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Illinois History
Slavery and Black Codes in Illinois
through Illinois in the Civil War
Slavery and Black Codes in
Illinois
The First Slaves
• The 1st slaves in IL were brought in by the
French.
• Most were brought in to work in the lead
mines in the northwest part of the state.
Two Types of Slaves
• Those who had no say in their bondage.
• Those who signed up for the work.
– Indentured servants
– Usually a 7 year contract
The Ordinance of 1787
• States from the Northwest Territory will be
free states.
• But many of the people moving into IL.
were from Kentucky and brought their
slaves with them.
• Many wanted IL to be developed as a
slave state.
Slaves and Salt
• The Govt. salt mines were mainly manned
by slaves & the fear was that their removal
would hurt the state’s economy.
• As many as 2,000 slaves worked in the
salt mines.
Compromise
• To prevent the closing of the salt mines a
deal was struck.
• No new slaves allowed
• Existing slaves were not freed
• Indentured servants would finish out their
contracts
– Their children are freed at age 21
1819 Black Codes
• Freed men had to carry papers proving
their freedom.
• Register at the county seat
• Southern slave agents would frequently
come to IL and kidnap blacks & sell them
in the South.
Codes
• Illegal for Whites to hire Blacks that did not
have a certificate.
– $1.50 fine a day
• Illegal to bring slaves to IL in order to free
them.
– $200.00 fine per slave
Governor Coles
•
•
•
•
Former slave owner from Virginia
Abolitionist
Won the governorship by 50 votes
His Lt. Gov. and both houses of the Gen.
Assembly were controlled by pro-slavery
people.
• Both houses passed a resolution for the
people to vote on a Const. Convention
Vote on Convention
• The hope was a Const. Convention would
open the door for IL to become a slave
state.
• Coles financed the campaign to educate
Illinoisans about the immorality and cruelty
of slavery.
• The proposal was defeated 6,640 to
4,972. NO SLAVERY IN IL.
The First Martyr
• The slave issue died down until Elijah P.
Lovejoy moved to Alton and began printing
anti-slavery articles.
• On the night of Nov. 7, 1837, Lovejoy was
killed.
• This brought the slave issue back to the
attention of everyone.
1853 Black Codes
• A new set of Black Codes were enacted
• The harshest in any of the free states
• Slave owners could not move to IL if they
were planning on freeing their slaves.
• Blacks could not come to IL to live.
• Punishment for Blacks fine or servitude
• Punishment for Whites fines &
imprisonment
The Underground Railroad
• Network of people working together to
help runaway slaves reach the North
– Final destination was Canada
• Used many rail road terms to describe
parts & positions-
Underground Railroad Routes
Harriet Tubman
• Black Moses
• Like Moses she led her
people to freedom
• $40,000 reward for her
capture
• Ruthless / No turning
back
• 1896, she founded the
National Association of
Colored Women-
Henry Box Brown
John Jones
• Freed man living in Chicago trying to end
the Black Codes in IL.
• 1871 he became the first Black to be
elected as Cook Co. Commissioner.
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates
The Major Issue
• In the mid 1800s, slavery was the hot
issue
• Illinois was divided into 2 camps
• North opposed slavery
• South or Egypt was in line with the
Southern states and in favor of slavery.
Debates
• Abraham Lincoln a Whig turned
Republican was challenging Stephen
Douglas a Democrat for the IL Senate
position.
• They traveled around IL giving speeches
and debating each other
Stephen A. Douglas
• Little Giant
• 5’4”
• Trying to straddle the fence on the issue of
slavery.
– Appease the Democrats in the North & South
• Introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act in
1854.
– Ended the Missouri Comp. of 1820.
– Let the states decide on the issue of slavery.
Abraham Lincoln
• Rail Splitter
• 6’4”
• Opposed to the Kansas-Nebraska Act
– A way to expand slavery
• The Whigs failed to be a strong voice of
opposition to the K-N Act. This led to
Lincoln becoming a Republican.
– Republicans formed as a group opposed to
slavery.
Debates
• The debates between Douglas & Lincoln
were in Ottawa, Freeport, Jonesboro,
Charleston, Galesburg, Quincy, & Alton.
• Lincoln consistently stuck to his view that
slavery was wrong.
• Douglas straddled the fence trying to
appease both southern & northern
Democrats by saying the people should
decide.
Lincoln-Douglas
• June 16, 1858, during the IL. Senatorial
debates Lincoln shocked the state &
country by stating, “I believe this
government cannot endure, permanently
half slave and half free.”
• The bar is being raised
The Election in 1858
• Lincoln won the popular vote but the
General Assembly chose Douglas to
continue on as the state’s Senator.
• Even though Douglas won, many
Democrats were not happy with the views
of Douglas.
• 2 years later Lincoln & Douglas vie for the
Presidency.
Bleeding Kansas
• The idea that the people would decide on
the issue of slavery caused considerable
conflicts within Kansas Btw. Pro & Anti
slave groups.
– John Brown was a leading abolitionist in
Kansas
John Brown
• John Brown retaliated
against pro-slavery
people, killing five
• As a result, raids were
made against abolitionists
• Bleeding Kansas
described the debate over
the slavery issue
The Presidential Election of 1860
• The election became a 4 way race with the
Democrats divide by region.
The Election of 1860
• Republican Nominee
was Abraham Lincoln
The Election of 1860
• Constitutional Union
Nominee was John
Bell
The Election of 1860
• Democrats were divided
Northern Dem. Nominee
was Stephen Douglas
Southern Dem. Nominee
was John Breckinridge
The Election of 1860
• Northern voters split
their votes between
Douglas and Lincoln
• Southern voters split
their votes between
Breckinridge and Bell
Lincoln wins with 180 Electoral Votes.
• 40% of the Northern votes
• Only 5,000 votes in S. IL.
• Almost no support from Southern voters
Moving Toward WAR!
• Southerners were angry at the idea of a
Republican President
• Southerners felt they had no control over
the Federal Government
• Planters that backed slavery threatened to
leave the Union
– Secessionists said each state entered the
Union voluntarily, and they could leave it also
SECESSION
• South Carolina secedes in December
1860
• States of the Lower South secede also
– Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama,
Florida, and Georgia
• February 1861 southern delegates met in
Montgomery, Alabama
– Formed the Confederate States of America
The Civil War
• As the Southern states left the Union,
many in southern IL. looked at separating
& creating a new state (Egypt).
Lincoln’s Inauguration
• Lincoln was inaugurated on March 4, 1861
The Attack on Fort Sumter
• April 12, 1861
Confederates fire on
Fort Sumter
– Commanded by
Robert Anderson
• 24 hours later the fort
is surrendered
• Lincoln calls for
volunteers to help put
down the rebellion
Results of the Call to stop the
Rebellion
• The upper South
responds to Lincoln’s
call for volunteers by
seceding also
• The Upper South
included: Virginia,
North Carolina,
Tennessee, and
Arkansas
Fort Sumter
Manassas / The First Bull Run
• July of 1861
• First major battle of
the civil war
• Union army tried to
march to Richmond,
Virginia
• Many civilians
followed the Union
troops as they
marched south
Results of the First Bull Run
• The Union forces were beaten by the fresh
Confederate troops
• The Union retreated (ran for their lives)
right through the picnicking civilians
• 5,000 soldiers were killed in the battle
Trouble In The North
• The Democrats in the North that supported
the South were known as Copperheads.
– Many times they would try to sabotage Union
efforts.
• The Copperheads were continuously
calling for an end to the war.
• Tried to undermine Lincoln’s efforts for
victory.
Illinois
• Industry increased to meet the demands of
the Union Army.
• Farmers met the needs of both the Union
Army & Europeans
John A. Logan
• Logan was one of the IL. Congressmen
who had followed the Union troops to
watch the battle.
– Private retreating
• Logan was given a commission as a
Colonel in the Union Army.
• Sent to Marion to recruit volunteers to
fight.
Logan
• Logan went on to fight in the Western
campaigns.
– Belmont
– Fort Donelson
• Wounded & thought to be dead in the
battle for Fort Donelson.
– Given the rank of Brigadier General
Logan Cont’d.
• Later Logan was promoted to Major
General (2 stars)
• He was a powerful figure on the battlefield
while sitting on his horse Slasher.
• At the end of the war he was offered a
brigadier general position with the Army.
• Campaigned for Lincoln’s re-election in
1864.
Ulysses S. Grant
• Born in Point Pleasant, Ohio.
• Entered West Point at age 17.
– Name was changed in W.P.
• Settled in IL after the end of the Mexican
War.
• He rejoined the Army after Lincoln called
for volunteers
Grant
• Given the position of the assistant
quartermaster of the IL regiments.
• Later promoted to brigadier general
– In charge of the troops in Cairo
• Grant led the Union forces in the Western
Campaign
• Later placed in charge of trying to take
Richmond.
The Emancipation Proclamation
• Passed in September 1862
• Took effect January 1, 1863
• Freed slaves in areas of open rebellion
Problems With the
Emancipation Proclamation
• It affected the slaves that were in states of
open rebellion
• These states did not recognize the laws of
the United States anymore
• The slaves could flee to areas held by
Union troops to be considered Contraband
Slaves as Contraband
• Slaves who became contraband were
seen as property of the Union
– Then the Union would then declare they were
free
• 85% of the slaves who were freed stayed
with Union troops to fight in the war
Lee Surrenders
• April 9, 1865 Lee
surrenders to
General Grant at
Appomattox
Court House in
Virginia
– McLean House
surrender site
Lincoln’s Assassination
• April 14, 1865 Lincoln is shot by John
Wilkes Booth
– Ford’s Theater
• April 15, 1865 Lincoln dies
No More Slavery.
• The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in
the U.S.
• Illinois was the 1st state to ratify the new
amendment.
The Cost
• 259,000 Illinoisans had fought in the war.
• 35,000 had died w/. the last being Lincoln.