Had no right to a jury trial.

• Aren’t these conditions unconstitutional? Then why could congress pass such a law?

• Federal commissioners ruled on each case.– Received $5 for releasing a slave and $10 for

releasing slaves to their slaveholder– How do you think this effected the decisions made

by commissioners?

Results

• How do you think Northerners reacted?

– Resentment

– As a part of the law they were required to help recapture runaways

• Non-cooperative Northerners faced fines• Those who helped slaves faced jail time

Kansas-Nebraska Act - 1854

• Congress debates what to do with the Nebraska Territory.

• Stephen Douglas’s Plan– What has Douglas already done?– Split the territory into two new

territories:• Nebraska• Kansas

Kansas Nebraska Act

• Douglas proposed that Popular Sovereignty would rule.

– Popular Sovereignty – a system where the residents vote to decide an issue (in this case slavery).

Kansas Nebraska Act

• This law would eliminate the Missouri Compromise, which was wildly unpopular.

– Why?

• The Bill passed even though it angered those who opposed slavery

Critical Thinking

• What situations can you see arising in these two new territories as a result of this new law?

Results

• Bleeding Kansas– Settlers rushed to Kansas

• More were anti – slavery• Pro slavery factions Feared they may lose

the vote so they had five thousand Missourians vote illegally. – Kansas legislature becomes flooded with

officials who were pro-slavery– How might the anti-slavery faction react?

Bleeding Kansas

• Anti-Slavery Reaction– Boycotted Kansas’ government and

formed their own.– How will the pro-slavery faction react?

• A mob attacks Lawrence– Destroyed the offices and house of the

anti-slavery governor.– “Sack of Lawrence”

• Who now has to react?

Bleeding Kansas

• John Brown – Extreme Abolitionist– What does that mean?

• Along with 7 others attacked their proslavery neighbors

– Killing 5– “Pottawatomie Massacre”

• Civil war breaks out in Kansas hence the name Bleeding Kansas.

Other Results of The Kansas-Nebraska Act

• Formation of the Republican Party

– Whig Party Split• Southerners for the Law –

Northerners Against It• This time there was no room for

compromise

Other Results of the Kansas Nebraska Act

• Formation of the Republican Party– Blamed the Violence on Democrats

and choose John C Fremont as their presidential nominee – A young handsome man famous for exploring the west.

• Republicans were so unpopular in the South that Fremont’s name would not even appear on the Ballot.

Other Results of the Kansas Nebraska Act

• The Election of 1856– Democrat: James Buchanan

– Republican: John C Fremont

– American: Milliard Fillmore• His name should look familiar

• What post had he already held?

Other Results of the Kansas Nebraska Act

• Became two separate elections– North: Buchanan vs. Fremont– South: Buchanan vs. Fillmore– Buchanan carried most of the South and won

several northern states winning the election.• What are some interesting things about James

Buchanan as President?

– Fremont won 11 states proving that the Republican Party would be a strong force in the North.

Responses to Slavery

• Uncle Tom’s Cabin– 1852 – Published

by Harriet Beecher Stowe

– Expressed the moral issue of slavery in a highly dramatic way.

• What does it mean to dramatize?

Responses to Slavery

• Uncle Tom’s Cabin• Wildly popular in the North• Southerners felt that the book falsely

criticized the South and slavery.

Responses to Slavery

• Dredd Scott Decision– Slave in Missouri who

sued for his freedom• Court decided that

because Scott was not a citizen he had no right to sue.

• As a result, Republicans began to accuse Democrats of wanting to legalize slavery in all US states and territories

Lincoln-Douglas Debates

The Debate

• Source: Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)

Lincoln-Douglas Debates• Stephen Douglas was the

incumbent Senator from Illinois.– What does incumbent mean?

– What do we know about Douglas?

• The Republicans run Abraham Lincoln for the Senate seat.

Lincoln Douglas Debates

• The two debated all across Illinois

• Douglas won reelection– In defeat Lincoln became a national

figure and strengthened his standing in the Republican Party.

• Where have we seen this situation before; Democrats win but Republicans gain all the momentum?

John Brown’s Raid - 1859

• What was John Brown already responsible for?

• The Plan– Capture the weapons housed in the US

arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia.– Have slaves arm themselves and fight for

freedom

John Brown’s Raid

• October 16, 1859– Brown and 18 followers – 5 of whom were

black – captured the arsenal• Brown spread the word but no slaves joined

– The U.S. Marines attacked Brown• Some of his men were killed and 6, including

Brown, were captured.• Tried for treason and murder

– Hung for his crimes.