Download Road to the Civil War

The Road to the Civil War
Politics over the 1830s:
Whigs (Old Federalist ideas)
Democrats (old Jeffersonian ideas)
Both parties were pro-slavery in the
south, due to lack of easy
communication
Election of 1840
• Whigs run William Henry
Harrison “war hero” from War of
1812, battles with American
Indians, with John Tyler as his
VP (had recently moved from
Dem. to Whig party)
• Harrison portrayed as a
“common man” backcountry
frontier, self-mad man (even
though he wasn’t)
• Democrats run President Martin
Van Buren. Whigs portrayed
him as an elitist wealthy snob
(even though he was more of
the self-made man)
Election of 1840
• 80% of the electorate voted, Harrison
won a small majority of the popular
vote, but a large majority of the
electoral vote.
• Harrison died shortly after
inauguration, and Tyler became the
first VP to become President.
• More of a Dem. than a Whig, but not really in either
party.
• First pro-slavery administration.
• Both parties were trying to avoid the issue of slavery.
• Tyler jumped on annexation of Texas as his issue
(huge impact on slavery issue, coming of the Civil
War)
Manifest Destiny and Expansionism
• Concept of manifest destiny
• U.S. has the “god-given” right to spread from
“sea to shining sea”
• Belief the Nation favored by god, supposed
to “clear out” savages and uncivilized (Native
Americans and Mexicans) off the good land.
Republic of Texas, an
•
independent country at that
time, included parts of modern
OK, KS, WY, NM and CO •
Previously part of Mexico, which
had declared its independence
from Spain in 1821.
Mexico wanted to encourage
settlement in Texas, w/large land
grants at low prices, if settlers
agreed to become Catholic and
Mexican citizens (subject to
Mexican law)
• By 1830, 35,000 Americans in
Texas. Mexican gov’t having
problems with them, won’t
observe Mexican laws, issues
over slavery (illegal in Mexico,
w/exception for Texas)
• General Santa Anna’s efforts to
exert more control in Texas lead
to rebellion.
• 1836-Texas declares its
independence, constitution
allowing slavery.
• Alamo: 200 Texans held off 3,000 Mexican soldiers for
two weeks.
• Mexican victory there united Americans sentiment against
Mexico, “remember the Alamo” battle cry
•Mythology of the
Alamo, often leaves
out the part where
what they were fighting
for was slavery
•U.S. defeat Mexican
Army, capture Santa
Anna at Battle of San
Jacinto.
•Santa Anna forced to
sign peace treaty
recognizing Texas’
independence.
Texas and the U.S.
• Issue of Texas joining the Union, as it would come
in as a slave state
• Britain in favor of an independent TX, for cotton,
market for British goods, keep the U.S. from
expanding, against slavery.
• Sent a treaty offer to Texas, but slavery was the
sticking point.
• When the secret treaty offer became public,
Southerners saw it as part of a conspiracy to
destroy slavery and their way of life.
• People against annexation said the support was
part of the “Slave Power Conspiracy”
• Efforts to tie annexation of Texas w/annexation of
Oregon, which was popular at the time
Election of 1844
• Whigs ran Henry Clay, Dems tried to re-nominate Van
Buren, but his opposition to Tx annexation was taken
as anti-slavery and cost him the nomination, which
went to James K. Polk, current Speaker of the House
and the first “dark horse” presidential candidate.
• Polk, an ardent expansionist, ran on ticket of “reannexation of Tx” and “reoccupation of Oregon”language to make it seem like they had both
previously been part of the U.S., rightfully belonged to
U.S.
• Clay backed down on annexation issue, saying he’d
favor it IF the people in Tx wanted it, and it could be
done peacefully (w/out War w/Mexico)
• Liberty Party; small third party, but helped promote
idea of a “Slave Power Conspiracy”
• Liberty party drew some votes away from Clay, Polk
wins.
Impact of 1844 Election
• Tyler takes Polk’s election as a “mandate from
the people” and pushes for immediate
annexation of Tx, which is done by a joint
resolution of Congress, requiring a simple
majority vote, instead of the 2/3rds vote required
for Treaty, the normal way of adding territory.
• Signed three days before Tyler left office,
Mexico severed diplomatic relations, Texas joins
Union as a slave state in Dec. 1845.
• Polk was all for annexing Tx, but backed down
on the whole Oregon territory, because he didn’t
want war w/Britain, so he made a deal w/Britain
to establish the 49th parallel as the border.
The Mexican-American War
• Mexican government angry at the U.S. for
annexing TX, still disputing Texas/Mexico border
• U.S. claimed Rio Grande, Mexico claimed Nueces,
original border when part of Mexico.
• New Military Regime in Mexico, promise to
“reclaim stolen territory”
• Polk, looking for excuse to go to war, sends Gen
Zachary Taylor to occupy area between Rio
Grande and Nueces, hoping the Mexican
government would attack and he’d have an excuse
for war.
• Minor scuffle gives him the excuse.
Reactions
• Abolitionists and antislavery Whigs see this an a
flimsy excuse and part of the “slave power
conspiracy.”
• Anti-war faction emerges in Congress, but the
war is popular w/the people and the military is
very successful.
• Several successful battle, then captured Mexico
City.
• Generals Zachary Taylor, Winfield Scott.
• First West Point graduate generals, more later in
Civil War
• Impressed European powers with American
military progress (they’ll come watch the Civil
War)
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hildalgo
• Ends Mexican-American War, set border at Rio Grande,
U.S. gets California and New Mexico (Mexican Cession),
pays Mexican debts to Americans, pays Mexico $15
million
• War supporters generally southern supporters of slavery,
expect to get several slave states out of the new
territory.
• Almost the same deal offered BEFORE the war. Polk
and supporters furious.
• 13,000 U.S. dead, 11,000 from disease, 50,000 Mexican
dead
• Increased sectional tension, as many Northerners saw
the war as an excuse to expand slavery.
The Wilmot Proviso
• Proposed in Congress at the beginning of the
Mexican-American War.
• Would have made slavery illegal in any territory
won from Mexico.
• Scared pro-slavery southerners because Wilmot
was a Northern Democrat who wanted free
territory (from the Mexican Cession) because of
the “disgrace slavery brings to free labor.”
• Party lines broke down in Congress as people
voted based on sectionalism (North v. South).
Election of 1848
• Polk doesn’t run again, Democratic Party ran Lewis Cass,
comes up with “popular sovereignty” to deal w/ slavery in
new territories. Deliberately vague about what this
meant.
• Whigs nominate Zachary Taylor (war hero, common man
image), never before political, had never voted, only
declared he was a Whig that year. Popular with voters.
• Whigs who were unhappy that Taylor owned slaves, split
and formed the Free Soil Party with Northern Dems who
were in favor of the Wilmot Proviso and the Liberty Party.
• Free-Soilers campaigned on a ban on slavery in the
territories.
• Made the other candidates address slavery, so they each
took a pro-slavery stance in the South and an anti-slavery
stance in the North (No Modern Communication
Networks)
The Gold Rush
• Brought large numbers of people west, moved
western territories closer to statehood.
• Oregon enacted laws to ban slavery and free
blacks.
California pop
growing very fast,
people nervous
about issue of
slavery there.
Southerners want
to extend Missouri
Compromise line,
Northerners say
no.
• Taylor addresses it directly, putting Union before
sectional interests, says proslavery extremists
are “intolerant and revolutionary,” should avoid
promotion of sectional interests, promised not to
veto the Wilmot Proviso if it passed Congress.
• Proslavery southerners believe they’ve been
deceived.
• Taylor wanted to avoid the slavery issue by
admitting California and New Mexico as states,
rather than territories, and since slavery had
been illegal in those areas when Mexico owned
them, they’d be free states.
• Southerners see this as a conspiracy against
them, as New Mexico would include areas
claimed by Texas (slave state)
The Compromise of
1850
• Massive disagreement within
Congress, different
compromises proposed
• Threats of civil war between
Tx and New Mexico, Taylor
threatened to lead army out himself, then died
suddenly of typhus when he drank bad water at a
July 4th picnic.
• Millard Fillmore becomes president, supports a
compromise.
• Tenor of politics getting uglier, more northern
politicians coming out in favor of emancipation,
southerners getting more vehement and violent in their
responses. Charles Sumner caned by Preston Brooks
Compromise of 1850
• Finally Stephen Douglas brokers a compromise by
putting each piece of the compromise through as a
separate bill.
• California entered as a free state
• Fugitive Slave Law made much more stringent
• Settled Tx/New Mexico border
• Divided the rest of the Mexican Cession into New
Mexico and Utah and left issue of slavery deliberately
vague – popular sovereignty language still interpreted
different in N and S.
• Took care of the immediate issue, but most people
were still very angry and dissatisfied w/the
agreement.
The Fugitive Slave Law
• Hot button issue/turning point in the coming
of the Civil War.
• Southerners angry at ability of slaves to
escape to the North, Underground Railroad,
heightened awareness as some became
famous (Frederick Douglass, Tubman)
• Northern laws prevented states from
participating in catching and re-enslaving
runaways.
• Southerners wanted a federal law, Fugitive
slave law. (Ironic, because of strong
southern states’ rights stand)
Fugitive Slave Law
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Federal commissioners-issue warrants for arrest and return
Owner only has to show affidavit claiming ownership.
Fugitive had no right to trial, testify.
Slave commissioner got $10 bucks for siding with owners, $5
for siding with fugitives.
Commissioner could force bystanders to help round up
fugitives, heavy fines for refusing.
Southerners thought this would make Northerners supportive
through involvement. Did the opposite.
Invoke idea of moral duty to disobey an unjust law.
This made slavery real for many Northerners and drew more
of them into the abolitionist camp.
Anthony Burns: cost $100,000 ($2 million today) to reenslave this one man.
About 300 returned to slavery, about as many as Harriet
Tubman freed by herself.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
• written by Harriet Beecher Stowe
as a response to
the Fugitive Slave Law.
• Still portrays blacks unrealistically,
but humanly.
• People could identify and sympathize with
slaves as people.
• First published as a serial, then a book, then
a play. Huge emotional impact.
• Pro-slavery advocates become much more
extreme in its defense, not just paternalistic,
but a superior labor system.
Election of 1852
• Whigs ran Winfield Scott,
another Mex-Am war hero
• Dems nominated less
well-known “Mexican war hero” Franklin Pierce,
a Proslavery northerner.
• Focus on personality over politics, people
dissatisfied and disgusted.
• Popular vote close, but Pierce won electoral
vote, as Southern Whigs jumped ship.
• Whig party only really in the North after this.
Splintering Party Politics
• General disgust at politics, corruption. Strong
anti-immigrant, especially anti-Catholic,
sentiment.
• 3mil immigrants between 1845-1855
• Protestants distrustful of Catholic allegiance to
the Pope.
• Formation of secret Nativist party, The American
Party, becomes known as :
• The “Know-Nothing” Party
The “Know Nothing” Party
• As write in candidates, won local and state
elections in 1855 in Massachusetts, New
England and were the main opposition to the
Dems in the Middle states, California, the
“border states” and the upper south.
• Final straw for Whig party, as they pulled away
traditional Whig voting base.
• Some anti-slavery Whigs against them, saw the
hypocrisy of being anti-slavery and antiimmigrant.
• Absorbed into new Republican party by 1856.
Kansas-Nebraska Act
• Douglas put forth the act to try to get an
intercontinental railroad going, as he was an
investor.
• Area was North of the 36”30’, worried
Southerners will object to more free territories.
• Act set up two territories, Kansas and Nebraska,
under vague popular sovereignty language.
• Also claimed Missouri compromise “null and
void”
• Douglas wasn’t concerned with the ramifications
of that, because he though the arid climate
would keep slavery from spreading there
anyway.
Impact of Kansas-Nebraska Act
• Used by Northern anti-slavery forces as example that
Slave Power Conspiracy existed and was breaking their
agreement, Douglas vilified for it.
• Dems from the North who voted for the act generally lost
their seats in the next election, making the Democratic
party largely (not completely) a southern party.
• Formation of Republican party in the North, from Anti
Kansas-Nebraska Act Whigs, Dems, Free-Soilers,
absorption of most of the Know-Nothing party.
• Republicans against slavery in territories and against
new slave states. Wanted to let slavery wither in the
South.
• Ran John C. Fremont in 1856, lost to Dems’ James
Buchanan. American party pulled a few electoral votes
away from Reps, so Buchanan won, North/South split.
The Caning of Sumner
• May 22, 1856, Preston Brooks (D-SC)
beat Senator Charles Sumner (FS-MA)
with his walking cane in the Senate
chamber because of a speech Sumner
had given criticizing President Franklin
Pierce and Southerners who sympathized
with the pro-slavery violence in Kansas.
• Brooks claimed Sumner’s speech was “a
libel on South Carolinians”
“Bleeding” Kansas
• Election w/illegal votes
from Missouri, early
pro-slavery legislature,
free-soilers draw up
their own constitution,
violence ensues.
• John Brown and his
sons, others go to
Kansas to fight a minicivil war (after Brooks
caned Sumner).
John Brown and his
followers committed
several atrocities in
Kansas, including hacking
five pro-slavery
Missourians to death with
broadswords.
“Bleeding” Kansas
• Pierce, then Buchanan recognized the proslavery govt.
• Douglas believed this violated true popular
sovereignty, splits in the Dem party, more
violence in Congress.
• A compromise resulted in a vote in Kansas,
where free-soilers won. Split the Dem party
The Dred Scott Decision
• further enflamed sectional differences.
• Dred Scott was the Missouri slave of
an army surgeon, taken to free state
of Illinois and Wisconsin Territory.
Sued that he was free on those grounds.
• Issues in front of the Supreme Court:
• -Did living for a long time in a free state or territory
make a slave free?
• -Was Scott, a slave and a black man, an American
citizen who could sue in federal court?
• -Could Congress constitutionally, through the
Missouri Compromise or other pieces of legislation,
prohibit slavery in the territories?
The Dred Scott Decision
• The lower court had ruled that Scott was a “sojourner” in the
free areas, not a resident, and therefore still a slave.
• SC could have just upheld the lower courts decision, but went
further.
• Very pro-south, pro-slavery court, Chief Justice Roger Taney
(from Jackson’s era) said Scott, as a slave and a black man,
could not be a citizen and could not sue in federal court.
• Also ruled that slavery, as a form of property, could not be
excluded from territories (if you can take your cows, you can
take your slaves), making the Missouri Compromise
unconstitutional, as well as popular sovereignty.
• Dissenting opinion by Benjamin Curtis pointed to blacks as
state citizens in 1787, therefore entitled to rights as U.S.
citizens.
• More weight to “slave power conspiracy” , further divided
Northern and Southern wings of Dem party.
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates
• Lincoln and Douglas both up for a Senate seat
from Illinois.
• Series of seven face to face debates, 3 or 4
hours at a time.
• Douglas charged that Lincoln wanted to destroy
the balance, was into race mixing.
• Lincoln was against slavery as an institution,
wanted it confined to the south so it would
eventually wither away (Repub. Position)
• Douglas won, but by a very narrow margin the
debates made Lincoln’s reputation.
John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry,
Oct 1859
• Arsenal in (now West) Virginia.
• Got backing to seize ammunition and distribute it to
slaves who would join him in revolt.
• Very unsuccessful as a military operation, but VERY
successful as a symbol and martyr.
• Took full moral responsibility for his actions,
rejected attempts at rescue, pleas of insanity.
• Said it was God’s will that he die for human
freedom.
John Brown’s Execution
• Seen as a martyr in the North
• Seen as evidence of a northern conspiracy
to destroy slavery by the south
• Leads to much stricter slave codes,
violence against blacks, and whites who
didn’t seem to be committed enough to
slavery.
• Atrocities just fueled Northern abolitionist
movement.
• Beyond compromise.
• General belief slavery
would only survive if
allowed to grow under
gov’t protection,
Southerners saw it as
protected property,
Repubs want it banned in
all territories.
• Sectional difference
dominated the election.
• Lincoln won 40% of the
popular vote, but a
majority of the electoral
vote, including all free
states but New Jersey,
which was split.
• Bell and Breckinridge
(only candidate promoting
disunion) split the south
• Douglas – MO and part of
NJ.
Secession
• Republicans didn’t take threats of secession seriously, but
in December of 1860, South Carolina legislature voted to
leave the union
• followed by Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia,
Louisiana and Texas within 6 weeks by narrow votes.
• Little support in back country areas, but large scale voter
apathy also prevalent.
• Set up govt of Confederacy by Feb 1861, with Jefferson
Davis as president.
• Eight upper south states hadn’t seceded.
• Nothing done during the lame duck period.
• Lincoln and Republicans rejected compromises that would
have allowed slavery to expand, hoped the southern
states would voluntarily re-join the union.
Fort Sumter
• Ft. Sumter, in Charleston, South Carolina,
running out of supplies.
• Lincoln told the governor that he was sending in
supplies only, so not to attack.
• SC demanded the surrender of Ft. Sumter, when
the troops refused, SC attacked.
• After nearly 3 days of continuous bombardment,
the U.S. troops in Ft. Sumter surrendered.
• Lincoln called up state militias to put down the
“insurrection” in the South, the CSA responded
by declaring war on the US.
• Within 5 weeks, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee,
and North Carolina seceded as well.
Fall of Ft. Sumter
The Union & The Confederacy