The Union in Peril

1
Chapter 10

• The Union in Peril

2
The Divisive Politics of Slavery

• Section 1

3
Differences Between North and South

• When the Constitution was adopted, it was said
  that the states had perfect equilibrium
• However, these ways were no longer in existence
• At any rate, the two sections developed two
  completely different ways of life
• North Industry
• South Agriculture

4
Industry Immigration in the North

• The North industrialized rapidly as factories
  turned out high numbers of products
• Ex. textiles sewing machines, farm equipment,
  guns
• Railroads were a huge influence on the rapid
  growth for the following reason(s)

• (1) carried raw materials eastward
• (2) carried manufactured products settlers
  westward
• Immigrants from Europe played a large role in
  this as well as they tended to settle in urban
  areas

5
Agriculture and Slavery in the South

• Unlike the North, the South remained a rural
  society that relied on stable crops such as
  cotton tobacco
• During this time, the South produced 10 of the
  nations manufactured goods
• Instead of railroads, the South mostly used
  waterways for transportation

• Few immigrants settled in the South, because the
  only work available was that of laborers
• Immigrants who settled in the South, highly
  opposed slavery
• The conflict over slavery worried the Southerners
  because in most southern states, the black
  population made up 50-75

6
Slavery in the Territories

• The Wilmot Provisio
• The WP divided the Congress along regional lines.
• This was political dynamite because it took a
  stand against slavery that the South could not
  allow
• The slavery issue was intertwined with manifest
  destiny natural expansion

• Statehood for California
• As result of the gold rush, California skipped
  the territorial part of becoming a state
• Their new government outlawed slavery
• This angered the south because they assumed that
  the majority of California was below the Missouri
  Compromise line

7
The Senate Debates

• The 31st Congress opened in December 1849
• DC was in huge disagreement because the North
  demanded the abolition of slavery
• The South argued that the North failed to enforce
  the Fugitive Slave Act
• As passions arose, Southerners threatened
  secession

• Was nicknamed The Great Compromiser for his
  prominent role in resolving crisis
• Missouri Compromise of 1820 Compromise Tariff of
  of 1833 Compromise of 1850
• In the 1844, Clay saw the annexation of TX as the
  threatening the balance of free/slave states and
  opposed the annexation

8
The Senate Debates continued

• Compromise of 1850
• To satisfy the South, the compromise proposed a
  new and more effective slave law (Fugitive Slave
  Act)
• To satisfy the North, the compromise provided
  that Cali be provided to the Union as a free
  state
• To satisfy both the compromise granted popular
  sovereignty (states that residents in territories
  can vote for or against slavery)

• Calhoun, Clay Webster
• 3 of the greatest speakers to ever serve in the
  Senate (which they dominated for over 30 years)
• All 3 had presidential ambitions, but failed
• The Success of the Compromise was mainly due to
  Webster
• He paid a political price in anti-slavery New
  England where they were strongly against the
  Compromise

9
Stephen A. Douglas

• Douglas a skilled legislator who helped get the
  Compromise passed when many believed that a
  compromise was no longer possible
• He was elected to the Senate in 1846 and focused
  on the slavery issue the entire time he was in
  office
• Douglas is responsible for the idea of popular
  sovereignty

10
Protest, Resistance, and Violence

• Section 2

11
Fugitive Slaves and the Underground Railroad

• A component of the Compromise of 1850
• Terms of the Act
• Alleged fugitives were not allowed trial by jury,
  despite the 6th amendment provision calling a
  speedy and public trial.
• They could not testify on their own behalf

• A statement by a slave owner was all that was
  required to have a slave returned
• Anyone helping a slave would be fined 1,000 or
  receive 6 months in jail
• As a result, the North passed personal liberty
  laws (these forbade the imprisonment of runaway
  slaves guaranteed a jury trial

12
Fugitive Slaves and the Underground Railroad

• Underground Railroad
• A secret network of people (free blacks white
  abolitionists) who would aid fugitive slaves in
  their escape
• The conductors hid slaves in secret tunnels
  provided them with water food until the next
  step in their journey
• Most famous conductor Harriet Tubman

• Harriet Tubman
• She escaped from slavery in 1849 after her owner
  died
• She made 19 trips on the UR and is credited with
  freeing over 300 slaves, including her parents
• No slaves that she ever freed was recaptured
• She later became a key speaker for the
  abolitionist movement

13
Uncle Toms Cabin

• Stowes book had a major influence on the
  national debate against slavery
• Uncle Toms Cabin was a melodramatic portrayal on
  the brutalities of slavery
• Best seller in the North in England
• Principal cause in the Souths alienation from
  the North
• Sold 300,000 copies in the United States in the
  first year it was published

14
Kansas-Nebraska Act

• Introduced by Stephen Douglas
• Introduced a bill to divide the area in 2
  territories
• When passed it would repeal the Missouri
  Compromise and establish popular sovereignty

• The South saw this opportunity to flood the area
  with supporters of slavery and convert the area
  to slave states
• The North advocated settlement by anti-slavery
  supporters
• After months of debate, the act became law in May
  1854

15
The Pottawatomie Massacre

• John Brown was an extreme abolitionist and leader
  of the massacre
• Under the impression, that pro-slavery followers
  killed 5 abolitionists, he set out for revenge
• In the middle of the night, Brown his men
  pulled 5 men from their beds, cut off their hands
  stabbed them with broadswords
• People began calling the territory Bleeding
  Kansas because approximately 200 people were
  killed

16
Slavery and Secession

• Section 4

17
Slavery Dominates Politics

• Dred Scott Decision
• In 1856, an important legal question came
  before the Supreme Court.
• Dred Scott, slave who had lived in free areas
  sued for freedom
• Dred Scott originally named Sam Blow
• Was born a slave in Virginia around 1795
• Originally owned by Peter Blow, who took him
  north to live in Wisconsin Illinois

• 1857, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney hands down
  decision
• - slaves do not have rights of citizens
• - no claim to freedom
• - Congress cannot forbid slavery in territories
• Doing so would interfere with slaveholders right
  to own property a right protected by the 5th
  Amendment

18
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates

• Douglas was the leading candidate for the
  Democratic nomination for the presidency in 1860
• After winning the 1858 debate against Lincoln,
  Douglas wins re-election to the Senate
• This would be a costly victory for Douglas

• This was due to Lincolns sharp questioning and
  arguing which pushed Douglas further away from
  his position as a Democrat
• This will create a split in the Democratic party
• By his good showing in the debates, Lincoln also
  became the leading candidate for the Republican
  nomination in 1860

19
Positions and Arguments

• Douglas slavery backward, not immoral
• Douglas thought popular sovereignty will undo
  slavery
• Douglas believed in popular sovereignty (would
  allow slavery to end on is own)

• Lincoln thinks legislation needed to stop spread
  of slavery
• Lincolnbelieved that slavery was immoral
  believe that without legislation, the spread of
  slavery would never cease in the colonies
• Both men distort others views, make them seem
  extreme

20
The Freeport Doctrine

• In their second debate, held at Freeport, Lincoln
  asked his opponent a crucial question.
• Could the settlers of a territory vote to
  exclude slavery before the territory became a
  state?
• Everyone knew that the Dred Scott decision
  said--that territories could not exclude slavery.
• Douglass response later became known as the
  Freeport Doctrine.

21
Harpers Ferry

• Leader John Brown, nicknamed Gods Angry Man
• Planned to seize the federal arsenal at Harpers
  Ferry (1859), distribute the arms to slaves,
  start a general slave uprising
• Had a groups which totaled 21 men, 5 of those who
  were black
• They held 60 of the towns prominent citizens
  hostage, but no slaves came forward

• Browns uprising had failed, but he had hopes
  that his action would start a war for abolition
• He was captured, tried for treason, hung
• Many Northerners viewed him as a martyr for the
  cause of freedom