Download Major Events of the Nineteenth Century

Major Events of the
th
19 Century
VUS.6
Approximately 1790 – 1860
Mr. LeHew
Dual Enrollment US History
Washington Administration
With the election of George
Washington as the first President
of the United States under the
Constitution, Congress was given
the great task of creating and
organizing the new government.
The Federal Courts


The Constitution authorized Congress to set
up a federal court system headed by a
Supreme Court but it did not tell them how to
organize and create the lower federal courts.
The Judiciary Act of 1789 created a judicial
structure that has stayed
basically intact until
today.
The Judiciary Act of 1789

This act established the
number of justices on the
Supreme Court.

There was a Chief Justice
and 5 associate justices.

We now have 8 associate
justices.
The Judiciary Act of 1789

It created 3 Federal Circuit Courts and 13
Federal District Courts.

It made sure that federal laws would remain
the “supreme law of the land” as directed by
Article VI of the Constitution.
The Executive Branch

The Constitution only provided for the President and
Vice President

Washington chose to create a “Cabinet” to help govern

Department of State

Department of Treasury

Department of War

Attorney General

Post-Master General
The Executive Branch


Department of State

Headed by Thomas Jefferson

Deals with foreign affairs
Department of Treasury

Headed by Alexander Hamilton

Manages finances
The Executive Branch


Department of War

Headed by Henry Knox

Handles military matters
Attorney General

Headed by Edmund Randolph

Chief lawyer of federal government
The Executive Branch

Post Master General

Headed by Samuel Osgood

Handles the Post Offices

Cabinet position until 1971
when the Post Office Department
was reorganized into the U.S. Postal Service, a
separate and independent federal agency.
Financial Plan of Hamilton



Created protective tariffs
to promote industry
Established the National
Bank to provide the
nation with stable
currency
Created an excise tax on
whiskey to raise revenue
The Whiskey Rebellion - 1794





In 1789, Congress passes a protective tariff on imports
from Europe.
Hamilton pushes through Congress an excise tax on the
manufacture, sales, or distribution of whiskey
In Western Pennsylvania, farmers refuse to pay the tax,
beat up federal marshals and threaten to secede.
The Federal Government sends in 15,000 militiamen,
lead by Washington himself, to put down the rebellion
without any loss of life.
This rebellion helped to consolidate the federal
governments power in domestic affairs.
Washington’s Farewell

In his farewell address to the country, George
Washington said
be neutral
 remain united
 avoid permanent alliances
 not have political parties
Despite the warnings, the opposing views of Hamilton
and Jefferson led to the first two political parties in this
country:


The Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.
A Nation
Politically Divided
The first debate of the nature of the Federal
Government
Hamilton-Jefferson Debate

Hamilton’s Views








Concentrate power in federal government
Fears mob rule
Republic led by a well-educated elite
Loose interpretation of the Constitution
National bank constitutional (loose interpretation)
Economy based on shipping and manufacturing
Payment of national and state debts (favoring creditors)
Supporters – merchants, manufacturers, landowners,
investors, lawyers, and clergy
Hamilton-Jefferson Debate

Jefferson’s Views








Sharing power with state & local governments; limited national
government
Fear of absolute power or ruler
Democracy of virtuous farmers and trades people
Strict interpretation of the Constitution
National bank unconstitutional (strict interpretation)
Economy based on farming
Payment of only the national debt (favoring debtors)
Supporters – the “plain people” farmers and trades people
The Factions

The Federalists

The DemocraticRepublicans
The Federalists

Headed by Alexander Hamilton
and John Adams

Believed in a strong national
government

Favored the development of an
industrial economy based on manufacturing

Supporters - bankers and business interests in the
Northeast
The Democratic-Republicans

Headed by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison

Believed in a weak national government

Favored the development of an agricultural
economy based on farming

Supporters – farmers, artisans, and frontier
settlers in the South
John Adams’ Presidency

1797 - John Adams became
the second President of the
United States with Thomas
Jefferson as his Vice President

1798 – Adams signs into law a
bill creating the United States
Navy after the XYZ Affair occurs
XYZ Affair

To steer clear of war with France, President Adams sent
a delegation to France

The delegation wanted to meet with the French foreign
minister but only was allowed to meet with 3 low-level
officials

These official demanded a $250,000 bribe as payment
Upon learning about this insult, a wave of anti-French
sentiment swept the United States

Alien and Sedition Acts


Passed because of the growing anti-French feeling that
continued to flourish
Alien Acts



American citizenship requirement
increased from 5 to 14 years
President could deport or jail any
alien considered undesirable
Sedition Act

Set fines and jail terms for anyone trying to impede how the
government was run or who made “false, scandalous, and
malicious statements” against the government
Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions

Madison wrote the resolutions for Virginia

Jefferson wrote them for Kentucky

Written in opposition to the Alien & Sedition Acts

They stated that the states had the right to nullify
(consider void) any act of Congress that they
deemed unconstitutional

They believed the Alien & Sedition Acts violated
the First Amendment rights of citizens
Election of 1800
Thomas Jefferson
John Adams
Election of 1800

Thomas Jefferson became the 3rd president
of the United States after the House of
Representatives decided the election.





Jefferson – 73
Aaron Burr – 73
John Adams – 65
C. C. Pinckney – 64
John Jay – 1
Election of 1800
After realizing there was a flaw in
the Electoral College, Congress
fixed the flaw by passing the
Twelfth Amendment which calls
for having the electors cast the
same ballot for President and Vice
President. Created concept of
“The Presidential Ticket”
Jefferson’s Administration





First President to take the oath of office in
Washington, D.C.
First peaceful transition of
political power from one
political party to the next
Believed in free trade with
Europe, especially France
Shrank the size of the federal
government (but doubled size of the United States)
Cut costs wherever and whenever possible
John Marshall and the Supreme Court



Was appointed as Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court
by John Adams
Served on the court for over
thirty years
Strengthened the power of
the Supreme Court and the
federal government
Marbury v. Madison


John Adams signed the appointments of sixteen new
federal judges late on the last day of his
administration.
Some of the appointments were never delivered and
Jefferson believed that since they were not, that they
were invalid.


Marbury was one of the midnight judges who did not
receive his appointment.
The Judiciary Act of 1789 required that the appointments
be delivered and Marbury sued to enforce this provision.
Marbury v. Madison


John Marshall delivered the Court’s decision.
 Marshall did believe that Marbury deserved his
commission but not under the provision of the
Judiciary Act of 1789 because it was
unconstitutional
 Therefore act was void and so was Marbury’s
claim.
By doing this, John Marshall and the Supreme Court
were able to use the power of judicial review.
Judicial Review


The power of the Supreme
Court to decide whether or
not specific laws are valid.
This made the Court a
co-equal branch because it
sent the executive and
legislative branches a message that the judicial
branch had the power to affect legislation.
Louisiana Purchase, 1803



Napoleon Bonaparte
decides to sell the Louisiana
Territory to the United
States
US purchased the territory
for $15 million
The size of the United
States doubled after the
Senate ratified the treaty
The Explorers & Their Guide
Lewis and Clark
Sacajawea
Exploring the Territory





Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
to explore
Lewis lead what he called the Corps of Discovery
from St. Louis, Missouri to the Pacific coast
Discoveries included unknown plants and animals
and new Native American tribes
Sacajawea was a guide and interpreter
The expedition took 2 years and 4 months to
complete
The United States has to defend it’s claims as a nation against an old
enemy.
THE “FORGOTTEN”
WAR OF 1812
Jefferson and Madison’s Response

Embargo Act of
1807 – prohibited
all American trade
with foreign ports


Greatly hurt
American
shipping and the
US economy
New Englanders
hated Jefferson
(“Mad Tom”)



Madison elected 1808
Realized Embargo Act hurt US
much more than France or
Britain
Passed the “Non-Intercourse
Act”


Reopened American trade with
all nations except Fr and Britain
Would trade with France and
Britain if they would respect US
neutral rights
Causes of the War of 1812



British seizure of more than 1,000
American ships and their cargoes
French seized about 500 ships and
cargoes
Impressments – seizing of Americans at
sea and drafting them into the British
navy
The War of 1812



Madison sends to Congress a declaration of war
against Great Britain
Congress approves the declaration in June 1812
America’s initially unprepared for war and the
British seize Detroit


William Henry Harrison defeats the Native
Americans at the Battle of Tippecanoe
US invaded Canada in three places but failed to
take over; Burned the City of York (Toronto)
Major Events of 1812-1813



Matthew Perry defeats the British fleet at Putin-Bay in 1813 and Americans gain control of
Lake Erie
American privateers damaged British
shipping
British navy blockaded US Coast
Major Events of 1814

Chesapeake Campaign
 1814 -- British burned Washington, DC
 First Lady Dolly Madison rescued
valuables from the White House
 Battle of Fort McHenry -- British bombard
Baltimore, MD
 Francis Scott Key -- wrote The Star
Spangled Banner after the Battle of Fort
McHenry
The War Ends…Sort of…


Treaty of Ghent, December 24, 1814
 An armistice was declared to end the fighting
 Did not address the issue of impressments or shipping rights
 Americans welcomed the treaty and eager for peace
Battle of New Orleans, January 8, 1815
 Occurred after the signing of the Treaty of Ghent
 Andrew Jackson’s greatest victory
 Jackson’s troops defeated a superior British force
 Hundreds of British troops died
 Only a handful of Americans died
Presidency of James Monroe (Number 5)
THE ERA OF GOOD FEELINGS
Era of Good Feelings



James Monroe elected in 1816, effectively
unopposed
His term in office marks the beginning of the
“Era of Good Feelings”
Nationalism (love for one’s country) was
sweeping the nation



Victory in War of 1812
New generation of war heroes
American System
American System
Henry Clay’s Theory on Economic Growth
Industrial North – Agricultural South/West
North–Produce Industrial Goods
Provide Market for Agriculture
South – Produce Agriculture
Provide Market for Industry
Making It Work

Protective tariffs (mild)



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

Tariff Act of 1816
Tariff is strengthened in
1828
National banking system
(notes on next slide)
Improved transportation
(notes on next slide)
Second Bank of the U.S.



The charter of the First Bank of the US expired
in 1811 and was not renewed
State banks took over the business of banking
and printing money which makes trade difficult
1816: Congress chartered the Second Bank of
the US with 25 branches
 Issues its own paper money which is accepted
throughout the US
 Starts a two year business boom
Improved transportation



Building of the National Road
(today it is I-40)
Construction of canals begins
Money comes from the
protective tariff
The coming of the Industrial Revolution in the United States
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE
AMERICAN SYSTEM
Industrial Revolution
Great
Britain starts the Industrial Revolution during
the 18th century with inventions like:
James
Hargreave’s
Spinning Jenny
(1764)
John Kay’s
flying shuttle
(1733)
Richard
Arkwright’s
water frame
(1769)
Industrial Revolution
James Watt’s
steam engine
(1769)
Edmund
Cartwright’s
power loom
(1785)
Samuel
Crompton’s
spinning mule
(1779)
America Industrializes



America becomes an industrialized nation for
many reasons but the first and foremost was
because of war.
America’s primary source of income after the
War for Independence was international trade
Because of the Embargo Act of 1807 and the
War of 1812, America will become an
industrial nation.
New England Industrializes




New England will be the first area to industrialization
First successful mechanized textile factory in Pawtucket, RI
This factory only mass produced one part of the textile thread
Three Bostonians revolutionize the textile industry by
mechanizing all stages of textile production

Lowell (named for their deceased partner) becomes a
booming manufacturing center

Young women come their to find jobs because their
family farms are in decline
Internal Improvements



First steam locomotive in the U.S. was built in
1825
Railroads important because they were faster
and more economical
Many states built turnpikes


National Road began in 1811 in Cumberland, MD
By 1838 it reaches Vandalia, IL
Internal Improvements


Erie Canal
 “The Big Ditch” was 363 miles long
 Dream of former Anti-federalist Dewitt Clinton
 Took 8 years to build
 By 1825 it linked the Hudson River and NYC
with the Great Lakes
Other states begin building and by 1837 over 3,000
miles of canals have been built throughout the US
Coming of Age in the
th
19 Century
Supreme Court Decisions and new laws
strengthen the Federal Government
Gibbons v. Ogden, 1824



Aaron Ogden receives a license from New York legislature
to run a ferry between New York and New Jersey
Thomas Gibbons opens his own steam line in the same area
under a 1793 federal law regulating costal trading
Ogden takes Gibbons to court and Supreme Court ruled:
 Interstate commerce could be regulated only by the
federal government
 Ogden’s exclusive right granted by the state of New
York was not legal because in crossed state lines
 Congress is given exclusive authority over interstate
commerce – Commerce Clause
McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819



Branches of the Bank of
the US in each state,
including Maryland
Maryland state legislator
levied a heavy tax on the
local branch of the Bank of
the United States in
Baltimore
McCulloch, the branch
manager, refused to pay the
tax and sued the state of
Maryland

The Court’s Decision
 Maryland law was
overturned stating that
states were not allowed to
tax the federal government
 Marshall declared that the
Bank of the United States
was constitutional
 John Marshall stated that
“the power to tax is the
power to destroy”
Nationalism


The belief that national interests should be placed ahead
of regions concerns or the interests of other countries
John Quincy Adams
 Secretary of State
 Adams-Onis Treaty
 Most Americans believed Spanish Florida would
become part of the United States
 In 1819, John Quincy Adams negotiated a treaty
with Spain to cede Florida to the United States
 Spain would also give up its claims to the Oregon
Territory
Monroe Doctrine, 1823

Spain and Portugal want to
reclaim their former colonies in
Central and South America

Russia is pushing into the
Northwest and interfering in
trade with China

America interested in getting
Cuba and northern Mexico
December 1823, President James
Monroe speaks to Congress
 He warns all outside powers
not to interfere with affairs in
the Western Hemisphere




Europe should not attempt to
create new colonies or not try to
overthrow the republics that have
become independent
Any aggression on the part of
European nations would be
considered an action “dangerous
to [American] peace and safety”
Monroe also promised that
America would stay out of
European affairs and not involve
itself with existing colonies in
the Western Hemisphere
America’s new generation of war hero
THE AGE OF JACKSON AND
THE COMMON MAN
Election of 1828



Property requirements
for eligible voters
eliminated for the first
time as new states
joined union
More “common”
people voted
State conventions
nominated candidates
for President


Voters were tired of
aristocracy government in which
power is given to those
best qualified (rich,
elite)
Voters saw themselves
as equal to aristocrats
(rich, elite)
Andrew Jackson, 1829-1837


First President from west of Appalachian Mountains
“Man of the Common People”
 Jackson in reality was a wealthy plantation
owner
 Record number went to inauguration of “Old
Hickory”

Jackson knew how to inspire loyalty and enthusiasm

He knew how to use the powers of the presidency
Spoils System

Introduced the spoils system to national politics


A practice of using public offices to benefit members
of the victorious party
“To the victor belong the spoils of the enemy”

Appointed people to federal jobs for a maximum of 4
years otherwise they may become corrupt or
inefficient

Jackson replaced officials of the federal government
with his own friends
Spoils System



He fired about 10% of
the federal employees
(mostly people
appointed during the
Adams administration)
He gave the jobs to loyal
Jacksonians
He also had the “kitchen cabinet”, his friends
who would advise on presidential matters
Jackson and Native Americans

Jackson’s views concerning Indians

He believed that the tribes could never be
assimilated into European ways

By allowing the Native Americans to live
in their original areas would require too
many troops to protect them

The only possible solution was to move
them to areas in the west
Indian Removal Act

1830
 Provided federal funds
to negotiate treaties that
would force Native
Americans to move
west
 90 treaties were signed
 Jackson forced the
Choctaw to sign a
treaty that required
them to move from
Mississippi

1831


Jackson ordered troops
to forcibly remove the
Sauk and Fox from their
native lands in Illinois
and Missouri
1832

Forced the Chickasaw to
leave their lands in
Alabama and Mississippi
Cherokee Fight Back

Cherokees led by John Ross take the fight to the
Supreme Court

In Worcester v. Georgia, 1832, the Cherokee won
recognition as a distinct political community

The Court ruled that Georgia was not entitled to
regulate the Cherokee nor to invade their lands

Jackson refused to abide by the Court’s ruling stating
“John Marshall has made his decision: now let him
enforce it.”
Cherokee Fight Back



Some Cherokee promoted relocation and federal
agents chose to recognize those that did as the true
representatives of the tribe
Cherokees’ last 8 million acres are given to the federal
government for $5 million and land west of the
Mississippi River
1838


About 20,000 Cherokee are still living in Georgia
Jackson’s successor, Martin Van Buren orders their
forced removal
Cherokee Trail of Tears




October and November
1838
Cherokee were sent off
in groups of 1,000
800 mile trip was made
partly by steamboat,
railroad and mostly by
walking
Many Cherokee died
on the trip




Government officials
stole their money
Bandits made off with
their livestock
About 25% of the
people who made the
journey died
Cherokee receive
inferior land when they
reached their
destination
National Bank
Controversy


Jackson vetoes the bill to
recharter the Second Bank of
the United States - 1832
Opposes the bank



Believes it to be a privileged
institution
Felt it had an unfair advantage
over state banks
Extended courtesies to the
“privileged few” usually
congressman
Pet Banks




Bank was a “monster” that corrupted “our
statesmen” and wanted “to destroy our
republican institution”
Jackson had his Secretary of the Treasury take
the money from the Bank and place it in state
banks or “pet banks”
1836 – charter runs out and Bank of the
United States becomes just another
Philadelphia bank
Five years later it goes out of business
Wildcat Banks




Jackson deposited federal money in pet
banks – some were “wildcat” banks
Wildcat banks printed money in excess of
what gold and silver they had on hand
Notes printed by these banks were
practically worthless
Federal government lost money when
people used the notes to buy land
A Panic Begins



Jackson has Treasury Department issue an
order that made “specie” (gold or silver) the
only acceptable form of payment for
government land
Order goes into affect of August 15, 1836
Banks could not handle the flow of people
wanting gold and silver so they suspended
redemption of bank notes
Panic of 1837




May 1837, New York banks stop
accepting paper currency
Banks begin closing
 Credit system
collapses
 People lose their
entire savings
Hundreds of businesses go bankrupt
1/3 of the population ends up out of work
Nullification Theory



Developed by John C. Calhoun as a response
to the Tariff of Abominations
This theory questioned the legality of
applying some federal laws to the sovereign
states
Calhoun believed that since the Constitution
had be ratified by “sovereign states” then they
also had the right to nullify, or reject, a federal
law they considered unconstitutional
Nullification Crisis




Congress passes the Tariff of 1832
South Carolina declares the tariffs of 1828 and
1832 “null” and therefore “void”
South Carolina threatens to secede from the
Union if customs officials try to collect duties
Jackson is furious, threatens to send federal
troops into South Carolina
Nullification Crisis


Congress passes the Force Bill of 1833 allowed the federal government to use the
army and navy against South Carolina if states
authorities resisted paying the duties
Henry Clay – “The Great Compromiser” steps
in and proposed a tariff which would reduce
duties over a ten year period
Whig Party Forms


Formed in 1834
Opposed to the ideas of Jacksonian America




Wanted a protective tariff
Wanted to use federal money to build roads and
canals
Backed federal control of the national banking
system and a national currency
Will not win the 1836 election, but the party
will become a major player in the next twenty
years in American Politics
Whig Party Forms
Henry Clay
John Quincy
Adams
Daniel Webster
MANIFEST DESTINY AND
COMPROMISE
New Territories



Purchase of Louisiana
Territory from France
doubled the size of America
The War of 1812 victory
produced an American
claim to Oregon Territory
Also saw an increased
migration of American
settlers into Florida, later
acquired by treaty from
Spain.




People could make their
own way more easily
changing jobs if needed
Also many people who
wanted to escape debts or
the law often went west
It was easy to get lost and
not be found
Land was abundant and
fertile
Westward Expansion



The belief that it was America’s “Manifest
Destiny” to stretch from the Atlantic to the
Pacific provided political support for territorial
expansion.
During this period American Indians were
repeatedly defeated in violent conflicts with
settlers and soldiers and forcibly removed from
their ancestral homelands
The Northwest Ordinance provided for
admittance of new states, but issues of slavery
became the backdrop to these new territories
Events Leading to Problem


1818
 United States consists of 10
slave states and 10 free
states
 Illinois admitted as a free
state on December 3rd
1819
 Missouri applies for
admission to Union
 Alabama admitted as a
slave state before the end
of the year

How Missouri would
be admitted became
the crucial decision

Northerners
wanted it to
become a free state

Southerners
wanted it to
become a slave
state
The Missouri Compromise, 1820

Senate Balance Maintained



Louisiana Territory was split


Maine admitted as a free state
Missouri admitted as a slave state
Above 36o 30’ north latitude would be for free
with the exception of Missouri
Monroe signed the compromise and the issue
of slavery seemed to be settled
Westward Trails

Santa Fe Trail


Oregon Trail


780 miles from Independence, Missouri to Santa Fe, New
Mexico
Started in Independence, Missouri and ended in Portland,
Oregon
Mormon Trail


Bingham Young moved followers beyond the boundaries
of the US and moving to the area near the Great Salt Lake
in 1847
Disliked because they practiced polygamy (the practice of
having more than one wife)
“Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!”



1844 – James K. Polk in his
election platform called for
the annexation of the Oregon
Territory
“Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!”
became the slogan of the time
1846 – Both wanted to settle the dispute and
so the 49th parallel became the boundary
between the United States and Canada
Mexican Independence and Texas




Mexico will win its
independence from Spain
in 1821
Trade between the U.S. and
Mexico increases
Mexico and its northern
provinces (New Mexico,
California, Arizona, Texas,
Nevada, and Utah will lose
touch)
Mexico invites Americans
to settle in Texas


Settlers are moving into
Texas, a territory
controlled by Mexico
because the land was cheap
and the climate was good
for agriculture
Mexico offers huge land
grants to agents if the
agreed to obey Mexican
law and observe the Roman
Catholic religion
Texans Begin to Fight





1830 – Mexico seals its borders and begin heavily
taxing imported American goods
1833 – Stephen Austin travels to Mexico City to
petition Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna for greater
self-government of Texas
Santa Anna imprisons Austin for inciting a
revolution and revoke the Mexican Constitution
Santa Anna wants to force Texans to obey laws he
established
He marches toward San Antonio
Remember the Alamo!




Austin and his
followers issue
a call to arms
1835 - Texans
take the Alamo
from the Mexicans
March 1836 - Santa
Anna besieges the
Alamo killing all 187 US defenders
Only a few women and children were spared
Texas Independence




April 1836 – Sam
Houston and his forces
defeat Santa Anna
Texans kill 630
Mexican soldiers and
capture Santa Anna
Santa Anna is set free
after he grants Texas
its independence


March 16, 1836 –
ratify a constitution
based on the US
Constitution
1838 – Sam Houston
invites the US to annex
Texas
December 29, 1845 –
Texas becomes the 28th
state
The Mexican War

Causes





Annexation of Texas
Debate with Mexico over border at Rio
Grande
Fremont leading an American military
expedition into California’s Salinas Valley
Mexican soldiers kill 11 US soldiers in
1846
Mexican officials refuse to receive US
official sent to negotiate the purchase of
California and New Mexico
The Mexican War




James K. Polk convinces Congress to declare
war on Mexico in 1846
Stephen Kearny marches west to seize New
Mexico and California
US take control of California, June 1846
General Winfield Scott led an army to invade
Mexico winning battle after battle


Marches to Mexico City
Defeats Santa Anna
The Treaty of Guadalupe- Hildalgo





Signed on February 2, 1848
US gained the Mexican Cession which included
California, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and
parts of Colorado and Wyoming
US paid $15 million to Mexico for Mexican Cession
Border between Mexico and Texas is the Rio Grande
Treaty guaranteed Mexicans in the areas gained from
the Mexican Cession the freedom of religion,
protection of property, bilingual elections, and open
borders
California Gold Rush



January 1848 – discover gold at Sutter’s Mill
People rush to the Sacramento Valley to begin panning
for gold
Migration increases





1848 – 400
1850 – 44,000
Most came to California in 1849: “Forty-niners”
By 1849 - California’s population is 100,000
California applies for statehood sparking another
conflict between the North and South
The Wilmot Proviso





Introduced into Congress by David Wilmot, a
Democrat from Pennsylvania
State that “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude
shall ever exist” in any territory the United States
might gain from the war with Mexico
It divided Congress along regional lines
Northerners feared more slave states would tip the
balance in Congress, Southerners felt the same if
more free states were added
It passed the House but not the Senate
Compromise Again



Senate begins debating
admission of California
as a free state
Southerners begin
threatening to secede
from the Union
Henry Clay, “The
Great Compromiser,”
comes up with a plan
The Compromise of 1850
 California would be
admitted as a free state
 The sale of slaves is
banned in the District of
Columbia, but slavery
itself could still continue
there
 Fugitive Slave Act added
as concession for
Southern states
Fugitive Slave Act





Alleged fugitives were not entitled to a trial by jury,
despite the 6th Amendment provision calling for a
speedy and public jury trial and the right to counsel
Fugitives could not testify on their own behalf
A statement by a slave owner was all that was needed
for the return of a slave
Federal commissioners received $10 for returning a
slave but only $5 if they freed him or her
Anyone convicted of aiding an alleged fugitive was
subject to a $1000 fine, six months in jail, or both
Resistance to the Fugitive Slave Law


Nine Northern states passed
personal liberty laws which
forbade the imprisonment of
runaway slaves and
guaranteed that they would
have jury trials
Some vigilance groups were
formed to send escaped
slaves on to Canada
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS OF THE
19TH CENTURY
Abolitionist Movement




1820s – over 100 antislavery
societies wanted the
resettlement of blacks back
to Africa - Liberia
Only about 1400 blacks
emigrated to Africa
Abolition – the call to end or outlaw slavery
Charles G. Finney – termed slavery “ a great
national sin”
William Lloyd Garrison


Radical white
abolitionist
Editor of The
Liberator and called
for the immediate
emancipation
(freeing) of slaves
Women’s Rights Movement, 1840s


At the same time the abolitionist movement
grew, another reform movement took root—
the movement to give equal rights to women.
Seneca Falls Convention, New York, 1848



Held by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott
Stanton wrote the Declaration of Sentiments
carefully modeled from the Declaration of
Independence
It was signed by sixty-eight women and thirty-two
men.
Women’s Rights Movement
Lucretia Mott
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Other Social Reforms (Overlap)





Temperance Movement - preaching against
the use of alcohol
Education for Women – Oberlin College,
Ohio
Health Reform – Nellie Bly
Better Working Conditions
Natives Movements – groups opposed to
immigration into the United States
SLAVERY DIVIDES
THE NATION
Sectionalism Develops

Two economic systems develop and with this,
sectionalism becomes even more prevalent

North



Slavery is dying out by the late 1700s
By 1804 almost all northern states had voluntarily
abolished slavery
South


Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin (1793)
Sets the South on a different course of development
Sectionalism Develops



Cotton gin accelerated the need for slaves
1790- 1810
 Production of Cotton went from 3,000 to 178,000
bales
 Number of slaves
increased from
700,000 to 1,200,000
1820-1830 - the number
of slaves almost doubles
from 1.2 million to 2 million
Rural Slavery




Worked on large
plantations usually from
dawn to dusk
Driven to work fast by
the overseer’s whip
1850 most slaves live on
plantations with 10 or more
slaves
1830s most southern
whites are farming not
working in industries such
as mining or lumbering
Urban Slavery



Many slaves end up
working in mills and on
ships
Slaves that developed a
talent for carpentry or
blacksmithing were in high
demand in cities
Slave owners would often
hire out their slaves to
work in factories
Nat Turner




Born in 1800 in Southampton County, VA
Gifted preacher
Believed he had been
chosen to lead his
people out of bondage
Grew up hearing of the
failed rebellion (1800)
of Gabriel Prosser in
Richmond, VA
Nat Turner’s Rebellion, 1831




Turner believed that an
eclipse of the sun was a
divine sign for action
Turner and 80
followers attacked 4
plantations killing
about 60 white people
Turner hid for several
weeks before being
captured and hanged
In retaliation, about
200 blacks were killed

In the aftermath the Virginia
legislature debated the issue
of slavery and possible
abolition

When a motion for abolition
was put to the legislature, the
vote was 73 to 58 in favor of
keeping slavery

This failed debate on slavery
effectively closed the issue in
the antebellum South
Backlash from Revolts





Fearing future revolts, many states passed laws which
became known as the slave codes
All southern states denied free blacks the right to vote
by 1835
Free blacks lost the right to own guns, purchase
alcohol, assemble in public, and testify in court in
some states
In some southern cities African-Americans were no
longer allowed to own property, learn to read or
write, or work independently as carpenters or
blacksmiths
Gag rules imposed concerning the debate over slavery
in some southern states
Uncle Tom’s Cabin



Written by Harriet
Beecher Stowe and
published in 1852
Was an instant success in
the North and the South
Message – slavery was
not just a political contest
but a great moral struggle
Kansas – Nebraska Act, 1854

Popular Sovereignty



The right of residents of a given territory to vote on
slavery for themselves
Steven Douglas introduced a bill in Congress
Territory was to be divided into states – Kansas
and Nebraska


Residents were to decide whether or not they wanted
slavery in their territories
Missouri Compromise essentially would be repealed
Bleeding Kansas




Race for Kansas to be
slave or free
Settlers from the North
and South poured into
Kansas
By March 1855, territorial
government formed
Thousands of “border
ruffians” from Missouri
crossed the border and
voted illegally



Proslavery candidates
win a fraudulent
majority
Proslavery people set
up a government at
Lecompton and issued
a series of proslavery
acts
Abolitionists
organized a rival
government in Topeka
that fall
Violence in the Senate




May 19, 1856 – Charles Sumner delivered a
speech called “the Crime Against Kansas”
May 22, 1856 – Preston S. Brooks walked
into the Senate chamber and over to Sumner
Brooks canned Sumner repeatedly on the head
before the cane broke.
Sumner suffered brain damage and did not
return to the Senate for 3 years.
Birth of a New Party

Kansas-Nebraska Act caused the demise of
the Whig Party




Factions within the party differed on slavery issue
Party unable to win major elections in 1852
Many new parties developed including the
Know Nothings, and the Free Soilers
Eventually The Republican Party unified the
smaller groups with the election of Abraham
Lincoln in 1860
Dred Scott




Was a slave from
Missouri
Owner had taken him
north of the Missouri
Compromise line in 1834
Lived for 4 years in
Illinois and Wisconsin
Returned to Missouri
where his owner died
Dred Scott Decision


1856 - Scott’s case is heard by
the Supreme Court
March 6, 1857 - Roger B.
Taney delivers the Supreme
Court’s decision
 Slaves did not have rights
of citizens
 Scott had no claim to
freedom because he was
living in Missouri when he
made his claim
 Missouri Compromise
became unconstitutional
Lincoln-Douglas Debates



1858 Senatorial race between Stephen
Douglas and Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln needed to counteract the “Little
Giant” and challenged Douglas to a series of 7
debates
Douglas was a flamboyant speaker whereas
Lincoln got to the point
Positions and Arguments

Douglas



Believed in popular sovereignty and that it would
allow slavery to pass on its own
Believed slavery was a backward labor system
unsuitable to prairie agriculture
Lincoln

Slavery is immoral – a labor system based on
greed and needed to be outlawed
Harper’s Ferry




October 16, 1859
John Brown and 21 men
(black and white) seized
the arsenal at Harper’s
Ferry, taking 60 prominent
citizens as hostages
Brown hoped slaves would
join his insurrection
Local troops killed 8 of
Brown’s men


US Marines led by
Robert E. Lee and
J.E.B. Stuart stormed
the engine house, killed
2 more of Brown’s
men, finally capturing
John Brown himself
Brown is turned over to
Virginia to be tried for
treason
Hanging of John Brown



December 2, 1859
Brown was hanged for high
treason in the presence of
federal troops
With Brown’s death, he
became a martyr for the
abolitionist cause - freedom
for all people
Election of 1860

The Candidates






Abraham Lincoln (Rep.)
Stephen A. Douglas (Dem.)
John C. Breckenridge (Dem.)
John Bell (Constitutional Union)
180
12
72
39
Lincoln was the winner but he received less than half
the popular vote
With the election of Abraham Lincoln in November
1860, South Carolina seceded first on December 20,
1860 followed quickly by 6 other states
Forming the Confederacy





Formed on February 4, 1861 in Montgomery,
Alabama
Confederate constitution closely resembled the U.S.
Constitution
Constitution protected and recognized slavery in the
new territories
Each state is to be sovereign and independent
On February 9, 1861, Jefferson Davis is unanimously
elected president of the Confederate States of
America
The Coming Fury, December 1860






7 slaves states had seceded from the Union
8 slave states were still in question
President Buchanan declared secession illegal
Lincoln inaugurated in March 1861
Mass resignations occurred in Washington, D.C.
Lincoln tasked with convincing public that
succession was illegal and preserving the Union,
intimately through bloodshed.