Download Chapter 16 Section 4-5 “The Birth of the Republican Party”

Chapter 16 Section 4-5
“The Birth of the Republican Party”
A New Party and a New Face
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A new political party came into
being after the Dred Scott
decision. People who wanted to
stop slavery in the west formed
the Republican Party.
A new face emerged in the
national spotlight: Abraham
Lincoln. Lincoln was born in a
log cabin in Kentucky to a very
poor family. He worked hard his
entire childhood, and he educated
himself. He owned several
businesses, and became a well
known lawyer in Illinois. Because
Lincoln had come from such
meager beginnings, and because
he was such a good speaker
people really seemed to like
Lincoln.
Lincoln Douglas Debates
•
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In 1858, Lincoln (republican) ran
for senator against Stephen
Douglas (Democrat). It was well
known that Stephen Douglas
planned on running for president,
so this small senatorial election
got a national spotlight. Lincoln
challenged Douglas to a series of
debates, and Douglas reluctantly
agreed. They argued about the
spread of slavery. Douglas
wanted things to be solved by
popular sovereignty, and Lincoln
wanted to keep slavery out of the
territories all together.
Lincoln was not an abolitionist,
though. He simply wanted to stop
the spread of slavery. He did not
want to end it in states where it
already existed.
Stephen Douglas Wins…Kind Of
• Douglas won the election by a
slim margin. Still, Lincoln was
a winner too. He was now
known throughout the country.
Two years later, the two rivals
would again meet face to faceboth seeking the office of
President.
• In 1860, when they met again,
the republican party had
become very strong in the
north. This time, Lincoln beat
Douglas. In just a few years
Abraham Lincoln had taken
himself from being slightly
well-known in Illinois to
winning the presidency.
John Brown’s Raid
• After leading attacks in
Kansas, John Brown
headed east. In 1859, he
led a group of followers,
including 5 African
Americans, to Harper’s
Ferry, Virginia. Brown
attacked a federal arsenal.
His plan was to take the
weapons and give them to
slaves to use against their
owners. Although he did
capture the arsenal, no
slaves came for weapons so
John Brown was captured.
Tried for Treason
• After being captured, John
Brown was tried for treason.
Most people, both from the
North and South, thought his
plan was crazy. At his trial,
he sounded completely
normal and sane. He was
found guilty, and punished to
death. Northerners
considered him a martyr and
hero, because he was willing
to die for what he believed.
Southerners thought he was
a crazy murderer and did not
understand why the
Northerners supported him.
The Election of 1860
The Southern Backlash
•
•
To many southerners, Lincoln’s
election meant that the South no
longer had a voice in national
government. They believed the
president and congress were now
set against their interestsespecially slavery. The south felt
threatened. They believed that it
would only be a matter of time
before the north tried to end
slavery altogether. Many believed
that their only choice now was to
secede from the US, and form
their own country.
Most southerners believed that
they had every right to secede.
They thought the north was
violating their rights, and that gave
them the right to leave the US. By
February of 1861, South Carolina,
Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas
had also seceded. The seven states
formed the Confederate States of
America.
The Civil War Begins
•
•
•
The seceded states began taking
over federal buildings like forts
and post offices. Lincoln had to
make a decision quickly.
The war started at Fort Sumter,
South Carolina. When the union
commander in charge of the fort
refused to surrender, the
confederate soldiers fired on the
fort. The union troops soon ran
out of ammunition, and had to
surrender the fort.
When confederate troops shelled
Fort Sumter, people in Charleson
gathered on their rooftops to
watch. To many, it was like a
fireworks show. No one knew that
the fireworks marked the start of a
civil war that would last four
terrible years.