Chapter 19 Drifting Toward Disunion, 1854-1861. Pushed to the Brink of War By 1854 – the break and disagreement between the sections of the country are.

Chapter 19

Drifting Toward Disunion, 1854-1861

Pushed to the Brink of War

• By 1854 – the break and disagreement between the sections of the country are growing wider and wider.

• Once the Fugitive Slave Law was enacted – many “fence sitters” will move to the abolitionist side.

• A major propaganda piece of literature is also written during this time period – Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

• Stowe is a member of a very active abolitionist family – her father and brother were ministers.

• Her book was to highlight the plight of the slaves (even though she had very little first hand knowledge)

• She told the story of a slave – Uncle Tom. A Christian man who held to his morals and convictions – yet was mistreated, ripped from his family, and beaten. Simon Legree will become his vicious owner.

• The book will become the best selling novel of the time period and will be the second most sold book from 1850-1860.

• Hinton Helper from North Carolina will also write an anti-slavery book – The Impending Crisis of the South. Helper’s book comes from a different perspective – he argues against the institution of slavery because it is economically hurting the poor whites in the south. His book is banned in the south but he becomes a hero in the North.

Bleeding Kansas

• Kansas will begin the process to organize move toward statehood. (The 1860 census found only 2 slaves among 107,000 people, and Nebraska had only 15 slaves). Kansas will suddenly see a number of people enter the state who did not have any reasons to really be there except for voting on the issue.

• New England Emigrant Aid Company and “border ruffians” from Missouri.

• May of 1856 – John Brown will lead a group of anti-slavery men and attack a pro-slavery group at Pottawatomie Creek (the end result are 5 men hacked to death).

• 1857 – the election for the constitution seemed certain to fall to the side of a “Free State”. Pro-slavery supporters had seized control of the Constitutional debate and will develop the Lecompton Constitution. People weren’t allowed to vote on slave or free but on a technical aspect of “a constitution with slavery” or “a constitution no slavery” (if you voted for no slavery – it meant you only voted to stop the importation of slavery into the state – not a vote of a free state – slavery would stay legal.

• Abolitionist felt cheated – and will decide not to participate in the election (which allows the “constitution with slavery” to be easily chosen).

• Even Stephen A. Douglas (the champion of “popular sovereignty” will speak out over how fraudulent the Kansas election will become).

• Kansas will not become a state until 1861 – when it will enter as a “free state” in the Union.

Fighting Spills over into the Senate

• Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts will speak on the floor of the Senate on the issue of the illegal election in Kansas. During the course of his speech he will speak negatively about South Carolina and specifically about South Carolina Senator Andrew Butler.

• Butler’s cousin – Representative Preston Brooks will come to the Senate side and beat Charles Sumner unconscious on the floor of the Senate.

• Brooks will resign but will be overwhelming re-elected in the next election. Canes become his campaign symbol and people send him hundreds of them.

Election of 1856• Whig party has finally split completely apart and there is

really only one organized political party to take place in this election.

• Democrats will nominate James Buchanan (a doughface).• The newly formed Republican Party will skip over its most

noted member (William Seward) and will nominate instead John C. Fremont (the Pathfinder of the West).

• The Know Nothing Party (anti-immigration) and very secretive will form and nominate Millard Fillmore

• Buchanan will be elected the 15th President of the United States.

• http://youtu.be/9j3lKSs2ZoA

The Dred Scott decision• Dred Scott is a slave – his master was a doctor that

traveled into the Wisconsin and Illinois territory and had lived there for about 5 years. He will sue based on the fact that he had lived in “free” territories and should be given his freedom.

• The Supreme Court will hear the case and will rule against Dred Scott. Chief Justice Roger Taney will toss the case out because slaves are property and not citizens of the United States and therefore cannot sue in US courts.

• Based on the Fifth Amendment which forbids Congress from depriving a person of their property without due process

Panic of 1857• All of the Gold discovered in California will

cause the US currency to inflate – causing prices to rise and economic hardship on the US (except for cotton growers in the south – the booming cotton market makes them richer)

• The North wants American products protected with a higher tariff – which will negatively effect and anger the south.

Illinois Senate Election of 1858

• Democrat Stephen A. Douglas will run for re-election

• Republican Abraham Lincoln (a lawyer with limited political experience will face him).

• From August to October of 1858 – they will square of in 7 debates across the state.

• One of the key debates was in Freeport, Illinois

• The Freeport Question: Lincoln asks Douglas how would he reconcile the concept of “popular sovereignty” with the Dred Scott decision (Douglas supported both)

• The Freeport Answer: From Douglas – he will argue that the will of the people will always override the Supreme Court decisions– His answer will satisfy the people of Illinois and he

will win re-election, but the question will intrigue the abolitionist in the North and gain Lincoln recognition within the Republican Party.

Raid on Harper’s Ferry• John Brown will again play a role in bloody conflict.• This time he, his sons, and some former slaves will

attack and capture a federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia. His goal is for the slaves in the area to come to him and he would outfit them with weapons and they would march forward to war.

• US government will send Robert E. Lee to take down the rebellion.

• John Brown will be caught – found guilty of treason and executed. (His execution will be witnessed by John Wilkes Booth)

• “I John Brown am now quite certain that the crimes of this guilty, land: will never be purged away; but with Blood. I had as I now think: vainly flattered myself that without very much bloodshed; it might be done.”

Election of 1860• Four Political parties will develop and four

major candidates will seek office in 1860.

• The Democratic Party will hold their convention in Charleston, South Carolina and will fracture over the issue of nominating Stephen A. Douglas as the Democratic Presidential candidate. Southern “fire-eaters will lead a walk out of the convention.

• The Democratic Party will attempt to meet again to determine the candidate and will choose Baltimore as the location of the next convention (away from South Carolina). The Convention is just as fractured – southerners will again walk out and nominate their own candidate:– Northern Democrats will nominate Stephen

Douglas of Illinois– Southern Democrats will nominate John C.

Breckinridge of Kentucky

• The Republican Party will eventually nominate the rising star of their party – Abraham Lincoln of Illinois.

• The Republican platform will attempt to have something for everyone:– Non-extension of slavery in the Western territory

(for the free soilers)– A protective tariff (for northern industrialists)– A pacific railroad (for the Northwest)– Internal improvements (for the West)– Free Homesteads (for Farmers)

• The Constitutional Union Party – was developed to try and keep the Union together. They will be non-committal on the issue of slavery. Will nominate – John Bell of Tennessee.

Results of the Election of 1860

Crittenden Compromise• Senator John J. Crittenden of Kentucky will

propose a series of bills that would seek a compromise and keep the Union together. The bills will recognize slavery in the South, deal with the slave issue in Washington, DC, and re-establish the old Missouri Compromise.

• Even though applauded by the south – it is rejected by the Republican Party, and the “last ditch attempt at peace” is thrown out the door.

• Jefferson Davis was a supporter of the Crittenden Compromise and wrote later: “My hope of an honorable peaceable settlement was not abandoned until the report of the Committee” (rejection of the Compromise).

• He stayed in Washington, DC until he received official notice that Mississippi had seceded on Jan 19, 1861, and two days later he gives his farewell to the Senate calling it the “…saddest day of his life.”

Secession

• The south had threaten secession if the Republican candidate had won the election – even though Lincoln will argue that his only goal is to keep the union together.

• "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so."

• The south will not believe him and South Carolina will be the first state to meet on the issue of secession – four days after Lincoln’s election.

• Within six weeks – six more states (the deep south) will join South Carolina and will vote to leave the Union. Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas.

• President James Buchanan (as a lame duck) will do nothing.

The Confederacy is Formed• Meet in Montgomery, Alabama and form the

Confederate States of American (Confederacy) – government will resemble the Articles of Confederation (this view of the state governments superseding the federal government will be the basis for leaving he Union).

• Will name Montgomery Alabama as the national capital (even though later in the year 1861 – will move capital to Richmond, Virginia)

• Will elect a government including President Jefferson Davis of Mississippi, and a Vice-President Alexander Stephens of Georgia.– Stephens will argue against secession and will ask

the South to remain loyal to the Union. He likened it to a “…leaking but fixable boat.” He will also remind the Convention that the Republicans were in the minority and the Supreme Court had ruled in favor of the South. He voted against secession, but believed the South had the right to secede.