RENEWING%20THE%20SECTIONAL%20STRUGGLES-%201848

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RENEWING THE SECTIONAL STRUGGLES- 18481854

• Chapter 18

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The Popular Sovereignty Panacea

• Mexican American War set the stage for Slavery
  Controversy
• Threatened to divide the union
• Issue What to do with new territory?
• Wilmot Proviso
• What it said
• What happened to it
• Whigs and Democrats wanted to keep lid on Slavery
  Controversy

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Election of 1848

• Polk is in ill-health from over-work and does not
  run again.
• Democrats nominate Lewis Cass. Not very warm or
  easy for the electorate to like.
• Democratic platform is silent on slavery, but
  Cass is the reputed father of popular
  sovereignty.
• What is Popular Sovereignty?
• Popular Sovereignty is very popular with the
  people.
• During the debates over the organization of the
  Mexican Cession, Douglas evolved his doctrine of
  popular sovereignty

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Election of 1848

• Whigs nominated Zachary Taylor, hero of the
  Mexican-American war. (Va.-born, slave-owner).
• Known as "Old Rough and Ready", Taylor had a
  40-year military career in the U.S. Army, serving
  in the War of 1812, Black Hawk War, and Second
  Seminole War before achieving fame leading U.S.
  troops to victory at several critical battles of
  the Mexican-American War.
• Taylor had never even held office
• Whig platform is silent of slavery and generally
  is wishy-washy.
• Taylor does not take a position on slavery, but
  he is assumed safe for the southern Whigs. Why?

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Free Soil Party Splits the Vote

• Northern Whigs unhappy with Taylor because hes a
  slave owner.
• Free Soil Party.
• Agreed with the Wilmot Proviso and stood against
  the expansion of slavery. This is primary issue.
  
• Supported free government homesteads for settlers
  in Western territories.
• Types of people in party?
• Enough Northern Democrats vote Free Soil,
  especially in New York, to give the election to
  Whigs and Taylor.

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California Gold

• The discovery of Gold in California in 1848 blew
  the lid off the slavery issue.

California Gold Rush Country
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California Constitution

• Citizens write a constitution and apply or
  statehood as non-slave state.
• Californians dont want to compete with slave
  labor
• This will put slave states in the minority.
• South rises in violent opposition to admission of
  California.

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Concerns of the South

• South not concerned about the immediate outright
  abolition of slavery
• Loss of balance in Senate
• Rest of the Mexican Cession
• Slavery in D.C.
• Texas land claims
• Run-Away Slaves and enforcement of Fugitive Slave
  law

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Underground Railroad

• Underground Railroad
• mythologized
• Harriet Tubman

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Fugitive Slave Law

• South demanded a harsher fugitive slave law.
• Why?
• Only losing about 1000 slave a year out of
  population of 4 Million.
• More slaves are freed by self-purchase and
  manumission.

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Twilight Of The Senatorial Giants

• 1850 all these issues come to a head.
• Southern fire-eaters threaten cession
• Crisis was looming.
• Three Senatorial Giants tackle the issue in the
  Senate. Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Daniel
  Webster.
• Webster and Clay urge compromise and reasonable
  concession to south.
• Calhoun argues for Const. Amendments to protect
  the South.

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Deadlock in the Senate

• The Young Guard from the North.
• William Seward, Senator from New York.
• Sewards position.
• Deadlock seemed certain as debate progressed.
  And if there was deadlock the south would likely
  secede.

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Breaking The Logjam

• Taylor was poised to veto the compromise. Why?
• 1850 President Taylor suddenly died Vice
  President Millard Fillmore took the presidency.
• Fillmore supports the compromise
• Clay, Webster and Stephen Douglas work hard to
  get Compromise supported in North, and it
  generally is.
• Fire-eaters in South unhappy.
• Nashville convention
• Second (short lived) era of good feelings.

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Terms of the Compromise of 1850

• Pro-North
• California admitted as a free state
• Terr. in dispute between TX and NM goes to NM, so
  more likely to go free
• abolition of slave-trade (but not slavery) in
  Wash. DC.
• Pro-South
• NM and Utah slavery issue to be decided by
  popular sovereignty
• more stringent Fugitive Slave Law.
• 3.10 Million to Texas

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Accessing the Compromise

• Who got the better deal?

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Backfiring Slave Law

• Reaction in North to Fugitive Slave Law.
• Provisions
• Slaves not allowed to testify and denied a jury
  trial.
• Commissioner who handled the case got twice as
  much if the slave was returned.
• Northerners who aided slaves to freedom subject
  to heavy fines and jail.
• Northerners could be ordered to assist in capture
  of run-aways

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Election of 1852

• The election of 1852 was in many ways a replay of
  the election of 1844. Once again, the incumbent
  President was a Whig who had succeeded to the
  presidency upon the death of his war hero
  predecessor
• The Whig party passed over the incumbent for
  nomination casting aside Fillmore in favor of
  General Winfield Scott
• Democrats. Hopelessly divided.
• Nominate Franklin Pierce, a pro-southern,
  northerner. Compromise candidate.
• Weak and indecisive.
• Scant public record, and thus not much to offend
  either part of party
• Platform for Compromise of 1850 and Fugitive
  Slave Law

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Election of 1852--Whigs

• Winfield Scott.
• Great general, but not well liked by people.
  Stuffy.
• Election turned largely on issues of personality.
• Pierce wins in a landslide.
• Effective end of Whig Party.

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President Pierce The Expansionist

• Pierce cabinet full of southerners
• Jefferson Davis is Sec. of War
• South losing political power
• Eyes slave state over southern border
• Fueled by ideas of Manifest Destiny.
• Nicaragua--William Walker
• Clayton-Bulwer Treaty

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Coveted Cuba

• Some in the South saw Cuba as the most desirable
  slave territory available.
• Right off our Southern shore and perfect for a
  slave economy.
• Already had lots of slaves there.
• Carved into several states it would restore the
  north-south balance
• Pierce offers Spain 100 Mil. to buy. Spain
  refuses.
• Pierce and cabinet plot to seize it.
• Ostend Manifesto
• Consequences

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The Gadsden Purchase

• Nation desperately needs a trans-continental RR
  to tie California to nation.
• Both North and South want the route.
• Why?
• Southern Route is easier.
• Gadsden Purchase.
• Nebraska territory.
• South doesnt want this. Why?

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Gadsden Purchase, 1853
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Kansas-Nebraska Act

• Stephen A. Douglas proposes Kansas-Nebraska Act.
• Terms.
• Assumptions about Kansas
• Impact on Missouri Compromise
• Abolitionist Reaction
• Reaction of moderates

The Little Giant
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Kansas and Nebraska, 1854

• One of the most momentous measures to pass
  Congress.
• Led to open warfare in Kansas and the
  unofficial opening of the Civil War.

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End of Chapter