1. Chapter 12 The Failure of the Politicians 1850-1861

2. California Gold Rush Tens of thousands of years of erosion had loosened gold nuggets from the solid rock of the Sierra Nevada. Large and small pieces of gold were washed down by mountain streams over the millennia, often just resting in the stream beds waiting to be picked up by anyone who cared. Gold had not been valued by California Indian cultures.

3. California Gold Rush • James Marshall • Sutter’s Mill – 1848 • ’49ers • Around Cape Horn • Flying Cloud – 1851 - 89 days NY to SF • Across Panama • Wagons overland By 1849 CA had enough people to apply for statehood

4. Slavery and new states • 1849 – 15 slave, 15 free states • Wilmot Proviso • Ban slavery in Mexican Cession • Defeated in the Senate • Election of 1848 • Cass – Democrat – expansionist • No position on slavery • Taylor – Whigs- won the close election • Slave owner, no political experience • Free Soil Party – Van Buren • Free soil, free labor, free speech, free men

5. The Compromise of 1850Was it really a compromise? 1. California admitted as a free state • Texas-NM boundary dispute settled • Texas was paid $10 million 2. Utah and New Mexico • Slavery decided by popular sovereignty 3. Slave trading banned in Washington 4. Fugitive Slave Act • Required people in the North to help capture and return runaway slaves

6. Compromise of 1850 • Henry Clay • Daniel Webster • John Calhoun • Stephen Douglas • President Zachary Taylor • Vice-President Millard Fillmore

7. Fugitive Slaves in the North • Captured by agents hired by owners • Legal claim in court • Slaves could not testify (not citizens) • Judge was paid • $10 For returned slave • $5 For judgment of free black • Helping a fugitive • $1000 Fine • 6 months in jail

8. Resisting the Law • Committees help send slaves to Canada • Fugitives were rescued • Personal Liberty Laws • Forbid imprisonment • Guaranteed trials • Long drawn out trials • Costly, discouraging for slaveowners

9. The Underground Railroad • Harriet Tubman • Conductors, stations • North Star • Mason Dixon Line • Canada

10. Uncle Tom’s Cabin • Harriet Beecher Stowe • “Crusader in Crinoline” • “The Little woman whose book made such a great war” • Life Among the Lowly • Stereotypes, exaggeration, propaganda • Simon Legree – cruel slave owner • Uncle Tom- kind, obedient slave • Little Eva – escaping to Canada • 1 million copies sold • embraced in the North • condemned in the South

11. Stephen Douglas • Senator from Illinois • Popular Sovereignty • Wanted a western RR to connect to Chicago • Kansas and Nebraska Territories – north of Missouri Compromise line • Douglas believed the region was not suitable for slavery, but his plan gave southerners hope for more slave states • Douglas hoped to win the presidency

12. Kansas Nebraska Act 1854 Create two territories • Kansas and Nebraska • Allow popular sovereignty on slavery • Repealed Missouri Compromise • Had banned slavery in this territory • Bitter debate –passed by Congress • Divided the Democratic Party • Whig Party collapsed • Northern reps who voted in favor lost the next election

13. Kansas Nebraska Act • Societies created to help send settlers to Kansas from North and South • Supplies and weapons provided • March 1855 – 5000 settlers there • Election to created territorial govt • 1400 voters were eligible; 6000 voted • Pro-slavery men crossed from Missouri and elected a pro-slavery government

14. Bleeding Kansas • Lawrence set up as government by anti-slavery settlers • Attacked by pro-slavers • Burned and looted the town • John Brown and Pottawatomie Massacre • Devout abolitionist • Attacked and killed five men in “Pottawatomie Massacre” • Violence Spread and over 200 people died • Kansas became a free state after the South seceded in 1861.

15. Charles Sumner • Senator - Massachusetts • made a crude speech • “The Crime against Kansas” • Verbal attack on pro-slavery Senators • Preston Brooks – House of Representatives – South Carolina • Nephew of Senator Butler – target of Sumner • Attacked and beat Sumner with his cane – at Sumner’s desk in the Senate • Sumner – took 3 years to recover • Brooks – re-elected and sent canes as gifts

16. Election of 1852 • Franklin Pierce – Democrat • Winfield Scott – Whigs • Both pledged to uphold the Compromise of 1850 • Pierce carried all but 4 states • Whig party began to fall apart

17. Expansion and slavery • Pierce tries to advance “manifest destiny” to include new territories • Expansion inflamed sectional issues • Gadsden Purchase 1853 • Cuba and the Ostend Manifesto 1854 • Supported taking Cuba by force • New slave state • Pierce branded a pro slavery warlike expansionist

18. Expansion and Slavery • South • Ban on expansion violated their property rights and limited their voice in Congress • North – opposition to slavery • Moral grounds • Didn’t want to live among blacks • Didn’t want to compete with slave labor • Keep territories white

19. Slavery and Political Parties • Republican Party • July 6, 1854 • Opposed expansion of slavery • Moral, social and political evil • Repeal Kansas- Nebraska and Fugitive Slave acts • Won majority in Congress in 1854 • Know Nothing Party • Order of the Star Spangled Banner • Nativist group became the American Party • Considered immigrants “bearers of an alien culture; thought “popery:” was a menace to the American way of life.

20. Rising Tensions • North called Sumner beating evidence of Southern brutality • South feared it was losing its voice and representation in the government • Political Parties and Churches divided into Northern and Southern branches.

21. Election of 1856 Republican Party • John C. Fremont • Democrat • James Buchanan • Pierce and Douglas – association with Bleeding Kansas – passed over • Sectionalism • Southern Know Nothings • Millard Fillmore • Northern Know Nothings • Supported the Republicans’ nominee, Fremont Electoral votes: Fremont – 114 Buchanan - 174

22. Dred Scott Decision • Lived in a free territory for 4 years • Scott v. Sandford • Chief Justice Roger B. Taney • “The right of property in a slave is distinctly and expressly affirmed in the Constitution.” • Scott lacked the legal standing to sue • Blacks could not be citizens • Congress does not have the power to to forbid slavery in any territory • Property is protected by the Constitution • Missouri Compromise (or any law restricting slavery) was unconstitutional

23. Lecompton Constitution • Pro slavery constitution – Kansas • Convention boycotted by free-soilers • Popular vote only on “with slavery” • Only referred to importing slaves • Election also boycotted • Second election – constitution rejected • Buchanan supported passage in Congress • Douglas joined Republicans to vote against its acceptance • Cost him support of Southern Democrats

24. Lincoln Douglas Debates • Race for the Senate in Illinois • “The Little Giant” v. “Honest Abe” • Lincoln • “A house divided against itself cannot stand…” • Lincoln challenged Douglas • Hoped to attract an audience to hear his views • Douglas on Slavery • Unsuitable to prairie agriculture • Would pass away on its own • Slave and free states would live together in peace

25. Lincoln Douglas Debates • Lincoln on Slavery • Morally wrong • Labor system based on greed • Would continue to spread unless stopped legally • Freeport Debate • Lincoln: after the Dred Scott decision, could settlers vote to ban slavery in their territory?

26. Lincoln Douglas Debates • Douglas’ response: • “slavery cannot exist a day or an hour unless it is supported by local police regulations.” – Settlers could “get around” the Dred Scott Decision • Southerners who might have supported Douglas for President realized he too was opposed to slavery – this would cost him the election in 1860.

27. John Brown’s Raid on Harpers Ferry • Brown Gained financial backing from abolitionists • Oct. 1859 – led 18 men to seize the arsenal at Harpers Ferry • Seize stored weapons • Distribute them to slaves and incite rebellion • Brown was captured by troops led by Robert E. Lee • He was hanged for treason against the State of Virginia and murder

28. Reaction to John Brown • North • Many were appalled by his violence • Many others considered him a martyr • South • Feared more fanatics and more uprisings • Began to arm themselves and form militias for defense • Beginnings of the Confederate Army

29. Election of 1860 • Republicans – Abraham Lincoln • Protective Tariff, $ for RR, free homesteads • Northern Democrats – Stephen Douglas • Popular Sovereignty • Southern Democrats John C. Breckenridge • Federal protection of slavery in territories • Constitutional Union – John Bell • Compromise sectional issues

30. Election of 1860 • Lincoln’s name did not appear on the ballot in 10 southern states • Southerners declared they would secede from the union if Lincoln was elected • The had lost their voice in both houses of Congress and would not remain in a nation led by an abolitionist. • Could not tolerate a minority position after years of influence on President • Lincoln – 40% of popular vote, majority in electoral college

31. Secession and the Confederate States of America • South : “States Rights” • They joined the nation willingly, they could secede when they chose to • Lincoln: Secession was illegal • He was sworn to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.” • South Carolina led the way • February, 1861, the Confederacy was created by 7 states of the deep South – Montgomery, Alabama

32. Compromise Efforts fail • Crittendom Compromise • Extend Missouri Compromise line • Guarantee slavery south of the line • Federal compensation for escaped slaves • Amendment • Prohibit federal govt from regulating or abolishing slavery in states • Lincoln opposed the extension of slavery and the compromise • Southerners remaining in Congress also opposed it

33. The Confederate States of America • As secession progressed, there were mass resignations from Congress, the army and other government jobs. • President Buchanan • Declared secession illegal • Took no action to stop it or recover government property from seceded states • Southern states seized US military forts and other property • Jefferson Davis – President • Alexander Stephens – Vice President

34. The Civil War Begins • Fort Sumter, South Carolina • In Charleston Harbor • Ran out of supplies • Lincoln sent a supply ship • April 12, 1861 • Confederates bombarded the fort • Battle lasted over 30 hours • Anderson V Bureaugard • Only 1 casualty – a horse