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Heading to the Civil War

Heading to the Civil War. Sasso US I. Popular Sovereignty . One of the key issues in the development of the Civil War This is the concept that the citizens/voters of a newly developed territory should have the final say on the existence of slavery in that territory

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Heading to the Civil War

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  1. Heading to the Civil War Sasso US I

  2. Popular Sovereignty • One of the key issues in the development of the Civil War • This is the concept that the citizens/voters of a newly developed territory should have the final say on the existence of slavery in that territory • It’s a concept that makes sense on some levels • It’s a concept that also takes a lot of responsibility away from politicians; they really don’t have to take a firm stance on the issue of slavery • The biggest problem with popular sovereignty is regulation- how can the government make sure that these votes are handled safely and efficiently? • The rush of settlers moving into the new territories creates some major conflicts

  3. Kansas and Nebraska • The settlement of the western territories (LA Purchase/Mexican Cession) has become an urgent matter • Lots of different reasons: • 1) Traditional expansion • 2) Removal of Native Americans • 3) Development of states • 4) Building of a transcontinental railroad • 5) Land sales

  4. The Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)The Illegitimate Love Child of Stephen Douglas • Stephen Douglas had become the rising star of the Democratic Party • Was obsessed with becoming President, and most people felt he would ultimately achieve it • Douglas saw Kansas and Nebraska as a major opportunity, both personally and politically • This could help establish his hometown of Chicago as a financial hub • Transcontinental railroad could cut through the territory • Native Americans would be forcibly removed • Douglas also stood to profit greatly from land sales

  5. The Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854) • One sticking point- gaining Southern support • Douglas wanted to make sure that he could line up Southern votes for this bill AND his eventual run for President • All of this territory was above the MO Compromise line • The answer from Douglas- popular sovereignty • Introduces the Nebraska Bill calling for the issue of slavery to be determined by popular sovereignty

  6. The Kansas-Nebraska Act • The South was not satisfied with the Bill and had a few suggestions/demands • 1) The territory needed to be split into two: Kansas and Nebraska with popular sovereignty deciding the issue of slavery in both areas • 2) The language of the bill had to include the repeal of the Missouri Compromise • Douglas agrees to both- he thinks it’s a shrewd political move • He felt both territories would ultimately be “free” states- the climates really aren’t conducive to the crops associated with slave labor • He also believed that the concessions made in the bill would gain Southern support for his Presidential bid (whenever that may be) • The former Nebraska Bill was redrafted, and in May 1854 the Kansas-Nebraska Act went into effect • The domino effect of its passage is massive

  7. The Kansas-Nebraska Act- Effects • Because of its geography, Nebraska would most likely be a free state • Kansas was a very different situation, especially because of its proximity to Missouri • Establishing its territorial constitution became mayhem • Both pro-slavery and abolitionist forces start to flood into Kansas • Whichever side could pack more voters would control the constitutional convention

  8. The Kansas-Nebraska Act- Effects • Pro-slavery forces will overwhelm the legislature • Border Ruffians from Missouri spill into the territory • Two capitals develop: • 1) Lecompton- Pro-Slavery • 2) Lawrence- Abolitionist • Both camps elect representatives and draft constitutions and see the other side as illegitimate • Violence is pretty much unavoidable, as there is a lack of law enforcement • “The Sack of Lawrence”

  9. The Kansas-Nebraska Act- Effects • Violence in Kansas isn’t the only problem- it will extend to Washington • The day before the attack on Lawrence, Charles Sumner (MA) delivered a speech called “The Crime Against Kansas” • The speech was antagonistic toward Stephen Douglas and Sen. Andrew Butler (SC), and used graphic sexual imagery • Nobody was surprised at the comments about Douglas, but the attack on Butler was unfair • Rep. Preston Brooks (SC) was a relative of Butler and defended him violently • When Sumner would not agree to a duel, Brooks attacked Sumner, beating him with a cane • Sumner was so severely injured that he would not return to Washington for nearly three years

  10. The Kansas-Nebraska Act- Effects • The situation deteriorates quickly with the arrival of John Brown • Brown did not have the easiest existence (more on that later), but he was an extreme abolitionist • In retaliation for the attack on Lawrence, Brown led an 8-man assault party to attack pro-slavery forces • The attack is referred to as the Pottawatomie Massacre • Brown and his crew (including four of his sons) attacked and mutilated five men and boys along the Pottawatomie Creek in Kansas • This represents a significant shift in the conflict

  11. The Kansas-Nebraska Act- Effects • Kansas-Nebraska alters the existing political parties • Democrats will gain a lot of momentum in the South, but it’s clear that the party is splitting along North/South lines • The Whigs will disintegrate • The American Party (Know-Nothings) form- develops based on negative reactions to Irish/German/Catholic immigration • American Party scores some Congressional victories from 1854-1856, but they aren’t built to last • The Republican Party is born in 1854- originally developed in opposition to the Kansas-Nebraska Act • It’s a big mix of other political parties- unhappy Democrats, Whigs, Libertys, Free Soilers, and Know-Nothings

  12. The Election of 1856 • James Buchanan (D-PA) • John C. Fremont (R-CA) • Millard Fillmore (A-NY) • Buchanan wins, but there were some notable developments • First presidential election for the Republican Party, and they perform well • Most of the Republican success is in the North • Southern representatives are worried about the success of Republicans continuing

  13. The Dred Scott Decision • Two days after Buchanan’s inauguration, the Supreme Court made one of its most controversial rulings • Dred Scott was the slave of an Army Surgeon named John Emerson • Emerson lived in multiple states, taking Scott with him • MO → IL → WI → MO • Slavery was technically prohibited in IL and WI • Scott v. Sandford • 1) Could Scott bring a case before the Supreme Court? • 2) Did living in a free state make him free? • Chief Justice Taney rules that freedmen/slaves were not citizens, that slaves were property (meaning they can be taken anywhere), and that the MO Compromise was unconstitutional • Taney saw African-Americans “as a subordinate and inferior class of beings who had no rights which the white man was bound to respect.”

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