Download Political Divisions cause the Nations to survive

Political Divisions cause
the Nations to Divide
The Split over the issue of Slavery intensified due to political division and
judicial decisions causing the nation to break apart.
Key Terms
Republican Party
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Freeport Doctrine
Key Terms and
Key People
John Brown’s Raid
Constitutional Union Party
Confederate States of America
Key People
James Buchanan John C. Fremont Dred Scott John Bell
Roger B Taney
Abraham Lincoln
John C. Breckinridge
Jefferson Davis
The Republican Party would form in 1854 to oppose the spread of
slavery putting the Democratic Party in danger due to their support
of the Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Greatest
Political
Rivalry
Some Democrats and former Whigs joined the American Party and
Nominated Millard Fillmore as their Candidate for President in 1856
The Democrats Nominated James Buchanan for President To try to
distance themselves from the Kansas Nebraska Act
The Republicans Nominated John C. Fremont as their candidate for
president but he could not gain support outside the free states
With the Votes Split, James Buchanan won 15 slave states and 5 free
states and became president in 1856
Dred Scott, A slave in Missouri, Sued to get his freedom after the
death of his owner stating that his owner took him to free
territory, meaning he was no longer a slave
Judge Dred
The Supreme Court had to decide THREE issues:
Was Dred Scott a Citizen?
Does Living on Free soil make a slave free?
Was it constitutional to prohibit Slavery in the Louisiana Territory?
It would be Roger B. Taney, a slave owner from the south, who
would write the majority opinion
Roger B. Taney's First Decision was that African Americans, free or
slave, were not considered US Citizens and therefore could not file
suit in federal courts
Taney Then decided that living on free soil was NOT enough to
constitute free status and that Scott had to follow the law of Missouri
Great Scott
Taney Would then state that Since a slave was considered property
and the Fifth Amendment prohibits the government from taking
property, the Federal Government could not restrict slavery in federal
lands
The Ruling was celebrated by the South and limited the power and
platform of the republican party
Many Republicans, like Abraham Lincoln, began to worry that the
supreme court could soon ban states from outlawing slavery
When Abraham Lincoln ran against Stephen Douglas for The
Senate Seat in Illinois, they would have a series of Debates
centered around Slavery
The Great
Debate…Part 1
Lincoln Accused the Democrats of trying to Spread Slavery Across
the Nation and that African Americans deserved the same rights
as white men in the declaration of independence but did NOT
consider African Americans Socially or Politically Equal
Douglas Claimed that it was Lincoln’s Goal to make every state
free, as he said the nation could not remain half slave-half free
He said that if Lincoln planned to make all states free it would
lead to the destruction of the union and warfare between the
North and South
In the Second Debate Lincoln Asked Douglas how “If congress
could NOT ban slavery from Federal Territory, How could congress
allow the citizens of that territory to ban it?
The Great
Debate…part 2
Douglas Responded that it did not matter what the supreme court
decided, people had the right to Include or exclude slavery from
their state as they see fit
He Stated that Police could Enforce the Voter’s Decisions even if it
went against the supreme court
The Freeport Doctrine brought the Issue of Slavery back in the
National Spotlight, and though Douglas Won the Senate Election,
Abraham Lincoln would gain the National Spotlight
John Brown planned to attack and seize weapons at the Virginia
Arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, arm local slaves, and lead a rebellion
through the countryside but could only raise a 20 man army in 2
years
John Brown attacked the Arsenal but no slaves would join the raid
due to fear of death if the raid failed
If at First you
Don’t Secede
The revolution failed as 13 of Brown’s men were killed, the rest were
captured, and John Brown would be sentenced to death for his
Treason
In the North, Brown was seen as a hero but many, including Abraham
Lincoln, disagreed with his extremist action
The South Feared that John Brown’s Raid could lead to more
extremist actions and started the Renewed push to Secession
The Election of 1860 threatens to tear the Nation apart:
A fatal Fourway Election
 Northern Democrats Nominated Stephen Douglas a Moderate who wanted to
preserve the Union
 Southern Democrats John C. Breckinridge who had extreme views on
preserving slavery
 The Constitutional Union Party nominated John Bell, a Moderate slave owner
who wanted to preserve the Union
 The Republicans Nominated Abraham Lincoln who vowed to stop the spread
of slavery, but NOT end it
Though Lincoln was the Favorite to win the election the other candidates
hoped he would not win the needed electoral Votes but he would carry the
North and win the Election
With Lincoln winning, despite not winning ANY southern states, the south
realized they were losing political power and possibly could lose slavery
With the Election of Lincoln seen as a threat to slavery, South
Carolina held a special convention to vote on secession, noting
joining the Union was voluntary so leaving the union should be
the same
If at first you
Don’t Secede…
With Lincoln arguing that Secession was not constitutional John J.
Crittenden proposed the Crittenden plan to make compromises on
slavery to save the Union
Lincoln Disagreed that a compromise could work and Senate
rejected the plan, leading the south closer to secession
South Carolina voted to leave the Union on December 20th, 1860 and
would soon be joined by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia,
Louisiana, and Texas forming the Confederate States of America
Try and try
again until
you finally do
Secede!
The South Elected Jefferson Davis as their President and the
Confederate States of America started to plan on how to protect
federal property and Federal Forts in the South
Abraham Lincoln Took office on March 4th, 1861 and used the
constitution to speak out against Secession, Defending the
Constitution and pushing for Amendments to avoid secession
Lincoln believed that The southern people had the power to try to
change the constitution but not through leaving the Union
Lincoln Vowed that the union would keep all their property in the
South BUT would not provoke war hoping the South would return to
the Union…The south opted to go to war
This has been Another
World Famous Mr. Green
PowerPoint Presentation
Its Civil War time