Download Chapter 20: Drifting Toward Disunion 1854-1861

Chapter 20: Drifting Toward Disunion 1854-1861
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“Stowe and Helper: Literary Incendiaries”
Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852)
1. Harriet Beecher Stowe
a. Wanted to expose cruelty of slavery (especially separation of families)
b. Effect of evangelicalism of 2nd Great Awakening
2. Helped start Civil War
a. Northerners deeply effected; many refused to obey Fugitive Slave Law
3. Turned England and France against slavery and prevented intervention
The Impending Crisis of the South (1857)
1. Hinton R. Helper (North Carolina)
a. Hated slavery and blacks
b. Statistics: slavery worst for poor whites without slaves
2. Further split North and South (not wanting same government)
a. Banned in South
b. Campaign propaganda for Republicans
c. Caused start and Northern victory of Civil War
“The North-South Contest for Kansas”
Some of Northerners entering Kansas were sponsored by abolitionists
1. New England Emigrant Aid Company sent 2000
2. Beecher’s Bibles (guns bought by Henry Ward Beecher)
Angered Southerners
1. Had assumed Kansas-Nebraska Act meant for Nebraska free, Kansas slave
Slaves in Kansas not practical – too dangerous to keep expensive slaves
1855 election – proslavery Missourians crossed the boarder to vote repeatedly
1. Southerners set up their government at Shawnee Mission
2. Northerners countered by creating own government at Topeka
1856 – proslavery men shot up and burned Lawrence
“Kansas in Convulsion”
John Brown (abolitionist from Osawatomie)
1. Led group to Pottawatomie Creek (May 1856) and murdered 5 proslaveryites
2. Retaliation led to civil war in Kansas
Kansas civil war (1856-1861) lasted until it merged with national Civil War.
Kansas had enough people (majority free-soilers) in 1857 for statehood
1. Lecompton Constitution
a. Guaranteed slavery for current slaveholders in Kansas regardless of vote
b. Angered abolitionists -> boycotted the polls, proslavery won
c. President James Buchanan supported fully
Senator Stephen A. Douglas refused to allow false sovereignty
1. Lost Southern support for chance at presidency
2. Compromise had Kansas vote on entire Lecompton Constitution
a. Northerners rallied huge vote and blocked statehood until 1861
Buchanan had divided last national party (democrats) -> even less chance for
preservation of the Union
“‘Bully’ Brooks and His Bludgeon”
A. Senator Charles Sumner (Massachusetts) leading abolitionist
1. “The Crime against Kansas” (1856)
a. Indiscreetly attacked Kansas issue
b. Insulted popular Senator Andrew Butler (South Carolina) and his state
B. Congressman Preston S. Brooks (South Carolina)
1. Refused to have a duel with an intellectual inferior
2. Knocked Sumner with his cane (May 22, 1856)
C. Results
1. Brooks resigned and was reelected, followers celebrated the incident
2. Sumner seriously injured -> Europe for painful and expensive treatment
a. Massachusetts reelected him anyway, leaving an empty seat
3. Republicans gained many votes
4. South was angered because Sumner’s speech was approved by North
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“‘Old Buck’ versus ‘The Pathfinder’” (presidential campaign of 1856)
A. Democrats
1. Refused Douglas and President Pierce (darkened by Kansas-Nebraska Act)
2. Chose James Buchanan (Pennsylvania) London minister during Kansas
trouble and was therefore free from the scandal
3. Platform demanded popular sovereignty
B. Republicans
1. William H. “Higher Law” Seward most likely candidate/leading spokesman
a. Not a “Republican year” -> waited for better opportunity
2. Chose Captain John C. Frémont (war hero)
a. No political experience
b. No association with Kansas conflict
3. Platform demanded no slavery in territories
C. American (“Know-Nothing”) Party
1. “nativists” against foreigners and Catholics
2. Chose ex-president Fillmore
3. Joined by leftovers of Whigs = take away Republican vote
D. Mudslinging on both sides
1. Buchanan illegitimate and unmarried
2. Frémont alleged Roman Catholic (hurt “nativist” support)
VI.
“The Electoral Fruits of 1856” (Buchanan’s victory)
A. Why did Republicans fail?
1. Frémont’s honesty , intelligence, and judgment were doubted
2. Threats that election of section “Black Republican” would declare war on
South and Force succession turned Northern Unionists to Buchanan
B. Civil War delay for 4 years helped North because many more were to become
more emotional and angry (1856-1860)
C. Republicans had still made a huge mark in a short time (2 years)
VII. “The Dred Scott Bombshell”
A. The Dred Scott Decision from Supreme Court (March 6, 1857)
B. Dred Scott sued for his freedom after living on free land for five years
1. Could not sue as a slave (enough to through out case)
C. Chief Justice Taney (Maryland) supported slavery unconditionally, added extras
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1. Slave was private property, could be taken anywhere (5th Amendment)
2. Missouri Compromise repealed by Kansas-Nebraska Act
a. Compromise of 1820 unconstitutional (congress couldn’t ban slavery)
Angered supporters of popular sovereignty (Douglas and Northern Democrats)
1. Further split once-united Democratic party along sectional lines
Northerners ignored the decision as an opinion (angered Southerners)
1. Supreme Court had been affected by politics
“The Financial Crash of 1857”
Late 1857 panic not as bad as 1837, but psychologically devastating 5000 failed
businesses within a year, vast unemployment
Causes
1. California gold caused inflation
2. Crimean War = increase in demand for grain
North hardest hit, South survived thanks to high cotton prices
1. Falsely believed themselves superior to North and able to be independent
Free 160 acre farms
1. Opposition = Eastern industrialists afraid of losing labor and pro-slavery
Southerners afraid of losing more states to abolitionists
2. Homestead act -> 25¢/acre vetoed by Buchanan
Demand for higher, more protective tariff rates
1. Large treasury surplus had caused a major reduction in Tariff of 1857
a. Immediately before panic
b. Reduced tariffs 20% (lowest since War of 1812)
2. Angered Northerners blamed Southern low tariff rates
Election of 1860 gives Republicans 2 major issues: homestead act, tariffs
“An Illinois Rail-Splitter Emerges”
Illinois senatorial race for spot of Democratic Douglas
Abraham Lincoln (1809 Kentucky)
1. Born to poor family and had less than a year of education
2. Self-educated through reading
3. Married up in social ladder (Todd family in Kentucky)
4. Became well-known Illinois lawyer
5. Politics
a. One congressional term 1847-1849
b. 1854 – angered by Kansas-Nebraska Act
c. became leading Northwest politician and orator
“The Great Debate: Lincoln versus Douglas”
Lincoln challenged Douglas to 7 debates (August-October 1858)
1. Not a wise move because Douglas was best debater in America
Biggest debate in Freeport, Illinois
1. Lincoln’s argument
a. If a territory voted slavery down, the Dred Scott Decision would
contradict that states ruling; who would win Court/people?
2. Response of Douglas (“Freeport Doctrine”)
a. Despite Supreme Court’s Ruling, people would always be supreme, and
slavery would not stay if a majority were against it
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b. Historical support–federal government losses power w/out popular support
Douglas was reelected over Lincoln for his Senatorial seat due to Illinois appeal
to popular sovereignty
1. Legislators supporting Douglas represented smaller portion of state population
Lincoln became more well-known and increased odds for presidency
Douglas hurt his chances in South, further split political sectional lines
“John Brown: Murderer or Martyr?”
Brown’s next scheme
1. Invade VA w/ followers, arm slaves to rise in revolt, make blacks a sanctuary
Harper’s Ferry raid (October 1859)
1. Invaded national garrison, killing 7 innocent people (1 free black, injuring 10)
2. Blacks failed to rise–didn’t receive the word; quickly captured by US Marines
Brown’s sanity questioned (17 affirmed, 13 family members were in sane)
Brown realized more of a weapon as an executed martyr
1. Acted dignified at execution and presumed holy by many
South mad – Union funded abolitionist invasions (Brown = treasonous murderer)
1. Many Northerners (including leading Republicans) agreed, but South assumed
all Northerners all had the same violent view
Abolitionists were angered by execution, ignorant of Browns deeds and intentions
“The Disruption of the Democrats”
Douglas leading Northern candidate; Southerners regarded him as a traitor
Democratic National Convention first met in Charleston, South Carolina
1. Many walked out, but still no 2/3 majority for Douglas
Reconvened in Baltimore, Maryland
1. Northerners had more support and Douglas eventually nominated
2. Southerners had own meeting; nominated John C. Breckinridge (Kentucky)
a. Vice-president favored extension of slavery to territories and Cuba
3. Bridging the gap = Constitutional Union party (Whigs and Know-Nothings)
a. Compromise candidate John Bell (Tennessee)
“A Rail-Splitter Splits the Union”
Split of Democrats left Republicans with excellent opportunity
William H. Seward most well-known, but ruined his chances with excessive
radicalism – “irrepressible conflict” speech (Rochester, 1858)
Abraham Lincoln = second best choice, but better candidate (fewer enemies)
1. Gained nomination in Chicago’s convention
2. Had appeal to every group but South
a. Non-extension of slavery for free-soilers
b. Protective tariff for Northern manufacturers
c. Pacific Railroad for Northwest
d. Federally funded internal improvements for West
e. Free homesteads fro farmers
Election of Lincoln would divide the Union and lead to secession
Lincoln won easily with only about 40% of the vote
“The Electoral Upheaval”
Election of 1860 was Really 2 election Northern and Southern
South Carolinians claimed reason to secede after Lincoln’s election
C. Lincoln had majority of electoral vote, despite only 40% of popular vote
D. South still had 5 to 4 in Supreme Court, and still held House and Senate
1. Nearly half of state had slavery = no amendments could be passed to outlaw it
XV. “The Secessionist Exodus”
A. South Carolina (1860) led Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,
and Texas into secession (followed by 4 more for total of 11)
B. 1st 7 met in Montgomery, Alabama (February 1861) to create a government for
the Confederate States of America
1. President Jefferson Davis (Mississippi U.S. Senator)
C. “lame duck” period – 4 months between election and oath for Lincoln
1. 1st 7 states had already seceded by the time he took office
D. Buchanan was a strong Unionist, but although he thought it unlawful to secede, he
also saw it unconstitutional to keep states from seceding by force
1. Also had to contain Indians in West with small, scattered army of 15,000
XVI. “The Collapse of Compromise”
A. Last hope for compromise = Senator James Henry Crittenden (Kentucky)
1. Slavery prohibited north of 36º30’; protected to the South (including Cuba)
2. Conceivably make slavery permanent in those states
B. Lincoln refused Crittenden amendments as against his running platform
1. He had said he was against all expansion of slavery, even if temporary
C. If Buchanan had waged war on S Carolina immediately, Union would not have
been as well off – would have looked like aggressor and lost middle swing states
XVII. “Farewell to Union”
A. South overwhelmed by huge Northern numbers mounting against them and the
sectional Republican party that threatened their slaveholding rights as a minority
B. South thought that north would not fight to preserve the Union
1. Economically damaging (lose all debt owed by South)
C. South wanted economic independence as well
1. Separate banking, shipping and trading could develop
2. High tariffs favoring North could return at any time
D. Nationalism sprang up in Italy, Germany, Poland, etc.
1. Fear of being controlled by an empire
E. Southern secessionists believed they were morally right
1. Drew parallels to tyranny of King George III during American Revolution