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Road to the Civil War

Road to the Civil War. Steps leading to secession. Sectionalism Under Polk. Polk – seen as favoring the South Failure of the Wilmot Proviso Ideas of popular sovereignty Growth of the Free Soil Party. Election of 1848. Democrats – Lewis Cass of Michigan Whigs – Zachary Taylor of LA –

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Road to the Civil War

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  1. Road to the Civil War Steps leading to secession

  2. Sectionalism Under Polk • Polk – seen as favoring the South • Failure of the Wilmot Proviso • Ideas of popular sovereignty • Growth of the Free Soil Party

  3. Election of 1848 • Democrats – Lewis Cass of Michigan • Whigs – Zachary Taylor of LA – • war hero with no political experience • Free Soil Party – Martin Van Buren

  4. Should the Missouri Compromise line be extended? • California???? • Gold Rush – 1849 • Rapidly expanding and diversifying population • Chinese immigration • Persecution of Indians • Calls for statehood • Will California be free or slave?

  5. Compromise of 1850 • Crafted by Henry Clay • California = free state • No restriction on slavery in new territories from Mexico • Abolition of slave trade in Washington, DC • More effective Fugitive Slave Law • Debaters: Old – Clay, Webster, and Calhoun • Debaters: New – William Seward, Jefferson Davis, and Stephan Douglas

  6. Election of 1852 • Zachary Taylor died in office – Millard Filmore became president • Democrats – Franklin Pierce (NH) • Whigs – Winfield Scott (military hero) • Free Soil – John P. Hale • Pierce was elected

  7. Franklin Pierce’s Issues • Northern anger over Fugitive Slave Law • Ostend Manifesto – Southern conspiracy • Where to put the transcontinental railroad? • Expansion – how?

  8. Kansas-Nebraska Act • Crafted by Stephen Douglas • New territories – Nebraska & Kansas • Use popular sovereignty to decide slavery issue • Repeal the Missouri Compromise • The expectation was Kansas would be slave and Nebraska free

  9. Consequences of the Kansas-Nebraska Act • Divided and destroyed the Whig Party • Divided the Democrats along Northern and Southern lines • New party emerged – Republicans – opposed to Douglas’ compromise

  10. Bleeding Kansas • Violence between settlers • Attracted extremists like John Brown • Pottawatomie Massacre • Armed bans, guerrilla warfare

  11. Sumner v. Brooks • Senator Charles Sumner (MA) criticized the proslavery stance of Senator Andrew Butler (SC) • Preston Brooks of SC entered the Senate chamber and beat Sumner with a cane • Sumner = martyr to the abolitionism cause • Brooks = Southern hero

  12. Free Soil Ideology • Free soil and free labor • Capitalism in central to America • Capitalism = democracy • Slavery = danger to democracy • Slave Power Conspiracy • Republican focus on the strength of UNION

  13. Growing Southern Fears • Nat Turner uprising • Expansion of cotton economy • Growth of abolitionist movement • Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin

  14. The Pro Slavery Argument • “Positive good” • Slaves treated better than industrial workers • Slavery creates racial peace • Southern economy was key to national prosperity • Southern culture was superior • Biological inferiority – Eugenics – pseudo science • Religious & biblical justifications

  15. Election of 1856 • Democrats – James Buchanan (PA) • Republicans – John C. Frémont (CA) • Buchanan – narrow victory • Republicans – outpolled all other candidates in North, no votes in South • Buchanan – winner = scared, timid, OLD

  16. Dred Scott Decision • 1846 Supreme Court Ruling • Scott was not a citizen • Slaves were property • Congress can’t take property • Missouri Compromise unconstitutional • Federal government has no power to limit slavery

  17. Kansas Outcome • Proslavery and abolitionist forces continued to battle • Proslavery forces wrote the Lecompton Constitution which protected slavery • The Lecompton Constitution was voted down in Kansas but Buchanan still backed the admission of Kansas as a slave state – failed • Kansas became a free state in 1861

  18. Lincoln – Douglas Debates • Senate seat in Illinois • Douglas – no moral position on slavery • Lincoln – slavery was wrong • Lincoln – slavery hurt poor white laborers • Douglas won the election but Lincoln emerged as national Republican leader

  19. John Brown’s Raid • Capture the arsenal at Harpers Ferry, arm slaves, lead a revolt • October 1859 • Failed and Brown was captured by Robert E. Lee and hanged • Greatly increased Southern fears

  20. Election of 1860 • Northern Democrats – Stephen Douglas • Southern Democrats – John Breckinridge • Constitutional Union Party – John Bell • Republicans – Abraham Lincoln

  21. Republican Platform in 1860 • High tariff • Internal improvements • Homestead Bill • Construction of Pacific railroad with federal assistance • States decide on slavery

  22. Lincoln wins – War is coming!

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