Download Chapter #18: Renewing the Sectional Struggle – Big Picture Themes

Chapter #18: Renewing the Sectional Struggle – Big Picture Themes
1. The main question facing the nation was, “Will new lands won from Mexico have slaves or
be free?”
2. The answer to the question was hammered out in the Compromise of 1850. It said
California was to be free, popular sovereignty (the people decide) for the rest of the lands.
3. A tougher fugitive slave law was a major concession to the South, but it wasn’t enforced.
This angered the Southerners.
4. The North—South rift was widened with the Kansas-Nebraska Act. It repealed the Missouri
Compromise which had kept the peace for a generation. In it’s place, popular sovereignty
opened the Great Plains to potential slavery. Whereas the slave-land issue had been settled,
now it was a big question mark.
IDENTIFICATIONS:
Stephen Douglas
Stephen Douglas took over for Henry Clay in the Compromise of 1850. Clay could not get the
compromise passed because neither party wanted to pass it as a whole since they would be
passing things for the opposite party as well as their own. Douglas split the comproimse up to
get it passed.
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce was elected president in the 1852 election as the second Democratic “dark
horse”. He was a pro-southern northerner who supported the Comoromise of 1850 and
especially the Fugitive Slave Law. He also tried to gain Cuba for the South as a slave state, but
was stopped because of Northern public opinition after the incident ion Ostend, Belgium. He
also supported the dangerous Kansaas-Nebraska Act published for by Sentator douglas. He
was succeeded in 1856 by James Buchanan.
Compromise of 1850
This compromise signed by Millard Fillmore deals with the dsiputed territory, and the
controversey of whtehre CA should join. The results were that CA joined as a free state, and
what was left of the Mexican Cession land became New Mexio and Utah, and did not restrict
slavery. The compromise benefited the North more than the South.
Zachary Taylor
Commander of the Army of Occupation on the Texas border. On President Polk’s orders, he
took the Army into the disputed teritory between the Nueces and rio Grande Rivers and buiilt
a fort on the north bank of the Rio Grande river. When the Mexican Army tried to capture the
fort, Taylor’s forces engaged in a saeries fo egagements that led to the Mexico War. His
victories in the war and defeat of Santa Ana made him a national hero.
John C. Calhoun
Leading politician and political theorist form South Carolina during the first half of the 19th
century. Calhoun began his political career as a nationalist and proponent of protective tarriffs;
later, he stwietcged to States’ rights, limited governmen, nullification, and free trade. He is
best known for his intense and original defense of slavery as a positive good, for his
promoition of minority rights, and for pointing the South toward secession from the Union.
Matthew C. Perry
He was the military leader who convinced the Japanese to sign a treaty in 1853 with the US.
The treaty allowed for a commercial foot in Japan which was helpful with furthering a
relationship with Japan.
Henry Clay
Dubbed the “GREat Compromiser”,. He brokered important compromieses during the
Nullification Crisis and on the slavery issue, especially in 1820 and 185, during which he was
part of the “Great Triumvirate”, alsong with his colleauges Daniel Webster and John C.
Calhoun. He was viewed as the primary rep. of Western interests.
Free-Soil Party
The Free-Soil Party was organized by anti-slavery men in the north, democrats who were
resentful at Polk’s actions, and some conscience Whigs. The Free-Soil party was against slavery
in the new territories.
Fugitive Slave Law
a law passed just before the Civil War also called the "Bloodhound Bill", slaves who escaped
could not testify in their behalf and were not allowed a trial by jury. If the judge in the case freed
the slave they would receive five dollars, if not they would get ten dollars. Those found helping
slaves would be fined or jailed. This added to the rage in the North
Harriet Tubman
was an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil
War. After escaping from slavery, into which she was born, she made thirteen missions to
rescue more than 70 slaves using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as
the Underground Railroad. She later helped John Brown recruit men for his raid on Harpers
Ferry, and in the post-war era struggled for women's suffrage.
Compromise of 1850
This compromise signed by Millard Fillmore deals with disputed territory, and the controversy of
whether California should join. The results were that California joined as a free state, and what
was left of the Mexican Cession land became New Mexico and Utah, and did not restrict slavery.
The compromise benefited the North more than the South.
Ostend Manifesto
The Ostend Manifesto took place in 1854. A group of southerners met with Spanish officials
in Belgium to attempt to get more slave territory. They felt this would balance out congress.
They tried to buy Cuba but the Spanish would not sell it. Southerners wanted to take it by
force and the northerners were outraged by this thought.
Kansas-Nebraska Act
The Kansas-Nebraska Act, set forth in 1854, said that Kansas and Nebraska should come into
the Union under popular sovereignty. Senator Stephen A. Douglas introduced it, and it pushed
the country even closer the Civil War.
Chapter #19: Drifting Toward Disunion – Big Picture Themes
1. Uncle Tom’s Cabin drove a wedge between the Northerner and Southerner. The South cried
foul saying it gave a view of slavery that was too harsh and unrealistic, but it cemented each
section’s feelings on the issue.
2. Kansas became the battleground over slavery. Since slavery there was to be decided by
popular vote, each side passionately fought for their position. Bloodshed resulted.
3. The Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision was huge. It said that Congress or a legislature
cannot outlaw slavery in the territories. Effectively then, all new lands were possible slave
lands.
4. A financial panic in 1857 added to the chaos and uncertainty.
5. Abe Lincoln arrived on the scene. Although he lost to Stephen Douglas for Illinois Senate,
he made a name for himself there.
6. In 1860, Abe Lincoln won a very sectional race for president over 3 other candidates. The
South had promised to leave the union if Abe won. He won, and the South indeed seceded.
IDENTIFICATIONS:
Hinton Helper – The Impending Crisis of the South
A book written by Hinton Helper. Helper hated both slavery and blacks and used this book to try
to prove that non-slave owning whites were the ones who suffered the most from slavery. The
non-aristocrat from N.C. had to go to the North to find a publisher that would publish his book.
George Fitzhugh
The most influential propagandist in the decade before the Civil War. In his Sociology for the
South (1854), he said that the capitalism of the North was a failure. In another writing he argued
that slavery was justified when compared to the cannibalistic approach of capitalism. Tried to
justify slavery.
John Brown
John Brown was a militant abolitionist that took radical extremes to make his views clear. In
May of 1856, Brown led a group of his followers to Pottawattamie Creek and launched a
bloody attack against pro-slavery men killing five people. This began violent retaliation
against Brown and his followers. This violent attack against slavery helped give Kansas its
nick name, "bleeding Kansas".
Charles Sumner
He was an unpopular senator from Mass., and a leading abolitionist. In 1856, he made an
assault in the pro-slavery of South Carolina and the South in his coarse speech, "The Crime
Against Kansas." The insult angered Congressmen Brooks of South Carolina. Brooks walked
up to Sumner's desk and beat him unconscious. This violent incident helped touch off the war
between the North and the South.
Dred Scott
Scott was a black slave who had lived with his master for five years in Illinois and Wisconsin
territory. He sued for his freedom on the basis of his long residence in free territory. The Dred
Scott court decision was handed down by the Supreme Court on March 6,1857. The Supreme
Court ruled that Dred Scott was a black slave and not a citizen. Hence, he could not sue in a
federal court.
Abraham Lincoln
Nicknamed "Old Abe" and "Honest Abe"; born in Kentucky to impoverished parents and
mainly self-educated; a Springfield lawyer. Republicans chose him to run against Senator
Douglas (a Democrat) in the senatorial elections of 1858. Although he loss victory to
senatorship that year, Lincoln came to be one of the most prominent northern politicians and
emerged as a Republican nominee for president. Although he won the presidential elections of
1860, he was a minority and sectional president (he was not allowed on the ballot in ten
southern states).
John Crittenden
A Senator of Kentucky, that fathered two sons: one became a general in the Union Army, the
other a general in the Confederate Army. He is responsible for the Crittenden Compromise.
This augments the fact that the war was often between families, and its absurdity. Kentucky
and other states were split up between the Union and Confederacy, and both in the North and
South sent people to the other side. This makes it clear that the war is primarily over slavery.
“Bleeding Kansas”
Kansas was being disputed for free or slave soil during 1854-1857, by popular sovereignty. In
1857, there were enough free-soilers to overrule the slave-soilers. So many people were
feuding that disagreements eventually led to killing in Kansas between pro-slavery and antislavery forces.
American or “Know-Nothing” Party
Developed from the order of the Star Spangled Banner and was made up of nativists. This
party was organized due to its secretiveness and in 1865 nominated the ex-president Fillmore.
These super-patriots were anti-foreign and anti-Catholic and adopted the slogan "American's
must rule America!" Remaining members of the Whig party also backed Fillmore for
President.
Panic of 1857
The California gold rush increased inflation; speculation in land and railroads "ripped economic
fabric"; hit the North harder than South because the South had cotton as a staple source of
income; the North wanted free land from the government; drove Southerners closer to a
showdown; caused an increase in tariffs; gave Republicans an issue for the election of 1860.
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Lincoln challenged Stephen Douglas to a series of 7 debates. Though Douglas won the senate
seat, these debates gave Lincoln fame and helped him to later on win the presidency. These
debates were a foreshadowing of the Civil War.
Freeport Doctrine (1858)
The Freeport Doctrine occurred in Freeport, Illinois during the debates of Lincoln and Douglas
for senator. This was a question that Lincoln asked Douglas that made Douglas answer in such
a way that the South would know that he was not truly supporting them.
Harper's Ferry Raid
Occurred in October of 1859. John Brown of Kansas attempted to create a major revolt among
the slaves. He wanted to ride down the river and provide the slaves with arms from the North,
but he failed to get the slaves organized. Brown was captured. The effects of Harper's Ferry
Raid were as such: the South saw the act as one of treason and were encouraged to separate
from the North, and Brown became a martyr to the northern abolitionist cause.
Constitutional Union Party
A political party in the United States created in 1860. It was made up of conservative former
Whigs who wanted to avoid disunion over the slavery issue. These former Whigs (teamed up
with former Know-Nothings and a few Southern Democrats who were against disunion to
form the Constitutional Union Party). Its name comes from its extremely simple platform, a
simple resolution "to recognize no political principle other than the Constitution...the
Union...and the Enforcement of the Laws."
GUIDED READING QUESTIONS:
Stowe and Helper: Literary Incendiaries
Know:
Harriet Beecher Stowe, Hinton Helper
1.
Which book, Uncle Tom's Cabin or The Impending Crisis of the South was more important?
Explain.
Both, as they both instigated anti-slavery feeling in the North and tensions in the south.
The North-South Contest for Kansas
Know:
Beecher's Bibles, Border Ruffians
2.
What went wrong with popular sovereignty in Kansas?
Popular sovereignty caused the unruly settlers to fight in bloodshed over whether or not slavery
would be allowed in Kansas. This could have been avoided had the government chosen.
Kansas in Convulsion
Know:
John Brown, Pottawatomie Creek, Lecompton Constitution
3.
What was the effect of "Bleeding Kansas" on the Democratic Party?
Bleeding Kansas began the destruction of the tight Democratic Party’s bonds.
"Bully" Brooks and His Bludgeon
Know:
Charles Sumner, Preston Brooks
5
What was the consequence of Brook's beating of Sumner in the North? The South?
Brook’s beating of Sumner caused outrages in the North, and hoorahs in the South.
"Old Buck" versus "The Pathfinder"
Know:
James Buchanan, John C. Fremont, The American Party
6.
Assess the candidates in the 1856 election.
All 3 candidates were at least somewhat fit to take the presidency, as well as being clean of
Bleeding-Kansas, but Buchanan was the most qualified since he had much experience in political
dealings, and was even an ambassador at the time of this election.
The Electoral Fruits of 1856
7.
Interpret the results of the election of 1856.
James Buchanan won the presidency over Fillmore and Fremont. This caused the defeat of the
Republican and American Parties.
The Dred Scott Bombshell
Know:
Dred Scott, Roger B. Taney
8
Why was the Dred Scott decision so divisive?
Although Dred Scott was suing his master, he was black, so he could not legally do so in court.
The Financial Crash of 1857
8
How did the Panic of 1857 make Civil War more likely?
The Panic of 1857 caused tensions on both sides as everyone starved and began to become more
cranky.
An Illinois Rail-Splitter Emerges
10.
Describe Abraham Lincoln's background.
Lincoln came from a poor family, but self-educated himself and became a self0made man.
The Great Debate: Lincoln versus Douglas
Know:
Freeport Doctrine
11.
What long term results occurred because of the Lincoln-Douglas debates?
Lincoln gained enough prominence as a politician to become the president, which caused the
Southern Secession.
John Brown: Murderer or Martyr
Know:
Harper's Ferry, Robert E. Lee
12.
Why were the actions of one (crazy?) man so important in the growing conflict between
North and South?
One man’s actions caused tensions on the South side, in turn causing suspicion of the North, and
propaganda movements in the North.
The Disruption of the Democrats
Know:
John C. Breckenridge, John Bell
13.
What happened when the Democratic Party attempted to choose a candidate for the
presidency in 1860?
The South refused to help elect the presidential candidate and went back and elected their own
leader, Jefferson Davis.
A Rail-Splitter Splits the Union
14.
Why was Lincoln chosen as the Republican candidate instead of Seward?
Seward was preferred, but Lincoln was not tarnished by Bleeding Kansas.
The Electoral Upheaval of 1860
15.
Did the South have any power in the national government after Lincoln’s election, or were
they helpless?
They were helpless, as Lincoln was of the Northern Republican Party, so they were not able to do
much with him in power.
The Secessionist Exodus
Know:
Secession, Jefferson Davis
16..
What did President Buchanan do when the South seceded? Why?
President Buchanan did nothing, as he was unable to due to the pressures of his Southern advisors.
The Collapse of Compromise
17.
What was the Crittendon Compromise and why did it fail?
This was a Sothern compromise that was designed last minute to prevent secession. It failed because
the Northerners did not agree with the allowance of slavery everywhere.
Farewell to Union
18.
What advantages did southerners see in secession? Who did they compare themselves to?
Southerners saw independence in politics and economics, as well as sociality. They compared
themselves to the rebel colonists who fought and defeated England in the Revolutionary War.